Jackson paced the sitting room. He felt like a caged lion. Maybe he'd join Annie in the bookstore whether she wanted him there or not. The look she'd given him earlier clearly indicated she'd rather he didn't. Too bad.
Alligator's cell phone rang and he glanced at the caller ID before answering. "What's up, Officer Acuff?"
Jackson watched the color drain from Al's face as he shouted, "What! I'm on my way down."
"What's going on? Is Annie okay?"
Alligator said tersely, "She's slipped away from Acuff."
"Huh."
"Come on. She left a note."
Jackson's could barely hear Alligator above the blood rushing to his head. What the hell was Annie up to?
Officer Acuff met them as soon as they stepped off of the elevator. She looked distraught.
"Let me see the note," said Alligator.
She handed it to him and he read aloud.
I'm sorry to sneak out on you, but I need some air. A week in this place is driving me crazy. I just want to explore the city a little. I'll be back soon. Don't worry.
—Ann
Jackson exclaimed, "What! When I get my hands on her..." He started forward. "I'm going looking for her. Hopefully, she's wandering nearby."
Alligator's phone jingled. "Officer Kosky, here." He listened and his eyes got big.
"What! What!" Jackson shouted.
"I'm on my way back up."
"What!" Jackson shouted again.
"Just come with me and you'll see."
Jackson wanted to shove Alligator against the elevator door on the ride up and demand to know what was happening, but he knew that would be pushing the envelope. If he didn't get satisfactory answers in the next few minutes, he was out the door looking for his wife.
Back upstairs, the three of them rushed to the surveillance room. Charlie said, "Here's why we didn't catch her leaving the building." They crowded around a screen and the officer entered a couple of keystrokes that started a still picture moving again. They watched a woman wearing a scarf, dark glasses, and high heels exit the bookstore. She rushed down the street until she was out of sight of the camera. And even though Charlie punched some keystrokes that rewound the video and panned a close up of Annie's face for verification, Jackson would have recognized her tiny shape anywhere. He exclaimed, "I'm going to find her!"
Acuff said, "Why didn't she just ask to go for a walk? Why go through this charade? And those are some fancy heels she's wearing. Why would she change into spike heels to go for a walk?"
Alligator and Jackson looked back at the screen. Al put a staying hand on Jackson's shoulder. "You don't think–" He didn't finish his thought before Jackson interrupted.
"Oh, my God, Annie. No. No."
Acuff said, "She's not going to the club to hack the computer, is she?"
For a couple of seconds all the agents just stared at each other in stunned silence Then Charlie said, "There's one way to know for sure. I heard Hatcher ask if she could store her costume in Mrs. Martinez' closet. It was in a black bag."
Jackson rushed from the room, followed closely by Alligator and Acuff. He almost ripped Annie's closet door off its hinge jerking it open. He spotted a black bag and jammed the zipper down. It was empty.
Alligator had his cell phone to his ear issuing instructions. "This is Agent Kosky. Is our surveillance van in place yet?" He listened for a second. "I know it's not scheduled to arrive for another thirty minutes, but we've got an emergency. Get it over there now!" He walked from Annie's room back into the hallway issuing more instructions.
Jackson ran his hands through his hair in frustration. Acuff said, "I'm so sorry. This is all my fault." Jackson barely heard her. He followed Alligator into the hallway. He needed to find out where the club was located.
Al flipped his phone shut.
"Where is this place?" Jackson demanded. "I'm going in after her."
"The hell you are. I've got the best field agents covering this and I'm on my way to the surveillance van. Besides, we don't know for sure that she's actually attempting the hack. Maybe she's shopping at Hallmark."
"I'm not taking that chance. I'm going with you."
Alligator started to shake his head no, but Jackson gritted out, "If I don't go, I'll escape myself. My wife could be in danger and I don't intend to stand around with my thumb up my ass."
Alligator acquiesced, "Okay, but if you do anything other than sit and play dumb, I'll have you arrested. Understood?"
