Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to UC undercover characters I just borrowed them. I have no claim on the music used in the story either. Sab, Andy and Sam are friends and I use them by permission. All other Characters I have thought up on my own. Please do not use any of my characters without my permission.

SONGBIRD'S SONG



Chapter 1

At the nest Donovan and the team were briefing their temporary agent about the case that they were to work on.

"I asked Maria to be assigned here temporarily until Alex gets back." Donovan explains to his team that sat around the room.

"Did I here my named being mentioned?" Alex asks walking in to the room.

"What are you doing here? You're on sick leave." Frank asks turning to her.

"I was bored sitting at home; I thought it wouldn't do any harm if I came here and sat and listened to the briefing."

"Then sit there and listen so I can start." Frank ordered. Alex sat down next to Maria and Sab. "Maria, are you sure you want to start another case? This is your third case in a month." Frank asks turning to her.

"I'm fine, Donovan. I live to work. Plus I really don't count the last one as an actual case; I ended it in two days. That's a record for me." Maria replies.

"Two days without sleep." Jake reminds her. She had told them earlier about the case that she had worked.

"Who needs sleep, I'm an adrenaline junkie." Maria laughed.

"This is no laughing matter, Maria. I want you to be 100% on this case. The man we're after has already killed two agents and a third would not matter to him." Frank scolded her as if she was a rookie; which didn't sit well with her.

"If you don't think I'm up for the case, why did you ask for me?" Maria snaps at him.

"I asked for you because you're good at your job and I needed someone that can sing." Frank replies. "Placing a singer in Connor Montgomery's club was the best idea we had. It will give us more access to him."

"Meaning I'm suppose to cozy up to him. I read his file; he's a real music lover and has had two marriages to singers. They ended in divorce so he is either hard to please with music or in bed."

"Well I can tell you one thing you won't be finding out about his bedroom skills." Jake adds in.

"Why didn't you ask Elaina to work this case?" Maria asks knowing very well that her cousin was a singer too.

"She's not a field agent anymore." Frank replies.

"Sorry, I forgot you tied her to the desk." Maria's remark made Frank angry.

"If you want to be on this case you better ease the attitude." Sab warns her.

"Connor Montgomery is ruthless; he uses people until he is through with them. Most of them end up missing or worse." Frank continues on. "The D.E.A has been after him for over a year. You have to be at the top of your game or you will end up as the other two agents."

"We'll be careful. We are going to be watching each other's back the whole time. We know our covers forward, backwards and inside out." Jake states.

"Monica lets go over what we know about him." Frank instructs her.

"Connor Montgomery was born in Sidney, Australia. He became involved with drug dealing at age 16 when he was arrested for possession. He wasn't convicted. At age 18 he moved to Germany to be with an older brother. Again, there he was arrested for possession and never convicted due to the evidence that had gone missing." Monica explains. "He moved again to the States. He was arrested and actually prosecuted for possession of 30 kilos of heroine. He was given 10 years, which he served. He's been out of the action or so they thought; it wasn't until last year during a drug bust that his name came up again. This time as a smuggler bringing the drugs by ship from Columbia to Florida then to different parts of the U.S."

"How does he get past customs and the coast guard without getting caught?" Alex asks.

"We found out that he was paying off the Harbor Master who in turn was friends with a Coast Guard Officer who was also paid to look the other way." Frank replies.

"Needless to say they are no longer in those jobs. They are in the Florida prison system." Maria adds.

Monica continued the briefing. "D.E.A. had placed the two agents in his smuggling ring but they each ended up missing. Only to be found later on dead. Richards in Florida, found floating near a coral reef off the coast. Jessup was found in a Miami motel room, overdosed on cocaine."

"Maria we need to get into that club as soon as we can to wire it. I want to be able to watch his every move." Frank says turning to her again.

"He seems to be interested in me, but it may take me a while to get his confidence to let me have the run of the place after hours." Maria replies turning to face him.

"I realize that. If you see an opportunity, use it to your advantage to get you to stay there after hours to rehearse, the cameras and mics on you and Jake aren't enough."

"Duh, I know how to do my job." Maria says sarcastically.

