I've sat on the first chapter of this story for a while now, I wanted to wait to post this and another first chapter of a "sister" story for Break My Heart but given I don't have time to do much writing with my commission work load I figured I'd give you guys something. Still working on my other stuff but its going to be slow going until I get my finances sorted out. Whichever story out of the two first chapters I post gets the most reviews will be the next one worked on after Wanky Friday is completed. So if you like it, be sure to let me know what you think! :)
A/N: Remember guys, these first two chapters of these stories are just being posted as fillers because I can't work on the others at the moment, they're already written because I was playing around with different ideas and had to get the ideas out of my head. Both of the new chapters for Wanky Friday and Break My Heart have been started but they're nowhere near finalized enough to post.
Santana sat back and adjusted the large headphones over her ears.
"So wait, why am I here again?" She asked, eying up the high-tech equipment and unfamiliar faces that surrounded her.
"For now we just need you to listen in while our operatives search the home." A tall, slender man replied, tucking one of his speakers behind a pale ear. "I don't think I've had the pleasure speaking to you one on one, yet. I'm Mike Chang."
Santana sighed but leaned forward to shake his hand, "Nice to meet you. I was just under the assumption that this special case was a little more firmly developed. I'm not really sure why you need me here right now." She said honestly, not caring if she came off a bit rude. She couldn't help but feel that her skills were being wasted sitting in an unmarked observation vehicle.
Mike shifted in his seat and chanced a quick glance over his shoulder before responding. "Look, I don't know you… But I've read your file, I know right now this case might seem beneath you but… Trust me, it won't disappoint."
Santana arched her brow, "Don't get me wrong, I've worked on plenty of serial murders and I want to help put whoever is committing them away… It just seems as though an awful lot of resources are being sunk into a rather weak lead."
Mike shook his head, "It's the strongest lead we have… And we've got a lot more than you've got clearance to see."
Santana's brow furrowed darkly, "What is that supposed to mean?"
Mike looked around, almost nervously. " You don't find it at all peculiar?"
"Find what peculiar?" She asked, growing increasingly more frustrated.
"The case file, the injuries… The bodies lack of blood?" Mike whispered, leaning in closer to the brunette.
Santana narrowed her eyes, "You cannot be serious." She responded lowly, her voice dripping with exasperation.
Mike gave a quick nod, "Vampires."
Santana twisted back up in her seat and the man barked out a quick laugh.
Before she could respond verbally, their headsets burst to life.
"Chang, we're in position." A deep voice said over a small amount of static, the man immediately became serious again.
"Alright, Hudson, picture is up and we can hear you loud and clear."
"Good, we're heading up to the front door now."
Pushing down her annoyance, Santana adjusted her position so that she could see the screens more clearly.
The Fabray estate was huge, the front gate opening into a long drive. There were several spots where small medians broke the driveway into two lanes and those medians were overflowing with tall, decorative grass.
The same grass lined both sides, small bushes in front and tall trees behind. Most of the estate tactfully hidden from view.
At the end of the drive, the straightaway turned into a circular open space for the family or their visitors to park. Santana rolled her eyes when the large, decorative and extremely expensive front doors came into view.
The Fabray family wealth was mostly concentrated on their home and the building itself was extremely old. Having been in the family for generations, restoration and up keep must have been a fortune.
Santana watched as one of the two operatives conducting the search lifted his hand to knock on the thick was the head of the investigation, Finn Hudson.
He had reached out to her about a week earlier, requesting her assistance. She hadn't been caught up in any large cases so she agreed, flying out several days later.
She had been told that they were waiting on some forensic testing to go through before they could move on to their next phase.
The short two day waiting period had led her to where she sat now and to put it simply, she was feeling restless. She was used to being the lead investigator on her cases, not only tracking down suspects based off of whatever clues she could find but also personally bringing them down. Santana was well known for her tenacity and for having one of the highest percentage of completed arrests in the country.
