Disclaimer and Notes
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Mina awoke the next morning and was in the middle of eating breakfast when her phone rang. "Bon Jour!" She spoke cheerfully, in a perfect French accent.
"Er, good morning." A deep-timbred male voice spoke on the other end. "This is Kevin."
"Hi Kevin! How are you doing this morning?"
"Fine, I guess. So, I've found out some information about our target. We should meet up sometimes to discuss this information." His voice was one that expected no argument.
Mina wrinkled her dainty nose. "Yes, sir. And where should we do that? YOU choose a place this time."
"We could just convene at my apartment. The information I have found out...really should not be discussed in a public setting."
"Okay, fine by me. When should we meet, then?"
"If it is all right with you, you can come over in three hours, we can order some food for lunch, and we can discuss business over lunch."
"Sure thing! Now, tell me your address." Mina jotted down the address on a post-it. "Okay, thanks. I'll see you in a bit, I guess. Til then, have fun!" She hung up, then snickered to herself when she realized that she had just told him to have fun. 'Not bloody likely.' She thought as she finished her breakfast.
~ ~ ~
Exactly three hours later, Mina was knocking on the door of his apartment. A moment later, the door opened to reveal her partner. Her tall, bronzed, broad-shouldered, GORGEOUS partner. Mina gave herself a mental chastisement. The guy was a lump of granite. A very drool-worthy one, but a lump of granite nonetheless. She had a feeling that this meeting today would be rather severely businesslike. But then, she smiled to herself. Maybe...just maybe...she could do something about that.
Kevin stared at his partner. She had a briefcase in one hand and certainly looked like she was ready to discuss business. Except for the conniving little smile on her face. A smile that gave him a prickle down the back of his neck. She sailed into the apartment.
'Neat place. Too bare.' Was Mina's first thought as she walked into his apartment. His apartment was slightly bigger than hers, but that just seemed to make it even more bare. Oh well, that was something she would contemplate at a later time. Kevin, a bit awkwardly, waved her to the black leather couch, and she sank down upon it with the air of a queen, a slender, golden thing, all flaxen tresses and luminous blue eyes, with an unconscious grace and elegance despite the fact that she was wearing denim capris and a frilly sunrise-colored linen blouse.
"So, to business." She said. "What have you found out?"
"Well, Esmeraude's hideout is actually a rather posh manor. It's--it's used as a brothel. But here's the thing. We can't just storm in and start gunning. Those thugs will just use the girls as human shields."
Mina nodded. "How many girls are there right now, do you know?"
"Right now, they have four girls. Probably about 8 thugs, all pretty strong." Mina nodded. "Estrellita Noir 'scouts out' new girls by hanging around slums, and usually stages some sort of 'rescue'. She and one of her thugs would go, and hang around unseen until she sees a suitable target. Meaning, a girl who looks fairly attractive and lost. Then, the thug would go and mug her, or something like that. Estrellita would come out, and knock the guy out. Then, she would take the grateful girl, and the two would run off so that they wouldn't 'be around when the guy wakes up'. Of course, the guy isn't really knocked out. Estrellita Noir then takes the girl under her wing, feeds her, takes her out shopping (conveniently planting bugs on the clothes), and brings her back to the manor. After the girls have been..er...broken in, they're given new names. That's all I know right now."
Mina nodded. "Hmm, I see. Well then! How about we order some food, and then see if we can find out more information, as well as come up with a plan? Since it's true that we can't just go in and start shooting."
Kevin nodded in agreement, and the two of them ordered Chinese takeout. Between bites of fried rice and egg rolls, they discussed how to possibly crack this case.
"So, Kevin, what are you good at?" Mina asked casually, between spoonfuls of hot and sour soup.
"Let's see. I'm good at physics and forensics. I'm fairly good at fingerprinting, DNA identification, that sort of thing. Also at tracking. I'm a sharpshooter. Each of us four guys is best with different types of weapons. I'm the sharpshooter. Zack, Agent Zoisite, is best with knives, daggers. James, Agent Jadeite, is very good at hand-to-hand combat, particularly judo. Nick, Agent Nephrite, is the best with using random stuff like ninja stars, staffs, that sort of thing. Yourself?"
