Cragen's timing couldn't have been at a worse time for Mike as he crawled acrossed his bed and
   wrapped his arms around Cassi. Just as he started to nibble at her neck, the knock sounded at the
   door.
   "Dammit!" Responded, Mike. Cassi let out a chuckle and replied.
   "You're just going to have to get your hormone's in check pal, at least until things with Sullivan come
   to a close." With a pout on his face he spoke.
   "But Cassi...but that could take..." Cassi glared at him and pointed her finger in his face.
   "No but's, you hear me." Regretfully Mike nodded.

   Donnie grinned as he enter the apartment. He knew from the look on Mike's face he had interrupted
   the moment. Cassi cut in.
   "I hate to break up this male bonding thing you boht have going right now, but we all have lots to
   discuss. I would like to be able to get home, to bed sometime tonight. Mike gave Cassi a melancholy
   look for her last remark. Donnie quickly picked up on Mike's look too and chucked.
   "You're right Cassi, We should just get down to bussiness and get it over with." Replied Cragen.
   "Now Cassi, did you get a chance to see Lt. VanBuren today and fill her in?"
   "Yes, Donnie, I did and it went extremely well. She's going to do some checking too. Oh, and I will
   see Phil tomorrow and I'll bring him up to date on things too."
   "Great Cassi, I think this is going to work just fine. Sullivan will never know any of us talked with
   each other because of you being a go between. And Mike how is Caitlin doing with the evidence
   sheets she was sending to the lab to be analysed?" Mike grabbed a quick look at Cassi, He knew
   how much she loathed hearing Caitlin's name.
   "Not sure. I haven't heard from her today yet. If she doesn't get in touch with me tonight, I'll talk with
   her in the morning.I know she will pull thru for me...us." Just hearing Caitlin's name sent shiver's thru
   Cassi's body. Although Cassi knew, as did Mike, the relationship between Mike and Caitlin was
   finished ,forever. It never stopped the spiteful remarks Mike and Caitlin tossed back and forth
   between them on the rare occasion work brought them together. And it alway's brought the worst
   out in Mike as Cassi was sure it also did with Caitlin. Mike could see that Cassi's mind was drifting
   away. He placed his hand on her arm.
   "Cassi, hey Cassi are you listening?"
   "Yeah, sure, I was just thinking that's all. Oh Donnie, what did you find out today?"
   "I managed to pull a few strings and was able to get VanBuren's youngest sister, Miss Carol
   Bonneau,into Deitz's office while his secretary is out sick. She is going to keep her ears open for us
   and she will give me a report if she hears anything."
   "Must be nice, to be able to arange who will work for Commander Deitz's." Cracking a grin Don
   replied.
   "Well I've been collecting up on favors for awhile now and I think this is a good time to cash in on
   some of them. Mike we have to protect ourselves and as many other good cops as we can. Sullivan
   will ruin a lot of people if he has it his way. His ambition knows no borders as you and I already
   know." Both Mike and Cassi nodded and before they could continue, another knock sounded at the
   door. Both Mike and Don tensed up.
   "I'll get it." Cassi said.
   Opening the door Cassi stood face to face with Caitlin Falconetti. The two woman glowered at each
   other.
 

   Caitlin's glower broke first, sliding into a coolly professional smile that anyone who'd ever worked
   with her would recognize. "Hello, Detective O'Connor," she said. "Is Mike in?"

   Cassi waved a hand toward the living area, her smile as false as Caitlin's. "Sure. Come on in."

   "I won't be a moment," Caitlin assured her sardonically, her icy emerald gaze flicking over Cassi's
   casual clothing but revealing none of her thoughts. Cassi stepped back to allow her into the
   apartment. No surprise registered on Caitlin's face when she saw Cragen there. "Hello, Donnie."

   "Cait." Cragen nodded at her, a tired sadness nudging at him. He'd been at Mike's wedding to Caitlin
   Falconetti almost two years before and had felt sure that this woman was the best thing ever to
   happen to his former detective. Things changed, as Mike himself said often. Cragen smiled slightly.
   "How've you been?"