Santana wasn't surprised to see a servant answer the door, tilting his head down as he stepped aside for the two detectives to make their way inside.
"I will let know you've arrived." The man said, turning for the large double staircase behind him.
Finn cleared his throat, "I don't think I caught your name?"
"Sam Evans." The man replied quickly before ascending the steps and disappearing down the hall to the left.
It was only a few minutes later that Russell Fabray appeared, "Hello. Forgive me... I was in my study and lost track of time."
Finn nodded, "It's not a problem, gave me a chance to inspect the architecture of your foyer. It's gorgeous."
Russell laughed and stepped down off of the last step of the right staircase. "Good to hear! The restoration cost a fortune."
"I can imagine." Finn said, his eyes sweeping over the decorative ceiling once more.
"Mmm. Anyway, you two didn't come all this way to fuss over such things. Come." He said, waving them down the main hallway on the first floor. "Just let me know where you would like to inspect." He said, placing emphasis on the last word.
"Well, we would like to see all the rooms, Sir. If that is alright?" Finn asked, watching Russell's reaction closely.
The man chuckled and shook his head, "Perhaps I should have some coffee made, a full tour could take hours."
Finn shrugged, "We've got all night... The coffee does sound like an attractive offer though." He said, flashing Russell a lopsided grin when the man glanced over his shoulder in his direction.
xxx
Santana leaned back with a yawn as the two detectives finally exited the Fabray home.
"They looked pretty normal to me. I mean, normal for ridiculously rich white folk who are essentially royalty." She said, rolling her eyes as Mike angled his body toward her.
"Sorry it wasn't more eventful." He said sincerely, removing his headphones and setting them around his neck.
"It's whatever. Where was the rest of the family, though? Seemed like no one was there."
Mike nodded, "The women are out, apparently they were visiting with then bringing the youngest daughter home."
"Where was she?"
"Taking classes in Europe-"
"Of course." Santana said, rolling her eyes again and strapping herself in as the vehicle started with a low rumble.
Mike chuckled as they jerked into motion, "I know, it's disgusting how rich and privileged they are."
xxx
Santana groaned, blinking against the darkness of her room as her phone beeped insistently on the nightstand.
"What the fuck, Hudson? I just got in three hours ago!" She growled, her voice still rough from sleep.
"I know, sorry." He said, sounding anything but. "We'll be contacting you again in two days for the next phase of our investigation."
Santana pinched the bridge of her nose before rubbing roughly at her eyelids. "What? What next phase? You didn't find anything!" She grumbled, getting annoyed with this man and his cryptic investigation.
"You will find out more when we bring you in. Rest now, Lopez."
Santana groaned, blinking at her phone as 'call ended' blinked repeatedly before the screen went dark.
Clearly they had seen different things on the inspection of the Fabray estate.
xxx
Santana huffed as she stalked down the bright, white hallway. She paused, checking the door number she had stopped by before knocking.
"Ah, good. You showed." Mike said, flashing her a smile as she peeked her head into the room. Santana arched a brow at his surprise and the man cleared his throat to elaborate. "Finn wasn't sure that you'd show up after your last conversation. He said you sounded pretty exasperated."
"He's still paying me, right?" She asked, pausing just over the threshold of the room.
"Yes." Mike said with a chuckle, sitting down at the simple table in the middle of the small room.
"Okay then." Santana said, sitting down across from him. "So why am I here?"
"You ask that a lot." Mike pointed out, pulling the laptop in front of him closer.
"Well, if you guys weren't so damn vague all of the time..." She muttered, folding her arms over her chest in frustration.
"Part of the job description. Special unit, remember?" He asked, his eyes flicking up to meet hers as his fingers moved quickly over the keys of the computer.
She remained silent, one brow arched above the other while she watched him work.
"What's your history with undercover work? There wasn't much in your file..."
She narrowed her eyes, "For good reason... My Mother always told me I'd make a shit actress."
He grinned and turned the laptop so that it was facing her, "We can figure it out as we go."
