An Offer to Shake Things Up

Who: Danny and Jakob
Where: walking the streets
When: Evening

Jakob was doing something truly shocking tonight. He was whistling, walking with a spring in his step as he moved down the sidewalk, hopping slushy patches and breezing under streetlights with a pleased smile. So many pieces of his plan had fallen into place, so many details were locked, and it honestly seemed like all of this was going to work. The town itself would stare in awe at his devious mind. Of course, he thought the plan could be seen through no matter what, but Jakob had details to finish settling.

They were small ones, or so he thought when considering the people he would twist and leverage, but they could be crucial too. If he had people he could rely on to behave in certain ways? While there would still be death, perhaps it would be limited to death that the city would celebrate. Which was where Danny McKinnon came in. Jakob had gained his home address from the station house, thinking that a home visit like the one he'd made with Sam would only reinforce how dire his request was, making it seem so much more crucial. So there he was, walking the interior of the apartment building with a look of amusement. At least it wasn't a filthy tenement home for immigrants like so many buildings in the city. Reaching their door, Jakob put on a carefully composed look of strain as he raised a hand and knocked.

Danny was not expecting anyone to knock on the door and yet at the same time he'd been dreading that very thing all day. The girl his wife had unceremoniously picked up off the street had finally left not long ago, but that didn't mean Danny wasn't busy cleaning his gun in the event a storm of street urchins descended on his place to rob him blind or the authorities came to arrest him for kidnapping. Glancing out the peep hole before opening the door Danny was shocked and not shocked to see Hollis outside his door. Swinging it open halfway he stood in front of the gap the open door left, blocking the view into the apartment. "Detective Hollis."

Fellow officer or not, the habits of a detective were hard to ignore. Jakob shifted from foot to foot, surreptitiously angling for a glimpse into the apartment as he nodded to Danny. "Officer McKinnon," he greeted in kind, straining to hear faint sounds of life from inside. He knew the man had a wife, had once had a mistress as well, who knew what other details lurked beyond the door? "I apologize for calling on you at home, and at this hour, but I'm afraid there are matters before me that are best discussed away from the station house."

"Away from the house?" Danny questioned looking cynical at best. Sure Danny was very pissed at his best friend, but Jackson didn't trust this guy, which, even though Hollis had given him no reason to believe otherwise, Danny felt could be justified. He shifted again, coming out the door a little more to close it off from Jakob's wandering eyes.

"Indeed," Jakob confirmed with a weak smile, concentrating on accenting the lines of conern in his brow and around his mouth. "May I come in? There are... matters we need to speak about, the sort that your hallways do not provide ample privacy for," he explained, "I'd hate to interrupt you and your wife if you were dining. Perhaps... join me for a stroll? I was due a cup of coffee."

"Coffee sounds fine. Give me a moment." Danny wasn't happy, that much was obvious, but if Jakob was giving him a way out of his apartment then maybe he wasn't here because of the little girl. Stepping back inside and closing the door behind him, Danny reached for his coat, sliding it on. He paused briefly then went back to the kitchen table for his gun, reloading it, removing the jacket to slide on his shoulder holster before putting the jacket back on. He didn't call to Janey, as she was resting, still upset from the girl leaving. Back at the door he opened it and stepped out quickly, locking the door behind himself. "Lead the way."

Jakob nodded wordlessly, leading the way down and out of the apartment. Somewhere on the stairs, though, a glance to the side gleaned him a glimpse of the holstered weapon under Dann'y coat, and Jakob's eyebrows rose in surprise. "You travel armed when off-duty?" he asked curiously, eventually pushing through the front door and walking onto the streets. "Not a bad policy to live by, though it must make for awkward moments when dining out," Jakob joked as he started towards a little coffee stand he'd passed on the way here.

"Not always," Danny answered coolly. "Just when I feel like it might be necessary." He'd bought the shoulder holster for that reason. Unlike the detective force, the holster with his uniform was a hip holster. He followed after Jakob effortlessly and though he kept his eyes forward, his ears were perked for what was going on around him. "So what exactly did you need Detective?"

