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Yay! You guys did it! I now have 30 followers on this story (even though the site is only showing 29, I can see that there are actually thirty)! As promised, here is a new chapter for helping me reach my goal. My next goal is to get 20 favorites (I have 17 right now) or 50 reviews (I have 43 right now). When either of those goals is reached, new chapters will be posted. Now…

Is it bad to be pumped about a chapter of your own story? Well, if it is, let's pretend that it's not; because I am SUPER excited about this chapter. Hint: we get to learn a little bit more about Allie's brother and examine their relationship a little more. Bonus hint: car chase.

As always, thank you all so much for your support of this story. I couldn't do it without you.

And because it's time for the reminder: This story does not correspond to the actual timeline of the show. I use the characters and the premise, and a lot of artistic license.

Happy reading!

…..

Chapter Eight: Fast and Mysterious

Steve

Allie's twin brother was waiting for us at HQ, spinning himself around and around in the chair from Allie's office.

When he spotted us on one of his spins, he smiled, but continued to spin. "Oh! Hey, guys! I'm just… hanging out… hold on…" He put his feet down and the chair slowly came to a standstill. Out of breath, he put his elbows on his knees and lowered his head. "I think that was a new record."

"Of stupidity," Allie agreed and stepped forward. She needed to take the lead, as she knew her brother the best. "We need your help."

He nodded, looking up at her from his seat on the chair. "Great. I have many experiences and skills." After a wink at me, he looked back to her. "Which one is it that you'll be needing today?"

"Your driving skills."

His grin widened and he finally got to his feet, swaying for only a moment before straightening. "You serious? I get to do my thing?"

"Your thing?" Danny asked and chuckled. "Let me guess: you're like the Fast and Furious people."

"More like… The Fast and Mysterious," Kol corrected him. "The key to getaway driving is to get away and then blend. And to have a strong drifting game, which I do. What's the mark?"

"Over here," Allie told him and led him to the big screen, pulling up some data. "This is Paco Saldonas."

Kol frowned and looked at his sister. "I know that name from somewhere."

She nodded. "You've probably heard of him. He worked in New York for a while, as well as a few other big cities. Chicago, Los Angeles, San Fran… he owns his own private adoption agency."

"Ah." Kol nodded, but didn't confirm whether or not he had heard the name before. "But I'm guessing this agency isn't exactly a by the books kind of company."

"I think they are… for the most part," Allie said and pulled up a picture of the van crash.

Kol whistled. "Somebody's drifting game was not strong. Looks like a direct hit to the barrier and at least three flips."

That was actually exactly what had happened, but before I could ask him how he could tell, Allie nodded. "Yeah, well, they were in a high-speed chase."

Kol scoffed. "That's no excuse."

"Focus." She pulled up a picture of the driver. "The driver was this guy. He's been a getaway driver for a long time, but police have never been able to catch him."

"What have the police been using to chase him?" Kol asked. "Snails with saddles?"

Danny coughed to cover a laugh and I elbowed him.

"Yeah, don't encourage him," Allie told Danny and then turned back to the screen to show the pictures of the car seats inside of the van. "We believe that he was connected with the kidnapping of two young children."

Kol grew very still, reminding me of a viper before it struck. "How young?"

"One is four-months-old. The other will turn one in a week."

All traces of joviality were gone from Kol's expression. "Were they in the crash?"

"No. The mother of the youngest one that was snatched this morning recognized the driver as one of the men that kidnapped her son, but said there was another man with him. We think that Saldonas is keeping them somewhere, waiting to get paperwork forged on them before he can adopt them out for a large sum of money."

"No one has busted him for this yet?"

"Not yet," Kono spoke up. "The FBI has been investigating him for years, but they've never been able to find anything. He's really good at covering his tracks."

"And men like him don't stop just because someone died. There's nothing officially linking him to Saldonas."

Understanding lit Kol's blue eyes. "He's going to be needing a new getaway driver. And soon."

"Yes."

His face split into a grin as he looked at Allie. "We're running a Flying Cuckoo."

"What's a Flying Cuckoo?" Chin asked.

Allie spoke up before Chin could. "It's nothing." She looked to Kol. "You don't have to do this. It could get dicey."

