Bluegrass Undercover (2 page)

“
Yup, twenty-five hundred, just like you asked for.” The kid handed a plastic shopping bag over to Diego who in return handed over his own shopping bag.

Annie watched as the kids sauntered off, knowing that part of her team was waiting to follow them. As soon as they had Diego in custody, they’d arrest the kids and scare them and their parents into full confessions and lots of information.

“
Why put up with those brats?” she asked as she turned back to Diego, who was ogling her breasts.

“
Have to. I specialize in a new product. It’s steroids on steroids for young athletes. High school mostly, but our middle school market is picking up.”

“
Sounds expensive at five hundred a pop. Where do kids get that money?”

“
That’s the best part. The majority of our clients are middle to upper class. They just take it from their parents and are above suspicion. No one will question the star of the private school football team, and it reduces the risks on our end.”

“
How?”

“
Kids like this have more to lose if they talk. They also aren’t used to life on the streets, so the risk of violence is low. It’s a win-win for us.”

“
Do you make the drug yourself? It sounds very interesting.”

“
No. We import it from up north. Now, enough about them. Let’s talk about you. I got you something special.”

“
Ooh! What did you get me?”

“
A nice designer drug that gets you high as a kite but with the sensations of Ecstasy. How about we go back to your place and test it out? If you like it, you can show me your gratitude and I won’t even charge you for it.” He reached out and grabbed her waist with his hands. He ran them up her ribcage, stopping at her breasts. She counted to ten to try to rein in her temper.

“
So, if I have sex with you, you’ll waive the three hundred dollar fee? Look at me. I think I’m worth more than three hundred. Throw in two more packages and you have a deal.”

“
You run a tough bargain, but you look worth it.” He pulled out three little pouches from his pocket down by his knee and slipped them into her triangle top.

“
Now, let’s go party.”

“
Sure thing, big boy.” Annie reached into her bag and brought out her cuffs. “You’re under arrest for the sale and distribution of narcotics. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say may be used against you in…” Annie’s head was snapped back by a strong slap to the face. A
slap
? Who slaps these days?

Diego took off down the beach in what could barely be described as a run. It looked more like skipping as his shorts kept falling down, causing him to miss steps while trying to keep the pants up.

“
We got him, Annie,” she heard in her earpiece.

“
No. He’s all mine. Go pick up the kids.”

“
Remember your temper. Take a deep breath. It was just a little slap,” the agent chuckled.

“
Don’t forget the boob grab.”

“
Really, Annie. Take it easy.” But it was too late. She had reached him in just a couple strides. She pushed off the sand with the balls of her feet and launched herself at him. She wrapped her arm around his waist, taking him to the ground as his shorts slipped from their precarious perch on his thighs to his ankles. Annie sat half on top of him trying to secure her cuffs.

“
Puta!” Diego grabbed whatever he could, which happened to be her top, and pulled. Her ties dug into her neck as she felt his nails dig into the soft skin above her breast.

He brought his hand up and boxed her ear. Sand burned her eyes as her ear rang. Okay, that was enough. Annie pulled back her right arm, tightened her hand into a fist and brought it down as hard as she could onto the side of his face. She heard the satisfying grunt and watched as his eyes rolled back in his head. She secured his hands in the cuffs and stuffed her breasts back into the tiny bikini top. She’d hear about this for months. Nothing like having her boobs popping out on surveillance to suddenly have every agent in the department wanting to review the footage to “help out.”

She looked up and saw the telltale sign of federal agents: cheap suits on a beach. No blending in for these guys coming towards her.

“
Blake, you’re going to be in deep trouble when Cruz hears about this. This is the fourth guy you’ve knocked out in three months.”

* * *

Annie took a deep breath. She knew every set of eyes on the floor was on her now. She looked up at the door belonging to her boss, Special Agent in Charge Manuel Cruz. Show no fear. She raised her hand and knocked on the door before opening it. She was expected, she had been summoned. She hadn’t even had time to get dressed before she had been called to his office. There was no dignified way to face your boss in a barely there lavender bikini, but she lived by three rules – one, never show fear, two, never get attached, and three, if all else fails, fake it until you make it.

She stepped up to the large oak desk covered in papers and files and clasped her hands behind her back. “You wanted to see me.”

“
Jesus, you could have gotten dressed first.” Cruz took in her apparel, or lack of apparel, and shook his head. “Here.” He threw her a DEA t-shirt and waited until she slipped it on.

“
You said it was important, sir.”

“
I know I did. I have a huge problem. I have a massive drug ring targeting kids, and I am this close to having my ass chewed out by the U.S. Attorney because I have
another
perp beaten up. Luckily, it was caught on camera that he sexually assaulted you and hit you on the head. At least that’s the angle we’re taking.”

“
So, what’s the problem then?”

“
The problem is I can’t cover for you anymore. You’ve had three mandatory cycles of anger management, but I still can’t control you. The problem is you’re my best agent, and you know the most about this new drug.” Cruz paused and shuffled through some of the papers on his desk until he found the one he was looking for. “Diego spilled his guts as soon as we said we’d let you interrogate him. He doesn’t like you very much anymore. It turns out the shipments all originate from a small town called Keeneston, Kentucky.” He handed the paper to her.

“
I’m being transferred to the Lexington office?” She stared in disbelief at the paper in her hand.

