Right Before Your Eyes

by VampyrAlex

The tip, when it came, was almost too late. It was Wednesday afternoon when Vin got a call saying that Grant was finally selling a large shipment of weapons... In less than an hour's time. The location was an abandoned oil refinery on the outskirts of town, and Chris barely had enough time to get his men ready, call teams 3 and 5 for help and be on their way.

The refinery was huge and there was no evidence of any vehicles on the outside upon their arrival. That didn't mean anything, since the building was large enough to house a hundred cars inside, but it gave Chris a sense of foreboding that he couldn't shake. Making sure that every man wore a vest and had their headsets switched on, including the other teams, he nodded.

"Let's do this, people. Spread out and be careful. Grant and his men make Hannibal Lecter seem like a choir boy by comparison. No heroics; anyone in trouble calls for help. Let's go."

He watched as every man instinctively took a different entrance before choosing his own way. This was the part he really hated about this job; having to let his men rush headfirst into danger, knowing that any false step could be fatal. Hopefully that fear would always remain with him; the day he walked into a bust with the certainty that nothing would go wrong was the day he would retire.

===V===

Ezra moved slowly as he crossed through the refinery, deeper and deeper into its heart, careful to keep his footing light and his gun ready. So far he had seen no sign of Grant, his men, or the buyers -- although he had come close to shooting Cole from team 5 as the man made the mistake of running past him.

He walked into a large room, spotting dozens of large crates that were sure to hold the weapons Grant hoped to sell. The only question on his mind was, where the hell was the man? The whole thing was beginning to feel more and more like a setup. It seemed strange to him that Grant would risk selling the weapons so soon after finding out that the ATF was hot on his trail. Even without Buck undercover in his organization, it was still a dangerous stunt to pull. The man was either a fool, fearless... Or very, very intelligent.

He frowned as he spotted a large backpack hidden between a few crates. Approaching cautiously, he crouched down and unzipped it, breath leaving his body in a gasp as he recognized the object inside.

"Abort the bust! Everyone get out of the building!" he shouted into the headset. "There's a bomb in here!"

"Shit!" Chris swore, loud and clear through the radio. "Ezra, does it have a timer?"

"Wait a second." He holstered his gun, turning the bomb with feather-light fingers, conscious of the fact there was enough explosives in it to turn the refinery to dust, especially if any of the oil tanks had any residue left. "Fuck! Thirty-two seconds! Move it!"

"It's not enough time to get everyone out of here!" John Leeson, the leader of team 5 said, his voice unsteady.

"Lord, I hate my life sometimes," Ezra whispered, knowing what he had to do.

Grabbing the backpack, donning it and making a mental count of the seconds ticking by, he began a mad dash for the closest exit. "Get out of the way!" he shouted as he collided with several agents in a corridor.

23 seconds, 22, 21, 20...

"Ezra, what the hell are you doing?" Chris' voice sounded nearly panicked through the headset.

"Not now, Chris!" he growled desperately, turning another corner.

...19, 18, 17...

Why, oh, why, did the damn building have to be this wide? He felt like a rat in a maze, the harder he tried, the further away from his goal he got. Sweat slid down his temple, coating his forehead and making his eyes sting. His burden was heavy at his back and getting heavier with each step, and he was starting to have trouble breathing.

...16, 15, 14, 13...

Light loomed ahead and he grinned inanely as he reached an exit. Only to groan in dismay. The grounds were crowded with the agents who had managed to leave the refinery, surveillance and ATF vehicles were parked everywhere, close together, and allowed him no free space to get safely rid of the bomb.

...12, 11, 10...

Then, like a parched man weeps at the sight of an oasis, so did he spot his salvation. Far away from all the other vehicles and agents stood Leeson's car, the driver's door wide open. It wasn't ideal, but it would have to do.

"Get back inside the refinery!" he shouted to the men around him, who didn't hesitate to obey.

...9, 8, 7, 6...