"What the fuck is this? You want me to be their maid? No way, Squints." She spat, pushing the laptop away and standing up. "You couldn't pay me enough."
Mike shook his head with a laugh,"How does triple your current pay sound? Plus, a bonus for emotional damage should things get dangerous."
Santana rapped her nails against the back of the metal chair, "How much is this bonus?"
"Up to an additional half of whatever you make for the full time. Depending on how long you're under and how dangerous it gets." He said with a wink, she kept her frown but reclaimed her seat.
"That seems like a bit much, you guys really think you're on to something... Don't you?"
Mike folded his hands on the table in front of him, "Yes, we do."
"What the hell do you have on them? They seem so disgustingly squeaky clean." She said, crinkling her nose.
"Appearances can be deceiving, you know that."
Santana grunted before turning her attention back to the computer screen, "So how will this work?" She asked, eying what appeared to be an online resume.
"Well, with your consent... We will put this ad up and see if they bite. All of the female victims fitting the M.O. had previously worked for the Fabrays. Although, not all of them were employed at the time of their deaths."
"Wait, all of them?" She asked, her eyes widening at his words.
Mike nodded, "We've been busy checking and re-checking to be sure... But yes, that's why some of that information wasn't readily available to you."
"What about the men?"
"They have been more random, that's why we were hoping to wrap things up faster with your help."
Santana chewed on the inside of her cheek, "Fine. I'll do it." She said, her voice cold as she thought back to the files of the young women who had lost their lives.
Mike nodded, a sad smile gracing his lips. "Thank you."
"I'm not doing it for you." Santana said, rising from her seat and moving for the door.
Mike nodded, "I'll give you a call when and if we get a response to your ad."
The brunette bobbed her head before leaving with a quick goodbye. She was done sitting around and twiddling her thumbs, she was a woman of action. And she was more than ready to act out her part to get what they needed to solve this case.
xxx
Santana breathed in deeply, smiling as steam from her coffee drifted up toward her face lazily. She glanced toward her phone, narrowing her eyes as a familiar ringtone blared.
"We on?" She asked, not even bothering to check who was calling.
Mike's chuckle echoed over the line, "Yes, we're on. We'll be dropping off your uniform and some other effects shortly... A 'company car' will drop you off at the Fabray's first thing Sunday."
Santana took a quick sip of her coffee, "About time, thanks Mike."
"No problem. See you soon, Santana."
She ended the call before setting her cell phone back down on her coffee table. "I guess I should call Mom and let her know I'll be off the for a bit..." She mumbled, thinking aloud. Dreading the conversation she knew would leave her Mother worrying for her safety.
xxx
The clothing, a small assortment of accessories and a file containing her new identity were all delivered later that same day. Santana had stayed in all of Saturday studying the file and making brief calls to her family and friends.
Her heart thumped loudly in her chest as she stood outside of the hotel she had lived in for the past week. Her dark eyes scanned the approaching vehicles moving through the morning traffic, hoping to spot her ride.
Santana frowned when she noticed a taxi pulling to the curb with Mike behind the wheel. She moved briskly toward the obnoxiously yellow vehicle, ignoring the glare from a man who had actually been trying to flag one down as she yanked the door open. "This is the company car?" She hissed incredulously as she slipped into the back seat.
Mike grinned cheekily as he pulled back into traffic with ease, "You're supposed to be poor and I figured you'd be more perceptive to that than a taxi ride."
"Whatever, so what's my back story?" She asked, meeting Mike's eyes in the rear view mirror.
"Well, Rosario... Did you read the file?" He asked, ignoring the way her eyes narrowed at the question.
"Of course I did but it was a little on the bare side, Mike."
"Fine, fine... You're essentially yourself, just with a change in occupation." He said with a shrug, "The more like your cover you are, the easier it is to not get caught in a lie. Especially if you're inexperienced. So be you but maybe... With a little less attitude."
