Covert Operations

by Sara Schoen

  She looked up at me in shock before glancing to Danielle and Camden who were still talking. She didn’t want anyone to know that she had accidentally tripped and dropped her food along with the ketchup container she had filled to the brim. I had gone over to help her. She had been determined to get all the condiments in an attempt to be helpful and friendly. Though, when she turned around, she tripped over her own feet. She had managed to catch herself before she landed on the floor, but the ketchup containers and food and tray were flung from her hands. She’d covered the floor and myself with fries, a few pieces of lettuce from her burger, and ketchup.

  “I’m so sorry about that,” she said.

  “It’s not a bad thing. It gave me an excuse to be close to you while I helped you clean it up.” I watched her look to the ground to cover up the blush that quickly formed on her cheeks. I may be out of practice, but clearly she was the same way when it came to me. “I would like another chance, though, one that doesn’t end up with me getting covered in food.”

  “I can’t make any promises.”

  I wanted to tell her I just wanted to be alone with her again, and that I felt a connection. I wanted her to say she felt one too, that she’d been able to figure out who I was, but I knew she had to focus on the mission. She couldn’t see past what she knew for the mission.

  There’s something there. I just hoped I could make her see it so when this finished we could pick up right where we left off, and it wouldn’t matter anymore that we were agents on a mission.

  “Well, think about it, okay?” I asked when Danielle returned, eyeing me suspiciously.

  “Can do,” she said as Danielle took her hand and led her away.

  As they walked away, I heard Danielle mention to Sara that I had been flirting with her. Even though I had seemed a little mean. “He clearly enjoys having you around.” Danielle had wasted no time trying to set us up again. That could work in my favor eventually.

  Sara scoffed, brushing it off easily. “I could never keep a guy around. Much less get a guy who looks like that to look twice at me,” she stated, lowering her voice slightly in hopes I wouldn’t over hear. Thankfully, I had gotten good at reading lips and listening to secret conversations while working for the cartel. “He’s just talking to me because he hasn’t been around anyone else over the last few weeks, and you’re off the market.”

  My chest tightened, letting the nerves take hold of my heart. I felt tempted to tell her she was mistaken, or the boys she had been talking to over the years were blind. She was gorgeous, seemingly inside and out even with her cover, and I couldn’t take my eyes off her. I hadn’t been able to since I first saw her in the hospital. There was something about her. I couldn’t place it, but I knew I felt something. The dull ache in my chest every time I left her at the hospital was enough to tell me that I had it bad, and I barely knew the real her. I wished I could tell her that I would never be able to get enough of her. I wanted to see her, to be with her.

  Even if the agency forbade it, I’d risk it for her.

  They went into Danielle’s room, and partially shut the door before I noticed Camden standing beside me. The smirk on his face told me that he had been amused by the crash and burn I had with my attempt at flirting. I was glad someone found it amusing, because I found it embarrassing.

  “So you like Danielle’s friend,” Camden stated. “I thought it could be something small, but you have it bad.”

  “I guess so, but I haven’t had a girlfriend in a while. It’s a little difficult to make time for that while we work, isn’t it?”

  “Yeah, and I can see you’ve been out of the game a while too,” Camden joked. “Your lack of experience is making me cringe just thinking about you trying to flirt with her again.”

  I scoffed. While I hadn’t dated nearly as many girls as Camden had, for one reason or another, I didn’t think I could be that bad. “What would you have done if you were in my position?”

  “I would have kissed her. Plain and simple. There’s no time for games when you’re in this business.” He stepped away from me, shaking his head. He didn’t go far, but it looked like he was waiting for me to make a choice, waiting to see if I’d fail again. Then he’d head back to his office and work on the trade coming up with Son Reyes.

  “I thought you didn’t trust her,” I said, regaining his attention.

