S5: Chapter 07: The Missing Link

“We need Yvette for this mission,” Scott sighed and dropped a large dossier on the desk.

“Yvette? My Yvette? My six months pregnant Yvette?”

“Unless you know another. Cameron Goldman, Englishman, known drug smuggler and gun enthusiast. To catch you up, CIA Excursion Mission Red Hawk involved a lot of money, a lot of weapons and a lot of arrests. Yvette and her team were knee deep in the shit and pulled this off successfully with minimal risk and a few deaths. Anyway, Goldman made contact with a Turkish arms dealer and offered to supply his army for a reasonable price; Yvette brokered the deal and her team took them all out. The CIA had a plant in the Turk’s army that helped orchestrate the takedown and both he and Yvette were ‘arrested’ for their parts in the crime.”

“And let me guess, watching my wife take the fall right along with him he came to trust her and now believes he has to make it up to her?”

“He and Yvette had a connection last time he popped up to the point where he wouldn’t deal with anyone except her. Now he’s looking for a buyer and from the chatter we’ve translated he’s looking for her.”

“I don’t like this. You just told me this was a dangerous mission last go round with a shootout of all things! Well Yvette is pregnant this time, there’s no way I’m watching her rush off to danger in her condition!”

“It’s not dangerous Brett. I’ve worked it so they don’t have to meet in person they’ll only video conference so he knows she’s the one brokering his deal. She’ll recommend one of you and make Goldman comfortable with the idea of working with someone else. Besides I said they had a connection last time, I’m not so sure how he’d react to seeing her big belly waddling towards him.”

Flipping the page he pointed to pictures taken from their last operation and a few of them made Brett cringe. Seeing his wife in the arms of another man was enough to make his blood boil. “She was his Honey Pot,” he replied passively. 

“Yeah in a way but she only goes as far as necessary Brett you should know that. You can unclench your jaw. Jennifer Crenshaw was her alias and Jennifer Crenshaw is who Goldman will be expecting, I’ve already let her know. What we need now is one of you to pose as the new buyer.”

“And the CIA is just ok with us taking over this mission?” Ryan asked thumbing the insert.

“The CIA can’t handle this mission because as I said Goldman will only deal with Yvette but David Peterson will be along for the ride. Look the circumstances are not ideal guys, I know that. But look at it from an intelligence standpoint, Cameron Goldman has dealings with heavy arms dealers all over the world. With the information he knows, his leads into the arms dealing business as well as new contacts with the drug trade imagine the amount of arrests we can make! If we can get Yvette back in good with this guy then we have a chance to take down more smugglers and move a step further in the war on drugs! Besides this wouldn’t be the first time the CIA has outsourced their dirty work. Think of this as a coordinated effort to take out some more bad guys.”

“I’ll do it,” Brett volunteered and pulled the profile of the new contact.

“No, you’re way too close to this thing for that. You might do something to jeopardize the mission if Goldman says something you can’t agree to. I need one of the other guys to do it,” Scott slipped the folder from Brett’s hands and looked towards Ryan, Victor and Dustin. “Which will it be guys?”

“I’ll go,” Victor spoke, moved closer towards the desk and looked over the information. “I can be Yvette’s baby’s Daddy.” He smirked at the soured expression on Brett’s face and patted him roughly on the back. “Relax Man, I promise not to make you look bad.”

“Thank you Victor.” Scott handed him the profile and stepped back. “Familiarize yourself and let’s get to work.”

“Do I smell? I mean I scrubbed three times in the shower before calling you over.” Mica asked and moved a little closer towards Yvette. Wrinkling her nose at the doctor she shook her head negatively with a curious expression on her face. “Oh uh your…Brett said that you were having a pretty sensitive time with your stomach and smells and everything. I just wanted to make sure you didn’t get any animal smells off of me that would upset you,” she smiled meekly and glanced briefly at her feet.

“No, Mica you’re fine. I don’t know what is with him. Since conception he’s treated me like some crystal vase that will crack if touched. And yet I don’t hear him saying anything about my having to trudge those stairs on my tender feet to cook his meals morning, noon and night.” She sighed exasperatedly and shrugged. “I don’t know. I mean I can’t say he’s killing me though he’s been very sweet but I can only assume he’s wrangled you into this because I’m getting on his nerves. I appreciate you taking the day off for me though, I really do.”

