Peregrine

Chapter 20

I tugged self-consciously on the hem of the short skirt Birdie had insisted I wear. No matter how many times I dragged it down closer to my knees it always managed to rise back up. It was a never-ending battle between my rising hemline and my falling top. Without constant supervision I was certain I would end up practically naked in a questionable alley, in the heart of Mexico City's cartel region.

"How is it, whenever I work with you I end up in impractical clothing?" I hissed venomously to the empty space in front of me.

"I'm not intending for you to do anything practical in them. It's a disguise Perry." It was strange hearing 47's cool voice echoing around my head; this role reversal would take some getting used to. I leant against the cool, graffiti plaster wall of the alley, the rough render scratching my nearly exposed back. I didn't care though, the pain of the uneven wall was nothing compared to the agony in my toes right now. I was sporting some ludicrous knee-high boots with an even more ludicrous high heel. I had given Birdie my worst death stare when he had presented them to me along with the rest of my outfit; a very short grey pleated skit and red backless strappy top. He had remained unperturbed, simply flashing me a sleazy smile.

"Well, just as long as I don't have to take them off." I muttered. This had been a fear of mine since 47 had suggested I infiltrate the brothel with our slimy friend. A deadly look had entered his eyes when I voiced my concern to him and he had insisted it wouldn't come to that. I still wasn't certain, but as I tugged again on my rapidly disappearing skirt Birdie sauntered towards me from the opposite end of the alley, grinning.

"Hey there, did you miss me gorgeous?" I shot him a petulant glower but that only made his grin widen. Reluctantly put my weight back in my feet, the instant crushing pain of the boots making me wince. How did woman wear these things all the time?

"Aww come on toots, my presence isn't that painful for you is it?" I was becoming more accustomed to Birdie's drawling tone; even so I still felt my mouth pull up into a sneer of irritation as he came to a halt next to me. Why did he have be to be such a creep?

We were in an alley not far from the brothel he had arranged to meet this El Chupacabra. It was midday, and the sun was already beginning to create a faint heat haze on the ground in front of us. I was stood in the shadows, partly to stay unseen but mainly to keep the worst of the sweltering heat off my exposed skin. The only advantage of being out at this time of day was that the locals were currently sheltering inside away from the blistering conditions.

"Really not in the mood right now Birdie? Did you get it?" His playful grin vanished and he leant uncomfortably close as he passed me something small and cylindrical.

"Course I did, although had to avoid a few pissed off meat heads when I snatched it from their car." I rolled my eyes at his flippant remark. Subtlety wasn't his strong point and the last thing we needed was a conga line of annoyed locals and police following us into this place.

"Couldn't you have been a bit more conspicuous?" Birdie cocked his head to one side, like a dog that had just misbehaved.

"Where's the fun in that? Besides, this is Mexico City, not as many people can afford a fancy self-driving car around here. I had to get what I could." I sighed and hid the advanced tracker Birdie had stolen inside a hidden pocket in my clothes. His dark eyes slid up and down my body as he offered an arm to me, his grin widening. "Shall we?" He asked suggestively. I ground my teeth together but seeing as I was struggling to simply remain upright in these infernal things I had little choice but to accept his help.

Grudgingly I inserted my arm in his, leaning my weight into him as we moved off down the litter strewn alley. Birdie half led, half hauled me through a maze of increasingly dodgy looking side and back streets. I used my free hand to self-consciously adjust my earpiece, Birdie caught the movement and flashed me a wry smile.

"You're going to have to learn to leave that thing alone." I shot him a venomous glare but lowered my hand anyway. My glare turned into a look of curiosity however as I assessed the man escorting me in these bizarre circumstances. I had done my usual back ground on Birdie when I had convinced him to help me get Victoria's file from the agency, so knew all about his past with them, still it was hard to picture him as an ICA agent. His smile faded slightly as he took in my quizzical expression, and he turned away, his dark eyes hardening. "I used to hate those things, buzzing away in my ear."

