When Donovan walked in two mornings later, he heard the sounds of talking and random laughter coming from the ops room. Greeting him as he came in were three females, Jake and Cody. Instantly he recognized Alex and Monica, so he guessed that the other was Speed. She'd bleached her hair white blonde again and had styled it into some sort of dreadlocks. She was wearing a pair of leather pants and a ripped up grey tshirt. She had a pair of boots on that looked like the style of the heels alone could impale a man through his breastbone. Almost as if by intuition, she turned around as he walked into the room. Around her eyes was heavy dark makeup. Those eyes made him shiver. With eyes like that, she should have been named Ice or Demon.
"Well, we meet again, Special Agent."
"Good Morning Speed. I trust you've made yourself at home here?"
"It's not 5 star, but it'll do. And it's a helluva lot better than what I had for the past 8 years."
"Nice hair" was all he said to that as he walked by, nose deep in the file.
Speed smirked as he walked by. She swatted him on the rear end and whispered "Nice ass".
Alex nearly choked, Jake fell off the chair he was sitting on, Cody spun around and buried himself into something computer wise and Monica just cracked the biggest grin she could handle. Donovan however, turned around and got as close to her as he could. At only 5'9 compared to his 6'2, she had to look up - even with heels on. The look on her face was priceless. For the first time, Jake actually saw a glimmer of fear flash across her face.
"Don't. Do. That. Again."
Speed blinked, then grinned and flicked her tongue out to lick his nose. As Frank recoiled back in reflex, Monica bust out laughing. So did Alex, who fell off of her chair, and Jake who had just gotten up off of the floor. Frank just shook his head, wiped off his nose and slapped the file across her chest.
Speed reflexed and gripped the file, one hand curling around his wrist. "Don't hit me again, Special Agent. I don't like it when people hit me."
"It's our assignment, Speed." He twisted his hand out of hers and nodded to the file. "See if you can help Jake and Alex with it."
As he walked away, she actually began to laugh. "No dice baby. You want to get into a boosts world? I'm your ticket in. I'll help you crack it, from the inside. I'm your undercover person here. Jake is still too well known in the boost circuit - he arrested me."
Frank circled back and stood there, listening. "No. You don't have the skills to protect yourself in there. Either you give us the information we nee-"
She cut him off, her eyes flashing as she got closer to him, her hands on her hips. "I don't have the SKILLS? Skills to protect myself in the ring? Oh man, you are so out of your league. I can boost anything with wheels that you throw at me and I can outdrive anyone else. Shut up Jake. I agreed to help you and I always keep my promises, FRANK. You can take that to the bank. SO, if you want my help, you do it my way and I'll bring everyone home safe."
They were nose to nose by the time she was finished and Donovan's eyes had turned as black as his hair. Everyone else was watching in stunned silence as she read him the riot act. They weren't sure if they should break it up, or clean it up when he was done.
"You do that, SPEED. You bring them home safe... or forget about living." he turned crisply on one heel and started to walk away.
"Them, Agent Donovan? Perhaps you didn't hear me. I said everyone. As in you too. You're going to be on my crew."
"Not a chance."
"Oh yes chance."
Speed flipped open the file and scanned it quickly. "Cody, you're a compu-geek, I'll need one to help hack the DMV mainframes and some databases to find the cars they want." Cody looked like he was about to giggle. An undercover assignment... and with a woman who defied instead of melted when confronted with Donovan. THIS was going to be priceless.
"Alex, you're on your own assignment, right?" Alex nodded. "I can't use you then. Besides, women are rare in boost rings." Alex chuckled and went back to reading her file.
"Jake, would love to use you, given a sense of irony. But your face is still remembered. Looks like you get to run things while I change Frank into a boost." The grin splitting Jake's face was infectious. Everyone else was grinning at the thought of Donovan undercover. Not only undercover, but under a woman's orders. Donovan looked like he was ready to spit.
"And last but not least. Monica... If you can drive... you get to help with scouting, radio contacts, and drop-offs." Monica nodded with a grin.
"YOU, Special Agent Frank Donovan... you get to be my right hand man. Tell me about your driving skills."
Frank remained silent. The look on his face was deadly.
Speed wasn't impressed. "Frank."
"No. Use Jake. He's more cut out for this type. He's a natural speed freak."
"No. He's too well known, I won't be able to protect him the way I can you. Besides, I-"
She was cut off by his hand around her throat and being backed up against the wall. Both of her hands snapped around his wrist in defense. He wasn't choking her, just putting her back into her place. He got really, really close to her ear and whispered. "Then make it so he is protected, Speed. Or I will make your life hell."
