[30 minutes later]
The small drone whirred softly as Amy guided it back through the open balcony and into their suite. She grinned with satisfaction as it landed neatly on the coffee table.
"Mission accomplished," she said, trying to sound cool even though her heart was still pounding with excitement. "All bugs planted. Audio and video feeds are live." She checked Ray's phone, and everything looked good.
Ray leaned back against the couch, watching the data stream across his phone screen. "Good work, Santiago. Clean entry, no detection, full coverage." He gave her an approving nod. "You handled that drone like a pro."
Amy brushed an imaginary speck of dust off her sleeve. "Well, I may have overcorrected once or twice, but hey, no crashes."
He smiled. "That's what I call progress."
They each placed the small spy earpods into their ears, the faint static confirming the connection. Travis's suite feed came through crystal clear—just silence and the occasional sound of the air conditioning. No one's in the room, yet the AC is running.
Ray stretched his arms and stood up. "Travis and Melissa probably went for a drink or business. The timing's perfect."
Amy nodded, standing and straightening her dress. "Then maybe we should head down to the lounge. If they're meeting someone or grabbing a drink, that's where it might happen."
Ray grabbed his jacket. "Lead the way, Mrs. Lasker."
Amy smiled slightly, ignoring how that name made her heart skip. "Right this way, Mr. Lasker."
[Hotel Lounge]
The lounge glowed in warm amber light, filled with the hum of quiet conversation. Amy and Ray walked in like they belonged there. The bartender greeted them with a polite nod as they approached the counter.
"Two mocktails, please," Amy said before Ray could speak. "Something fruity but not too sweet."
The drinks arrived in tall glasses with orange slices and tiny umbrellas. They each took one and made their way to an empty booth tucked at the back, away from the main crowd. From there, they had a perfect view of the lounge entrance and the nearby private dining rooms.
Travis and his wife were nowhere to be seen. They might have gone outside or in another room. They could be anywhere.
Amy sat across from Ray. They started talking and smiling like any normal couple. But they kept their eyes around.
Within ten minutes, their conversation turned natural. Comfortable.
"So, you really do the crossword every morning?" she asked, smiling as she stirred her mocktail.
"Every single morning," Ray replied. "Keeps my mind sharp. Plus, it's good training for code-breaking patterns. Once, I actually entered a puzzle competition just to catch a hacker selling nuclear codes hidden in the crossword clues."
Amy blinked, half impressed, half amused. "No way! You're joking."
He shook his head. "No joke. He thought it was clever. It was. Until I solved his clue mid-contest and traced his IP."
Amy's eyes sparkled. "That's... actually incredible. So you catch criminals and win puzzle trophies."
Ray smiled faintly. "Only one trophy. The rest of the time, I just keep score on paper. But I'm nowhere closer than you."
She took a sip of her mocktail. Then she waved her hand as she said, "The Logic Puzzle of the Year Award was a one-time thing. I'm pretty sure you are better than me."
And, with that, they continued to talk about puzzles and how many trophies and certificates Amy won from multiple puzzle and crossword competitions.
Then came her favorite topic...
Amy tilted her head. "Do you keep track of everything you've worked on? Like, all your missions or cases?"
He nodded. "Yeah. Got a couple of binders at home. Every operation, every detail. Helps me remember what I've done, what I've learned... and who I couldn't save."
'Mama Mia! I love this man. He's so hot when he talks about puzzles, and he even got a couple of binders where he organizes everything perfectly.' Amy's expression softened. "That's... very you. Organized, methodical, and secretly sentimental."
He chuckled. "I'll take that as a compliment."
"It is," she said, meaning it.
He looked at her. "What about you? What do you do when you're not saving Brooklyn or reorganizing the precinct filing system?"
Amy smiled. "Puzzles, crosswords, and I read a lot. I like mystery novels mostly."
"Any favorites?" he asked.
"Richard Castle," she said instantly. "I love the Derrick Storm and Nikki Heat series. You?"
Ray's smile widened. "Same. 'Storm's Last Stand' is one of my favorites."
Amy gasped. "You've read that one? That's one of the best! The twist in chapter sixteen? Genius."
"I know, right?" he said, laughing quietly. "It's rare to find someone who actually appreciates those books. Most people just know the TV adaptation."
Amy grinned. "Don't get me started on that adaptation. The pacing was all wrong."
Ray raised his glass slightly. "To good books and bad adaptations."
Amy clinked her glass against his. "Cheers to that."
Then their earpieces buzzed softly. Amy gave him that look as they heard footsteps.
He leaned back, voice lowering. "Someone entered his suite."
Amy straightened, instantly focused again. "He's back?"
"Or someone else is," Ray said.
Both of them stood up and made their way to their suite.
...
[Elevator – On the way up]
Ray had his phone in one hand with the surveillance feed on. Amy leaned closer, her shoulder brushing his arm as they both stared at the screen.