Santana snorted and glanced out of the windows as they left the city, "Right."
xxx
"Morning. Are you ready to head in, Rosario?" Finn asked as he stepped down from the observation van.
"As ready as I'll ever be, Hudson."
The man nodded and fought down the urge to grin at her sour mood. "There will be a unit stationed in the van at all times... After tonight that is. Tonight we will have a three-man unit int he woods on the outskirts of the property."
"What's tonight?" Santana asked, looking between him and Mike.
"The women are due back in the evening, we're guessing that is why Russell wanted you to start so soon. He wants everything in order for when they return." Finn responded smoothly.
"Oh, I see." Santana mumbled a bit miffed that they were still keeping things from her at this stage of the investigation. She thought that maybe, since she would be the closest to the suspects she would be privy to more information but that did not seem to be the case.
Finn ignored her irritation and turned toward Mike, "Has she been fitted with the equipment?"
"No, we need to do that now."
Finn nodded, "Okay, let's get moving. We can't have her show up too late."
"What 'equipment'?" Santana asked, eying the two warily.
xxx
"You want to put what where?" Santana asked, swatting Mike's hand away as it moved closer to her torso.
"We need to make sure you aren't found out if they search you... And these have just been perfected so we sort of want to try them out." He said, frowning when she narrowed her eyes skeptically at him.
"Fine. But I can put them in on my own." She said through grit teeth and Mike nodded at this, not wanting to push the subject further.
"Okay, that works. The earrings will be our main source anyway... The others are just backup. You don't have to wear the backups yet but you should put them in sometime tonight."
"Are they all waterproof?" She asked, eying the body jewelry he had handed her. "And a Sheriff's star, really?"
"I thought they were cute!" He defended weakly before moving back to business, "They're shower proof but I don't recommend swimming in them or anything." He said, handing her a set of three earrings to pick from throughout her undercover experience. "Pick whichever, they all work the same."
"Do I need to know how to turn them on or anything?"
Mike shook his head, "Nope. We control all of that remotely, which we access and when. They have body heat sensors that tell us which ones you're wearing. That's why we would appreciate it if you would wear the others too so we can tap into different ones depending on where someone is standing and how loudly they are speaking."
Santana narrowed her eyes at him as she so often did, "Couldn't I just tape it to my underboob?"
Mike's features scrunched up and he fought down the urge to laugh at her wording. "No, you most certainly cannot tape it to your underboob. If it wasn't so long-term, we would fit you with a normal wire but we can't."
"Yeah, yeah... Whatever. I'm just not looking forward to my nipples being the ears of this operation." She muttered, putting her selected earrings in.
"Talk for me?" Mike asked, tinkering around on his computer.
"Fuck you." Santana said, without missing a beat.
"We're all set with the tech!" Mike called over his shoulder toward Finn.
The taller man nodded and made his way back to them. "What about you, Santana? Are you ready to go in there?" He asked leaning against one of the built-in 'desks' of the vehicle.
"I've been ready, let's get this over with." She said, standing up, jewelry in hand to join Mike back in the taxi.
Within minutes, Mike and Santana were pulling around at the end of the drive.
"Vampire hunting time." Santana said, cracking her neck as she reached for her bag.
Mike flinched when Finn's voice cut in over his headset, "What did she just say?"
"It was a joke..." Mike mumbled, putting the car in park.
Santana laughed loudly from the back seat and leaned forward to slip Mike some of the money they'd given her for the fake transaction. "Chill, Hudson. At least I didn't call them a pack of Chupacabra." She joked with a wink, grabbing her bags before slamming the door behind her as she exited the vehicle.
Santana craned her neck back to look up at the tall and impressive building before her as she strode up to the Fabray home.
Behind her she could hear Mike pulling away and starting down the long drive to join the others briefly before all that would be left was the three-man unit in the woods. The overwhelmed sensation filling the pit of her stomach came more from that knowledge than the impressive detailing of the thick door that she was reaching out her hand to knock upon.