'That's him.' Caitlin pointed at the screen in Michael's office.'He was definitely one of the guys talking with Darrow last night.'

'Tommy Linton.' Michael nodded at Kelly who tapped an instruction into the computer. Linton's file duly appeared on the computer screen.

Dom whistled. 'He has a record as long as my arm.'

'Longer,' noted Hawke.

'Drugs, arms, assault, battery…' Caitlin reeled off the list and shuddered. She was grateful she hadn't known about Linton's crimes when she'd been eavesdropping on him.

The computer screen flickered and the next page of the file was displayed.

Caitlin peered closely at the known associates and pointed at the third picture. 'Him. He was the other one.'

'Charles Gorel.' Kelly noted.

'Linton's usual sidekick and all-round henchman.' Michael expanded. 'They're suspected associates of Sterling but there has never been proof of a direct connection.'

'Who is this Sterling guy?' Dom asked.

Kelly obligingly brought up his details. 'Matthew Garrett Sterling. Entrepreneur and noted businessman.'

'His personal fortune is estimated at around $75 million dollars.' Michael pointed at the screen. 'That's the legal value.'

'Didn't he win an award a few years back?' Caitlin asked dredging the trivia from the depths of her memory. 'Philanthropist of the year?'

'He did. He has some powerful political allies who either don't know about his illegal operations or choose to turn a blind eye.' Michael sighed. 'His background has been sanitised by his PR people. Poor kid from Hell's Kitchen pulls himself out of the mire and builds a fortune.'

'He's living the American dream.' Kelly commented.

'Only the money that got him started is rumoured to have come from the New York Mafia.' Michael explained. 'Sterling is very slick. Nothing has ever stuck or been traced back to him directly. There're a number of law enforcement agencies that would kill to get their hands on him.'

'You included?' Hawke asked.

Michael shrugged. 'I wouldn't be averse to having him behind bars.' He frowned. 'The DEA has been trying to prove Sterling has used his textile industry as a front for bringing in drugs from the Golden triangle for years.' He turned to Kelly. 'Bring up the DEA information on Sterling.'

Kelly raised one elegantly arched eyebrow but quickly accessed the DEA database to bring up the relevant file.

Michael gestured at the information. 'The DEA tracked a major sale of pure heroin in Hong Kong two months ago. They believe Sterling was the buyer but the heroin disappeared without a trace.'

'Two months ago?' Caitlin murmured. 'It was two months ago that Farrick Textiles started to lease the warehouse from Darrow.'

'Ah…it could be coincidence.' Dom said.

'I don't think so.' Caitlin argued. 'I mean I don't think the drugs are there, that's too obvious but I do think it explains why Sterling might have turned to a small fry like Darrow.'

'So do I.' Hawke agreed. 'Sterling needed somewhere to misdirect the law enforcement. I bet that place is surrounded by any number of agencies falling over themselves.'

'No bet.' Michael murmured. 'But all we have at the moment is conjecture and theory.'

'We?' Hawke's eyes twinkled at the spy.

'But how does Le's Mom figure into all this?' Dom asked ignoring Hawke's jibe at Michael.

'I don't know but we've got to try and find out.' Hawke said.

Michael ignored them and turned back to Caitlin. 'How good is your cover? Was Darrow suspicious?'

'Now wait a minute,' Dom began, 'she's not going back in there. Especially now we know about,' he waved at the screen, 'all this.'

Caitlin's eyes flashed and she rose from her chair.

'She has to go back.' Michael insisted. 'Darrow might get suspicious if she doesn't.'

'It's too dangerous.' Dom argued.

'She,' stressed Caitlin, 'can decide for herself.'

Dom looked beseechingly at Hawke. 'You agree with me, don't you, String?'

Hawke glanced at Caitlin before looking back at Dom, struggling between his own knee-jerk reaction to agree with the older man and Caitlin's comments that he continually underestimated her the night before. He retreated to what was best tactically. 'Michael's right, Dom.'

Michael's eyebrows shot up as Dom glowered at his young friend.

'She has to go back or Darrow will get tipped off.' Hawke concluded. 'But you're not going back alone.' He continued directing his comment at Caitlin. 'I'll go in as a paying customer to provide you with back up.'

Dom threw up his hands and took a seat.

'I'll organise a ground unit too.' Michael added. 'If Darrow is involved with Sterling and there's a chance we can get him…the Committee will want in.'

'Our primary objective is still to find out about Ana.' Hawke continued, his gaze moving to Michael.

'I wouldn't have expected anything else.' Michael said dryly. 'Shall we?' He gestured at the conference table and they all took their places to plan the operation in detail.

It seemed no time at all before Hawke found himself sat on the bar stool at the Dancing Lounge, nursing a bad beer and a headache. He couldn't believe how packed the club was with every kind of lowlife LA had to offer. He knocked back a slug of the beer.

