The Cartel

Chapter XII

"If only this was easier," grumbled Andrew, half asleep.

Kayla had decided to work all night, and so Andrew and Carly were forced to do so too if they wanted to listen to Drew's bug's feed. Two problems: One, Kayla was doing paperwork and alone, which they hoped would change soon. Except it didn't. Two, they would have to go into work the next day while Kayla wouldn't. Luckily, the pair took three-hour shifts, one sleeping and the other listening.

Kayla left her office at approximately four in the morning. Carly was quick to stumble back to her apartment. Though Andrew was reluctant to let her, there was nothing he could do. He was too tired, plus a headache was growing. Though he wouldn't admit it, Andrew wasn't one-hundred percent.

* * *

"Last night, did you get anything?" Drew mumbled, trying to fix an annoying flyaway as they entered The Cartel's headquarters.

"I would have woken you if I did," Carly answered groggily. "All she did was paperwork."

"Geez, she really is insane." The way Andrew said it made Carly suspect he was hiding something. He continued to chase the fly away. His attempts to pin it down remained useless, and Carly knew he knew he wouldn't be able to fix it without product or water.

"You found something and didn't wake me?" Carly snapped, stopping in her tracks. They were yards away from the elevator with other people walking past them to get to their offices and cubicles.

She had a sudden vast amount of energy that ebbed away once she'd asked the question. She was too tired to be really pissed off. Besides, if Andrew found something, wasn't that good?

Andrew guided Carly away from the open, tugging her next to the janitor's closet.

"Whatever you have to say, it's going to be said outside of that thing." Carly motioned to the closet.

Andrew hadn't even contemplated going in. He just needed them to be away from at least most of the people in the building's entrance room. "Look, it was during my first shift, and you had fallen asleep just twenty minutes before. Someone walked into Kayla's office. She gave a few orders, and the person went away. Nothing special, but right afterwards someone else came in. Someone she was a bit less formal with-my guess is the captain of the guards. They talked about these documents on The Cartel's human trafficking branch-plus, she gave orders for selling the product."-Carly scowled deeply-"But it's recorded, Carly! Voice recognition would show it's Kayla-and the documents are..." Andrew let Carly finish the thought as he smiled down at her. 

"Documents?" Carly lit up. "Physical evidence!"

In a flurry of sheer jubilation, excitement, and passion, Carly grabbed Andrew's shoulders and closed the gap of space between them to kiss his cheek. As people passed, two or three turned into onlookers for a second.

"Now we need a plan," she said, as Andrew quickly hid his feelings of surprise. Carly, too, was covering up. Her act had thrown her off also for a few short moments. "But, next time-wake me up."

"Yeah, I'll wake you next time I find something-and I agree that we need a plan."

Carly thought Andrew seemed ever so slightly out of sorts, but she made sure not to say anything. Perhaps a headache? He's barely reaching the end of recovery-despite him saying otherwise.

"So, tonight?" Carly prompted Andrew, as he seemed distracted by something behind her. However, when she looked back over her shoulder, there were only the people walking to their offices. 

"Yeah, we'l make a plan or something tonight," Andrew agreed, waving his hand dismissively as if the notion was nothing of importance. Carly stared at Andrew, annoyed. Andrew saw Carly's looked and claimed, "My head-it hurts."