“It’s the least I could do after canceling our last three dinners! Besides we’re going to have fun. Brett just felt like you needed to get out of the house for a while and suggested I take you some place, on him.”

“Ah so the warden gave you the keys to my shackles? How very kind of him to think that yes I would like to see the sun sometime during my pregnancy without the confines of my bedroom walls.” She handed her keys to Mica and moved to the passenger side. “You get to drive. One less worry for my dear old husband. Where are we heading?”

“I figured since your husband is paying we could have a nice spa day and then lunch and a movie. He did say though that I cannot take you shopping. Apparently he got a bill for an overstuffed panda bear that hit the $350 mark. He said he nearly had a heart attack when he read his bank statement.”

“Oh please! When that’s all I have to do all day? He’s lucky there aren’t more bills like it! And I don’t know why he’s complaining he sent it back! Besides that thing was creepy anyway. It had that ubiquitous gaze you know? I felt like Caroline from Poltergeist whenever I went in the Baby’s room. Like that thing was going to pull me under the bed and have its way with me once the lights went out.”

They pulled up to the spa and Mica signed them in for the appointment. “We have Jared and Frio, two of the best masseurs here.” She winked and rubbed her shoulder against Yvette’s. “I signed us up for the royal treatment. If Brett thought a $350 panda was outrageous just wait until we’re done today,” she laughed as they started out to the back room to change and prepare for their massages.

“Mmm this is so good,” Yvette moaned as Jared’s hands worked the knots out of her back and neck. “I swear whatever you’re being paid is hardly enough Jared! Your fingers are magic!”

“Thank you Ma’am,” he smiled and poured a generous amount of oil in his hands as he continued working towards the small of her back. 

“You know I’m surprised you haven’t kicked Brett’s ass yet for what he’s doing to you Vette. And you still have three months to go! There’s gotta be a rule against that sort of torture!”

“Yeah there is only I can’t get out of the house to report his ass to someone that can stop him,” she laughed. “I think he anticipated that! Besides I’ve been finding ways to keep myself entertained. I put extra salt in his Bisque for dinner last night he started choking and complaining that his blood pressure spiked instantly. I mix his socks up in his ‘perfectly arranged’ sock drawer so he’s wearing one ankle cut with a knee high. And just this morning I packed him old raw fish for lunch in a tightly sealed plastic container. When he opens it I’m hoping it makes him puke.”

“Ha! That’s just cruel but he deserves it! I can’t believe he actually locks you up like a helpless old woman!”

“I know! I mean his heart’s in the right place but seriously a little trust would be nice. I mean I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself! And I’ve proven I could kick his ass if I wanted to! I think actually an ass whooping is in order for him! Maybe that’ll make him back off!”

“We will go and prepare the Zen room for you ladies,” Jared and Frio excused themselves and the girls redressed and waited to be taken back to the gardens. After mellowing out in the soft warmth of the Zen gardens, Mica checked the time and advised Yvette about the 2pm showing of Magic Mike.

Yvette stood at the check-out desk beside Mica waiting to pay for their treatments mindlessly playing with the items on the counter. She handed the clerk her credit card and the woman pushed it back towards her with a smile. “That won’t be necessary Ma’am, that gentleman over there has taken care of your tab.”

“Really? Ooh Mica’s got a secret admirer!” Yvette teased and turned towards the door. Her expression fell as she noticed Ethan standing just outside smiling at her. “Excuse me a minute Mica,” she growled and with a heavy sigh started towards the exit. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“I just came to see…”

“Why don’t you seem to understand the words ‘death next time’? You keep popping up like this you really think I’m gonna…”

“You won’t kill me in a public place Yvie,” he grinned and stepped closer. “Let’s have lunch. I’d like to talk to you some more.”

“What it is with you and all of this recent drive to reconnect? What exactly do you want from me Ethan?” she yelled and stepped back. Mica watched as her body language became more and more aggressive and agitated with the man she was speaking to. 

Grabbing her bag she started for the door and stepped up behind Yvette. “Are you ok Hon? We should probably get moving if we want to make the show time.” She shot Ethan an angry scowl and wrapped her arm around Yvette’s. Ethan took a step closer and she cautioned him. “Move again and I’ll blow my rape whistle.”

“You have a rape whistle?” Yvette whispered against her ear with a smile in her voice.

