When my flight landed in Barcelona, I had some unexpected baggage. Well, two unexpected additional baggage issues. Cass decided to bring the girlfriend for a sight-seeing trip thinking it would be romantic. We fought and argued over this as it was too dangerous until we found Ortiz. His argument was that they would act like they didn't know me and only get together with me as soon as our 'work' was done. I also made him take her to learn basics of gun safety and to shoot. She was a first degree black belt in karate, so I figured self defense was covered.
"So you told her what you really do for a living?" I had asked him before I agreed.
"Yes, she wasn't exactly thrilled about it but I explained to her you're a federal agent who they broke their promise to and that you're technically on "extended vacation" because they're assholes. I didn't think it was prudent to give her any more information than that." He said casually.
"Does she know anything about me?" I ask now really curious. Cass has been living at my house for the 6 years and dating this girl the past year but she's only ever been over when I'm not there except for once. It was a fleeting hi, and 'Where's Cass?' and she pointed down the hall.
Considering I was covered in ink from one of his little inventions backfiring in my face, literally, I don't think that one should count.
"She's seen your pictures you have out and has only said that the 'genes in your family for girls must be really strong, you can barely tell the difference between the people.'"
"This should be interesting then...." I muttered, "FINE, BUT SHE BETTER NOT GET IN THE WAY AND MESS UP OUR WORK. IF HE GETS AWAY BECAUSE OF HER I'LL LEAVE YOU BOTH THERE."
So here we are in Spain, in the rain... I thought the rain, in Spain, stayed mainly on the plain... I couldn't help but smirk thinking of the movie. I was in my dirty blonde haired wig that was my back up. I had a permed blonde wig I had been wanting to wear. However, I had been brushing and using a dryer to take some of the curl loosen and make it look better and less like 80's big hair with 10 cans of hairspray in it. Obviously, to no avail. So now it was the dreaded Karen wig.
Cass said I should play the part of a Karen if I needed to and I merely gave him a look. One look that said I'll show you what a Karen is really like.
He knew better than that, I was not wanting to draw attention, I was to just be another face in the crowd around us. We even stayed at different hotels not far apart either.
I made them ride in first class to treat her to an enjoyable trip and I took coach there. That was not happening again.
Lar was going to snap our necessary equipment to the hotels once we got our rooms for us. He did have a request of me capturing Ortiz's blood for him and gave me a special bottle to collect it. I still never have asked why they do this but I've realized it's only the bad people that they seem to do it to.
I'm exactly 3 blocks from the cafe Ortiz was sited at. Cass and his girlfriend, Fiadh (fee-a) are two streets over from me, but only a quick drop from the fire escape and two blocks down the back alley will get me there in under five minutes. The hotel they are in has security cameras and a guard at the front entrance for the higher clientele that go there. My room is average and I find it quite charming and clean with its rustic architecture and tasteful remodel of the inside but keeping the charming and unique touches that are original to the building.
John would have loved coming here with me to enjoy the markets and try all the different delicacies. My heart still ached and yearned for him so badly, but this recent time with Alex has helped me pull my self out and not stay lost in the guilty and mournful depression I was drowning in.
I was just settled in and sent Alex a message for Lar. Shortly Lar was there and so was my equipment. We chatted for a bit until Cass let me know they were in their room and Lar was off. I took a couple of pictures of myself feeling excited being in Barcelona, since it was my first time being here too. Took some pictures of the Gothic and Art Nouveau style buildings outside the window before looking through them. I laid back taking some more of me in the wig starting to get flirty and playful with the camera.
I sent a few to Alex starting with the normal ones and telling him it was beautiful here. He responded a little bit later with, 'Es un lugar encantador, pero no tan hermosa como tú. (It is a lovely place, but not as beautiful as you.)'
Smiling I sent the flirty ones which he really liked. He was asking for more of them to keep him company while I was gone. I smirked and came up with a better even idea. For him to take some pictures of me when we went to Milan that way he could get me at any angle and way he wanted.
He was calling me with that message.
"Hey, I would figure you would be busy going after him already." Alex sounds relaxed and lazy, I can see him lounging back enjoying a drink this late in the evening for him while it's barely eight in the morning here.
"Yes, I know. Waiting on Cass to finish prepping his end so I can prep my own and link them. Doesn't help he brought Fiadh(fee-a) with him. I don't think it was the smartest of decisions but he's a young man now." I say the last part somewhat mockingly. We were all 24 at one point in time, when you're an adult legally, but no one seems to take you seriously as an adult yet cause 'you're still young'.
A chuckle comes through the phone as his voice eases my senses, "Do not worry, Cass is a smart man, plus he takes his job with you seriously. But I wanted to know more about these pictures you're wanting me to take of you in Milan....."
