Thanks for all the alerts and the reviews! I do miss writing the light-hearted stuff! So I get pumped when I get such positive reactions from you!
Is it a Crime?
1.2 Dirty Laundry
Brittany approached the closest bar area that wasn't too difficult to navigate to. Most of the counters were crowded with men and women either chatting or trying to gain the attention of the very busy bartenders. Everyone moved with a purpose and to the steady beat of the bass from the dance floor. Not that the dance floor was contained to only one area. Everywhere bodies were pulsing to the music and rubbing up against each other. Brittany smiled to herself and thought about her days spent in college and at clubs with her friends.
Britt found one part of the bar that was more open than the others. The cop didn't think anything of it and sat down at an empty bar stool. A few people gave her passing glances, but didn't move toward her. It felt strange to be in a club without at least someone to talk to. Going to a club like this was only fun in a group.
"Baby Gazelle, are you in a good position? Do you see the target?" The ear piece asked. Mike was back to speaking to her.
Britt glanced up to the VIP section, but didn't see anyone except some rather large security guards. Puckerman might not show up at his club tonight. He could be elsewhere. "Negative."
"Maintain good position and tell us when you've seen the target."
"Copy." Brittany said softly. Her fingers were playing with the neatly arranged napkins on the counter and the small bowl of pistachios. It had been a long time since she had seen that type of nut. In fact, she was pretty sure the last time she had seen pistachios were at her Uncle Milton's house. She picked one up and carefully opened it before she popped it into her mouth. Before she could even reach down for a second, another one appeared from nowhere and was perfectly situated exactly where she had just taken the first one. Brittany hadn't noticed it before, but since she definitely remembered eating one, she peered closely into the bowl. For the first time, she realized all the nuts were arranged in a perfect circle around the outer edge.
Strange.
She shrugged and took another one. By the time she had worked the shell off and popped it into her mouth, Brittany saw the pistachio had already been replaced.
"What?"
A simple glance down and Brittany saw there was a hand desperately grabbing for the discarded shells she had dropped to the counter. The hand moved lightning fast across the surface of the counter to gather all the shells with a napkin. Another napkin was rubbing in perfect circles onto the polished wood. The small woman was a little bit older than the rest of the staff Brittany had seen working the bar, but she was attractive for a woman in her middle thirties. Her eyes were wide, bright, and slightly panicking.
The frantic way the woman's hands were trying to clean the bar counter made Brittany feel guilty. Was she causing this woman all this panic over a few crumbs? Maybe she shouldn't be eating at the bar like this?
"Um-can I help you?" Brittany asked.
"Me?" Her head popped up from cleaning the counter, but her hands never stopped moving. Brittany was sure that particular spot of wood would be the shiniest in the country by the time this woman stopped cleaning it. The question must have amused her because she started to laugh hysterically. "No! Oh my goodness no! I am here to help you. What can I get you to drink?"
Brittany couldn't tear her eyes away from the swirling cloths still making perfect circles.
"Water."
"Sure coming right up!" The woman said enthusiastically, but she didn't move anywhere. Her hands kept cleaning the counter. Brittany's eyes were following the circles and she glanced back up to the woman. Her bright and almost cartoonish eyes were wide with what Brittany thought could only be panic.
Britt had always been naturally empathetic. The voice of her superior rang through her head. She could only imagine Sue yelling about taking precious time and energy to deal with a clearly unhinged bartender. But the woman was going to literally clean the counter to death. Brittany wouldn't be surprised if there was a hole under the cloth by the time she was done. "Do you-um-do you want me to take over here?" The blonde officer pointed to the cloth. "I can take over if you want."
"Would you?" She asked desperate for some relief.
"Um sure! I'll just take that cloth from you." Brittany reached for the cloth. Very cautiously the woman let go of the cloth and allowed Brittany to grip it.
"Just um make small circles like that. Okay, perfect!" She hesitated for a moment before she walked away.
Britt worked the cloth the same way the bartender had been so painstakingly cleaning with it. A few seconds later she returned with a small glass of ice water in her hand. Before she placed the glass down, she pulled out four napkins from underneath the counter and arranged them in a perfect stack on the counter before she centered the glass of water down. "There you go. And I will take that." The bartender took the rag from Brittany's hand and threw it into a laundry basket behind her.
