Chapter 1 The Case

• Kelsie
• My supervisor, Kade Ivers raises an unsteady brow at me from across the table. “Are you sure you can handle this, Moreno?”
• There’s simply no question. No hesitation. “Of course, Sir.”
• He still doesn’t look convinced but I can’t give up now. This is my only chance to escape the office and leave my all-too-comfortable desk behind. I’ve been a federal agent for two years now and all I have to show for it is mountains of paperwork and stupidly insignificant surveillance jobs. So no. There’s no question. I need this. Going undercover in Pleasant Grove, Texas is my ticket to finally becoming a full-fledged field agent.
• I know why he’s apprehensive. I’m a rookie and the obvious choice for this job. My petite frame, button nose, and light blonde hair make everyone think I’m sixteen and not thirty. My large blue eyes have been called childlike on many different occasions and I’m infuriatingly carded when I go to buy alcohol. Kade Ivers needs someone to infiltrate a small town Texas high school and since I look like a teenager, I’m his safest bet. I can easily slip undetected to help solve this case that they’ve been trying to crack for years now.
• “Sir,” I say in a steady voice even though I’m freaking out inside. “Someone has been targeting these teen girls. They keep going missing and we need to stop whoever is responsible.”
• He scrubs his large palm over his face and sighs. “Moreno...”
• I shake my head. “With all due respect Sir, I’m more than qualified for this position. I graduated top of my class and I can easily pass as a teenage girl. Please let me do this.”
• He stares at me for a moment. His dark eyes lock on to me and I instinctively straighten my spine and harden my facial expression. I’m not going to give this up without a fight and I’m sure as hell not going to allow innocent girls to keep going missing while I sit around on desk duty knowing full well I’m the only one who is capable of doing this job. Kade sighs again and picks up the phone on his desk. He hits a button and brings it up to his ear. “Miller? Yeah. Come into my office for a moment.” He hangs up and continues to stare at me.
• Miller. Goddammit.
• Within twenty five seconds, Special Agent Felix Miller strolls into the office. I don’t dare look at him. I know how infuriating he is already. Felix Miller is six years my senior and he’s a seasoned agent. He’s also a cocky son of a bitch who loves to piss me off at any chance he gets. The female agents fawn over his green eyes and dark hair but I know better. He’s just... well there isn’t a strong enough word to describe Felix Miller.
• I can feel his eyes on me, but he speaks to Kade. “You called, Sir?”
• Kade nods. “Take a seat, I have an assignment for you,” his eyes travel to me and hope swells in my chest “both.”
• Felix takes the seat beside me and I can practically hear the smirk in his voice as he speaks. “Of course. Lay it on me.” My eyes flick to his briefly and then I steady my gaze once more on the man who holds my fate in his hands. I’m so sick of desk duty, and this may very well be my only chance to get out!
• Kade sighs loudly and leans forward, his palms folded in front of him on the desk. He reaches into a drawer to his right and pulls out the large file that I’m more than familiar with and that feeling of hope increases. He pushes it in front of Felix. “As you know, things aren’t so pleasant in Pleasant Grove, Texas, especially for the teenage girls who frequent the local high school.”
• Felix opens the file and nods as he reads. “I’m familiar with this case.”
• “Good. Then this will be easy. Another girl went missing last night and the media is already starting to circle. We need agents there now.”
• “I couldn’t agree more.” He says cautiously, looking over at me briefly.
• “That’s where this gets tricky. I need you two to go undercover to gather more intel on what’s going on. So far we’ve come up with nothing. The agents we send are shunned. The people in Pleasant Grove are close knit and not very welcoming to outside enforcement. They refuse to answer any questions.” Kade explains as Felix continues to nod and peruse the file I’ve practically memorized.
• “Of course, Sir. I’m sure we won’t have a problem. So what’s the con? Husband and wife? Cousins?”
• Kade shakes his head. “No. We need to get into that high school. Talk to the girls. Find any witnesses. And we need to talk to the parents.”
• I furrow my brow. “I don’t understand. I can do all that, I don’t need him.”
• Felix scoffs. “Typical rookie.”
• “It’s not like you can pass as a high school student, Old Man.” I shoot back.
• Kade chuckles. “This is perfect. Absolutely perfect.”
• “What?” We both say at the same time and then glare at each other.
• “Moreno is right, Miller. You can’t get into the high school, but she can. That’s why you’re going to go in as father and daughter. While she talks to the students, you can get intel from the parents.”
• Felix nods once and tucks the file under his arm. “It’s a perfect angle, Sir.”
• “Brown nose,” I mutter under my breath but it’s not quiet enough because Felix kicks me under the desk and Kade laughs.
• “I knew you two would be perfect for this case.” He abruptly stands up. “We’ve got it all set up. We’ve bought you two a new house and you’ll be given aliases. By this time next week, you’ll officially be habitants Of Pleasant Grove.” With that, we’ve been dismissed.