"I love when things get dicey." Kol clapped his hands together and turned to face me. "You're the one in charge here, so here's what I'm going to need: fake driver's license, fast car, and a really cool pair of sunglasses."

"Sunglasses?" Danny asked him incredulously. "Are you serious here?"

"All good getaway drivers wear sunglasses," he said very seriously.

"This guy wasn't wearing sunglasses," Kono argued.

But Kol pointed at her as if she'd just made his entire point for him. "Exactly."

We were wasting time, so I jumped in. "Okay, okay. Why don't you go take care of the sunglasses shopping, and we'll work on your ID and the car? Chin, see what HPD has impounded."

"On it," Chin said and hurried into his office.

"What happens next?" I asked Allie.

She and Kol exchanged a glance, and slowly, a smile broke out on her face. "We have a high-speed chase."

"Like, a real one?" Kono asked, disbelieving.

"No," she said. "A totally staged one."

"But you can really try if you want," Kol offered. "You won't be able to catch me, anyway. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some shades to buy."

Once he was gone, I sent Danny and Kono away to start working on Kol's fake ID. Then, I turned to Allie, crossed my arms, and looked at her very seriously. "I want to take this chance because it seems like the only way to stop Saldonas for good. But, are you sure that this is going to work?"

"Nothing is ever a hundred percent," she told me. "But Kol is the best driver that I know, and believe me, I know a lot. If anyone can do this, it's him." She stepped closer and lowered her voice. "I know that you don't trust me and that's fine. But if you believe nothing else about me, believe that I don't tolerate people that hurt children. Saldonas will go down, even if I have to beat the answers out of him myself."

Her sincerity was hard to refute, so I nodded. "Okay. So, what are you going to do now?"

"I'm going to brief HPD on how the chase is going to go down. Coming?"

I nodded and followed her down the stairs. "So, how is it going to go down?"

"We need to have Kono track Saldonas after he leaves from work and tail him to wherever he goes. The chase will have to go through there."

"But how will Saldonas know who the driver is?"

She smiled, a smile full of secrets. "Trust me, Kol knows what he's doing. But he didn't mention that he's actually going to be needing two cars. He doesn't know this yet, but a Flying Cuckoo isn't the only thing we're going to be running. First, we have to run a Phantom Driver."

"What's up with these crazy names?" I asked her.

She shrugged. "I think it's just to make it more fun. You riding with me?"

"Sure. Let's go."

I helped her brief the cops and then we went back to HQ, where we briefed the team and sent Kono out to begin tailing Saldonas. A short while later, Kol returned dressed in jeans, a gray tee, and a black leather jacket. Aviator glasses rounded out his outfit.

"A leather jacket?" Danny asked. "Seriously, kid?"

He removed them with a smile, unaffected by Danny's words. "Trust me, I need the layers." He looked to Allie. "Phantom Driver, huh?"

She shrugged but smiled, seeming to get more and more into this job as time passed. There was an air of excitement around her that I'd never seen before, and it practically made her glow. "One of your favorites, as I recall. Do you have the bug?"

"Bug?" Danny asked her. "I thought you said he didn't need a bug?"

"Not from you guys," Kol said. "No offense, but you're a little behind on technology. I have the bug." He handed Allie a flash drive. "Here's the transmitter."

"Great," she said. "You all clear on what to do?"

"Absolutely," he said and smiled before putting his shades back on. "I'll catch you guys later."

Seconds later, Kono sent a text to Allie.

Showtime.

Allie

"I would have thought that you'd want to be in on the chase," I said to Steve, who had insisted on sitting in the car with me. Normally, a van was used for stakeouts, but I had pointed out that vans are pretty suspicious on a street with fancy shops and restaurants.

So, we were sitting inside of a dark Sedan with tinted windows, laptop on the console between us. We each had our own pair of headphones around our necks, ready for Kol's conversation with Saldonas, who sat in a fancy French restaurant at his usual table by the window.

A perfect view.

"Well, we're not actually catching anybody," Steve said. "It's not nearly as exciting that way."

"I disagree. Driving fast cars is always exciting."

He shrugged. "Kono, Danny, And Chin will all be in on it. You sure your brother can pull this off? I don't see how Saldonas is going to be able to find him if all he sees is a car speeding by."

