Chapter Text
The roll call room was abuzz when Tim walked in. He'd come in on his day off in response to Angela's call. She'd said she needed his help on a major case.
"I need backup from the best," she'd said on the phone. "That's you, Bradford."
He sat in his usual seat sipping at his coffee while others filed in. Angela and Detective Caradine finished a conference with Grey up front, then Grey called everyone to order.
"Alright, everyone, settle down," said the sergeant, quieting the room. "We've been presented with an unusual opportunity to hit the Salonga organization hard. Lopez?"
"Our target is Aldo Salonga," said Angela, pointing to the picture on the board. "As you all know, he's the head of the family and he's managed to disappear every time we get close and then suddenly reappear to wreak more havoc. We just got a major break. Apparently, he's been living a double life running an import export business out of a small town up the coast. He uses it as a place to import drugs as well as to lay low when things get too hot for him. We're going to catch him in the act."
She glanced over at Caradine and nodded.
"Stage one is we'll place a team in town undercover to get more intel about his local operations," he said. "Once we've established his patterns and confirmed when his next shipment is coming in, we'll get to stage two - a sweep to seize the drugs and grab Salonga, cutting the head off the snake once and for all."
Caradine broke the room into groups for sub-assignments, instructing Tim to go with Angela. Grey waved them into his office.
"Why am I in on my day off for an operation that isn't going be executed for a few weeks?" asked Tim as he flipped through the mission packet.
"Part two won't execute for a few weeks," Angela replied. "We have to do part one first."
Tim looked at her, glanced over at Grey, and looked at Angela again, waiting for context. Her eyebrow went up and his heart sank as he realized why she'd called him in.
"You want me to go undercover with you," he said, sighing heavily.
"I'd be doing the heavy lifting on UC," said Angela. "You'd primarily be doing recon."
"What would be our covers?" Tim asked.
"I'll be filling in as a Kindergarten teacher at the local school," she said. "It's close to the location we think Salonga is using so it gives us an excuse to be right nearby a lot. You'll be playing my husband. You've just been honorably discharged from the Army and you're taking a few weeks before you start a corporate security position. You're a fitness nut so you'll be running all over town staying in shape...."
"And keeping eyes on any tell-tale signs of Salonga's activities," said Tim. "Why me, Angela? You know how I feel about UC."
"I do," she replied quietly. "I know what it did to Isabel, how what happened ended your marriage. But this is huge and there's no one else I trust more to have my back than you."
"This is optional, Tim," said Grey firmly. "It's a big ask. But I also know that you're planning on taking the sergeant's exam. A good score combined with your already excellent record, and this op as a booster could go a long way to you getting better placement options."
"I'll do it to have Angela's back," said Tim. "Not as a boost."
"And that's the real reason you're going to do well at the next level," said Grey with a nod. "Get your affairs in order and pack up. You'll be heading out tonight."
***
A few hours in and the op was already going south, Tim mused as he drove. He glanced over at Angela, frowning. She'd finally managed to fall asleep after the fifth time they'd pulled over so she could puke her guts out courtesy of food poisoning.
"Maybe it was the tacos I had at lunch," she'd moaned. "Or the Mongolian beef from dinner. Or those strawberries we picked up from that roadside vendor."
They finally entered town and Tim pulled in at the short term rental bungalow they'd obtained for the op. He managed to wake Angela enough to wrangle her, then their luggage, inside. He helped her get to her room, waited while she changed into a t-shirt and sweats in her bathroom (he winced as he heard more retching), then helped her into bed.
"I'll be fine in the morning," she slurred as he set a sports drink by her bed, hoping she'd be able to keep the electrolytes down later. "I'll be ready for those kiddos."
Tim knew there was no way in hell she would be. He turned the problem over in his mind as he walked to his room. They had to place someone in the school, and the school was close enough to Salonga's operation that there'd be the ability to do some recon. With only one of them active for the time being, it could only mean one thing.
He needed to go in as the Kindergarten teacher.
Blowing out a small breath, he grabbed his phone and dialed the best resource he could think of for support: Genny. His sister was a teacher, she could help him prepare.
She picked up right away. He explained the situation. She was silent for a moment, then burst into laughter.
"Oh, Tim," she said once she'd managed to catch her breath. "You are so screwed."
"They're six year olds, how much trouble can they be?" he asked, grumbling.
Genny went into peals of laughter again.
"There's a reason I teach fourth grade," she said. "They are going to eat you alive."
"I called because I thought you'd have helpful advice," groused Tim.
"You want helpful advice?" Genny chuckled. "Kindergarten is like the ocean. You don't want to turn your back on it."
"Great, thanks," Tim muttered.
He managed to get some guidance out of her - age typical arts and crafts activities, he'd need to read to them, likely there'd be an afternoon nap ("It's for the kids, not you," she unhelpfully clarified), and snack time.
"Sounds like working with some rookies I've trained," he said.
"You absolutely need to call me tomorrow and tell me how it went," said Genny.
"It'll have gone just fine," said Tim. He ignored her snort. "How are Greg and the kids?"
They talked about Genny's family for a bit then said goodnight. As Tim settled in to get some sleep, he heard a thump from Angela's room followed by the sounds of more retching and a flush.
"I've got your back," Tim murmured at the ceiling. "But you're going to owe me big time."