I let out a loud snort before I could stop myself. The sound brought Birdie's signature grin flashing back to his face. "My apologies toots, I'm sure if I had had you in my ear I would have been a lot more willing to listen." My brief moment of curiosity fell away to be replaced with nausea at the sight of Birdie's leer. I started as my subconscious heard a barely audible warning growl; I looked around wildly, confused about where it was coming from. Then the heat flared in my cheeks as I realised its source was the invisible earpiece nestled deep in my ear canal.

We emerged from a dingy side street into the full glare of the mid-afternoon sun. I had to shield my eyes with my free hand and could already feel the raw heat of the day cooking my unaccustomed skin. Being from one of the wettest, greyest parts of the world left me woefully ill equipped to withstand the Mexican weather.

Once my eyes had finally adjusted and I was able to take in my surroundings I could see we were now in a small square bordered by a jumble of rundown houses and convenience stores. There was a loose knot of people stood in the shadow of one of the stores; they were all burly men, holding various cans of what looked like alcohol. The rest of the square was deserted and I felt a sudden wave of self-conscious alarm sweep over me as Birdie made a beeline for the group of men.

"These are some of Estrada's men." He whispered to me out of the corner of his mouth. "Just don't talk unless someone asks you something." All bravado and sarcasm was gone from his voice, his tone was cold and business like, he sounded like an agent.

I could feel adrenaline begin to prickle beneath my skin, it felt like ice water inside me and sent a wave of goose bumps leaping out on my exposed arms. I tried to get my abrupt nervousness under control, as having goose bumps in this heat was going to attract suspicion. The men were laughing heartily at something one of them had said, they didn't notice our approach until we were half way across the square and they lapsed into a menacing silence. My heels sounded unnaturally loud in the now quiet square, and I could feel my heart beating uneasily as we drew closer to them. I arranged my features into what I hoped was a blank slate but judging by my internal turmoil and the darkening expressions, I wasn't sure I was succeeding.

Just as we were upon the men one of my heels snagged in the ground and I stumbled forward, clutching wildly at Birdie's leather jacket before I ended up face down in front of these gangsters. As I righted myself, my cheeks now as red as my top one of the men had lunged forward, reaching out a hairy arm to catch me. The others looked surprised and the man who had made a move to save me slowly looked me up and down as if seeing me for the first time. A languid smile spread across his face and he raised an eyebrow at me sardonically.

"Cuidado allí señorita. No quiero arruinar esa cara bonita." My Spanish was limited but I caught the words miss and pretty face. Birdie had come to a halt after my dramatic introduction, and even though he was wearing his usual sly look I could feel his tensed muscles gripping my arm tightly. I could also feel a weighted silence on the other end of my earpiece. Even though 47 couldn't see us where we were he must have heard the man's comment and understood it better than me. The tense atmosphere made my adrenaline spike sharply and I swallowed nervously before forcing a charming smile back at the man.

"Gracias Señor." That was about the extent of my rusty Spanish but it appeared to satisfy the man as he leered at my chest before nudging one of his companions. The majority of them grinned back and muttered to each other enthusiastically in Spanish, the exception was a lean man to one side of the group, slightly more in the shadows, his face unlike the others fixed in a stern stare. He was looking straight at Birdie and I noticed Birdie was zeroed in on him as well.

"Hola Birdie, long time no see." His voice was thin and reedy, matching his appearance, but the other men immediately fell quiet again all joking forgotten. This man must was obviously their ringleader.

"Hola Manuel, I thought it was time to pay your Boss a visit." The tall man called Manuel nodded before stepping out of the shadows to stand between his gang and us.

"Nice puta you have there, glad to see you're enjoying yourself while doing business." His tone was sneering as he flashed a nasty look at me. I stopped myself from glaring back at the dislikable man, staying obediently quiet. Birdie let out a low chuckle, which made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck.