"So much to learn, Commander," I smiled. "Just trust me. Oh, look. The appetizers were just delivered."

Steve grabbed his radio and spoke into it. "Showtime, guys."

Kol's voice was the first to answer. "You mean time to roll." Seconds later, the radio was announcing that police were in pursuit of an older model Mustang with stolen plates. Dark blue.

"Here we go," I sighed and settled in to listen as he led them on a merry chase.

"How is he going to get away from them?" Steve asked as the chase got closer and closer. We could hear the sirens from the cop cars as well as several loud honks.

Adrenaline rushed through me, even though I wasn't involved in the chase. "Trust him."

Moments later, I saw the Mustang that Kol had been driving round the corner at a high speed. There was so much friction that it created a cloud of smoke. Perfect. Most ordinary drivers would have crashed, but Kol easily recovered and the car began to head down the street that we were parked on.

Showtime.

"Why is it losing speed?" Steve asked as he looked through his binoculars. "Is something wrong with it? What did…" He leaned forward slightly, looking closer as the police cars came around the street, following the Mustang and easily gaining on it. "Allie, he's gone."

"I know."

He looked over at me and I couldn't help but laugh at the confused look on his face.

"Wait for it, okay? You won't be disappointed."

Immediately, his binoculars were pointed towards the other car that Kol had requested, a white SUV parked up the street, right on the corner. "I don't see him in there, either."

"Wait for it," I said quietly, and we watched the police overtake the Mustang. They immediately began to shout that there was no driver, and all of them were astounded. Genuinely astounded, as Kol and I hadn't told them exactly how the plan would work.

They were all so focused on the car that they didn't see Kol coming up the street, his leather jacket and aviators nowhere in sight.

I nudged Steve and pointed him out. "Ta-da."

"How in the hell did he do that?" Steve's voice was a mix of surprise, confusion, and wonder. He had a slight smile on his face, impressed by what had just happened. It was the most disarmed I'd ever seen him, and I kind of liked it.

"I told you he's the best. Now, it's really showtime. He's headed into the restaurant."

We both watched as Kol walked into the French restaurant.

"Headphones on," Steve said, but I had already begun to pull mine over my ears.

"Bar, please," Kol told the hostess, and she must have led him over there, because he ordered a Tom Collins less than a minute later. "And something to snack on," he told the bartender. "I'm starving."

For the next ten minutes, the only sounds we could hear were indistinctive bar chatter and Kol eating and drinking. It was starting to get really boring, and Steve was getting more and more worried by the second.

And then, finally, a voice. "Excuse me. Is this seat taken?" We didn't have eyes on him, but I would have bet it was Paco Saldonas that spoke.

"No, go ahead," Kol said and then got the bartender's attention. "Can I get another one, please?"

"Should he be drinking that much?" Steve asked me.

I rolled my eyes. "A Tom Collins is just gin with a few other things mixed in. And I promise you Kol can handle his gin very well."

"My name is Paco Saldonas," came the new voice.

"Um… okay?" The underlying message of Kol's words was: why are you even talking to me?

Paco chuckled. "I saw the stunt that you pulled off out there. With the car chase."

"I don't know what you're talking about." There was just the right amount of fear and caution in Kol's voice. He could have been an actor.

"No, no, it's okay," Paco assured him. "I thought it was very stylish."

"Again, I don't know what you're talking about." He thanked the bartender for his drink.

Paco spoke again, unwilling to let it go. "They have many windows in this place. I heard the sirens and was watching as you came around the corner. But when the police caught up to the Mustang, you were no longer in it. Tell me… how did you do it?"

"You a cop?" Kol demanded, because no one in his situation would be instantly trusting. He had to play it just right to get on the inside.

"No, no," Paco told him. "I assure you, I'm just a businessman in need of someone with your… talents. Indeed, I believe you may have come to me in my very hour of need."

His next words were skeptical but curious. Perfect. "A businessman, huh? What business are you in?"

"I run an adoption agency."

Kol laughed. "Look, don't waste my time, okay? Why would an adoption agency need a driver?"

"I have my reasons," Paco assured him. "Would you be interested?"

