Organized Crime: Unorganized

Chapter 31

Grace awoke to the buzzing of her phone on the bedside table next to her. James was still fast asleep, his arm wrapped limply over her waist. Grace reached for her phone reading the message:
Unknown: Bar on seventh, the Irish bar. 7am. Alone. G.F

Grace brushed the rain off of her coat and hair as she entered the seemingly empty bar. She headed towards the back, spotting George at the back in one of the booths.
"Hey George" she smiled, hugging him tightly.
"Hey Grace, sorry to make you come out in this" he smiled, sitting in the booth.
"I don't mind. I don't sleep much, as you know" she shrugged with a smile, joining him in the booth "What is it? What's wrong?" Her smile dropped as she saw the apprehensive look in his eyes.
"Cormac O'Reilly escaped from prison" he frowned deeply.
"What?" Grace felt terror snaking down her spine, threatening to make her tremble "Am I in any danger?" She asked trying to calm herself, but she only failed.
"You're in the most danger Grace. You know how he was with you, he's obsessed. You need to get out-"
"I can't. I can't leave my team. I won't run because of him-"
"You can't even say his name, Grace" he reminded her.
"You don't know what happened in that villa" she challenged.
"I know what our government asked you to do. I'm your handler. I knew" he frowned deeply and sadly.
"So, you also know that I wouldn't betray my country either" George nodded. Grace's phone bleeped in her pocket, it was a message from Sadie, the team needed her, "I've got to go" she told him, rising from the booth.
"He's coming for you. Be careful Grace"
"Aren't I always?" She gave a weak smile that he didn't believe, before she left the bar.

When Grace arrived everyone was gathered in the conference room, other than James.
"Everyone, this is Agent Aneesa Nafazi" James announced as he entered the conference room before Grace moved to shake the agent's hand "She joins us from 5 years at counter terrorism" He announced, making Grace's smile drop slightly as Sadie shook her hand.
"Good to see you again Neesa" Lorenzo smiled as he hugged her.
"You to Javier. How long has it been?"
"Long enough for you to go and have two more kids" he joked.
"Two boys and a little girl now. It's crazy" she nodded.
"How exactly do the two of you know each other?" Marco asked as he shook Aneesa's hand.
"Friends from Javier's counterfeiting days. Counter terrorism and counterfeiting kind of go hand in hand" Aneesa smiled.
"Well, we'd better get to work" James said, sending everyone moving to their seats around the conference room table.
"Word on the street is that were having a shipment of weapons being brought into Maryland. We don't know who's running them so we watch and wait under the cover of darkness" Aneesa told them.
"Lorenzo and Sadie will go undercover and place cameras in the area. We'll move in tonight and stake out the place, under no circumstances are you to engage. If you're spotted, you get out of there" James ordered, a cold gaze falling over Grace as their eyes met briefly.
"Any questions?" Aneesa asked but the room stayed silent.
"Let's get to work Enzo" Sadie smiled as they left the table. The others headed back to their desks, leaving James and Grace, who was collecting her bag and coat.
"Where were you this morning?" James whispered, just loud enough for her to hear.
"I needed some air. I went for a walk in the rain, it's calming. Why? Did you miss me?" Grace teased lightly, easily side stepping his question.
"Yes I did" he smirked lightly "But, you can make it up to me tonight" he suggested, lightly tracing his fingers over hers.
"I can't tonight, sorry. Max has a check up at the vet" Grace lied again, hoping that he wouldn't see through her.
"Maybe the night after?" He suggested.
"Maybe" Grace smiled before they both headed to their desks.

Grace was paired with Marco whilst James was with Aneesa and Lorenzo was watching from a roof. The silence of the car was almost deafening as Grace and Marco kept their eyes glued to the dock.
"How are you?" Marco asked.
"I'm good" Grace nodded.
"The last few weeks have been pretty heavy"
"Yeah. I'm alright. Really" Grace smiled at him.
"You seem like you've got something on your mind. That far away look in your eye. I won't press you to talk to me but, you should know that I'm here to talk if you want to" he assured her.
"Thank you Marco. Sincerely. Your a good man, and this team, I've never had a real family, this is the closest I've come. These past four months have felt like a lifetime and I'm lucky to have met you guys" Grace smiled at him, trying to keep her emotions at bay.
"What's gotten into you?" He asked earning a light laugh from her.
"Nothing. I'm just sentimental today I guess" she smiled shrugging slightly.
"Do me a favor. If you want to back out with James, go easy on him" Marco encouraged.
"He told you?"
"We listened to you getting beaten. He wanted to send everyone in guns blazing to protect you" he told her.
"James is lucky to have you all to protect him" Grace offered a small smile.
"So are you" He added.
"Look. They're on the move" Grace pointed out as a blacked out car pulled out of the harbor.
"James. Blacked out vehicle leaving the harbor. Do we follow?" Marco asked over the walkie.
"Yes, but keep a safe distance. Don't get yourselves into any trouble" he ordered back.
"Yes boss" Grace smirked into the walkie before she started the engine of the car and began following the other vehicle.
They followed the car for about 15 minutes when it pulled up outside a strip club.
"Well, well, well, it appears our weapons dealers like a bit of flesh on show" Marco smirked slightly.
"And I've got a terrible idea" Grace frowned slightly before she reached for the radio.

"Why did I let her talk me into this?" James asked Marco for what felt like the tenth time.
"Because you and her are... close" Marco said slowly trying not to piss him off.
"She is quite persuasive" James admitted before he climbed out of the car and headed inside the strip club. He took a seat at the bar and spotted Lorenzo across the room. As the song ended and a new one started up Grace strolled on stage in nothing more than a short skirt and an open blouse. James kept his eyes glued to Grace as she danced across the stage, her eyes on the men in the front row, their targets. James had to keep himself at bay, gripping the table, his knuckles turning white as one of the men got up and tucked some money into the waistband of her skirt. Grace offered him a red lipped smirk before she stood up on the stage, winking at James across the room before she swung herself around the pole on stage before the song ended and she sashayed back off stage.
James answered his ringing phone "We've got a lead" Grace told him down the line.

Grace lifted up her carpet and picked up her floorboards, pulling out the large envelope. She moved to her bed sitting cross legged with Max beside her, she pulled out the paperwork. She picked up the blacked-out paperwork with a picture of her on it. That girl looked worlds different to the girl she was today, she moved it aside picking up the smaller four images, three guys, one girl. George Franks, Simon Clover, Clara James and Elliot Davenport. She put the images down and picked up the final image of another man, Cormac O'Reilly. Grace stood up on her bed, moving the picture that hung above her bed before she reached into her top draw and took out tac, sticking the images to the wall.
The house phone rang out, but Grace let it go to voicemail. 'Grace Cameron, please leave a message' the phone called out into the quiet apartment. There were some quiet breaths taken before the person on the other end hung up.
"I don't like this Max" Grace told him, her nails scratching his head lightly before she replaced the picture over the other images.