Well, a lot happens in this chapter. We find out Auggie's feelings about buffets and our spy duo hits the road for St. Louis and the first operation of the mission. It's a lot, I know, but I did not want to interrupt the story's flow by breaking it into shorter chapters.

I do this for fun only, so I have no association with Covert Affairs … but I do love those guys!

Enjoy!

Chapter 13 - Leaving on a Mission

The Anderson family gathered Saturday evening for a dinner of turkey tetrazzini that had become a holiday tradition. It was a casual affair that gave the grandchildren and their parents the opportunity to see the house decorated before Amanda hosted her usual holiday parties for friends and business associates. Auggie hadn't been around for one of these parties since he was in college. After he was recruited by the Agency and went to work, he'd fly home for Thanksgiving dinner and hop back on a plane to D.C. Then, after he was injured, there were several years he stayed in Washington for the holidays, much to his mother's dismay.

Auggie was surprised at how much he was looking forward to spending an informal evening with his brothers and their families. Although a house full of Andersons was loud and sometimes chaotic, he no longer was overwhelmed by it … merely unnerved by knowing that his sisters-in-law couldn't help but study his every movement.

Annie and Auggie had made a quick trip upstairs to freshen up after lunch and before they checked in with Amanda to see if she needed help with preparations. When they came back downstairs, they heard Mildred's voice in the kitchen. Auggie stepped into the breakfast area and held his arms open for a hug from his mother's long-time housekeeper.

Mildred looked up at him and laughed. "You still so stuck on yourself that you think I'm gonna want to give you a hug, huh," she said as she walked toward him and wrapped her ample arms around him. Auggie hugged her back and patted her on the back.

"You just couldn't stay away from Chez Anderson when you heard I was going to be here, could you?" he teased. "Seriously, Mildred, I was disappointed when I heard you were away for Thanksgiving and couldn't join us."

"Thank you, Auggie. I went to my daughter's early in the week, but came home yesterday. I called Amanda this morning to offer my help tonight."

Annie stepped into the kitchen and asked what she could do to help. Amanda told her and Auggie to join the rest of the family. "We're just having a casual buffet, and, as you can see, we're almost ready," Amanda responded.

Leaving the kitchen, Auggie leaned over to Annie and whispered sarcastically, "Oh, great … a buffet."

"What's the problem?" Annie asked. "We'll go through together. It's just salad, pasta and fresh bread."

Auggie scrunched his face, "Oh … well … if you don't see a problem."

"Silverware is on the dining room table. All we have to do is fill our plates and go to the dining room," Annie said. "And what's the deal with you? It's just your family."

Auggie's thinking expression spread over his face. His cheeks puffed slightly and he blew out the puff of air. "Family IS the problem. In a crowd of strangers, I'm just be the blind guy. We'd get a few curious glances at a wedding buffet … or whatever … and then we'd be ignored. My family … my brothers and especially their wives are going to scrutinize our every move …you don't share it with me, but I know they do."

Annie smiled but didn't respond immediately. She only made a noncommittal "Mmmm" sound.

Annie realized that in all the time she'd known Auggie and all the places they'd been, the only time they'd been around anything that resembled a buffet was a cheese cube, cracker and fruit punch reception at an award or retirement reception at the office. Annie would hand Auggie a small paper plate, tell him what the food choices were, he'd tell her what he wanted, she'd put it on his plate, they'd have a snack. End of story.

Before they joined the others in the family room, Annie stopped in the hall and turned to Auggie. "This isn't much different than those little receptions at the office. Just more food. Right?

Auggie shrugged. "I guess you're right. But, I just get tired of my sisters-in-law studying my every move. I can feel their stares and, frankly, having family stare at you like that is unnerving."

"Well, when they stare at you, they're staring at me, too. Do you want me to make a face at them?" she teased. "Auggie, you do things every day to keep the world safe, and I'm not going to allow a silly buffet to ruin your evening."

Auggie didn't smile. That concerned Annie. She had trouble understanding why the person who was always confident in his decisions on national security or her safety was having trouble getting his head around a family buffet.