Frank slams the file down in front of her of the two dead agents. The picture of Richards was the most graphic. "They knew how to do their job too. Change your attitude or you won't be working any case, got that?" Frank snaps at her.

"Yes, sir." Maria replies looking directly at him.

"Briefing over." Frank walked away up into his office.

"Don't push or you won't have a career. Your being related to Elaina won't make any difference to him." Cody warns her.

"Listen, I know how to do my job. I know that this case is dangerous. I know he is concerned for all involved. I especially know that if he wants to, Frank can ruin my career. Now can we get this show on the road?" Maria says getting out of her chair.

Jake walks over to her. "Let's go before he comes back down. How did you get Montgomery to hire you so fast anyway?"

"He hired me because I'm talented. I sang his favorite song, plus I wore a dress with very low cleavage." Maria smiles at Jake.

"I'm betting it was your talent that got you hired." Jake laughs.

******

At the club later that day, Maria was rehearsing while Jake sat at a table alone until Montgomery came over to sit with him.

"She'll bring in the customers as soon as word gets out about her." Montgomery says to Jake as he sits down.

"Her voice is as beautiful as she is." Jake says not turning his attention away from Maria.

"No truer words were ever spoken. She is beautiful. Does she have someone in her life?" Montgomery asks turning to Jake.

"She has an ex-boyfriend that comes around occasionally. They are still very friendly." Jake says turning his attention to him.

"I think I could get her to forget about him, after all I can see her every day. Our talk yesterday was very enlightening, she is a very interesting women. I am looking forward to getting to know her better." Montgomery says as he turns back to Maria.

Jake hated the thought that she would have to endure this creep's advances for the sake of their case. Jake wanted to make sure she was safe every minute he was with her, but he knew there would be times he wouldn't be there.

"She's a very special lady, but even though I am just her manager I'd hurt anyone that would dare to hurt her." Jake looked at Montgomery to see how he reacted to what he said. He was surprised when he showed no concern for the warning.

"I understand completely, Mr. Ramirez. I don't plan on hurting her. I hope to do just the opposite, love her and make her very happy." He replies turning back to Jake.

Maria came to the table smiling. "Well, how was I?"

"Great Mary, you were flawless as usual." Jake says using her cover name.

"I expected nothing less from a beautiful songbird like yourself." Montgomery adds in as he smiles back.

"Thank you Connor. Could you get me a drink please; my throat is a bit dry?"

"What do you desire sweet lady?" Montgomery asks.

"Scotch and soda would be fine thank you." Maria was flirting as much as Montgomery was.

"I will personally fix that for you." He kisses her hand as he rose from the table and she smiled back to him.

"He is such a slime ball." She says under her breath to Jake.

"He told me he wants to make you a very happy lady." Jake says turning to her.

Maria rolls her eyes. "Like I want that to happen."

"I told him you had an ex-boyfriend that still came around, but that didn't faze him one bit. If he does anything you don't like just tell me."

"I can take care of myself, but I'll keep your offer in mind." Maria saw him coming back to the table.

"Here you go darling." He handed her the drink.

"Thank you Connor. Do you treat all your employees this well?" Maria says flashing a girlish smile.

"Just the special ones." He took hold of her hand again. "And I hope you will become the most special of them all."

"Connor you are such a.sweet thing to say that." Maria recovered well from what she wanted to really say to him.

*****

Monica, Cody and Sab were listening to them in the van.

"If she takes a drink of that scotch, we are in real trouble." Sab says watching the monitor closely.

"Why?" Cody asks as he turns to her in confusion.

"You know why." Sab looks back at Cody. He then realized what she was talking about; he just didn't know that she knew. "Mind telling me why?" Monica asks look at the monitors.

"Maria doesn't drink; she told me that she was an alcoholic." Sab replies as she turns back to the screen. "Are you sure she wasn't joking or something, not wanting to drink?" Monica asks turning to her.

"She was serious when she told her." Cody confirms.

"You know too, am I the only one that doesn't know? Does Donovan know about this?" Monica didn't wait for an answer as she dialed the phone.

"Maybe she won't drink it." Cody was being hopeful.

"Donovan we have a problem brewing at the club with Maria." She says once he picked up.

"What is she doing now?" Frank was not happy to hear it.