“Yes of course I do. I haven’t always known an elite team of super agents you know? And before Dustin came along I needed a way to ensure my personal safety!” She glanced briefly at Yvette before bouncing her eyes back towards the man standing perfectly still beside the door. “And trust me now that I have my very own personal ninja at home, I’ve learned a few new tricks. Stay away from us or I swear you’ll get to see them in action!”

Ethan chuckled and slowly darted his gaze from his daughter to the wily woman standing beside her. “I appreciate the sentiment, I do but I have no intentions of hurting my pregnant daughter.” Mica’s eyes widened in surprise and she looked towards a confirming nod from Yvette. “I just wanted to take her to lunch, both of you. It would be nice to get to know a friend of hers perhaps?” He sighed and stepped towards Yvette. Mica made a show of grabbing on the straps of the bag on her shoulder and he stopped moving with a smile. “Please?”

“Ethan…”

“I just don’t want you to have any regrets Yvie. Please?” With a sigh she agreed with a short nod and he escorted both Mica and Yvette towards the café inside the Spa. After ordering he paid and waited for the waitress to excuse herself from the table. Mica kept a close watch on the man across from her and Ethan watched Yvette bite into her Bruschetta and laughed at the small bite she took from the toast. “You eat like your Mother. Is that gonna be enough for you? You know you’re eating for two now right?” he dipped his fork into his Ratatouille and inhaled the smell of the tomatoes with a deep sigh.

“It’s fine. If I wanted more I would have ordered more. I don’t really have an appetite right now but I fear if I don’t eat something and Brett found out he’d stab an IV drip into my arm and force me to feed intravenously.”

“He seems very protective of you. I like that about him. It sounds like you made a great choice in husbands. You know when Yvie was a little girl she made this list. It was the ‘Ten Things I want in a husband’ list. One of the first things on there was ‘someone strong like Daddy’. Of course the next summer she turned the ten things into twenty but I suppose that’s what every woman does right?” He laughed and nudged Mica’s arm.

“I can’t do this,” she hissed and dropped her fork down forcefully to her plate. “What do you want from me Ethan? And if you say it’s just to bond one more time I swear I’m jabbing this fork into your eye! TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT FROM ME!” The baby kicked and she exhaled painfully realizing she had raised her voice and the eyes of several diners were on their table.

Ethan looked around and the glare in his eyes instantly pulled the stares off of them and he turned back to her with a smile. “Notwithstanding the threat of going partially blind, my intentions have been made clear Yvie. I’m only trying to get to know you even if it’s just what your new favorite meal is.” They finished their meal and made awkward small talk about this and that. Mica kept analyzing his actions and noticed how his expression fell each time Yvette shut him down.

“So I don’t get it what happened between you two?” Mica asked and noticed the tension became much thicker the second the question was asked. “Ah sore subject. You don’t have to answer.” She took a bite of her eggroll and focused her attention on her meal.

“I made a mistake. I did something thinking it was the right thing and lost the most important people in my life because of it. But I’m trying. I’m really trying to be better. We lead dangerous lives Yvie and at any moment something could happen that takes it all away and I…I really hope you’re never in a position where you’re forced to choose like I was. It never works out like you hope, trust me.”

He looked at Mica and stood from the table, Yvette and Mica did the same. “I don’t want to keep you two any longer than I already have.” The baby kicked and Yvette rubbed her hand over her belly trying to settle her nervous bundle of joy. Ethan’s eyes moved to the action and he took a cautious step forward.

“May I?” Without waiting on an answer Ethan placed his hand on Yvette’s stomach and she covered it with her own. “It’s definitely a boy,” he grinned feeling the baby kick again. She immediately pushed his hand away with a scowl that turned his grin into a laugh. 

“Men…you would say that.” She grabbed her bag and wiped her hand one last time on the napkin on the table. “Ethan don’t think this has changed anything. I meant what I said about you being around my baby. I don’t know why you waited until now to make contact and to be honest I’m tired of guessing. But one thing is certain I don’t feel comfortable about any of this at all.”

“I know that Yvie and that’s why I’m trying. Hopefully you’ll be able to see me as the man I was and we can build something. If not I understand and I will still love you no matter what.” He dropped a large tip on the table and placed his wallet back into his pocket.

“Spaghetti,” Yvette replied nonchalantly.

“What’s that?”

“My favorite meal.”