"Thanks!" Britt said as she picked up the glass and took a sip of the cold water. Before she could even place the water back down on the counter, the bright-eyed woman had already replaced the napkins with exactly four more, neatly stacked. Brittany could feel a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "My name's Bri-Anita." She quickly caught her mistake as she remembered the name on her fake ID.
"Oh that's so nice. Most people just want my name." Her smile faltered. "Because they want to report me." She paused and looked up as if she had been tricked. "Wait, do you want to report me?"
"What?" A few drops of water spurted out of Britt's mouth as the woman quickly panicked about her name. "No! I wasn't going to report you. Why would I report you?"
The woman quickly retrieved a new cloth and wiped up the few drops of water obsessively. "Emma. My name is Emma and I have no idea why anyone would report me-" She was rubbing even harder. "Or why I am always the lowest tipped bartender. I just don't understand. I keep the nicest station and it's always neat. And no one ever dances on my counters because it's against the bar's policy and it's unsanitary. But I am still always reported."
Brittany saw at least four other places on the counter where drunken women in short skirts or dresses were dancing on the bar top. Maybe it wasn't really against the Ark's policy, but she wasn't going to tell Emma that. Instead, Britt smiled and tried to get Emma to calm down a bit and maybe not clean the countertop so furiously.
"Well you did just give me the cleanest glass I've ever had at a bar."
"I did?" Emma looked up with a much brighter smile and stopped rubbing at the counter. "I did hand wash it seven times."
"It's sparkling." Brittany said softly with a kind smile. The woman blushed and muttered something about having to clean the taps for the tenth time. "Thank you, Emma."
Brittany waited until Emma had walked away before she attempted to make contact with the Candy Van again.
"Gazelle, you clear?"
"Yes."
"She sounded nice." This time it was Will on the line.
"Real nice…like a mother you'd want to kiss or maybe hang out with cause you're feeling down." This was the first time Finn had spoken and Brittany kinda wished he hadn't. Those were some strange feelings that everyone felt he shouldn't have shared.
"Don't you think that's a little inappropriate?" Will started to ask Finn and it felt like it was going to be one of those emotional sessions Will liked to conduct during evaluations with his squad members.
Mike cut him off. "Have you made contact yet?"
"No." Britt responded. Guiltily, she remembered they hadn't made contact with Sam yet either. "Have you found Guppy?"
"No. But we have the team working on it. We're sure he's okay."
Brittany didn't want to imagine where Sam was if he wasn't with the team by now. Maybe she shouldn't have left him. She should have stayed with him. "Maybe I should leave and help with the search."
"No. Stay the course. Make the captain happy." Will's voice overrode Mike's calming presence on the line.
"Understood." Brittany picked up the glass of water from the counter and took another sip. She could feel Emma already clearing the napkins on the counter and replacing them. But Britt didn't turn around just yet. Now that she had a comfortable position in the club, the patrons were easily visible to observe. There were guards posted everywhere and even a few moved through the crowds. Most people were drunk and those who weren't were the ones Brittany's eyes lingered on. One in particular caught her attention.
Brittany instantly recognized the woman from the case profiles. Anyone would recognize her. Unless they lived under a rock and Brittany most certainly did not live under a rock.
Santana Lopez.
She was the Santana Lopez. The biggest attraction in this shit city and she sang exclusively at the Ark and only for Puckerman. She was also known to be his exclusive girl. Whenever she had an event, he would be right there. And every time he was brought in for questioning, she was always his alibi. True to her status at the club, it seemed like she parted the waves. The sea of people who barely budged for the bouncers, easily pulled apart to give her the space her presence demanded. Brittany didn't even realize she was staring at the singer until she noticed the sea parting in her direction. Suddenly Santana's eyes were locked onto hers from across the club.
"I think I'm about to make contact with Santana Lopez." Brittany hurriedly whispered toward her clutch.
Mike's calm voice quickly responded. "Do you feel like your cover's been blown?"
