After reassuring her mother and convincing her to take Kelsey home with her,Jess had returned to her bedroom, finding Brielle already dressed but back on the bed and in no hurry to leave since she had her laptop on her laps busy doing something. That signified that she was going to spend more time at the apartment. It was not uncommon so she didn't dwell on it much. She took a few minutes to shower and got dressed then grabbed her gun.
"I'm going to head down to the station. I think the fridge has everything you might need," she said as she headed to the door but Brielle didn't look up from her laptop. "Don't forget to lock up if you leave before I get back."
"Have I ever?"
She chuckled then said,"Take care," which made Brielle roll her eyes dramatically. If there was anyone void of the small things people considered emotional and sentimental,it was Brielle. She had always been the type of person who acted indifferent about things like caring, saying I love you and all the things that made a human weak, attachments in general. Maybe that was how they managed to be sexual partners over a long period of time without going deeper than that.
She however dismissed the thoughts and took her leave towards the station.
Nico was already waiting for her by their working station and seemingly busy going through a file. She headed straight to the break room, poured herself a cup of coffee since she hadn't had time to make one back home then headed to her desk. She observed the file Nico was holding and several others that were spread out on the table and frowned.
"Did we turn into homicide detectives or something? Why do you have death case files with you?" she asked and that was when he looked up. They always worked as a group but loved considering Nico as her partner since he was the guy who shared most views with her, she had known him longer than the others and he had been the one who had introduced her around when she had started working at the station. He had been the only one who had treated her as his equal and not judged her because of her sexuality. Sure the others had warmed up to her eventually but she would never trust them as much as she trusted Nico.
"I swapped it at Kiersten's desk," he said pointing upwards to the floor above theirs which housed the homicide department. They found themselves working together in some cases but she wouldn't consider anyone of them a close friend. Not even Kiersten who Nico seemed to have a long lasting crush on that it was even beginning to become boring.
She took a sip of the coffee but returned the contents in her mouth back to the cup,pursing her lips as her face turned into a disgusted look.
"God,that tastes horrible!"she pushed the cup away and focused on what Nico was working on. "What is it you are looking for exactly?"she asked as she took one of the files.
"Evidence,proof that indeed what we are dealing with is the 'Red moon' and not someone else. Wherever he goes he leaves a long trail of dead bodies and you would know it's him since there is always his signature mark. " He turned the file upside down. "Mostly left beside the head of their dead victim and if it's a group of dead victims, a tattoo pattern edged into their skins."
"That sounds more like a serial killer instead of a drug lord,"she commented but didn't look up. Instead she was staring at a file,her gaze fixed at a corner caught by something she recognized immediately. She didn't want to show it to Nico or let him notice that she had noticed anything but the moment she looked up to confirm if he had, she found him staring at her. She immediately knew that she was in trouble. That look said as much but she acted like she wasn't aware of it. "Why are you looking at me like that? Did I say something unbelievable?"
"No,I was actually thinking the same thing. The only difference between a serial killer and this is that these killings aren't calculated and they don't have anything in common. Well, except for the fact that they are mostly who try to go against the gang or outsmart the leader. Or those caught in the wrong place at the wrong time and see things they aren't supposed to see."
"You have basically taken me through a revision of everything I know and absolutely didn't need to revise. What are you? My high school life skills teacher?"
Nico didn't acknowledge the remark which was odd because he never failed to have something to say to her when she said something like that. Not even laugh and call her names. In fact he wasn't even smiling.
"Jess, you are the one who gave us Intel on where to find the leader of 'red moon' when they were in the streets last time and even though we lost him, that's how close we have ever been to catching him you weren't even in the case."
"So?" she shrugged. "I just happened to hear some rumours about his whereabouts during one of my sexcapades. Just like anyone would have and it was my responsibility as a keeper of the law to do my part of the work."
"Hey,no need to be defensive here. I was just wondering."
"Wondering what? God, you sound just like the captain right now. Why do you care if I was on the case or not anyway?"
"No reason," he dismissed it by going back to studying his file. She observed him at an angle a little longer before she focused on the file in her hand but her heart was pounding louder than a jack hammer. Of all the things anyone would find out about her like the fact that she had had a kid at fourteen years of age and that kid was now a teenager,this was the last thing she would want them to know. Not even her own mother. Sure she had heard about where 'Red moon' would be from someone she had slept with but she had realized that it had been a plan to get her there. The woman had been sent to "accidentally" let that piece of information slip but only because he had wanted to meet her and 'talk'. And that was how she had known about his whereabouts and had tipped her colleagues but unfortunately he had escaped just like the snake he was into a dark hole where he had remained until now.
