Charlie
Pulling myself together wasn’t easy, but I did it. Once I did, I decided I had three options: sit and continue feeling sorry for myself, take Jimmy down on my own, or follow Jett and find out what else he’s hiding from me.
When your emotions are running strong, you don’t exactly make clear decisions.
A horn honking snaps me out of my daydream. My knee smacks the steering wheel, my neck is stiff, and my back aches, but it’s worth it.
I rub my eyes and do a mental check on the closest coffee shop. It’s only about ten minutes from here, but Jett’s truck is still in his driveway. Or what I think is his driveway. Following him last night was not easy.
He is crazy if he thinks I won’t do anything. I can’t just sit back and wait this out. I want this to end.
I pop my neck and yawn just as I see Jett walk outside his apartment. At least, like the driveway, I think it’s his apartment. Does he have a real apartment and a fake one for his job? I wouldn’t know since he’s never taken me there. Oh, and because he’s an undercover cop who knew my sister. Ugh! The first guy I fall for and he’s been lying to me the entire time we’ve been together. All I wanted was a good, honest relationship and instead I got a giant pile of slap-you-in-the-face shit.
Slowly, I follow behind his truck.
How can he act as if everything is so normal? Shouldn’t he be looking over his shoulder or in his rearview mirror every ten seconds or something? I mean, I’m sort of doing that now and already thinking of an excuse of what I’m doing driving behind him if he notices me.
We drive maybe six miles before we reach the station.
Should he be blatantly driving here if he’s undercover?
He pulls up to a gate, flashing something at the guard before the gate opens and he drives through.
Damnit.
How am I going to know what he does next?
I need to get closer.
I glance around. Downtown is busy with people just going about their day. Walking from the parking garage to their jobs, jogging on the sidewalks, or just sipping coffee on a bench nearby. They make life look so easy.
I find a parking spot and casually lock my car, heading down the street as if I were another pedestrian doing what I do every day. Aside from my rumpled clothes, I think I pull it off.
Once I reach the front doors, I pause. Do I really want to know more? I mean, I should be able to move past this, right? There isn’t anything worse he could tell me that I don’t already know, and if there is, maybe it’s better that I don’t know.
“Can I help you, miss?”
I jump at the voice and turn to meet an officer’s gaze. My eyes flash from his to his uniform, to his badge, and I wish I knew why just his presence, when I’ve done nothing wrong and don’t even know him, makes the temperature feel extra warm.
I shake my head.
“Nope.”
“You look lost,” he says with a friendly smile.
In more ways than he knows.
“I’m fine, thank you.”
He nods and continues through the doors. I wait till he’s out of sight before I step inside.
As I look up and down the hallway, it’s damn clear I have no idea what I’m doing. Still, I won’t find anything by just standing here. I turn to the right and start walking.
Here goes nothing.
Jett
I flinch when Captain’s fist hits the top of his desk.
“And you fucking thought your plan would make all of this go away!” he snaps and picks up his phone, his finger punching in numbers hard enough to break the device.
I jump up and hit the button to cancel the call. He steps back, jerking the phone away from his ear as the look in his eyes sears into my own.
I’d have rather done this over the phone yesterday, but he was unavailable. Right now, I’m wishing I’d just kept him in the loop from the start.
“We have to do this discreetly or Jimmy will do a lot more than scare her and threaten her to give up the money.”
So I assume. I still don’t know the plan, just that I’ll be there when it all goes down.
“You should have told me. Everything would be right on schedule as it was planned, Baxter.” He only calls me by my last name when he’s furious with me.
“I know. I messed up, and we can focus on that later, but right now we need a plan and we need one fast.”
He grabs his coat from the back of his chair, ready to leave his office. I jump in front of him and slam his door. I’m not letting him out of this station till he hears me out.
“Baxter, I have a mess to fix. Move.”
“I already have a plan.”
“A plan like your last one, huh? Look where that landed you.”
“I’ve had a plan the entire time. Now it’s just time to put some things in motion.”
“No, I’m not listening to any more of your plans.”
“It’s one that will get you both Clint and Jimmy, and I know you don’t want to hear it, but I also know it’s a whole lot more than whatever idea you’ve thought up in the time we’ve been standing here.”
Without looking at me, he shakes his head. “I’m so sick and tired of my crew making decisions without me. You get five minutes before I walk through that door, assign a new officer to the case, all while taking your badge with me for refusing to follow orders.”
I ignore the last part and jump right in.
“Clint wants to make a big deal. He hasn’t come out and said it, but I know that after talking with Jimmy and the amount of money he’s about to get his hands on, Clint wants more money. We can bring in Hawley and set up a drop. We will give it a number too tempting to pass up but not so big that it’s too good to be true. We tell Clint that our contact has multiple bidders and wants someone who can get them the product right away. The first to come through has the deal. Clint will have no reason not to take it.”
“How do you think you can get him to agree?” Captain asks, hanging his coat back up.
“Pit him against Jimmy.”
“Sounds like it’s been done a dozen times.”
“Because it works.”
“Is that the rest of your plan?” he asks.
“Not even close.”
At the sight of my grin, he groans. “Well, get on with it.”
Once I’ve told him about me being Jimmy’s only option and using that to turn on him, I head out of the station. Coming here today was risky but worth it. Anything that means Charlie’s life is safe is the best option, and making sure more people know what’s happening is the right choice.
I press the down elevator button to the parking garage. The doors ping and open. I step in, but slap my hand over threshold before they can close.
What the fuck?
“Charlie!” I shout. My voice echoes in the hallway.
She gasps, turning to meet my eyes, and scurries out the front doors. I dart after her. By the time I make it outside, she’s gone.
What in the hell is she up to?
I pick up my cell and call her. Hopefully, she’s close enough that I’ll hear her phone ring, but I get nothing. Her voicemail picks up.
“I sure hope you have a good reason for following me. You are aware that …” My words trail off as what I’m about to say dawns on me. I step back inside before I finish. “People are following your every move, Charlie. Be careful.”
And it’s the truth, not just for her but all of us.