Ethan sighed and folded his arms against his chest with a cocky grin, “Still the child I remember.”

Yvette straightened up and looked her father in the eyes. “If you’re really serious about this then we’ll have to work at it but I’m not making any promises. Thank you for lunch Ethan.”  

“And that’s all I’m asking for. Lunch was my pleasure and it was nice meeting you Mica. I hope to see you around soon.”

“Are we going to make it to the movie?” Mica asked as she slipped behind the wheel of Yvette’s car.

“I don’t know. If you don’t drive like a snail it shouldn’t be so bad. Actually it is already past 2 so we would have to hit a later showing.”

“That’s fine and no worries, I’m a speed demon. I was only doing the limit because Brett scares me,” she laughed. Adjusting the rearview she noticed Ethan hop into his Tahoe behind them and pull out of the parking lot a few moments after them. “So your Dad, there’s a story there?”

“If you mean the one where he abandoned me when I was 7, popped up at my mother’s funeral when I was 16 and then tried to kill me – or so I thought until a few months ago, yes. Now he has this crazy notion about getting to know me and make up for lost time because I’m pregnant and he wants the chance to meet his grandchild and do right by us. Both Brett and I have our suspicions though. It’s sad but I can’t really trust what he says.” Noticing the spin as they turned off the main road, she glanced at the speedometer and smiled at Mica. “Speed demon.”

“What? You thought I was kidding?” She glanced again in her rearview and saw Ethan just a few car lengths away. “He’s still back there. I think he’s following us.”

“Oh no, don’t tell me my paranoia is spilling out on you! I’m sure he’s just going back to his office or something, nothing to worry about.” Watching the buildings zip by as Mica picked up speed she sighed and flipped the channel on the radio. “The theater is to your right.”

“Almost there,” she agreed and hit the brakes a little just as the car hit 50 miles per hour.

“Slow up Mica or you’re gonna pass it.”

“Uh, I am slowing up it’s just not working!”

“What do you mean it’s not working?”

“I mean your brakes are not working!” she pumped frantically on the pedal trying to get the car to slow up but its response instead was more speed. “Yvette! We’re going to crash!” she yelled and steered the car through a red light. “I don’t know what’s going on!” The engine roared faster and faster and they zipped through one intersection after another. “What do I do?”

“Well first of all keep your hands on the wheel!” Yvette replied quickly putting her back in control of the car. “Now try and stay calm! We’re heading out of downtown and towards the residential area. Keep pumping the brakes and try to keep the car on the road.” Yvette grabbed her phone and dialed Brett’s number. Quickly explaining the situation she heard the panic in his voice. He hurried to his truck and told her he would meet them near Southlake, the direction they were headed.

“Oh shit! What’s that?” Mica asked staring at the bright red indicator on the console. “What the hell is that beeping Yvette?”

“Ok Mica, I don’t know how to break it to you in an easy way so I’ll just say it, that’s a bomb.”

“A WHAT!?”

“Uh ok, new plan. Take your foot off the brakes and put it beneath the gas.”

“You want me to speed up?”

“No I want you to keep the car from forcing itself faster. Whoever put that bomb under the hood placed it on the accelerator and that’s the reason we’re going faster instead of slowing up. Put your foot beneath the gas pedal and keep it from flooring itself. I’m gonna hop into the back and find something to replace your foot. Stay calm Mica and keep us stable ok?”

She nodded hysterically and watched as Yvette unhooked her seat belt and jumped into the backseat. Locating the toolbox beneath the bench she pulled out a wrench and two bungee cords. Taking her position back beside Mica she tied the end of the wrench around the cords and set it against the gas pedal. Stretching the ends as far as they would go she looped them around the driver’s seat and used the wrench to ensure they didn’t snap back. “Ok now here’s the hard part, we have to jump.”

“WE WHAT?! Yvette you’re six months pregnant and we’re in a fucking car going 67 miles an hour down the road! There is no fucking way we’re jumping out of this thing! We can’t! Not without some serious fucking injuries!”

“Mica, it’s either that or we both go boom!” The sound of her phone ringing drew her attention and she looked down noticing it was an unknown caller. Placing the receiver to her ear she waited until the person spoke before acknowledging them on her end.

“Yvie? What the hell are you doing?”

“Ethan? How the hell did you get this number?”

