"Take your dress off," Alberts instructed. Shay was grateful there was no video surveillance. She reluctantly peeled off her dress so she was only clad in a bra and panties.
"So, boss?" West asked eagerly, "Do you like her?"
"Yeah, I've got clients who will pay $500 just to see her topless." Alberts looked Shay up and down like she was a product. "Come here, baby, I'll introduce you to the others." He took her arm and led her through a doorway into a large warehouse. Once inside, Shay had all the evidence she needed.
"I'm not so sure about this." She recited, knowing this was the bust line. Within seconds, the room was flooded with armed agents. It was over.
Briggs, seeing Shay exposed, quickly handed over his FBI jacket, before helping to calm down the rest of the girls.
"Nice work, kid," Johnny said, patting Shay on the back, "We got two pervs and freed twenty missing girls, all before 10 a.m."
Later that evening, Shay sat in her room, laptop and books spread out across the bed as she finished school work and paperwork. She was about to get up and get some much-deserved lunch when she heard a knock on the door. "Come in," She invited, looking up to see Mike enter the room, bowl, and mug in hand.
"Hey, a couple days ago, I promised you a story... I come bearing your favorites; raspberries, and coffee."
"I've only been here for like three weeks. How do you know that?" Shay asked, getting up to clear off her bed to make room for Mike to sit as well as taking the bowl and mug and starting to snack.
"Every morning, you got home from the case with a pint of raspberries from the market on the pier and you came inside, brewed some coffee, and ate the raspberries," Mike explained as he sat down on the bed, facing her.
"God. I'm really predictable… Anyway, this story?" Shay asked.
"So. When I came to Graceland, my first big case was as the weapons trainer for the gang of a Nigerian drug lord named Bello. I had gained Bello's trust but his right-hand man, Eddie, didn't trust me. After a couple run in's with Eddie, I came to training and something was up. Bello was talking to Eddie in front of the group, Eddie accused me of being a fed and then Bello told Eddie this was gonna end one of two ways, Eddie turned the gun on me for a second, and then shot himself." Mike had tears welling in his eyes. He took a breath before continuing. "The reason I'm telling you this, is because it really shook me; and I didn't get help, I didn't talk to someone. I thought I could deal with it and I couldn't. I just don't want you to shut yourself off when you need help, ok? Promise me you won't."
"I promise," Shay told him, sincerely, "You can always talk to me, Mike. This is a zero judgment zone. Just to prove it, the first time I shot a gun, I was 13. I was so scared that I stood there, willing myself to pull the trigger, and when I did, I screamed and peed my pants." She told with animation, causing Mike to smile and laugh. Just then Shay's stomach growled loudly.
"I guess those raspberries weren't enough," Mike commented. "Let's go grab some food."
"I like the sound of that. Hector's?" She suggested, getting up from the bed.
"The only question is; do we invite Johnny?"