Episode 2: Saving Lives, Investigating Crimes

"Where do you think this El Gato guy is right now?" Eric asked Violet as she sat down next to him on a tall chair at the pub. They were dismissed right away as soon as Mr. Ronaldo Peige and his son, Hugo, exits the FBI headquarters. Eric was now part of the operation. Mr. Warren suggested that Eric must be a part of this mission because of his skills and also because Eric can speak Spanish fluently better than Violet as per Violet agrees. They also need Eric's analytical skills.

Mr. Peige told them that he likes what he had observed from the two agents who saved him from Damon Ivanov. That is why he decided to ask for the help of The Bureau.

"I don't know. We have to conduct some preliminary investigations before we start flying somewhere out there. This guy is a con artist. I have to know more about them. We have to."

"I don't want to fail this mission, Violet." Eric bowed his head down. He must've been thinking about the encounter with Damon Ivanov.

"Me too." Violet concurred.

The bartender asked for their drinks and they both drank the remaining of their beers empty. Violet bids Eric goodbye because she really wants to go straight home right now. She just went to the pub to drink something that will help her get a good night's sleep. She has been suffering from insomnia ever since the day she nearly died in one of their operations in Iran.

But she really likes her job. It was her passion. Saving lives, investigating crimes. Violet gets ecstatic every time there's a special mission given to her by the FBI.

She really enjoyed her work; however, she doesn't like the company of anyone when she was investigating something. It was like her head will burst every time someone tried to talk to her when she was focusing on something or thinking about something related to the case. She can't focus well when people breathe behind her back, when baffled people try to think of solving the crime, or when Eric Montenaro talks non-stop when she was entering her memory palace.

"Hi, Miss." a guy taller than her greets her as she walked out the pub's double door.

She ignores the man and walked towards the side of the road to grab a cab.

"Aren't you a snob?" the guy is now fisting her hair. By the way, the guy looks, he has been assaulting women for too long. She smelled the hard liquor and cigarette on him and she thinks the guy was from inside the pub and just went out for a smoke... and preying on women of course.

Drunk, due to the stench from his breath and his slurring. Addicted to Cannabis, because of the faint smell of Marijuana from his hands, practically his whole body. A sexual predator, due to his abilities in attacking and preying on vulnerable women when they were drunk and observing his victims until she went out of the pub they were at.

"Let my hair go," she said through gritted teeth.

The guy smirked and tried to pull her into the dark corner, probably trying to take advantage of her. "Come here you."

She trapped his hands tightly with both of her hands and step back. She then turns underneath his arms to twist his arm as to shift both of their stances, making the junkie shouts in pain.

The guy's going to punch her. She redirects and at the same time punches the pressure point spot from his antecubital area and he now winced in pain, again.

She struck a knife-hand at his temple just between the eyebrow and the ear. A brainstem twist to his right jaw from below and the man instantly passed out.

People hoots and clap at her. They were cheering for her as if she is a superhero instead of helping her or the other victims of this kind of sexual predator. This is why she hates people.

Eric came rushing out of the pub and looked at her proudly. "I thought you already left," he tapped her shoulders and hands her sling bag.

Two police officers came and they handcuffed the guy that was out cold on the hard cement floor. The other policeman was about to question her and she just showed him her badge and the policeman salutes to both Violet and Eric.

Violet combed her hair using her fingers and waved her hand to ride a cab. "I'll see you tomorrow, Montenaro. Have a good night."

And with that, she left and went to ride in a cab.

***

Hugo was early for their meeting today at the FBI Headquarters. He was fixing his hair when Violet and Eric went inside the glass door of the conference room.

His forehead creased at the sight of the two. He's confused about their relationship. He is interested in Violet that's for sure, but he doesn't want to get entangled in Violet and Eric's relationship if they really are dating.

"You're early," Violet stated. She sat at one of the swivel chairs in front. Eric sat opposite her.

Hugo scratched the back of his head and smiled, "Yeah."

"Okay. So, what are we doing? Let's get this meeting over, I have to go somewhere after this." Eric clapped his hands and sat comfortably in his chair while looking at Hugo and Violet.

Violet's eyebrow rose, "What? Where are you going?"

"I'm going on a blind date tonight. Agent Hodge set me up for it last night." Eric boastfully said.

Violet rolled her eyes. Eric Montenaro has good looks and his body was to die for. However, she wasn't attracted to him.

Hugo can't contain his happiness. Eric, going on a blind date, was his sign that Violet really is single. He looked at her and she always has this deadpanned look on her face. She looked like she really didn't care for Eric's love life.

Actually, she didn't care, really. She has nothing to do with Eric's love affairs. He wasn't even friends with her. She was just worried because it may affect the mission. Yet, that's Eric. He changes his girlfriend once a month. No one can stop him.

"What?" Eric laughed, looking at her. "You exactly looked like my Abuela back in Mexico."

"Abuela my ass. Just make sure that your affairs do not affect the operation, Montenaro. I hate failed missions." Violet straightforwardly said. Hugo looked at her and thinks about asking her out tonight. Or maybe asking her to be his friend is the first step. Right?

Violet turned her gaze to Hugo, "No. I don't commit to such relationships. I don't do friends. I'm married to my work."

Hugo frowned. How does she know about that? He hasn't asked her yet. How come she already knows what he's thinking? Can she read minds? "I-I didn't--"

"Soft facial expression, being engaged to our conversation. Fixing your clothes, you're fixing your hair as we went inside the room. You're trying to be presentable. Intense staring in my face, checking me out, lip biting, licking your bottom lip. Spacing out, trying to say something but you hesitated. You want to ask me out. At first, you're thinking that Eric and I were in a relationship but you confirmed that we weren't when Eric said that he is going on a blind date. So, you want to ask me out but decided you'd want to befriend me first. But you can't, you're too scared to ask." Violet said persistently.

Hugo was taken aback. He didn't know what to say. "That... was amazing."

Violet was so surprised she can't really say anything to that. "D'you think so?" she licked her lips and bit on her lower lip, quite proud of herself.

"Yeah, and that's true by the way. I want to ask you out someday." Hugo has to ask her out. He likes her so much; this is the first time she encountered a woman having amazing and intelligent skill. Eric enjoyed the scene in front of him. Hugo looked like a lost puppy in front of Violet. He took a picture of the two and pocketed his phone immediately, avoiding Violet's hawk-like skills in observing people.

Violet glared at Eric, "Delete that, or I'll tell our co-agents about you and Patricia--the intern--'s session last night." she threatened him. It was effective, actually.

Eric frowns and slowly fished out his phone in his pocket. He deleted the picture and shown it to Violet.

"I know how iPhone works, Montenaro." She was pertaining to the Recently Deleted tab on his phone. All pictures that were deleted from his album were sent automatically at his Recently Deleted tab.

Eric smiles at her smugly and deleted the picture once more. "See? Done," he said as he makes face. Violet scoffed.

"Good. Now start the briefing Mr. Peige." Violet smiled at Hugo. This is the first time Hugo saw her smile. She looked so heavenly and her smile had captivated his heart once again. He was lovestruck. And he knows that Violet really has a good heart. Besides the straightforward remarks and deductions on people though. He really liked the woman.