Cynthia and Aaron were chatting with T.R. and Holly when they walked into the family room. After being warmly greeted, Auggie excused himself from the discussion about Christmas shopping, and made his way to the bar to get a couple of beers. He returned to where he'd left Annie following the sound of her voice and laughter.

"Annie?"

"Yes, Auggie."

"I hope you want one of these, because I don't want to be a two-fisted drinker tonight."

Annie laughed. "Sure," she said, reaching for the napkin wrapped bottle. "I'll be happy to help you out." Annie let her fingers touch Auggie's hand as she took the bottle, letting him know exactly where she was standing. They both smiled and rejoined the conversation.

Amanda came into the room to announce that dinner was ready. Auggie drained his beer and sat it on the table near where he had been standing. Annie did the same and draped her arms around his left arm. "Are you ready for dinner?" she whispered.

"As ready as I'll ever be."

"Sorry, Soldier Boy," Annie whispered, "I don't understand your apprehension and the dynamic here. It's just an informal family dinner."

The dishes were arranged on the island in the kitchen, and the family lined up to fill their plates on their way into the dining room. When Annie approached the island, she picked up two plates and handed one to Auggie. "I suppose you want salad and tetrazzini on the same plate … that's what I'm going to do," Annie said softly.

"That'll work," Auggie whispered.

"One or two slices of bread," Annie asked as she filled their plates.

"Two … now that I smell the food, I'm hungry.

"Italian or ranch dressing?" Annie asked as they walked around the island.

"Italian … not very much," Auggie instructed quietly.

They moved to the dining room and set their plates on the place mats that marked the table settings. Auggie started to pull the chair out for Annie, but she excused herself to get their drinks from the sideboard. When she returned, Auggie helped her get settled in. Annie picked up her fork and glanced around the table only to realize that Auggie was right. Several members of the family had been watching closely as they filled their plates and made their way to the dining room. She smiled at them creating a small awkward moment before the others picked up their forks and began eating their dinner.

Amanda joined the family in the dining room. As she sat down, she commented on how quiet everyone was. Everyone kept eating.

Annie smiled at Amanda and raised her eyebrows slightly. Then she reached over to Auggie's leg and tapped out in Morse Code, "You are right."

Auggie could not stifle a smile.

After Sunday morning breakfast with his parents, Annie and Auggie packed up the Escalade to head south down I-55 to St. Louis. The goodbyes were warm and casual, because they would return to Glencoe before going back to Washington. While Annie and Auggie were standing in front of her, Amanda took each of their hands. "I know this is a working trip. Be careful." She then kissed each of them on the cheek.

Annie looked at the sidewalk and whispered, "We'll be as careful as we can be."

"I know," Amanda said. "Give me a heads up when you're on your way back."

"OK," they said in unison.

Backing out of the driveway, Annie noticed the Northwestern duffle in the back seat. "What's with the Northwestern duffle?" she asked.

"That's our equipment for the trip," Auggie said. "It was either the Northwestern bag or an Army one. I thought the college one would draw less attention when we check into the hotel."

"I never asked," Annie mused. "Where did you make our hotel reservations."

Auggie smiled his most devilish smile. "The Ritz Carlton. Why?"

"Did you forget I'm driving here. It might be nice to know where I'm headed once we get into the area."

"Well, now you know," Auggie said as he fiddled with the radio trying to find some music. "When we get closer, we can google the address and you can plug it into the GPS."

"OK, but I think I remember how to get to it."

"You've been to St. Louis?" Auggie asked.

"Yes. My mom's sister and her family lived in Webster Groves, one of the suburbs. Mom and Aunt Martha would take Danni and me to the Ritz for lunch or, sometimes, tea." Annie giggled, "I think Mom was trying to civilize us."

Auggie laughed. "She did a very good job … especially on your sister."

"Watch it, buddy. You'd best not be insulting your driver. It's a long walk to either St. Louis or Glencoe from this point," she threatened teasingly. Driving into Springfield, Ill., Annie said she was ready to take a break and get a cup of coffee, so she pulled off the highway and into the first McDonald's she could find.

They bypassed the drive-thru, parked the car and went inside to use the facilities and order fresh coffee. About a half an hour out of Springfield, Annie realized that Auggie was remarkably quiet. He fiddled with his folded cane, and seemed to be lost in thought. She didn't intrude on his thoughts for another twenty or thirty miles, but finally decided to comment. "Auggie, where are you in your thoughts?"