Instinctively, Britt almost whispered 'yes,' but the word remained lodged in her throat. Truthfully, she had never felt so exposed before in all her life. Her blue eyes were locked with the sultry dark haired beauty, sauntering purposefully Brittany's way. All she could see were those dark eyes and Brittany's heart fluttered. They flashed with hunger, an insatiable kind. Brittany instantly realized that she was the prey. She sat on the barstool, firmly in Santana Lopez's crosshairs. Her heart was pounding, but not from fear, but her body quivered from anticipation and the realization that even if she wanted to flee, this woman never missed a shot or allowed her quarry to escape. Breathlessly, Brittany whispered back to Mike. "No." But she knew the truth, she was definitely in danger and this woman…this woman was going to be the cause of it.
Brittany adjusted the clutch under her arm and allowed her leather jacket to rest easier around her body. No matter how much the jacket covered her, Brittany could feel Santana's eyes roving up and down her body shamelessly. Any other time someone would have so brazenly eyed up every inch of her body, Brittany would have felt violated or objectified. But Santana's eyes weren't only on Brittany's long legs or looking to her chest, no, Santana's eyes met hers like a challenge.
Shit.
A shudder ran down Brittany's body. She tried to shake the feeling. This was her job. She had a job to do. Try as she might to concentrate on anyone or anything else in the club, Brittany found the task impossible.
"Be careful." She could hear Mike's voice in her ear, but it felt so distant. Everything faded away as Brittany stood in this woman's direct line of sight. As she neared, Brittany's heart beat even faster and she knew for sure that contact with this woman would be her death. Britt resisted the urge to look around.
Santana was only a few feet from her now and had yet to break eye contact with the blonde. Brittany sucked in what she felt would be her last breath.
And then nothing.
Santana finished her strut through the club and easily slid into the space next to Brittany. For a moment, the Latina batted her long eye lashes at the blonde before she turned to Emma. Britt's body quaked from what felt like a near-death experience. Her heart slowly returned to normal. Now that she was able to think again, Britt watched as Santana casually leaned over the counter. She didn't know if she should feel relief that Santana hadn't been coming all the way over here for her or disappointment that her enchanting stare had been for someone else.
Who? Brittany could hardly imagine it had been for Emma. Those dark eyes had been on Brittany and Brittany alone. Every inch of her body hummed with energy from the enchantress sitting next to her.
"Pills." Santana addressed the bartender with both familiarity and power. Emma jumped. "Can I get my usual?"
Emma nodded emphatically and pulled out a bottle of liquor. Brittany licked her upper lip and debated if she should turn around and address Santana. Would that blow her cover by being too forward? Or was this the perfect opportunity to observe Puckerman's favorite girl without her knowledge?
Brittany never got the chance to act on either of those questions as Santana turned around on the counter so she was facing Brittany. Her elbow rested lazily on the wood. Brittany had no choice but to acknowledge her presence. Trying to make herself seem as natural as possible, the blonde gave her the closest thing to a smile. Unfortunately after spending so much time with Sam, the smile was less than graceful and spread across her face too wide. Santana's smile changed. It also broadened as if taking on a more natural disposition. Brittany wanted to tell her that it was pretty, but she couldn't.
Job! She needed to focus on her job!
"It's been a very long time since I've seen a woman walk through the doors as beautiful as yourself and not be an employee of the Ark." Each and every single word from her lips were laced with a certain boldness that Brittany couldn't quite figure out. Britt's eyes darted from her eyes to her lips and quickly back to her eyes.
And then she processed the words.
It had been awhile since anyone had truly made her blush. She was used to getting hit on by both sexes, especially at the club. But this time it felt different. Never had just the sound of someone's voice hummed through her entire body like Santana's words. Brittany felt like an idiot for being unable to respond. "I-um-"
"It's okay. No need to say anything. I just wanted you to know how beautiful you are." Santana's lips curved into a mysterious smirk.
"Thanks." This time Brittany really did blush. She almost pushed her hair back as a nervous habit, but remembered the ear piece that her blonde locks were concealing.
Job. Job. Job.
"Santana Lopez." She held out her hand for Brittany to take. The blonde swallowed hard trying to remember her fake name. Santana's eyes held her paralyzed. What was her name? Her brain raked trying to remember the fake ID in her wallet.
On cue, Emma returned with a glass and four napkins perfectly stacked on the counter. "Here you go, Miss Lopez."
"Yes. Yes. Thank you. How about you get another drink for…" Santana's eyebrow arched toward Brittany.