The feed showed the inside of Travis Ortega's suite. It was Melissa Ortega. She sat on the couch with a glass of wine in one hand. Across from her sat a blonde woman who looked Japanese, dressed in a white designer dress and holding an expensive clutch that probably cost more than Amy's entire apartment.
Ray zoomed in on the feed. "That's not just a social visit," he said quietly.
Amy nodded. "Agreed. Look at the clutch. It's a limited edition Cartier. And that watch... Japanese import, custom faceplate. She's got money."
The women's voices came through the earpieces.
Blonde Woman: "You told me you had that covered. If customs opens one of those containers, it won't be a drug bust. It'll be an international scandal."
Melissa: "The shipment will still leave as planned. I've already sent my men there to take care of the manifest problem."
Amy frowned. "Shipment? Could be drugs?"
Ray gave a nod. "Could be."
Melissa opened the folder beside her couch and took out a paper. She gave it to the blonde.
Blonde Woman: "We had an agreement. Thirty girls. All with clean papers."
Melissa: "Twenty-five is all we could do this month. We've encountered a few problems lately. But don't worry. Next shipment, we'll throw in a little bonus."
Amy's stomach dropped. "Oh my God."
Ray's eyes darkened. "Human trafficking."
The elevator chimed softly as it reached their floor. Neither of them spoke until the doors slid open. They walked quickly down the hall, Ray pocketing his phone as Amy unlocked their suite. Once inside, he closed the door quietly and opened the feed again. Both of them sat on the couch.
Melissa and the woman were still talking.
Melissa: "Travis doesn't need to know every detail. Just keep up the act as we have for the past five years. Give him the drugs and he'll be happy with that. I'll handle the product."
Blonde Woman: "You better make sure he stays out of it. Last time, he got very close to our operation."
Amy sat down on the edge of the couch, staring at the screen. "So she's running her own operation behind her husband's back?"
Ray nodded slowly. "Looks like it. The husband is the leader of a drug cartel, and the wife is a human trafficker. Perfect couple."
They watched as Melissa took a sip of her wine.
Melissa: "The shipment leaves the dock tonight. Once it's across the border, it's off our hands. The buyer handles distribution."
Blonde Woman: "You'd better pray it stays that way. I don't like cleaning up messes."
Amy leaned closer as she noticed a couple of open folders on the table beside Melissa. "Can you zoom in?"
Ray adjusted the view. The folder bore a stamp with a crest and Japanese text. Below it, a shipping code: JP-NY-HU-0425.
Amy quickly jotted it down on a notepad that appeared out of nowhere in her hands. It was as if she were carrying it under her bra. "If we can cross-check that manifest, we can find where the shipment's being held."
Ray nodded. "And we can stop them before they can leave the docks."
The women's conversation began to wind down. The blonde stood, collected her clutch, and walked toward the door. Melissa remained seated, sipping her drink with a faint smile, like someone pleased with how her plan was unfolding.
Amy grabbed the phone on the table and hit the encrypted line Holt had given them. The signal connected after two rings.
"Captain, it's Santiago," She said quickly. "We have a lead. Melissa Ortega is involved in human trafficking. She's working with a Japanese contact. They mentioned a shipment leaving the docks tonight."
Holt's tone sharpened instantly. "Human trafficking? Are you certain?"
"Yes, sir," Amy replied. "We heard everything through the bugs. They confirmed at least twenty-five girls are being moved tonight. I also have a manifest number: JP-NY-HU-0425."
There was a short pause. Amy could hear Holt typing rapidly in the background.
"Good work, Detective Santiago," Holt said finally. "That manifest number is registered under a front company in Red Hook. We'll move immediately."
Amy felt her heart lift at his words. "Thank you, sir. What's the plan?"
"You and Officer White will remain in position," Holt instructed. "We can't risk tipping off Ortega or his wife. I'm assembling a task force as we speak. We'll handle the docks. Stay on surveillance and keep the feed running."
"Yes, sir."
Holt's voice softened slightly, rare but genuine. "Excellent work, Detective. You may have just saved those girls."
Amy couldn't help smiling. "Thank you, Captain."
The line went dead, and she turned to Ray. "He's on it. The team's moving now."
Ray gave a small nod, watching the feed on his phone. "Then let's keep our eyes open until it's done."
Amy exhaled slowly, her pulse steadying. "Feels good knowing we actually stopped something this big."
...[Spoilers. Upcoming chs names. Click to read.]...[1]
[POWERSTONES AND REVIEWS PLS]
Support link: www.patr eon.com/UnknownMaster
[24 advance chs] [No double billing.]
---
[1] Ch: 58 [HOT! In both ways...] Ch: 59 [Keeping Up with the Ortegases] Ch: 60 [The Ghost and the Giant] Ch: 61 [Ghost vs Reacher Pt:1] Ch: 62 [Ghost vs Reacher Pt:2/2] Ch: 63 [Complicated relationship] Ch: 64 [Gina's harem plan]