The representatives from the SEC and DOJ huddled in a dimly lit conference room, papers scattered across the table. Tension hung thick in the air as they prepared to take down Councilman Baxter, who was suspected of siphoning public funds for personal gain.
Melisa Garland, the deputy attorney general and DOJ representative broke the silence. "How did we get this tip?" she asked, her sharp eyes glancing at Harland Gensler, the SEC commissioner.
"Our anonymous source provided us with emails and bank statements as evidence," replied Harland in a calm demeanor, as he handed over the documents.
"We need to move quickly before he destroys any evidence," said Melisa. "Let's start by serving him with a subpoena to appear before a grand jury."
Harland interjected, "What about a search warrant?"
"We'll get one, but we need to ensure we have enough evidence to justify it," replied Melisa firmly. "We cannot afford to make any mistakes in this case."
"Agreed. We need to make sure everything is airtight," said Harland, his eyes scanning the documents.
As they continued to plan, Harland's mind wandered. He thought about the upcoming investigation and trial, knowing that they had to be careful not to allow any missteps or slip-ups that would enable Councilman Baxter to escape justice.
"We have to be strategic," he reminded himself. "We cannot be too conspicuous in our approach. We need to take him down, but we must do it right."
Harland took a deep breath, refocusing on the task at hand. They had a job to do, and they needed to do it well. The corrupt councilman had to be held accountable for his actions, and justice needed to be served.
Melisa noticed Harland's thoughtful expression and nudged him gently. "We have a plan in place. Let's focus on the next steps," she said.
Harland nodded, grateful for the reminder. "You're right. We need to stay on track and ensure everything is executed perfectly."
Zac saw Fatima getting dressed and asked, "Where you going?"
"I'm going to the gym,"
"Can I come?"
"Come on, you got 10 minutes to get ready,"
Zac quickly got ready and drove them to the gym. As they got in the car, he suggested using his workout playlist so that they could listen to the same music while working out.
Fatima began her warm-up routine on the treadmill, maintaining a 12 incline and 3-speed for 30 minutes. While walking, a sudden movement caught her eye. She turned her head and there Zac was, standing on the other side of the floor-to-ceiling partition that separated the cardio section from the weights area. She watched him catch the collar of his t-shirt in one hand and strip it off over his head, revealing a glistening toned torso. With his gaze locked on her Zac ran his hand over his abs, and let it fall just below the waistband of his shorts, pushing them down just an inch and she nearly tripped over her own feet. At that moment, his playlist shuffled to "Pony" and she couldn't help but chuckle at his choice of workout music. Nevertheless, she decided to keep listening.
Without warning, he appeared behind her and matched her pace on the treadmill.
"Hmm, If you're horny let's do it, Ride it, my pony, My saddle's waiting, Come and jump on it," he sang the lyrics low in her ear and she laughed, blushing and bumping him with her shoulder
"Go away, I'm trying to work out and your choice of workout music is distracting enough,"
"I'm just being helpful, offering you support in case you lose your balance or something," he said laughing and putting his arms underneath her armpits.