“Yes this is Ethan and I’ll tell you later. Right now do you want to explain to me why you’re speeding down a residential street like that?”

She looked behind them and noticed he was just turning on the route behind them and sighed. “There’s an incendiary device beneath my hood and it’s hooked into the accelerator. Whenever Mica hits the brakes the gadget makes us speed up. I’ve got the gas pedal tied up so it doesn’t auto accelerate but I don’t know how much longer we can stay inside this thing. The engine is starting to overheat.”

“You’re planning to jump aren’t you? Yvie you’re pregnant! You can’t…”

“I’ve already been through that with Mica, Ethan, there’s only one choice in this situation and I have no intentions of being baked to death inside this metal oven on wheels now you can either help or get the hell off my phone!”

“Of course I’ll help! What is it that you need me to do?”

“I need to get Mica out of the car first.”

“No Vette! You should go! You have a baby to think about and I’m just…”

“And have Dustin kick my ass for the rest of my life? No thank you. Trust me Mica ok? I’ve been in tight situations before, I’ll be fine. Ethan? Drive up to her side and try and keep up with us. She can crawl into your car if you keep straight.”

Placing the phone on speaker, Ethan sped up and moved into place. He rolled down the large passenger side window and waited for Mica to talk herself into it. “Vette?”

“You can do this Mica.” She encouraged the wide eyed Doctor and held the wheel as she unhooked her seat belt and pulled herself onto her knees on the seat. 

Moving slow at first, she started out of the window. The wind cut at her face and hair whipping it around her eyes and blinding her momentarily. She quickly brushed the stray strands from her eyes and reached for Ethan’s door. Trying to keep his eyes on her and the road, Ethan reached his hand towards her and she readily grabbed it. With one strong pull he yanked her upper body into the window and she hurriedly climbed in the rest of the way. Settling herself in his front seat she took in quick, frantic breaths before jumping into the back and watching as Yvette tried to maintain herself on the road.

“Oh shit,” Ethan growled and Mica’s eyes immediately shot straight forward to what he saw. Just ahead in the road was Deadman’s curve, the windiest street in all of Bridgeport. “In all the roads of this fucking city, you’ve gotta be fucking shitting me!” Motioning towards his little girl he indicated they were quickly running out of time and she needed to get out of that car before they hit that path.

Yvette checked the cords above her head and started for the window. Grunting as her belly stuck a little in the window, she gave herself a shove forward and got past the larger part of her stomach. “Come on Yvie, you can do this.” Reaching out towards the window, she caught hold of it and slowly pulled herself forward. Ethan kept the pace with the car as they neared the start of the curve. 

Yvette kicked and the wheel jerked, pulling her car away from Ethan’s. With a swift spin, he got back beside her as fast as possible and waited for her to grab hold of his car once more. “Come on Baby! Mica let your window down, Yvie you have to grab on and just let yourself hang! Don’t worry about climbing in I’ll protect you I promise!” He instructed.

Yvette took hold again of the passenger door of Ethan’s large SUV and pulled herself away from the car. The beeping became louder behind her and she noticed the temperature gauge had reached full. Worriedly she gazed at Ethan and he knew exactly what the look meant. He nodded to her and she gave him the go signal. Hitting his brakes he slowed the truck and put it in reverse quickly backing out of the area towards the end of downtown. 

Seconds ticked like hours before finally a large explosion sounded in front of them and large pieces of burning metal and rubber blew thirty feet into the air and came back down to earth hurtling themselves in varied directions. Yvette crouched on the door and Ethan spun the truck around shielding her from the blast and the heat of the fire and any falling debris. Coming to a stop in front of an empty lot, she climbed off the door and dropped to the ground beside the wheel well. Ethan quickly hopped out of his truck and rushed towards her pulling her into his arms as he checked her for injuries. “Are you ok?”

She nodded and pressed her head into his chest as he clutched her tight against him. Moments later Brett’s SUV pulled up and he and Dustin jumped out of the doors and ran to them. Dustin scooped Mica into his arms as she cried and held her lovingly letting her vent her emotions as he stroked a comforting hand through her hair. “It’s ok Baby, I’m here.” He whispered soothingly in her ear as she continued to sob.

“Yvette!” Brett pulled her into his arms and held her as he eyed the man standing beside the black truck. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

“Relax Brett, I saved her ok?”