"Anita!" Brittany blurted out suddenly remembering the ID. The force of her name took Santana aback. The singer licked and bit her bottom lip in amusement. A small smile played on her lips. "I mean-" Brittany tried again with much more control. "Anita. My name's Anita."
"Is it now?" Santana playfully repeated the name. It didn't roll off her tongue properly. "Anita." It didn't feel right. No, that had to be a cover. Maybe Berry was right about the blonde being a cop. Santana tried not to frown. If she was a cop, she couldn't stay in the Ark for too long. Sure, Noah had asked Santana to clean up the mess, but he was impatient and it wouldn't be long until his thugs took care of Legs.
Damn.
"Anita" was far too fuckable to be cop and far too pretty to get roughed up. It had been a long time since someone had made her smile like this woman. Seriously? It seemed as if she couldn't even remember her own name. "Anita" had to be the worst undercover cop ever, but so damn hot.
Fuck.
Santana knew she was going to regret this. She didn't even glance to Emma, but she said. "Fetch Anita another water?"
"I'm good. Really." Brittany tried to get Emma's attention so the bartender wouldn't work herself into another frenzy, but she must not have heard her. Forced to look back at Santana, Brittany felt the situation was already getting way out of hand. "Thanks."
"No problem, Anita." Santana leaned forward and touched the pistachios in the bowl on the counter. All of Emma's perfect circles were messed up, but Brittany didn't see malicious intent in Santana's eyes. No, it was something else. The brunette met her eyes with a soft smile and questioned. "So where are you from?"
"I'm from West Valley, just out of the city." Brittany said thankful that she had finally recalled all the details of her cover.
"West Valley, huh?" Santana asked playfully. Her eyes batted. And Britt felt her heart skip again. Santana had to know she was lying. "You know, Anita,-" Every time Santana said her alias' name, Brittany resisted the urge to cringe. Her cover was definitely blown. "-my favorite tio lives in West Valley and he would have definitely told me about an Anita like you living near him. He's got an eye for that kinda of thing."
"An eye for what kind of things?" Brittany asked, unsure what Santana could be implying.
Santana leaned forward on the bar stool a little further. Her left hand slid across the wood of the counter so her fingers were only a fraction away from touching Brittany's. Her luscious lips were level with Brittany's own and the officer could feel every hot breath she exhaled. But those dark eyes are what mesmerized the blonde woman. Brittany's eyes were drawn to those lips as Santana huskily whispered the words. "Hot blondes."
Brittany felt the heat of her words run like wildfire through her body. If this wasn't Puckerman's girl, Brittany would be certain that Santana was shamelessly flirting with her. It wouldn't be the first time she had been hit on by girls and she wasn't so innocent to say that she hadn't run a few pickup lines on the "fairer" sex before. She knew how to play the game; Santana had just caught her off-guard. Challenging, Brittany didn't back away from Santana's space invasion. Her bright blue eyes sparkled as she leaned a fraction closer to the brunette. She matched the same playful tone in her sparring partner's voice as she stated. "Maybe it's not just your uncle who has a thing for hot blondes."
"Maybe not." Something shifted in Santana's dark eyes, but Brittany couldn't quite place it.
"Your fresh water." Emma returned and placed four napkins stacked on the counter for Brittany before she noticed the pistachio bowl. "Oh no. Not again. I-um-I'll be back."
She grabbed the bowl and threw it away in a trashcan behind the bar. The entire bowl and all the nuts were tossed just like that and Emma started to rummage through the cabinets to find what Brittany assumed was a replacement bowl.
"Look, Anita, I'm going to help you out." Santana said once they were alone again. The singer's hand crawled finger by finger across the wooden top of the counter and came down onto Brittany's own. The blonde officer felt her entire body catch fire. Her bright blue eyes darted from the hand on hers and back to Santana's face. The brunette's body moved into the tiny space that had separated them. Those lips were so deliciously close. Brittany wanted nothing more than for Santana's flirtation to come to fruition. Britt closed her eyes shut and waited for those plump lips to come to hers. But Santana's forehead grazed Brittany's temple. And instead of her lips, Santana's mouth ran through Brittany's wavy blonde hair and just barely brushed her earlobe. It was the tiniest of touches, but it was enough for Brittany's body to shudder. She had to shut her eyes even tighter. She bit her bottom lip hard to stifle the moan Santana's advances caused.
