mosaic broken hearts
Chapter 6
It was early morning when Jay found his self laying awake in the extremely uncomfortable bed of his awkwardly bare room. No photos, no motorbike posters and no one of his usual clothes. He was there for 5 days and still it felt incredibly uneasy and he was damn used at undercover jobs. As he tried to run away the sleepiness from his eyes, he noticed the very much early hour mirrored in the digital alarm clock. "Damn" he muttered to his self trying to find the strength to get up and most of all to get through the day. He probably slept even less than 2 hours, giving the fault to the uneasy heaviness that lingered in his chest, the aftermath of his conversation with Erin weighing heavily in his mind.
He finally had enough willpower to reach the kitchen downstairs, only to find Antonio preparing breakfast and brewing some very much needed coffee.
"Morning," Antonio greeted his workmate, fooling around the kitchen as Jay felt incredibly overwhelmed by the sight of the coffee cup still on the table in the living room, Erin's lipstick stain still there as a reminder of their conversation and the situation.
"Morning," he replied tersely, his tone betraying the weight of his own burden.
Jay poured himself a cup of coffee, his mind racing with thoughts of Erin and the precarious situation they found themselves in. He knew that this was wrong and against all the values of his work, because they definitely couldn't afford to let their personal feelings cloud their judgment, especially now that the mission was reaching a critical juncture.
"Everything good, man?" Antonio asked as they both adjusted at the kitchen island with their respective cups. "Did you and Erin talk after I went upstairs?"
Jay hesitated, his mind racing with conflicting emotions. He knew he couldn't keep the truth from Antonio, but he also didn't want to burden him with their personal drama.
"Yeah, we talked," Jay admitted, his voice heavy with regret. "Things are… complicated."
Antonio raised an eyebrow, his expression curious. "Didn't you two talk it out?" he inquired, his tone filled with confusion.
Jay sighed, running a hand through his hair as he struggled to find the right words. "We...are trying...but we definitely have a lot of unresolved issues," he explained, his voice tinged with sadness. "And I don't know if we'll ever be able to move past them."
Antonio nodded in understanding, his expression sympathetic. "Look Jay,I'm sorry to hear that," he replied, his tone filled with empathy. "But we have to stay focused on the mission. I am here for that, making you staying on the right track, cause Voight will not hesitate to bench you if things get tough for you, you know it. Whatever happens between you and Erin, you can't let it affect our work."
"Yeah, I know it." With a heavy sigh, Jay took a sip of his coffee, the bitter taste doing little to ease the turmoil in his mind.
But then, after not even a few minutes, the sudden sound of Antonio's cellphone buzzing broke the almost painful silence that surrounded the house, startling both of them.
Before they could even greet him, his raspy voice came straight out. "Jay, Antonio, listen carefully," he said urgently. His tone was urgent, so they both prepared for big or bad news. "Erin managed to plant microphones in the Andrews brothers' hideout, and we've been carefully listening to their conversations throughout the whole night." Jay and Antonio nodded, both of them already aware of this since Erin's visit the previous night.
"They're planning a new operation—a large-scale drug and human trafficking scheme," Hank added, but he didn't have much detail about it yet.
Jay's heart sank at the news. "How soon are they planning to execute it?" he asked, his mind racing with the implications.
As Jay and Antonio listened intently to Hank's urgent message, their hearts raced with the gravity of the situation. Hank's voice crackled through the phone, delivering grim news.
"The Andrews brothers are planning to execute their operation tomorrow," Hank's voice echoed in the room. "You need to get inside today, gather as much intel as possible, and inform Erin. We haven't been able to reach her, but we suspect she's already at the club."
Jay exchanged a quick glance with Antonio, the gravity of the situation weighing heavily on both of them. They knew they had to act fast if they were going to stop the Andrews brothers from carrying out their nefarious plans.
"Got it, Hank," Jay replied, his voice tinged with urgency. "We'll get inside the club, try to find out what the hell they're going to do and find Erin."
Antonio nodded in agreement, his expression determined. "We're on it," he affirmed, his voice resolute.
"Let's go, we don't have time."
They hurried to their car after putting on some nice clothes that seemed appropriate for the club. With a sense of urgency driving them forward, Jay and Antonio wasted no time in making their way to the club, flashing their vip card to the bodyguard of the upper section.
"Do those people sleep at all?" Jay muttered, seeing a bustling crowd already gathered on the fluorescent dance floor.
Antonio chuckled, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Not likely," he replied, his eyes scanning the crowd for any sign of Erin. "But we don't either."
Jay nodded in agreement, "That's a good point," his gaze sweeping the room as they made their way through the throngs of people.
The bass thumped loudly in his ears, the music pulsating through his veins as they moved deeper into the club.
Antonio was scanning around for a sign of at least one of the Andrews brothers or even better for a sign of Erin dancing around the stage.
"She's not up there." Antonio said, as Jay nodded towards Lucas, who was standing in a corner with a phone in his hand.
"Hey man!" Jay started acting as Alex, appearing wasted and high as a drug dealer could in that kind of club.