"Thank you, but she's not for me. She's a gift for your Boss actually." Manuel raised his eyebrows, scanning me thoroughly now from heeled boot to low cut top. It took every ounce of my being not to turn the air blue, telling this lanky bastard where I'd shove his eyes if he didn't stop valuing me like a piece of meat. Finally his eyes settled on my face and he gave me a nasty grin.

"Not his usual preference, but she should make a few pesos for him with that lovely pale skin." Birdie laughed but I was surprised to hear a forced note to it.

"That's what I thought Manuel. Now are you going to let me through or did you want to escort me?" He flashed Birdie a suspicious look before deciding it wasn't worth the time and shrugging noncommittally.

"You know the way amigo. Unless you think the puta is going to give you trouble?" He turned to his friends who were sniggering behind their hands, giving Birdie cruel looks as he shook his head, that forced laugh echoing around the deserted square again.

"Nah, I'll be fine homes. This one's got a soft spot for me." He unhooked his arm from my grasp and wrapped it round me, pulling me into his side in a clumsy embrace. The men continued to laugh as if at some private joke, and with a jolt of surprise I felt anger at them mocking Birdie like this. Also, a day ago I would have flinched at the unwelcome contact with the decidedly shifty man next to me, but now I was grateful to be with him as the men's laughter died down and they resumed their ogling.

"Come on sweetie, we've got the green light." Birdie's voice was still as oily as ever, but I detected the barest hint of steel in his words as he began to steer me down the alley I now realised they had been guarding. Their frenzied laughter and garbled Spanish faded away as we advanced down the cool, dark side street. The apartment buildings loomed on either side, casting dark shadows in front of us and making the sky a slim, blue slither above our heads. Birdie kept his arm around me as we walked, but he loosened it so I was able to move a little easier, or however easily I could walk in these boots. My heels clacked harshly in the quiet alley and once we could no longer hear the group of men I glanced up at Birdie's face.

He was staring straight ahead, his jaw tight and his eyes taking on a steely quality. I looked up at him in shocked nervousness, as his expression scarily resembled a certain other man I regularly found myself in sticky situations with. After a moment of me continuing to stare nonplussed at him Birdie finally spoke in a low, uncharacteristically serious voice. "They were the first line of El Chupacabra's security."

"Ask him how many more can we expect." 47's ice-cold tone made me jump slightly and the movement drew Birdie's eyes to me.

"What did he say?" He murmured in a lower voice than before and I realised he had been speaking for 47's benefit as much as mine.

"How many more can we expect?" I relayed.

"On a normal day three, but after everything with Carter in Chicago maybe five. We'll see." He raised his voice back to its normal level to answer and I could practically feel 47 digesting his words from whatever crow's nest he was perched in.

The adrenaline I had felt when we had approached those men before spiked drastically as I took in this unfamiliar man holding onto me. For all his bravado and deception Birdie was a trained assassin as much as 47 was, and I was starting to see that training now. I scanned his expression as he turned away from me, his intel delivered, and tried to assess him from a handler's point of view. He seemed tense, but there was a surety exuding from him that I had previously misread as arrogance. Now I could see it was skill.

"Why did you leave?" The words jumped from me in a rush and I instantly regretted prying. He didn't outwardly react to my impertinent question but I felt his rhythm falter before he continued on. Even though it wasn't the ideal time, I thought I deserved to know a bit more about the man I was going into this risky situation with.

The pause stretched on and I was sure he wasn't going to answer, and then he took a deep breath his chest expanding into me. "I was tired of the hypocrisy."

His answered took me aback and I stared wide-eyed at his profile. A small snort sounded in my ear as 47 voiced his own opinion on what Birdie had just said.

"Hypocrisy?" I queried. Suddenly eager to learn more about this man I had judged so quickly without really knowing anything about him.

"I would expect you to understand better than anyone sweetheart. They claim to be above everyone else and lay out their rules but when it comes down to it they're all just killers like the rest of us." His mouth quirked up into a humourless smile, "In the end I just got tired of pretending to be something better than I was."