Whether she was successful or not, Brittany didn't know. She could only feel Santana's other hand trailing up the leather shoulder of her jacket. The Latina's nails lightly dragged up the side of Brittany's neck. Everywhere the singer touched, Brittany's body erupted with sensations. "You're beautiful and you shouldn't hide your face." Santana whispered every word against Brittany's ear.
The blonde had never been so turned on before. Every word worked as its own aphrodisiac. This time the officer did moan. "Or your blue eyes, Anita." Brittany's hand clenched at the edge of the counter underneath Santana's invasive hand. The singer must have noticed. Her fingers worked down Brittany's digits until their hands were locked. Now every squeeze Brittany's hands took to control her writhing body, the Latina felt. "And you definitely don't need anyone's voice in your ear-" The hand Santana had been working up the other side of Brittany's head clutched at the ear piece Brittany had completely forgotten about. "-except for mine."
Flustered and incredibly turned on, Brittany's eyes snapped open as she realized what Santana was doing. Shit! Shit! Shit! She had a job to do!
Brittany attempted to react, but Santana was far too fast. The brunette pulled back from the blonde with sudden sureness. She grabbed the clutch underneath Britt's arm and dropped the ear piece into the department issued bag. Wordlessly, Santana grabbed the new glass of water Emma had brought over. She opened the clutch.
Helpless and completely immobile, Brittany watched as Santana dumped the liquid onto the only means of communication she had with the Candy Van.
"No!" She finally managed to get out. "Why?"
Santana let the ruined and soaking wet clutch stay on the counter as she turned back to Brittany. Her right hand reached up. The back of her hand brushed some hair from Brittany's bewildered expression. "It didn't match your outfit, Anita."
"But-" Frantic, Brittany released Santana's hand from hers.
But Santana gripped her hand harder and forced her to meet her eyes. "Now listen, Anita, if that's even your name. You need to leave now. Or it's going to be bad. Puckerman's men haven't figured out who you are yet, but the Ark security normally lets small details like that out. It's only a matter of time before they come after you."
Brittany glanced around. But Santana's hand gently brushed against her cheek so Brittany's focus returned back to the singer. The back of Santana's hand smoothly coaxed Brittany's eyes back to hers. "Please leave before anything happens to you. Don't make me regret sticking my neck out for you."
Santana left a fifty dollar bill on the bar and stood up from her stool. She wanted to leave as soon as possible. Berry would be looking for her. She was supposed to do a number soon and if Berry was looking for her, then so would security. Puckerman wanted the cop out of here and while it had been fun to flirt and play with the blonde, the Ark had always been life or death. They could play, but this wasn't a game Santana never intended to lose. That meant she had to do as Noah said.
Anita needed more time to leave. She couldn't get caught now. The singer only took one step before she felt a strong grip hold her still. She turned around and met those beautiful blue eyes. This time it was Santana's turn to fall hopelessly lost into another's eyes.
"Why are you helping me?"
"Because maybe I do have a thing for hot blondes." Santana flashed her a smooth wink. "Please leave, Anita, I don't want to see you again."
Brittany loosed her grip on Santana's arm. It felt like all the life in the club went with her. Disoriented to everything, Brittany sat there. Her body felt like something was missing. Sure, she still tingled with the feel of that woman so close, but now, she felt a distinct sense of loss.
"Oh no. Oh my goodness. Oh my."
Brittany shook herself out of the daze Santana Lopez's presence had thrown her into and turned around. Emma stood there with a look of horror on her face.
Oh right.
Emma's job just got infinitely more annoying and Brittany's job had become almost impossible by one action from the same Santana Lopez. She was gone and so was Brittany's only way to communicate to her team.
Shit.
"Oh no. Oh no. I just found another bowl for the nuts and now…what is this?" Emma couldn't even bring herself to touch the soaking wet clutch. Brittany didn't even bother to rifle through its contents. The ear piece and the mic were probably irreparable from the water damage.
"I'm so sorry, Emma. I didn't mean to." Brittany said to try and assuage her.
