8 YEARS LATER...
-
"You want me to do WHAT?"
Donovan looked at Jake and tried to repress the grin that threatened to break out. He hadn't seen Jake this up in arms in quite a while.
"What part of 'undercover' do you not understand?" Monica was grinning too. One look at Alex and Cody told the tale. They all were just about to bust out laughing at this new assignment.
"Oh come on Jake, you know you're itching for something a little less... dramatic." Donovan's mouth quirked up in a lopsided grin as he continued. "This is it. Besides, you yourself admitted that you had a speeding ticket rap sheet a mile long.*"
Jake looked fit to be tied. Going undercover again wasn't what he had in mind by telling Donovan that he needed something less stressful. He meant that he wanted a week in Barbados, a week in New York City... a week guarding the President... ANYTHING that didn't involve going undercover again. "And just what does Alex get to do?"
"Alex..." Donvan looked pointedly at the no longer smirking Alex. "Alex gets to go undercover with you Jake."
It was Alex's turn to look put out. "Aw c'mon Frank! We've all been steady on assignments for the last year and a half." She was resorting to whining now. Truly unbecoming a Federal Agent, but if it got her at least a week off then it was worth it. They all needed a week off.
"Oh cut it out for crying out loud!" Cody was beginning to laugh at the two of them.
"Cody, knock it off. Monica, break it down." Donovan was cracking one of the biggest grins they'd seen in a long time.
Monica cleared her throat and stood up.
"Jake. You're going in on a theft ring. They target the high end cars and the exotics. Chicago Police asked us for help because they haven't been able to crack it."
"WAIT!!!" Jake shot up out of his chair, knocking it over. "You want me to crack ANOTHER auto theft ring??"
"Another?" Donovan looked back at Jake. This wasn't something he read in Jake's file.
Jake blinked. "Yeah. About 8 years ago after I graduated the academy and was reassigned here. We got to 'assist' the locals with breaking a theft ring. That's where I learned to drive like Earnhardt." He caught the look from Donovan. "And it's not in my file because Speed had high contacts."
"Speed? Interesting name..." Donovan snickered. What kind of self-respecting crook went by the name Speed?
"She was well deserving of it. She led me and about 15 Unicars on a high speed chase all over the damned city. More pile ups in her wake than I've ever seen. It was kept low profile because of her safety. The Feds were looking at her for a potential witness after they found out who we caught."
"SHE?" Alex, Cody and Donovan all asked at once.
"What? You don't think a woman can out drive me?" He looked at their faces and shrugged. "OK, so she did... but she wound up caught anyways. Doing a dime for Grand Theft Auto, at least 2 counts, and the list to go with it. Look, Frank... If you want me to go into this ring, then I need to go pick Speed's brain, see what she can teach me."
Donovan didn't look like he liked that idea...
----
Jake almost didn't recognize the woman that sat across the sterile metal table from him and Monica. That was Donovan's stipulation - that Monica in go with Jake and see what she could get while Jake asked Speed the questions. She still had the flippant demeanor, but her hair was now a dark blonde. When he'd arrested her, it was just shoulder length... now it was to the middle of her back. Those ice blue eyes were still calculating, as if she were timing the gears of your mind while you spoke. Gone was the heavy black eye makeup as well that had given her an eerie appearance. Jake decided he rather liked this version of Speed.
When the female guard had brought her in, Monica looked over at Jake, who in turn nodded. She opened up the file jacket on her and read the Warden's version of Speed's life while she was living on the citizen's nickel. "For all appearances, you're a model citizen. No fights, no attitude outside of normal, no blemishes what so ever. So tell me, Speed... why haven't you made parole yet?"
Speed just looked at the woman, then at Jake. Oh yes, she remembered Jake. Those cool blue eyes slid down from Jake's face to the edge of the table then back up. She leaned back in the chair, propping it up on the two back legs and lifted her right hand to chew on her thumbnail. She flicked a glance back from Jake to the woman with him.
Outside, Donovan was watching through the one way mirror. Nothing stood out about this woman save for those eyes. Intriguing eyes. "Come on miss speed demon. I know you've got a voice..."
Monica looked from the mirror to the guard and then back to Speed. "We need your help, your knowledge. Jake, as you might remember, is a Federal Agent. I'm one as well. We both work for the Justice Department. Chicago PD has asked us to step in and assist then in breaking up an international car theft ring. Jake suggested we come to you for instruction on how to get inside."
Speed looked at Monica, then smiled. With a chuckle she stood up and walked over to the mirror. She knew the drill, and slowly licked her lips in the mirror. As the tip of her tongue ran over the full lips, Donovan had to smile at the woman's brass.
"No."
