Chapter 7: Romance In The Air

Sarah and Rhys exchanged a glance, their minds racing with the possibilities. They knew they were walking a fine line, but they also knew that this could be their chance to finally take down the people they had been chasing for so long.

“What do you want?” Sarah asked, her voice low and steady as she met Victoria’s gaze. “I want immunity. I want to walk away from this, free and clear. No charges, no prison time.

I want a new identity, a new life. And I want it in writing, signed by the highest authority you can get,” Victoria demanded, her eyes flicking between Sarah and Rhys. Sarah’s expression didn’t change, but her mind was racing. She knew they were at a crossroads, a moment that could change the course of their entire investigation. She looked at Rhys, who gave a subtle nod, indicating that he was on board with the plan. “Alright, Victoria. We’ll make you a deal. You give us everything you’ve got, every name, every location, every plan. And in exchange, we’ll put in a good word for you.

But you have to give us everything, Victoria. No holding back,” Sarah said, her voice steady as she held Victoria’s gaze. Victoria nodded, her expression turning serious. “Alright, I’ll do it. I’ll give you everything I have.” Sarah and Rhys spent the next few hours listening to Victoria’s confession, taking notes and asking questions as she spilled her guts. When they were finally done, Sarah stood up, her body aching from the long night. “We’ll be in touch, Victoria. Don’t leave town,” she said, her voice cold and steady. Victoria nodded, her eyes downcast as she watched them leave.

As they stepped out into the crisp morning air, Rhys turned to Sarah. “I’ll head to your place, wait for you there. We need to go over everything she’s given us, figure out our next move.” Sarah nodded, her mind already racing with the implications of Victoria’s confession.

“We need to get back to my place, go over everything she’s given us. Rhys, you should wait for me there.” She turned to leave, but Rhys’ voice stopped her. “I’ll head over now. I could use a cup of that coffee you always have brewing.” Sarah smiled, appreciating the familiar comfort of his request. “Make yourself at home.

I’ll be back soon,” Sarah said, her voice steady as she handed the evidence and Victoria’s confession to her senior agent, Tom. He took the documents, his eyes scanning the pages quickly before looking up at her. “This is big, Sarah. Really big. We need to get this to the right people, fast.” “I’ll be back in a few hours. I need to check in with Rhys and see what he’s found out. We need to be prepared for whatever comes next.” Tom nodded, his expression turning serious. “Be careful, Sarah. We don’t know what kind of backlash this could cause. Stay alert, and keep your eyes open.” Sarah nodded, her hand instinctively reaching for her gun as she stepped out into the dimly lit street. The city was quiet, the usual bustle replaced by an eerie stillness.

Sarah’s hand was on her gun as she approached her apartment building, her eyes scanning the street for any signs of danger. She slipped inside, the familiar scent of fresh coffee and the soft glow of the lamp casting a warm light over the worn-out couch. She let out a sigh of relief, her body relaxing as she stepped inside. “Rhys?” she called out, her voice echoing in the empty apartment. “I’m in here,” he replied, his voice coming from the kitchen. Sarah followed the sound, her eyes landing on Rhys, who was standing at the counter, a cup of coffee in his hand. “You made it,” he said, a small smile playing on his lips as he turned to face her. “Just in time, too. I’ve been going through the information Victoria gave us, and I think I’ve found something big.” Sarah raised an eyebrow, her eyes scanning the papers strewn across the counter.

“What is it?” she asked, taking the offered cup of coffee from Rhys. He moved closer, his arm brushing against hers as he pointed to a particular document. “Look at this. It’s a list of names, dates, and locations. I think it’s a schedule of their meetings. And look who’s at the top of the list - our old friend, Alexander ‘The Snake’ Petrov.” Sarah’s grip tightened on her coffee cup, her eyes narrowing as she took in the information. “Petrov. I should have known he was involved in this somehow.” She set her coffee down on the counter, her mind racing with the implications. “We need to act fast. If we can catch Petrov in the act, we can take down his entire operation.” Rhys nodded, his eyes scanning the document once more. “I agree.

We can’t risk losing this lead. Let’s hand over the case to the upper rank agency. They have the resources to take this to the next level,” Sarah said, her voice steady as she looked at Rhys. “Don’t worry, this case handover will be smooth. We’ll just give them the list and let them take it from there. They’ll know what to do,” Rhys replied, his eyes scanning the document once more. Sarah nodded, her mind already racing with the next steps. “I’ll make the call. We need to get this information to them as soon as possible.” She picked up her phone, her fingers flying over the screen as she dialed the number. “Hello, this is Sarah Kincaid. I need to speak with Agent Thompson. It’s urgent.” She waited, her eyes flicking to Rhys as he continued to study the document. “Agent Thompson, it’s Sarah Kincaid. We have a situation.

I’ve just received a new list from an informant, and it’s ... explosive. I need to hand it over to Agent Thompson immediately. Can you meet me at the precinct in twenty minutes?” Sarah’s voice was steady, but there was an undercurrent of urgency that made Rhys look up from the document. He nodded, his expression serious. “I’ll be there. Let’s hope this is the break we’ve been waiting for.” Sarah hung up the phone, her mind racing with the implications of the new list. She grabbed her coat and headed for the door, Rhys following close behind. “We need to be careful with this, Sarah. If it’s as big as you say, we don’t want to tip off the wrong people,” he said, his voice low as they stepped out into the crisp morning air. Sarah nodded, her eyes scanning the street for any signs of danger. But we can’t afford to wait.