Belonging Season

Chapter-5.2: Operation D and Operation d**k

ALICE POV

It ain't easy when you're assigned as an undercover agent for an undercover operation. I was excited for my first operation and it's mainly due the movies. Well, movies can be unrealistic and overly action blocked sometimes, but they are not completely wrong.

Being a cop or an agent is difficult when it's mostly needed. You've practiced so much to become what you are. It's different, the person turns out to be different than a normal citizen. From the way you talk, the way you look, the way you observe and everything, talks what your profession is and finding it's a cop or not is even easier. Criminals first learn us before learning their enemies. They might have other gangs against them but when we target any of them, all of them come together as we are their top most enemy.

Even when we are in common cloths like common people, our body and observation seem to radiate our cop vibes. Many agents who go undercover lose weight, grow beard and hair, change their whole closet before getting into the operation. Then after the operation is over, the impact is too much to bear that some of them go into depression which leads to other health problems.

So, it's not totally movie based.

Going undercover is like preparing yourself to meet your girlfriend's parents who'll invite you in with bloody guns. You've got to act as a perfect boyfriend, a perfect human in order to get their daughter's hand in marriage else they'll shoot your brains off.

Same thing goes here. You've got to get inside the gang in order to get the gangs and getting invited in is not an easy task. Most of the times they've got enough men to do their dirty work but when you're doing something wrong, the lies are never enough and so are the men, or women. And even if you get invited in, getting to the main head, who's responsible for the whole business is quite impossible. It'll take you years to finally get to meet him and it's only when you're capable and you stand out of them to sparkle enough for the Boss.

In my previous operation it took me six months to get caught but I was successful to capture the one responsible, the whole organization doomed after that.

When I walked in the department with Owen Reese Brennan dragged like a sack of potatoes everyone were shocked. They didn't know what to do. He was an international arms dealer and an international criminal, responsible for almost all the terrorist attack that takes place anywhere.

He was our main motive. We all knew that if he's taken down, the whole organization goes down and I was assigned to get him.

But in this operation, as Houston stated, we don't know who's behind this business. I need to get into the depths of the pit to find the whole cause.

Just like how you got to act in movies, you got to act a lot when you go undercover. We even change our damn appearance.

My lengthy locks that reached my mid-section, just below my stomach is now being cut down to my shoulder. After it's done, my natural black is going to change its color to dusty brown. One of the artists is working on my face while the other on my hair as I sat like a statue in front of the mirror. Houston is at the corner, watching me intensely. I know he's worried about me. He, Koa and John are worried but they also know that this case should be solved.

No matter how hard we were trained to put our work in the first place, feelings always finds its way to the front.

'Don't worry, I always slay in all hairstyles' I say.

'You're beautiful' He replied. 

'Stop worrying, then. Admire my beauty' I replied.

'I can't stop thinking'

'I'll look gorgeous when it's done, stop thinking'

He took a deep breath 'That's not what I'm thinking about'

'Then what is it?' I asked. He looked at the women working on my hair and eyebrows and shrugged.

The silence continued, the snipping of the scissors being the only disturbance. When my eyebrows were done, I looked pretty much different and when the hair cut was over, I almost took a double glance at the mirror.

The hairstylist continued to straighten my hair and then color it, which took another hour and when my makeover was finally over, I couldn't help but keep looking at myself in the mirror.

I'm not the beautiful women around but I'm not the ugliest either. I don't exactly get time to color my face and take care of my beauty due to my job, but I was conscious about my look and health.

'Wow, I look like a pretty little girl' I said to my hairstylist, waving my short hair in a cute-like gesture and blinking my eyes.

'You look innocent and cute' She said.

'Innocent; that's what I want' I replied, looking at myself in the mirror.

My hair touches my shoulder in perfect straightness. The color is light brown, like golden. My eyebrows are perfectly done and I look totally different, like some upcoming model.

'You look different,' Said Houston, standing behind me and looking at me in the mirror 'You look stronger than you were'

***

Being a cop or an Agent or simply working in crime departments is not easy. Other career jobs give you problems only at work times and tension at home but our jobs give us risky tension during work as well as in our private life.

Criminals need not worry about anything once they get into illegal activities. They have no rules since the rule is already broken when they chose that kind of a life. Hardly they've got a proper family and those who does don't really care about their safety being questioned for they keep our enemies as their friends. But we, we've got rules and regulations. Ethics, logistic ideas and commands that we got to follow. The more straight and sincere you are, the more threat to you and your family. The more corrupted you are, the more money and safety of your family.

I was sincere and that's why I lost my only family, whereas Houston, Koa, John and the rest like them are not corrupted but they don't want trouble either, so they stay out of it, handling what really is not a trouble and living with the money they earn.

Just like how all the fingers in our hands are not the same, I was the odd one out in the department. They are sincere officers and agents like me but they all held back when they lost their family due to the criminals they captured or threw behind bars or encountered. I stood the odd one out because after my mother's death, I became even more sincere than I was before. The sincerity was my way, not theirs. I shoot them if I felt it's right or break their limbs if it was the right thing to do. My mother's death made me even fierce and stronger, that I didn't realize until my friends told me. I didn't lay back like the others, I started fighting even harder and took all cases in my hand.

I was given promotions which I declined. It's the same job you do, regardless of what position you're given. I prefer my team of boys and I for all cases, they've been my backbone ever since I became an agent and we've been inseparable since then.

Now as I walk down the Dead street, I couldn't help but wonder how the operation will go on. I will miss them; I'll be all lonely with criminals around and won't have the liberty to talk to Anna. My body and mind have to be on the line of the operation and if anything goes down, I won't get out alive.