"It's fine. It's fine. I'll just get a bucket and my gloves and my sanitizer and my face mask and my wood polisher. I should have all of that in my car. I guess now would be a good time to redo the finish. I think Home Depot is open. I wonder how much a sander would cost to rent and some varnish…" Emma continued to talk to herself. Brittany was positive that Emma didn't hear a word she said. She was already gathering supplies and talking to herself softly – something about how she had to start now if she wanted it to be clean before sunrise.
Leaving? That's what she should be doing. Before she could vacate the bar, the lights started to flicker and the music cut off abruptly. The color drained from the cop's face. Could Puckerman's men be coming for her right now? Blue eyes darted around to see if she'd have to make a run for it or blend into the crowd. But no one else seemed concerned. In fact, Brittany saw their eyes were firmly planted on the stage that had been roped off and unused since Brittany had arrived.
The DJ's voice boomed through the speakers. "I want everybody up in this Ark to give a roar for your favorite girl!" The crowd instantly responded. Brittany saw people milling toward the stage with excitement. The bar cleared as they all edged closer to be nearer to the platform. "You come here every night, hoping she'll sing and tonight's your lucky night. I want you all to give an animal welcome to the Ark's exclusive diva, Miss Santana Lopez."
The Ark roared.
And roared.
Brittany's body remained in its exact position on the bar stool. The woman who had completely disarmed her only a few minutes ago walked out from behind the back curtains of the stage. She waved her hands above her head and blew kisses to a few of her most animated fans in the front. The spotlights shone down upon her as she took the microphone from the stand. The smile she flashed at the crowd had them shouting and yelling all over again.
Those dark eyes lifted from the crowd below and made direct contact with sparkling blue from across the club.
Brittany knew Santana had been looking for her. It lasted for only a moment, but it was long enough for the songstress to cast her spell upon the blonde. Brittany remained firmly seated on the stool completely transfixed.
Fingers wrapped around the microphone stand as Santana leaned into the adoration of her fans. "I know you all came here looking for something new, but I decided to throw you a cover instead. This one is dedicated to a person I just met from outside the city." Flushed, Brittany's eyes made contact once more with the singer. Santana threw her wink before she whipped her hair back and demanded the band- "Hit it."
The curtains behind Santana rose and the brass came in right away. It wasn't what Brittany was expecting. The song had a jazzy feel to it and yet the beat was perfect to grind to. The crowd instantly reacted with cheers, but Santana's eyes grew dark as she raised the microphone to her mouth. Her lips pressed against the textured surface of the microphone. The hair on the back of Britt's neck stood straight up as she vividly recalled the pleasure of those lips when they had whispered up against her ear.
"I've got a bad boy and that's alright with me." Her voice was low and sensuous, and her body language inviting.
"His dirty laundry is nothing that I can't keep clean.
And when he needs an alibi
He can use me all night."
The way she rolled every word into a seductive insinuation implied sexual suggestions even more illicit than the lyrics did. Brittany's face heated. Santana had purposely decided to sing this song to the undercover cop in the club.
"(Oooh) What's the fun in playing it safe?
(Oooh) I think I'd rather misbehave
Your way."
"I'm just a bad girl-" She threw a playful wink to the adoring crowd. "-that's why we get along.
Won't make excuses for anything I'm doing wrong.
I'll pull the trigger in a flash.
Watch out honey, step back."
"(Oooh) What's the use in playing it safe?
(Oooh) Wouldn't you rather misbehave?
My way."
Santana had been working the crowd up for the song. She played to every angle and showcased the band generously. But now she stood up and reinserted the microphone into the stand slot. Her dark eyes were no longer playing for the crowd.
No.
They were firmly locked onto Brittany. Enchanted, Brittany's body forgot how to function under Santana's unflinching gaze. God, it felt like she was standing right in front of her again. The singer's fingers dragged up the microphone stand and it felt like they were scaling the sides of her face again.
"Oh baby show me the money my evil friend
Let's go to Mexico, drink margaritas in sin
I'll light a candle for good luck
Now come on baby let's..."
The short gasps she breathed into the microphone were criminal. Britt's body hummed as if Santana had been moaning into her ears alone. Hundreds of people separated them, but Brittany felt Santana's hands had just touched every inch of her body.
"(Oooh) What's the fun in playing it safe?
(Oooh) I think I'd rather misbehave
Our way."