"Hmmm, I'm sorry … I guess I did go kinda quiet there, didn't I?"

"Yes you did. You're always so good about talking to me to keep me awake when we're driving."

Reaching for Annie's shoulder, Auggie apologized, "I'm sorry … I was just thinking about the past few days and reminding myself about how much I have to be thankful for."

Auggie squeezed Annie's shoulder and she reached up with her right hand to cover his. "I know. We do have a lot to be thankful for. And … I think one of the things you're most thankful for today is that you're out of the DPD on an actual mission."

"You got me," Auggie said, "but I'm serious. Contrary to what some people may think about me, I do have so much to be thankful for … a great job where my knowledge and expertise are valued … that my injuries weren't any worse … a supportive family, even though they don't always understand me … and most important … you, Annie Walker."

Annie returned her hand to the steering wheel and stole a side-long glance at Auggie. "Injuries weren't worse?" Annie questioned.

"Yeah," Auggie sighed. "Although I lost my sight, I recovered from the concussion. I can think clearly. I can walk and talk and I have the use of my hands, so I can read Braille." Then, he was quiet again.

Annie wanted to say something reassuring, but she suspected he was thinking about the young men in his unit who he wasn't able to save. As their relationship had deepened, she recognized when she needed to step back and leave Auggie alone with his thoughts.

Driving toward the city, Annie saw the Gateway Arch peeking over the horizon. "We're almost there, Auggie, I can see the Arch coming into view. It looks like our mission is about to go live."

Auggie shifted in his seat. "We forgot to check on the hotel address when we stopped," he said.

"That's OK. It's early and I think we have time to make a quick stop downtown before we check in and get organized for tonight."

"Where do you want to stop?" Auggie asked. His voice had a professional, no-nonsense authoritative tone.

"I haven't seen the new baseball stadium, since it opened. I just want to see the Stan Musial statue. You OK with that? It'll only take a few minutes."

"Sure, if you want to," Auggie said. "The new stadium is really nice … it just doesn't have the personality of Wrigley Field."

"You've been there?" Annie asked.

"Of course," Auggie smiled. "It opened in 2006 and my brothers and I made a weekend of it and came down for the Cards-Cubs game. I sort of remember what it looks like. They built it so there's a nice view of the city and the Arch. You know … that weekend was the last Cubs baseball game I ever saw."

Annie pulled off the interstate and wound her way through the maze of downtown one-way streets to get to the stadium. Driving around the structure, she spotted the Musial statue and found a parking space. "You want to stay here or come with me?"

"Going with, of course … I don't want to run the risk of missing something," Auggie chuckled.

Annie smiled at him as the got out of the vehicle. He had worked through his darker thoughts and was back with her. A few other sightseers were milling around the stadium entrance and the statue. Annie and Auggie crossed the street and Annie headed straight for the statue and slowly circled and admired it.

Annie observed an older couple standing back admiring the statue and reminiscing about seeing "Stan the Man" play. She pulled out her phone and approached the couple. "Would you mind snapping our photo. My dad was a great fan, and I want to send it to him?"

The woman reached for the phone while saying, "Certainly … just show me what to do."

Annie went back to Auggie and whispered to him to turn to the right slightly so he would be facing the camera. The woman said, "Ready … smile …" She snapped the photo and said, "Just to be sure, let me take another one."

Annie thanked her and slipped the phone back into her coat pocket.

"Annie, you just handed over an encrypted CIA phone to a complete stranger," Auggie admonished in a whisper.

"I could tell they were nice, honest people, and I wanted a picture of us here," Annie said. "Let's head to the hotel."

Auggie knew he was defeated on the topic, but still said, "Annie," in his exasperated tone.

She smiled at him. "OK. Won't do it again."

Annie pulled out of the parking space and made her way to 40 West, which she remembered as the easiest way to the hotel from downtown. About 20 minutes later, she drove toward the Ritz entrance. "Do we want to do valet or self-parking?" she asked.

"Park it ourselves. I don't like the idea of giving up the keys and control over where we park," Auggie said.