“Yeah? And for all I know it was you that planted that damn thing there in the first place! You were in my garage a few nights ago weren’t you?”

“And as I told you I found it opened when I arrived! Look I informed you about the fresh stains on the ground of that room! In the dark I mistook it for oil but from what I can tell now it was brake fluid! Someone drained that line and put that device there! And it’s probably the same someone I warned you about on your wedding night!”

“That’s very fucking convenient! You just happened to be in the area when a bomb goes off in my wife’s car after we spent years tracking you down thinking you were trying to kill her? You could very easily be trying to use this as a means to get back in her good graces!”

“You think I’m capable of blowing up my own daughter, my six months pregnant daughter in some scheme to make her love me again? What kind of man do you think I am?”

“The kind of man that kidnaps a woman on her wedding night! The kind that breaks into her home and scares the living piss out of her! The kind that for the longest time let her believe he wanted her dead! YES ETHAN! I believe you are very capable of this and more! And if you think for a minute that I believe your story then you’re crazier than you fucking look! What the hell are you doing here in the first place?”

“We had lunch together,” Yvette sighed and looked up into the shocked expression on his face. “He stopped Mica and me outside of the spa and treated us to lunch and our spa day. He admitted he was following me today and I believe him when he says he didn’t do this Brett.”

“Yvette?”

“What? We assumed that since the notes stopped that this guy was gone but we can admit to ourselves we knew it wasn’t that easy! He’s been in and out of our home on numerous occasions Brett! He’s made a previous attempt on my life and he’s just…Ethan didn’t do this, he saved us so just stop yelling already, ok?” Turning towards Ethan she smiled and thanked him and pulled away from her husband and started for his truck. With one last glower in the man’s direction Brett hopped behind the wheel and waited for Mica and Dustin to join them.

“I don’t want him around my kid, Vette.”

“He saved us Brett! If it wasn’t for him Mica and I would be blown to tiny little bits right now!”

“And what makes you so sure he didn’t put that thing there Yvette? I mean come on! You don’t know shit about this man and he pops up on our wedding day of all things talking about reconciliation and you don’t think that’s suspicious?”

“What I think…”

“No what I think is this is just some hormonal trip with your pregnancy, you’re not thinking straight and want that ‘Daddy girl’ back that you used to be. After everything he’s put you through, the person you became because of him. I mean you drugged yourself to become stronger, faster, deadlier just to get to the person you thought killed your mother, him! You have nightmares because of the shit you’ve done! And after all of this he thinks buying you lunch and a massage is going to make it all better? No, I don’t think so. If I see him again, he’s dead.” He turned towards her and looked her in the eyes as he repeated his words. “He’s dead.”

“Do you have any idea how wonderful it is to see your beautiful face Jenn?” Cameron asked as the video conference began. He sat in a café some hundred miles away in New Canyon all the while believing Yvette was in a hotel room in Plainview, just a few miles away. “I have missed you so much Love. I don’t think I could tell you how often I thought about you while I was locked away. Hoping that you wouldn’t hate me after what happened. I never meant for you to get pinched too, you know that right? I thought for certain we had got away scot free and clear. But there’s always someone you can’t trust you know? Damn shame too. We stood to make millions!”

“Yeah Cam, it sucked. But just so you know, I never blamed you for anything that happened. I figured it was bad luck and left it at that.”

“Bad luck? Oh no, no it was much worse than that. Someone ratted us out! That shit was perfectly orchestrated! I mean you never thought it was funny that the fucking CIA and Feds showed up just as we got our hands on the cash? Right at the exchange they burst through the door pointing those damn weapons in our faces! Yeah, someone in there was a fucking cop! I’m sure of it.”

“You sure you’re not just being paranoid? If I remember correctly you thought the same thing about our waitress in the restaurant where we met. Turns out she was a waitress by day, stripper by night and often got the two confused,” Yvette laughed and drew one from him as well.

“Yeah well that was different Love, much!” Victor entered the room behind her and Cameron’s eyes immediately moved to him. “Who’s he?”

“Hmm?”

“The man standing over your shoulder Love.”

Yvette turned and smiled at Victor as he leaned over and placed a kiss on her cheek. “This is my friend Reginald that I was telling you about, the one interested in your merchandise.”

“Just a friend then? He looks a little more than that. Do I have a reason to be jealous?”

“No Cameron, not from him,” she laughed and swat at his arm.

