A Cop for the Mafia Boss

Mission: Eddie-Casa-Ami Cassandra Hugh stared at her reflection in the mirror, her vision blurring as unshed tears gathered in her eyes. Not because she looked bad, hell no! But because she looked exactly the way she had always imagined she would on this day. Her dark blazer fit perfectly over her crisp white shirt, giving her a professional appearance. Her long wavy chestnut hair was neatly tied into a low ponytail, while the light makeup on her face enhanced her sharp features without being excessive. She looked confident. She looked like everything she had dreamed of becoming. Slowly, her fingers rose to the ID card hanging around her neck. She traced the plastic edge before turning it over, her eyes settling on the bold letters beneath her photograph. Her lips curved into a smile. "Agent Hugh," she whispered to her reflection. The words felt surreal. It took years of studying with endless training sessions, sleepless nights and countless sacrifices. She blinked quickly, forcing the tears to stay where they belonged. "No," she muttered, reaching for a tissue. "You're not ruining your makeup today." She dabbed carefully beneath her eyes before taking one last look in the mirror. "I made it." Just as she was about to leave, the shrill ringing of her phone shattered the silence, causing her smile to fade. She picked up the device from the dressing table and glanced at the caller ID. It was her Mum. A weary sigh escaped her lips and for a brief second, she considered ignoring the call. Instead, she answered. "What do you want?" Her voice came out firm, carrying the authority she hoped to embody as a federal agent. "That's no way to speak to your mother." Mother? The word almost made Cassandra laugh. Not because it was funny but because it felt ironic. She had nearly forgotten she even had one. "What do you want, Mum?" she asked again, this time colder than before. Then, almost immediately, worry flashed across her face. "Is Desmond okay?" Her younger brother was the only family member she truly cared about. "Desmond is fine," her mother replied quickly. "Cassandra... I need your help." Cassie closed her eyes. She already knew where this conversation was heading. "I know where this is going, Mum, and I'm not doing this today." "You need to be nicer to me. For all you know, I could be dying of cancer." "You could be dying of whatever you want," Cassandra replied flatly. "I don't care." A dramatic gasp echoed through the phone. "You're so cruel. Do you know what I went through to bring you into this world? I had no one, Cassie. No one to help me. No one to run to when…" "Enough!" Cassie's voice echoed through the room. "Enough, Mum! Enough with the manipulation. Enough with the guilt trips. I've had enough of your lies." Her thumb hovered over the screen, ready to end the call, then she heard her mum sob and for a moment, she hesitated. "I... I just need some money," her mother whispered, abandoning the emotional performance. "I'm in a terrible situation, Cassie. Please." Cassie pinched the bridge of her nose. "Have you been drinking again? Let me guess," she continued bitterly. "You gambled again... and now you owe someone money." "It was my last time," her mother defended weakly. "I almost won, Cassie. I was so close." Cassie let out a long, frustrated breath. Nothing ever changed. It was always alcohol, always gambling, always another promise that it would be the last time. "I'll call you later, Mum." Before another excuse could come, Cassandra ended the call and without another thought, she switched off her phone entirely. She stood there in silence for a few seconds, not exactly the perfect way to begin the first day of her dream career, still, she refused to let anyone ruin today. Especially not her mother. Taking another deep breath, she straightened her blazer and looked once more at the ID card and a determined smile slowly replaced the sadness on her face. "Today changes everything." With renewed confidence, she grabbed her bag and walked out of the apartment. ***** The Federal Intelligence Agency headquarters looked even larger than it had during orientation. The towering glass building buzzed with activity as agents hurried in and out through the revolving doors. Cassie's heart pounded with excitement. This was it. She had finally made it. After presenting her ID card at the security checkpoint, she stepped inside. The atmosphere instantly overwhelmed her. Telephones rang from every direction and printers hummed while computer keyboards clicked nonstop. Officers rushed through the corridors carrying files while others argued over investigations and evidence. The entire building moved with organized chaos and Cassie couldn't help but stare. For a brief moment, she wondered if she had walked into the wrong department. Everything happened so fast. People barely looked at one another before disappearing into another office. She adjusted the strap of her handbag and continued walking deeper into the building, carefully following the signs toward the Special Crime Intelligence Division. She had only taken a few more steps when someone suddenly stepped directly into her path. Cassie sighed in relief. “Finally.” Someone she could ask for directions. "You are?" the woman asked, studying Cassie over the rim of her glasses. Cassie straightened immediately. "I'm Cassandra Hugh. A rookie newly admitted to the…" "Oh." The woman interrupted before she could finish. "You're the new agent assigned to the SCID?" Cassie's smile faltered slightly at being interrupted. "Yes." Only then did she notice the name tag pinned neatly above the woman's left breast pocket. Grace Burrows. Without another word, Grace shoved a thick stack of files into Cassie's arms. The unexpected weight nearly sent everything crashing onto the floor. Cassie barely caught them in time. Before she could regain her balance, Grace had already turned around and started walking away. "W-Wait!" Cassie hurried after her, struggling to keep the heavy files from slipping. "Ma'am?" Grace didn't slow down. "Those files contain your first case, Miss Cassandra Hugh." Cassie blinked. "My... first case?" She looked down at the mountain of paperwork in disbelief before hurrying to catch up. "What's the briefing?" Grace continued walking through the busy hallway as though discussing the weather. "You are to gather intelligence on a mafia boss." Cassie nodded, waiting for the rest. "You will pose as his lover for six months and earn his complete trust." Cassie stopped walking. "What?" Several nearby agents glanced briefly in her direction before returning to work then she hurried after Grace again. "I'm sorry... what?" Grace finally looked at her. "You heard me." Cassie shook her head in disbelief. "This is my first day on the job." Her voice rose slightly. "I thought I'd be shadowing senior agents, going to crime scenes, observing investigations, taking notes... learning how things work." Grace came to an abrupt stop and Cassie nearly walked straight into her. Only now, standing this close, did Cassie notice the faint freckles scattered across Grace's face. Grace adjusted her glasses calmly before speaking. "If you're looking for an internship, Agent Hugh, you'll find one in the Logistics Department." Her voice was sharp enough to cut through steel. "We don't babysit in the SCID." She took a step closer. "You either work or you work." Her eyes locked onto Cassandra's. "There is no second option." Cassie swallowed hard. The excitement she'd carried all morning slowly transformed into nervous anticipation. Her dream job had officially begun and somehow, on her very first day, she had just been assigned to infiltrate one of the most dangerous mafia organizations in the country.