"Self-park it is," Annie said as she veered to the left away from the main entrance and pulled into the parking garage behind the building. She drove up a couple of levels and parked near a door that looked like they would not need a key card to gain entrance. "Let's go find the lobby," Annie said.

They got out of the car and Auggie unfolded his cane, which he rarely did anymore when Annie was with him. "What's with that?" she asked.

Auggie lifted up the cane. "This. Well, yes. I need to concentrate of the layout of the hotel rather than rely on you. Let's just walk together and would you mind describing the layout beyond the five feet of the stick?"

"Gotcha," Annie said. "Well, the parking garage is pretty standard … a row of cars on either side of us, and we're parked facing the building seven spaces down from the door to the hotel's second level." She started walking toward the door and Auggie followed staying about a step behind her. "One more parking space, and the entrance is on our left."

Annie opened the door. "It swings to the right," she said. Auggie reached out and caught the door to hold it for Annie. "Thank you, Sir," she smiled.

"You're welcome."

They took a couple of steps into the hotel's second level. Annie described the wide hallways ahead and to the left and right. A wide curving staircase was to the right and the elevators were to the left. "Do you want to go to the lobby by the stairs or elevator?"

"Elevator first," Auggie said, "and we can come up the stairs."

Auggie followed Annie to the bank of elevators. "There are four elevators; and from the size of the doors it looks like they are large." Since no one was in the hallway, she took Auggie's left hand and showed him where the call buttons were located. He felt the buttons to gauge their height on the wall and then pressed down.

The doors opened on the main level to a much busier area. "Lots of people, hardwood floors, more narrow hallway," Annie whispered as they stepped out of the elevator. "If you're not going to take my arm, stay close. The registration desk is to the left."

When the guests noticed Auggie's white cane, they stepped aside to give him room to maneuver. Annie described the lobby bar area on the right and the rich furnishings throughout the area. "Annie, stop," Auggie said.

"Something wrong?"

"Almost … I forgot to tell you I made the reservations under one of your aliases … Laurie Ann Bertran. You have your Bertran credit card with you, don't you?"

"I keep it and the corresponding driver's license in a zippered compartment in my wallet. So we're cool."

Auggie let out a sigh of relief. "I can't believe I almost made such a rookie mistake," he said.

As they stood in line at the registration desk, Annie told Auggie there were three desk clerks on duty and the concierge desk was to their left. When it was their turn, Annie stepped up to the desk and laid her Bertran credit card and id on the marble counter and said, "We have a reservation for two under my name, Laurie Ann Bertran."

"Yes, Mrs. Bertran. You have a double with a king bed for two nights. Is that correct?"

"Yes, that's us," Annie replied. "And we have self-parked."

"Very well," the clerk said. "Here are two key cards, and your room number is on the inside of the cover."

Annie took the cards and handed one to Auggie. "Thank you," she said as she brushed her right hand against Auggie's left. He took her arm this time sensing Annie was concerned about the number of people in the lobby area. They went back to the elevators to retrieve their luggage from the car. When the elevator door closed and they were alone in it, Annie told him they were in Room 628.

They could manage their two roller bags, Auggie's messenger bag and the duffle bag in one trip, and their ride up to the sixth floor also was alone. Auggie resumed using the cane without Annie's sighted guide. Annie opened the door to their room and said, "Wow, this is nicer than most of the room's I've gotten to stay in lately."

Auggie smiled. "That's why I wanted to stay here. We make you fly all over the world coach. The least I could do was to get you … us a nice room on this trip. Especially since we've ended up working on our vacation. Now, how's the place laid out?"

"Let me pull our cases in an out of the way," Annie said. "Take three steps in so I can close the door, and I'll describe it."

Auggie complied with her request. She rolled the cases into the room and returned to take the duffle bag off his shoulder and place it on the foot of the bed.

"OK, it's laid out like a lot of hotel rooms, except it's larger and prettier. The bathroom door is at your right. It's open. When you stand in the door, the counter and sink are straight ahead. The toilet is behind the door on the left, and the tub with the shower is on the right. There's a stand just to the right of the main door with towels and little bottles of shampoo and shower gel."

