Life continued on a rigid schedule of sleep, train, and study for the next few weeks. We were still confined to the Campus, and although I did see my Papa in passing, I found that I was too exhausted to make it to his office for a proper conversation.
It was customary for ACME personnel to perform a sun salutation in the morning, a nod to their time in training where yoga and meditation always started the day. Our group was spread out on the freshly waxed gym floor in a semicircle around Instructor Amiraj, who led not only us, but a few other seasoned Agents who sat on thin mats slightly behind us in the daily ritual.
"I don't get why we have to get up so early to do this." David grumbled, in between deep breaths while holding his pose.
"Gotta clear your mind in the morning for it to be beaten to death for the rest of the day." I muttered, stifling a yawn.
He and Paul snickered, which only became louder as Paul lost balance and fell, much to the disapproval of Instructor Amiraj.
We were becoming very close, and happy to be the three man crew in our uneven class. It seemed as if it was working in our favor too. With Paul as the brains, David as our brawn, and me as our charm, we could eat anything the Academy decided to dish out.
After yoga, Instructor Amiraj stood in front of us, cradling blue file folders in her right arm, the Agency's gold insignia visible even from my viewpoint on the gymnasium floor.
"So as you all may know, week five is when we finally allow you to leave the campus. However..."
"Always a catch." I said under my breath.
"Nothing in life comes without one, Red." She smiled. "This weekend, you'll be partnered up with one of your Instructors or a senior Agent and shadow them through one of these active local cases. Fresh eyes are always welcome, so it is in your best interest to have something new to add to their C.A.S.E. outline when you meet tomorrow. Anyone want to remind us what that is?"
"Collect data, assess, summarize findings and estimate or predict outcomes." Denmark replied.
Amiraj nodded. "Very good." She then began handing out assignments.
"Maldonado and Hamin." she called.
"I wonder what we'll get." David mused.
"Denmark and Espinoza." Amiraj called again. "Miller and Gunnar."
"Nothing too crazy, I'm guessing." Paul said.
They are all local cases, stuff too much for the cops to handle." I replied, glancing at the dwindling number of folders with excited unease.
"Leung and Morris."
All three of us looked at her, confused.
"Come on, you two." she urged, waving the second to last folder impatiently. Paul took it from her, and looked at me apologetically.
"The senior Agent or Detective who you will be working with has their information on the cover sheet. I'll be giving you the rest of the day to thoroughly research your assignment, and summarize your findings. You all are dismissed."
The other Trainees began to file out of the room, some glancing back at me curiously.
"I'll meet up with you guys later." I said to David and Paul. David squeezed my shoulder affectionately as they left.
"Miss Isabella Rouge." Amiraj started, a rare use of my given name. "O'Malley has taken a liking to you."
I sighed inwardly. As much as I liked O'Malley as well, I sometimes felt resentment from my classmates for my familiarity with the Agency, and I did not want anyone to perceive as if I was getting special treatment.
Amiraj read my expression and chuckled.
"It might soothe your classmates that what he has in mind for you is a little more difficult." She handed me the folder carefully.
"Now I want you to be honest with yourself and us. You aren't fully trained yet, and we can reassign you to something else if it's too much...or too personal."
I frowned slightly. "Thanks."
Her warm brown eyes sparkled. "I'm expecting great things from you, Red."
As I left the classroom, I opened the folder, glancing at O'Malley's information quickly before going to the second page. I skimmed the briefing, in which it explained the connection of a few recent runaways to a mid-sized trafficking ring operating out of the Tenderloin. I exhaled. It wasn't a topic I particularly enjoyed, but didn't exactly see what would make it difficult.
O'Malley caught me at the entrance, where I could see Paul and David waiting a short distance ahead on a bench. I nodded in their direction.
"Red." he greeted with his crooked smile, tapping on the file in my hand. "I see you're beginning to get to know my side project here."
"Side project?"
"I still like to take on cases when I can. Keeps me fresh, breaks up the monotony of teaching. Even the boss does it. Walk with me?"
"Sure." I followed him as he headed towards the Poriot, shrugging in response to David and Paul's intrigued looks as we passed.
"You must be wondering why we didn't put you with your friends."
"A little bit."
O'Malley scanned his key card at the door, letting the desk security know I was with him before continuing. "You're not our typical recruit. I'm not talking just in age - Leung is a young one too - but I just see something in you..."
We entered the Atrium, which hummed with quiet activity, and walked towards the cylindrical glass elevator. Following him into the capsule, I watched as he pressed the button for the 12th floor, one away from the top.