At first neither one actually believed she'd spoken up. But Jake looked at her and pulled out a file. "Yes. We're not asking for a miracle, just some tips and helpful bits of information."
Again came the sarcastic chuckle as she turned her head around, the long blonde hair falling over her shoulder to hang in mid-air. At this point, with those eyes, she looked rather possessed. She held a long and meaningful look at the guard, then winked at Monica. "No."
By now Frank had gotten the idea that with the guard in the room, Speed was not going to say anything more than 'no'. He twisted the knob on the door and walked in. "You're no longer needed in here. Please wait for us to call you." Dismissed, the guard shot Speed a dark look and left. Speed did more than pucker up her lips and blow a kiss to the guard. Outside, Alex made sure that the guard was well on her way and didn't stick around.
Speed actually smiled as Donovan walked in. "So, the mirror was a one way. Nice lips Special Agent."
"Same to you, Speed. We need your help, are you going to give it to us or are you going to go back to your day to day life here in prison?"
"Life is day to day even if I do help you. What you want is impossible."
"Make it possible. We have ways of making your stay here longer."
Speed looked at Donovan. The man was smooth and he obviously was in charge. "Word gets out that I helped you, I'm a dead woman in here. You think male prisons are harsh? Try living with these witch bitches in here day to day. I help, I get out."
"No."
"Then we have a problem."
Jake spoke up finally. "Speed. It was pure dumb luck I was there when you went airborne with that Porsche. It was even more pure dumb luck that you got turned into a closed off alley. You did a good thing in not letting the boy go down for a theft rap. Do another good thing. The money made off of this theft ring is being funneled into a side drug ring. Help us stop the theft ring and help us shut down the drug ring."
Speed had been listening quietly, nibbling on her right thumb as Jake spoke. When he mentioned the drug ring, she sat down in the chair and looked at the three of them. She tilted back in the chair again. "So, you think by coming down here, and asking me a few questions, that you'll be able to slip into the world of Boosts and bring this ring down? You are out of your fucking minds. They'll make you in a heartbeat. The world of car boosts is a tight knit circle and each knows the other. Most of them grew up with each other, ran the same gangs, went to the same schools. Hell, most of them are family. So don't come to me, begging for little tidbits of information to slip into something I grew up in. It'd take you more than a few weeks to learn how to break into a car without ruining the value of the Lady. You want what I know? You get me the hell out of here."
****
-
"You want me to do WHAT?"
Donovan looked at Jake and tried to repress the grin that threatened to break out. He hadn't seen Jake this up in arms in quite a while.
"What part of 'undercover' do you not understand?" Monica was grinning too. One look at Alex and Cody told the tale. They all were just about to bust out laughing at this new assignment.
"Oh come on Jake, you know you're itching for something a little less... dramatic." Donovan's mouth quirked up in a lopsided grin as he continued. "This is it. Besides, you yourself admitted that you had a speeding ticket rap sheet a mile long.*"
Jake looked fit to be tied. Going undercover again wasn't what he had in mind by telling Donovan that he needed something less stressful. He meant that he wanted a week in Barbados, a week in New York City... a week guarding the President... ANYTHING that didn't involve going undercover again. "And just what does Alex get to do?"
"Alex..." Donvan looked pointedly at the no longer smirking Alex. "Alex gets to go undercover with you Jake."
It was Alex's turn to look put out. "Aw c'mon Frank! We've all been steady on assignments for the last year and a half." She was resorting to whining now. Truly unbecoming a Federal Agent, but if it got her at least a week off then it was worth it. They all needed a week off.
"Oh cut it out for crying out loud!" Cody was beginning to laugh at the two of them.
"Cody, knock it off. Monica, break it down." Donovan was cracking one of the biggest grins they'd seen in a long time.
Monica cleared her throat and stood up.
"Jake. You're going in on a theft ring. They target the high end cars and the exotics. Chicago Police asked us for help because they haven't been able to crack it."
"WAIT!!!" Jake shot up out of his chair, knocking it over. "You want me to crack ANOTHER auto theft ring??"
"Another?" Donovan looked back at Jake. This wasn't something he read in Jake's file.
Jake blinked. "Yeah. About 8 years ago after I graduated the academy and was reassigned here. We got to 'assist' the locals with breaking a theft ring. That's where I learned to drive like Earnhardt." He caught the look from Donovan. "And it's not in my file because Speed had high contacts."
"Speed? Interesting name..." Donovan snickered. What kind of self-respecting crook went by the name Speed?
"She was well deserving of it. She led me and about 15 Unicars on a high speed chase all over the damned city. More pile ups in her wake than I've ever seen. It was kept low profile because of her safety. The Feds were looking at her for a potential witness after they found out who we caught."
