The Agent
Paradise was the last place I expected to find monsters.
Most of the ones I’ve encountered preferred big cities with busy sidewalks and bustling crowds. Hiding in plain sight was easier than in isolation. Made it harder to be spotted - to be caught.
Reading our target’s file, it was clear he wasn’t worried about being either of those things.
Jules Briones was one of the most well-known men on the island. Handsome, wealthy, and flashy as all get up, he quickly gained the reputation as a party boy. Tourists and natives alike jumped at the opportunity to attend one of his extravagant parties.
Little did they know the events were fronts to cover the dirt he was doing behind the scenes.
According to his file, Jules was running a covert crime operation, selling whatever he could get his hands on: drugs, weapons, women. The latter, no matter how common I’d learned it was, never failed to make my skin crawl.
I think that area of expertise was what brought death knocking at his doorstep. Included in his file were crime scene photos of deceased women, riddled with bruises and cuts. Some were barely recognizable. All had been pulled from the ocean like scraps of trash.
I had to take a break from the folder when I saw them. The last thing I wanted was to cry - or puke - on the jet. I couldn’t look weak in front of Mateo - not when he was finally giving me a chance to prove myself as an asset.
Shutting the folder, I looked up at the man sitting across from me.
As expected, his eyes were on me, scrutinizing every single inch of my face.
I know he saw the brief twitches of my brows, the slight curve of my mouth - the glassy film threatening to cover my eyes.
He was in full on trainer mode, which I could appreciate if that was the sole purpose of our relationship.
But, after seeing such brutality, I wished he could let the mask of apathy down for just one second.
He tilted his head. “What did you notice?”
“Nothing I haven’t seen before,” I tried to play off the disgust festering in my chest with a shrug. “Infamous crime king who thinks he’s invincible - and untouchable.”
“How should we go about reminding him that he’s not?”
“His parties aren’t as exclusive as he’d like to believe. It wouldn’t be hard to snag an invitation and infiltrate one of them. The hard part would be finding a way to get close to him - and getting him alone.”
“I disagree. What’s his weakness?”
I shrugged. “Doesn’t seem like has any. He has a tight circle of friends, few family members, but they don’t live on the island, and-”
“You’re thinking too hard. Remember the goal: get close and get him alone. What’s the easiest way to do that to any man?”
I couldn’t stop my face from scrunching up. “Don’t tell me you’re sending me in there to seduce his ass.”
“Not you.” He jutted his chin towards the other end of the plane where Maria and Miles were curled up together on the couch, watching a movie on the laptop sitting in front of them. “Her.”
“What?” I couldn’t help but exclaim.
Miles and Maria looked up from their movie, scrunching their brows at me.
I offered an apologetic smile before turning back to Mateo. Lowering my voice, I continued. “You’re not really going to send her into the lion’s den, are you? I mean, she’s barely five feet tall!”
“She’s five one,” Mateo corrected. “And she’s taken down men bigger than Briones. One thing you’ll learn is that underestimation is our best friend. Our most effective strikes are when the target least expects it. Your fancy FBI training didn’t teach y’all that?”
“They emphasized the element of surprise.”
He shrugged. “Same thing, different name.”
“But, won’t you worry about her? I mean, so many things could go wrong.”
“Which is why she’ll have ears on her the entire time. Maria and I never go into a mission completely alone. One of us is always a few steps behind the other. Take our first date for example.”
“That was not our first date. You tried to kidnap me!”
“And then you made me chase you through the woods and whooped my ass with a stick. You didn’t think that was fun?”
I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms. “Not at all. But, back to your point: I remember she was posing as the hostess - blocked me with a gun to my head when I tried to leave.”
“And when she left us alone, she didn’t go far.” He tapped his ear. “Kept an ear out in case you started any trouble I couldn’t handle.”
“Oh, so she heard me kick your ass?”
“Yup - and laughed about it too.”
A smile tugged at my lips. “Well, when you think about it, it is pretty funny.”