Running toward Leeson's brand new Chevy truck, he dragged the backpack off and threw it inside the vehicle, mentally cursing himself at his insanity. "Mother told me there would be days like these," he muttered absently, slamming the door and racing to get as far away from the bomb as possible before it went off.

...5, 4, 3, 2...

"I'm not going to make it," he whispered to himself, knowing time was at its end.

1!

Burning heat scorched him as the force of the explosion propelled him through the air, his ears throbbing painfully at the violence of the noise caused by the blast. He landed hard on his stomach, barely managing to protect his face from hitting the concrete. He cringed as a rain of torn metal landed all around him, the hood of the Chevy crashing mere inches away.

When it was finally over, he rolled slowly onto his back, eyes closed, arms stretched away from his body. A chuckle escaped his lips, then another and another, until it turned into full belly laughter. Damn, it felt good to be alive!

"Somethin' funny, pard?" Vin's voice, sounding very close.

Ezra sighed. "I am... feeling quite pleased with myself at this moment, Mr. Tanner," he replied softly, before finally opening his eyes.

His six friends must have been right behind him during his marathon run, for they were all there, sitting around him, different expressions showing on their faces, from absolute relief, to amusement, to understanding and pride. Well, not all of them were sitting. Chris was on all fours, straddling Ezra's body, an unreadable look in his eyes.

Before he could question the blond, Chris pulled the headset off Ezra's head, throwing it to join the pile of discarded equipment next to Josiah. Then, gazing down at Ezra with fire in his eyes, he spoke, "You stupid, aggravating, annoying, brilliant, brave, *beautiful* man!"

And before Ezra could even blink, Chris was leaning down, warm breath brushing over Ezra's skin and making him tingle in anticipation. His eyes closed of their own volition, and then thought abandoned him completely as he was kissed with a hunger that left him weak and trembling with arousal. Lips claimed his, soft and demanding, hot and teasing in turns. He responded in kind, pouring his love into their meld, nibbling at Chris' bottom lip and grinning as the other man moaned. When they finally parted, they were both smiling and the others were chuckling and wolf-whistling at them.

"You do realize you just outed us, not only to our friends, but to half of the ATF, don't you?" Ezra asked, breathlessly.

"Nah. I asked Graham to keep everyone away until I gave the all clear. Besides, I couldn't care less who knows."

"What exactly is there to know?" Ezra queried softly, looking up at Chris.

"I've been doin' a lot of thinkin' the last few days. I knew -- I felt -- that somethin' had changed between us durin' the Easton case," Chris began, "but I don't think I was ready for what it meant. That night we spent together... I haven't been able to put it, or you, out of my mind, Ez. I get it now. I got it the moment I realized what you meant to do with the bomb and that you might get killed. I love you," he smiled down at Ezra. "I'm sorry it took me so long."

Ezra gave him a wide smile, feeling his heart swelling with happiness. "It's quite all right, Mr. Larabee. I had noticed that I'm the brains in this outfit."

Chris gave him a mock glare. "Are you callin' me dumb?"

Ezra laughed. "If the cap fits," he pressed Chris' ATF cap down until it was nearly down to his eyes, "wear it."

Chris cuffed him lightly on the head, then jumped to his feet, pulling Ezra up with him. A roar of clapping, whistling and loud cheering reached his ringing ears, and Ezra turned to see the agents from teams 3 and 5 by the main entrance of the refinery, waving madly at them. For a moment, the irrational thought that they were reacting to the kiss crossed his mind. Then reality re-asserted itself and he realized that there were several vehicles between them, which made it impossible for the others to have seen anything.

"They're showing their appreciation for your selfless action," Josiah told him, evidently having understood his confusion. "You did a fine thing today, brother."

A man stood out from the crowd, getting closer, and Ezra sighed as he recognized John Leeson. The other agent possessed an impressive bulk and height, only matched by Josiah, although he was a good ten years younger. He was stalking towards Ezra, a mix of frustration and laughter lurking in his hazel eyes.