"Well, I'm the multi-lingual one. I'm good at acrobatic stunts, parachuting, and, like your Nick, using whatever weapons I'm presented with, though I particularly prefer archery and using chains. I'm an excellent liar if I have to be, which is why I get assigned cases like this, where the chance of doing recon is high. Amy, Agent Mercury, is our resident hacker, and poisons expert. She comes up with the absolute DAMNEDEST gadgets. HER weapon of choice is literally a poison pen, well, pencil, that she uses to fire lethal poison needles. Raye, Agent Mars, is the explosives expert. We have yet to find a bomb that she can't either defuse or dispose of safely. She's best with swords, and a fairly good shot as well. Lita, Agent Jupiter, is the nature-girl. The true outdoors person of us all. She's kind of got contrasting skills. One the one hand, she's the one who is perfectly at home with any type of nature. On the other hand, she's extremely handy with machines. That girl can hotwire a car like nobody's business. And she's good at hand-to-hand combat, particularly this little known form of Malaysian martial arts called Pentjak Silat."
"I see."
"So..." Mina smiled impishly at Kevin. "What do you like to do to have fun?"
Kevin once again found himself staring at her. What was it about that saucy grin that showed those tiny dimples, that made him speechless? Kevin was usually not of many words, but certainly not one to gawk with nothing to say! But he composed himself. "I generally don't waste my time on frivolous pursuits."
Mina smirked and shook her blonde head. "You poor, poor, deprived child. Look, I don't care if you're a lump of granite, or anything else. We've discussed enough work for today. Now, it's time for you to go out and have fun. All work and no play makes Kunzy a very dull boy!"
"Excuse me? Isn't our case more important?" Kevin looked at the woman in astonishment.
"Look, Kevin, this will be necessary for the case. If you're so...so serious all the time, we're going to end up hating each other. And you know what, I'd rather have a nice relationship with someone I'm working with. Besides, nothing is going to change about the case at hand in one day. Plus, this is for your own good. And if you don't enjoy yourself even one little bit, we'll just go back to business and I'll never try to make you have fun again. Deal?" Mina gave him a beseeching look, big blue eyes shining into his pearl-gray ones. He deliberated a moment, and then nodded.
"Good. I knew you'd see it my way." Mina bestowed him another megawatt smile. "Now, get your car keys."
~ ~ ~
A good seven hours later, the two walked back into Kevin's apartment, Mina with a triumphant grin on her beautiful face, and Kevin trying but failing not to smile.
Mina had taken Kevin to a nearby art fair, and had insisted on purchasing him an art deco lamp, a piece of Navajo pottery for his coffee table, and a collection of framed nature photographs to hang on his walls. Then, she had taken him to a carnival. Like two teenagers, they had ridden all of the rides, and dined on a most unhealthy and satisfying dinner of chili dogs and cotton candy and ice cream sandwiches. He, with his sharpshooter skills, had participated in a game of shooting BB's at balloons and won her a pink stuffed flamingo. She had won the raffle of a polaroid camera, and had immediately put it to use taking goofy pictures of him and herself. He had beaten her at lasertag, but she had gotten him back in a water balloon fight, and he had discovered that she had an arm and an aim like a Major League pitcher, and was extremely fast and agile. Now, both of them, dusty, sweaty and laughing, came back to his apartment.
Kevin looked at his partner, who, despite the fact, or maybe because, her hair was tangled, wild and loose, coming out of the bun that she had put it in, dusty, with a smudge of chili on her jeans and a dribble of vanilla ice cream on her shirt, looked almost unbearably beautiful, and gave her a genuine smile. "Thanks, Mina, as much as I hate to admit it, I had fun."
"Good! As much as I'd love to stay all night having hot animal sex with you, I think I'll go home now." Mina giggled at his thunderstruck expression. "Just kidding! Geez!" His face was kept carefully blank. Her voice became a trifle more serious. "Okay, well, I had fun today, and I am glad that you did, too. I'll see you tomorrow, and we can discuss the case some more. Good night now!" Once again, like at the dance club, she leaned up and kissed his cheek gently, then walked out.
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