Page 12 of Free
CHAPTER SIX
Waiting was killing Bryon, but after nearly four weeks, he was finally ready to get Dyson out of jail. It was going to take everything working perfectly to make it a success. The whole team was on edge, and ready to help in any way possible.
"Let me do this," Xander argued.
"No, I can't have any of you seen. You have to stay here. I promise I'll bring him here once the coast is clear. I've got a friend handling all the driving. There will be cameras following them. Carter is trying to hack into everything along the route so there won't be a video of the vehicle, but we all know that we're talking miles of area, and we won't get them all. The plan is flawless once Dyson walks out, but we still have to make sure they can't track him. If we're lucky, it will be morning or later before the jail realizes the mistake."
"I'm good to go as far as the jail." Carter looked at the notebook in front of him. "I've timed it so he'll be released with the midnight group. That's usually the largest group since those who have served their full sentence are released at midnight. The office staff just does what the computer tells them to. Unless someone is really paying attention, which I doubt they are, they aren't going to question his bail release. He'll just be another name mixed in with the others."
"And once he's out, how does he know who is picking him up?" Noam asked.
"Codeword," Xander told Noam. "We all memorize it from the day we start going out on stings." He glared at Bryon. "Noam should know it."
"Yeah, I just realized I never sat down with Noam or Matt because they aren't as at risk as the rest of you, but I'll take care of that as soon as we get Dyson situated. The whole team should know it." Bryon made a note on the paper in front of him. "Anyway, my friend will be waiting outside for Dyson. He will get his attention, give the code word, and lead him to a car. The car is like all our others, license plates show it's part of the State's fleet. They will drive to another location, ditch that car, grab another, and drive to yet another location. Dyson will be there for at least twenty-four hours, maybe more. Once we know the coast is clear, I'll go grab him and head here. You guys will have a few hours with him before I get him out of town."
"For how long?" Xander asked.
Bryon just stared at him. The answer was obvious. Once Dyson left town, he'd be stupid to return. He was going to have to adapt to a new life somewhere else. Bryon had that life set up for him, but he wasn't talking about any of it until he was able to tell Dyson about it in person. He expected arguing, but there was no other option. Dyson had to leave if he wanted to keep his freedom.
Carter leaned forward. "The team is going to have to deal with changes. Once we get Dyson out, the team is still on hold. We won't be doing anything new for a month or more. We need things to cool down. Jumping right in would put us all in danger."
"I do have a few out of state things in the works that we'll be doing, but as far as local, we sit and wait." Bryon glanced at Xander. "I know Dys is your best friend, but you have to let him leave. You can't fight me on this. It's the only way we can keep him safe and free."
"Can you at least tell me where you're sending him?" Xander had his arms folded over his chest, glaring at everyone.
"No. That's up to Dyson to let you know once I talk to him. Don't press me on this, Xan. I'm trying to keep us all safe. None of us are happy about this. None of us want Dyson to leave, but it's how it has to be. You all knew when you signed on that this was a possibility if we ever got caught. Just because he's a few thousand miles away doesn't mean you won't ever see him again."
"A few thousand miles?" Xander grabbed his beard, running his hand down it.
"What? Did you think I'd move him a couple towns over? Leave him here in the state so that everyone who's seen him on the news can identify him and turn him in?"
"Faith wants to see him before he leaves," Matt said.
"I figured. She's as much a part of this team as any of you. I'll make sure everyone is here who needs to be. One thing, since Faith and Dyson did communicate through mail at the jail, she needs to be sure not to contact him once he's gone. If she wants to call or talk to him, have her do it through Carter so he can make sure nothing is traced. It's just until things cool down. It's going to be a change for all of us, but as hard as this is on us, remember how much harder it is going to be for Dyson." Bryon stood, moving across the room. "I'm trying to make sure Dyson has everything he needs to start his new life. I can't go into details yet, but I promise you I'm not sending him off alone. He's still a part of STK and he always will be. You all will be unless you choose to leave, no matter what happens to any of us. We are family, and we don't turn our back on each other."
"I know we haven't said it much, but thank you for always having our backs, Bryon. You've always made sure that we're protected, and we sometimes take that for granted. Carter and you have worked from day one to make sure none of us ever suffered for choosing to be part of this team. I know I can honestly say, even when I thought I was going to end up in jail…" Kasey smiled at Noam. "I knew you'd always be there for me."
"Just like you'd be there for me." Bryon smiled. "Carter is the one holding us together. While I don't do it often, I go out on stings too. It could have easily been me instead of Dyson. It could have been any of us. It's Carter who would always put the plan in action, and it's been Carter who has done most the work to get Dyson out. All I've done is make sure he has a place to go once he is free."
Carter smiled. "When Bryon and I first met and discussed starting this team, I was still hurting. It had been a couple of years since my family had been killed, and I wasn't in a good place. It was this team and the work we do that's helped me heal. When I thought all my reasons for living were gone, it was you guys who showed me just how much more I had left to do with my life. I wouldn't want to work with any other group of guys."
Bryon nodded to Carter, remembering back to when they'd met so many years ago. They'd both been unstable, grieving their own losses, and together they'd found a way to piece their souls back together. "So, we are a go for tonight?"
Carter nodded. "Is your guy in place, ready to go?"
"He is." Bryon had talked to him just an hour ago. "He's just waiting on confirmation from me."
"You sure this is going to work?" Xander asked, still tugging on his beard nervously.
"No clue, but it's the best chance we have. I'm confident we've done everything to make it work, but we all know that it only takes one small slip to fuck up the plans. We'll just go with it and pray for the best. If it doesn't work, then we try again. We've got other options, but this is the best one out of all of them, so pray it works." Bryon looked around at the group. "You guys are welcome to hang out here tonight, but I won't have any verification that he's out until probably four or five in the morning. We're keeping contact at a minimum. I won't even talk to Dyson for a few days. Everything will be done by people from out of state and not part of the team."
"You trust these people?" Xander asked.
"With my life," Carter spoke up. "These are sources I've made through the dark web and from as far back as when I worked for the government. These guys are some of the best at what they do. They don't ask questions. They'll do the job and disappear."
"You all know we wouldn't bring in anyone we didn't trust," Bryon said. "We've known these guys for years. They'll take care of Dyson and keep him safe. Once he's away from the jail, I'm confident we'll keep him out. It's going to be that initial ten to fifteen minutes when he is called to roll up from his cell, walking down to release, and walking out of the jail that is most risky. We get him in the car, all should go as planned. It's hoping that no one sees his name on the release orders and focuses on why he's being let out. Carter has everything looking authentic, but should they call anyone for verification, we're fucked."
"So any questions on how this is all going to work tonight?" Carter asked.
Bryon looked at the group in front of him, glad when no one spoke up. "Then I'm guessing I'll see most of you back here tonight. Beau and Parson are bringing dinner at seven if you want, but it will be a long wait until midnight when all systems are go."
Glad that no one argued with him over his plans, he headed to his bedroom. He needed time alone before everything went down, because if anything went wrong, it was on him, and he couldn't handle seeing any of his men suffer any more than they already were.
