They pulled up to the club at four thirty. SWAT, police and other emergency services were swarming around the area and the flashing blue and red lights covered the dark night in an ominous hue. The three women stepped out of the car into the dry, uncomfortable heat. The two girls fidgeted nervously, but it manifested itself in different ways, for different reasons for both girls.
Olivia, while running over as many chess permutations as she could in her head, swiped, tapped and toyed with her fingers in patterns matching the moves in her head. Abby on the other hand bit her lip, tapped her foot and fiddled with Eliot's necklace, running it along the chain from one end to the other. Surprisingly, even though several cops had rushed passed them, no one had stopped, or even tried to talk to them. With their tunnel vision, they didn't even notice how out of place they looked in their singlets and shorts.
"Olivia?" Cassidy asked as she walked down the driveway beside a uniformed officer. With a baffled look upon her face, she handed the officer a file and walked down towards where Maggie, Abby and Olivia were waiting. "What are you doing here?"
"Did you find my dad?" she asked, blatantly ignoring the question.
"Why are you here? You shouldn't be here," she retorted, carefully enunciating every word in her frustration.
"I brought them," Maggie interjected, flashing a smile that could put almost anyone at ease. She extended her hand.
"Maggie, yes?" Cassidy questioned, twisting from looking down at the teen to be face to face with Maggie. She shook her hand with the forceful grip of a police officer. "Sterling's talked a lot about you."
Maggie smiled again, only this time it was more bashful. "That's sweet," she noted offhandedly, though she wasn't particularly fond of being mentioned in whispers. "She just wants to know if her father's okay." She stared at Cassidy sincerely in the eye for a moment. The agent kicked her foot in the gravel and looked down at her shoes before looking at Olivia in the eye.
"You're father's fine," she informed the girl who let out a sigh of relief as her body relaxed instantly. She then let out a contented smile which spread across her face from ear to ear. Abby, on the other hand continued to fidget a little more intensely. "He's up at the club still," Cassidy continuing gesturing up to the lavish building on the hill, "dealing with something. But he's okay, he's fine."
"Can I?" she asked, peering up the hill in eagerness and anticipation.
"Active crime scene Liv, I'm afraid not, but," she held her finger up and grabbed the radio that was hanging off her hips. "Marko, this is Cassidy, can you send Sterling down please."
"Roger that," a voice, presumably Marko, cracked over the radio.
"Thank you,"
"Did you find out anything about the missile?" Abby quickly asked. She'd been fidgeting, itching to ask the question since they'd gotten there. It was the only thing on her mind, especially now that Sterling was safe; find information so that Eliot could do his job safely. She may not be able actually, physically help Eliot and his slightly scary army buddy (and nor would she want to) but she could do what she was good at; knowledge. That is, if she could get the information.
"Ah, not yet," Cassidy replied, placing the walkie back on her belt then situated her hands on her waist.
Abby shook her head in surprise. "Well, did you get De La Court?"
"Yes, but he's not talking," she stated, clearly trying to be dismissive. "And he's very smug about it." Abby spoke again quickly.
"You do realise there's a missile set to go off in like," she paused, grabbed Olivia's wrist and looked at her watch, "thirty six minutes." The derision in her voice as the time pressure pressed up against her like an unyielding force.
Cassidy, unimpressed with being questioned (especially by a teenager) snapped with little hesitation. "You think I don't know that!" Maggie looked surprised at the aggression and, realising what she'd done, Cassidy closed her eyes and took a calming moment to herself. She focused on her breathing, in and out, until she opened her eyes and continued with new found inner peace. "Look, De La Court has lawyered up, we can't talk to him."
Abby took a sharp intake of breath through her nostrils, then let it out slowly. She too, although it was uncommon for her, trying to stop herself from lashing out. "Well what about his men?"
Cassidy shook her head. "They're too loyal, they're not going to talk."
"Do you wanna bet?" she smiled smugly then slipped her phone out of her pocket.
"Abigail," Maggie warned in an incredibly motherly tone. The teen obliged and looked up at her. "I thought we agreed no trouble? Not to mention I doubt Eliot would be very impressed." She dismissed Maggie's motherly nature; it was sweet to have someone who cared like she did (not that Sophie didn't care, it's just she cared in her non-normal grifter like way). She did not however dismiss the fact that she had agreed that she wouldn't get into trouble that Eliot would hardly be pleased.
"Maggie, I know but someone has to get that info or else Eliot and what's his name will have nothing to go on and a lot of people are going to die," she tried to convince her but Maggie wasn't as easily conned as some.
"No," she said sternly shaking her head. "We said no trouble. Eliot wouldn't let you and neither will I."
The teen paused looking for another angle. "It'll be less than five minutes and Cassidy will be there the whole time."
"I beg your pardon!" Cassidy exclaimed in disgust.
"Please Maggie," Abby begged, ignoring the agent's clear irritation.
"Are you sure you can do this?" Maggie asked, though it wasn't clear to the teen if she was caving or not.
She nodded eagerly despite Cassidy's annoyance. Cassidy rolled her eyes and huffed. "She's a teenager, what is she going to get out of De La Court's men that any of my agents can't?"
"I can do it Maggie," Abby assured. She turned so she was facing further away from Cassidy, who was annoying her incessantly.
"Fine, go." Maggie nodded reluctantly towards the wagon sitting most of De La Court's men. Abby gripped Maggie's hands in thanks and smiled joyfully.
"Thankyou Maggie." She turned to Cassidy's, whose face was stern with frustration, nodded at her and marched with determination towards the van.
"Five minutes!" Maggie reminded as Cassidy followed the teen reluctantly.