“Is he gay then?”

Victor immediately jumped up offended at the thought and Yvette rubbed a gentle hand over his arm to calm him down. “No of course not, he’s just in a relationship with someone else.”

“Ah so he’s not blind. Surely he’s never seen a more perfect creature than my Jenn! I want to see you, in person. I don’t like this telecast bullshit. I’m coming to town tonight. Where are you staying?”

“I don’t know if…”

“I’m not taking no for an answer Jennifer. We are doing this my way, in person or no deal. I won’t do business with someone I can’t make a formal introduction to in person. Now you say you know this man, I don’t and you know how hard it is for me to trust. Where are you staying?” he repeated his question. Scott, David Peterson and the rest of the team listened in closely as Goldman made his demands. Luckily they had a contingency though they wanted nothing more than to keep the mission on its current course, Goldman was doing everything to ensure it sidetracked.

“Vette, tell him you’re staying at the Regal Hotel and Spa. You’ll meet him for dinner at the bar downstairs. Just give us a moment, Kimura is setting the arrangements now in case Goldman checks for your reservation.”

“Got it,” she heard Dustin exclaim over the comm. “You’re staying in the Deluxe Suite, penthouse room# P3.”

Yvette smiled and leaned forward in her desk. “I’m making a note Cam; we’ll have dinner tonight in the restaurant of my hotel. I’m staying at the Regal in the penthouse. Don’t keep me waiting.”

“My Dear, I wouldn’t dream of it!”

Hours passed and Yvette found herself in the bar of the downstairs restaurant. After being shown to her seat by the Maitre D, she watched the room waiting for her date to make his appearance. Scott kept his eye on her table, ensuring that he could get the agents into place once Goldman showed his face again. “Excuse me sir, we have a small complaint about our meal,” a hefty redhead approached Scott and he kindly escorted her back towards her table to take care of the situation.

“Hold positions,” David advised all agents and watched Scott disappear towards the back table. “We’ll go when Scott gives the signal.”

“Yeah, if Cameron shows. He’s usually very punctual so this feels pretty off to me,” Yvette sighed into her comm. using fake conversation with Victor to cover up her actually words. “Something’s not right.”

“Excuse me are you Jennifer Crenshaw?” the front desk clerk asked. At her nod, he handed her a note wrapped in a small red ribbon. “This was left for you by a gentleman at the front desk. He said it’s very important you do what it says.”

“Thank you.” She waited until he excused himself and slowly unwrapped the letter to read.

“My Dearest Jenn,
You look smashing in red, I’ve always favoured
that color on you. But please do me a favor
meet me in the hotel’s back alley in 5 minutes.
I’d like to see your eyes in the light of the sun
before it wanes.”

“What does it say?” Peterson asked keeping his watch over the restaurant.

“He wants me to meet him in the alley behind the restaurant.”

“Wait, I’m not sure that’s advisable. Scott hasn’t returned to his position.”

“I can’t wait Dave. Cameron has never been a very patient man. I’m changing positions now, Victor is joining me. Let Scott know once he’s back.”

The two quickly started down the stairs and exited the back door to find Cameron standing behind a very frightened Scott whom he was holding at knife point. “Ah Jenn! How very kind of you to join us!”

“What the hell is this Cam? Are you fucking nuts? Why did you kidnap the waiter?”

“Waiter? I think his type prefer Maitre D and besides, he’s no ordinary waiter, are you sir?”

“This again?” Yvette smiled and moved forward. “Let me guess he’s a cop undercover here to bust us as we make another deal.”

“You’re quick Jenn just as I was hoping for but don’t take another step. You remember how I told you that someone ratted us out? How absolutely certain I was that one of the people at the deal was an undercover? Well after going through the list of people that attended, making short work of most of them, torturing them etc. I came to the conclusion and the only one that actually makes sense, YOU are a FED.”

“Me? Cam that’s ridiculous!”

“And that’s what I thought too! And it’s why I did some digging!” He pulled out a folded up newspaper and tossed it towards her. It landed face up on the ground at her feet. “See that? What does that say? Heroic work by ‘Federal Agents Foils Terrorist’. Now it’s not a very good shot of you and you’d actually have to really look in order to see it and so I took the liberty of circling the small picture of you in red ink. You see it right?”

“What? This person is photographed from the side and the back you can’t see his or her face and it’s not me!”