"The rules and etiquette is what separates an agent from a common murderer. Birdie just didn't like taking orders." I listened to 47's response, but I couldn't deny part of me agreed with Birdie. The duplicity of the agency had been one of the reasons I had left. I had been seduced by the freedom and excitement 47's world had shown me, but in the end Birdie was right, we were all just murderers disguised as something more civilised.

I was jolted out of my contemplation by Birdie chuckling; he was watching me intently, his dark eyes trained on my perplexed expression. "Let me guess, the bald guy said the rules are there for a reason or some bull crap like that?" I didn't answer but my wry smile was enough for him, he threw back his head and let out a carefree laugh. The sound ricocheted off the high apartment buildings and I was certain every gangster Estrada had posted out here to keep watch now knew where we were.

"Typical, you can always count on my homie to defend that rotting, shambles of an organisation. Makes me wonder what is he so afraid of them disappearing for, eh?" Birdie gave me a meaningful look before turning his attention back to the winding alley. It split into a junction up ahead and I was vaguely aware of the feeling of being watched as we drew closer to it. Birdie tightened his grip on me again and I let him pull me into his side as the unusual conversation we had just had sank in. For all his repulsive, traitorous behaviour his comments struck a cord with me, and I couldn't shake the insistent way 47 had interjected when he rarely liked to talk at all. It was almost like he had been afraid I would agree with Birdie.

He glanced down at me again, a thoughtful look on his face as he regarded me. "You know, I admire you for what you did. Takes guts to put the middle finger up to an organisation like that." He muttered to me in a soft voice. I blinked up at him, uncertain how to approach this new Birdie I was encountering. Maybe I was being unfair to judge him so quickly off other people's opinions.

Two men emerged from the shadows to block our way ahead cutting off my train of thought. Assuming Birdie had been right about our friends earlier this was defence line number two. Despite there only being two of them these men were definitely more imposing, towering over both of us as Birdie pulled us to a stop in front of them.

"Manuel called ahead. You're late though Birdie, and what's with your whore friend here?" I wondered idly how the man who had spoken could move at all with the impressive muscle mass he was lugging around. His arms likely had their own gravitational pull judging by the size of them, he looked like the hulk. He flicked a lazy, appreciative eye over me as he addressed Birdie, and I suppressed a glower as the insulting remarks continued.

"She's a little present for your boss. Thought she would make a fine addition to his collection." It was easier to take the derogatory remarks from Birdie, at least he was aware of the deception.

"Is that so? Well me and Tuleo are going to take you the rest of the way. Unless you have a problem with that?" The Mexican hulk loomed over Birdie, flexing his biceps in a painfully obvious display of testosterone.

"Lead the way hombre." Birdie replied smoothly, that slimy grin plastered all over his face once more. Hulk turned and began leading us down yet another shady looking alley. His friend, Tuleo I presumed, waited for us to follow before bringing up the rear.

I winced as my heel gave way again, twisting my ankle awkwardly. Birdie subtly hoisted me up, giving me a seemingly worried sideways look as he forced me to keep pace with our unwelcome escort. After a few more moments of painful walking we finally escaped the dark confines of the maze of side streets and emerged onto a rundown residential street. A few of the houses had music blaring from the open windows and the unmistakable smell of cannabis filled the air. Across the road where battered rusty cars drove past I could see a group of children playing football on a barren scrap of land. A few adults sat out the front of their depressingly shabby looking homes, obviously keeping an eye on the children in this less than savoury neighbourhood.

As we exited the alley and began walking opposite them a few of the women shot me disgusted looks and I couldn't help looking away. One of the children let out a screech as they scored and my eyes flashed to the jarring scene of innocence amongst the noticeable hub of criminal activity. The child that was currently celebrating looked to be about Seren's age and I felt a painful splinter enter my heart at the sight.

"You're doing well Peregrine. Remember to stay focused and stick to the plan." 47's pragmatic tone snapped me out of my solemn thoughts. Instinctively I scanned the taller buildings located a few streets away. His comment would only have made sense if he could see me staring at the children playing. That meant we were close to the brothel and in 47's line of sight. The realisation made my senses heighten and I was convinced I could feel his cold blue eyes trained on me from wherever he was hiding.