Jake and Alex were about to grab him by the shoulders and pull him off of her when he let he go and stood back. Speed put a hand to her throat and coughed slightly.
"I'm glad we had this conversation, Speed. You all have your assignments - Good Luck."
****
"Well, we meet again, Special Agent."
"Good Morning Speed. I trust you've made yourself at home here?"
"It's not 5 star, but it'll do. And it's a helluva lot better than what I had for the past 8 years."
"Nice hair" was all he said to that as he walked by, nose deep in the file.
Speed smirked as he walked by. She swatted him on the rear end and whispered "Nice ass".
Alex nearly choked, Jake fell off the chair he was sitting on, Cody spun around and buried himself into something computer wise and Monica just cracked the biggest grin she could handle. Donovan however, turned around and got as close to her as he could. At only 5'9 compared to his 6'2, she had to look up - even with heels on. The look on her face was priceless. For the first time, Jake actually saw a glimmer of fear flash across her face.
"Don't. Do. That. Again."
Speed blinked, then grinned and flicked her tongue out to lick his nose. As Frank recoiled back in reflex, Monica bust out laughing. So did Alex, who fell off of her chair, and Jake who had just gotten up off of the floor. Frank just shook his head, wiped off his nose and slapped the file across her chest.
Speed reflexed and gripped the file, one hand curling around his wrist. "Don't hit me again, Special Agent. I don't like it when people hit me."
"It's our assignment, Speed." He twisted his hand out of hers and nodded to the file. "See if you can help Jake and Alex with it."
As he walked away, she actually began to laugh. "No dice baby. You want to get into a boosts world? I'm your ticket in. I'll help you crack it, from the inside. I'm your undercover person here. Jake is still too well known in the boost circuit - he arrested me."
Frank circled back and stood there, listening. "No. You don't have the skills to protect yourself in there. Either you give us the information we nee-"
She cut him off, her eyes flashing as she got closer to him, her hands on her hips. "I don't have the SKILLS? Skills to protect myself in the ring? Oh man, you are so out of your league. I can boost anything with wheels that you throw at me and I can outdrive anyone else. Shut up Jake. I agreed to help you and I always keep my promises, FRANK. You can take that to the bank. SO, if you want my help, you do it my way and I'll bring everyone home safe."
They were nose to nose by the time she was finished and Donovan's eyes had turned as black as his hair. Everyone else was watching in stunned silence as she read him the riot act. They weren't sure if they should break it up, or clean it up when he was done.
"You do that, SPEED. You bring them home safe... or forget about living." he turned crisply on one heel and started to walk away.
"Them, Agent Donovan? Perhaps you didn't hear me. I said everyone. As in you too. You're going to be on my crew."
"Not a chance."
"Oh yes chance."
Speed flipped open the file and scanned it quickly. "Cody, you're a compu-geek, I'll need one to help hack the DMV mainframes and some databases to find the cars they want." Cody looked like he was about to giggle. An undercover assignment... and with a woman who defied instead of melted when confronted with Donovan. THIS was going to be priceless.
"Alex, you're on your own assignment, right?" Alex nodded. "I can't use you then. Besides, women are rare in boost rings." Alex chuckled and went back to reading her file.
"Jake, would love to use you, given a sense of irony. But your face is still remembered. Looks like you get to run things while I change Frank into a boost." The grin splitting Jake's face was infectious. Everyone else was grinning at the thought of Donovan undercover. Not only undercover, but under a woman's orders. Donovan looked like he was ready to spit.
"And last but not least. Monica... If you can drive... you get to help with scouting, radio contacts, and drop-offs." Monica nodded with a grin.
"YOU, Special Agent Frank Donovan... you get to be my right hand man. Tell me about your driving skills."
Frank remained silent. The look on his face was deadly.
Speed wasn't impressed. "Frank."
"No. Use Jake. He's more cut out for this type. He's a natural speed freak."
"No. He's too well known, I won't be able to protect him the way I can you. Besides, I-"
She was cut off by his hand around her throat and being backed up against the wall. Both of her hands snapped around his wrist in defense. He wasn't choking her, just putting her back into her place. He got really, really close to her ear and whispered. "Then make it so he is protected, Speed. Or I will make your life hell."
Jake and Alex were about to grab him by the shoulders and pull him off of her when he let he go and stood back. Speed put a hand to her throat and coughed slightly.
"I'm glad we had this conversation, Speed. You all have your assignments - Good Luck."
****