Martini & Salsa

Cynthia felt that it was best to be cautious, after all what was written down was basically her trying to make sense of everything she had learned yesterday, coupled with the events of last week, and her life in general. Most of it was for her own metal well being, but some things were not.

What was the connection between the Cardinal and her father, and what exactly happened to cause Lena to die?

These were some of the questions that she didn't have answers to yet, but she was trying to put the pieces together. She did not need anyone else trying to figure out what she was doing, and a bunch of half encrypted scribbles could make anyone curious.

Cynthia went into the room Josh had indicated and sent her pages down the chute before joining Josh once more in the hall outside of Daddy's office.
 
Josh let the way into the room just as with the clatter of a mug on glass Daddy hurriedly put her drink down and swiveled to face them. "You're up." She said her tone as she looked to them seeming to hide something. "Salsa, the doctor needs your help with something, he seemed panics and said you were the only one who could help him. You....." she folded her hands on her desk and looked directly at Josh, "Stay here I want a word."

Josh stood up a little straighter at the tone of her voice, it could only mean one thing, she had discovered his theft.

Once Cynthia had left the room and closed the soundproof door Daddy sat there her eyes on him reading his guilt, knowing why he had done it and that he wouldn't try to deny it. Instead she had other questions for him. "So you really think shes up to it?" She asked "Taking a life in cold blood for people who can't give her a strait answer...."
 
Going down the hall, Cynthia soon encountered the doctor who she did admit seemed to be stress. "Ah, good you're up, you're up. I hate having to give reports without a clear answer and our agents in Guam, well you'll soon understand."

Doctor Winestein led her to another office at a quick pace. This office had to be the doctors, it was on the edge of being cluttered without seeming to actually get to that state. Everything was in a spot that was obviously for it, though perhaps not as neat as it could be.

"Sit, sit, have you had anything to eat? No, not likely with those two. Maybe we'll skip on the donut just now though. Coffee?" Cynthia sat, and shook her head to the coffee. She looked at him with a mixture of curiosity and just a slight bit of dread.

"Right, business," the doctor sighed and headed over to his desk picking up a file. "We need to notify her next of kin, and normally this would already be taken care of, the autopsy didn't have many surprises after all. The problem is, we still haven't recovered all of our records."

The file was labeled Q 417, but Cynthia didn't even have to think back to already know this was the file on Lena. Mentioning Guam had already made her aware of what was to come. She had just opened the file that the doctor had given her when he dropped that bit of information.

"Recovered your records? What do you mean?"

"About a month ago we had a data bomb hit. Nearly all the personal records were destroyed, including the transfered information on her from Forestry."

Cynthia tilted her head. "So you don't want to send your report on her death so that the coverup can start until you're sure that is Lena?"

"Exactly, and other then getting a DNA sample or retrieving the data, both which could take a long time, you're the best person to id her." It was scary how happy the doctor actually sounded about this. It was true though, she could identify Lena. Reluctantly Cynthia looked back down at the file. She should at least be as thorough as he would have been if he had the their personnel files.

After several pages, Cynthia looked back up at Doctor Winestein. "Did you already suspect it wasn't her? Because, it's not."

"Oh dear." The doctor leaned over and picked up the phone on the desk, dialing a number. "Daddy, we have a situation."
 
The phone on Daddy's desk buzzed s the line from the morgue lit up. "You are the most stubborn agent I've ever put up with." she said sharply "This isn't over." she picked up the received. "I would have though you'd come up here. SO I trust this is important." Josh watched her face before she hung up and looked at him. "Not our week, I'll look into this while you take Cynthia to see what you can find our at the Pink Panther.

They arrived at the morgue and Daddy didn't waste any time asking for how Cynthia knew. "Do you need to see the body to confirm?" was all she asked.
 
Cynthia frowned slightly. "I can if you want, but if what is here is correct, that couldn't be Lena and unless we have a large coincidence on our hands, that means that the woman in the morgue is not your agent."

It being someone other then Lena did not make this any better. This just caused a lot more confusion, and at the moment it was better for Cynthia to concentrate on the agent, and not the friend.

"I oversaw the autopsy. The report is very accurate," the doctor said, then added. "You realize that we're lucky to even have the body, don't you Daddy?"

This was something Cynthia had forgotten about. Martini had been ready to get rid of the woman's body, and for good reason. Had things at the warehouse had gone differently, well, there was no way of telling what could have happened.
 
Martini was agitated. It meant that there was a rogue agent, alive and not coming in. Daddy knew this too, he saw it when their eyes met, someone who knew them how they thought. Bad to worse in a steady progression, both of them were getting uncomfortably comfortable with the routine.