"SHE?" Alex, Cody and Donovan all asked at once.
"What? You don't think a woman can out drive me?" He looked at their faces and shrugged. "OK, so she did... but she wound up caught anyways. Doing a dime for Grand Theft Auto, at least 2 counts, and the list to go with it. Look, Frank... If you want me to go into this ring, then I need to go pick Speed's brain, see what she can teach me."
Donovan didn't look like he liked that idea...
----
Jake almost didn't recognize the woman that sat across the sterile metal table from him and Monica. That was Donovan's stipulation - that Monica in go with Jake and see what she could get while Jake asked Speed the questions. She still had the flippant demeanor, but her hair was now a dark blonde. When he'd arrested her, it was just shoulder length... now it was to the middle of her back. Those ice blue eyes were still calculating, as if she were timing the gears of your mind while you spoke. Gone was the heavy black eye makeup as well that had given her an eerie appearance. Jake decided he rather liked this version of Speed.
When the female guard had brought her in, Monica looked over at Jake, who in turn nodded. She opened up the file jacket on her and read the Warden's version of Speed's life while she was living on the citizen's nickel. "For all appearances, you're a model citizen. No fights, no attitude outside of normal, no blemishes what so ever. So tell me, Speed... why haven't you made parole yet?"
Speed just looked at the woman, then at Jake. Oh yes, she remembered Jake. Those cool blue eyes slid down from Jake's face to the edge of the table then back up. She leaned back in the chair, propping it up on the two back legs and lifted her right hand to chew on her thumbnail. She flicked a glance back from Jake to the woman with him.
Outside, Donovan was watching through the one way mirror. Nothing stood out about this woman save for those eyes. Intriguing eyes. "Come on miss speed demon. I know you've got a voice..."
Monica looked from the mirror to the guard and then back to Speed. "We need your help, your knowledge. Jake, as you might remember, is a Federal Agent. I'm one as well. We both work for the Justice Department. Chicago PD has asked us to step in and assist then in breaking up an international car theft ring. Jake suggested we come to you for instruction on how to get inside."
Speed looked at Monica, then smiled. With a chuckle she stood up and walked over to the mirror. She knew the drill, and slowly licked her lips in the mirror. As the tip of her tongue ran over the full lips, Donovan had to smile at the woman's brass.
"No."
At first neither one actually believed she'd spoken up. But Jake looked at her and pulled out a file. "Yes. We're not asking for a miracle, just some tips and helpful bits of information."
Again came the sarcastic chuckle as she turned her head around, the long blonde hair falling over her shoulder to hang in mid-air. At this point, with those eyes, she looked rather possessed. She held a long and meaningful look at the guard, then winked at Monica. "No."
By now Frank had gotten the idea that with the guard in the room, Speed was not going to say anything more than 'no'. He twisted the knob on the door and walked in. "You're no longer needed in here. Please wait for us to call you." Dismissed, the guard shot Speed a dark look and left. Speed did more than pucker up her lips and blow a kiss to the guard. Outside, Alex made sure that the guard was well on her way and didn't stick around.
Speed actually smiled as Donovan walked in. "So, the mirror was a one way. Nice lips Special Agent."
"Same to you, Speed. We need your help, are you going to give it to us or are you going to go back to your day to day life here in prison?"
"Life is day to day even if I do help you. What you want is impossible."
"Make it possible. We have ways of making your stay here longer."
Speed looked at Donovan. The man was smooth and he obviously was in charge. "Word gets out that I helped you, I'm a dead woman in here. You think male prisons are harsh? Try living with these witch bitches in here day to day. I help, I get out."
"No."
"Then we have a problem."
Jake spoke up finally. "Speed. It was pure dumb luck I was there when you went airborne with that Porsche. It was even more pure dumb luck that you got turned into a closed off alley. You did a good thing in not letting the boy go down for a theft rap. Do another good thing. The money made off of this theft ring is being funneled into a side drug ring. Help us stop the theft ring and help us shut down the drug ring."
Speed had been listening quietly, nibbling on her right thumb as Jake spoke. When he mentioned the drug ring, she sat down in the chair and looked at the three of them. She tilted back in the chair again. "So, you think by coming down here, and asking me a few questions, that you'll be able to slip into the world of Boosts and bring this ring down? You are out of your fucking minds. They'll make you in a heartbeat. The world of car boosts is a tight knit circle and each knows the other. Most of them grew up with each other, ran the same gangs, went to the same schools. Hell, most of them are family. So don't come to me, begging for little tidbits of information to slip into something I grew up in. It'd take you more than a few weeks to learn how to break into a car without ruining the value of the Lady. You want what I know? You get me the hell out of here."
****