Alex strolled into work the next morning humming under her breath.
She wasn't sure why she was in such a good mood but she wasn't going
to spoil it for herself by thinking about it to hard.
She was reading through a stack of mail and memos that had collected
during her assignment. When her phone rang.
"Monroe."
"Miss Monroe that was very nice work you did on the Travis case."
The Official said as an opening greeting.
"Thank you Sir, then you also know that I told Cooper off?"
"Yes, well high strung agents and letting off steam, it's to be
expected.
It was still very good work. I'm calling about your next assignment.
I'm still tied up here in Washington, but I do have a new case for
you."
"Yes, Sir I expected that you would. The State Department was done
with me." Alex shifted the phone to her other ear.
"Fawkes and Hobbes are also out here, working a case that is lasting
much longer than expected. If you would choose someone to back you
up from the Agents available this case shouldn't take long."
"Yes Sir," Alex listened to him explain the basic mission. Thinking
all the while that if there was any way she could get by with out
back up she probably would.
Hobbes was the only man she really trusted to back her up, well she
trusted Darien but he just wasn't skilled enough yet to be that
reliable.
"I'll be back the end of the week. Eberts should have a file for
you." The Official ended his call.
"Got it." Alex returned the phone to it's cradle. Eberts, hearing his
name had made her smile. She'd have to go ask for the case file.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Eberts had just finished making up the file. He'd gotten a early call
from the Official that morning about Agent Monroe's next case. He'd
gathered all the information he could located on the subject and was
just finishing putting the label on the file when she knocked on his
office door.
"Good morning Albert, the boss said you had a file for me?"
"Good morning." He stood, nervous all of the sudden. He felt like he
might even be blushing he prayed he wasn't.
"Yes, I have it right here, I was just about to bring it to you."
"Thanks," Alex smiled and excepted the thick file folder from him.
"This looks like a lot of information, I didn't think this case was
going to be involved." She commented.
"I was attempting to be thorough, I also have a list of the Agents
available for your back up. He passed her another slip of paper, with
four names typed neatly in the middle.
Alex looked over the names. She'd worked with all of them before, but
she didn't see one name on the list she would feel comfortable
relying on. "Thank you, but I think I'll just go solo on this one."
She turned to go back to her office and read the file over.
Albert nodded, and watched her leave. Then he thought about what she
had said. Perhaps after she read the file she would decide she did
need back up. The man she was going to be tailing, and collecting
evidence on was dangerous. He was responsible for the deaths of at
least six men that they knew of. Albert didn't think going in alone
was a good idea. He wished the Official was there so he could put a
stop to her notion of working the case solo.
Alex read the file over, this Scogins character they were after was a
serious piece of work. He had his hand into all kinds of ill eagle
activity, from drugs to gun running to killing for hire. He'd crossed
the line so many times it was going to be a pleasure to put him out
of business. There was a knock at her door just as she was finishing
reading the file.
"Come in."
"Miss Monroe, I have an addition to the information I gave you."
Albert handed her three more pages of information on Scogins.
"I hope you have decided to take some back up along with you. I know
you prefer to work alone, but on this case I believe you might find
assistance prudent."
"I was thinking about it, how would you like to back me up on this one
Eberts?" She stood up and walked around her desk.
"I would be glad to assist you, but field work is not one of my
talents as we were discussing the other day." He met her gaze, and
swallowed.
"I trust you Albert, I don't trust these guys on the list you gave
me." She made a sweeping motion towards her desk were the file lay.
"Thank you. However they are more use to field work than I, if you
were to need assistance they would be better suited to provide it."
"If they decided I was worth the effort, yeah maybe. I know these
guys, if they aren't working under someone like Hobbes, or the boss
they would just as soon leave me out there to twist in the wind, as
proved assistance let alone real help." Alex paced over to her window
then back to stand beside him.
"If you feel that way perhaps we should postpone this case until
Hobbes and Fawkes return from their current assignment." Eberts
suggested.
"No, I can handle this, if you'll help me out. You've passed your
firearms training, you know all about the listening equipment. If
things get to thick, I'll pull out. I promise you I won't take
chances with this case."
"You won't consider taking one of the other agents?" He tried one
last time.
"Nope, either you agree to come with me or I'm going in solo." Alex
insisted.
"Fine, when do we leave?" He locked eyes with her, he wasn't going to
let her down.
"Great, I'll just get together a few things and we can head out in
say thirty minutes. We are going to be down in the port area so you
might want to dress down a little, in case we have to do some leg
work."
