Graceland: Family Affair

Chapter Twenty-Three

"Mike and Paul are waiting five minutes away, they'll come once we have confirmation that Mendoza is in the building...we can hear everything our boys say, they can hear us...but until then, we just sit and wait until Mendoza arrives...Easy, right?" Johnny explains as he leans back in his seat, resting his hands behind his head and his feet up on the desk in front of us.

"Yeah...like a walk in the park..." I sarcastically answer in an attempt to mask my nerves. Surrounded by a team of experienced and trained professionals ready to pounce on my order, it's no surprise that I'm eager to keep my nerves under control. I mean, it's not only my maiden trip out as a fully-fledged Agent, but I'm also responsible for the safety of my older brother and my boyfriend – what have I to be nervous about?

"And who better to spend your first day on the job with, huh?" Johnny says, leaning over the side of his chair as he digs into his bag. "Because...I bring sweets!" He beams, pulling packets of sweets and chocolate out of his bag and dropping them on the table in front of us.

"You are a hero amongst men, J.T.!" I say, slapping his back in thanks. He bursts the bags of treats open and shoves some in his mouth, holding out the bags out to me to offer me some. I willingly accept and dig my hands into the packets. "Thank you. Careful you don't mark your vest..." I nod towards his FBI vest.

"From now on, you will always want to do Intel with me", Johnny winks.

"No question about it", I laugh back.

"I hope I don't hurt Mike's feelings..." Johnny leans back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest.

"What?" I furrow my brow as I pile some more sweets into my mouth.

"Well, he'll be wanting all the alone-time with you that he can get –" He smiles, proud of himself.

"Johnny, we're just partners –" I shake my head.

"He's always following you around, his face lights up when you walk in the room...he's making his feelings pretty obvious!" He exclaims.

"Yeah right!" I laugh, trying to act as if the thought of Mike liking me is a big joke.

"I don't know how you haven't seen it! I hope for Mike's sake that your brother is as clueless about it as you are..." Johnny raises his eyebrow as he pours the sweets into his mouth. "Wait...no, actually, that'd be fun to see! I reckon Briggs would whoop Mike's –"

"Johnny!" I grab his arm, jumping forward in my seat to look at the surveillance screen that he's been set up in front of us.

"Don't be so sensitive about it, Sparky –" Johnny rolls his eyes, trying to calm me with an 'I'm kidding' kind of tone in his voice.

"I'm not talking about that!" I gently hit his arm. "Look!" I say, dragging his arm, pulling him forward and closer to the screen. "Someone's just walked in...Is that –?"

"Mendoza's son..." Johnny finishes my sentence. "It's Mendoza Junior..."

"I don't understand...why is Junior here? I thought Mike said it was a meeting with Senior...the actual Mr. Mendoza..."

"Yeah..." Johnny says, sounding more serious, and perhaps a little more worried, than he was sounding before. As much fun as Johnny is, and as much banter as there is between us, I know that now is the time for serious business. This is what I came here – to Graceland – to do after all. I came here to work. Johnny reaches for his phone and calls Mike's phone. "Mike...something's not right..." He pauses, listening to Mike's reply. "It's Mendoza...he's not here...but his son is..." He pauses again. "Yeah, I know...I know...well, what do you guys want to do? How do you want to play this?" He waits again for a response, and then he starts to nod slowly. "I'm on it..." He stops talking again and then looks at me, a smirk forming on his face. "Yeah, she's fine. Don't worry, Warren. I'm looking after your girl!" He silently laughs to himself as I roll my eyes. "Alright...okay...you've got it...do us proud, boys..." He hangs up the phone and places it back on the table.

"What did he say?" I ask quickly, perhaps a sounding a little too eager – the truth is I'm near wetting myself with nerves. And it's not nerves for my first night on the job...Its nerves for Paul and Mike.

"About you or Mendoza?" He jokes. I react with an unimpressed stare, making it clear which one I was asking about. "Well, Mendoza has broken his word...but Mike and Paul are still going in..." He explains calmly.

"Right..." I nod, taking this all in. "What does this mean in the grand scheme of things – for the whole Mendoza case?" I'm trying to get this all straightened out in my head.

"It pushes things back...it makes things more difficult. We'll have to re-think things after tonight...re-think what our next move is going to be. It's not going to be as easy as we thought it was going to be...Mendoza is playing dirty..." He sighs and leans back in his chair again. "I'm afraid you're being thrown in at the deep-end..." He slaps a hand on my back. "Welcome to the FBI, kid!"

"Basically..." Johnny says, pointing to the screen. "All we need to do is watch...and listen..." He points to the ear pieces we have in. "And just be ready to provide back-up should our boys need it. I doubt they will though...we'll definitely not be making any arrests tonight..."

"We were going to arrest people?" I ask, a little taken aback.

"Personally, I thought it was a little too premature in the case to make an arrest. Paul and Mike had planned to meet with Mendoza Senior tonight and they were confident that they were going to get a confession, which would lead to an arrest. I thought that was a little far-fetched though, and being too early could completely blow the entire case. So with Mendoza Junior turning up instead – yes, it changes the plan...but I think it's a better way to go. Plus, it'll hopefully mean they'll trust Mike and Paul more..." He stops and takes a look at my dazed expression. "Does this make any sense to you?"

"...A little..." I exhale and smile weakly. "I'll learn...I guess it just takes time..." I look down at my hands, my fingers picking at one another again.

"Exactly!" Johnny smiles, giving my shoulder a supportive squeeze. I look up to smile back and catch a glimpse of the screen.

"Uh...Johnny?" I say, my eyes glued to the screen.

"Yeah?"

"They're in...Mike and Paul...they're in there..." I point at the screen.

"Volume on the ear pieces, please!" Johnny shouts to our team, and thankfully someone does, the sounds of the restaurant they're meeting in blasting through my ears, sending a shock of adrenaline through my body. "See!" Johnny nudges me. "You're getting the hang of it already!" I nod back to him, too nervous to speak without my voice quivering. This is all suddenly feeling very real. "Mikey, Briggs – can you hear us? Mike, fix your tie if you hear us..." I watch the screen anxiously, focusing in on Mike. The few seconds that pass waiting for this visual response from him feels like hours. But then, sure enough, he reaches up and fixes his tie. I exhale, breathing out a sigh of relief. "Okay Team!" Johnny says, clapping his hands and rubbing them together. "We're on!"