"Standish!" he growled. "That damn truck was brand new, you maverick! Brand new! I got to ride it for all of two days! Couldn't you have thrown the bomb somewhere else, for Pete's sake?" He stood face to face with Ezra now. "I swear, if I wasn't insured I'd kick your lily white ass all the way back to the office!"

Ezra raised an eyebrow at that. "You mean you would *try* to kick my ass, don't you?"

Leeson snorted, but refrained from further comments. His expression turned suddenly solemn. "Ezra, that was probably the craziest, bravest thing I've ever seen in my life and I've been in this business for a long time. Graham and I were talkin' just now... We'll make sure you get a commendation for this. Your quick thinking saved a lot of good men today." He tousled Ezra's hair with a grin. "You're a damn hero, kid." A parting wink and Leeson was gone, leaving Ezra gaping at his back.

He looked up at the clear blue sky, wondering about the twists in his life, aware of Chris coming closer. "What are you doin'?" the blond asked.

"Waiting for the sky to come tumbling down, lightning to strike, that sort of thing," he murmured. "You know what they say, no good deed goes unpunished."

Chris chuckled at the sarcasm. "I don't think that's goin' to happen today, Ez. You did good. No matter what you seem to think, nothin' bad will come of it." He wrapped an arm around Ezra's shoulders. "Come on, hero, let's go back to the office. We gotta think of a way to get Jaki Grant before he gets us."

===VA===

Chris looked at his watch for the hundredth time as he waited for the appointed hour of his meeting with AD Travis. Graham and Leeson had already given their accounts on the failed bust. In ten minutes time, it would be his turn.

They had gotten back to the office an hour earlier and everyone was keeping busy. Vin was trying to locate the snitch responsible for the false tip, Ezra was out on the streets talking to his informants, Nathan and Buck were going through every piece of information available on Jaki Grant, and JD and Josiah were on the phone with several of Boston's authorities, Grant's previous hunting grounds.

A soft knock on the door and Vin was walking into his office, face grim. "Hey, Cowboy."

"Vin. You found him?"

"Sorta. He's dead, Chris. I tried a few of his favorite haunts, was checkin' a bar downtown when I noticed the squad cars outside. A customer found him in the bathroom. Coroner says probable cause was an overdose. I left it to the cops; it's not our problem anymore. I don't think we'll ever know if he sold us out, was threatened or if he thought the info was good. Knowin' the little weasel, I'd bet it was the first one."

"But you don't think it was an accident, do you?"

Vin shook his head. "Hell, no! Lowen had been shootin' up for years. Too much of a coincidence 'im OD'ing hours after we nearly get blown ta pieces because of the info he gave us. Grant had him killed, couldn't chance a loose end. He's bound ta know we escaped his little setup. Reckon he's none too happy right 'bout now."

Chris rubbed his face tiredly. "Right. Let's hope the others have better luck. Come on, I have a meetin' with Travis. You might as well come along. I might need the moral support."

===VA===

JD put the receiver down wearily, having lost count of the number of calls he had made since being back in the office. He was exhausted, hungry, hot, sticky and probably stunk worse than Pepe Le Pew. And it was only 5 p.m. on what was rapidly becoming one of the worse days in his life.

The phone's shrill cry made him sigh, but not wanting to risk missing any vital information, he was quick to answer. "JD Dunne."

"Mr. Dunne. I've been trying to get in touch with our leader, but his cell phone appears to be switched off."

"Hey, Ez. Chris and Vin are with AD Travis, might take a while. Something wrong?"

"I'm not certain. I called one of my informants and arranged for us to meet in about thirty minutes time. For some reason, the whole phone call struck me as odd. The man was too eager, and sounded extremely nervous. It might be nothing, but..."

JD looked around the office, realizing Nathan and Buck hadn't returned from the file room yet, and that Josiah was still talking to the ATF in Boston. "I seem to be the only backup available, Ez."