Birdie dragged my attention back to him with an insistent squeeze of my arm. I looked ahead and saw we were walking towards what appeared to be a normal apartment building. There was nothing to signify that this was a brothel at all, it looked like all the other apartment buildings we had passed and no one was going in or out. In fact there was no one on the street outside it at all. I felt my skin prickle with fear at the unusually quiet scene of what was meant to be a deadly gangster's property. Something wasn't right and it took every restraint I had not to reveal my unease.

The only thing stopping me was knowing 47 was watching from the shadows somewhere, his sniper scope trained on the building and its many windows. However, once I was inside he'd be relying on my audio feed once more as all the windows in the apartment seemed to be blacked out for obvious reasons. Still, having him nearby was a comfort, and strangely Birdie's presence was a solid anchor by my side too.

We reached the front door, an ordinary, faded wooden affair with a few scrawled bits of graffiti on it. The hulk gave us a brief backwards glance before knocking heavily on it. The sound echoed inside the building and we waited awkwardly on the street for an answer. I risked a quick look over my shoulder to the residents we had passed a minute ago. The street and scrubby patch of land behind us was now empty, and the suddenly deserted street did nothing to calm my uneasiness.

The deafening clunk of the door being opened caused my head to whip back round and see yet another man's face peering suspiciously out from the small gap he had made. "¿Qué es?" He rasped at our escort. Hulk leant in and muttered something in Spanish, which caused the man's eyes to widen and yank the door open fully. "Come in, come in amigos. The boss is in the back." He crowed in a friendly voice, but as we edged past him into the dim, damp smelling building I felt my adrenaline levels increase yet again.

The corridor I suddenly found myself in with four, decidedly questionable men was narrow and dimly lit, making my slowly building entourage appear as shadowy figures next to me. As the man who had let us in closed the door behind us I watched with a growing sense of dredge as the bright light of Mexico's midday sun gradually decrease to a tiny slither, before being cut off altogether. My initial comfort at having the world's best assassin monitoring my position was rapidly decreasing as I felt the walls close in around me.

"This way." Hulk grunted as he moved off down the corridor. His broad back a black mass standing out only slightly from the dark surroundings. I closed my eyes briefly, letting Birdie guide me, taking in a deep breath of the musty air I tried desperately to quiet my jangling nerves. I had never liked being penned in, especially in unfamiliar potentially dangerous situations with a large quantity of people. A sudden memory from my past flashed up unbidden in my mind's eye; being crammed into a stuffy tube train on London's underground. The simple image from my old life was enough to set my heart hammering against my chest and I felt my knees begin to give way.

Birdie's arm was like steel around me as he kept me upright against him. I opened my eyes and searched for his face in the gloom. I couldn't make out much but his dark eyes glinted faintly, staring down at me. "Stay calm." He breathed, so quietly I was certain neither one of our friends had heard him.

A wave of relief washed over me, steadying my nerves and snapping my brain out of its unhelpful downward spiral. Even out of sight of my partner I still had someone who was highly skilled and adept at handling volatile situations. I clung to Birdie as the hulk reached a door at the end of the corridor, and I was rudely blinded by the harsh artificial light that suddenly filled the dark space.

"Ahhhh, Alejandro. What kept you? I heard you found a little bird." The smooth, drawling voice reached me before my eyes could adjust to the rapid light change. I blinked, trying to clear the glare from my vision as I sensed we had moved into a room filled with a lot more people.

A large carpeted reception room greeted me once my eyes were able to focus on my surroundings. In the past this might have been the main living area for one of the apartments, now it was obviously being used as a reception area for the clients of the brothel. There were an array of mismatched sofas and loungers arranged around the edge of the room with a number of scantily clad women and yet more of Estrada's men.