"Have you and Devineaux spoken before?" he teased.
I rolled my eyes, taking the jab in stride. I had already managed to get three infractions, the most recent landing me in his office where I received a pointed lecture about dress code and insubordination. I was unfazed after it - my thick mass of hair was rarely pulled back above my collar, I constantly overslept, barely making it on time to class, and I still displayed rebelliousness - unwilling to accept orders I did not agree with.
"This time it'll be on better terms." Sean held the door for me, allowing me to pass. "If anything, I'll be taking the heat."
The Director's office was three doors down from the elevator. O'Malley cleared his throat before knocking on the glass door. Devineaux unfrosted it briefly, his eyebrows knitting when he saw who his guests were. Still, he waved us in.
"Boss," O'Malley greeted. "This is Isabella Rouge, one of my Trainees -
"We've met." His hazel eyes gave me a once over with slight disapproval.
"Right. I think she'd be a great fit for that op that they want to run in the TL, now that they can go off campus..."
"She's too new, too young and not serious enough for an undercover position, Sean."
My pulse quickened with excitement. Some of the best stories I've heard growing up were from undercover operations, and I was ready to live one of my own.
"But that's why Red's perfect! A fresh face that fits the profile with the rest of victims...and she's as sharp as a tack. Besides, I'll be with her at every step of the way."
Devineaux's frown was severe. "And if it goes wrong?"
"It won't." I found myself answering.
Devineaux studied me now, tapping a pen against the desk thoughtfully. "How can you guarantee that?"
"I can't guarantee anything." I shrugged. "But I'll do whatever Instructor O'Malley tells me to do. I want to help."
"This is the real world, Trainee. Any slip up can cost lives. It can be your life. It is not a time to play around or be stubborn."
"I understand."
"I hope you do, Trainee Rouge...and pay close attention to O'Malley's instructions."
O'Malley and I grinned at each other, and I saw the slightest hint of amusement pass on Devineaux's features.
"Thank you, boss."
"Be careful." Devineaux warned. "Both of you."
"Always." O'Malley promised. We left, and I almost bounced down the hall with excitement.
O'Malley left me downstairs for a few hours in the library, allowing me to fully absorb the details of the case and complete my outline for the training assignment.
As I had read previously, it mid-level trafficking ring, with three main ringleaders connected to the Cartel. They mostly recruited girls in traditional methods - runaways, homeless, and others with limited options. ACME had a undercover Detective, 'Gil', who was supposed to doing some recruiting of his own. He would exchange these girls for a closer relationship with someone he was working on for his own case.
So far, he had brought in a few females, also working for ACME undercover. They were collecting intel and ready to make a move to bring the ring down, but because they were obviously older and a little too well trained, suspicions were being raised. So to test Gil's trustworthiness, his contact requested something specific.
"That's where you come in."
O'Malley said, driving me to a motel in South San Francisco that evening to meet with the Detective in person. We pulled into the parking lot, and walked up the stairs to room 213. O'Malley looked around before knocking on the door 6 times - two times together, four times slow. It opened, revealing a stocky built man, with dark stubble on his jawline.
"What's the word, O'Malley? You've finally found me some real jailbait?"
"As real as they come. You gonna let us in?"
Gil allowed us inside the hazy room, the walls yellow from age and cigarette smoke. O'Malley perched on the edge of the bed, which creaked under his weight. He patted a spot next to him for me to do the same, which I did gingerly. Gil sat on a chair near a small writing desk in the corner, picking up a pack of Newports and smacking them against his calloused palm.
"Ah, how life always comes full circle. You grew up nicely." he finally said, lighting a cigarette in-between his lips. I frowned, and he chuckled to himself. "She doesn't remember."
"Gil worked in 'Crimes Against Children' before this." O'Malley explained.
"It was called Sex Crimes back then, but yeah." He took a deep drag. "I was the one who rescued you from that hellhole in Newark, honey, first on scene. I remember you were this skinny little thing when my partner and I found you...but even so, you had this beautiful curly head of hair and those big brown eyes." Gil paused, smiling. "I heard they were calling you 'little Red' when I left you in NY...but I'm sure by now they've dropped the little."
I tilted my head. When I was younger, I was the tiny victim of a complex case, which is what had brought me to the Agency in the first place. However, I was three when it happened, and lost most of the details surrounding the incident to time and my unwillingness to revisit it.
"That's alright." He stubbed the cigarette out on the desk. "You ready for this?"