"I think this makes things more urgent." he said, "Salsa we should get going." Daddy gave him one last look before he turned and headed for the garage level.
 
One could almost feel the tension in the room, and it was obvious why. How bad it was though she could only guess. Cynthia was starting to feel like she was the harbinger of bad luck here.

Handing the folder back to the doctor, the young woman looked at him, then Daddy Dearest. Standing, Salsa followed Martini out the door. In the hall way she caught up and walked in stride with him. "So, exactly what are we doing this morning?"
 
"Find the cardinal." martini said pulling a phone from his belt and unlocking the touchscreen. "Its not the kind of place you'd expect a woman dressed like you to enter but we'll if anyone asks I'm visiting a friend and you're my lawyer, its not a social call." he handed her the phone the screen showing the facade of the "Pink Panther" the definition of the term sleazy strip club.

"We got a hit on his voice on a general tap on the building coming from an apartment on the third floor. We have to go through the club to a boor next to the bar then up the stairs, we don't have a key for the main door and I'd like to keep the element of surprise. If hes there, we take him, alive if possible but hes killed almost everyone we've sent after him, we take no chances."
 
"I should hope not," Salsa muttered when Martini mentioned it was not a social call. The information on the smart phone told her this was not the sort of place she had ever been to before. She'd known a few girls from work think it was fun to go to a strip club, and not a male review, but Cynthia was not inclined to join them.

Salsa wondered if Martini had survived such an attempt to capture the Cardinal before. After all, he was the only active agent she knew here, everyone else was support staff. There was one question she wanted to ask, but thought it was best until they got to the car.
 
In the underbelly of LA there was the Pink Panther, not usually something a self respecting agency would watch but because of the sheer number of people thinking using the phones there made them untraceable and business discussed within the FDA were not the only ones keeping their eyes on the frequenters of the strip club. Outside a bouncer stood arms crossed occasionally moving aside to let people in or out.

Martini pulled into the parking lot and turned the car into one of the empty spots before turning off the engine and turning to Salsa. "Alright remember the story, we're not taking the front door by buzzing the intercom because you have paper to serve that hes been avoiding. We've been trying to catch him for three months, and he owes me more than three month's worth of layer's fees. We don't need to name names."

He pulled out his pistol and checked the load, the black tipped armour piercing "copkiller" round shone on the end of the clip before he slid it back into the gun and slid it back into his holster. "Ready?"
 
Salsa nodded. In all honesty this was not the sort of place she expected to be headed. On the other hand, with all the possible place someone could hide, this was not even close to as bad as some of the ideas she came up with. With a slight frown as she opened the door, this place made sense.

Walking in stride with Martini, Salsa kept her face neutral is slightly annoyed. It was an appropriate look for a career woman having to come to a disreputable business after all. Salsa wasn't annoyed though, she was trying to take everything in without it seeming so. The build and the reach of the bouncer. The snippets of conversation on the street.

Feeling her neck getting tight, Salsa knew she was tensing up. Mentally scolding herself she willed her shoulders to relax as they got to the door. Yes, something was bound to happen, but she needed to be flexible to react, not stiff and a target.
 
Josh walked up to the bouncer who cast him an eye then looked to Cynthia. He folded his arms and grunted, his way of asking why a man in an expensive suit would bring his own woman to a strip club.

"'ello." Josh said in a thick French accent. "I m 'ere with my, la-wer to.. visit on on your.. er.. locataires"

The bouncer scowled and did not move.

"'Ee ripped me off and now refuses to see me, I am coming throu 'ere tso that bastord does not 'ere me coming and run again. I'll show 'im ee cannot 'ide behind you american laws." Josh said his voice rising in indignation, as people started to stare.

The bouncer sighed. "Look just keep your voice down in there, we have customers trying to relax." before stepping aside.

"Wth ze music I 'ere my voice should not be a problem." Josh said stepping inside gesturing Cynthia to follow, as the bouncer stuffed a descretely passes fold of bills into his pocket.
 
The music, the lighting, even the smell told the story of this place. A hundred tales of false promises and broken dreams. The lust on the face of some of the men, Cynthia looked away from. She looked at the face of the women briefly as they headed for the stairs. Masks! Sensual, sexual, but an act. They could have been bored or tired or excited. Perhaps if you looked in their eyes, but that was their business not hers.

The place wasn't crowded, but with the distractions and poor lighting it wasn't easy to take in everything. No one was about to tackle either of them though, and for that the young recruit was thankful. The only person that even looked their way was a stripper not performing on the phone. Talking to her boyfriend or dealer or mother.
 