Now looking at Nico, she was wondering just how much she would let him know without letting part of what had happened back then slip. She looked at the photograph again then pushed it before his eyes. She pointed at the object in the background.
"What do you make of that?"
He nodded,"Yep, it's definitely him. We found something like this at the last scene that involved him." He sighed. "Now I can say that I have a real case to work on."
She shook her head,"You realize that he will be even more dangerous than he was back then especially now that he is even willing to make it known that it is him indeed, right?"
"You know me Jess,it is more exciting for me if it is dangerous. Don't expect me to back out now. We are gonna get this son of a bitch once and for all." He stood up,"I have a stake out tonight. Nothing much but still is relevant to this case but while at it me and the guys will share some drinks at Bob's. If you would like to join us,you know there's always a stool for you."
"It's Sunday Nico," she stated expecting him to understand what she meant by that but his frown showed that he didn't.
"What? Do you now go to those 'no alcohol on Sunday' churches or something and you didn't tell me to join you?"
"Don't be stupid. Remember the shipment that is supposed to come in tomorrow very early in the morning?"
"Oh, that,"he nodded. "So no alcohol today for you,got it."
"I think it's dumb though. Won't the alcohol be out of the system by then? I swear the rules in this department are just too much at times."
"O'Brien, Santiago,in my office now!" The voice of the Captain disrupted them barely after she had uttered the words. They looked at each other but moved without saying a word until they were inside the office.
"Boss,"Nico acknowledged him but she just stood there looking at him. If only employees had the authority to fire their superiors, she would have gotten rid of him a long time ago. But immediately after she had shaved his ridiculous goatee and poisoned the skin so that it would never take root again.
She however tried to show as much respect to him as she could but that didn't mean she was supposed to always greet him whenever, wherever.
"Change of plans,"he said without looking up. "The shipment is getting in tonight,our guy on the other side confirmed it left their harbor a day before and the tracker shows that it is only a couple of hours away from here. You need to be at the docks after nightfall,an hour before so that nothing escapes you. Nico,you go with her."
They exchanged a look but she just shrugged.
"But boss, what about-"
"I'm well aware of 'Red moon' , Santiago." He finally looked up. "I'll have someone follow up whatever you were onto but you and O'Brien should head to the docks. Nothing can go wrong, got it?"
"Yes sir!"
"Good. You are dismissed."
They both turned,Nico taking the lead and she remaining a step behind to close the door 'respectfully' even though she would have liked banging it on purpose then quickly caught up with him before he got to their workstation. She could tell that he wasn't too pleased by how things had turned out but an opportunity to tease him wasn't something she could just let go by just like that.
"Don't be so grumpy. And when did you start hating my company? "
"He irritates me. Why does he take advantage of his power yet all he can do is just sit and order everyone around. Never getting his hands dirty then take credit for everything we do?"
"Are you mad that he is a lazy selfish prick or because he wouldn't let you follow up on what you want most?"
"Both I guess,"he sighed. "What will you be doing until then?"
"Probably sex or something else back home." The first part was only because she was expecting to find Brielle still at her apartment and she knew they couldn't just stay around each other and not fall back in bed. That seemed to be the only thing they got along at. The second part, she didn't have the slightest idea of what she would be doing. She could have chosen to stay at work and wait out until evening but there was nothing to do and Claire wasn't in so she preferred going back home.
"Gabrielle?"
"You wanna watch or join in?"she teased him knowing that she could never let him do that even though it was among his wild fantasies. She however didn't expect him to say no.
"I'd rather keep Kiersten company while she works."
"Would you ask her out already? You are acting like a love sick sixteen year old nerd with a forever crush on a cheerleader captain. What are you so afraid of, being turned down? That's part of the process, right?"
"Why won't you do the same thing about Brielle. Don't you think this 'just sex' thing has taken a bit too long? I mean,who else have you gone back to the way you do with her?"
"Because with her it's better than with anyone else but that's as far as it goes. Your case is different. You are in love, I'm not."
"See you later Jessie. You are beginning to irritate me and you know an irritated me is not something you want to see."
"Just ask her out buddy,"she patted him on his cheek like she always did to show him that she cared about him. This time however, she put emphasis on it,"Ask her or I will." Then turned to leave.
"For you or for me?" he shouted after her and she had to shake her head.
"For me, obviously." She didn't even like Kiersten but she knew that would push Nico out of his comfort zone because if there was something he hated,it was competition. Something like this was a threat to him and he wouldn't let her do that. At least not before he tried. She turned at the door and found him staring upstairs. She smiled,headed towards her car,started it and drove away.