Chapter 1: Going Under
EPOV
Twelve years of public school, four years at Northwestern, then four months in FBI training- Edward Cullen was no stranger to quizzes. But this one, being flung at him in the passenger seat of an armored SUV, was quickly becoming the most important one of his life.
"What's your name?"
"Edward Masen."
"Where are you from?"
"Los Angeles, where we connected and I helped you out with a of couple jobs."
"And what's my name?"
"Jasper. Jasper, uh-"
Jasper threw his fist against the steering wheel, "Dammit Edward, you need to know this! You expect these guys to believe we're long-time friends and you mess up my last name?"
He was right of course, and Edward huffed in frustration. He was going undercover in less than an hour and he shouldn't have been messing up such easy questions. Doing that when the operation was in motion would be the end of both his cover and Jasper's, a waste of the countless hours their fellow FBI agents had put into the planning and research behind this.
"It's Jasper Hale, now start again," the blonde agent ordered. "What's your specialty?"
"I don't have one. I'm just a hired gun- not looking for any details to incriminate myself, just looking for a paycheck."
Both men groaned when the car pulled to a stop in the deli parking lot. That was going to have to be enough of a quiz- it looked like Jasper's contact was there early.
"You got this," Jasper whispered as the two got out of the car.
The man waiting for them looked both everything and nothing like the picture that Edward had seen in his file. The face matched- cherub cheeks, dark skin, huge brown eyes- it was a face that meant the guy would never look a day over twenty. It also meant that his giant muscular form was the last thing Edward expected to see.
Collin Lewis was a member of the professional hit team that the FBI had coined 'The Wolf Pack'. The group was famed for being able to steal anything, in any situation. They never took things for themselves though, always completing jobs for different criminals that were paying major bucks. Because of this, they had ties to over thirty different persons-of-interest. To get someone on the inside would be a big win for the Bureau. And they had finally gotten their opportunity when Collin had called Jasper- who was undercover with a local cartel- asking if he knew anyone out of town that would be able to help The Pack out with a job.
Hopefully, one job would lead to two, then three, then eventually a steady inside position with the group.
"This your guy?" Collin spoke up once they got close enough.
"This is him," Jasper responded coolly- fully in character.
"You got a name?"
"Edward Masen."
"Jasper says you're cool, says you can help us out with some business."
Edward shrugged, making sure that his didn't show any nervousness, "I can get things done. If the pay is decent."
"Well," Collin smirked and suddenly his cute chubby face had a much more menacing look, "Guess we'll see. Hop in."
This was not the plan. Edward couldn't help but throw a glance towards Jasper; they were supposed to be together when Edward heard an outline of the heist. Neither of them were wired, and Edward wasn't going to have a chance to make it back to the office to file any sort of report.
"I'll see you around Eddie," Jasper drawled. Without another word, Jasper sauntered away and back into his vehicle. Message received: the op was more important than any protocol.
After they could no longer see the SUV, Collin jerked his head toward the black truck behind him and watched with narrowed eyes as Edward slowly approached it. The big man didn't make a move until Edward was all the way at the passenger side door- only then unlocking it and climbing up and in.
"So how do you and Jasper know each other?" Collin asked as he whipped out of the parking lot.
"I helped him out with a few jobs down in LA."
"What sort of jobs?"
"I don't know man," Edward huffed, "I got paid for security. Wasn't involved in any of the planning shit. Once I picked up a guy for him, someone his boss wanted to talk to, I guess."
"Good shit man," Collin nodded. After a few minutes of silent driving, he spoke up again, "What did Jasper tell you to get you all the way out here. It's what, a three hour flight from LA to Seattle?"
"Little less, I think. But he just said that there was a gig out here, a group that needed someone good. Said they needed him fast and the pay would be worth a few hundred plane tickets."
The other man chuckled at that, "You do your part right and it'll be more like a few thousand plane tickets."
"That much?"
"You'll know more once we get it done, but yeah man. We're a pretty tight knit group, wouldn't be looking for any outsiders unless the stakes were big."
Collin stopped the car at a red light, then without warning the back doors opened and two more muscled men slid in. If Edward had been armed, he would undoubtedly have pulled his weapon out of surprise. The two newcomers looked very similar: tanned skin and menacing features.
"Calm down Eddie," Collin warned. "These here are my boys Paul and Jared. They just want to check out who Jasper sent us."
"Yeah we just want to hear from this fucking nobody that thinks he can just hop in the middle of our biggest job to date," one of the men spoke up. His nose looked like it had been broken more than a few times, serving to make him look all the more intimidating.
This was important, and Edward knew it. It wasn't every day that a group like this let someone into their ranks- the Wolf Pack was especially closed off. So closed off that the FBI was practically drooling at the thought of what Edward was trying to do. They had been very hesitant to send in someone who had never gone undercover before, and Edward knew that getting this win would do wonders for his career. It needed to go well. He needed to sell this to these guys.
He needed to play this off- convince them of his nonchalance. "Whoa man, I'm not trying to just hop into anything. I got a call, so I answered. If there's going to be a problem then I don't need this."
"Nah Eddie," Collin spoke up, "there's not going to be a problem. Jasper says you done good work for him. If you can do the same for us, everything'll be good."
"Just keep your ass in line and there won't be anything to worry about."
"What exactly is this job?" He prayed that he didn't sound too eager.
"Wouldn't you like to know."
"Shut up Paul," Collin laughed. "Don't worry about him man. You're just working security, like you've done before. I'm dropping you off at a motel- we've got a room all ready for you. We'll call you on the room's line with the when and the where."
Shit, that was all they were going to give him. His bosses weren't going to be happy without the ability to scope the place out before the heist. But the job was more important, and Jasper had stressed to him that pressing for too much information too soon could easily cost him. So, he nodded and sat back.
He was in, at least for now.