Mission Aborted?

The wind and rain lashed against the window as Captain Rick took the smouldering stub of his cigar out of his lips.

"So how did it go?" He threw the stub in his miniscule ashtray and settled for a glass of gin.

"A-okay." The woman on the receiving end of the line replied.

"I knew it would, Agent Black." He smiled, walking to the window.

"How's it over there?" Rose asked.

"Pissing with rain. I think God is mad at the earth." The sky rumbled with thunder as Rick took a long sip.

"He should be mad at the people who ruin it." She returned with a hint of anger in her voice.

"Oh. You mean people like Drystan?" Rick moved away from the window and shoves on the massage chair he had bought for $5,000. Turning on vibration mode, he released a low groan as the chair did its work.

"Drystan Riley is the devil's incarnate. Why do you think our mission's title is Operation Capture the devil?" Rose made a hiss and he laughed.

"Your hatred for this man is really personal," Rick put the glass down on the table beside him. "I'm pretty sure he's sneezing the hell out of his nose right now."

"I pray sneezing is not the only thing he does." Rose scoffed.

Rick laughed out heartily. "You're a funny one, darling." 

"I've signed the contract. Turns out I was given a title. It's called Comare." Rose, on her own end, plonked on her pink couch, sipping a cupped Starbucks coffee. 

"Comare," He turned off the vibration mode and sat up. "That's Italian for Godmother. Drystan is really knee-deep in the Mafia world. We need more evidence to bring him down."

"And that you will have." Rose disconnected the call and kept the burner phone beside her. 

Setting the coffee down on the coffee table, she sauntered to the cabinet just below the TV. Taking a squat, she pulled it open and reached inside, pulling out a framed picture. She ran her finger at the dusty image of her and Drake.

"I'll hunt him down, Drake. I'll get him for you. I swear." She whispered.

Captain Rick walked into a studious atmosphere in the Incident Room: a room in the X city police department where investigations are discussed and brainstormed. 

He ran a quick glance at the room, admiring the concentration of the officers sitting around the long conference table, speaking distinctively. 

One of them noticed his presence and gave a salute. "Sir."

Rick waved his hand at the rookie. "Nah. Keep doing what you're doing."

He walked with his hands in his pockets to where Neil was with his team. Rick had been in the force for 25 years. He had the experience, the skills, the wisdom, you name it but all that had been surpassed by young Officer Neil Nunez. 

Neil was his mid-20's but still had boyish looks: a serious, handsome face and a head full of curly blonde hair. Rick always found him hard to read. The young man was charming alright, but he had never heard of him getting involved in a scandal, relationship, or even fling. The man had a clean slate for a police officer and police officers are rarely innocent. 

Neil was dressed in a blue button down shirt he folded up to his elbows. His exposed toned arms were on his hips as he nodded to what a rookie officer said, and he went to scribble on the white board set aside for Operation Catch the devil. 

Rick gave a gentle wave at an officer who tried to greet him, not wanting to interrupt the meeting.

"Sir." Neil spoke up. "We've had a breakthrough."

"That was fast!" Rick exclaimed with surprise. "Tell me."

Neil walked to the whiteboard and pointed the blue marker at the picture of Drystan stepping out of a white Audi.

Neil begins. "Drystan Riley owns a chain of businesses that sells gold to middle men and other companies. Here's the twist, a particular Colombian company buys this gold and melts it into stationary pins, hair clips and a lot of trivial items, shipping it back to their own country to melt into gold bars. What does that tell you, Rick?" 

"Holy crud. Money laundering," Rick slapped his palm on the table in excitement, startling the rookies officers. "How'd you find out?"

"Exactly." Neil gave a proud smile. "We traced a large purchase of gold from the Colombians and had our agent follow it up. Turns out they shipped the gold right under their government's nose to avoid paying import duties and now, they melt the gold they refined into those stationary products into jewellery."

"This is indeed a breakthrough. Can you bring him in with this? Drystan." Rick took to his feet.

"I believe we can." Neil said with a curt nod.

"Good." 

Rose sat in the backseat of the black BMW X8 with Drystan. The car was parked right outside her apartment and they both waited for the guard sent to get her luggage as she was to move in with him.

A Spanish song came up on the radio and Rose couldn't help but vibe to it.

"Turn it down!" Drystan, in a subtle yet authoritative voice ordered the driver who did what his boss told him to. 

Rose scoffed. "What is your deal? I was enjoying that."

"You must've been enjoying that, but I wasn't." Drystan shot her a look that was part anger. When he saw she had turn aloof, mischief twinkled in his dreamy blue eyes. He had succeeded in annoying her.

An average height man came out of the building with two big suitcases in both hands. 

"I thought I told you to only get your personal items. Why the hell is he with two big luggage?" Drystan gave her a big frown when she looked at him.

Rose stuck out her tongue at him, saying nothing.

"You're an uncultured girl child. Do you know that?" Drystan couldn't help but roll his eyes and lean back into the seat.

When the guard was done arranging Rose's luggage in the boot, he gave it a pat.

"Get us out of here, Robert." Drystan instructed the driver.

Robert, the driver, fired off the engine and pushed his foot into the pedal, clutching the steering and easing the car into the road. 

On their way, Rose had to trouble Drystan.

"Honey, I have to pee." She said with a cute pout.

Drystan lifted his eyes from his IPad. "What did you just call me?"

"I figured since we're married we should have pet names." Rose winked at him and he rolled his eyes. 

She looked out the window and couldn't help but ask. "Are you sure we should leave that guy behind?" 

Drystan never took his eyes off his IPad. "Yes. Any problem?"

"I don't know. I feel something's wrong." She replied softly.

Drystan chuckled, eyeing her Chiffon pink blouse approvingly. "If you feel anything, it's the baby in your stomach. So zip it please. I'm trying to work."

Rose snapped. "Fine. Don't believe me anyway. Robert, pull over at the gas station, somebody has to pee."

Drystan gave her an asinine grin. "You're trying to annoy me."

The car grew to a stop at the gas station and Rose bounded out of the car with a "Hmph." Drystan scoffed and resumed working on his IPad.

"I think the lady is a good laugh." Robert turned to look at Drystan.

"Seriously? She is a thorn in my flesh." Drystan grimaced.

Robert heaved a lazy sigh, feign sorry for his boss. "You're mad at her because we pulled over? She's pregnant, Sir. What did you expect?"

"I didn't expect anything because I haven't been in this kind of situation before." Drystan looked out the window. "And she better return fast. I have a job to do." 

Rose went to the counter and asked for the restroom. The sales rep told her it was at the back, and she thanked him with a smile. 

Once she was in the bathroom, she took out her AirPods from her purse and put it in her ears.

"I got your message. What is it?" She whispered. 

It was Rick's voice through the speaker. "We've got Drystan. You have to fall back."