Chapter 10 NIGHTMARE COMES TRUE
"Are you wearing contact lenses?" I asked, the sigh slipping from my lips before I could stop it.
"What? Don't look at me like that, okay? I'm just doing what I was told. Do you even know what I went through to get this whole look together?" she said, gesturing animatedly to her outfit.
"You're supposed to be low-key, Anna," I murmured, my shoulders dropping under the weight of my frustration and the exhausting unpredictability that was Anna.
"Well, I need to go extra if I'm getting past club security. You know how tight they are with new faces," she shrugged, unapologetic.
"Fine. Just... don't mess this up. Here, take these," I said, pulling out a pendant necklace, spy cam and a backup bracelet, placing them in her hands. "Replace your necklace with this one, and keep the bracelet on you at all times. The necklace should be enough to gather evidence, but in case it's spotted, the bracelet's our backup. It has a silent distress trigger too."
Anna chuckled, clearly unfazed. "You worry too much. Leave that part to me. Now go-get back to the team. I'll patch you in once I'm inside."
I nodded, a tension knotting in my chest. "Just be careful in there. If anything feels off before you can signal us, pull out. Got it?"
"I will." With a wink, she stepped into the taxi already waiting at the curb.
As the car pulled away, I dialed Linda immediately.
"How's it going with the kids?" I asked as soon as she picked up.
"Nothing suspicious so far," she replied, sounding tired. "They all seem glued to their homes. No signs of them making any moves."
There was a quiet note of disappointment in her voice.
"Drive to the club. I'll meet you and Jacob there. Keep low and stay out of sight," I instructed before ending the call.
I flagged down a taxi and slipped my ID into my pocket. As I opened the door and stepped in, a sudden wave of dizziness washed over me.
The world spun. The sounds around me dulled into nothing. I don't even remember how I managed to shut the door. When I finally blinked the haze away and looked around, I was already seated inside, the driver staring at me with open concern.
"Miss, are you okay?" he asked gently.
"Yeah... I'm fine," I replied quickly, forcing a smile that even I didn't believe.
"Are you sure? I've been calling you for the past three minutes. You didn't respond to anything," he pressed, his eyes scanning my face for cracks.
"I'm okay. Really. I'm sorry for the inconvenience. Please take me to this address," I said, handing him the club's location.
He took the note and with one last worried glance, pulled away from the curb.
But as I leaned my head against the window, one question echoed through my dizzy mind...
What on earth is happening to me?
I paid the taxi man before spotting Linda's car parked along the road. Making my way toward it, I tapped on the window.
Linda unlocked the door and let me into the front passenger seat, while Jacob gave me a quick wave from the back.
"How's it going? Have you heard from Anna?" I asked, my eyes shifting between Linda and Jacob.
"Yes, she's in. She said she'll get back to us," Jacob replied, while Linda remained focused, her fingers flying across her laptop keyboard.
"What about the kids? Shouldn't you have stayed back just in case of an emergency or something?" I questioned Jacob, who only shrugged, then cast a side glance at Linda.
"We got a call from Anna not long after I ended the call with you," Linda chimed in without looking up. "She spotted a hidden camera in Mr. Reed's VIP section-the same one he claimed had no surveillance."
"I knew it," I muttered, a grim satisfaction curling in my chest. "There's no way someone like Reed wouldn't have a camera in his most exclusive area. Anything else? Any signs of kids in the club or drugs being sold?"
"Relax, Detective Nancy. You're rushing it," Linda said calmly, finally glancing up. "Anna helped me hack into their security system. We've got everything-solid footage. I'm backing it up now." She turned the laptop slightly toward me, showing a preview of the recording.
I exhaled deeply, trying to wrap my head around how smoothly it all unfolded.
"What about Anna? Did she make it out?" I asked, concern threading through my voice.
Linda immediately attempted to reconnect with her. I snatched the headset from her hands.
"Anna? Anna, can you hear me? Do you copy?" I said, my voice urgent.
"Nancy? Is that you?" Her voice came through faintly, barely above a whisper. "Were you able to get a copy of that footage?"
"Yes, we've got it. Now get out of there. The last thing we need is for you to get caught up in danger," I instructed, my tone firm but filled with worry.
"Alright. I'll see you all back at the base tomorrow," she said. But before she could hang up, I knew I had to say it.
"Thank you, Anna... for doing this, even while you're on leave. I mean it."
"It's nothing. We're all one team," she replied warmly before the line went dead.
Looking out the window, I spotted her exiting the club. That was our signal.
"Jacob?" I called out.
"Already called backup," he said, like he'd read my mind.
"Good. Linda, does the footage have everything we need to bring Mr. Reed in and actually make it stick?" I asked, my heart pounding with anticipation.
Linda finally looked up, a wicked gleam in her eyes. "More than you can imagine."
That was all I needed. I took a deep, grounding breath.
It wasn't long before backup arrived, and Mr. Reed-along with a few of his men-was dragged out and arrested.
"I thought Mr. Reed would have at least laid low for a while," Linda muttered beside me as we watched him being loaded into the police van. "But no, the man is an idiot."
"Yeah. Now we need to head back to the station and go through that footage. I want to know how he roped those kids into this," I replied, still baffled by the children's silence.
"Obviously, he's either threatening them or paying them more money than they've ever seen," Linda said, voicing the exact thought I hadn't dared speak aloud.
"Let's just go."
We got into her car, and I assumed we were headed straight to the station-but instead, she pulled into a hospital parking lot.
Confused, I turned to her. "What are we doing here?"
"Don't give me that look, Nancy," she said, cutting off any protest. "You've clearly got a fever. I know things are rough at home and that you're barely hanging on, but ignoring your health? That's where I draw the line."
Her voice softened as she added, "You have to put yourself first. You can't help anyone if you're falling apart."
I was speechless.
"There's a friend of mine here. He's a doctor. We're just going to see him, have him run a few tests, and then we'll be on our way. No arguments.
And don't even think about using the case as an excuse," Linda said, cutting off any attempt I might make. "I already discussed it with Jacob. While he handles things at the station, we'll finish up here and join him later. Now, let's go."
I knew better than to argue with her. She was right-I hadn't been feeling like myself lately. And deep down, I already knew why.
"Linda," I called softly, stopping her just as she pulled open the door to get out of the car.
She paused, turning back to me with concern. "Nancy, what's wrong? You look like you're about to cry."
She gently shut the car door again. I didn't know who else to open up to, but if I didn't tell someone soon, I felt like I might completely unravel.
"I've been feeling dizzy lately," I began, voice trembling. "Always tired and weak. And I can barely keep any food down without wanting to throw up."
My hands were nervously clasped together in my lap, and I couldn't bring myself to look up.
"Okay, that just means you're sick. That's why we're here-to run a checkup with the doctor-"
"I've also missed my period," I said, cutting her off. "For three months."