You Are My Addiction - #3 [18+ UNEDITED]

Chapter Twenty Five - The Covert Operation

No longer in the metropolitan area, the Bentley moved swiftly down the roads of an industrial area. Several factories and warehouses flanked both sides of the road. Parking in front of one that appeared abandoned the driver turned back to look at me. "Ma'am are you sure this is the address?" He asked, eying the blacked out windows worriedly. Sighing I nodded, sadly this was the correct address. Clearly Ben and Jo were taking this covert operation bit too far. Rolling my eyes I instructed the driver to go home. Reluctantly he drove off, leaving me to navigate my way through the large dilapidated building.

My heels echoed against the cracked concrete flooring as I waked through the grim, empty space. Ben and Jo appeared miniature with their setup in the centre of the vacated building. Stretched across a two metre portable table were laptops, files and wires leading to a power point against one of the far walls. Shit, this really is some CIA bullshit. Littered around them were boxes— containing files and evidence— and takeout packaging. Kicking aside an emptied Noodle Box container, I placed my bag on a few inches of table space I'd spotted.

"Couldn't find a nice, vacant studio apartment to shack up in?" Groaning I flicked a crushed can of Mother off the table. Clenching his jaw, Ben glared down at Jo.

Sinking into his chair, the lanky man shrugged innocently. Narrowing his eyes he looked from me to Ben. "Do you really need me to point out your illegal investigation into an international criminal syndicate out of NYPD jurisdiction? Oh and let's not forget the cherry on top— you blackmailed a model parolee into turning recidivist." Frankly I was more taken aback by the guy's sudden burst of courage than his mastery of sarcasm. Only a little over two weeks ago the man was a terrified, anxious wreck; trying to make it through a family barbecue without a nervous breakdown.

Leaning towards the laptop monitors before him, he returned his fingers to their practised onslaught on the keyboard. "The least you could do was help me live out my Covert Affairs fantasy, I'm basically Auggie— minus the whole being blind bit." He muttered.

"Shut up." Ben growled. Slapping the back of Jo's head with a file, he kicked out a chair for me. "I swear, I'm gunna murder this nerd if he talks about that TV show again." Rubbing a hand down his face, he sipped at what looked like black coffee. Chuckling, I took a seat. Scowling at me, he leaned against the edge of the table.

"You look like shit." I told him taking in his disheveled hair and the prominent purple bags under his eyes. He still looked hot as hell but with an element of undercover-cop-gone-rogue thrust into the mix of fugitive-on-the-run.

Throwing back the remainder of his bitter drink, he tossed the foam cup to the makeshift bin— a collective pile of junk and discarded trash—nearby. "We both know I still look like sex on Sunday." He scoffed. "Nerd boy's right, this is off the books; my arse is on the line if this goes south. This place is secluded, self contained and unregistered." Pushing off the table he circled around to retrieve a file from the other side of the table. "You're just gunna have to suck it up princess." Smirking he handed me the stained manila folder.

Cracking open another energy drink, Jo chugged the large can in one shot. "At least you don't have to sleep here- Amityville Horror doesn't hold a candle to this abandoned crap shack." Shivering dramatically, he eyed the lumpy mattress leaning up against the wall. Pinching the bridge of his nose, Ben cursed under his breath. Watching what remained of his limited patience slip, fast, I cleared my throat and flipped through the file.

"She's in debt, that's what you've got on Ariel?" I asked skeptically. The file was filled with bank statements from several credit card providers— all maxed out and credited to Ariel's name. "This barely registers as credit card fraud." Pacing in front of the desk, I slapped the file against Ben's chest. "If this is the best we have to expose Ariel then we might as well all go home now."