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The next day, Jake quietly walked through the door of their headquarters and continued until he was in the briefing room.
"Jake, you're late," Frank noted reproachfully.
"So, whatta ya gonna do? Huh?" Jake asked, a hint of challenge in his voice.
"Take it easy, Jake," Alex said in a placating manner.
"Sorry. Kinda overdid it on the drinks last night. Hangover will wear off soon," Jake apologized.
"Monica, what've you got for us?" Frank asked. Jake sat down, recognizing the change of subject as his boss' way of accepting the apology.
"Rick Hiram. To the business world, he's merely one of most successful men in Chicago. We, however, recognize him for his success as an art thief," Monica stated.
"What's his personality like?" Frank asked.
"Charming, suave, a real Don Juan," Monica stated.
"Ah, just like Jake," Alex noted, tossing a pen at him.
"Not quite," Jake drawled, throwing the writing tool back at her.
"Do we know anything about his crew?" Cody wondered.
"Not much. Just that he has two top lieutenants---Stephen "Mugs" Marshall and Brett "Tiny" Warren. Plus a general we know nothing about," Monica answered.
""Mugs" and "Tiny"? Sound like my kind of guys," Jake quipped. Frank shot a dirty look at the operative, whose only response was a shrug.
"How can we get into his crew?" Alex asked. Frank threw Alex and Jake files with their new aliases. They perused the papers.
"Huh. A role I can sink my teeth into," Jake mused.
"Goody for you. I, on the other hand, am playing the part of some ditzy flake," Alex fumed.
"Rather insultin', ain't it?" Jake queried. Alex was one of the most intelligent women he knew.
"Hiram likes ditzes. I was hoping Alex could get close to him," Frank explained.
"Well, as long as you have a good reason," Alex accepted.
"A guy like Hiram---he ain't gonna just deal with the first guy that comes along. How do you suggest we gain his trust?" Jake wondered.
"Normally, you'd be right. However, word on the street is that Hiram is short two crew member. That's where you two come in," Frank told them.
"When's the meet?" Alex asked.
"Tomorrow. I had some---old friends---pull some strings," Frank replied.
"'Old friends'? Will we get to meet them?" Cody questioned.
"No," Frank answered, leaving no room for argument.
"Okay, then. That it?" Jake questioned.
"Yeah, that's it," Frank answered.
"Fine," Jake said. Then, he rapped the table, stood up, and walked out. Frank stared. What's up with Agent Shaw? he wondered. However, he didn't voice the question. The next morning, Jake and Alex went to the prearranged meeting spot.
"I don't like this," Alex admitted.
"Hey. Don't worry. Ain't nothin' gonna happen," Jake promised. Alex smiled. A black limo pulled up and Alex tensed as it stopped at the curb. Jake stepped closer and Alex felt herself relaxing at the protectiviness. A group of men stepped out.
"I'm Rick Hiram," the lead man introduced himself. "This is Mugs and Tiny." Rick was a tall Caucasian with black hair and hazel eyes. Mugs was short and stocky with brown hair and brown eyes. Tiny was almost as tall as Rick with blond hair and blue eyes.
"He's obviously not named for his height," Jake muttered. Alex elbowed her partner in the ribs. Just then, a black porsche was heard approaching.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. What's this?" Jake wondered. Had Donovan's contacts sold them out?
"Relax. This is only another of my partners," Rick assured them. Jake and Alex watched as the car stopped. The door opened and the man stepped out. Jake jerked forward. The man positioned himself on top of the boy and pinned his arms over his head. Jake drew in a shaky breath.
"No," he said.