Ezra's voice sounded amused as he replied, "I'm sure the two of us will be able to handle the situation, JD. Meet me in front of the Larimer parking garage as soon as possible. Let one of the others know where you are heading, just in case."

"Right. I'm on my way. See ya in fifteen minutes."

JD hung up the phone, scribbled his destination on a piece of paper, and gave it to Josiah. The older man nodded in understanding before turning back to his call. Snatching his coat from the back of his chair, JD rushed down the stairs, not wanting to wait for the elevators. He had something exciting to do at last.

===VA===

JD surveyed the place quickly. The second floor of the parking garage was nearly full, almost to capacity, making for some very good hiding places. He followed Ezra quietly, keeping close, alert for either the man they were looking for or any trouble. They chose a shady corner against a concrete wall to wait, keeping a comfortable silence until the sound of footsteps moving closer forced them out of the shadows.

He kept a few feet away as Ezra met with the man, close enough to hear the conversation, yet far enough away not to intrude and to stand guard.

"Steals, what have you got for me?" Ezra asked.

"I need to know somethin' first," the nervous little man said. "You're payin' double this time, right?"

"If the information is worth it, yes. Why?"

"Ya heard about Lowen, man? I'm splittin' town as soon as I get out o' here. Don't intend ta end up like him."

Ezra tilted his head in puzzlement. "Lowen?"

"Vin's informant," JD supplied. "The one who told us about the bust. He's dead."

Steals nodded emphatically. "Not by accident neither. Grant had 'im killed. I'm not waitin' for my turn."

"Very well. What can you tell us?"

"There's gonna be trouble, big trouble. Grant is plannin' to expand his business."

Ezra frowned. "How? Carrack was the last gun dealer with any weight in Denver and Grant got rid of him already. He's the new lord and master of the weaponry trade."

"Not guns, man," Steals huffed. "Other stuff. Drugs. He's been askin' around about Wright's operation, anythin' from Wright's personal habits to how his organization works."

JD felt a shudder taking over his body. There wasn't a law enforcer in Denver who didn't know who Frank Wright was. More commonly known as Denver's Baron, Wright was *the* drug dealer. His organization was large and well run, no opponents managed to last long, and nothing went down in the city without him knowing about it. Some people called him 'El Capo', a Mafia reference that suited the man like a glove. If Grant tried to take over his operation, he would start a war; a *very* bloody war.

Ezra nodded slowly, his thoughts obviously along the same line. "How did you come upon this information?"

"Lowen and I were friends. He knew some of Grant's men, heard it from them. I talked ta him yesterday and, man, he was scared shitless." Steals swallowed thickly. "There's more. He... he told me about the bomb in the refinery. Grant paid him a lot of money to set you guys up. I'd watch my back, if I was you. He wanted to make an example out of the 'Magnificent Seven', to show he could outsmart the fox, if ya get my drift. I don't think he's gonna leave it at one try."

"If you knew about the setup yesterday, why didn't you call me?" Ezra asked angrily.

Steals took a fearful step back. "Hey, man, I might be afraid o' you, but I'm even more afraid of Grant. The man's psychotic! But... what he did to Lowen..." he shook his head. "You just don't do that, man. He was just a harmless junkie. And nobody will be safe if Grant goes after Wright. I might not be worth much, and yeah, I'm gettin' outta town for a while, but this is still my city, man."

"All right, I will give you the money. But Steals... if you are lying to me, you will be very, very sorry. Do we understand each other?" Ezra sneered nastily.

"I wouldn't do that ta you, man. Never let you down before, did I?"

JD was watching Ezra reach for his wallet when his sixth sense kicked in. Glancing around, he suddenly noticed the moving shadow flickering between cars. "Look out!" he shouted.