Eberts nodded.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Alex was sorry she'd had to bully him into helping her. But she
didn't trust any of the men that were available any farther then she
could throw them. She was pleased to see Albert had taken her
suggestion of dressing down seriously. Darien had ignored most of her
suggestions when he first started working with her.
Albert had made a quick trip to his apartment and changed into black
jeans,a dark tee shirt and a chambray work shirt. He even had on
scruffy looking work boots. If he didn't shave for a couple of days
he could probably pull off looking like a dock worker. She hoped he
would be able to keep track of her from the van, but he needed to
look the part just in case.
"Good, you should fit in fine." Alex nodded, when he joined her in the
Agency garage. Alex was also changed, her long hair from the previous
mission tied back and covered with a bandana. She was wearing loose
dark pants, a baggy sweat shirt, worn boots and little make up.
"Most of the women that work the area are in the fish market. But our
target has a sort of office across from the big processing pier."
Alex explained as they drove to the site. " But you've read the file
you know all of this, right?"
"Yes, but I appreciate you explaining your plan." Albert nodded.
"Today probably won't be much more than locating Scogins and maybe
talking to a few people about him. We can put the bug in place
tonight."
"You are going to wear a two way today?"
"Yeah, I will at the start but if things progress I'll have to just
go with a mic. I don't want to risk being found wearing an ear
piece."
Alex parked the van with several other work trucks and made sure her
two way was working. "I'll see you in a little while." She stepped
out the back of the van and wandered over to the fish market area.
She made her way to the office area above the warehouse. People were
coming and going speaking at least three different languages she
spoke perfect Spanish but her Chinese was rusty and she wasn't even
sure what the other people had been speaking in.
She scoped out the office, but Scogins wasn't there and no one else
appeared to be either. She considered planting the bug now so they
wouldn't have to make a return trip that night. But it was to risky.
She did have a good look around, and other than a pair of locks that
would be Childs play to pick, their security was nil.
"I'm on my way back, we aren't going to pick up on Scogins here
today."
Alex told Eberts on her slow able back towards the van.
"Copy, that."
Albert was relieved she returned so soon. He hated being the only
person she was relying on.
"We can swing by his place, but I'd be willing to bet he's off on
some kind of trip at the moment. His office looked deserted."
"Makes you wish Darien was around to take a look."
"Yeah, it did occur to me, he'd be helpful on this one." Alex smiled.
end part two
She wasn't sure why she was in such a good mood but she wasn't going
to spoil it for herself by thinking about it to hard.
She was reading through a stack of mail and memos that had collected
during her assignment. When her phone rang.
"Monroe."
"Miss Monroe that was very nice work you did on the Travis case."
The Official said as an opening greeting.
"Thank you Sir, then you also know that I told Cooper off?"
"Yes, well high strung agents and letting off steam, it's to be
expected.
It was still very good work. I'm calling about your next assignment.
I'm still tied up here in Washington, but I do have a new case for
you."
"Yes, Sir I expected that you would. The State Department was done
with me." Alex shifted the phone to her other ear.
"Fawkes and Hobbes are also out here, working a case that is lasting
much longer than expected. If you would choose someone to back you
up from the Agents available this case shouldn't take long."
"Yes Sir," Alex listened to him explain the basic mission. Thinking
all the while that if there was any way she could get by with out
back up she probably would.
Hobbes was the only man she really trusted to back her up, well she
trusted Darien but he just wasn't skilled enough yet to be that
reliable.
"I'll be back the end of the week. Eberts should have a file for
you." The Official ended his call.
"Got it." Alex returned the phone to it's cradle. Eberts, hearing his
name had made her smile. She'd have to go ask for the case file.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Eberts had just finished making up the file. He'd gotten a early call
from the Official that morning about Agent Monroe's next case. He'd
gathered all the information he could located on the subject and was
just finishing putting the label on the file when she knocked on his
office door.
"Good morning Albert, the boss said you had a file for me?"
"Good morning." He stood, nervous all of the sudden. He felt like he
might even be blushing he prayed he wasn't.
"Yes, I have it right here, I was just about to bring it to you."
"Thanks," Alex smiled and excepted the thick file folder from him.
"This looks like a lot of information, I didn't think this case was
going to be involved." She commented.
"I was attempting to be thorough, I also have a list of the Agents
available for your back up. He passed her another slip of paper, with
four names typed neatly in the middle.
Alex looked over the names. She'd worked with all of them before, but
she didn't see one name on the list she would feel comfortable
relying on. "Thank you, but I think I'll just go solo on this one."
She turned to go back to her office and read the file over.
