A Shallow Grave

The voice of a large man came from the bar the second she passed through the doors. "Hey, who are you?"

"The name is Jessica. Be a doll and get me a scotch on the rocks." Jessica took a seat in front of the bartender who gave her a crooked look, and then turned to get her the drink. Jessica looked around the bar, mostly empty since it was still early in the afternoon.

The bartender returned with the drink, and placed it on the bar. "Anything else I can get for you?"

"I hear I can pick up something that will give me the ride of my life." Jessica didn't look at the man as she spoke, then picked up the drink and swallowed it all in a single shot.

"Guess that depends on who you are." The bartender wasn't really thrilled with a newcomer in his bar to start with, much less one asking for something special.

"I told you, I'm Jessica." the woman smiled at him and tapped the bar. "Give me another, barkeep."

"Call me James." James shook his head as he reached over and grabbed the bottle of scotch and filled the glass.

Jessica picked up the glass and shot it down again. "So, what does a business woman have to do to get a bit of action around here?"

James looked around the bar then got really close to her. "Look lady, I don't know who you are, and I don't have the slightest idea what you are doing here. Whatever you are looking for, I'm going to have to say that I can't help you."

"What a shame." Jessica said as she slurped a piece of ice into her mouth, and slowly sucked on it, then dropped it back into the glass. "Was hoping that a tough guy like you, could help a girl out." Jessica wrapped her fingers around her deep brown hair, twirling it around her fingers, then letting it flop back to her shoulder. She slowly licked her lips. "Guess I'll have to tell my boss that the Vitale's are too busy to place an order with. Thanks for the scotch." Jessica pulled out a large stack of hundreds out of her pocket and put one down on the bar. "Keep the change, James."

James picked up the hundred and checked it out, making sure it wasn't a forgery. "Mrs. ...."

"Just call me Jessica." she smiled at him and stood from her stool.

"Okay, Jessica." James paused and shook his head. "May I suggest that you use the bathroom before you leave?"

"You know, I just may do that." Jessica smiled and turned around, letting her hair flip over to one shoulder. She walked back towards the woman's room, when suddenly she felt the presence of someone behind her, before she could turn around she felt a huge thump on the back of her head, and she blacked out.

As she came too, she found herself resting comfortably on a bed, with her hands and feet tied together. She couldn't believe she let them take her like that. After so many years in the business, you'd think she'd have a better feel for things. Slowly she opened her eyes looking around the well lit room.

"Jessica..." The voice came out from the door as it opened. "I noticed you've awaken."

"I've noticed you have me at a loss." Jessica sat up enough to see who had walked into the door.

"And how is that? Well, besides the ropes there."

"You know my name, but I don't know yours."

"You can call me Aaron." the man smiled at her and then pulled up a seat next to the bed.

"Okay, Aaron. What am I doing here?"

"Well, you asked about something, that we really didn't want getting out that we had. Then you dropped our name, as if you knew us. So, we figured if you knew us, we'd like to get to know you." The man looked her over as if he was studying a piece of meat.

"Well, so I have the attention of the Vitale's then?"

"Oh, I never said that... Jessica." He stood up and walked to the other side of the bed, pulling the curtains closed. "But, you have caught my attention."

"Oh really?" Jessica had already been working on the bounds around her hands, and nearly had them off as he approached.

"Oh yes. Besides the fact that you are beautiful, you are also very vibrant, and full of life." Aaron walked up to the bed and sat down. "And I just had to find out if you are for real, or a plant." He spoke as he placed his hands on her shoulder, then started to run his hand down her shoulder and arm. "You see, if you are bugged, then I've been given permission to do what I want with you, and then dispose of you."

"And if I'm not?" Jessica asked without showing any emotion to the man at all.

"Then I'm told to cut you lose and take you to the boss. To hear you out."

"Well, you'll find that I'm not bugged, that much I'm sure of." Jessica got her hands out of the bind just as his hand touched her waist. "And if you were smart, you wouldn't be touching me like that." Jessica quickly wrapped the rope around the man's neck and pinned him to the bed. "You really think that my boss would send in someone who didn't know how to deal with complete jerks like you?"

Aaron didn't respond, considering that she had the rope tight enough to close off his throat. Then she heard the door open. "Guess you aren't the only one to be watching though." Jessica's words came out as four men walked in with guns drawn. Jessica took a deep breath and released the man she had been choking. "So, what now?"

"Let me kill her boss." Aaron shouted as he raised his hand to slap her.

"Don't touch her." a calm voice came out from behind the men who had entered. "Get out."

"Boss, she could be wired!"

"And if she is, I'll deal with her. Get out." Aaron began walking past the man who spoke with a calm voice, when suddenly the man raised his hand and slapped him. "And when I give you an assignment, be sure to get it done next time."

"So, are you the one I should be talking to?" Jessica spoke as she untied her feet, and slipped off the bed.

"I believe so. But first, if you don't mind, we need to check you for bugs, otherwise, our business is done now."