The street was empty for my surprise. It's late 9 in the evening and the street is always alive till 12. There wasn't a single soul and my agent guts told me something isn't right. Doors were shut, shops were closed and there were no gang members or other people around.

However, when I entered B block, I couldn't hear my own footsteps as it clicked on the floor. Everyone from the colony seem to be gathered here. Everyone.  With the street being narrow and thin, it looked like Diagon alley from Hary Potter, but people weren't wizards and wore no cloaks.

People were muttering in hushed tone and shops were all open. I had to squeeze myself among the mass and make way towards the bar.

'— yes, yes. There was nothing anybody could do. Everybody watched the fight —'

'— And the King was pleased —'

'— Nicky was tough —'

'— with Alex dead, Nicky became even worst —'

'— It's sad Nix is dead. Nicky is young and reckless — '

I stopped mid-way when I heard the last line. People were talking and I heard some as I passed but the last line stopped me.

'Nicky doesn't yet know the cartel. But it's still a celebration that he took out Nix,' Said the other man to his companion. 'Nix was after all a tough one. It wasn't easy taking him down. Now with both the friends, Alex and Nix dead, I wonder how's it going to go.'

'King will take care of it if Nicky doesn't come out to be as good as Nix'

I didn't listen any future and moved forward.

King? Who is this king?

When I finally reached the bar, I walked straight towards the drinks section. The dingy bar seemed to be more crowded than the previous time I came in. Everyone were celebrating saying cheers for every drink and shaking each other's hands.

This seems to be a problem as well as an advantage to me. I don't yet know how it all runs and since Nicky is a man-w***e and already has an eye on me, it wouldn't be difficult to get the information but on the other side, I feel there might be a problem.

'Hey, you back,' Said the same waitress who served me a drink and told me about Nix last time and she seemed to be the only one who was not involved in the celebration 'Nice makeover. I like the haircut and color suits you'

'Thanks. What's going on?' I asked.

'Didn't Nicky tell you?' She asked curiously but the look on my face said everything she wanted to know 'So, you didn't yet sleep with him? Well, I was right when I thought you are one tough chick. The celebration is for Nicky, he took down Nix'

'Are you not happy like the rest of them?' I asked as she placed a drink in front of me.

'You can take it. It's purely beer, no crack in it' She said, pushing the glass towards me 'New rule from the new boss. And for your answer, I don't really care. I come here to work and I keep my nose to my work. Everyone is happy and troubled if you look at them closely.'

I took a sip of the beer and as she said, is was just beer.

'Where's Nicky by the way?' I asked casually.

'Top with women and the rest. Enjoying his day' She shrugged in response and went out to take orders.

I finished half of my beer and kept the remaining. I tried hard not to keep a stern face and instead a cute, innocent face but failed miserably because a man at the corner gave me a weird look as to what I was doing to my face. I ignored him and looked at the waitress. She didn't have a badge, so I don't know her name and haven't asked her yet.

I looked at the staircase that leads to the upper floor. I could just get up now, climb the upstairs, find Nicky and get to his good side with no actual effort.

'So, what's your name?'

The waitress was back.

'Just a minute' I excused myself and made to the stairs.

The upper floor was thin and the hallway would fit no more than two fit bodyguards but women were smashed up against the wall by men, doing their own business. Men were with champagne in their hands and there were rooms on both the sides of the hallway. All the rooms were closed except one and it's situated at the end.

I quickly covered the distance, ignoring the men observing me and looked inside the room. For a bar like this, the room was luxurious and spacious. They were women handing drinks to the men and I immediately spotted Nicky talking to a group, seated with two women beside either side of him.

I leaned on the wall and folded my arms, looking right at him and it didn't take him too long to notice my presence. He gave a surprise look and I smiled sweetly. He quickly excused himself and walked over me.

'Hey, do you have a twin? Because I bet, I saw a girl just like you a day ago but she looked like an ass kicker and promised to come back the next day but never did. I waited too long for her' He smiled but I didn't miss the wicked look he casted at my boobs before looking me in the eye.

'Surely you didn't wait too long. You were busy taking down Nix' I said. He let out a proud roar of laugh.

'Yes, I was. I did have my man sent to check on you though. I thought I'd have you as a tasty meal when I return back from the fight, but you didn't turn up'

I tried not to roll my eyes and batted my eyelashes at him. He chuckled and moved closer.

'So, can we crash at my place tonight?' He asked, giving me a passionate look 'I couldn't take the taste of your lips from mine. Too intoxicating'

'I haven't got what I asked you' I said.

'You can have everything and how much ever you want. I'm the one in control of it all' He said proudly with a sinister smile on his face.

'Hey, Nicky,' Said a voice behind me and I immediately stiffened. I know that voice. It's the voice that belongs to the nigga who was whipping Anna. I looked away to the floor quickly 'Congrats, man' He hugged Nicky and patted his back.

I took a step inside, letting them talk but Nicky slid his arm around my stomach and kept in place.

'King is happy with you. We all 'ere to help ya if needed' Another man said.

'You'd need to spend lots of time out of the bed from now on' He nigga said and they all snickered.

'A bed is not required at all times. I'll have the ladies on my lap as I do my work,' Said Nicky which made the other two let out a laugh.

When the men left, I let out a deep sigh.

'They are my friends' Nicky said to me.

I immediately looked out to confirm whether it's the same man or not and he didn't disappoint me. He was the one and only who got beaten up by me to pulp.

'Who are they?' I asked.

'White guy is Gus, nigga is Jamir'

I placed my head on Nicky's chest and looked away when Jamir turned to our side.