  “I don’t, but that doesn’t mean you can’t try.” He smiled before leaning against the wall, waiting for me to make my move. I could see the dare in his eyes, and honestly, I could use some fun after the last few years. I had earned it, and it would be even better because she wouldn’t expect it.

  I walked toward Danielle’s bedroom, managing to catch the tail end of their conversation. It didn’t make a lot of sense because I only heard Sara saying that she had a dream about me in her last night in the hospital, and then I showed up the next day with flowers and a present. Danielle laughed, and opened her mouth, about to speak, but I interrupted.

  “Oh, so you dream about me often?” I asked, walking into the room with a smirk firmly on my lips.

  Sara had a soft blush race across her cheeks, causing Danielle to laugh before Sara retorted with her usual smart-assed response. “Only in my nightmares.”

  Danielle choked out a laugh, choking on her own spit probably, sending her slightly forward from her seated position on the bed. Sara remained still, mimicking my smirk as she held her ground stubbornly.

  “Those nightmares must be absolute torture for you,” I said, trying to sound as sympathetic as I could when I came to a stop in front of her.

  She just nodded without a verbal response as I took a few strands of her hair in my fingers and played with them. I didn’t fail to see the blush grow deeper or notice that her breath had caught in her throat at the slight touch. I could have fun with this. I leaned in closer to her face.

  She once again didn’t move, but I saw her pupils widen as if she was worried about what I was going to do to her. Did she think I would kill her in front of Danielle? Maybe she knew the reputation I had in the cartel. I let out a chuckle at the thought, causing her to tense visibly, then relax. If I didn’t know better, I’d say that she found it calming to have me around when she knew I wasn’t going to hurt her. Once again I decided this would be a lot of fun.

  “I do apologize for giving you nightmares. I know it must have been hard to sleep while in a hospital, cold, the machines making noise, and everything else. Am I right?”

  She nodded, but didn’t say anything. I could see the skepticism in her eyes. She didn’t see where I planned to go with this, and that meant good news for me. Maybe I could do this before I lost my nerve.

  “I am sorry for that, but I do hope you’ll forgive me for giving you another nightmare before you leave here.”

  She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, breaking out of the trance I had set her in, only to realize my words too late.

  I leaned in and placed a quick kiss on her lips. She froze, unsure of what to do until she relaxed. I heard Danielle let out an excited shriek. The softness and warmth of her lips tempted me to stay, but I knew that would ruin my fun. She had relaxed into me, ever so slightly. So slightly, I wouldn’t have noticed if I wasn’t on high alert at all times. I lightly caressed her face and kissed a little harder before turning and walking out of the room while she stared after me in shock. I noticed Camden laughing across the living room, his hand across his waist, giving me a quick thumbs-up as I walked past. I heard Danielle say, “I told you so,” before Sara silenced her. I would be able to enjoy having Sara around, and keep my sister out of the cartel’s hands…if I played my cards right.

  Chapter 23

  Miguel ordered me to the compound for a meeting. It was rare for me to be called in for a meeting with Miguel, so rare that this was the third meeting I’d been to since I had been working within the cartel. There had been a problem Miguel had been unable to handle alone. The last time this happened, a shipment had been caught mid-
exchange, and we had to get it out of sight. We’d managed to conceal it from the police, but just barely. We had to talk our way out of it, and Camden wasn’t good under pressure at that time. I thought we were going to blow it and both get arrested. Luckily, Camden had called in a favor before we went and got us out. Otherwise, I’d probably be sitting in a jail cell right now. I doubted CIRA would risk my cover to bail me out, though I couldn’t be sure until it happened, which hopefully it never would.

  This time, Miguel wanted something different. A cartel we sometimes worked with south of the border had been about to send out a shipment. Tensions were high due to a rivalry between some of our clients, and while we rarely worked with them, it had to go perfectly when we did.

  The rat prevented this.

