Belonging Season

Chapter-5.1: Operation D and Operation d**k

ALICE POV 

I finally had good sleep in spite of the hectic case that’s residing as a burden on my head. I woke up around 9 in the morning and was surprised to see no calls and messages from my team mates and Jessy. 

After a cold shower to activate me, I took off to John’s house even without breakfast. Last night before heading off to bed, I texted him and said I’ll be fetching Anna first thing in the morning even though I’ve not prepared myself to meet her yet. I don’t know what I’m going to say, but she must’ve known about her mother’s death and John must’ve filled some of the gaps for me. With that hope, I knocked the door. 

Karen opened the door with a tired smile on her face. ‘Hey, Alice’ 

She hugged her petite frame to mine and I wrapped my arms around her. 

‘She hasn’t eaten anything last night and she’s been crying’ She said in my shoulder. 

‘Is John there?’ I asked. 

‘Yeah,’ She replied and opened the wide open for me to enter ‘He’s been waiting for you.’ 

I followed her behind, passing the kitchen and then climbing the stairs where the bedrooms are situated. Her natural ginger hair is tied up in a messy bun and her maxi looks too loose for her lean weak figure. 

When we reached one of the guest rooms, she opened and John walked out, closing the door behind. Karen gave my shoulder a tight squeeze before leaving us alone in the hallway. 

‘I haven’t said her anything,’ Said John, making me look at him ridiculously ‘I couldn’t. She stumbled upon the newspaper yesterday, saw her mother’s name on it. Haven’t eaten anything and been crying all night. I couldn’t do anything, she locked herself in and let me in now’  

‘Are you f*****g kidding me? Her mother died two days ago and I thought you would’ve told her something and the pain would’ve lessened, making it easier for me’ I whispered yelled at him, careful that Anna doesn’t hear us. 

‘Don’t you dare shout at me! Me and Karen have been trying our best. Karen hasn’t slept properly for the past two days, she’s so much worried about Anna than her stripper mother ever was’ John shot back in a whisper. 

‘I don’t care, John. I can’t be the one to tell her that I found her mother dead with her gut ripped opened and r***d brutally. If you weren’t so selfish and thought about me for a single min ― 

The slow screeching of the door made me stop mid-sentence and turn towards the source. 

Anna stood there with her brunette hair open and her eyes were bloodshot. She fixed her eyes upon and then ran towards me and hugged my waist. Her tiny body started to tremble and I heard her quiet sobs. 

John sighed and gave me an apologetic nod before leaving us alone. I lifted up Ara to my hip and went to the room she was staying in, closing the door behind. 

‘Mommy is dead,’ She said when I made her sit on the bed and sat on my toes on the floor in front of her. ‘John is not telling me anything. I read the newspaper and saw her picture’ 

The pictures were all blurred but everyone can identify it as a naked body laying pathetically on the floor but the damn media posted her actual picture they got from her work place. 

‘I didn’t get to say goodbye’ Anna chocked on her tears, making it even harder for me.  

I see her like I see myself. An orphan. 

‘Anna,’ I held both her hands in mine and stared up at her glassy eyes ‘I was the one who found your mother’ I said as soft as i can soft. Her cries became harder and she tried to release her hands from mine but I held her tight. 

‘You knew! You knew!’ She screamed at my face and started trashing. I quickly hugged her and held her tight to my chest. 

‘Calm down, Anna. Please, calm down’  

She kept trying her best to get away from my hold which only made me tighten my arms around her. Her shouts and cries were muffled in my dress. 

When she finally lost all her energy she slowly came to a stop and let me hold her. 

‘I know it’s hard. I lost my mother too,’ I placed a chased kiss on her head ‘I can’t promise you to take it all away. No one can. It’s okay to grieve for your loved ones, Anna and it’s okay for you to grieve for your mother. I don’t know how strong your bond was with her, but just know that I am here for you. John, Karen and the rest of them are here for you. We’ll give you the time you need and eventually you’ll find yourself moving on, the pain lessening day by day. s**t happens, you deal with it or let it deal with you. Choice is yours’  

I slowly released her and she kept her head hung low. Lifting her head up by her chin, I wiped her tears and cupped her cheeks. 

‘You’re strong, Anna. You can do this. I’m right here with you at your every step, please let me in

She stopped crying and stared at me with those big eyes, listening to me carefully. 

‘I killed all the men who were responsible to your mother’s death,’ She looked stunned for a moment and I think I saw satisfaction in those eyes ‘I shot them in their heads with this gun of mine’ I took out my gun from my holster and placed the heavy metal on her lap. Her hands immediately went to sides and she hesitantly looked at the pistol ‘Your mother didn’t deserve that kind of death, no women do, but faith’s a b***h, sweetheart. We all go through rough patches in our life and you went through it too soon, sweetness. It’s bad on one side but on the brighter side it’s going to make you stronger, independent, courageous. On the long run the rough patches have to go back as the bright day stays ahead of us. You will be fine, Anna. I promise you that’ 

I took my gun and put it back in my holster. Anna kept staring at me and said nothing. Giving a tight squeeze on her shoulder and a kiss on both her cheeks, I stood up to my feet. 

