decision?”
“The lieutenant decides who goes out on assignment.”
“Fine, I’ll talk to Noah.”
****
Despite her big words to Sierra, Annie was nervous when she decided to join the daily planning session for the first time. Riley told her about them, so she knew the apartment set aside as the group gathering place for dinners and such was also where the team met for morning briefings. Annie and Shilah were never invited.
Annie waited until a quarter after nine and knocked briefly on the door before letting herself in, grateful the door wasn’t locked. Everyone turned to look at her.
“Hi Annie,” Noah smiled warmly. “Is there something I can help you with?”
“Actually I wanted to join this morning’s meeting, and all of the briefings going forward,” she said looking around the room. She made sure to keep her smile calm and professional, just as she would when meeting with a room full of professors.
“Is there any particular reason why you wanted to start doing that?” Cyrus Johnson asked. Where Noah’s tone had been warm, Cyrus’ sounded like he was getting ready to interrogate her. It made sense, as he was on hiatus from his job as a high ranking detective in the Atlanta police force.
“Yes there is, I spoke to Sierra last night, and it sounds like there is something I am uniquely capable of assisting with regarding a case the she, Nate and Brice are working.”
“And what do you think that is?” Cyrus asked, his tone even colder.
“Mellow out dude,” Sarah Johnson said, as she elbowed her older brother. Annie laughed, and immediately winced in regret, but everybody else around the table did as well. Riley gave her a wink. With the three team members in Florida, it only left seven people in the room with her. Annie knew she was going to have an uphill battle convincing every single one of them of her plan, but she intended to start with the women and end with Noah.
“Can I sit down?”
“Of course,” Kali answered, and Annie smiled inwardly. She’d start with Kali. Annie sat in the empty chair opposite her, and next to Dakota (Kota) Blackthorne.
“So what is it you think you can help with?” Cyrus asked again. He was like a dog with a bone. Sarah rolled her eyes.
“Sierra explained there were a few things needing to be stopped, there were the initial problems with Labado and Seth’s father-in-law, but now he’s brought in two new big cartels. She said Nate and Brice are working surveillance on those groups, but it still leaves the problem with the buying and selling of the young girls.” She looked pointedly at Kali and Sarah.
“Noah briefed us on that business of Labado’s a few days ago,” Kali said, as she rubbed her swollen abdomen, throwing a grateful look at her husband. Annie knew she and Noah were communicating psychically. Meanwhile, Sarah looked positively sick to her stomach and Cyrus moved closer to his sister and grabbed her hand where it rested on top of the conference room table.
“Brice and Nate are still attempting to find a way in as buyers,” Kota said.
“Sierra told me, but even if they succeed, then what about the cartel they are currently focused on?” she asked Kota, but eventually looked around to everyone in the room ending with Noah. He was rubbing the back of his neck.
“You bring up a great point.”
“Are you saying the girls aren’t the highest priority?” Kali asked.
“This is one of those cases where everything is a number one priority, but Brice and Nate are already in place watching Soto and Vargas, and they’ve struck out on the human trafficking aspect.”
Annie felt the accusation coming from Sarah and Kali in waves, as did the rest of the men in the room.
“Noah’s right Kali. If Brice or Nate succeeded as buyers, they would have jumped right in, but they struck out, and moved on. You have to realize what they are doing will help to stop a drug war of epic proportions on American soil.”
Sarah snatched
“The lieutenant decides who goes out on assignment.”
“Fine, I’ll talk to Noah.”
****
Despite her big words to Sierra, Annie was nervous when she decided to join the daily planning session for the first time. Riley told her about them, so she knew the apartment set aside as the group gathering place for dinners and such was also where the team met for morning briefings. Annie and Shilah were never invited.
Annie waited until a quarter after nine and knocked briefly on the door before letting herself in, grateful the door wasn’t locked. Everyone turned to look at her.
“Hi Annie,” Noah smiled warmly. “Is there something I can help you with?”
“Actually I wanted to join this morning’s meeting, and all of the briefings going forward,” she said looking around the room. She made sure to keep her smile calm and professional, just as she would when meeting with a room full of professors.
“Is there any particular reason why you wanted to start doing that?” Cyrus Johnson asked. Where Noah’s tone had been warm, Cyrus’ sounded like he was getting ready to interrogate her. It made sense, as he was on hiatus from his job as a high ranking detective in the Atlanta police force.
“Yes there is, I spoke to Sierra last night, and it sounds like there is something I am uniquely capable of assisting with regarding a case the she, Nate and Brice are working.”
“And what do you think that is?” Cyrus asked, his tone even colder.
“Mellow out dude,” Sarah Johnson said, as she elbowed her older brother. Annie laughed, and immediately winced in regret, but everybody else around the table did as well. Riley gave her a wink. With the three team members in Florida, it only left seven people in the room with her. Annie knew she was going to have an uphill battle convincing every single one of them of her plan, but she intended to start with the women and end with Noah.
“Can I sit down?”
“Of course,” Kali answered, and Annie smiled inwardly. She’d start with Kali. Annie sat in the empty chair opposite her, and next to Dakota (Kota) Blackthorne.
“So what is it you think you can help with?” Cyrus asked again. He was like a dog with a bone. Sarah rolled her eyes.
“Sierra explained there were a few things needing to be stopped, there were the initial problems with Labado and Seth’s father-in-law, but now he’s brought in two new big cartels. She said Nate and Brice are working surveillance on those groups, but it still leaves the problem with the buying and selling of the young girls.” She looked pointedly at Kali and Sarah.
“Noah briefed us on that business of Labado’s a few days ago,” Kali said, as she rubbed her swollen abdomen, throwing a grateful look at her husband. Annie knew she and Noah were communicating psychically. Meanwhile, Sarah looked positively sick to her stomach and Cyrus moved closer to his sister and grabbed her hand where it rested on top of the conference room table.
“Brice and Nate are still attempting to find a way in as buyers,” Kota said.
“Sierra told me, but even if they succeed, then what about the cartel they are currently focused on?” she asked Kota, but eventually looked around to everyone in the room ending with Noah. He was rubbing the back of his neck.
“You bring up a great point.”
“Are you saying the girls aren’t the highest priority?” Kali asked.
“This is one of those cases where everything is a number one priority, but Brice and Nate are already in place watching Soto and Vargas, and they’ve struck out on the human trafficking aspect.”
Annie felt the accusation coming from Sarah and Kali in waves, as did the rest of the men in the room.
“Noah’s right Kali. If Brice or Nate succeeded as buyers, they would have jumped right in, but they struck out, and moved on. You have to realize what they are doing will help to stop a drug war of epic proportions on American soil.”
Sarah snatched
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