  While he had been eliminated, he never admitted whether or not he had another person working with him. Despite being the real rat, I wouldn’t risk ruining this trade, no matter what. To mess with this one would not only get me killed, it would get everyone around me killed, maybe even Camden. The Son Reyes Cartel didn’t care who came or why. They only cared about the trade, and getting what they thought they deserved. If you messed with their shipments, or fell short on their deals, the results would be deadly and permanent. I knew of a few cases where they had the traitors and anyone who meddled, even by accident, dig their own graves. The victim would be shot into the grave, and then they’d have someone else bury them. Killing meant nothing to them, and they wouldn’t hesitate.

  I had only one other dealing with them in my time with the Cardozas and it wasn’t a pleasant one. The trade had gone off easily. I had been the one who had to be present for them. I wasn’t sure what happened, but when we turned away to leave, there were guns on us. They were checking the shipment and started yelling at each other in Spanish. I knew very little, but could pick up a few words, and none of them were good.

  Their translator told us the shipment went wrong, which meant they hadn’t been given everything they ordered. Luckily it had been weapons instead of drugs, so they were easier to count, and easier to find. It turned out one of the guys I had brought with me had gone back to get the last trunk without telling anyone. He came back and stood in the center of a stand-off. If he hadn’t shown up when he had, they were threatening to start shooting and I would have been the first to go. It was best to go after the leader of a group first, so the others would have no one to take orders from. Chaos would ensue and the rest would be history.

  They took the case after inspection and just walked away. We got paid and they got their weapons. No one wound up injured or killed, and I hoped I wouldn’t have to deal with them again.

  Here I am preparing for another trade.

  At least this time I wouldn’t be going with them. I’d be a safe distance away.

  Miguel had ordered me here today, not to tell me that I had to once again be in the line of fire, but that I had to check over the procedure to make sure everything went off without a hitch. Miguel seemed sure that word had somehow gotten around that we had a mole in the cartel, and he wanted to make sure nothing was compromised. The shipment they requested meant this would be just another weapons deal. He didn’t say what happened to the weapons we traded them almost a year ago, and I didn’t ask. It was best just to follow orders. I didn’t want to end up dead, six feet under where no one would find my remains.

  Miguel wanted to take the extra precaution this time since the rat had just recently been taken care of. He feared the police might already know about the trade if the rat had a partner. He didn’t want to risk a run-in with the police because he didn’t want to have the agents who ruined the Sandtown base contacted. He wasn’t sure how they figured out about the Sandtown base, but he assumed the rat was to blame. He was prepared to take heat from the Son Reyes, but no one else.

  “Maybe someone had contacted them for help, or the mole had a partner, but if he did it’s only a matter of time before they show up again,” Miguel said. “We don’t need more shipments ruined, and we can’t have this base go up in smoke. I want to make sure this goes off right, and then we can start to worry about the possibility of having them come back.”

  I nodded, not saying anything, before I turned and walked out of the room. If only Miguel knew CIRA had come because of me. They’d found the base because he had taken me to it. Sure, the police knew something illegal occurred at the Sandtown compound, but they couldn’t do anything without proof, and no one loyal to the cartel would willingly give the information to them. If Miguel knew, he would realize he had signed his own death certificate when he took me in.

  I reached into my pocket to pull out my phone to tell Camden what I had to. He wasn’t surprised, and agreed that it should be checked out. He didn’t think the location would have been given away, since Miguel didn’t tell anyone about it until the day of the trade. Even so, it was better to be safe than sorry.

  “Yeah, he’s right, Marco,” Camden said. “We have to be careful. We don’t know what got out. We don’t know who he worked with or worked for. We will have to keep a lot of information close to the chest now, check out everyone new to be sure, and make sure nothing slips through the cracks.” There was a pause on the other side of the line. I knew he had stayed home for the day, and was hoping Danielle wouldn’t overhear our conversation. “We can’t tiptoe around deals forever. It’s time for a payday, so send some runners out to check out the area, and test it. I want to make sure this goes off without a hitch. If you have any suspicion the area isn’t safe for it anymore, change it, and then find a new location.”