Annie backed out of the bathroom so Auggie could explore the room and the placement of its fixtures. Auggie went around the room twice. Stopped. Then turning toward where he heard Annie breathing said, "Ok, I've got it."

Annie took a few steps down the room's entrance saying the closet was the next door on the right wall and then the little hall opened into the room. "Our king bed is on the right. Beyond that is a loveseat with a coffee table. There's an easy chair in the corner to the right. On the left is the luggage rack, the dresser with a large flat screen TV, an open area and then in the left corner is a desk facing us. The sliding door to the balcony is behind the desk. Do you want a guided tour, or do you want to explore on your own?"

"I think I'll do my own exploring, if you don't mind," he said.

"Not at all … less work for me," Annie teased.

As Auggie made his way around the room, Annie checked out the bed and discovered it not only had a down comforter, but a feather bed over the mattress. She stood at the foot of the bed and allowed herself to fall into the bed face first with her arms spread out. Auggie was checking out where things were placed on the desk when he heard the thump, whoosh and Annie's "OOoohh."

"Annie, are you ok."

"Never better," came her muffled answer. "Just testing out the feather bed and comforter."

Auggie's hand trailed around the edge of the desk and he walked forward until his cane made contact with the dresser, which he explored and picked up the remote control to hand to Annie. He returned to the area where the bed sat. "Annie, I would join you, but I'm not sure where you are," he teased.

"I didn't realize I was tired until 90 seconds ago," she said rolling over. 'I am now on what is my side of the bed," she said looking up at Auggie who was standing at the foot of the bed. He reached down and touched the side of her leg. After giving it a little pat, Auggie stepped over to the right and felt the softness on the bed. He started to go around to sit on the bed to stretch out for a few minutes.

"No, not that way," Annie laughed. "Put your cane down." Auggie folded the cane and laid it on the dresser behind him and stepped back to the foot of the bed. "Now, take one more step to the right, hold your arms up to your sides and fall into the bed face first."

"Annie, I'm not sure about this."

"You know I'm not going to tell you to do something that'll hurt you, don't you?"

"Well … yes," he answered.

"Then, go for it," she challenged him.

He felt for the height of the bed one more time and allowed himself to fall into the down comforter with a whoosh and a thud. They both laughed. "You're right. That was incredible," he said rolling over to face Annie. He reached out and touched her cheek. After scooting closer together, they kissed gently before Auggie reminded her they needed to do an equipment check and get organized for the mission.

Auggie sat on the side of the bed for a few seconds reconstructing the room's layout in his mind. He stood up and confidently walked back to the desk where he had moved the duffle with their surveillance equipment. Annie dug her cosmetic case out of her bag and went into the bathroom to freshen up and brush her teeth. When she came back into the room, Auggie asked her to come to the desk.

Auggie pulled each piece of equipment out of the bag. The bugs that Annie needed to sew into suspect's clothing were in a small plastic box with a Braille label. Auggie handed her the box, explaining what they were along with a sewing kit of pre-threaded needles and a tiny pair of scissors. He told her to sew the listening devices under the belt loops of the man's trousers and into the lining of his jacket.

"Guess I should have paid more attention to sewing class when I was in high school," Annie joked.

"You took sewing?" Auggie asked sarcastically.

"It was either that or spend time in study hall getting in trouble for talking, so I took sewing. Wasn't that interested in it," she explained.

He handed her another tiny plastic box that contained a miniaturized ear piece so they could communicate when she was inside the cleaners. Next, Auggie hooked up the swiveling web cam and connected with the team back at Langley. When they had established contact, Auggie moved the camera around to get a handle on operating it. He put it on Annie who smiled and waved to her friends in the office. The tech crew instructed him to move the camera around the room and up and down to see its furnishings.

When they'd determined that the camera was working and Auggie was operating it properly, one member of the team commented, "Geez, that's a nice room. What'd you guys do? Check into the Ritz."

"That, my friend, is need to know," Auggie said. "We'll check in with you about ten o'clock tonight."

He unhooked the camera and turned off the laptop. Annie giggled at his response.

"Hey, I'm hungry. Do you want room service, or should we go downstairs to the dining room?" Annie asked.

"Let's call down to the dining room and see if we can get a six o'clock reservation. You can people watch and I can people listen."