'Can I get you another?' Caitlin's Texan drawl inquired beside him.

Hawke glanced at her and his eyes widened as he took in the low cropped top and the cutaway shorts that showed off the long line of her legs. It took him a moment to find his voice. 'Sure. I'll take another.'

Caitlin nodded and reached over to take his glass. He watched her walk to the other end of the bar and he shifted in his seat, suddenly uncomfortable.

'She's something, isn't she?'

Hawke turned to find a sweaty, balding man next to him, leaning on the bar with a beer clutched in a meaty paw. He turned to look at the girl up on the stage and didn't reply.

'I'm Bill.' The guy offered Hawke a cigarette.

Hawke declined with a shake of his head; he refused to take up smoking as part of his cover. There was a pause in conversation as Caitlin arrived back with his drink and Hawke took it from her with a short nod.

Bill lit up and watched Caitlin move away to serve a table. 'You seem to have more of a thing for the waitress than for the dancers.'

Hawke took a sip of his drink and gestured with the bottle. 'Maybe I have a thing for redheads.'

Bill blew smoke out between his teeth. 'I don't blame you. I wouldn't mind riding that little filly.'

The hair on Hawke's neck bristled. He forced a smile to his lips and ignored the impulse to punch the other man.

Bill drew in another drag of his cigarette. 'You know if you want to get to know her better, I could arrange that.'

Hawke took a gulp of his beer. Clever, he thought. Darrow must have this loser stoking up trade for the prostitution side of his business; complete deniability if the guy approached a cop.

'Thanks but no thanks.' Hawke bit out.

'You sure?' Bill stubbed the cigarette out in an already over-flowing ash-tray. 'This one's a brand new dolly. You'd be the first customer.'

Hawke smirked, staying in character. 'I've never needed to pay for a girl.'

Bill's beady eyes gleamed. 'I wouldn't be trying to touch the merchandise here without paying.'

'Are you threatening me?' Hawke didn't even try to hide his amusement, his eyes wandering over the other man's paunchy belly.

'Call it a friendly warning.' Bill pushed away from the bar and sauntered to a table close to the stage. Hawke smothered the urge to go after him and let his eyes wander back to the stage.

Caitlin had been right, he thought. There was little opportunity for her to leave her position and make her way to the office but there was even less opportunity for him to do so. The door to the back of the club was watched over by a guard positioned on a table just off to the side and if he somehow managed to get past him, the door was in clear sight of Darrow's booth. The owner was alone and keeping a careful watch on everything going on. They would need the distraction Caitlin had proposed, Hawke mused.

He tensed as Darrow suddenly stood up and left his booth. The club owner paused at the bar to talk to the barman and Hawke strained to hear him but couldn't make out the words over the blaring dance music. He kept his gaze firmly on the stage as Darrow passed by him and went through the door to the back of the club. Hawke sighed. It didn't look as though there was going to be an opportunity to get to the office at all. His eyes drifted back to Caitlin as she returned to the bar and he jerked his gaze back to the stage, annoyed at his lack of concentration. He frowned when Caitlin walked past him, heading for the door; Darrow must have sent for her. His worry warred with the instinct that they'd been handed a perfect opportunity. He hoped Caitlin would be able to handle Darrow. He picked up his glass and looked at a group of drunken men sat next to the stage jeering at the dancers. Maybe there was a way he could help her.

In the office, Caitlin took the glass of champagne Darrow handed her and sipped it cautiously; she wouldn't put it past him to have spiked it. He'd set the office up for a seduction; low lighting, soft music and the two of them squished together on a battered leather sofa. The cliché of it almost had her giggling.

'You seem to be attracting some admirers out there.'

'I am?' She asked in response to his remark.

'You are.' Darrow sat down beside her on the old leather sofa. 'In addition to myself, of course.' He lit a cigarette. 'Guy at the bar hasn't taken his eyes off you.'

Caitlin bit her lip and ignored the way her heart was pounding. 'Really?'

'Really.' Darrow blew out a stream of blue smoke. 'You know him?'

Her fingers tightened on the glass and she shook her head. 'Never seen him before.'

Darrow flicked his ash into an oversize crystal ashtray. 'It's an interesting co-incidence, don't you think? You start working one day; I get a new customer who only has eyes for you the next.'

'I guess.' She murmured.

Darrow smiled and stubbed the cigarette out. 'It's probably nothing.' He moved closer to her. 'I believe we need to talk about your additional responsibilities.'

Caitlin held her position. 'Is that what you wanted to do? Talk?'

Darrow's hand slid up her thigh. 'Well, now that you mention it…' He leaned across her, his lips heading for hers; Caitlin forced herself not to squirm away but pretended to respond. His hand grabbed her breast roughly and she used the opportunity to jerk physically as though in surprise and upend the glass of champagne she still held into his lap.