  “Can do,” I responded. I was about to hang up when I heard Camden tell me to wait.

  “We need to check all the new people. I’m going to get a few more people on it for everyone at the compound. I want you to check out Sara. I want to make sure she’s clean before we continue.” Camden paused again for a few moments, and then told me he would be right back.

  That gave me the time to send a few people out to the site to check it out. I told them to report back to me as soon as possible and sent them off. I should be hearing back from them in about an hour if they took the time to search it properly. If they got caught, the agents could just wait until the Mexican cartel left. Then it would be safer, and we’d get who we were after. No need to bite off more than we could handle.

  “Marco,” Camden called. “I got Sara’s address from Danielle’s phone. I need you to go there and actually talk to her. Don’t get too distracted about this. I need to know that she’s who she says she is.”

  “If she’s not?” I asked curiously.

  “You know what to do,” he said before he hung up and left me to finish my job.

  ***

  I arrived at the address Camden had given me. Sara’s apartment was in the middle of the city in the midst of at least forty other similar looking apartments. Thankfully, Danielle had also provided the apartment number, otherwise I would have started knocking on all the doors until I got to the right person.

  I wondered how Camden had convinced Danielle to give up her phone so that he could find the information. It surely would have seemed strange that he suddenly wanted Sara’s address, unless he told her that I wanted it, and that meant I would never hear the end of it when she found out who I was. Even when I told her most of what Camden had said were lies that would be the one thing she would cling to. Maybe it was best to leave her with something, to keep from completely destroying her when I told her the truth. I had a long way to go before this mission would be over. I didn’t know Sara’s plan, but I wasn’t sure she had actually put it into action. I just wanted her to do what Demon said she did best, cause havoc, destroy everything, and then leave. It wouldn’t take her much time at all after seeing what happened to Sandtown after her trip there.

  I sighed, trying to calm myself and get rid of those thoughts before I talked to her. She was sure to pick up on the smallest emotions. She’d see right through my cover if I didn’t calm down, or she would thin
k I had come here to actually ask her on a date. That would easily explain the nerves, caused by her secrets and mystery. Though I wasn’t certain that would be helpful. I didn’t need to play into her for this mission. She didn’t need me; she needed Danielle. If I continued to waste her time, I may just be wasting the agency’s time. I should be getting her to spend time with Danielle. Then again, I was a little selfish. I wanted to spend time with her, as much as I could. I enjoyed having her around. Maybe I could wait to hand her over to Danielle a little longer.

  I was about to knock on her door when I got a call from the team I had sent to scout the location for the weapons trade with the Son Reyes.

  “We’ve cleared it. It doesn’t look as if anyone has been here, or laid anything down such as wires or cameras. We should be good to go with this location if you want to keep it for the deal.”

  “Yes, keep it,” I ordered, seeing a valuable opportunity. “I will tell Camden when I get back. Report back to Miguel and tell him to keep the location. We will just keep an eye on it before the deal because if we change the location it might raise suspicion with the other cartel.”

  “Yes, sir, we will head back now and report it to Miguel.” He cut the line and hung up before I could reply.

  I looked at the stars in the sky and hoped that whatever Sara had planned involved this trade, if anything. If it didn’t, I wondered if the mission would be finished before everything got too complicated. I could never be that lucky, though, so it was best just to accept it now. I may never get out of being undercover, so I might as well make the most of it while I could.

  “Let’s see how this goes,” I said to myself, trying to get the nerve to knock. I took a deep breath, trying to relax the tightness in my chest. I knocked on her door, and a few seconds later it opened. She wore a confused expression on her face.

  “Marco,” she said slowly, trying to hide her obvious nervousness. She must have thought the worst to see me standing outside her home. She probably thought her cover had been blown and I had come to kill her. “What brings you here?”