   Caitlin's own smile was ironic. "Well enough," she replied. She glanced at Mike quickly, the shutters
   coming down in her eyes again, shutting him out. "Mike? I think you're off the hook, for now
   anyway."

   Startled, Mike lifted his eyebrows at her. "What do you mean?"

   Caitlin lifted one silk-clad shoulder in a delicate shrug. "I had a friend run the evidence lists through
   our labs. Only one of the signatures is yours."

   "No kidding," Mike snapped. "I told you-"

   "Holster it, Logan," Caitlin interrupted, an unwilling smile tugging at her lips. "I believed you all along.
   Now you have the Bureau to back up your word."

   "How reassuring," Cragen muttered.

   Caitlin brushed her hair back from her face, ignoring him. Mike's gaze locked onto the diamond
   sparkling on her ring finger, an odd sensation tightening his stomach. "Anyway," she said, ignoring
   Cragen's sarcasm and holding out a plain white envelope to Mike. "I brought you a copy of the
   reports. Just in case you needed them."

   "Thanks," Mike said quietly, accepting the envelope and looking down into green eyes so familiar
   they made him ache.

   "Goodnight." Caitlin turned away, heading for the door.

   "I'll walk you down," Cragen offered, following her.

   The door closed behind them, leaving Mike alone with Cassi. With difficulty, he met her inscrutable
   gaze.
 

   All of the energy drained from Cassi's body. Leaning against the closed door Cassi avoided Mike's
   eyes. She hated seeing Mike and Cait together. As long as she had known Mike Logan, he had
   never told her what really transpired. The flirting and sensual energy had dissipated and seemed silly.

   Clearing her throat Cassi strode toward the bathroom. "I- uh, I think I'm going home. Going to
   change now." She absolutely hated the way Cait made her feel inferior. Cait was an agent. Cait was
   married to Mike. Cait never lost what Cassi had lost.

   The heavy silence followed Cassi and permeated the apartment even after she left.

   Popping open a can of beer, Mike reared back in his recliner, sighing. Well, his night was spoiled.
   Thinking quickly, Mike began to dial the phone number that had been in the back of his head all
   week.
    *No answer*, just as he thought. It was getting late and he figured maybe the phone was turned off.
   Cassi walked out of the bathroom, not saying a word she picked up her things so she could leave.
   Mike hopped up from his chair.
   "Cassi, please wait." Dropping and shaking her head she replied.
   "No Mike, I think it's better that I leave." Mike reached over to her and she steped back from his
   touch.
   "Mike, please." Ignoring her wishes he pulled her in and gave a tight squeeze.
   "I'm not letting you walk out like this Cassi. We're friends and I care about you."
   "Yeah Freinds." Cassi broke away from his hold and walked out the door.
   "See Ya!" She said as the door closed behind her.
 

   "You're dirty!" roared Sam 'Storm' Catchpole, one of the Judge's most aggressive investigators.
   "You're dirty as f***ing sin and we *will* bury you!"

   Ed Green barely managed to keep a manly posture. He snapped, "I may have made some mistakes,
   but I'm clean."

   "Enough, gentlemen," said William Lipsett, Ed's PBA adviser. "I want to confer alone with my client."

   Catchpole stamped out of the interrogation room and stood beside the Judge. Also at the window
   were Commander Deitz and Lieutenant Van Buren. They were in the 27th Precinct building.

   Deitz thought that Green had held up rather well, considering that Catchpole had the build and
   manners of a giant Nazi storm trooper. The whole precinct had been ready for Sullivan's people. The
   Judge surely sensed a leak, but did not seem upset.

   "Commander, it's time to go." The Judge would give a speech at the Durwood Foundation in one
   hour and had invited Deitz.

   Three minutes later, the two men were sitting in the Judge's limousine as the chauffeur guided it past
   Marcus Garvey Park. A snowball hit the rear passenger side window inches away from the Judge's
   head, but if he was startled it didn't show.
 