"Auggeee," Annie squealed in mock indignation as she flipped through the portfolio looking for the dining room extension. "Here it is. Dial 60 for the dining room."

Auggie picked up the phone receiver and dialed the number. He told the dining room he was James Bertrand in Room 628 and would like a reservation at six. When he hung up the receiver, he said, "Done."

They relaxed and caught up on the news until time to eat. Annie brushed her hair and refreshed her lipstick. Auggie splashed water on his face and ran his fingers through his hair. "You going for the tousled look?" Annie teased as she reached up and rearranged the hair around his face.

When they left the room, Auggie unfolded his cane and led the way out of the room and back to the elevator area. As they stepped into the alcove, Annie said quietly, "We're alone," upon which Auggie located the elevator door with his cane and then pressed the call button.

Auggie smiled at Annie and said, "I may need a little guidance on which elevator door opens."

Annie stepped to his side and wrapped her arms around his left arm as another couple entered the alcove. The elevator to their right opened and the other couple hesitated so that Annie and Auggie could enter first. Annie and the other woman smiled at each other as Annie pushed the Lobby button. When they exited the elevator, Annie released Auggie's arm and they walked toward the entrance. "We're going to turn left and cross through the main foyer area to the restaurant entrance. It's kind of crowded," Annie said as she touched his left hand with her fingertips.

Auggie continued to use his cane through the crowd, but took her arm to avoid making a misstep and drawing attention to himself. The restaurant entrance area was clear and the hostess greeted them as they walked toward her desk.

After their dinner and a discussion about what kind of Christmas presents to buy for their families … they headed back to their room to find the cleaner and get the bugs planted. They both slipped into black jeans and black sweaters. Annie caught a glimpse of them in the mirror and chuckled lightly.

"Something funny?" Auggie asked.

"Yeah, we look like a couple of cat burglars."

"Be glad we're not on a Special Forces mission. We'd have to black out the skin on our faces."

They put on their dark jackets, and Auggie picked up the duffle. "Do you have your tracking devices and sewing kit," Auggie asked.

Annie reached into her jeans pocket and pulled out the two small plastic boxes. "I have everything you gave me."

"Let's hit the road," Auggie said enthusiastically.

"You love this, don't you?"

"I can't help it," Auggie said. "I love being able to contribute out in the field."

They drove south and east through the city's streets to the Shaw Neighborhood where the cleaner was located. The GPS misdirected them onto a street that no longer was a through street, but Annie maneuvered out to one of the main streets in the area and they found the cleaner nestled in with several businesses on a neighborhood corner. Annie parked the car several doors down from the business. They were lucky it was a cloudy evening with no moonlight and the old fashioned street lights didn't put out a lot of light. The neighborhood also was quiet with no one on the street.

Auggie reached down on the floor under his feet and pulled out the laptop and night vision web cam. He hooked up the camera and started communicating with Langley. Auggie reminded Annie that even though the other agent had reported the business did not have an alarm system he wanted her to check as she entered the back door. "You know what to look for. Just don't rely on another agent's information and feel too secure. Check it out for yourself." Auggie instructed.

Annie shoved the earpiece into her ear and quietly opened the car door. "Here I go," she said testing the earpiece. As she slipped between the buildings, she whispered, "Can everyone hear me?"

She received affirmative responses from both Auggie and the crew back in Langley. The back of the business had a back door with a window and two windows on the left side. Annie surveyed the windows and did not find any security connections. Looking in the back door window, she didn't see any evidence of an alarm. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the leather sheath that protected her lock picking tools.

Annie manipulated the lock in the door knob and when it popped, she slowly opened the door. She stood in the darkness and slowly scanned the back room of the business for any tell-tale blinking lights that would indicate a silent alarm. "Looks like our intel was right. Doesn't seem to be an alarm," Annie whispered.

"Good," Auggie said, "but let's not get a false sense of security. Find the guys clothes so we can get out of here."

"Yes, sir," Annie said.

Annie pulled out the claim number the St. Louis officer had sent back to the DPD. He had followed the suspect to the shop, so the two pairs of slacks and jacket with the number or numbers preceding it were her target. Auggie sat in the SUV scanning the street, sidewalk and front of the business with the camera. The tech crew was watching the monitors closely and giving Auggie instructions on where to move the camera. "Stop," one of them yelled.