And it is necessary for an evening walk, Jakob mused wryly, keeping that comment to himself as he walked and smirked. Had Jackson gotten to Danny and planted seeds of mistrust? The other detective was a thorn in Jakob's side, and once his affairs with Eris were concluded, he intended to turn his attention to Haas next, to teach the man what happened to cops so straight that they couldn't bend, only break. "There is... there is an operation in the works, Daniel," Jakob explained, "An inter-department task force of sorts, we intend a multi-faceted raid of several holdings belonging to both criminal syndicates."

Jakob walked in silence for a moment, giving that time to sink in before he turned to study Danny as they walked. "The chief has decided, in lieu of our last operation together, that he would like me to head up the logistics and assignments of this plan. I believe he wants to capitalize on the positive reception the press gave us," he mused, "I, however, am more interested in making sure this plan succeeds. I'm looking for people to head up each task force, McKinnon, and despite any previous friction we may have had? I'd like you to be one of them."

"Danny," he corrected automatically. Only his dad ever called him Daniel and it was usually right before he tried to beat the shit out of Danny. He'd rather stick with the childish nickname than be called Daniel. He didn't answer right away considering the offer. "So if it's an order from the chief, why would it be something we couldn't discuss in house?" Danny assumed the answer would be something along the lines of dirty cops, which of course Danny was acquainted with, but it would still be better to hear it from Hollis. That and the question helped to stall his answer a little longer.

"Because aside from the officers I am selecting, myself, and the chief? No one is being briefed on this operation until the literal last opportunity." Jakob's lips set in a thin line, again hinting at the worry of it all. "No one is going to have an opportunity to warn any associates of theirs, McKinnon. And if it appears that someone was warned? I will have a very short list to work from, especially given that my personal choices are people I trust." Rather, they were people he could read and predict. "We have three short days before we move, and it will likely be a dangerous undertaking. If you choose to decline, I understand, but I thought you would do well with time to consider."

Danny gave Hollis a look, obviously concerned about the secrecy of the whole thing. In his head too, Danny was wondering if he was being set up to be sussed out as a dirty cop, but he pushed that away. He hadn't done anything to earn this large scale of a sting yet. "So what exactly are we hitting?"

"Konovich and DiGiovanni holdings alike. Places of currency transfer, points they use for smuggling, and spots where we know their street-level associates tend to gather," Jakob listed off, keeping specifics to himself for now. "The basic approach is a simple one. If we find their soldiers in possession of arms or illegal materials? We arrest them. If we find smuggled goods or laundered money in their holdings? We arrest them. With a touch of good luck, we will cull enough of them to grant this city at least a few days of peace, and force both factions to reconsider their dealings."

"Hit them where it hurts then. Take out as many of their small factions and then end up with nothing left for the higher ups to lean on." Danny shouldn't be involved with this. If it blew back that he was in on it, then he'd be dead. His wife could be dead. But if it worked, and the family fell apart, imploded like the O'Malleys, then maybe they wouldn't need him anymore, he could get out from underneath them.

Jakob nodded sharply, smiling a little at not needing to spell out the plan for Danny. "Precisely," he agreed, "And I do not expect it to sever the hold held on this city, but it will have repercussions. And of course, an assignment like this can hold the makings of an officer's career, McKinnon. I cut my own proverbial teeth on task force work like this, it reflected favorably on me when I took my detective's exam." He walked quietly for a moment, letting the implications there sink in. This could elevate Danny, let him take care of his wife, bring him respect and recognition. "You're a good cop," Jakob noted, "You have a temper, like Haas, and that can be a liability. But you also have instinct, reflexes, sharp perceptions... quite frankly, you are wasted walking a beat."