The song was dying down, but Brittany's heart was still beating wildly. Even though Santana was singing to her fans, Brittany felt as if every word was directed to her.
"We're simply mad.
Simply mad."
Britt felt her throat tighten at Santana's last words and the promise in her eyes. She would drive the officer mad – there was no doubt about that.
The music died down and the crowd took over. They were railing against the stage, begging for more. The same DJ took over the speaker. Santana gave one last wave to her crowd before she exited through the curtains. "Hot Dayum! That shit was tight as always. Let's give it up one more time for the beautiful Santana Lopez!"
The lights were turned up. House music started again. Santana was nowhere in sight. Barely functioning, Brittany realized there were other people in the crowd now. And by people – she meant large burly men in dark suits heading in her direction.
Shit. Shit. Shit. Seriously! She had to be the worst undercover cop of all time. Well, except for Sam. He was number one, but she was definitely second on the list.
Shit.
She looked back at the bag on the counter. It was soaking wet and useless now. No time to even try to salvage her equipment. She left it.
The blonde sprang up from the bar and grabbed onto the first drunk girl she saw staggering through the crowd. Drunk and surly women in the bars were impossible to block even in a crowd like this. They always had a way of working through the thickest of crowds. The girl didn't even notice. She just continued to push through bodies and Brittany followed her closely. The blonde glanced behind her and saw the suits were changing their strategy. They were heading to the exits so Brittany wouldn't be able to escape even if she tried. Desperate for a new plan, the officer released the drunken girl's arm and started to go back the way she came. Maybe she could circle around somehow.
But every direction seemed to be quickly filling up with either suits or more bodies. Brittany glanced back to the bar where Emma had been. Emma had exited from the bar through a door. Maybe the suits wouldn't think to seal off the doors in the actual Ark. Brittany shoved and pushed her way through the crowd. They offered little resistance. A few suits saw her moving toward the bar and slowed up their chase. She had no way out. Brittany didn't hesitate, she leapt over the bar counter. The soaking wet clutch Santana had sabotaged cluttered to the floor. Brittany kept moving. She busted through the backdoor behind the bar.
She entered a dimly lit area. This would buy her a few minutes, but she needed to get the hell out of the Ark. Her eyes scanned the supply area. There were crates and skids of various liquors, napkins, and other supplies for the bar. To her left was a room that looked like a walk-in cold room and more hallways to her right. Britt took off to the right. She needed to put some space between her and those thugs. She needed to find Guppy. And most importantly, she needed to escape.
A few people were talking and walking down the hallway as she passed them. After two or three people, Brittany stopped sprinting. Running through the inner workings of the Ark looked much more suspicious than a woman calmly walking somewhere. Brittany took a deep breath. She needed to calm down. Her heels stopped clicking at such an accelerated rate.
Her breathing started to return to normal as she turned a corner. Nothing but more hallways. How big was this place? It seemed to go on forever! She turned another corner and tried to remain calm. She could do this. There was a reason why the captain chose her and Sam for this assignment.
Brittany frowned as she recognized the answer to the reason why Sue chose them was less than favorable.
She'd prove the captain wrong. She would.
As soon as she got out of here. Directions were not her thing. In fact, she was sure she had gone through this hall before. She could hear boots in the distance behind her, echoing off the concrete floor. Why was everything so dark and confusing back here?
"I think she went down this way!"
"Get the Ark head of security on the line! I want visuals and access to their camera feed!"
"You two go that way!"
Britt heard the guards somewhere behind her splitting up in different directions to find her. Worst plan ever! She was going to die down here in the bottom of the Ark. Sensing the impending danger, she booked it again. Brittany turned yet another corner and prayed that it wouldn't be one she had already been down. Right as she rounded the hall, a hand shot out of the darkness and grabbed her arm forcefully. The momentum of her fast running and the sudden change in direction slammed her body up against the wall.
An arm grasped at her wrists and pinned them against the cold hard cemented wall. Britt struggled, but to no avail.
Well now she was definitely screwed.
Thank again for all the alerts and favorites and of course for those of you who leave reviews! They are awesome!
I DID post the next chapter for Sirens so if you're looking for a darker version of Brittana crime that would be the place to go. Thanks and have a lovely weekend!
Song- Dirty Laundry by Bitter:Sweet