We talk for about an hour when Cass is texting me to start linking my devices up so we can make sure everything is working right. I let him go for the night, slightly missing his company. I smack myself slightly and focus on the task at hand.
Soon everything is linked up, working, battery life is full, video, great, audio, excellent, surveillance drones, charged with great video and audio linked up. I open the balcony and let him fly the drones out which are the size of a bumble bee and kind of look like one too. We have 8 of them but he only takes half of them out to fly to the cafe and set them up for surveying the area around there. He sets them up with a link of the video to my laptop and we watch.
This is the part no one thinks about when you think of a spy, officer, or agent. The countless hours of surveillance that nothing happens. Cass has face recognition software on, running over the video only a 30 seconds behind present time. Which is amazing considering that there is always 20 or more faces in every frame of video.
By the end of day three, I'm telling Cass to take Faidh out shopping and get some time doing whatever together. Just take your gun and don't get caught with it and avoid needing to use it.
By day 10 I'm wondering if it was just a fluke he had coffee there or was here at all. Day 18 I'm down at the cafe showing a picture of Ortiz saying he's my husbands cousin we lost contact with him and now that my husbands sick he wishes to see him again.
The cafe didn't recognize him, but the bar next door said he looked familiar. My face lit up in hopeful anticipation and they told me to go check some of the other bars, that I might have some luck. Out of the 8 bars in a 4 square block radius, three said that they had seen him a few times, recently.
I texted Cass the bars locations and we got surveillance up on them to keep an eye out and I was hanging out nearby in the green space either reading a book or shopping, remaining inconspicuous in the array of faces everyday.
Day 18 Faidh went back to the states alone, Cass having to remain with me. No sign yet of the bastard.
Day 24 It's raining..... and I'm shopping in a market for a meal I can make in my rooms microwave and still want to eat it..... After getting drenched on the way back to the room.
Day 29 The Facial recognition program is going off for Cass and sure enough he confirms it's Ortiz heading to one of the bars. We already scoped out all possible exits of every establishment he might go to and now the other four drones are sent out and the ones watching the other places join the group where we need them.
I recheck everything I have, slightly touching where I know I can easily grab the injection tubes of drugs to knock him out. Once he's out I will be calling Alex to get Lar to come to me. If all else fails I can always break the string to get Lar immediately to help me.
He's walks out of that bar about 30 minutes later and heads to the next one across the way. The drones shift and cover the exits there and I walk in 5 minutes later after he does. He's sitting at the bar laughing and chatting with the bartender and I realize I have to leave cause my hands will not stop shaking.
Shit... I look around like I was looking for someone and a call comes in on my phone so I go back outside to answer it.
It was Alex.
"You have no idea, how much you just saved me." I said my voice catching and my hands are still shaking almost uncontrollably. I feel like I'm going to be sick. NO I am going to be sick. I rush to the side of the building out of view and empty the contents of my stomach in an open trash receptacle.
I can hear Alex on the phone calling me as I puke, trying to control the panic attack I'm starting to have. Cass is yelling in my ear what's wrong and freaking out since I'm not answering. Suddenly Lar and Alex appear near me, I am glad I went out of sight back here.
"What happened?!" Alex worried comes up to me. He sees me shaking and looking all around with my pulse visible on my neck.
"Did he get away?" Alex asks.
"N..n..nnn..no. In..in..side I .." I'm shaking so badly and can't control my body because of it.
Alex asks me for the drugs to knock him out and he goes in and soon Lar reappears and tells me we need to get Cass and our stuff and leave. That we have Ortiz and Alex isn't exactly fond of the man either. By the time we get to Alex's my panic attack has calmed down making me more resilient then earlier.
Alex seeing me and Cass appear with all our stuff and gear comes up to me and makes sure I am okay. He reminds me that there is no way I am ever going to worry about that man touching me ever again. It was time to get my pound of flesh.
He took me into the basement of the house down some well dug out and supported tunnels to what he called, La Casa Del Dolor de Farel. (Farels house of pain) Farel would use this room for some of the people who had crossed a line that should never be crossed.
"He is still out cold, Maria. He is locked in to those straps and hanging in that contraption naked just like you were. Would you like me to go in with you at first while he's still out?"
I nod, trying to take nice even breaths and calm myself. Cass thankfully stayed up stairs because he doesn't need to know what I am about to do. I center my self and remember the pain, the disgust, the shame he made me feel and the horrors he committed on me.
I open my eyes and no longer am I this mans victim, or his tortured slave, I am not restrained unable to fight back, I am no longer at his mercy, a prisoner of his enforced hell.
Now, I will be his Hell.