Paul woke up to Michelle looking at him.
"What?" he asked as he intertwined his fingers with hers.
"Even though I was against you coming back to this podunk town, you still came back for me."
Paul chuckled and ran his fingers through her hair.
"I love you," he said.
She smiled and kissed his lips.
"I love you."
He smiled and was thankful she kept him level-headed last night. He was so worried about his brother that he drank until his stomach ached.
Paul sighed and kissed her fingertips. He got out of bed and put his uniform on.
"Leaving already?" she asked.
"Yeah, I'm on standby for Anna tonight."
She rested her head on her elbows and gave him a thoughtful look.
"Please be careful."
He chuckled and gave her a reassuring look.
"Always."
He kissed her forehead and left. She had been friends with Anna ever since they were kids. That was her best friend, as she was Paul's. There was nobody else in the world she trusted more as Paul's partner.
*****
Anna walked into the station, and they made sure everything was set for the plan. Paul was going to be on standby in case she needed a quick exit and would be in a car outside. She had contacted the Charton Police Department to have extra backup, just in case she needed it.
The plan was set in place. Anna went over the blueprints again and again about how to get to Leonard Maverick's office without being detected. She had to shimmy through the air ducks to his office, and exit through the vent.
She decided she would go to Charton that afternoon and go to The Dress Boutique. There was a restaurant on the corner of that street she always wanted to try, and she heard that the food was excellent and the service was great.
Anna never had the time to stop because of constantly working or sleeping. She looked at Paul, and he was a wreck. She knew that now, since Tom was missing, he wasn't going to be himself.
She, too, was angry and sad about the fact that these kids were missing, and she couldn't imagine what he was going through in his mind. Anna knew that she had to make a phone call to her military buddies.
She had a feeling that she needed a little extra training because she was not going to stop until those kids were home safe.
However, that would be a thought for now until she knew she was going to have to make the call. It depended on how this case was going to go. She remembered reading in Allison's papers on Project A, and there were going to be human trials soon. She hoped the reason for the kids missing wasn't because of these experimental trials.
********
Anna drove down the highway, and her cell rang.
"Simone."
"Anna, hi, it's Xander."
He sounded like himself, which surprised her, and she set the phone in her console.
"Hi."
"Listen, I'm sorry about the other night. Would you please let me make it up to you, come to my father's ball with me and my date."
Anna thought momentarily about a night with Xander and his lovely wife-to-be. No, thank you! Besides, she already had a date for the ball.
"Thank you, Xan, but I have already been asked to go, and I'm afraid I have already said yes."
"Really?"
He sounded surprised, and she smirked and wondered what was going to go through his mind when she told him she was going with Justin. It gave her a little feeling of revenge for him being a jerk.
"Yes."
"Who asked you?" he asked.
"Justin."
There was a moment of silence. He shouldn't be mad. He had a fiancé. She then heard him laugh.
"Anna, you mean to tell me the school bully asked you out on a date?"
"More like a friend hanging out with a friend, but yes."
"Does he know that?"
"Well, if he doesn't, I'm sure he will get the picture quickly."
"True story."
Anna laughed.
"See you tonight, Xan," she said.
"See you."
She hung up the phone, parked out in front of the boutique store, and went inside.
*****
"Officer Simone, what a pleasant surprise," said the girl behind the counter.
"Hi, Tammy."
Anna picked out a thin, strapped black dress that cut down the middle and slit up the side. She found a pair of black strappy heels, jewelry, and a purse with a secret compartment big enough to fit a file folder or a binder. She paid for her things and headed over to the restaurant on the corner.
The Place was spectacular. There were heavy, thick, velvet maroon curtains hanging in front of windows, and chandeliers hung from the ceiling, giving off a soft glow of light over marble tables and chairs that matched the drapes. The back was a room that businessmen used for large lunch parties or meetings was toward the rear. Anna was excited to finally get to try the food here.
She happily sighed and walked up to the hostess. The girl was pale-skinned, thin, and had dark circles of makeup on her eyes. She had black hair that was to her jawline and hung straight down.
She looked Anna up and down before she spoke in her snobby tone.
"Can I help you?" she sneered, and Anna raised an eyebrow at her.
"Table for one," she said, and the girl looked disgusted.
"Are you sure you can afford this place? Our cheapest wine is seventy-five dollars."
Anna rolled her eyes at the girl and blew an annoyed breath.
"Whether I am financially inclined or not, it really isn't your business," stated Anna, and the girl stood there.
"Can you please seat me at a table, or should I just seat myself?"
The girl scoffed and wouldn't even look at her.
"Do you have a manager?"
The girl walked off without saying a word and left Anna. A few moments later, a man came around the corner and smiled.
"May I help you?" he asked politely, and the girl stood behind him.
"I would like to be seated, but your hostess here has determined that Charton's finest are not financially inclined to afford your restaurant," stated Anna as she flashed him her badge.
The guy gave the girl a warning look and then smiled at Anna.
"Right this way, officer."
She ordered, was brought a beer, and she sat there and sipped it, looking around the fancy place. She heard laughter come from the back room and turned her head. A few men in dark suits came out of the room, and she saw Justin's handsome face. Their eyes met, and they smiled.
He and another man walked up to her table, and the man looked familiar.
"Hello, gorgeous," said Justin, sitting down, and she raised an eyebrow.
His friend chose to stand, and he folded his hands.
"Anna, you remember Harry?"
She looked at him closer, and she raised her eyebrows. Of course, she remembered Harry.
How could she forget? He was the one who broke her birthday gift.
"Yes, hello, Harry," she said as the waitress brought out her food.
"Anna," said Harry and walked out the door.
"Guess he didn't want to stay," said Justin, and Anna shrugged.
She dug into her food, and the steak was absolutely amazing.
"So, are you all set for tonight?" he asked her.
She nodded and took a swig of her beer.
"Xander called me today," she said and scolded herself.
Too late now, Anna!
She straightened and cleared her throat.
"He wanted to invite me, but I told him I was already going with you."
Justin chuckled and snorted.
"What did he say?"
Anna noticed a couple of girls ogling over Justin a few tables away and rolled her eyes.
"He said okay."
She took a couple more bites of her dish, and he had noticed the girls looking at him, so he decided to try and play things up.
"You know, Anna, I am the most eligible and richest bachelor in Charton."
She stopped chewing and stared at him wide-eyed. She took a swig, wiped her mouth, and tossed the cloth napkin on the table. She ran her tongue over her teeth and gave him a thoughtful look.
"Really? Did you just pull that cheesy line on me?' she snorted.
She heard the girls scoff and overheard the girls talking.
"What's wrong with her?"
"He's so handsome!"
"Does she even know who is sitting at her table right now?"
Anna laughed and wiped her mouth. She took a swig of her beer and turned to the girls.
"Actually, I know him more than anyone. He is the bully that I used to beat up when we were kids," she said, pointing the beer bottle.
She smirked at Justin, and the girls just stared at her.
"See you tonight, most eligible bachelor," she snickered, batted her eyelashes, and grabbed her check off the table.
Justin watched her pay and leave. She was such a beautiful work of art. Sexy as hell, but will burn you to a crisp. She fascinated him, and he wanted to know more, see more, and touch more.
One of the girls turned to Justin.
"Did she really beat you up?"
He looked at the girl, shook the thoughts from his mind, and snorted.
"Yeah, she did."
He got up from the table and left the restaurant.
"Oh my god, he talked to you!" said one of the girls, and they squealed.
"I guess you are going to be the next Hardy girl!"
They squealed again. Little did they know that would be the only time in their lives they would ever speak to Justin Hardy because he had his sights on one girl only.