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Chapter Five
Sophia dressed carefully to meet the Governor. She had started with her regulation FBI dark gray suit and her hair swept up in a roll, ugly medium pumps on her feet, followed by a ten-second stare in the mirror before she changed. That wasn’t her, never could be.
Because she worked a lot on sites where life and death hung in the balance, where her skills made the end call, she usually dressed down in dark sweaters and jeans topped with the FBI vest. That didn’t seem appropriate either.
So, she wore the type of clothes she’d use when she arrived in Rhodes, a traveling outfit that would mark her as a tourist.
Agitated after her quick stop at the office to pick up the file, she drove to the governor’s house. Sometimes she hated going into the agency. Lately, the other female agents graced her with cold shoulders and a just-you-dare-to-piss-me-off attitude. Today, they were so sugary sweet, it made her back tighten waiting for the expected shiv.
As shy as she was, she liked most people, just didn’t trust everyone. Her pet peeve was unprofessional behavior at work. Not that she didn’t enjoy the odd joke or a catching up of the evening-before-session first thing on arrival, but considering the country paid them for eight to twelve hours on some shifts, she felt it only right they spend the better part of the day with their minds on the job.
There were a number of outstanding cases, unfortunate folks with disastrous stories that expected their help, she considered it only right that they serve these people and keep their private shit out of the office.
Don’t get her started on the local law enforcement. Maybe it was her particular skillset that pissed off some cops who held her in disdain rather than being relieved when her abilities saved the day. Not that there were too many of those types, thank goodness. But she had to deal with a few buffoons who either hated the fact she was a female or that she could do what they couldn’t – take out a dangerous criminal.
Not that she gave a rat’s ass about small-minded fools. Those pea-brains didn’t count in her world. The only ones who did were fellow law enforcement friends who had the same work code, her large spread-out family, and Bunny.
No boyfriends, not currently. She’d been dating an ambitious, hot lawyer up until a few months ago who’d caught her eye; that was until he started bitching about her work hours, and how she didn’t spend enough time or energy on their relationship. What relationship? Three dinners with him having expectations of bedroom privileges afterward about covered the story of their so-called relationship.
By the time Sophia had left her teens behind, she’d had her fill of the opposite sex and seldom got taken in by their tempting ways and one-track minds. Before she’d graduated, there’d been one occasion where she’d let a sweet talker get past her reserve and had paid for that mistake with weeks of worrying herself sick until her body verified she’d bypassed that particular problem. Never again did she let another person control her choices, both in how much she drank or whatever sex games would follow.
She pulled up to a red light and automatically scanned the area around her. The day had started out cooler than most of the Washington mornings in late May. People were wearing jackets and jeans rather than the usual shorts, which was the official dress code for most of the spring and summer months.
One unshaved, dirty-faced fellow caught her attention. She sensed his interest in the older woman next to him wasn’t strictly neighborly. She watched him sidle up beside the parcel-laden senior so he had the best angle to steal her purse.
Gentle Jesus, he was that blatant. Didn’t even try to be sneaky. Sophia checked her surroundings and saw why he felt so bold. There weren’t many people on the street, and of those few, none were close by. Sophia pulled her car further up the street and stopped. She slid from the driver’s side so she could use the cover from the other parked vehicles to get closer. Sure’n there he was now, watching like a cat stalking a bird, giving his prey a few more steps where they’d be in the shadow of an alley that he could shove her into and overwhelm her.
Moving quickly, Sophia got within a few feet. With his attention focused on his victim, he didn’t even see her. When he began to make his move, she edged closer and spoke softly so as not to scare him into doing something rash. “Don’t you be doing that now, boy-o. It’s a bad idea.”
He hesitated long enough for the older woman to sense something going on behind her. Just as she would have rushed away, he made his play for her bag. Ripping it off her shoulder, he aimed a blow at the poor overweight soul that Sophia intercepted. Rethinking his plans, he took off like a shot, only to slam into the wall Sophia pushed him into.
Fast as a furious cat protecting her young, Sophia had moves driven by instincts that had shocked her trainers. Always anticipating logical actions by others gave her those few seconds to be ahead of their next move. She’d expected the prick to head for the alley, and he hadn’t disappointed her.
She held the skinny male against the bricks while she reclaimed the now furious woman’s belongings. “FBI. Don’t move, buddy. You know you shouldn’t take things that don’t belong to you.”
“I wasn’t doin’ nothing.”
Suddenly, the victim, feeling safe, decided to take part. Dyed black hair flying around her furious face and chubby arms swinging wildly, the woman clobbered the perp with her recovered purse, hitting at him everywhere but making sure his head got the majority of the blows.
She screamed her rage, her overly painted bright red lips shouting, “You’re a lying so and so. You pushed me, you putz.” Again, she swung and connected, her face so mottled that Sophia feared for the lady’s overworked heart. But she held onto the perp and let the woman at him, keeping the grin off her face.
The guy tried to protect himself and then made the mistake of spewing more lies that made everything worse. “No. I wasn’t going to steal it. You dropped it… swear to God!”
“Now you take the Lord’s name in vain? Schmuck! Putz! You think I don’t know what you were gonna do? My Levi, God bless his sweet soul, is sick in bed and needs this money for his medicine. Which he deserves. ‘Cause that man worked hard all his life. Not like you, you lying piece of garbage. You’re a bandit. Stealing from old ladies. You should be embarrassed. Your mother would be ashamed she raised such a bum.”
Crying, tears of rage pouring over her cheeks, now exhausted and clutching her handbag against her chest, the agitated senior finally ended her tirade, gathered her parcels, and bustled around them.
She aimed a comment at Sophia and a smile, “Thank you sweetheart for helping this old lady.”
Sophia, not expecting to make an arrest, didn’t have any handcuffs on her. At the moment, she had the wriggling idiot in a hold where he moved and broke his arm or stayed quiet. “Ma’am, please wait. I’ll make a call and we can take down your information. Press charges.”
“I can’t wait. My Levi, God bless his sweet soul, needs his medicine. I’m sorry officer, I have to go.” Suddenly, she turned back. When the loser saw her intention, he tried to hide behind Sophia, but she wouldn’t let him. He’d take whatever treatment the old lady wanted to dish out, and as far as Sophia was concerned, it wouldn’t be even close to what he deserved.
Still bursting with anger, her pink flowered pantsuit all crinkled and misshapen, her parcels gathered messily under her arm, she yelled her final rant, “Farshtunkener! Next time pick on someone your own size. You… you dummkopf!” Her foot shot out, and her kick landed on his shins.
Sophia let him drop to the ground while he clutched his leg and watched her newest hero hurry up the street. The thought popped into her mind that the dummkopf had picked on the wrong old lady.
Observing the spirited woman with her head held high, she decided she wanted to be just like her when she grew up. Those few seconds of introspection was all the perp needed to wriggle away from her loosening hold and be gone. A split second of indecision and Sophia stepped down. She knew if she gave chase, she’d most likely have caught the attacker, but then she’d have to make an arrest, wait for back up, and be late for her meeting.