‘You should have a bath, you stink. I’ll get you breakfast till then’ I said. 

She got down from the bed and walked to the bathroom without looking at me.  

Right, I suck at advices and speeches.  

I stood in the room for a while till I heard the shower on and then left the room. 

I walked downstairs to see John talking while Karen crying softly. She immediately left the room when she me coming down. John turned around to me. 

‘I’m sorry to trouble you’ll. I’ll take her after she’s done with her bath’ I said, feeling guilty for letting them go through this. 

John waved his hand in a lazy manner ‘It’s no trouble. We are...we are just worried about her even more now’ 

‘I’m there for her’ I said but deep down I felt the uncertainty. With the upcoming operation and everything, it’s all too fast but I have to do it.  

‘Foster care are not really good, you know that, we all know that’ He said. 

‘I’m no way going to send her to a foster care,’ I replied curtly ‘She’ll stay with me’ 

John rubbed the back his neck, a sign of nervousness I’ve noticed in the past years. 

‘What is it?’ I urged. 

‘Nothing. We need to go. Jorge needs to discuss about Operation D’ John swallowed what he really wanted to say. 

‘Right, let’s go. Operation d**k waits for us’ I mumbled under my breath. 

*** 

There were no reports and photographs when we reached the ATF office. Natalie informed us that Jorge is waiting for us and Houston and Koa are already in the office, with the Commissioner, and the Sheriff Logan.  

‘Why does this d**k involve in matters that doesn’t concern him?’ I huffed in annoyance. 

‘He’s the Sheriff and he’s pretty close to the Commissioner. Don’t mind him, no matter what he says’ John said. 

John knocked on the door before getting into Chief Jorge’s office. Houston and Koa had a grave look on their faces when they turned to us. 

‘Good morning, John. Good morning, Alice. Take a seat please’ The Commissioner addressed us. 

I took my seat beside Houston with John towards my left and Koa next to Houston at the end. 

‘Operation drugs is a very significant one, Miss. Alice,’ The Commissioner said ‘It’s nothing like your first operation’ 

‘This file contains every important detail on the drug dealing business.’ Chief Jorge gave me a blue file ‘Any doubt, you may ask Jessy’ 

I let the file lay in front of me untouched and let the men continue. 

‘Your mates are your help, if needed. Since your previous operation was a failure but you did catch Owen, I trust you on this completely. The department is fully ready to help you in any way possible. The rules an undercover agent is nothing but a formality for you. The operation is made even more secretive and we’ll be at your every step,’ Chief Jorge stated  

‘That’s not how it works for going undercover, you know as well, but since it’s you and you’ve been consistently the best in your work and after losing your mother in the last operation, which wasn’t in the rule either, we’re ready to forgo some rules’ Commissioner said in a grave tone.  

I instantly looked at Jorge and then back at Wally. Surely, he isn’t convinced but there isn’t any option. Who’s better than me here, bruh? 

‘But,’ Commissioner Wally interjected ‘the operation should get over in a month, can you do that?’  

I stared at him without any uncertainty but I wasn’t sure myself about the operation from the inside. The man who was responsible for my mother’s death is rotting in Rikers island, I made sure of that. One thing that’s certain about me is that I don’t hold grudges for a long period. I intend to get it done if I can’t move on or just move on. In my mother’s case, I guess I did both. 

‘I can’t promise’ I replied curtly. 

Sheriff Logan finally made his presence by snorting at me. I could see the disagreement in all the three men's faces. 

‘Two months,’ Houston spoke from beside me. I quickly turned to him, curling my hands into a ball of fist. ‘Give her two months’ He said, quite aware my eyes on him. 

‘Oh, I can give you months but we’re breaking some rules for you, you need to consider,’ Sheriff Logan said ‘You’ve already dealt with them earlier. You’re just dealing with them again’ He gave me a sly smile. 

‘She dealt with arms smuggling, this is drugs’ Koa urged. 

‘It’s all the same’ Sheriff Logan replied without looking at him. 

‘And if she’s not able to finish it in 30 days?’ Asked John. 

‘We’ll see that, but I won’t be promising anything,’ The commissioner looked at me ‘I just want it get done within 30 days. She’s got all your backs; shouldn’t be as difficult as it was the previous time’ 

‘But last time we knew who was behind all this!’ Houston snapped, erupting the eerie calm environment ‘We don’t know who’s behind all this. She got to find the man all by herself without any clue or proper details and you want the operation get done in 30 days? That’s absurd’ 

For our surprise the men stayed calm and looked at me. 

‘Good luck’ Said Wally and got up and so did Logan and Jorge before getting out of the office. 

‘Went better than I thought’ Said Koa. 

‘Far better,’ I agreed ‘Operation d**k is going to be one hell of a ride to me’