Target (sequel to Undercover)

•27•

I shoot upright once again, like every night. My heart is pounding and tears are streaming down my face. It was the same reoccurring dream yet again and I have to remember where I am for a second. Knowing where I am should calm me down but I don't feel any peace. I swear as I keep staring at the glowing clock on my bedside table reading 2:30 AM. As always I didn't get much sleep just like all the other nights before. Frustrations starting to slip through the cracks of my veins as I try to clear it from my mind. I can't afford to slip up, not with the whole situation with Mike and Patrick. Suddenly I'm getting ripped from my thoughts when I hear sounds coming from downstairs. I get out of bed, focusing on the sounds and on protecting Chloe. I walk slowly without making a sound and find the gun I had hidden under the table by the door. I take the safety off the gun, so I can shoot if I have and need to and open the bedroom door. I walk down the stairs, through the hallway and towards the kitchen where the sound is coming from. I peek around the corner but don't see anybody yet, so I walk into the kitchen area with both of my hands on my Glock 45. Seeing movement in the left side of my eye, I raise the gun to the person while my hands stay wrapped around the grip. It doesn't take long for me to fully recognize the person in front of me.

,,Chloe? What are you doing out of bed? It's 2:30 AM." She startles by hearing her name and turns around. When she sees me, gun pointed at her, she starts chocking on the water she still needed to swallow and burst out into a coughing fit. I don't think twice and rush over to help her while apologizing for scaring her. But as I approach, she flinches away from me and it hurts. I'm only trying to rub her back. I follow Chloe's eyes and sigh happily that she only backed away because I'm still holding the gun in a white-knuckled death grip. ,,I'm so sorry." I say again and tuck the gun in the back of my short's waistline. Chloe takes me in and notices what I'm wearing, which is a Calvin Klein short and sports bra. She turns red and I can't help to smirk a little bit.

,,Becs, I'm okay. I was just startled by your sudden appearance with a loaded gun pointed at me." I help Chloe recover from her coughing fit.

,,Are you sure you're okay?"

,,Yeah. Thank you for not shooting me."

,,I will never shoot you." Chloe smiles and once again her eyes roam over my body. I honestly wonder what she's thinking about right now because she softly bites her lip. A smart reaction never comes out of my mouth, because I hear my phone ringing from our bedroom. I excuse myself from a very flustered Chloe who hides her face behind her hands and runs up the stairs to our bedroom.  

When I reach our bedroom, I close the door and I swipe the answer button on my phone.

What did you find out?

I found the precise location of Mike's house.

Good! Send me the location, I will go and check the place out. I'm going to need the blueprints of the house. I need to know all the entry's, exit points, secret passages – all of it. I need to know the security details of the house! This has to succeed.

I need time to find the blueprints but I know about the security of the house. There are six guards at the front and six at the back. On the first floor eight, including house staff. On the second floor are his personal guards, however, tonight there are only two of the five.

I will be needing the package dropped off at Brody's. I will set up a rendezvous with him in a few hours. I want to go in alone.

Are you sure about that? Look, I know you are the best of the best but this is Mike we are talking about, not some guy off the street!

I know what I'm doing. Whatever happens, I won't go down until I reach my goal and everything is sorted out. I want it to be over and done with. So tell me, have you checked the file that I sent for you to check?

I need a little more time to get past all the firewalls.

Alright, text me when you have cracked it. I want all the names, every last of them.

I hang up and see Chloe walk back into our room.

,,Are you okay?" Chloe asks me and lies back on her side of the bed. I lie next to her and sigh.

,,I'm working on getting back at Mike because I want to change the way it goes now but everything I do turns out empty."

,,You will get him eventually."

,,I hope so. I need to confront him and he needs to tell me why he shot Sara."

,,I get it. So who's going with you?"

,,Nobody."

,,What?! No, you can't go alone! I am coming with you."

,,No, that's too dangerous!"

,,But Becs, I want to help you."

,,Chlo, I want you to be safe, not on Mike's radar. If Mike or Patrick gets you, you will end in the same situation that Sara was in."

,,There must be something I can do."

,,Don't even think about it!" Chloe looks down. I know you want to help me, but it's too dangerous. I can't lose you like I lost Sara. ,,Chlo, I will lose it if something happens to you. I can't bear to lose you."

,,You are not going to lose me, Becs."

,,That's what Sara said before Mike killed her." I feel a tear escape my eyes, down over my cheeks and onto my chin. Chloe wipes away the tears with her hand. I look into her eyes.

,,I know I can't change your mind about going after Mike and Patrick but can you please be careful? I don't want to lose you either. I know we can help you but you have to trust us."

,,I trust you. Baby, I have to do this alone."

,,Fine, but you have to promise me to be careful and come back to me."

,,I will be back, I promise. I thought you already knew that I was the best at my job. I am a tough woman." Chloe smiles, thank me and give me a loving kiss. ,,I love you."

,,I love you too." She gives me another kiss when my phone lights up because of a message. I quickly open the message to find a picture of the blueprints laying on a table and the sentence: OPERATION SCORPION CAN BEGIN.

,,Mike's reign will stop tomorrow." I tell Chloe and feel a smile appear on her face. Chloe lays her head on my chest.

,,Just come back to me." Is the only thing she says before falling asleep. Yeah, it's 4:00 AM, so I get that Chloe's tired. I am happy that she's asleep again because she needs all the sleep she can get. I, on the other hand, think about operation scorpion. Watch your back, Mike. Tomorrow you'll be mine!