Chapter Text
Tim walked into the station, thinking about the upcoming 30 day push for his rookie, Jackson West. The legacy had had real issues at the start of the training program but he'd turned it around. Still, Tim wasn't letting up until the kid was over the finish line. Heading towards the locker room, he saw Jackson still in street clothes.
"Boot!" he called out. "It's not casual Friday. Explain to me why you're not in uniform."
"Sorry, sir," Jackson replied. "Sergeant Grey asked to see us. He said to stay in plain clothes and to meet him in his office."
"Let's not keep him waiting, then," said Tim.
"Yes, sir," West replied.
Minutes later, they were crowded into Grey's office along with Angela, Detective Caradine, and Delmonte from the DA's office. Delmonte was explaining the special assignment Tim and West were being tapped for: keeping a witness safe until he could testify at an upcoming trial of a drug cartel leader.
"Mark 'Shae' Murray was the getaway driver for multiple of Salonga's operations," said Delmonte. "He knows where all the bodies are buried and who shot who, as well as the details of multiple major drug deals. His testimony is gold and will put Salonga away for a long time, probably the rest of his life. But Salonga's reach makes it challenging to keep Murray out of his grasp. Detective Lopez had a good idea of how to counter. Detective?"
"This isn't straightforward witness protection gig," Angela explained. "It's a combo witness protection/under cover operation. The idea is to transport Murray to a protected location using cover identities. We need to keep him moving for a few days, taking the scenic route to help keep your movements quiet."
Tim worked hard to avoid rolling his eyes or grimacing. He hated undercover work. Despised it. And he'd have to manage his boot on top of everything.
"So how would this work?" he asked, keeping his tone neutral. "What's our cover?"
"Road trip," said Angela. "You and Jackson work in security and you're training him. Murray is a friend with a background in sales but he's in between jobs. The three of you are taking advantage to go on a bros' road trip from LA up to the Bay Area. Jackson and I are going to plan out an itinerary. You'll need to do some sightseeing as you go."
Tim saw West practically bouncing on the balls of his feet and shot him a look. The rookie cooled it down a notch but his eyes were still burning with excitement.
"Where are we heading in terms of final destination?" asked Tim.
"It'll depend," said Angela. "We've got multiple safe house options. We're going to monitor chatter and direct you as you go."
Grey sent Tim and Jackson home to pack for the trip, with the assumption that they'd be on the road for at least a week. When Tim got back to the station, he saw Jackson and Angela pouring over online maps of California, driving route and potential destinations.
"It can't be overly crowded tourist destinations," Angela was saying as Tim walked up. She gave him a nod in greeting.
"So places like Monterey are out," said Jackson. "If we took the 5, we'd make the Bay Area in six hours. If we take Highway 1 it's one of the most spectacular drives ever, we can hit some of the less obvious spots, and that's a nine hour drive total. Easy to break up across a bunch of days without too much driving. We can also branch inland if we need to for some reason."
"Nice," said Angela. "Why don't you go hit the motor pool, Jackson. We've got a car picked out for you. Tell Hopkins I sent you over."
"Awesome!" said Jackson. "I mean, yes, ma'am. I'll see you soon, sir." The last he directed to Tim as he tried to tone down his excitement again.
Tim watched his rookie's retreating back for a moment before turning to Angela.
"Remind me again why I'm doing this for you?" he asked.
"I need someone I really trust on this, Tim," she said. "This was a major operation. Murray is crucial to making the case stick this time. Salonga's gotten out of charges so many times before it makes me sick. I know you hate babysitting gigs. And there's the undercover component but it's lightweight. I need you, Tim."
"But why am I bringing my boot along, Angela?" he demanded. "It adds a layer of complexity."
"It'll add a layer of credibility," she shot back. "He'll actually enjoy the touristy road trip elements and he's social. Not so much that he'll pull undue attention, but enough that it'll offset your taciturn ass."
Tim couldn't stop the eye roll this time, but he saw Angela's point.
"Fine," he said. "Where do we meet Murray."
"We've got him at a safe house in town," she said. "We'll meet Jackson there."
~~~
Angela drove Tim over to the apartment building where they were currently stashing Murray. She gave him a phone they'd use to stay in touch and said that she'd keep him updated on the Salonga cartel's movements in case there was anything they'd need to avoid.
"We should check in at least twice daily," she said. "I'll reach out right away if you need to move fast or go to ground."
They headed up in the elevator, headed down the hall and joined Delmonte, Jackson and Murray in the apartment.
Tim watched Murray carefully as Delmonte explained the plan. Murray leaned against the wall, near the window, posture relaxed and movements languid. Tim got the impression that if he needed to, Murray could move fast and precisely - like his rep as a driver. He was smart, too. Murray was reading the room, a sharp intelligence behind his eyes if you looked carefully. He asked several good questions of Delmonte. Murray actually reminded Tim of a CIA operative he'd met once in Fallujah.
"So we bob and weave for a few days, maybe a week," said Murray, reflecting back his understanding of the situation to Delmonte. "Then I come back, testify against Solonga. After which?"
"Longer term witness protection would be available," Delmonte replied.
Murray cocked his head slightly, and didn't comment.
"When do we head out?" he asked.
"As soon as you're packed," said Delmonte.
"I'm good to go," said Murray. "Bag's on the bed, I'll grab it." He nodded at Tim and walked into the bedroom, returning a moment later with a duffle bag.
"Let's go," said Tim, nodding at Angela and then leading the way out of the apartment.
He walked with Murray and Jackson to the elevator and headed down to the basement parking garage. They walked towards the nondescript car Jackson had picked up from the motor pool. Murray looked it over and nodded.
"It's nothing fancy," said Jackson apologetically as he opened the trunk. Tim gave Jackson a hard look as Murray put his duffle inside, next to Tim's and Jackson's bags.
"It's perfect," said Murray. "We won't call attention to ourselves but it's a reliable car. It's what the job calls for. How do you want to rotate driving?"
"We don't," Tim replied, holding out his hand to Jackson. The younger man's shoulders slumped and he handed over the car keys.
"I get why you'd say no to me, but the kid doesn't get to drive?" asked Murray in an amused tone.
"No," muttered Jackson glumly.
"Murray, take the back," said Tim, heading to the driver's side door.
"I thought we were going by first names, Tim," said Murray. They all got in and slammed the doors. "Jackson Smith, Mark Clyde and Tim Evans," he continued. "The three musketeers."
Tim started the engine and pulled out of their parking spot, ignoring Murray.
"Where are we heading first, Jackson?" he asked, glancing over at the passenger side where his rookie was fiddling with the Maps app on his phone.
"North to Solvang," he replied. "Can we have the radio?"
Without waiting for a reply, Jackson flipped on the radio, found a pop station and started gently bouncing along to a song in his seat. Tim looked at Murray in the rear view mirror. The man was lounging, arms resting on the back of the seat, smiling to himself. He started humming along with the song, causing Jackson to turn around and give him a wide grin.
"What kind of music do you like, Mark?" he asked.
Tim headed for the 10 West and mentally prepared for a long couple of hours.