“
Yes. You’ll be undercover as Annie Hill. I got you a job in Keeneston at the high school so you can keep a close eye on the kids there. If it’s being made there, then I’m sure they’re using it. You’ll be at ground zero and reporting to Special Agent in Charge Vincent Romero. You’re his problem now.”

“
When do I leave?” She stood straighter. She would not show the hurt she was feeling. It was just one more move in her life. It’s not like she hadn’t done it a dozen times before.

“
You’re transfer is immediate. Good-bye, Agent Blake.”

Chapter Two

Trevor Gaylen didn’t want to answer the ringing phone. He knew it was the boss, and he was sure the boss had also heard about the incident in Miami. The boss was going to be pissed and take it out on him. After all, he was in charge of recruitment. He was upper management, and with a nice share of the profits also came the responsibility of having control over middle management.

Miami had sales that were skyrocketing in the last six months. Just last month he’d gotten praise for it, but now some street soldier had messed things up for him. Hopefully, Boss would know he had nothing to do with this and let him live.

“
Gaylen,” he said into the phone.

“
What the hell happened in Miami?” the digitally disguised voice asked. Yup, Boss was pissed.

“
I don’t know. The reports I’m getting from management is that a soldier sold S2 in front of a DEA agent and then sold her drugs. When she went to arrest him, he clocked her, and then there was something about sexually assaulting her, but no one is really clear on that.”

“
How much did he know?”

“
Management swears he only knew the name of his supplier.”

“
I don’t want to risk it. Order a clean sweep of the Miami franchise. No one left alive. For God’s sake and yours, find a stronger manager who knows how to handle his soldiers.”

“
Done. I have had my eye on someone for expansion, but he’ll do well as a new manager. He has a strong cocaine ring that’s been running for seven years. He’s stable and knows his business.”

“
Good. Make sure everyone is gone by the end of the night. And, Gaylen?”

“
Yes?”

“
I don’t want any more screw-ups or I will hold you personally responsible, understand?”

“
Yes, Boss.”

* * *

Cade Davies couldn’t decide when to teach meiosis in his freshman biology class. He sat at his desk at Keeneston High School and stared at his lesson plan. He ran his fingers through his dark blonde hair and decided to teach it with photosynthesis before he tackled Mendel. Football camp started Monday and he wanted to use these two days to get all his teaching plans for the year ready.

He looked up from his desk when he heard a grunt from his bearded collie Justin, then noticed his friend Will Ashton trying to push the door to his classroom open. Justin liked to lie against doors, and fifty-eight pounds of dog was hard to move. Will pushed harder, and because of Justin’s long black and white coat on the slick tiles, Justin slid along the floor like a mop as the door opened.

“
Hi, Will. Am I missing a coaches’ meeting?”

“
Nope. But, I did want to talk to you about the team.”

“
Sure, what’s up?” Cade asked his longtime friend.

Will Ashton had played football at Keeneston High and then went on full scholarship to the University of Kentucky. He was a standout quarterback who got drafted into the NFL and played for years before his father had a heart attack. He left the NFL at the end of the season, as the number one quarterback in the country, in order to run the family thoroughbred farm. He had succeeded at that too, with back-to-back Kentucky Derby winners in his stable. On top of running the farm, he was also the volunteer head football coach at the high school. Having grown up in the same town, they had known each other since they were knee high.

“
Well, now that the trial is done, I want to focus on Kenna. You know she is due in six months, and what with recovering from the shooting and all, I just really want to help her out with getting ready for the baby. She’s trying to do it all: working full time, helping out with the farm, and getting the nursery ready. I’m telling you she’s out of control.”

Poor Will. He was frantic over the prospect of having a child. After having his wife shot and then having her as the star witness at the center of a major corruption and murder trial, he didn’t want her more than five feet away from him. It didn’t matter that McKenna was perfectly capable of taking care of herself.

“
So, I am resigning at head coach.”

“
What? You can’t do that.”

“
I know I will be letting the kids down, Cade. We have a very young, very inexperienced team this year, but I can’t give them my full attention. It wouldn’t be fair to them. I have talked to Margaret, and as principal she agreed to the new hire already.”

“
New hire? Who is it?” He watched Will straighten up to his full six feet two inches and smile.

“
I’m here to officially offer you the position as head coach.”

“
Me? But, I’m not qualified. I’ve only been an assistant for a couple of years and no head coaching experience.” Cade was overwhelmed. He had just started getting the hang of being the offensive coordinator, but to take over the whole team…he wasn’t ready for this.

“
You’ll do great,” Will said.

Cade looked at his friend and thought he actually meant it. “I guess I have a lot of work to do this weekend.” Cade sat back down in his chair and stared at his lesson plans. He now had to finish his lesson plans and figure out a coaching strategy by Monday.

“
Don’t worry. You’ll be fine. Call if you have any problems.” Will gave him a thump on the back and headed out the door.

Cade pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose and sighed. This was a hell of a year to start out as a coach. The whole offensive line was empty because of graduation. The quarterback Austin Colby was good but lazy, and the only wide receiver worth mentioning was Ryan Hall, and he was a freshman! At least he had senior Trey Everett at running back. The defense was small, but they had Corey Bonner coming off an all-state season as linebacker.