Shout-out to my reviewers:
kellier: You're so awesome, and I love your FBI story "Drunken Night".
Ghostwriter: My loyal reviewer, as always showing up to put a smile on my face.
Previously, in "Persuasive Tactics", Maggie goes on her first undercover operation with Jubal.
Chapter Three
"He is but three of the girls he traded went missing within the last few months and no one could figure out how or why," Jubal explains. "And Amber has proof but we just need to get his spoken confession."
"So how are we going to have this play out? Are we doing it by ear or planning a strategy?" Maggie asks.
"I need you and Amber both to play the seducer," Jubal tells her.
Nearby the same girl who'd helped Maggie with her camera/mic is helping Amber with hers. "Is this gonna work? What if it doesn't? What if I screw up the whole thing?" Elaina, the tech girl, looks over at Maggie for help.
Maggie comes over and gently places her hands onto Amber's shoulders. "Amber, look at me. Now repeat after me: I can do this."
The redhead does so as she takes a deep breath along with Maggie. "I can do this."
"Good. Now say, I am strong," Maggie coaches her.
"I am strong," Amber repeats.
A smile forms on Jubal's face as he watches Maggie's coaching making an impact for when they'd go back into the club. Once Maggie had helped Amber calm down from her mini spaz attack, they return to the club. Manuel and one of his cohorts but one of the female bartenders – a friend of Amber's – points to the upstairs VIP section. Taking Maggie's hand in her own, Amber leads her over to the stairs; going up two at a time once she gets a nod from the bouncer. Slipping into character, Maggie tugs on Amber's hand; making the redhead turn to her. "I thought Manuel didn't allow his girls to come up here?"
"We both have an in now," Amber tells her with a smile.
Maggie nods and they keep going up the stairs until they come to a stop at the door. Amber knocks lightly then opens it to step inside with Maggie following behind her. Once safely tucked into the private room, one of Manuel's guards comes over to do the routine pat down but Amber shakes her head. "Is that really necessary? Manuel knows we're here."
"You know it's my job, Amber," the guard says with a soft scowl.
"You can do your job next time," Amber tells him with a grin.
He grumbles and walks off to the bar set up in one corner. In a back office Manuel is engaged in a heated argument with one of his friends that's also in the trading business. "We need to make the brunette disappear," Manuel says, pacing back & forth.
"How do you suggest we do that, hermano? Our options are pretty slim," his friend replies.
"By any means necessary," Manuel says before dismissing his friend from their brief meeting.
Amber, who'd been listening to the conversation near the door to the office, rushes back over to Maggie. Grabbing her hand Amber pulls her into one of the booths & pulls the curtain shut just seconds before Manuel's friend emerges to head out from the club. Maggie frowns in confusion & curiosity. "What is it, Amber? Is everything okay?" she asks in concern.
"They want to make you disappear!" Amber hisses low in Maggie's left ear.
Outside the club Jubal removes his ear piece with a soft, frustrated yell. "You don't know that they're even talking about Maggie, Jubal," Dana says; knowing her attempt to reassure, soothe, him might fail but at least she could try.
"They are. I can feel it in my gut," Jubal says, the tone of his voice softer than a moment ago with his reaction. He blows out an unsteady breath; leaning into the gentle, maternal touch from Dana on his upper back. "Thanks. I needed that."
"That's what I'm here to do," Dana tells him, a soft smile on her lips. Even though she hadn't told the team, her daughter Eleanor knew that Dana had plans to step down and retire. Hand the reigns over to Isobel Castille, keep Jubal as the ASAC. Returning to the task at hand, Dana doesn't realize her hand is left in mid-air; turning to barely see Jubal rushing to climb down & out of the van. Hurrying to catch up with him Dana stops when she sees that Jubal is on his cell phone.
"Daddy, how long will this op go for?" Abigail asks, her tone sad.
"No, hey, sweetheart. Please don't be sad. I'm hoping this won't last long but in case it does, I want you to keep praying for me, okay? Can you do that for me?"
"Yeah, Daddy," Abigail replies, her tone brightening a bit though it still held a detection of sadness. "I love you, Daddy. Stay safe out there."
"I promise, from the bottom of my heart," Jubal tells her. "Daddy loves you so much." He ends the phone call with a heavy sigh then turns to see Dana standing there. "Hey. I was just…"
"I heard. Please don't do anything reckless, Jubal. I don't want two funerals in one day," Dana admonishes him, switching her maternal side back on.
"Okay," Jubal replies firmly; ending their conversation with a quick, fleeting kiss to the side of her head before walking in the direction of the club.
And then an explosion sends the street into a tremble; sending Jubal flying as Dana cries out his name in anguish while Stuart Scola tackles & covers, protects her.