Inside Martini surveyed the interior straitening his tie in the muggier air. It didn't take him long to get a complete picture of the place. Two exits, front and back with another to the side to the rest of the building. It was to here that the were led, into to have the girl hang up her phone and make a beeline strait for them.

Martini discreetly maneuvered to put Salsa between him and her, it was far easier for a woman to deal with dancers.

"Hey." Her voice was layered thick with well practiced sultry tones. "Heading upstairs." She didn't seem perturbed by either the woman standing next to him or by the ring he had put on his finger before leaving the car.

"On business." he said as the bouncer unlocked the door the click of the lock masking the opening of a window upstairs the two coordinated by a discreetly pressed button in a phone the tome telling the Cardinal when to act. 'Wouldn't you rather stay down here/ I'd show you a good time."

Less than a second later the room was ready for their arrival.
 
Salsa looked the woman up and down, not hiding the action. It was to be expected from a career woman to look down at a night entertainer. Cynthia would have had to be in a bad place to consider such a career, but she tried to not be too judgmental. This woman still rubbed her the wrong way however.

"I think you'd better find a different John," Salsa smirked as she insinuated the dancer was actually a hooker. She then turned and with Martini leading went up the stairs.

They knew exactly where they were going and it was but a moment until they were in front of the door to the Cardinal's room. Cynthia was nervous. This was going to be it! She looked at Martini the anxiety plain on her face. After all she wasn't a professional.
 
She may not have been a professional but he was. Martini drew his weapon and stopped at the door, listening. He didn't hear anything which was worrying. What if he wasn't here. A decision had to be made, try to maintain the cover story or burst into the room. The former was unrealistic so it was time for the latter.

The break into the room itself was simple, inserting a pick into the lock it sheered off the pins and allowed him to turn the tumbler and open the door He did it slowly and quietly as opposed to kicking it open. But he needn't have bothered the room was empty he moved inside and was about to check the other rooms when something caught his eye. The door frame, two wires, a trigger. "Run."

He turned and in half a second was pulling her around the door frame just as the room exploded and they were knocked off their feet. He held her close shielding her from the wave of dust and masonry shards that showered them but it turned out the blast had been designed to kill everyone in the room, which they just barely hadn't been.
 
It was the second time this week she'd nearly been blown up! Salsa was not amused. She was grateful for Martini's quick action and her heart raced as she once again escaped death by the skin of her teeth.

Opening eyes she had instinctively closed when the explosion occurred she looked at the agent that was protecting her. "Thanks," she said to him lamely.

Sitting up she looked around with a frown. There was smoke all over and the fire alarm had now gone off, causing the patrons downstairs to flee, the few that were there. "He knew! The bastard knew!" Salsa muttered and looked over at Martini almost challenging him to disagree. They had him, and he slipped away!
 
He stood and looked back into the room, something had tipped the cardinal that they were coming, and now they had nothing... or did they? His phone rang and he picked up immediately. "Yes. Yes. No I may have a lead, he knew we were coming and I think I know how." he looked at Cynthia and hung up the line kneeling down next to her as she sat.

"Are you alright?..." he was looking at her looking for signs of injury but she seemed more shaken than hurt. "That girl, the delayed us, maybe coincidence or, its all we have." he didn't like to admit it but it was their only lead.
 
Nodding to let Josh know she was fine, Cynthia stood up. "People will be milking around outside. Everyone likes to watch a fire," she said when he brought up the woman. It was a long shot, she might not stick around. That was okay they both got a good look at her, someone would know who she was, and then they could go from there.

Heading back down the stairs, the alarm mixed with the sound of the music that was still playing. Everything was left the same when the blast happened. No one was hiding in any of the shadows to cut them down. Salsa had half expected a snipped shot and had been cautious as she got close to the main floor.

Glancing back at Martini and getting a nod from him she crossed the floor to the outside door, keeping close to the wall none the less. The clear air and sunlight was a welcomed sight, but still the young woman dragged into the world of espionage was not relaxed. There were like she had suspected people milling around the club.
 
He followed behind her every inch of him a man escaping a fire, he was a talented actor, in their game you had to be. However his eyes went to every face they passed looking for the one they were looking for. Yes he had almost been killed, but this wasn't the first time. You couldn't let it get to you, you had to keep your head in the game or you lost it.

Before they got to the outside door he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Take a breath." he advised. His greatest fear was they were going to walk into sniper fire as soon as they got out the door and he wanted to make sure Salsa was in the frame of mind where she could handle it "If you see her let me know, remember we still have an assassin out there who knows we're here."
 
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