Fiction Friday: Naked Came the Jayhawk, Chapter Two

Veronica pulled into a parking spot in the garage of the Miami Government Building. She looked over at her partner, who was fast asleep in the passenger seat and snoring loudly. He had spent two hours reading the file and making some notes and then had spent the rest of the drive recovering from his escapades the night before.

Veronica never answered Michael about why she hadn’t contacted him when she had gotten to Key West last night. The main reason was that she wasn’t quite ready to see him after having spent the last ten days working alone. Also, she figured he was up to no good when she finally tracked him down in Key West, which was not one of his normal escape places.

She shoved his left shoulder hard, pushing him into the door. Michael sat up with a start after he hit the window.

“We’re here.”

Michael rubbed his hands over his face and neck. Clutching the file, he opened the door and got out of the car. Veronica popped the trunk and he grabbed his bag out. Dragging it behind him, Michael and Veronica made their way to the elevators.

On the ride up, Michael turned to Veronica. “Sorry I missed the calls this morning.”

“Mmm hmm.” Veronica kept staring straight ahead.

“Are you going to stay mad at me forever?”

“Forever, no. Indefinitely, yes,” she said as the doors opened on their floor. Veronica marched off, with Michael following about two steps behind her.

Veronica was making a beeline for an office at the end of a long hallway guarded by a set of double doors. She flung one of the doors open and marched into the office.

Marshall Williamson, Special Agent in Charge of the North Miami Beach field office, looked up from his computer when Veronica barged in. He fixed his blue eyes on her and ran a hand through his salt and pepper hair.

“Come in, Ms. Gonzalez. And Mr. Franklin. What a pleasant surprise,” Marshall said as the pair settled into the chairs across from his desk.

“Yeah, imagine my surprise when the pit bull woke me up this morning,” Michael said as he cut his eyes at Veronica. Her arms were crossed but she still sat up straight in her chair.

“Yes, well, not much that can be done about that,” Marshall said as he opened a drawer on his left hand side. He pulled out a bulging manila envelope and slid it across the desk to Michael. “I’m certain that these belong to you.”

Michael picked up the envelope and opened it. He reached in and pulled out his Glock and his badge. “So I’m back on the job? What happened to the rest of my vacation?”

“Let’s just say that extra consideration was given to your situation and you were ultimately reinstated. No hard feelings, I hope.”

Michael stared at his supervisor. “Right. Whatever. What’s the deal?”

“I assume your partner gave you the file to read.”

“Yes, she did, although you know damn well I’m familiar with Jayhawk. Call him Moby Dick to my Ahab. What’s going on, though? It has to be serious if my ‘vacation’ was reconsidered, no?”

“Look, some chatter has been picked up out there by our intelligence staff. Jayhawk has laid low since your last encounter with him to let things cool off. But it seems that his break is quickly coming to an end.

“Reports currently have him making his way to Las Vegas. Intelligence hasn’t quite figured out what he has planned, but something major is in the offing,” Marshall said, leaning forward. “I’m sending the two of you out to Las Vegas. You’ll be working out of the field office out there for the next two weeks. Go home and pack. You’ll leave tomorrow morning.”

“With all due respect, sir—,“ Veronica began.

“Agent Gonzalez, I believe I have a fairly good idea of what you’re going to say, but there is no debate to be had. I need the two of you to head to Vegas ASAP. Is that clear?”

Michael sat back in his chair with a smirk on his face. It wasn’t malicious, but he was enjoying the slight chiding that his partner was currently getting. Given his status as the bad child, he couldn’t help but take some pleasure in his good girl partner getting a bit of a dressing down.

Besides, Michael’s thoughts started to drift towards Las Vegas. Granted, after ten days in Key West, it’s not like he needed a vacation. And if Jayhawk really was getting back into business, Las Vegas was a curious place to serve as a new home nest. What could he be trying to get in to?

“I think,” Michael said, interrupting the conversation, “that we had better be going now. I know I need to pack.” He stood up and stretched. “Although I do need a ride home.”

“Agent Franklin, please wait outside. I will send your partner out when I’m done talking with her and she will take you home,” Marshall said. Michael reached over, grabbed his suitcase and walked out after patting Veronica on the shoulder patronizingly.

When the door closed, Marshall closed his eyes and sighed deeply. He took off his glasses and ran a hand across his face, ultimately resting on his chin. “Do you trust your partner, Agent Gonzalez?”

Veronica was taken aback by the question. “I don’t always agree with the choices he makes in life, sir. I think he’s unkempt sometimes. Disrespectful. Not to mention his habit of sleeping with almost any female within a 40 mile radius.”

“That’s not what I asked. I asked if you trusted him.”

Veronica paused.

“Because I need you to keep him in line. He does have his faults. You’re right. He has a lot of quirks. That might be putting it kindly, actually,” Marshall said. “But Franklin’s a smart son of a bitch. He’s been after Jayhawk for almost a decade. I think it would be very important for Franklin to finally bring him in.

“I paired you two together for a reason, Gonzalez. But you have to have your partner’s back. Do you trust him?” Marshall asked again.

Veronica looked him in the eye. “I do.”

“Good. Go pack. And when you get a chance, put down $5 for me on black 13 on a roulette wheel somewhere. It’s due to hit sometime,” Marshall said with a smile, dismissing Veronica from his office.