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I love these disrespectful people. In a family as big and complicated as ours—twenty-eight siblings adopted by one of the wealthiest women in the world—it made sense for Momma to divide us into groups based on our age, not when we were adopted.
It also made sense for running covert operations. These four are the siblings I’ve trained with, confided in, fought with, shared a hallway with in the Mantua Home, and ran secret operations with as an undercover agent.
“Would you all like time to get yourselves together?” I ask. “I can go get some tea and come back.”
Slowly, they settle down, then each of our boxes shuffles right as another box opens.
Bridget’s hair is a nest of strands stabbed with a comb on the side of her head. Her brown eyes appear sleepy under her glasses. She blinks, leans closer. A small smile lights her face. “I like your hat.”
All four of my siblings burst into laughter, even Bridget, our resident yogi and all-around calm center trills out soft laughter.
Well, this is annoying.
A few more minutes of patience, patience that surely earns me sainthood, before I prod the group with, “Can we get to work?”
They calm down, and I quickly give them an overview of what’s happened since coming to Mexico, including the chat with Rosa and my fear there might be a serial killer on the loose.
“So, this woman in the square,” Tony says, causing the frame around his box to light up. “Someone offered her a job, and she said other women had accepted jobs then disappeared? Isn’t that what traffickers do?”
“According to rumors and Rosa, it isn’t traffickers. That’s why I’d like to investigate.”
Justice tilts her head. “Investigate what?”
Justice’s tone says her patience is on a razor’s edge. Pretty much where Justice’s patience starts and ends, but especially with this mission—a mission to take down the men who killed her biological sister. We know each other well, my sister and I. Neither of us needs a fortune teller to see why I, someone stolen from her first home as a child, wants to explore what’s happening to these women.
“I’d like to learn the truth,” I say, laying it out there, daring her to challenge a side operation.
She does dare. “Well, fuck,” Justice says. “If it has nothing to do with Walid, it’ll have to wait until this op is over. We can’t risk discovery right now, and you poking around, asking questions about missing women, is a time bomb.”
“Asking questions is why I’m here. I can do both. Find out about Walid’s security, the people around him, and research what’s happening to these women.”
“Not true. We need information on Walid,” Justice says. “We need his routine, his likes and dislikes, info on his organization, his routes here, and specifics on how women are being secreted across North America.”
I switch my gaze to each of my other siblings. “I call for a vote.”
Dropping his head for a second, Tony clears his throat before looking back up. “Two things. First, you’re our only operative in the area. Second, we can’t take on every case. It’s much safer for you to focus on the job at hand. You’ve got zero backup down there.”
“Pero, zero backup is typically how undercover operations work, no?”
He rolls his eyes. “I vote no. Sorry, D.”
Justice jumps in. “That’s my vote, too.”
“Me, too,” Gracie says, and my heart sinks.
I spare Bridget the vote. “I’ll respect the group decision, but if I happen upon any more information, I reserve the right to ask for reconsideration.”
“Seconded,” Tony says, and I breathe a sigh of relief.
I’m going to make sure I happen to come across that information.
Tony waves as if to scatter away the prior conversation. “Right now, let’s focus on Juan, AKA Sean. Getting him in position with Walid so he’s a proper asset is the key. Spend time with him every chance you can. Expose some part of you, feed him some truth, so he’s more likely to trust you.”
Expose myself? Feed him?Yes. Please. My belly flutters with an excitement that’s as startling as it is unwelcome. This isn’t a situation where I can afford to be sloppy. My cover is as good as any I’ve ever come across. People mostly ignore me. I can’t risk being seen with Juan the Forger, a criminal, let alone flirting with him.
“You okay? Looking a little distracted,” Tony says.
Uh. Tony. Stop being so observant.