“Yeah, yeah wipe that smirk off your face. Can’t have you walking around acting all cocky because you won one round.”
“One? So, we’re not counting the night at my house?”
“I had a gun in your face; that qualifies as a win. And technically speaking, I’m at two to one. You wanna keep talking?”
I shook my head. “Nah. I’m sleeping very well knowing you could’ve killed me, but chose different. Better even when you remind me why.”
The ends of his lips raised the slightest bit, and his perpetually blank expression disappeared for a moment.
He only let me see little glimpses of the man he really was inside.
For now, I was alright with that. I was willing to work up to unveiling the full masterpiece he was hiding underneath all those scars. I’m sure the view would be worth it.
I turned my attention back to the file and flipped through the rest of the information for the rest of the flight.
Night had fallen on the island by the time we finally landed.
On the ride from the isolated portion of the airport to the safehouse, I gazed out the window at the calm beaches and warm lights beaming from house windows.
The breeze carried the scent of fresh saltwater and sweet flowers.
Although we were here on business, I couldn’t help but imagine being here on a vacation.
My family had their fair share of tropical destinations before, but I rarely enjoyed the trips with my mother’s criticisms constantly in my ear and my stepfather’s ego standing in the way of every event we had planned - no matter how small.
The only enjoyment I found was in the moments Isabelle and I were alone.
We’d wake up early to dine at the buffets and sneak out at night to take walks along the wooden paths by the beach.
Hell, sometimes if we were lucky, we were able to ditch our parents altogether and spend the day on the beach - just the two of us.
I blinked away the moisture before it could form. Tearing my eyes away from the window, I looked over the center dash at Mateo. There were so many questions I wanted to ask him. Has he been here before? Did his family ever vacation on a tropical island? Did he miss them?
But now, with his gaze focused on the road and our partners sitting in the backseat, it didn't feel like the right time to pester him. Maybe when we had a moment alone, I’d try. Maybe he’d open up just a little bit more.
I nearly gasped at the safe house when we pulled up to it.
The two-story home sat nearly by itself, miles away from any others, directly near the edge of the beach.
The house was painted white with teal blue shutters and matching roof.
A wooden patio lay at the rear of the house, connected by french doors.
Balconies protruded from the rooms on the ocean front.
Steps offered a path down to the nearly white sand.
“This is yours?” I asked Mateo as we all climbed out of the car.
“Not necessarily,” he replied. “Our handler manages the safe houses. We just have the addresses and the keys.” He nodded towards the front door. “Go ahead inside. Miles and I will bring the bags inside.”
I followed Maria up the porch steps to the front door.
She unlocked the door and pushed it open. Instantly, a grimace washed over her face.
“What?” I asked.
“Dusty,” she murmured, swiping her hand in front of her face.
As I walked in behind her, I quickly understood what she meant. The place smelled stale, as if it hadn’t been used for a while. Thankfully, there were no legitimate tracks of dust or cobwebs around the corners and floor.
Maria made a beeline for the kitchen pantry and dug around the contents inside.
Her hand reemerged with small white and blue candles.
She set them down on the marble counters and opened one of the drawers to pull out two lighters.
Gathering two of the candles back in her hands, she turned around and pushed them into mine. “Upstairs,” she commanded softly.
Nodding, I walked out the kitchen and headed up the steps to the upper level.
From the hall, I could make out four bedrooms and a bathroom.
I peeked through the open doors, unsure which rooms the others wanted.
They were all nearly identical with queen sized beds and teal blue comforters.
The only difference was the position of the windows.
One faced the driveway, two faced the ocean, and the last faced the length of the beach.
To make it even, I put both candles in the rooms facing the ocean.
As the flame burned on the wick, the scent of eucalyptus and lavender filled the air.
My eyes wandered from the tiny fire to the beach laying just beyond the window. I watched the calm waves kiss the edge of the sand, glittering with the reflection of the stars above it. Mesmerized by the sight, I took a few steps closer to the window and cracked it open.
