Wade's expression didn't change. "Keep talking."
Piper swung on Gabe and Cara. "We record you guys having a fight. Like a real, dramatic argument. Think daytime TV level fighting. Then Wade and Reagan dress like you, get in Gabe's FBI car, and drive somewhere. The surveillance follows them thinking it's you."
Gabe cocked his head, a deep line forming between his eyes. “This operation is going to take time. We can’t give you an hour’s worth of recording.”
Piper started to roll her eyes, but stopped under the weight of her dad’s scowl. “I only need a couple minutes. Just enough material to run through AI. I have an amazing new program. I type in a script, then it synthesizes your voices. I just need some raw material to work with.”
Silence settled over the kitchen.
“That’s frightening,” Reagan said finally.
“Piper’s new tech, or the whole idea?” Gabe muttered.
Wade looked as terrified as his limited emotional range would allow. “Both. Definitely.”
Cara waited for someone to point out the dozen ways this could fail.
Instead, Tom nodded slowly. "Audio and visual deception. It could work."
"It's risky." Gabe's jaw tightened. "If they get close enough to realize it's not us, Wade and Reagan are exposed."
"They won't get that close." Wade's certainty was absolute. "Surveillance maintains distance. Especially if we're arguing. They'll hang back."
"Where would you go?" Reagan asked.
"Ruiz's motel." Gabe pulled up the location on his laptop. "It's logical follow-up. Makes sense I'd revisit the scene with new information from David's files. Far enough from the warehouse to draw them away."
"Perfect." Piper's grin widened. "So all we need to do is record this fight. And it has to be good. Emotional. That’ll give me the raw material I need."
"Any suggestions?" Gabe's voice carried caution.
"Oh, I have ideas." Piper rubbed her hands together. "Okay, so the setup is Cara wants to come to with when you head wherever we decide Wade and Reagan are heading, and you're being all overprotective FBI agent about it."
"That's not far from reality," Cara muttered.
"Right? That's what makes it work. Mr. Andreassen, mydrama teacher, says all great performances come from reality.” Piper pulled out her phone. Started typing notes. "We need stakes. Emotion. Real frustration bleeding through. Reagan, you see relationship drama at the diner."
"More than I want to remember."
"What makes fights escalate?" Piper asked.
Reagan considered. "When people stop listening to each other. When it becomes about winning instead of understanding."
"Perfect." Piper looked at Gabe and Cara. "So you're not just arguing about the stakeout or whatever. You're arguing about trust. About whether Cara's capable. About Gabe needing control."
Gabe shifted. "I don't need control."
"See? That energy. Use that." Piper was in full director mode now. "Cara, you start defensive but then you get mad. Like really mad. Gabe, you start reasonable but then you get scared because you care about her and don't want to admit it."
The kitchen went very quiet.
Tom coughed. Wade's mouth twitched. Almost a smile.
Heat climbed up Cara’s neck.
"I'm just saying," Piper continued, oblivious, "it needs to sound real. So tap into actual feelings."
"Piper." Reagan's voice carried warning.