Jackson figured he didn't have much choice except to agree...for the time being. "Understood."
After giving final instructions to his agents, Al led the way to a back door where a nondescript sedan waited. The driver placed a red flasher on top of the vehicle, turned on the siren, and sped off almost before the doors were shut. During the ride, Alligator brought Jackson up to speed. "I've dispatched some undercover agents posing as transients and others as patrons." He glanced at his watch. "Our inside gal should arrive there shortly to begin her shift. As far as I know, she's never met Agent Hatcher, so if Annie shows up, she'll think she's our plant. Annie heard enough about the sting to know what's going down and what to do." He paused for breath. "However, if our agents get there before her, they can head her off before she even steps inside the door."
Jackson said softly, "Please God, let that happen."
* * *
During the taxi ride to Sneak-a-Peek Club, Ann had unbuttoned her shirt and then tied the tails together at her waist. It left her blouse gaping open with a view of the black and red sequined bustier and a little bit of exposed stomach. The G-string under her skirt was driving her crazy. Thank goodness it was covered with a wisp of black fabric and her butt wasn't totally exposed, just in case-- God forbid--she had to dance. She applied some heavy makeup and then wrapped the scarf back around her shoulders to remove later. Her cab driver seemed oblivious to her actions. She figured he'd probably seen just about everything being a New York cabbie. He stopped a block away from the club like she'd instructed. Forcing her hands not to shake, she reached inside her purse and handed him his fare, with the extra twenty she'd promised if he got there really fast. She exited the cab and asked him to point her in the right direction.
Standing on the curb, she watched the taxi pull away and took several calming breaths. When he disappeared into thick traffic she turned her attention to finding the club. Holding the scarf tightly to her body, she walked swiftly in the direction the driver had pointed. Within a few minutes she spotted her destination. The sun had just set when she paused and leaned against a glass storefront across the street. She knew Kitty Puff started her shift at five and Meg was supposed to meet her at that time. You can do this.
Annie gave herself a little pep talk, envisioned all the people she was saving, shoved some bubble gum into her mouth, and then removed the scarf, tying it around her waist. Sucking a deep breath, she stepped away from the building and sashayed in her shiny red stilettos to the entrance of Sneak-a-Peek Club owned by the mafia.
The bouncer at the door looked her up and down and she said, "Hey, big boy, I've got an appointment with Kitty Puff." His eyes lingered on her breasts and then traveled down her body to her stiletto heels. Without a word, he jerked his head toward the inside of the club, and just as she stepped in front of him, he bent and said low, "Tiny and sexy. Just the way I like."
She stopped, looked him up and down, popped her gum, and replied, "Big and tough. Just the way I like."
He laughed. "Later, sweet cakes."
Inside the club, a few heads turned to watch her. Since it was still early, the place wasn't jam packed like she'd seen it could get from the nightly surveillance video. She stepped to the bar. "Ah yeah, I'm supposed to meet Kitty Puff. Can you point me in her direction?" She jawed her gum.
The bartender gave her a bored look and shouted across the room, "Hey, Kitty Puff, you got someone askin' for ya."
"Thanks, Joe. Gimme a sec."
Joe looked at Ann and said, "Give her a sec."
Ann blew a bubble. "I got lots'a secs." She winked and he howled with laughter.
"You want a beer?" he asked.
"Naw, never touch the stuff while I'm workin'. I like to keep my wits about me."
Another customer called to the bartender and he walked to the far end of the bar. Ann refused to allow herself to think out of character, so she plopped her butt on a stool and seductively crossed her legs.
A few minutes later Kitty Puff sat on the stool beside her. "So...you're looking for a gig as an exotic dancer?"
Ann stared knowingly into the woman's eyes. "Yep."
"You're gonna have to prove yourself."
In response, Ann said the code words she knew Agent Hatcher was supposed to say. "Oh, I'll prove myself. You can take that to the bank."
"Okay. Follow me. I'll show you around."