Operational headquarters was located in a tiny flat above a massage parlour. The smell of the incense follows her as she knocks on the door. Footsteps approach the door, but just as she expects the door to open there's a crash and a thud on the other side. After a moment the door opens to reveal Charles Boyle and an upended box of files.

'Still on desk duty, Boyle?' she asks, kneeling down to help him collect the files.

'Well I haven't been shot at my desk yet, so there's that.'

'Always a good upside.' She says brightly as they stuff the last of the files into the box. She follows him out of the hallway into the open plan living area where everything was set up. Gina has her heels propped up on the desk next to her keyboard as she files her nails. In the corner her own partner sits cleaning out her rifle.

'Where's Peralta?' Terry asks, appearing from behind the kitchen counter.

'Why would I know where he is? I'm not his keeper.' She's well aware that her voice has gone up an octave and in pace. At least she manages to avoid blushing, but it's still enough to get the entire room of agents to drop what they're doing and stare at her.

'Damn, Gutierrez. How are you such a terrible liar?' her own partner asks, disappointed.

'I'm a great liar, Diaz.' She insists. 'Only I have to be on the job, we've covered this before.'

'Back to my question?' Terry insists as he pours milk into his cereal.

'Peralta will be in this afternoon.' She concedes with a sigh, taking a seat at the table next to Diaz.

Diaz leans over. 'Again? What do you see in that guy?'

'Nothing, he's really super annoying.'

'That's what does it for you? Super annoying.'

'It was your idea Rosa, remember? You said casual sex is the best way to get over a break up.'

'With a stranger.' Rosa retorts, slamming the bolt home in her gun with a satisfied grunt.

'He doesn't even know my name, so it's sort of like we're strangers.'

'No one knows your name, you weirdo.'

'It's my process, okay? It's easier to respond to Cynthia Gutierrez if no one's calling me-' she falls silent, Jake stops in the doorway and sighs.

'Oh man, so damn close.'

'I thought you weren't coming in this morning.' she asks, Jake grins and she rolls her eyes because she just knows that his head is full of innuendoes at that moment.

'Changed my mind.' Jake shrugs and takes a seat at the table, he takes a long sip from his Starbucks and looks around. 'So where's the Chief?'

'On a call with the bosses in DC.' Boyle explains, dumping his files onto the table as he takes the seat next to Jake.

'I bet his tie matches his boxers, dare you to ask him if they do Cynthia.' Jake says, smirking at her. She sighs and gestures at the Chief standing behind Jake. Jake glances over his shoulder and winces. 'Deputy Chief Holt, so glad to have you here with us.'

'I can tell. Can you repeat what you just said?'

'Uh, I asked where you were.'

'And then you dared your partner to ask if my tie matched my boxers.'

'I think I might have said that, I don't know.' Jake laughs and gives a shrug.

'How about you ask me that question directly, Special Agent Peralta.'

'Really?' Jake stares at the Chief, trying to read the man's face and figure out where this is going, but he gets nothing. 'Chief Holt, does your tie match your boxers?'

'That's a very inappropriate thing to ask your new commanding officer. Sit down and start the briefing.'

'Yes, sir!' Jake all but falls into the chair as Boyle hands him a file, he opens it up and places Marcos Delgado's passport photo in the middle of the table. 'This is Marcos Delgado. Officially speaking he's not associated with the Cortez Cartel, he's got a clean record and an MBA from Stanford. But his mother was Juan Cortez's favourite sister and he's Marcos' Godfather, so he's got the drug lord pedigree. In the last five years he's built up Cortez Industries, they have a legal business importing a bunch of stuff in from South America, but we're pretty sure he used Cartel drug money to start the business, and he's probably laundering or smuggling drugs in too.'

'But you have no actual evidence against Delgado?'

'Boyle has half a paper trail, but we need his account numbers to make a conviction.' Jake continues. 'So all we need to do is convince Marcos that Cynthia and I are legitimate dirtbags so he'll take our money and show us where he's keeping his.'

'Okay. Special Agent Jeffords, a word.' Holt departs the table without another word, Terry scowls at Jake as he follows.

Holt leads Terry into the bedroom which has been set up like an interrogation room, complete with one chair and brackets on the walls for the cuffs. 'Now that we have the time, tell me about your team, Jeffords.'

Terry pulls out his phone and brings up a mug shot of Gina. 'Gina Linetti, used to hack the CIA for laughs, everyone thought she was small fry until she stole fifty million dollars from their wet works fund. They still haven't found the money. She's being made to work for us until she returns the money, or they find it themselves. Gina can't be left alone with a computer, and has to remain in the presence of an armed agent at all times.'

'Charles Boyle. I'll be frank and admit that he's a terrible undercover operative, can't lie at all. But he's a grinder, has the patience for paperwork that some of the others lack.'

'I see.'

'The other two are CIA, but we've worked with them twice before. Rosa Diaz is a competent undercover operative, but primarily she's the team's sharpshooter, she also used to be a one woman exfil team.'

'Used to?'

'The Agency was concerned that she was beginning to enjoy all the killing, so they moved her to counterinsurgency.' Jeffords gives a shrug. 'They tell me she's stable.'

'And her partner?'

'Cynthia Gutierrez.'

'I thought that name was a cover.'

'It is, but part of her methodology is to live only by her cover names, no one knows her real name. She's very good, ambitious, dedicated to the job.'

'Very well. So what can you tell me about Jake Peralta, aside from the fact that he doesn't like the FBI, or authority.'

'It's better for everyone that he spends as much time in the field as possible.' Terry starts, Holt cocks an eyebrow and Terry continues, 'Jake is a great undercover operative, because he's a pathological liar and loves finding people's secrets. Good things when he's undercover, but when he's not on assignment he gets to be a problem.'

'Interesting team you have here.'

'My therapist says I should retire.'

'Why don't you?'

'My wife and I just had twins, have you seen how much college costs these days?'


So this chapter is short and nothing really happens, but it's mostly here to be informative. The action starts up next chapter. I'm having issues with my idea to have Amy live under her cover names all the time. I used a lot of "she" in the first chapter, but it just sounds crappy. So I think I'll just use Cynthia until the Bet's over.
I'd really appreciate any thoughts you guys have about the fake name and she. Now that I've explained why Jake doesn't know hers but she knows his.
I kinda do wonder what he calls her during sex though, since he's known her by three different cover names. lol.