   Excerpts from Judge Hiram Sullivan's speech at the Durwood Foundation, 22 January 2000:

   "Two hundred and twenty-four years ago, our forefathers began to throw off the tyranny of colonial
   rule. They forged a nation which grew strong and prosperous. But over the past 40 years, America
   has been weakened by a new form of tyranny: The tyranny of the takers!...

   "The problem with socialized this and free that is it creates an environment in which too many people
   take, or try to take, what they have not earned...

   "In recent years measures have been taken to reduce crime and eliminate the welfare state. They are
   not enough. It is time to seek out the takers, and make them pay...

   "When Al Capone ruled Chicago 70 years ago, he set up soup kitchens for the poor, and used them
   to recruit gangsters. Today, many soup kitchens and food banks are fronts for mobsters who are
   worse than Capone's gangsters ever were.

   "To rid America of these new scourges, we must have law enforcement agencies which are
   scrupulously clean. Every policeman and Government agent must be absolutely incorruptible...

   "Every enfranchised American in real need must be provided for...but not the losers!...

   "Reward the winners, rebuff the losers!"

   [Thunderous applause]
 

   "You should have been there. They loved him," Commander Deitz said to Carol Bonneau.

   The two were in Deitz's office. Outside, the sinking sun had become a wan yellow. The temperature
   was down in the teens outside and the low sixties in the office, but Deitz's chill had another source.

   "He suspects a leak, and I think I know who it is," said Deitz. Miss Bonneau was wide-eyed, but
   stood her ground.

   Deitz went on, "My good friend Stan Oromocto at the 51st knows someone on Sullivan's staff, a
   fellow named Garth Sanguinette. Sullivan's investigators are looking through the whole NYPD; only
   the Harlem-area precincts are getting publicity for now. But some of Sullivan's people raided the 51st
   and they didn't have the element of surprise they expected."

   Deitz turned to his desk. He wanted to swallow a Tums right now, but not in front of company.

   "Understand this: Sullivan's got a lot more power than he had in '96. Just because he hasn't focused
   on Briscoe yet doesn't mean he's off the hook, not by a long shot. Briscoe got the better of him four
   years ago but that may not be such a good thing now."

   Deitz paused to stifle a belch, then continued, "Lieutenant Van Buren had better watch herself also.
   That was a damn stupid lawsuit she tried, and now the Judge is very interested."

   The Commander shook his head, then told Carol, "My regular secretary will be back tomorrow, so I
   won't need you any more. Thank you." He went to the door and opened it.

   "One more thing," Deitz said.

   "Yes, sir?"

   "Be very careful." *That goes for a lot of people.*
 

   Back at her desk, just outside Deitz's office, Carol breathed a sigh of relief.

   * At least he didn't point the finger at me as being the leak.* She thought.

   Carol began to gather her belonging together so she could leave the building, then she remembered
   the last thing Deitz had said to her. He had warned her to be careful.

   *Why, why did he warn me to be careful, I'm only a secretary.*

   Carol continued to pack her things in her bag, suddenly she stopped.

   *Oh my God, he knows that I am the leak. Deitz fill me in on all the info about Syllivan and his plans
   because he hoped that I would pass it along? That had to have been his goal all along with telling me
   the sensitive secrets? I'm going to have to let ...*

   Carol nearly jumped out of her skin when the phone rang and broke her train of thought. Gaining her
   composure, she picked up the receiver.

   "Commander Deitz's office, may I help you?"
    The upset-sounding voice said, "Detective Oromocto, 51st. Put Deitz on."

   In seconds Carol connected the two men. Deitz's office was well soundproofed, but she still heard
   him bark, "My God!" Carol felt an icy wash of dread.

   After several minutes, Deitz came out, his face a tight mask of anxiety.

   "Sir...?"

   "Someone just ran down Garth Sanguinette and his wife!"
    Oh God!, Carol thought. Is it possible....?
   "Sir, are they....." She let her sentence trail off, not wanting to utter the word DEAD.
 

Part 4