“Nice try. But I know that ass anywhere Jenn, or should I say Agent Evans? Oh wait, it’s Knight now correct? You’ve recently celebrated your nuptials with another Fed who also did his best to avoid being photographed during that sting. You see all those years I spent behind bars I had nothing to do but think Jenn and all I could think about was revenge! On you, on him and on that fucking piece of shit attorney I had. Well one of the three are out of the way. You’re second on my list though I had wanted to save you for last and really savor in your pain. This works out much better for me!”

“Ok Cam calm down. Just let the waiter go and take me ok?”

“The waiter? You mean your father correct? Isn’t that who he is? See I’ve done my homework this time and now there’s just one thing I want to know from you, how much do you value his life, Jenn?” With a twisted smile, Cameron slid the blade across Scott’s throat. A line of crimson liquid squirted from his neck and his hands immediately went up defensively. Cameron threw his body into the street and hurriedly rushed for the awaiting chopper in the empty field next door.

The doors burst open and three armed men ran out firing heavily in the team’s direction. Victor immediately took cover as Yvette stood frozen across the paved path watching Scott struggle for a breath. “Get down!” Victor yelled and yanked her behind the crate roughly by her arm.

Scott’s eyes widened in fear as shots rang out around him. “DADDY!” Yvette yelled and rushed forward forgetting her guard as bullets whizzed past her head. She fell to the ground beside Scott and pulled him into her arms as Victor changed positions to cover them. “Stay calm Daddy I’m getting you help!”

Pulling out her cell phone she hurriedly dialed emergency and relayed the information as calmly as possible. Supporting Scott’s head in her arms, they both pressed firmly on his wound taking care to keep his windpipe from being blocked so he could breathe. Scott took slow, deliberate breaths and stared up into Yvette’s painfully saddened eyes. “I love you Daddy please, just hang on!”

He nodded and worked on controlling his breathing as he rested against Yve’s chest. Yvette felt him convulse against him and fought back her tears. She couldn’t cry on him, not now. He needed her right now and she refused to let herself breakdown. Biting on her lip to stiffen it she talked to him the entire time listening to Victor go back and forth with the shooters. Then finally the bullets stopped. When she looked up, he and an EMT were running towards them and everything after that was a blur.

“He’s heading south on Palermo!” Brett announced over the comm. as he chased after Goldman in his SUV. “Someone get in the sky! I’m gonna run out of road here before long!”

“Already on it,” Dustin replied as he and Ryan jumped behind the stick of the Fed’s helicopter and pulled it into the sky.

“Where’s Vic?” Brett turned the wheel and avoided a head on collision with a passenger van as he carelessly switched between lanes on the freeway chasing the visual of the enemy’s craft.

“I don’t know, the last I saw him he was helping get Yvette into the ambulance.”

“Yve? What the hell happened to my wife?”

“Nothing Brett, relax. She was heading to the hospital with Scott. He got hurt bad man…it looks grim,” Ryan responded solemnly. “I just hope…”

“Scott’s a tough bastard. If anyone can pull through this it’s him. He’ll make it just for Yvette’s sake. He won’t do this to her; he can’t. His body won’t let him. We have to stay on mission and get that son of a bitch before he gets gone!”

“Hey am I late to the party?” Victor asked as he pulled onto the street behind Brett. “I had to stop off and pick up a few party favors.”

“Anything that’ll bring down a chopper?” Brett asked and turned down another street keeping Cameron within his sights.

“Just keep your eyes in the sky! I’m gonna make it rain!” he zoomed past Brett heading further downtown. With his siren blaring he ignored the street lights and stops cutting a path straight through the heavy traffic before finally coming to a stop outside the Griffin’s Finance Building, one of the highest buildings in the city. “Dustin, you and Ryan should fall back now.”

Victor flashed his badge and had security escort him to the roof and he quickly set up the toy he’d been dying to try out. Pulling out the sights and adjusting it for windshear, Victor propped the large rocket launcher on his shoulder and motioned to the guards to get down. Patiently he waited for Cameron’s whirlybird to get within sight. The moment he heard the engine of the helicopter Vic’s finger squeezed the trigger and he watched the rocket propelled grenade make contact with the craft and send it crashing to the ground in a ball of flames. “Target destroyed,” he reported and headed back down to meet the team and check on Scott’s condition.

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