He shoved Ezra down behind the nearest car, following close, covering the undercover agent's body with his own even as he drew his gun. The bullets missed them by a split hair... but they didn't miss Steals. When JD finally dared to lift his head, the snitch was lying a few feet away, a bullet wound between his open, unseeing eyes.

Slowly, both he and Ezra crouched against the car, but the slight movement was enough to cause a new attack. They fired back blindly, not having the exact location of the assassin, until finally Ezra gestured for him to stop shooting. They were simply wasting ammunition.

A heavy silence ensued, both sides trying to come up with a strategy to get the upper hand. A soft sound alerted them to the fact that the other man was on the move, probably searching the rows of cars for them.

Ezra patted him on the shoulder, leaning closer with a wicked grin, his lips almost touching JD's ear. "Let's try something, JD," he breathed. "Move a few rows over, but be careful not to make a sound. I will draw him out and if you get the chance, take him out."

JD nodded slightly, heartened by the fact that the other man trusted him to be able to keep him safe. He moved away slowly, hardly breathing, finally stopping a few rows away from Ezra. For a few oppressive moments quiet reigned, then a voice echoed loudly in the garage.

"We are ATF agents," Ezra shouted. "Throw your weapon away and stand up with your hands behind your head."

His reply was a bark of laughter and more shots fired. As soon as he heard the first shot, JD didn't waste any time. Rising from his crouched position, he fired two shots at the assassin, whooping as the bullets hit the target.

"Ez, you okay?"

"Fine, JD." Ezra answered as he walked over to the downed body. "And yourself?"

"I'm cool. He alive?" JD asked, seeing Ezra check for a pulse.

"No. It would have been nice to question him, but I can't say I'm overly distressed at his demise." Ezra remarked with a smirk. "Thank you for keeping me out of harm's way, Mr. Dunne."

"Don't mention it. Besides, Chris would throttle me to death if you showed up at the office with so much as a scratch." JD quipped. "Now, what?"

"Call the police, let them handle this mess. We need to get back to the office. If Grant *is* going after Wright we need to notify all the local authorities. Whatever Grant is planning, it will certainly be a bloodbath."

===VA===

When they left the parking garage it was already getting dark. Ezra gestured towards the Jag parked across the street. "Let's take my car. We can return for your bike later."

"Okay."

They were waiting for a break in the traffic to cross over to the Jag when Ezra felt a gun pressing against his back. Beside him JD tensed as well, even as a voice spoke softly from behind them. "Gentlemen, we mean you no harm. Our employer wishes to have a word with you. You will be allowed to keep your weapons if you promise to behave."

Curious in spite of the situation, Ezra nodded to JD, a warning to keep still until they knew what they were up against. "Very well," he said to the two men currently holding all the cards.

The words were barely out of his mouth before a black limousine was pulling up to them. One of their captors opened the door. "Gentlemen, please."

Ezra climbed in first, followed by JD, their backs to the driver, then finally the two goons. He heard JD's gasp of surprise as he recognized their 'host', hand automatically going for his gun. Ezra grabbed his arm and shook his head silently.

"Very wise of you, Mr. Standish. I'm sure you also know who I am?"

Ezra looked at the sixty-something man sitting in front of him, taking in the snow-white hair and the shrewd brown eyes, finding it hard to reconcile the 'grandfather' vibe the man gave out with all the stories he had heard since moving to Denver.

"Yes, I am aware of who -- and what -- you are, Mr. Wright," he said as he felt the limousine take off. "I am, however, somewhat surprised that you know who *I* am."

Frank Wright smiled slightly. "I make it my business to know who's who in the law enforcement world. When word of the 'Magnificent Seven' began to spread about two years ago I was curious. True, not many people are fortunate enough to put names to the faces, or vice-versa, but then again, I'm not just anyone."

"How did you know where we were?" JD asked with a scowl.

"My men have been trailing one of Jaki Grant's... associates, his favorite iceman. I assume you killed him?"

Ezra nodded. "Yes. The question is, how did *he* find us?"