'Jesus Christ!' Darrow yelped getting to his feet and looking at the sodden crotch on his trousers.

'Oh my God! I'm so sorry! I'm just so incredibly clumsy…' Caitlin grabbed hold a tissue and started to dab ineffectually at the dampness. His hand clamped around her wrist.

'I'll take care of it. Stay here.' Darrow ordered and staggered out of the room. As soon as the door closed, Caitlin was on her feet. She headed directly for the computer sitting on Darrow's desk; he'd left it switched on and unprotected. She hunted around for a floppy disk and gave the instructions to copy the files. With the computer occupied with its task, she flipped through the open folders and papers on Darrow's desk. Most of the papers were legitimate invoices, orders and payslips for the club. She bit her lip and glanced at the closed door. She wouldn't have much more time. A sheet of paper caught her attention. It was filled with a series of words and numbers, like a code. She ripped off a sheet of notepaper and copied the information before she retrieved the floppy disk and hid both in the back pocket of her shorts. She'd just made it back to the sofa when Darrow threw open the door. The sound of breaking glass and raised voices in the bar drowned out the romantic music in the office.

'Dammit!' He headed straight for the phone and started dialling a number. He spun round to look at her as though suddenly remembering she was there. He covered the mouthpiece. 'You'd better get out there and help clear up. Some idiot started a brawl. The place is a mess.'

'Sure.' Caitlin slid off the sofa and made her way to the bar. Darrow hadn't been kidding; there was glass and spilt booze everywhere. The place was in chaos; the music had been switched off and the room was filled with chattering, angry voices as the customers yelled for their money back at an increasingly furious looking Brick. Caitlin started to pick her way through the throng of people and saw Hawke heading straight for her. She carried on walking until they inevitably bumped into each other. She felt Hawke's hands go around her to steady her. She shrugged his hands off her, frowning at the new scrapes across his knuckles and sidestepped around him. A glance back and he nodded; the acknowledgement that he'd retrieved the information from her. He headed out with the other customers.

Darrow slammed the phone down. He heard a noise behind him and turned to look at his associate. 'Report.'

Bill shrugged. 'I've checked. Nobody local has a sting operation going down.'

'Feds?' Darrow asked.

'Could be.' Bill shrugged again. 'They don't always see the need to inform us local boys but usually we get whispers and there's nothing beyond the stuff at the warehouse.'

'The guy at the bar?'

'Cagey. Didn't give much away. Didn't get a name so I can't run a check.' Bill rubbed a handkerchief over his sweating face. 'He certainly looks the part of a deadbeat.' He gave a snort. 'He didn't jump on my approach to him which if it is a sting was damned clever.'

Darrow smiled at his bought cop. 'What about the girl?'

'Her background checks out. Just another small town girl down on her luck.' Bill sighed. 'Maybe you're jumping at shadows, Darrow.' He suggested. 'You know if walks like a duck, quacks like a duck maybe it's a duck.'

Darrow shook his head. 'My gut's telling me something's off.'

'You're being paranoid,' Bill commented, 'because of this deal with Sterling.'

'We can't afford to screw this up.' Darrow shot back. 'This could be the start of bigger and better things for the both of us.'

Bill held up a hand. 'You don't have to convince me.'

Darrow frowned and looked at his desk. Something was wrong. His eyes narrowed. He took two strides to his computer and brought up the screen. It was in the same place that he had left it but something…his eyes scanned his desk again. The notebook. He picked it up and a finger drifted across the frayed top edge where a sheet of paper had been ripped off. He swore.

'What's the matter?' Bill asked.

Darrow put the notebook down and marched out to the main room.

Caitlin was sweeping the debris into a tidy pile when she saw Darrow making his way to her like a cruise missile fixed on a target. She barely had time to register the fury in his face before she felt the force of it as he backhanded her across the cheek so hard she staggered and fell. She barely registered him telling the other girls to get out.

His hands were around her arms like bands of steel as he dragged her back to her feet. 'Who the hell are you?'

'What…do you mean?' Caitlin tried to get her breath and tried not to give into the fear crawling up her spine.

Darrow grabbed her under the chin and backed her up, pinned her against a wall. 'You ripped something out of my notebook.'

'I just made a note to buy some milk. What's gotten into you?' Caitlin stuttered.

'Where is it?'

'I threw it in the trash.'

'Right.' He pushed his hand into the pockets of her shorts, searching her without any finesse. He released her and threw her at Brick. 'Take her in the back, tie her up and guard her.'

'Wait a minute…' Caitlin started to protest but with Brick's firm grasp on her upper arm she was propelled into the back office before she could complete it.

'What are you going to do with her?' Bill asked.

'We'll keep an eye on her until I can arrange an accident.' Darrow lit up a cigarette and took a long drag. 'Nothing is going to screw this up for me.'