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"Mia," I breathe, my chest doing somersaults.
He nods in confirmation. "What I need from you two is to leak information into Petrov circles. Let them think that you're suspicious about a different location and that you're going to investigate it in five days." He pauses, staring us straight in the eyes. "It needs to be convincing."
Antonio and I exchange a wary glance. Leaking false information could be dangerous, or even deadly. But the urgency of finding Mia outweighs any reservations we might have.
"I can handle it," Antonio finally speaks up, his voice firm.
Lucas nods in approval. "Good. I don't need to tell you how important this is."
"We know," I say, my eyes locking with Lucas's. "We'll do whatever it takes to bring her back."
Lucas gives me a small smile of gratitude, and for a moment, I see the pain in his eyes. The pain of not being able to protect the woman he loves.
"Now," he starts up again, delving back into business, "we'll be moving in three days. Three teams of highly trained agents from the FBI, SWAT, and CIA will be there to infiltrate the real location-"
"What about our team?" Antonio interjects.
"You won't have one," he responds frankly.
Antonio and I exchange a look of surprise. Our team is the one that started this mission, the one that we hand-picked and trained ourselves. We have so much invested in this, how can he not include us?
I can feel a frown forming on my face. "But we know the Petrovs, we know what we're up against."
Lucas leans back in his chair, taking a deep breath before answering. "You both know why," he says pointedly, his eyes flickering between Antonio and me. "We can't risk the operation by bringing in outsiders who might not follow protocol."
"I don't give a shit about protocol, Lucas," Antonio hisses vehemently, trying to control his tone.
"The Morettis are already on police radars," he reminds us. "If they catch you there, they'll consider it gang activity and all hell will break loose. You know that as well as I do."
Antonio and I glance at each other once more before nodding our agreement. We might not like it, but we understand the thinking behind Lucas's decision. The stakes are too high for egos and hurt feelings.
"That's not to say that you two can't go," he adds. "Just the two of you."
"That's more like it," I sigh out, relieved. I don't think I would have been able to refrain from going anyway.
Lucas gives us a tight-lipped smile. "Good. Now, we need to talk about disguises," he says.
Antonio and I lean in closer, eager to hear more.
"I've already secured two FBI disguises. I'll have them waiting there for you," he assures. "They're top-notch and will get you through the front door undetected."
"As long as you're willing to follow my orders and wear these," he pulls out two FBI badges from his pocket, "you'll be able to slip in unnoticed."
Antonio and I take the badges with shaky hands. This is it. We're finally going to find Mia.
"We'll need to get in and out," he adds. "We're the only ones who know about Mia's involvement. It's up to us to make sure she gets out of this unscathed, without getting tangled up in law enforcement."
I'm relieved to hear that he's aware enough to keep Mia's name out of the FBI. But, then again, he's no fool. He's smart, cunning, and convincing. We should know.
We finish our coffee in silence, the air thick with tension and unspoken thoughts. I can feel the weight of the impending mission pressing down on me, a sense of dread building in my gut. As we make our way out of the diner, Lucas grips my shoulder tightly.
"Xavier," he says seriously, his eyes scanning the street around us. "For what it's worth... you're not the man I thought at the start of all this."
"It's not worth much," I admit. "You're a good man. Mia was right to save your life."
Lucas nods, his expression grim. "We'll get her back."
With that, he leaves, not looking back.
