Vantage Point

Jasmine laid in bed all afternoon. Silence filled the room after Elijah grabbed his things and headed off to work, after lunch. The quiet felt heavy… almost suffocating, as boredom settled in. She stared at the ceiling for a few hours before grabbing her phone. 

With a grin, she texted Maya. Hoping for some distraction from the monotony of the day. She knew Maya would have something fun or at least amusing, to keep her occupied. 

Jasmine quickly hit send, waiting eagerly for the familiar ping of a new message to break the silence.

Jasmine: Hey. Please tell me you are free. I am losing my mind.

Maya: Hey babe. I am actually about to head over there. I have some info to put on the board. I unscrambled those messages, and I figured out where Clara’s secret meeting is. I am thinking the team could go check it out for us.

They had already uncovered something crucial. The secret meeting that Jasmine had found in Clara’s agenda. It was an overlooked part of the puzzle, but it was one piece that Jasmine still wanted to confirm herself.

Jasmine: When is it? And who was the person behind the name, Him?

Aside from the meeting, Jasmine was still curious as to who Clara called when she took the letter. She had a feeling that this meeting would provide the answer, and she wasn’t about to let anything, or anyone get in her way. It wasn’t like snooping was illegal or would get them in trouble… as long as they did it from a distance.

Jasmine paced the room, her eyes scanning the text message Maya had just sent her. The words were concise, to the point, and sent a shiver down her spine.

Maya: It is happening tonight. And I couldn’t find an actual name, but I am hoping to get a photo to run through the database I hacked into.

With Elijah busy and Jasmine bored, the timing was impeccable. Maya had been tracking Clara’s every move for weeks, ever since she’d put the tracker on Clara’s car. 

Tonight, the plan was to follow Clara to the meeting and gather any bit of information they needed. But Jasmine knew they couldn’t risk getting caught. They would have to ditch her detail and lay low.

As she read Maya’s message again, Jasmine’s fingers hovered over her phone’s screen, composing a reply. But before she could type anything, another message came through, this one from Elijah.

Elijah: Dinner tonight?

Jasmine hesitated. 

She knew that if Elijah got wind of this, he’d want to take the lead. That would complicate things. She didn’t want him to know about her plans with Maya. Not yet. It had to remain under the radar, just the two of them.

She quickly typed her response.

Jasmine: Sorry. Can’t. I have plans to hang out with Maya tonight. 

Elijah: Okay. I will make sure your bodyguards are prepared. Clara has been laying low, so enjoy your night with Maya. 

Jasmine: Thanks, will do!

She didn’t like keeping things from him, but this she felt that she could do on her own. It wasn’t like she was going face to face with Clara… just a little stake out. 

Jasmine: Maya, we have to do this. This was our plan before Elijah got involved. I want us to go and check it out. 

Maya: Jazz, Clara is a crazy bitch. I’m not sure she will be happy if she spots you snooping on her. She already wants to kill you for stealing her man.

Jasmine: Please? Just do this one thing for me. I need this, we need this.

Maya: Okay. Fine. Meet me at the dorms at 8 tonight. 

Jasmine: Got it. We will need to sneak out to avoid the two following me.

Jasmine deleted the conversation as soon as she replied. The sound of her heartbeat filled her ears as she headed out the door, her mind whirling with the steps ahead. She couldn’t shake the feeling that everything was about to piece together.

Phillip had driven Jasmine and her two bodyguards to the University, the ride silent as Jasmine planned her escape. There were too many variables to consider, and Elijah’s team would surely be connected to the security cameras. She thought about the one place without cameras… the first-floor bathroom.

The car pulled up to the dorm, one man got out before letting Jasmine out. The other followed behind. She kept her cool to keep them from noticing that she texted Maya.

Jasmine: Meet me outside the downstairs bathroom window. Don’t ask, but we will need to run to your car. 

The night air was cool as Jasmine squeezed through the bathroom window. Maya was waiting by in car, her face a mask of focus. Without saying a word, she leaned over and opened the passenger side door for Jasmine. The electric car’s engine purred to life, and they drove off into the night. 

Maya had decked out her car’s navigation system and set pins to follows Clara’s movements. The location updated in real time as Maya’s phone pinged with updates. It was very clever, but Maya was top of her class.

Jasmine wondered how long the men waited outside of the dorm bathroom before storming in and find out she eloped. With that in mind, she turned off her phone. She didn’t want Elijah to track her, and Maya was too smart to allow someone to track her. 