"Tell that to the board that passed me over the past three times." He'd tried it, going for detective, but obviously, it was just another thing that turned the wrong direction in the end. As appealing as this concept of a task force was, as right as Hollis could be about making detective on this, leading up a task force was still dangerous. It could still blow back, even if it could be better for the city as a whole. "Three days?"

A sharp nod was all Danny got for confirmation as Jakob glanced his way, studying the flow of thought even if he couldn't see the contents. "I have selected a handful of known or suspected fronts around the city, you and a few other officers will conduct the efforts of larger groups of patrolmen, who are not to be told of this before the day it occurs," Jakob explained, "Whether you accept or not, I will expect you to remain silent on these matters. The simple fact, McKinnon, is that there are officers receiving 'other' sources of pay, and I will not have my investigations compromised so patrolman Dupree can have a wonderful holiday." This was his strength, of course: false fronts. Whether others found Hollis 'creepy' or 'cold', it was undeniable that he knew how to get his job done.

Was that an accusation or just a comment? Danny attempted to shrug it off as nothing, just a backlash of caring so much about cleaning out the house, than he let it slide. Still Danny worried, but he knew that this could save him. Him and Janey. "Count me in," Danny said gruffly. He wasn't excited, but it was the right thing to do. That was how he viewed, a right, and a wrong, and despite the shadows of gray floating around it, it was still that black and white, that simple. "Not that it matters, but if possible, I'd rather be in on an Konovich raid. I have personal beef with them." It was well known the Kitten Club was their undertaking and Hollis knew about Stella, that she worked there, hopefully the man was smart enough to put those dots together and not put the dots about being in on the DiGiovanni raids together. If it did blow over, he could swear he was only briefed on one family, considering it good news for them.

"Speak with your wife," Jakob advised evenly, "Not about the specifics, of course, but make peace with her. If all goes well, we will not see any harm to our fellow officers, but if something does? Do not leave Mrs. McKinnon with unanswered questions." He knew about Danny's past with the dead girl from the Kitten Club, of course, but he wondered if his wife knew about her too. "And I will make sure you've got a Konovich assignment. You know that they are, by nature, more dangerous? I'm not seeking to dissuade you, but I'd rather you didn't walk in blind."

"Telling me they're more dangerous, just makes me certain I'm making the right choice," Danny reassured Jakob. "But I appreciate your concern Hollis. I'll let her know what's going on." As dangerous as the Konoviches were, it wasn't as dangerous as being caught taking out the DiGiovannis.

This was certainly resolving itself easier than Jakob could've hoped: Sam could deal with her kin, Danny could stare down the Konovich clan, and Jakob could sit and watch the fireworks from the roof of his apartment. "I'm glad you're on board," he said, stopping in his tracks and smiling slightly, "It is no light task, but with people I know I can rely on, we will succeed." And I will finally be done with Stockard's favor. "Now then, don't let me keep you. I'm sure your wife is waiting, give her my regards."

"Here's hoping we can hit 'um where it hurts." Danny offered his hand to Jakob's to shake. "Thanks for thinking of me Hollis. I appreciate it." Even if they didn't manage to take the families out, Danny being on a different raid meant he could play dumb. He didn't know about the hits on the DiGiovannis, and he was looking out for the family when he took his job.

Taking Danny's hand firmly, Jakob didn't have to force his smile as he shook and released. It came naturally because he was pleased, eager to see what would happen to McKinnon. "I assure you, neither syndicate will pass through this unscathed," he said with a chuckle, "Whatever happens to us, they will remember this defiance. They will learn the law is not to be shunned." Dire words that didn't fit his smile, for sure, but Jakob smiled anyway as he released Danny's hand and stepped back, taking a deep breath of the evening air. "We'll speak soon. Take care, officer."

"I'll talk to you then sir." Danny turned, not needing anything else from Jakob, tucking his hands into the pockets of his jacket and strode back the way they came. This was something good, something positive he could focus on besides everything else that had been going on with Cheyenne and Janey bringing home that girl. No, this was definitely going to be good.