Auggie gasped. "What?"

"Keep the camera still. I see something in the window," a voice came through to Auggie and Annie.

Annie looked up and realized they probably were picking up the pin point of light from her small flashlight. "It's my flashlight, guys. I just found the slacks and jacket. I'll sit on the floor behind the counter to install the devices."

"Ok, that explains it," a voice from Langley said in a relieved tone.

"Now that my heart is beating again," Auggie said, "don't dawdle in there, Annie."

"I'm sewing as fast as I can," she answered. "I'm almost finished. There," she said as she placed the slacks and jacket on hangers and hung them back on the rack.

Auggie heard a car pull up to the curb in front of him and stop. He moved the camera to face straight ahead, but the view was blocked by the vehicle directly in front of the SUV. With guidance from the Langley crew, he refocused on the front door. A man walked up to the door and started to unlock it when he was interrupted by a woman walking her dog."

"Annie?" Auggie whispered urgently. "You have got to be on your way out of there. It looks like the owner is getting ready to unlock the front door, they tell me."

"I'm at the back door now," Annie reported as she closed the door quietly and tugged on it to be sure it was locked. She felt her pocket to be sure she had her flashlight and sewing kit. She took a few steps away from the door and realized that the area was flooded with light from inside the business. "Be patient, Auggie. I'll be back as quick as I can. I need to go down to the ally and circle around using the sidewalk. When they turned on the lights, I could be detected walking between the buildings."

"Roger that," Auggie said. "Stay aware and stay frosty. I'll be waiting for you."

"Thanks, Aug," Annie said.

When she stepped onto the sidewalk of the side street, Annie stopped to gather herself. She took a deep breath and shoved her hands in her jacket pockets and started walking like she was out for a late night stroll. She rounded the corner and caught sight of the SUV. She quickened her step and hurried to the car. A few feet from the car, she used the remote to open the door.

"Hey, Auggie," she said as she climbed behind the wheel.

"Hey, yourself," Auggie replied. Then to the office he said, "Clover is back from the field."

As they drove back to the hotel, Auggie disassembled the camera from the laptop and stowed everything back in the duffle. "Well," he said, "you did a fine job on the first leg of the mission tonight, Annie. I hope we get a payoff in learning more about what this guy is up to."

"I couldn't have done it alone," Annie said as she reached over to squeeze Auggie's shoulder.

Auggie's phone rang as Annie turned into the hotel parking garage. "Anderson," Auggie answered.

"Well, I hear Annie planted the bugs without too much excitement," Joan said.

Auggie chuckled. "Everything was textbook until the shop owner showed up. But, Annie was going out the back door as he was turning on the lights in the front. But that's the way Annie does things."

Auggie could hear the smile in Joan's voice, as she discussed how they should stake out the cleaners in the morning to see who picks up the clothes Annie tagged. "Ok, we'll be there," Auggie said.

"We'll be where?" Annie asked.

"Back at the cleaners, so you can get a visual on our suspect when he picks up his clean clothes," Auggie explained.

"Oh, great … a stake out. I hope he comes in early, so I can drink my morning coffee and not worry about finding a bathroom," Annie said.

"Yeah, and people think our jobs are so glamorous," Auggie said as Annie pulled into a parking spot. When they got out of the car, Auggie unfolded his cane and asked Annie where they were parked in relation to the entrance.

"Same side as before only we're ….10 … no 11 … parking spaces down from the door," Annie explained. "You go ahead, I'll get the duffle."

As she slung the strap over her shoulder, she watched Auggie confidently make his way to the door, using the back bumpers of the parked cars to guide him to the door. She picked up her pace to catch up with Auggie who was waiting to open the door for her. Annie followed Auggie to the elevators where he located the call button as easily as he did the ones at the office. Another couple waiting for the elevator studied Auggie closely, but Annie diffused the stares by snuggling up to him and taking his left arm in hers.

Whew! Annie and Auggie had a busy day, and I bet their Monday will turn out to be even busier. Join me for the next chapter to see how the mission begins to play out.