absence of affection- javier peña

Part 16

Peña cleared his throat as he stood up before looking at the ambassador. "That's a beautiful dress, Ambassador Noonan." he smiled before leaving the room. Both Murphy and Barlowe shook their heads. "You are free to go." the ambassador told them. "Can you believe this?" Steve looked at Vanessa "Trust me, if we could trade, I would." Vanessa told Steve and he chuckled. "I gotta call Connie and sort out some shit, wanna come with?" Steve asked "Yeah, yeah, sure." Vanessa nodded as she followed Steve to his office. As he talked on the phone, Peña walked in. "I'll see you when I get home." Murphy said before hanging up and the two agents looked at Peña. "Here. Elisa's ID." Peña said as he slid an ID between Barlowe and Murphy "What are we supposed to do with that?" Murphy asked "Take her to Cumaral. My contact there agreed to hide her." Peñasaid "While you go to Cartagena? I can't believe this shit." Murphy shook his head. "Who made this?" Barlowe asked as she looked at it "Brother, what do you suggest we do?" Peña asked Murphy "Jump out of a window?" Murphy spoke "Look, she's..." Peña began as he glanced at Vanessa.

"She's important." Peña said and Vanessa looked up "Yeah? To who?" she questioned. "To us." Peña said and Vanessa shook her head before standing up and starting to walk to the ambassador's office. "Vanessa-" Peña called out "Let her go." Murphy told him. "Ambassador Noonan?" Barlowe began as she walked in "Agent Barlowe, how can I help you?" the ambassador questioned "I need you to please arrange that I stay here in Bogotá." Barlowe said and the ambassador crossed her arms. She nodded, urging Vanessa to give reasons why she should accept this favor. "As one of the few women working in this industry, you realize how hard it is to work with certain...people." Vanessa began "You and Peña work well together." the ambassador told Vanessa "I understand that but as of late, it doesn't appear that way. I feel I'd work more proficiently if I remained here. I don't see myself doing very well hunting down Gacha." Vanessa explained and the ambassador nodded. "I see..." she began and Vanessa held her breath "If you promise to do exceptional work while you are here, I will see that you are excused from this mission." the ambassador told Barlowe "Thank you so much. Truly." Vanessa thanked her before walking back into Steve's office.

"Peña." she spoke as she sat down. "If we take care of Elisa...you better fucking get Gacha." Barlowe told him. Peña didn't catch what she had said with the whole 'we' part but he nodded and walked away. "We?" Murphy looked over at Vanessa after Peña walked away. "I'm not going with him." Barlowe told Murphy and he raised an eyebrow at her "I'm staying here. Helping you?" she spoke "I thought you liked Javi?" Steve questioned "I don't know what the hell happened at the bar but my drunk mouth must've said something because he appears to hate me more than he did in the beginning." Vanessa shook her head. A few hours of chatter later, Murphy told Barlowe it was time to go so they made their way to the auditorium where Gaviria would be making a speech. Murphy and Barlowe sat in the back observing.

The next day, Elisa was rehearsing her fake life story in front of Steve and Vanessa "Okay, try that again, and look at us." Steve said and Elisa sighed. "I've already done it 17 times." Elisa said. Neither of the agents were having it because neither of the liked her. "You got me, my best friend, and his wife into this. Now sit down and do it again until you get it right." Vanessa ordered. Elisa sat down and did her thing continuing to keep eye contact with Steve. "What if they ask me a question about chemistry?" Elisa asked. "I hope you're good at bullshitting." Steve said as he took a sip of coffee. "Okay--" Elisa began as she stood up "Sit down. Do it again. It's getting better." Steve told her. "I'm gonna bring her shit down and put it in the car." Vanessa told Steve "I'll come with." he told her as he grabbed one of her bags. "She's gonna fuck up when she gets asked this shit." Vanessa told Steve as they walked to the car "I know." he sighed "You should've gone with Peña, this is more dangerous." Steve told Vanessa "Yeah, whatever. I think if I would've been stuck alone with him I would've killed myself because of the awkwardness." Vanessa shook her head "Jesus, it's that bad?" Steve asked as they threw her bags in the car "I mean just yesterday--" Vanessa stopped herself as she saw something in the car. 

She reached in and picked it up. She held it in front of her face, examining it. Steve looked over and saw what she had. He immediately looked under the car as Vanessa looked inside until she saw wires connected to the car. She looked at Steve with worry in her eyes. "Let's go." he told her as they went back into the house and sat at the table, silently staring at the floor "Let's go." he told Connie as he and Vanessa grabbed their pistols. "Honey, thank you." Connie said to Steve "You better help us get Escobar." Vanessa said to Elisa "I want him dead, too." Elisa replied "Yeah, but we're not a death squad, okay?" Vanessa said as she began walking away "You clearly don't know your country's history in Latin America." Elisa spoke up and Both Vanessa and Steve turned around. "Sorry, I didn't hear that--" Vanessa pointed to her ear as she got closer to Elisa "Vanessa, mellow out, okay?" Connie told her as she grabbed Vanessa's arm. "Connie, don't." Steve told his wife. "Just let go of me so we can get this shit done." Vanessa said as she practically ripped her arm away from Connie's hand.

"Look, Steve, Vanessa, I know you two are mad but this is the right thing to do." Connie said as Vanessa and Steve both go in the car. "The right thing to do? We didn't really have a choice in the matter, though, did we?" Steve questioned "This is the only choice." Connie said and Vanessa scoffed. "You know, Connie? You should really think about going back to Miami." Vanessa told Connie in a snarky tone. "Wow." Connie nodded "Maybe I will." she looked at Steve as he said nothing. "Just get in the fucking car, okay?" Steve raised his voice. Connie then slammed the door. Steve and Vanessa looked at each other as Vanessa drove. "Should've never brought Connie down here. She's not cut out for it." Steve spoke loudly. "Don't do anything stupid. Just keep your head down and this'll all be over soon enough." Vanessa spoke at the same level. As they approached an intersection, a car turned down the alley, blocking them. "Get out of the car, Barlowe! Murphy!" Wysession jumped out of the car with a pistol in his hands and another man with the same. "Step away from the vehicle!" Wysession yelled "You followin' us?" Vanessa questioned "Move her away. Him too." Wysession ordered his guys. "Easy." Steve told the guys "Back!" a man yelled at Vanessa "Come on. Move the fuck back!" the man yelled as Vanessa resisted "Get your fucking hands--" Vanessa spoke and Steve looked over "Move back!" the man yelled "Get the fuck off of me!" Vanessa yelled as she pushed the man off "Hey back off!" Steve yelled "Hey!" Wysession yelled as he pointed his gun at Vanessa "You spying on me? Huh?" she asked as the man pushed her against the wall "Relax! Who the fuck were you two talkin' to?" Wysession continued yelling as he looked in the car. "The fuck is she?" he asked

He inspected the car and saw nothing."Stand down." he told his men. "Who were you talkin' to? Huh?" Wysession asked as Barlowe walked over to the car and reached inside, pulling out the car phone. "Peña." she replied. "Murph's got wife troubles and doesn't wanna talk to a chick about it." Vanessa continued. "Wife troubles." Wysession looked over at Steve. "Yeah." he nodded.