"Thanks, but I just finished a job, as you just witnessed. I better lay low for a little while."

"What's he doing?" Steve asked, sounding slightly panicked. "Paco will just move on."

"Shh," I told him. "Just wait."

"Are you certain?" Paco asked him. "I can get you papers, ID… anything you need. I have places for my men to stay. Off the grid, so no one can find you."

"And why would you help me?"

"As I said, I need someone of your skills."

"And if I say yes?" Kol asked him.

"Then I would ask for your ID for my men to run a background check. If you pass, then you're in. And I promise you, I am a very generous man when it comes to compensation."

Kol was quiet for a few moments, likely appearing to be considering it very seriously. Then, he said, "If you can offer me protection from the police, then sure. Here's my ID. When will I hear from you?"

"Write down your number," he said and Kol did just that. "I will contact you when the check is finished."

"Great." Kol slurped down the rest of his drink and must have gone to pay, because Paco spoke up and told him that it was on him.

"Consider it a signing bonus."

Kol laughed, gave a quick farewell, and then was out the door. He didn't even glance our way as he headed for the white SUV parked up the street. "Hope you guys got all that. I'm going to go and lay low in the motel. He'll have guys following me."

Sure enough, two of Paco's men exited the restaurant and began to follow him. When they slid into a red Mazda, Steve got the plate number and called it in to Kono. It came back to Paco.

"Right on track," I said as I unplugged the headphones and began to put them back into their bag. "Now, we just go back to HQ and wait for Kol to tell us that he's in."

"And then he signals us as soon as he has sights on the kids?" Steve asked me, even though he knew that was the plan.

"Yes. Hopefully that won't be long. I know those parents have to be miserable, wondering where their kids are and if they're okay."

Steve handed me his headphones and laptop to put away, and then he steered away from the curb and towards HQ. "It's not much consolation, but at least we know that Paco doesn't intend to kill them. He wants to sell them for a profit."

"Which is still sick," I said, the disgust making my skin crawl. "And the parents that get these kids don't even know the truth. Neither do the kids."

Steve was quiet for a few moments and then said, "I wonder how many kids have been taken over the years. Sold away to new families."

"If we find those files…" I let out a breath, almost afraid of the answer. "Are we going to have to go find those kids? Return them to their families?"

"Not us, but the FBI will."

"I can't imagine how many kids' lives are going to be flipped upside down. And not just the kids… the adoptive parents, too. Sometimes, I really hate this job."

Steve glanced over at me with a sad smile. "We're returning two kidnapped children to their parents. That has to make up for something."

"Yeah," I conceded. "But there will always be bad in the world."

"Can't argue that."

The rest of the ride passed in silence.

Back at HQ, we went inside and found Chin, Kono, and Danny pacing around, waiting for news. They rushed forward when they saw us and Steve held up a hand to calm them. "The flash drive is in the bag. You guys can listen to what happened and get caught up."

"I just want to know how he did that," Danny demanded of me as Kono took the bag and dug for the flash drive. "Never in my life have I ever seen anything like that. When did he have time to jump out of the damn car?!"

I smiled. "Sorry, Danny. It's classified."

He bit the inside of his cheek for a moment, looking between me and Steve as if we were in on something together. "Classified, huh? That sounds awfully familiar. Come on!"

But the flash drive feed was up and we all gathered around to listen to it together. After it was over, there was nothing more to do but wait.

"The identity that we gave him was solid," Kono said at one point. "I did everything that you told me to do, Allie. Criminal record, record of being the getaway driver, wanted in a few countries and on the mainland…"

"They don't have our resources," I said to calm everyone, because they seemed antsy. "It's going to take them a little longer to run a background check. Just give it some time."

And, sure enough, I got a text from Kol's cell phone half an hour later.

"Kol just sent me a text. They ran his background and found exactly what we wanted them to. With that kind of record, Saldonas couldn't resist taking him on immediately. He sent Kol an address and told him it was a building where some of his men stayed to keep out of the public eye. He's headed there now."

"Does he think the kids are there?" Danny asked.

"We'll find out if he signals us once he's inside," I said and stood. "But we can at least be close by, if that's the case."

"Let's hope he finds something," Steve said, and we all began to move out.

I was already praying.