CRYPTO: Infidelity (Book 1)

CHAPTER 35: MISSION

After a couple of days, Rockie contacted me.

"Hey, can you take a few days off work?"

"What for?" I asked.

"We have a mission but we'll have to take a plane to get to the destination. We'll probably be out of state for a couple of days."

"I thought all the missions were in Nevada. We don't have anyone outside here."

"You're wrong about that. We have Family all over the world."

"Where are we going and what is the mission?"

"That's classified, but I can tell you later, just not over the phone."

"I don't think I can take vacation days. The department will think I don't take my job seriously. I'm still new."

"Then take sick days. They don't have to know where you are."

"I'll have to hear about the mission before I use up my sick days."

"You don't exactly have a choice. Just let me know what days you'll take off so I can buy the plane tickets."

"How many days?" I asked.

"Four or five will probably do."

"Okay. I'll check my schedule and text you the dates."

"Okay." He hung up.

I realized this was much bigger than I thought. If the mafia was all over the world and it was all connected, what good would it do if I took down the current mafia in Las Vegas? They would just get replaced by more and I would probably have thousands wanting me dead. I couldn't do this alone, but I didn't know who I could trust in the police department. For all I knew, the mafia went all the way up to the CIA. I was curious about this mission though. Maybe I would be able to learn more about how far the mafia extends.

When I arrived at the airport, I noticed my uncle there too.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him.

"I could ask you the same thing," he said.

"What's your destination?"

"Paris, France. Same as you I'm guessing?"

"Yeah."

"There you two are!" Rockie said from behind.

"You didn't tell me he was coming," I told Rockie.

"He's just backup in case you chicken out," Rockie said. "This is your first time after all."

"Is it just us then?" Uncle Blade asked.

"There's a guy waiting for us in Paris," he said. "He's gonna show us around."

The plane ride was long and grueling. Thirteen hours sitting in one place was nearly impossible for me. I got up to go to the restroom more times than I needed to just to stretch my legs. I wasn't able to sleep either since this was only my second time on an airplane and so I wasn't used to the turbulence. It didn't help that it was cramped and crowded and my seat was uncomfortable. And to make matters worse, there was a toddler a few seats behind me that kept whining. Who brings such a small child on a 13 hours flight anyhow? They shouldn't just paid an owl to teleport them. It probably would've been worth the extra money for them not to deal with a whiny baby.

When we finally landed, the three of us got off and, among the few animals waiting to see familiar faces getting off the plane, was a shaggy brown water dog with a dark blue bowtie. He was holding a sign with nothing but a picture of a spade like the ones you would see on playing cards.

Rockie walked right up to him.

"I declare an alliance," Rockie said.

The water dog smiled. "Deal."

"I'm Rockie and these are friends of ours, Blade and Crypto."

"Oh good. You brought two of them." He had a thick french accent. "I'm Marceau. What are your rankings?"

"Ten," Rockie said.

"Eight," Uncle Blade said.

"I don't know my ranking," I said. "Nobody ever told me."

"He's a nine," Rockie told Marceau.

Uncle Blade gave Rockie a look. I was surprised I was a higher rank than him.

"Bienvenue à Paris," Marceau said, then he said something in English but his accent was too thick for me to understand.

"No. We have everything we need," Rockie said. I wondered if he actually understood what the guy said or if he was just guessing.

"Okay. Follow me," Marceau said.