El Chupacabra himself was sat in a high backed chair at the opposite end of the room; he regarded us confidently, his head leant casually on one hand, his piercing, intelligent eyes drilling into me even from this distance. I swiftly dropped my gaze, adopting the persona of a fearful woman. He was wearing expensive, designer clothes and was well groomed compared to his followers, however there was the definite stench of violence about him. One thing was for sure he certainly wasn't going to be easy to crack.

"Birdie! My amigo, I've been waiting for you." He bellowed, his tone the same as the man who had let us in, friendly, but with a deadly edge to it.

"¿Qué pasa? Elpidio, it's been a while." I was taken aback by Birdie's self-assured tone in this aggressive environment. It seemed everyone except from Estrada was staring at us, waiting for their chance to attack. But Birdie's similarity to his ex-colleague was becoming more and more apparent, and I found myself grateful for his involvement once again.

"Come, stop standing in the door like a couple of vagabundos, come forward let me see this 'present' you've decided to bring me." My heart promptly leapt into my throat as Birdie pulled me forward. There was a heavy silence on the end of my earpiece, and I knew 47 was listening intently to the events playing out. This was it; our plan relied on Estrada not getting suspicious of me.

"Oh yes, very nice. You have a good taste in women my slippery friend." I continued to stare determinedly at the floor. When we had discussed this inevitable part of the plan I had made it clear my skills were lacking when it came to being even remotely alluring. Going out with my friends from University I had always hung back and found interactions with boys painfully awkward, so pretending to be prostitute was my idea of a nightmare.

I focused on the faded red, threadbare carpet underneath my ill-fitting boots as Estrada slowly stood up and walked towards me. His highly polished leather shoes came into view as he came to a stop in front of me. "Bonita, how old is she?" I supressed a shiver as I felt his cool hand on my shoulder, he ran it lightly down the length of my arm as he questioned Birdie.

"I'm not sure, she said she is in her twenties." I remained motionless.

"Hmm, shame she isn't a little younger but still…not bad amigo." I gritted my teeth at his sickening comment, the anger I had felt at discovering his undercover trafficking operation threatening to flare up inside me. "Lift your head." His tone was commanding as he addressed me, his hand moving to my chin to reinforce his request. Reluctantly I let him pull my face up, my loose hair falling back as I met his gaze.

He could have been considered a handsome man, he was in his early forties but had retained the good looks he had obviously had in his youth. However, his eyes even though they were the colour of warm coffee, were flat and bottomless, like a shark's. Every instinct I had wanted to yank my chin away from him and gain the high ground immediately on this dangerous man. I kept my expression blank as I let him look me over, I felt completely helpless and I hated it.

"Gracias Birdie. Alejandro search her for me." My blood ran cold as with an abruptly dismissive gesture Estrada pushed me towards the hulk who had brought us here. I tried to remain impassive as he grabbed me mid fall as I stumbled unceremoniously into his beefy arms.

"She's clean homes, no need to worry." Birdie's nonchalant delivery hid the undeniable panic he was probably feeling as well. He had insisted that Estrada wouldn't bother searching a common whore, his contempt of women one of his few weak points.

"Well we'll find out won't we? And it gives us a chance to look at the goods." Estrada let out a nasty laugh and his band of goons joined in. I looked around the room wildly hoping for some kind of inspiration but there was only one exit and we were hopelessly outnumbered. 47 was still quiet in my ear and I found my gaze locking onto Birdie's face as Hulk's hands began patting me down in an overly enthusiastic manner.

He was still holding it together pretty well, his expression one of disinterest rather than concern at what this might mean for us. A worrying thought flashed through my mind; maybe he had planned this from the start. Luring us into this situation, separating us then getting one or both of us killed. Suddenly his insistence at 47 not entering made sense, if the assassin had come he would likely have killed everyone including Birdie and walked away. But me…well, I was just a handler. He knew I wouldn't stand a chance and he would be free to get away from 47.

My eyes narrowed slightly as the erroneous thought took root and gradually started to make sense. Birdie turned away, his face still impassive and my fear started to morph into a hot rage at his assumed betrayal. "Sorry about Carter homes, the ICA stuck their nose in and messed things up." Birdie gave Estrada an apologetic grin as the gangster boss focused his attention on my deceitful partner.