Albert nodded, and watched her leave. Then he thought about what she
had said. Perhaps after she read the file she would decide she did
need back up. The man she was going to be tailing, and collecting
evidence on was dangerous. He was responsible for the deaths of at
least six men that they knew of. Albert didn't think going in alone
was a good idea. He wished the Official was there so he could put a
stop to her notion of working the case solo.
Alex read the file over, this Scogins character they were after was a
serious piece of work. He had his hand into all kinds of ill eagle
activity, from drugs to gun running to killing for hire. He'd crossed
the line so many times it was going to be a pleasure to put him out
of business. There was a knock at her door just as she was finishing
reading the file.
"Come in."
"Miss Monroe, I have an addition to the information I gave you."
Albert handed her three more pages of information on Scogins.
"I hope you have decided to take some back up along with you. I know
you prefer to work alone, but on this case I believe you might find
assistance prudent."
"I was thinking about it, how would you like to back me up on this one
Eberts?" She stood up and walked around her desk.
"I would be glad to assist you, but field work is not one of my
talents as we were discussing the other day." He met her gaze, and
swallowed.
"I trust you Albert, I don't trust these guys on the list you gave
me." She made a sweeping motion towards her desk were the file lay.
"Thank you. However they are more use to field work than I, if you
were to need assistance they would be better suited to provide it."
"If they decided I was worth the effort, yeah maybe. I know these
guys, if they aren't working under someone like Hobbes, or the boss
they would just as soon leave me out there to twist in the wind, as
proved assistance let alone real help." Alex paced over to her window
then back to stand beside him.
"If you feel that way perhaps we should postpone this case until
Hobbes and Fawkes return from their current assignment." Eberts
suggested.
"No, I can handle this, if you'll help me out. You've passed your
firearms training, you know all about the listening equipment. If
things get to thick, I'll pull out. I promise you I won't take
chances with this case."
"You won't consider taking one of the other agents?" He tried one
last time.
"Nope, either you agree to come with me or I'm going in solo." Alex
insisted.
"Fine, when do we leave?" He locked eyes with her, he wasn't going to
let her down.
"Great, I'll just get together a few things and we can head out in
say thirty minutes. We are going to be down in the port area so you
might want to dress down a little, in case we have to do some leg
work."
Eberts nodded.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Alex was sorry she'd had to bully him into helping her. But she
didn't trust any of the men that were available any farther then she
could throw them. She was pleased to see Albert had taken her
suggestion of dressing down seriously. Darien had ignored most of her
suggestions when he first started working with her.
Albert had made a quick trip to his apartment and changed into black
jeans,a dark tee shirt and a chambray work shirt. He even had on
scruffy looking work boots. If he didn't shave for a couple of days
he could probably pull off looking like a dock worker. She hoped he
would be able to keep track of her from the van, but he needed to
look the part just in case.
"Good, you should fit in fine." Alex nodded, when he joined her in the
Agency garage. Alex was also changed, her long hair from the previous
mission tied back and covered with a bandana. She was wearing loose
dark pants, a baggy sweat shirt, worn boots and little make up.
"Most of the women that work the area are in the fish market. But our
target has a sort of office across from the big processing pier."
Alex explained as they drove to the site. " But you've read the file
you know all of this, right?"
"Yes, but I appreciate you explaining your plan." Albert nodded.
"Today probably won't be much more than locating Scogins and maybe
talking to a few people about him. We can put the bug in place
tonight."
"You are going to wear a two way today?"
"Yeah, I will at the start but if things progress I'll have to just
go with a mic. I don't want to risk being found wearing an ear
piece."
Alex parked the van with several other work trucks and made sure her
two way was working. "I'll see you in a little while." She stepped
out the back of the van and wandered over to the fish market area.
She made her way to the office area above the warehouse. People were
coming and going speaking at least three different languages she
spoke perfect Spanish but her Chinese was rusty and she wasn't even
sure what the other people had been speaking in.
She scoped out the office, but Scogins wasn't there and no one else
appeared to be either. She considered planting the bug now so they
wouldn't have to make a return trip that night. But it was to risky.
She did have a good look around, and other than a pair of locks that
would be Childs play to pick, their security was nil.
"I'm on my way back, we aren't going to pick up on Scogins here
today."
Alex told Eberts on her slow able back towards the van.
"Copy, that."
Albert was relieved she returned so soon. He hated being the only
person she was relying on.
"We can swing by his place, but I'd be willing to bet he's off on
some kind of trip at the moment. His office looked deserted."
"Makes you wish Darien was around to take a look."
"Yeah, it did occur to me, he'd be helpful on this one." Alex smiled.
end part two