"I'm afraid he followed your young friend," he gestured towards JD, "from the federal building. I came as soon as I was informed of the situation, but when I spotted you leaving the garage, I realized you had taken care of the problem yourselves. You see, Grant wanted his man to finish what the bomb at the warehouse this afternoon failed to do."

"And what is it that you want?"

"To make a deal," was the simple reply.

"We don't make deals with crooks!" JD spat angrily.

"JD!" Ezra scolded.

But Wright waved a hand dismissively. "It's quite all right, Mr. Standish. You have to appreciate youthful enthusiasm. Sometimes I wonder if I was ever that young."

"About that deal?" Ezra reminded after giving JD a final warning glance to keep quiet.

"Ah, yes. I am an old man, Mr. Standish, and as such, I tend to avoid things that might be... harmful to my health. Jaki Grant is the latest of such things. I am aware of his ambitious plan to take over my operation and while I know that I can face him -- and win -- I would rather not. Besides, it is bad business to kill federal agents and this grudge he has against your team is not beneficial to anyone. I have tried to keep away from his deals, and I didn't intervene when I felt I should have, but no more. Carrack wasn't a close friend by any means, but with him there was honor amongst thieves. He stayed out of my way and I stayed out of his. I was the one who arranged for him and Grant to meet last Sunday and was very displeased to hear that, in spite of his promise, Grant had Carrack killed anyway. This must stop."

Ezra tilted his head curiously. "And what do you propose to do?"

"Lewis," Wright gestured to one of his men, who handed a thick A4 envelope to JD. "Inside you will find all the information my men found on Grant. From the warehouses where he keeps his weapons, to his several hideouts; a list of his men, suppliers, etc. It's yours."

"And in exchange?"

Wright shook his head. "Nothing much, Mr. Standish. I simply avoid a war that would cost me money, men and probably years of my life. I believe it's a fair deal. There will be no future favors asked, and your identity is safe with me. Unless, of course, you step on my toes, but considering I deal with... chemicals, that's highly unlikely." The limousine pulled to a stop. "It's been a pleasure, gentlemen. Don't take this the wrong way, but I hope never to see you again."

Ezra stepped out of the vehicle after JD, startled to find himself in front of the ATF building. They watched as the limousine drove away, before looking down at the envelope JD was carrying.

JD shook his head. "What a revolting turn of events this is," he groused in his best Daffy Duck voice.

Ezra chuckled. "Come on, Loony Toons, let's go up. I'm sure the others will have an APB out on us by now."

===VA===

Chris was stalking out of his office before the elevator doors slid shut behind his two missing men. "Where the hell have you two been? The Larimer parkin' garage is crawlin' with cops -- not to mention two dead bodies -- and we just got word that the Jag and the bike are still there!" Then, looking at the serene green eyes regarding him warmly, he breathed, "Fuck it."

He reached for Ezra, who went easily into his arms, nestling against Chris' body. He kissed the younger man passionately, relieved to have him close once more, 'humming' as the sweet, pliant lips moved against his, parting and allowing their tongues to mate sensually.

Breaking the kiss, he tightened his hold on Ezra's body, resting his forehead against the other man's. "Was worried sick, you bastard," he whispered. "Where have you been?"

"I'm sorry, Chris," Ezra murmured, fingers brushing tenderly over his face. "We didn't have any choice in the matter. We have news, important news. We are sitting on a timebomb and there's no telling when it will go off."

Chris moved slightly back. "That bad?"

"Worse."

"Okay. Ladies, conference room. Now," he ordered, letting Ezra go reluctantly.

When they were all sitting at the table, JD told them about what had happened while Ezra opened the envelope and browsed through the information inside.

"Well?" Buck asked when Ezra was done.