Alejandro the hulk was now working his way down to the lower half of my body and nearing the location of Birdie's carefully stolen advanced tracker. I was positive if they found that on me then things would kick off, but there was no way for me to dispose of it without causing suspicion. I needed a distraction but with Birdie now disinterested in me my options didn't look good. The Hulk gave me a nasty grin as ran a meaty hand up my leg, pushing my skirt up. The bile rose in my throat but acting as a prostitute I couldn't exactly slap his hand away. Still my legs instinctually tightened, blocking his hand from going any further.

"Come on now senorita, that's no way to behave." The muscle man was starting to enjoy himself but I was determined I would fight until the bitter end. Or at least long enough for 47 to weigh in on the situation. I hadn't heard from him since we had been outside the brothel, maybe he had decided the situation was too risky now and had left. But I pushed that depressing thought down as memories of our emotional talk a few days ago came back to me.

"Yes, Carter was unfortunate. However, it is no problem. Apparently there are plenty of Cicada front men willing to earn a little extra cash." My ears pricked up at the sudden turn in conversation. Estrada was giving Birdie a cold stare, the latter had his arrogant grin back in place.

"Oh yeah, you got more of them to ship you the kids?"

"I might have. Although given your track record I'm not sure I want to involve you in my operations anymore."

Maybe this whole thing wasn't a lost cause, I thought as my own problems got decidedly worse as hulk pushed my legs apart. The tracker was hidden in a small pouch sewn into my ridiculous skirt. If the plan had gone as Birdie predicted no one have gone near that area, but now I found myself straining away from my assailant as his giant hand inched closer to the offending item.

"See it's not so bad is it pollito." His sneer coupled with his wandering hand nearly made me throw up right there and then but I kept my cool, eager to hear where Birdie's conversation was going.

"Oh don't be like that. It wasn't my fault, I was efficient when the guy was alive wasn't I? So who's the new source?"

I could feel the tracker burning into my thigh as hulk continued his search.

"You expect me to just to tell that information in the middle of all these people? Tsk, tsk Birdie, you should know better."

My heart stopped as his knuckles brushed against the hard cylinder hidden in the pleats of my skirt. His eyes widen in shock as they flashed up to mine.

"Well, I presume these guys know about your little trade deal online. A name won't mean much to them. I came here to make things right, help me to help you."

Come on, a name. Just give him the damn name! I screamed internally as hulk flipped the hem of my skirt up, looking for the unexpected object which had bump his hand.

"No, that's not how I operate. You know these bastards; one false move and they'll be on top of me and my businesses. I have a good life here, I would like to keep it that way." My heart sank as Estrada shut Birdie down, and my time had officially run out. Mexican hulk ran a hand along my skirt; the fact it was around my ears currently in a room full of strangers was the least of my worries, as he slipped one of his sausage fingers into the tiny opening and removed the advanced tracker.

"Hey boss! Look what I just found." I winced visibly, the adrenaline now flooding my system sending me into overdrive. Estrada turned to look at his lackey with an irritated expression on his face. It quickly dissolved to be replaced by shocked fury when he saw what he was holding though.

"A tracker?! Your little whore has a tracker on her?" Estrada grabbed Birdie by the front of his shirt and shook him before throwing him to the floor. He was next to me in two quick strides, taking my arm in a vice like grip and twisting it painfully behind me. "Who do you work for perra? Cicada? The FBI? Who?!" His head was next to mine as he shouted into my ear, I grimaced as they began to ring, making my ability to think straight even more fucked than it already was.

I was bent at an odd angle due to Estrada pushing my arm into my back, but I could still see the scene unfolding in the room and it wasn't good. All of Estrada's men were on their feet, their weapons drawn. There was everything from pistols to automatic rifles, someone even had a shotgun, but they all had one thing in common…they were all directed at me. Birdie was still on the floor, his face a blank mask as he watched Estrada take his fury out on me. Cold hard hate filled me as I glared back, the time for pretense was obviously over. Things had gone south fast.

