Comeback Kid
"It only takes two minutes to get here. Why did it take you longer?" The second I get inside the van Marcus attacks me with a question.
"Sorry, kinda bumped into someone by accident and ended up helping them pick up their stuff." I give for a poor excuse.
"Oh, okay. Well glad you're out of the slammer." He says with a teasing grin.
"Yeah sure. By the way. What was that?" I ask loudly. "Undercover detective? Are you out of your mind?"
"Not my idea." He shrugs.
"Well I'm sure they figured out who I am by now." Sergeant best must be putting it together by now. Considering I bumped into steve and he was sure of who I am, even though I tried to unfazed him.
"What? How?" I am met with incredulous questioning eyes.
"Later. I thought we had a situation." I distract him from the topic at hand.
"Yeah not here. We should head back to the house." He turns the key in the ignition and drives away.
When we were sent here for the mission, we were given a modest two story house. First floor had a kitchen, living room, bedroom and bathroom. Second floor had a bedroom and a bathroom within (Which I had claimed for myself). Also it had an office. The attic was relatively small but not important. The important part was the supposedly not existent basement. The house plan says there is no basement, but there is. The floor opening that leads to it is activated by sound. It is always hidden, and even when it is revealed you can never tell it's a door. In the basement all our computers, all our files, all our surveillance material and all our weapons lie.
Marcus and I have been living in the same house or apartment for the past year. And even though he jokingly makes passes at me, we both understand that our relationship is purely professional. Even though we've become sort of friends.
Marcus and I make our way into the basement in await of a conference with Director Caroline Stevens. We each grab a bottle of water and take our seat in front of our screen.
We've been living in the same house or apartment for the past year. And even though he jokingly makes passes at me, we both understand that our relationship is purely professional. Even though we've become sort of friends.
A minute later The conference begins and we are met with Caroline's face.
"Agent Sawyer," She greets. "I'm glad your out and okay."
"Thank you." I answer. "I'm sorry I complicated things." I somehow felt like I needed to apologize.
"Keep that apology, you're going to take it back soon." She says urgently and then addresses Marcus. "Agent Carlin, have you briefed her in?" She inquires of him.
"Not yet, you told me to wait for you." He says.
"Good." She turns back towards me. "When you were taken in, Marcus called it in and we told him we'll be calling to get you out and that he should wait for you outside. The process to release you took a little longer than expected because we took our time coming up with a reason to get you out."
"Right. Undercover detective." I quip in.
"Yeah. Sorry about that. I know it wasn't a good idea to take our time getting you out. Especially since you were taken by 15 devision. And that cover was probably not what you needed. But it was what we needed." She explains.
Her explanation leaves me completely confused. Why did they need to make me an undercover detective, when they could pretty much say anything and have me out.
"When Marcus arrived, he spotted Jameson walking into the precinct. The problem was, that he was wearing a police uniform." Stevens continues explaining and my confusion even intensifies.
"What?" I ask. "But that would be impossible."
"Which is why we gave you that cover story. A detective cover would pass with him. It was the only cover that wouldn't leave him suspicious of your presence there." Her explanation made sense then.
"He could still get suspicious." Marcus chimes in.
"True. Which is why we need you to make it believable." Stevens's words were barely registering with me. How would I make it more believable?
"You need to go in. Be a detective for fifteen. It's the only way to be close to him with no suspicion." Stevens's words register then and I understand what she means even before she continues. "He doesn't know who you are. And you're the only one who would make it believable. After all, you've got family there."
"You want me to go in as myself." I don't ask, I simply say.
"Yes. I need you to be Gail Peck again for a while." And there they were, my orders.
Just like that I am faced with my biggest fear again. Coming back would mean facing everyone. Not just Steve, but also my dad, and the hardest one to face would be my mom. For a second I wish I could turn it down, I wish I could run away, but I can't. Not this time. So I compose myself enough to give a steady answer. There was no place for fear now.
"Might as well. I ran into my brother on the way out. He recognized me. But I denied it." I inform here. "I'm sure he didn't buy it though."
"We'll be sending you the assignment details shortly with all your back story and the supposed mission you were on in Toronto. You'll go into fifteen devision next week as detective Peck. Homicide. Jameson was in cop uniform which means homicide offices would be closer. You'll keep an eye out on him. Try to get as much information as you can. We need to know why and how he managed to be in a police uniform. It's good to have you with us, detective Gail Peck." Caroline Stevens says, and all I manage in reply is a nod before the conference cuts off.
"Shit." I exhale.
"Gail Peck, huh?" Marcus quirks up with raised eyes brows.
"Oh no! no! no! no! I'm Charlie Sawyer to you!" I say with a pointed finger and a serious look. "Gail Peck, may be my real name, but to you it'll be just like any other code name I've used on this mission! Understand?"
"I understand Charlie. But I will need a background story on who you are. Treat it as if it's a cover one." His facial expression turns to understanding. I'm sure he knows what it's like to run from something. It looks like he's run from himself as well. "I don't know what situations we will be facing, and I will need to know some things about you. Can you do that?"
I take a few moments to understand exactly what he's asking of me. He has a point. If I have to pretend to be myself for an undercover job, he is my parter. He has every right to know what the undercover is about. If we get caught by the people I'll be hanging with, he'll need a story to tell. He can't have a cover for himself, if he doesn't know mine.
"Okay. Yes, I guess I have to." I take a deep breath readying myself for what's to come. "My name is Gail Peck. I'm from here, Toronto, Canada. My mother is superintendent Peck and my dad is Inspector Peck. Those were the positions they occupied five years ago, before I left. I'm not sure if any of them got promoted. My brother is detective Peck, and I guess he's at 15 devision. So as you see, I come from a family of cops."
I see him nod in understanding, taking all the information in and urging me to continue.
"When I was eighteen, just fresh out of school, I didn't know what job I wanted, and even though I was raised to become a cop, and I was sure I'd be good at it, I just didn't want to give my mother the satisfaction of leading my life. So I just started waitressing at this restaurant, where I met this charming guy. Nicholas Collins. We started dating, and a couple years later, we went to Vegas, wanting to get married, but that didn't work out well."
"Wait, You were going to marry this guy?" He interrupts. "Is that why you never date? You got heart broken?" He asks.
"No, i don't date cause the job makes it hard, and I don't want to get physical with co-workers." I explain.
"I could swear I saw you check out a few chicks." He muses.
"Whatever." I dismiss his observation. "Anyways, Nick left before we got married. He joined the army, and I didn't go back home. I just joined the CSIS." I continue my tale telling. "I was raised to be a cop, if I wasn't going to be one, might as well pick something else with a firearm." I joke.
"And you haven't seen your family in five years?" He asks.
"I only leave out a few voice messages to Steve, my brother, to let him know I'm alive. Otherwise, a missing person report would be all over Canada." I say with a fake chuckle.
"I think I'll have to be invisible for this mission. You know that right?" I simply give him a nod in answer. "Carl knows who I am, and your cover will be blown. I'll have to move out of here. I'll still be here to work on this with you, and to protect you when needed. But where you're headed is a place full of cops. It's safer than any other place we've been into on missions." He assures me.
"I know. I'm just scared of facing my family." I confess.
"You'll do fine." Just then the screen chimes indicating that my mission file has arrived. "Get ready for your big comeback Sawyer, or should I say, Gail Peck."
Fuck! This won't be easy! And I'm sure it'll be very ugly.