Ezra exhaled slowly. "We have enough information here to put Grant away for several lifetimes. Wright's men were nothing if not thorough. Over a hundred pages with dates, places and names from past transactions, future transactions, warehouses, safehouses, phony companies Grant uses to launder his money, a list of his men; along with addresses and possible favorite haunts for each name..." he turned to Chris. "You better call for every available team to help with this. It's going to take days to go through all this, and I believe we should hit the main locations tonight. With any luck, we might get Grant himself."

Chris looked down at his watch, noting it was past seven already, and nodded. "Okay. Josiah, call Travis, tell him what's goin' on. The rest of you, start callin' everyone. Start with teams 3 and 5, they are still on standby. Find out who's free and let everyone know we're takin' volunteers as well. All agents on cases, who aren't doin' anythin' tonight, are more than welcome. Oh, and call Lieutenant MacAulay, I'm sure the cops would love to get in on this as well."

He went back to his office, turning to find Ezra closing the door behind him, separating them from the pandemonium the others were creating outside.

"Are you all right?" Ezra asked softly.

Chris smiled ruefully as he sat on a corner of his desk. "I'm... disappointed. I could hardly pay attention to what Travis was sayin' earlier at the meetin'. Couldn't stop thinkin' about us. Spent the whole time plannin' our night."

"Oh?" Ezra smiled coyly, sauntering closer. "What, exactly, did you have in mind?"

"Soft music, gourmet dinner, candlelight... and you."

"Ah, Chris." Ezra's expression changed from provocative to loving in a heartbeat. He ran his fingers over Chris' hair gently, eyes glowing with affection and amusement. "Don't you know by now not to make any plans? This team has a very unnatural knack of getting caught in misfortunes that can run the best-laid plans to ground. We don't seem to be able to do things the ordinary way."

Chris chuckled, hands moving to hold Ezra by the waist. "I know, I know. I mean, look at us! We couldn't go about this like the rest of the world. First we go to bed, *then* we date!"

Ezra shook his head slowly, lips touching Chris' in a light caress. "We have been dating for the past two years, Chris, we just haven't noticed it before. The shared coffees at Starbucks, the times you took me out to dinner under the guise of helping me relax after a tough case, the times I spent at the ranch when I got injured, the movies we ended up seeing alone because the others weren't interested... Not to mention the constant bickering!" he grinned.

Chris looked at the man in his arms, realizing that Ezra was right. They had been traveling that road for a long time, and now they had finally reached their destination.

"I love you," he whispered, a peace he hadn't felt in years settling over him.

"I love you, too," Ezra replied, then sighed softly. "I should get back to work. It's going to be a long night."

"Yes, it will."

"So, what are *you* going to be doing while we slave away at the phones?" Ezra asked abruptly, giving him a suspicious look.

Chris grinned cheekily. "Ordering pizza."

===VA===

AD Travis hadn't reached his position in life by being an idle pencil-pusher. Half an hour after receiving the call from Josiah he was back at the office, looking over the information provided by Wright and practically glowing with glee at the thought of finally arresting Grant. An hour later, he had put Chris in charge of the whole operation, had called a judge for the necessary warrants and was planning on taking part in a few of the busts himself.

By midnight they had the green light; the sting was on.

===VA===

It was past four in the morning when team 7 made it to their last raid before stopping for some much needed rest. Wright's information had more than paid off so far. Over a hundred men from several law enforcement agencies had made sure that every single one of Grant's warehouses had been raided and the countless crates of weapons found there confiscated. His suppliers and his top men were already being questioned, the remaining still being hunted down.

It only left the man himself.

One of Grant's goons had revealed his boss' current location and Chris and his men were there to take him in. They parked the Ram and Josiah's Chevy truck a few yards away from their target, then Chris led the way towards the back door of a fairly discreet building, keeping low and stealthy.

He checked the perimeter through narrowed eyes, gun drawn, index finger absently caressing the trigger. The street was deserted and eerily quiet, only the occasional sound of a streetlight buzzing over them.