"Do you or Elaina know that she has a drinking problem?"

"Elaina may know but I don't, is she drinking?" Frank asks.

"She ordered a drink but so far she hasn't drank it." Monica replies turning back to the monitors.

"I'm on my way there call me back if she drinks it."

"I don't think I need to call you back, she just downed it." Monica replies, seeing it on the monitor from Jake's point of view. Monica heard Donovan hang up. "He must be really pissed; he hung up with out saying anything else."

Jake was starting to get worried about Maria as she ordered her third drink. "You might want to slow down Mary you have some more rehearsing to do."

"I'm fine, don't worry. I can sing drunk or sober." Maria says.

"I think Jake is right, you should slow down." Connor says, noting Jake's disapproval. "He is your manager; he knows what is good for you."

"I know what is good for her too." A voice came from behind them. Jake looked up to see Frank walking up to stand beside them.

"Who the hell are you?" Connor asks.

"I'm Mary's boyfriend that's who." Frank's voice showed his anger.

"Make that ex-boyfriend dear heart." Maria says sounding a bit angry herself.

"We need to talk about something private, come outside with me." He grabs her by the elbow.

"Don't man handle her." Connor protests.

"Shut up little man. Now Mary!" Frank yells as he pulls her up.

Connor stood to stop him but Maria shook her head to him. "I'll be fine, don't worry he wouldn't hurt me."

Frank took her out and down the alley to where the van was parked. "Everyone out now!" he ordered. As the three went out, Elaina arrived and went in with Frank and Maria.

"What were you thinking in there? Or were you thinking at all." Elaina asks her.

"I was thirsty." Maria snaps back.

"I'm about two seconds away from kicking your ass cousin. Start talking and make it quick." Elaina was getting furious.

"I can't stand that guy and all his crap that he's saying to me. I needed a buffer." Maria explains.

"You're an alcoholic! You can't just drink so much and quit. You are not going back in there." Elaina tells her.

"I have to; you can't pull me from this case! I can quit, I promise no more drinking." Maria protests.

"You're delusional and drunk to think I would let you go back in there." Elaina replies.

"Frank is my boss on this case, you're not." Maria snaps.

"Maria, I'm the one that dragged you out of there, you honestly think I want you to stay on this case?" Frank asks her.

"How can you find someone to replace me? I'm in, I can do this, give me another chance Frank. I promise, no more drinking. Jake can make sure of it. Please just don't take me off this case." Maria begs.

Elaina knew that she was right; she couldn't be replaced or it would blow the case apart. "Okay, then I want your blood."

"What?" Maria wasn't sure what she heard.

"I want your blood to be tested every night that you are on this case. If there is a hint of alcohol in your blood stream you will be off this case and any other case until I know you are sober. So do you agree or not?" Elaina asks looking down to her.

"I agree. I won't let you down again." Maria replies.

"I will personally see that she has the test every night." Frank emphasizes.

"I better get back in there before he comes out. He was worried that Frank was going to hurt me." Maria says as she walks for the van door.

"I'll go back in with you; after all I am your boyfriend." Frank says following her.

"Ex-boyfriend." Maria corrects him.

"You better be an ex or you are in deep trouble." Elaina jokes with him.

"Yes, I know." Frank says as they went out.

Frank and Maria went back inside and sat down with Jake. Montgomery saw them come back in and came over to see if she was all right.

"Mary would you like to dance with me? We are checking out some new music." He asks as he stands in front of her.

"Sure why not, I haven't danced in a while." They left the table, which Jake was grateful wanting to know what was going on.

"What happened that you took her out so fast?" Jake asks.

"I just found out that Maria is an alcoholic and she is never to have another drink ever." Frank replies as he watches Maria and Montgomery dance together.

Jake looked at her; he noticed that she didn't look drunk. "She hides it well. Why wasn't I told this before I could have stopped her?"

"Elaina knew but never told me, how could I tell you." Frank says turning to Jake.

"Who called you?" Jake asks.

"Monica. Sab knew about it too, and told her." Frank replies.

"Is she going to be okay?"

"Yeah, I better get out of here before he gets suspicious. We'll talk later; I don't think she'll be anymore trouble."