“We’re close.”, Maya said quietly. Her eyes focused on the road, “She’s heading out to the marina. There’s a warehouse near there. Smart girl, meeting at a place that’s off the grid. I’m bet you that she’s meeting someone real shady.”

Jasmine nodded. Her stomach twisting with anticipation. They had to be careful tonight. If Clara had any idea they were watching her, everything would be over before they could get the proof they needed.

“Are you sure you’re okay with this?”, Maya asked as they drove closer. “I mean, it’s risky. If we get caught, we could be… shot, tortured, or even killed. She and her whole family are ruthless.”

Jasmine turned her head to look at Maya, her expression unreadable. “We don’t have a choice. We need to know who she’s meeting if it will help my life return to normal. I can’t keep looking over my shoulder.”

Maya didn’t argue, but she gave a small nod. She had always trusted Jasmine’s judgement and opinions… tonight was no different.

The marina loomed in the distance, a mix of dimly lit docks and industrial buildings. The wind was colder here, the salty sea air stinging their skin. Maya parked a few blocks away from the warehouse. Just out of sight, but close enough to keep a watchful eye on the building.

“We wait here.”, Maya whispered. Grabbing a small camera from the backseat. “When Clara shows up, we can take photos. As many as we can. We only need to know who she’s talking to. We need to get in and get out.”

Jasmine’s pulse quickened, but she stayed calm. She knew the risks, but this was the only way to get the evidence they needed. It didn’t look like it would be too hard.

They waited in silence, watching as the minutes ticked by. Jasmine’s fingers tapped nervously against her thigh. It felt like time was crawling.

Finally, Clara’s car appeared in the distance. The ping lined up with their view from the vantage point. Headlights cut through the darkness as it pulled into the warehouse lot.

Maya didn’t hesitate. She turned on the camera and she got out of the car. Jasmine followed close behind.

Her lens zooming in on Clara’s car. A woman stepped out of the vehicle. Her silhouette outlined by the lights from the building behind her. It was her. She walked toward the entrance of the warehouse with purpose, her posture stiff, guarded. 

“This is it.”, Maya muttered. Adjusting the focus on the camera and they crept forward. “Now we just need to figure out who’s waiting for her.”

They continued to snap photos as Clara entered the building. A few moments later, a figure emerged from the shadows. It was a tall man, wearing a dark coat. The two exchanged a few words, too far away for Jasmine to make out the details. 

“That’s odd.”, Maya whispered, “I can’t tell who it is. But that person’s definitely not someone Clara would just meet for normal business. This is someone... close. Someone she knows well.”

Jasmine stepped forward, squinting her eyes, trying to catch any indication of who the person was. She didn’t realize there were empty tin barrels in the path. She bumped into one and a noise echoed toward the warehouse.

Suddenly, there was movement from the other side of the warehouse. Clara’s guards had spotted them, and Jasmine’s heart skipped a beat. She quickly turned to Maya, who was already closing the camera.

“We’ve got to move. Now. Run!”, Maya said urgently. Her voice steady despite the panic that rose in Jasmine’s chest.

Shots fired behind them, each missing. Adrenaline pumped through their veins as they raced back to the car. The girls wasted no time jumping in. 

Maya started the car, and they sped off. Weaving through the winding streets of the marina. They both knew the danger wasn’t over, but the evidence was in their hands. The photos, the proof of Clara’s secret dealings would be their leverage or their death certificate. 

They finally made it back to the dorm. There was no sign of anyone following them. They were breathless and laughed in relief as Maya parked the car.

The tension in the air slowly ebbed away as they realized they had made it out unscathed. Jasmine was the first to speak. A smirk playing at the corners of her lips.

“Well, that was... too close.”,  she said. Exhaling deeply.

Maya chuckled softly, a glint of amusement in her eyes. “No kidding. But we got the photos. That’s what matters.”

The looked through the photos, all 100 of them. Maya was able to capture the faces of everyone around Clara. After she found out who the mystery man was, she would be sure to hand them on the command board.

Maya pulled out the SD card before placing the camera in the bag and putting it in the backseat. 

“You can go run the photos through your system. Right now, I need to go find my bodyguards. I am sure they are going to be pissed. I will never be able to pee alone again.”, Jasmine chuckled. 

Before the girls could exit the car, a dark shadow approached the car… Elijah. They couldn’t see his expression, but Jasmine could feel the heat of his gaze… he was not happy. Looks like they had some explaining to do.