Partners

22.

I made myself comfortable in the backseat of Ramirez's car and sighed. It is currently 1 pm and we are in front of the old docks. Elyssa just got out of the car to go meet with her father.

Yesterday she pitched the idea of meeting with Gerald-her father- before we go in to the headquarters. "I can convince him to convince others to give Olivia a chance. Also, if I talk with him before hand, he can easily allow me to roam back to my room, or any other place." Elyssa's explanation played back in my head.

Elyssa disappeared behind the walls of the docks. After few minutes a car pulled up to the docks, and disappeared between one of them. Julianna opened the program on her computer allowing us to hear things via Elyssa's phone.

First thing that I heard was tired screeching on the ground, being followed by footstep sounds getting louder and louder.

So, they were standing in front of each other now.

"Hello, Elyssa very nice of you too finally schedule a meeting." Gerald said with sarcasm dripping of his every word. Somehow this made me more anxious about our upcoming meeting.

"Hello... dad. Yeah I didn't see you reaching out to me so I finally decided to do it myself." Elyssa's slight pause and change of her tone made unconscious shiver pass my spine.

She didn't sound like that, normally. Neither did she answer with this much force. This was the Elyssa who was working in the gang. This was the Elyssa that I saw killing a man in the dark street.

"Now, to the business. I have stumbled across the information that, if we play nicely, can end the war without starting it." Elyssa said and Gerald chuckled. "As usual, Elyssa you are rushing on to the new thing without finishing the old business. Is the job with the girl done?" I drew in a breath. He was talking about me.

Elyssa, mirroring his chuckle, answered. "Well, these jobs are connected. See, I went to check her records, to get more information about her, but the problem is, her persona didn't exist 2 years ago. She was a ghost." The shuffling coming from the device made it clear that Elyssa was showing him the files.

The documents were made up by some of the police workers that slept on my couch. They were as real as it could get.

After a moment of silence Elyssa voice was heard again. "Then, I went to pull up her birth records, which matched her to the daughter of Emilio's lawyer."

Emilio was someone that my father defended in the past, while Ramirez thought it would be unprofessional to bring up my father, thinking that he could sabotage the whole work if he finds out, Elyssa and I pressed on him being involved.

Criminals trust another criminal.

"Oh, Brooks is not so clean after all." Gerald said with amused tone. He might be dirtier than any of you.

Elyssa smirked and went on. "That's what I am saying, and her daughter isn't really the one to keep herself out of daddy's business. Literally. She had relationships with most of the lower and middle class of Dawn."

Even though I knew that Elyssa did it just for job, and all of it was a lie, I somehow felt bad. What made it worse is the fact that I would have to act the part of the girl who sleeps with gang members.

Nothing was heard for few minutes. The. Gerald asked. "Where is she now?" My heart beat quickened. "In a safe place. I want to bring in her in tonight, you need to hear what she knows. She got the code of their server." Elyssa went on.

The code of the Dawn's server was known to police for a long time and it was a information that I was supposed to buy time for Elyssa.

"The server, huh? It is pretty big, we have been trying to crack it for weeks." Gerald said and Elyssa hummed in agreement. "Bring her in tonight, me and Sofi will be testing her. But do not tell others why are you bringing her in. There is a mole in the house." Gerald said and I sighed. Elyssa convinced him to set the meeting.

"Will do." Elyssa said. The footstep sounds were heard again, this time getting farther and farther. "Good job, 'Lis, you can come back full time." Gerald's distant voice was heard before the car's engine noises.

"He never said anything like this. It is like saying I love you for him." Julianna thought out loud. Ramirez nodded in agreement. Luckily Elyssa couldn't hear our end of conversation.

Elyssa's sigh was heard too. "I hope you heard all of it because I am not doing this again." She mumbled slowly.

Gerald's car drove out of the docks, followed by Elyssa quickly making her way out of the docks. She passed our car, turning to the other street. To avoid anyone blowing our cover, Elyssa was making her way around the block and then to my house.

While we were taking totally other road to reach my house. It was complicating and time loosing, especially with the mission being tonight, but it was necessary.

After an hour, I was walking in to the apartment which was crowded with police people. I just want this to be over so everyone would leave my house, I miss sitting in my sofa.

I went on and made coffee for myself. I put the cup down to get sugar. I can't drink coffee without a bit sugar it is too dark. "I am back." I heard Elyssa's voice as she entered the house.

Her footsteps quickly reached the kitchen, and she hugged me from the back as I was sugaring my coffee. I leaned my head towards her and she sighed." I missed you."

I smiled and nodded. "Me too."

After Elyssa made herself a coffee too we went back to my bedroom. The only room in which there was enough space to sit.

"I don't get it; shouldn't they go to their places and get ready for tonight?" I said referring to people sitting in my sofa.

Elyssa shook her head. "No, they aren't going in tonight, they are the planning team, but the ones coming with us to the location is SWAT team."

"Oh," Was all I could come up with. Silence filled the room as we both got lost in our thoughts.

After Elyssa's talk with her father, I am worried about her.  I mean, sure fathers can be bad, they can be assholes, but it would still hurt me to betray him. Especially, knowing that he was going to get sentenced to death with all the evidence Elyssa was getting.

I want to payback my father for his actions, but I think death would be too high of a price to pay.

"So, tonight." Elyssa said and cleared her throat. "We are going in there, together, I don't know what will be there or who will be there, or how the plan will go..." I cut her off.

"Lyssa, please, stop worrying, we will have a whole fucking team behind us, also we will get that bullet proof jackets, remember?" I said and took her hands in mine. "We are going to be fine."

She smiled, while looking at our hands. "Still, I would have to act bad towards you, put you in bad situation, leave you in that room with them. For fucks sake I am not allowed to bring my gun there. We would be totally on our own and without protection if something goes wrong." She sighed.

"What I am trying to say is, it is a big risk, if it was for me I wouldn't put you under that risk, ever. Because, I think I really like this thing that we have, and I really like you." Elyssa caressed my hand as she talked.

Involuntary smile made its way to my face and I pulled her towards me. Before kissing her soft lips, I mumbled. "I really like you too."