Reaching their destination, Chris waved Ezra over to join him, the undercover agent picking the lock effortlessly. The door swung open silently, and after checking that it was safe, Chris went in first, scanning the house for their prey. Listening to the muffled sounds filtering in from somewhere upstairs, he gestured for Vin and Ezra to follow him, the other four doing a sweep of the downstairs floor.

The noise grew louder as they climbed the stairs, and the three men shared an amused grin as they realized what it was that Grant was doing. The 'Oh, God, yes!', and 'Fuck, yes!' echoing repeatedly in the room, shared by both a male and female voice, along with the rhythmical squeak of a mattress, was a dead giveaway.

"Might as well let the man finish," Vin whispered with a smirk.

"Chris," Nathan's voice whispered through the headset. "We found three of Grant's men downstairs; we're gettin' them out. The rest of the floor is clear. You're on your own for a while."

"Check." Chris breathed back.

The coupling inside the room seemed to be growing to a crescendo as the woman's voice shouted an ecstatic, "Yes! Yes! Yes!" in sync with the man's "I'm comin'! Fuck, I'm comin'!" A shared groan and silence reigned once again within the house.

"Now?" Vin mouthed.

Chris nodded. "Now!" He kicked the door open, grinning wolfishly at the stunned couple on the bed. "Out!" he ordered, glaring at the woman.

She jumped out from beneath the covers at the harsh command, grabbing her dress from the floor, and rushed out of the door. Once he was certain she that was gone, Chris stepped fully into the room, feeling Ezra and Vin do the same.

"Larabee." Grant growled.

Chris smirked. "I see my reputation precedes me. Put your clothes on, Grant. You're under arrest."

With a nonchalance that Chris couldn't help but admire, Grant rose from the bed, oblivious to his nudity. Careful to keep his movements slow and non-threatening, he donned his jeans and shirt, then sat down on the bed to put his shoes on.

"Now what?" Grant asked when he was finished.

"Now you go down for the count, Grant. We have enough evidence to put you away for life," Chris replied smugly. "You really should be more careful whose toes you step on. Frank Wright was more than willin' to help us get you off of the streets."

"Bastards!" Swift as a snake, Grant dove for the gun under his pillow, but he wasn't quick enough. Before he could even squeeze the trigger a shot echoed loudly in the room, the bullet hitting Grant's shoulder and thrusting him violently against the headboard.

Vin sighed as he holstered his gun. "That was pretty stupid, mister. Coulda saved yourself a lot o' pain if ya'd gone quietly."

"Not his style," Chris groused, watching the glare Grant threw them as he tried to staunch the blood flowing from his wound. "Once the others get here, think you guys can take over for me?"

Vin gave them a knowing smile. "Sure, we'll handle it. The case is over. All we need is ta tie some loose ends. 'Sides, Travis already said he ain't expectin' us back at the office till the afternoon. Ya two lovebirds get outta here."

Chris gave a grateful nod. "Thanks, Cowboy."

Two minutes later the rest of the team was back, along with a few cops, and Chris and Ezra left them to it. They exited the house leisurely, this time through the front door.

"So, now what?" Ezra asked as they reached the Ram.

Chris tugged him gently closer, hands settling easily on his hips. "Well, we can go back to the office, write our reports, maybe go through a few more safehouses or warehouses on the list..." he breathed, giving Ezra a tender kiss. "Or..."

"Or?" Ezra prompted huskily, swaying impossibly closer.

"Or we can go to the ranch."

Ezra raised an eyebrow teasingly. "And do what?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe boff like bunnies, do the wild thing, boink like minks, do the nasty, meld in the dark, do the bone dance, do the horizontal tango, get jiggy with it, knock boots, rock the Kazbah, nail each other to the mattress..." Chris replied, his expression mock hopeful.

Ezra laughed, delightedly. "You say the most romantic things."

"Well, what do you say?"

"I believe that's the best offer I've had in a very, very long time," Ezra replied warmly.

Together they climbed into the Ram and drove away into the night.

THE END

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