5
Donatella
Donna stood in front of the glass doors looking up at the FBI building. As usual, she’d arrived early. After getting through a ridiculous amount of security, she clipped the visitor’s pass onto her t-shirt and headed to a bank of elevators. Minutes later, she was ascending to the seventh floor.
When the doors of the elevator separated, Donna stepped off and right into a mousy brunette with dark-rimmed glasses. Her hair was pulled into a lazy bun and she had a pen tucked behind her ear.
“Detective Devereaux?” she asked in a timid voice.
“Yes.”
Donna looked over her wrinkled blue pantsuit and wondered what she looked like off duty. She had a pretty face, but there was no way to tell what her body looked like with the oversized clothing.
“I’m Special Agent Helen Cassidy.” She held out her hand as she introduced herself.
As Donna shook the agent's hand, she noticed that she had striking grey eyes. Framed by thick, dark lashes, they seemed to sparkle like silver. She smiled nervously under Donna’s scrutiny.
“You’re early,” she chuckled anxiously.
“Always.”
“Good to know. Follow me.”
She turned and headed down a hall and Donna fell in step behind her. After a few turns, Agent Cassidy was pressing her ID to a keypad that led to an outer office. Several people were moving about the busy office. The agent spoke to no one as they headed down another hall where, halfway down, she opened a door of the left and entered.
Donna followed her inside and was surprised that several agents were sitting at a rectangular conference table as if they were waiting for her. And she was thirty minutes early.
“Please, have a seat, Detective.” Agent Cassidy waved her hand toward a seat just to the left of the head of the table.
Donna sat and got another surprise when the agent sat at the head of the table.
“Everyone, welcome Detective Devereaux. The CPD brass swears that she’s one of the best undercover officers in their department, and they’ve been kind enough to loan her to us.”
As mutters of welcome floated around the room, Donna realized that Agent Cassidy wasn’t as timid as she had initially assumed. At least, not when she was surrounded by her peers. Her words came out clear and confident. She even seemed taller.
Donna was a people watcher. She studied the mannerisms of everyone she came into contact with. In order to do her job without getting made, she had to pay very close attention to her mark’s body language. She had to gauge their mood as well as their temperament. Misreading someone could be a deadly mistake. It was a habit. Occupational, but a habit nonetheless.
Agent Cassidy slid a stack of papers over to Donna. She picked them up and flipped through the first few pages. It was the criminal history of Robert Lee Khal, the leader of a religious commune in Springfield, Illinois, known as The Blood of The Chosen, or BOC.
“Study him. That’s your mark,” Cassidy informed, handing her a large folder filled with papers.
Donna nodded. That was the easy part. She already started her own research on the charismatic cult leader.
“Study fast. You go under in three days,” the agent added.
Donna’s eyes jumped from the folder to Cassidy’s icy eyes. “Three days? Are you joking?”
Cassidy slowly shook her head. “Unfortunately, it’s our only window. Every year the commune conducts a huge membership drive. It’s the only time outsiders are welcome in their world.”
“It’s a religious community, right? What exactly am I looking for?”
“Religious community.” Cassidy scoffed, frowning in disgust. “You’ll be looking for evidence of polygamy, human trafficking, incest, and illegal firearms. Detective, this is no religious community. This is an army.”
Agent Cassidy picked up a glass of water. As she sipped, she pointed to a man with blond, shoulder-length hair and a full beard. He looked more like a surfer than a Fed. She returned the glass to the table and cleared her throat. “This is Kelly, Kelly McClain. He’s your handler.”
Kelly nodded, but Donna was feeling uneasy. She didn’t like working undercover missions without her team. She trusted them. They’d worked together for years and she felt safer knowing they were looking out for her. She had her own partner, Joe Preston. Other than her dad, he was the only man she fully trusted.
“I’d prefer my own partner to be my handler. Can’t you have him detailed here?”