Lucas responded with a handshake, smiling at the two known men. "What's up, Alex? Hey, Rick." He greeted Antonio as well, leading them to the back exit of the club, the stairs of the fire escape coming into view.
As they followed Lucas toward the back exit, Jay and Antonio exchanged a quick glance, their hearts pounding with anticipation. This could be their chance to gather crucial intel on the Andrews brothers.
Lucas glanced over his shoulder, a shrewd look in his eyes as he lit up what appeared to be just a cigarette. "So, what brings you guys here?" he asked, his tone casual.
"We just wanted to have some fun before the big night, you know." Antonio explained, hoping that mentioning their agreement with Kyle and Marcus could make him trust them more.
"Oh yeah, they told me," Lucas added with a grin. "Things will get big for you two. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, man. They have a big deal going on."
"Don't we know it." Jay replied smirking, as Lucas's phone rang.
"Sorry, guys, I'll catch up with you later." He says as he rushes back inside.
"And we still have nothing on them." Antonio muttered with evident frustration, clutching his fist against the wall.
The dimly lit alley behind the club was deserted, save for a few stray cats and the distant sound of music pulsating from inside.
"Let's see if we can see something from the outside of this place."
Jay's heart raced as he rounded a corner, his eyes darting from shadow to shadow in search of any movement. He knew they were on the brink of a major breakthrough in their mission, but time was slipping away with each passing moment.
Suddenly, Antonio's voice crackled through the earpiece, breaking the tense silence. "Jay, I think I found something," he said urgently.
Jay's pulse quickened as he hurried toward Antonio, his senses on high alert. When he reached his partner, Antonio was crouched beside a rusted metal door covered with ivy, his eyes fixed on something hidden in the shadows.
"What is it?" Jay asked quietly, his voice barely above a whisper.
Antonio motioned for Jay to join him, his expression grim. "Take a look," he said, nodding toward the door.
As Jay approached, he saw a small electronic device attached to the door frame, with wires snaking out from its casing. His heart sank as he realized it was a sophisticated alarm system, rigged to alert anyone inside the building of their presence.
"We need to disable it," Antonio murmured, his voice tense with urgency.
Jay nodded in agreement, his mind racing with possibilities. "I can try," he said, referencing his time in the army. "I've done things like this with bombs," he added, his voice steady despite the tension. With deft fingers, he carefully began to dismantle the alarm system, his heart pounding in his chest with each twist and turn of the wires.
After what felt like an eternity, the device finally went silent, its LED display flickering off. Jay let out a sigh of relief as he stepped back, wiping the sweat from his brow.
"Nice work," Antonio said quietly, clapping Jay on the shoulder. "Now let's find a way in."
With renewed determination, Jay and Antonio continued their search, their eyes scanning the area for any other obstacles or signs of danger. They knew they were closer than ever to uncovering the truth behind the Andrews brothers' operation, and they refused to let anything stand in their way.
As they scoured the perimeter of the building, Jay's mind raced with thoughts of impending danger and the urgency of their mission. Every second counted, and they couldn't afford any missteps.
Suddenly, Antonio spotted a ventilation duct near the roof, its grate slightly ajar. "There," he whispered, pointing upward. "That could be our way in."
"Do you think you can fit in?"
Jay nodded, his determination shining through despite the exhaustion weighing heavily on his shoulders. "I can make it work," he replied, his voice resolute.
With a shared glance, Jay and Antonio quickly assessed the situation. The ventilation duct seemed to be their best option for gaining entry without alerting the Andrews brothers' guards. But Jay knew that squeezing through the narrow confines of the duct would be no easy feat, especially in his current state of fatigue.
Despite his reservations, he braced himself for the challenge ahead, drawing upon his years of training and experience in the field. With Antonio's help, he climbed onto the wall and approached the ventilation duct, his heart pounding with anticipation.
Taking a deep breath, Jay squeezed himself through the opening, his muscles straining against the tight confines of the duct. Every inch forward was a struggle, but he refused to let the discomfort deter him from his goal.
As he crawled deeper into the darkness, Jay's senses sharpened, his focus narrowing on the task at hand. He could hear the faint echoes of voices and footsteps from within the building, a constant reminder of the danger lurking just beyond the walls.
With each passing moment, he drew closer to his objective, driven by the knowledge that the fate of countless lives hung in the balance.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Jay emerged from the other side of the ventilation duct, his body slick with sweat and his muscles aching with exhaustion. But as he took in his surroundings, he felt a surge of adrenaline coursing through his veins.
He had entered the Andrews brothers' hideout.
There are files everywhere, photos of girls they probably trafficked or planned to. Then a big locker, locked with three padlocks.
And then, in the nearest desk, they found at least 50 pages about Erin Lindsay. They found out who she was.
Jay took a deep breath as he quickly activated his radio, his voice urgent. "5021 George here, I've found evidence of human trafficking by Marcus and Kyle Andrews. We need backup; I'm pretty sure they're on the run, and our cover is blown."
"Jay, everything alright there?" He hears Toni's voice on the radio, but his eyes are focused on all the Erin's photos collected in that dossier.
"Fuck, no, Toni, it's not alright. They know who Erin really is."
"Shit, okay, keep calm. The unit is coming, and we're going to find them."