I stared out at the sea for a few moments, inhaling the fresh breeze and listening to the soft crashes of the waves.
The serenity of it all calmed the thoughts I hadn’t noticed were racing through my mind.
Memories of Isabelle and uncertainties about my purpose for being here.
They faded farther and farther with every drag of the ocean on the sand, until there was only silence left.
The gentle touch of palms settling on my shoulders broke me out of my trance. I nearly broke my neck with how fast I turned it to see the culprit.
Mateo’s chuckle, his voice still more familiar than his face, rumbled through my ears. “Sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“It’s fine,” I replied, turning back to the window.
His arms slid around my neck as he lay his chin atop my head. “Beautiful, isn’t it?” He murmured.
“Yeah.” I relaxed in his grasp and leaned back against his chest. “How long are we staying?”
“As long as it takes to get the job done.”
“I need a number.”
“Why? So you can count down the minutes you have to enjoy this?”
“Well, I’m assuming this assignment came with a deadline.”
“Most do, but not all. Not this one.”
“Why not? Who wants him dead in the first place?”
“Not our place to know or care. We just roll with the instructions we’re given.”
I turned in his grasp and looked up at him. “You never wonder? Never question?”
“Wonder, sure, sometimes. But, it’s not my role to question - and neither is yours. Understand?”
I nodded.
“Good.” He kissed my forehead. “Now, enough talk about work. His next party isn’t until Friday, so we’ve got some time to kill. You up for a late night swim?”
I smiled. “I thought you’d never ask.”
We dug through our suitcases for our bathing suits and changed out of our clothes.
The cool breeze brushed against my skin when we went back outside. I wrapped the ends of my sheer cover up tighter around me as we stepped off the wooden deck and onto the warm sand.
We walked to the edge of the shore, where the sea stretched to kiss the land. The water was cold as it splashed over my feet.
Mateo ignored the chill and continued his trek into the ocean. His scars glimmered under the moonlight, decorating his brown skin in silver tattoos. He dived into one of the small waves rushing towards the shore.
The water clung to his skin when he came back up, glistening like tiny diamonds around his muscles. He turned around and grinned at me. “You coming?” He asked.
I was too caught up in his smile to respond. It was the first time I’d ever seen a genuine one on his face before. Before, there was always a sinister tint over his smirks. One that was both exhilarating and terrifying.
Seeing him like this, with a touch of pure joy on his face, gave me a glimpse of the person he used to be - the one he’d buried deep down inside. I hoped one day he’d let me in enough to see that side of him in all it’s glory.
I yelped when I felt arms wrapping around my waist and legs. By the time I realized he’d grabbed me, it was too late - my legs were already off the ground. “Hey!” I yelled, wriggling in his arms. “Put me-”
He threw me into an upcoming wave before I could even finish my sentence.
Some of the saltwater went into my mouth as I went under. Grimacing at the bitter taste, I fought the water and pushed my way back up to the surface.
Mateo chuckled as he watched me spat the water out.
“Is that what we’re back to?” I asked, a smile spreading across my own face. “Cheap shots?”
“Wasn’t cheap if you were looking right at me.” His grin widened as I charged towards him and shoved him backwards into the water. “Damn, you ain’t tired of fighting with me yet?”
“How could I when it’s so fun?”
“Fun? Oh, I’ll show you fun.” He ducked his head and wrapped his arms around my legs.
I giggled as he lifted me off my feet and spun me around.
The longer we stayed in the water, the further the world drifted away. The ocean became our own little bubble.
Out here, there was no danger or violence or blood. It was just me, Mateo and the emotions we haven’t had the chance to explore.
Swimming around, laughing, rough-housing, reminded me we were still ordinary people underneath all the chaos. Gave me hope someday we could have a somewhat ordinary relationship.
And in the case we never do, I was grateful we got to experience it at least once. Even if the fantasy only lasted until the end of the night.