"Tell him you didn't know it was there." 47's voice cut through the mayhem like a sharpened knife. Calmness instantly took over and I managed to whimper in a convincingly shocked voice, "I didn't know it was there. I swear."

Estrada shook the arm he was holding, sending jagged waves of pain up my shoulder to my head. "You didn't know? Maldita perra, ¿para qué me tomas?" I tried to take deep breathes, to get some focus back in my head, but I was struggling to see how this would end well.

Please come 47, please I need you. I prayed as I heard the unmistakable sound of a gun being un-holstered. Moments later the cold metal of the barrel was pushing into my temple and it took all of my training and experience over the last five years not to completely lose my shit.

"I'm sure this will loosen your lying whore tongue." Estrada hissed at me, his unbridled anger evident now. I closed my eyes and listened as the gun clicked signally Estrada had unlatched the safety. There was only silence in my ear now. He wasn't going to make it, not this time. I was alone. I cursed everything; I cursed 47 for showing up again, I cursed myself for following him like a pathetic lost lamb again, I cursed this disgusting, corrupt world and I cursed Birdie for betraying me. Although the last one shouldn't have been a surprise, I had been stupid…no 47 had, for believing he could ever be trusted.

"It was me."

My eyes snapped open at the sound of Birdie's voice. It was loud and authoritative, it was nothing like his normal voice. I craned my neck to see him as Estrada paused in his interrogation of me.

"Excuse me amigo?" He spoke in a slow, deadly voice. Birdie was still on the floor but his face was determined, his dark eyes flashing.

"I said it was me homes, you need your ears cleared out?" Estrada's grip loosened on my arm enough for the pain to become more bearable. More importantly the barrel of the gun disappeared from my temple as he turned to face Birdie.

"You put the tracker there? What the fuck man, you expect me to believe that?" Birdie's jaw tightened, you could hear a pin drop in the nearly full room. "Yes, I do. She's just a dumb whore, I planted it on her, she had no idea." Confusion swept through me, what the fuck was he doing? What was his angle? His infamous grin was back now, but there was a defiant edge to it.

"And why would you do that?" Estrada finally let go off me, letting me fall to my knees on the rough carpet. I wiped the back of my hand against eyes, clearing the water that had gathered there from my painful assault. They shot a question at Birdie as Estrada advanced on him, he looked at me briefly, a worried apologetic look before flicking his eyes back to the gangster.

"You know how it is, I had to have a back up in case you decided to turn on me." My stomach twisted and I dug my fingers into the carpet as I saw what he was doing.

"Well that worked out well didn't it amigo? So what now? You got your old ICA pals winging their way here to off me?" Birdie shook his head grinning.

"No, believe me if they were you'd probably already be dead you sick pervert." Estrada threw back his head and let out a long, loud laugh.

"You got balls, I always admired that in you. But a tracker? Man, you know better than that." Birdie's arrogant expression fell and he looked at me. An honest open look of fear and worry. His grin was gone and he gave me a small half smile, which froze in place as Estrada put the pistol to his head and pulled the trigger.

The bang made everyone flinch, even the most hardened of Estrada's men. Birdie collapsed in a limp heap on the carpet, his brains staining it a darker red. My heart was pounding somewhere up by my vocal cords and I could feel the tears running hot and fast down my face now.

"Put the puta upstairs with the other new girl. I can at least take something from this meeting. Oh and somebody clean this shit up." Estrada's voice was monotone and bored as he holstered his pistol. I stared numbly at the messy pulp that had been Birdie's face a few seconds before; that could have been me. Someone dragged me to my feet but I couldn't bring myself to move them. The someone huffed in annoyance and began to half drag, half carry me out of the room and back into the dark corridor.

I kept my gaze fixed on Birdie's corpse for as long as I could, then the door swung shut and I was alone in a brothel full of gangsters.