Jessica looked him over. "You want me to undress here and now?"

"Of course not, I expect you to go behind this screen." he pulled a screen out of the closet. "Slip into the silk robe, that is in the closet, and walk out here, while my guy's go through all of your clothing. Once you are cleared, you and I will take a walk."

Jessica nodded and dropped the rope on the floor, heading for the screen. "By the way, where am I?" she asked as she began to undress, throwing her clothes over the screen.

"You are in my home." The man answered as he took her clothes and tossed them to his guards.

"And your home is where?" Jessica finished undressing and slipped into the robe.

"Puerto Rico." The man smiled at her as she walked out from behind the screen. "Glad it fits so nicely."

"Yes it does, thank you." Jessica paused as she thought about where he said she was. "How long was I out?"

"A good twenty four hours. But not from the knock on the head. You were given a sedative to keep you out. Now if you don't mind I'd like to take you for a walk."

"Of course." Jessica smiled at the man as he put his hand gently on her back and opened the door.

"Now, I understand that you would like to buy something from us."

"I understand that you have something that we'd be very interested in. Something that will generate more revenue than anything else that we can get."

"I just may, but how much are you willing to pay?"

"First I'd need to see it work. Then, we can talk price."

"Of course." he smiled once again at her as they passed through a metal detector. "But first, I need you to get scanned for bugs in your body."

"Careful one aren't you." Jessica's voice let him know she was joking with him, knowing that he would be rather careful. The guard picked up a wand and ran it over her entire body, and then up to her head by her mouth and face. The wand barely made noise as it passed by her mouth.

Jessica nodded, and opened her mouth. "Fillings, see." The guard looked into her mouth after putting down the wand, he put on a pair of gloves and opened her mouth wider, and then sticking a dental spike into her filling, tapping it.

"Looks solid to me boss."

The man's smile got even bigger as he walked her to the door, and opened it up. "Join me for a walk down the beach then."

The two walked down the beach talking over her life, and his life, as if they were two new friends and were trying to get to know each other. Jessica explained that she had been raised in a family of dealers, and that she lived rather well. Then when she turned 18 she began helping out the family business and was taught how to defend herself, and started being used to help keep their suppliers happy. As Jessica reached the end of her story she noticed several buildings on the horizon.

"That's where we make it. If you will follow me in." The man lead her into the building, immediately Jessica could smell the fumes of the chemicals as the doors opened up. As he walked in, all the workers looked up, and then immediately back down at their work.

After the man spoke several sentences in Spanish, one of the workers ran out the building, and when he returned he was dragging a young woman in with him.

"You asked for a demonstration right?" Jessica shook her head, as the young woman squirmed against the man holding her still on the floor, yelling in Spanish.

One of the other workers leaned over, picking up what looked like a piece of dust, he approached the woman. The other worker wrapped his legs around the woman's arms, and pulled her mouth open, letting the second worker put the little dust on her tongue. Forcing her mouth shut the first worker then let her head go as her entire body seemed to relax.

"Good girl." the boss spoke as the worker released her. "Now, get up." immediately the girl got up, and smiled at him, with a look of ecstasy in her eyes. "You're getting warm, aren't you?" the girl nodded as her body began sweating. "Tell me, what do you do for me?" The young woman spoke, as if she was under a trance in Spanish. "Good girl, now I want you to take this knife and cut your arm." She took the knife from his hand and placed it against her skin, slowly running it across her skin, letting it cut it open. "Good girl, now give me the knife." She responded, all the while still with the same look of ecstasy on her face. "Now, go get bandaged up."

"Powerful stuff." Jessica spoke after she got over being stunned by the display.

"Yes it is. It will make them do whatever you want, despite anything. And they won't feel a thing."

"How much?" Jessica responded in a business way.

"Well, considering that even a gram of this stuff is good for millions of doses, I'd say that a hundred thousand per gram is a decent charge."

Jessica nodded. "I think we may just have a deal Mr...."

"I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself for a reason. Just call me David."

Jessica laughed. "David and Aaron huh?" she didn't press it any further. "Well, David. Let me get back to my boss on this, and we can probably call this a deal soon."

"My apologies, but I can't let you leave this island until after we make the deal. I have to have you in this as much as I am in it."

"Then may I at least call my boss?"

"I think it can be arranged, I have a secured line that can't be traced." He handed her a strange looking cell phone. "Just dial the number, and you should get through."

Jessica looked around. "May I have some privacy?"

"Of course."

Jessica walked into the next room and placed her call. She returned and handed him the phone. "My boss wants to know where you want the money wired too."

"How many grams does he want?"

"100 grams."

After speaking with her boss for a while, he nodded at Jessica smiled and then added to the end of the conversation. "Okay, we'll just wait for the transfer of the money, and I'll send her back to you in one piece. But if the money doesn't get there, you won't see her again." he pushed a button on the phone and tossed it back onto the table.

"Well, I suppose we should wait for the money at my home." He pointed out the door, and Jessica began the walk back to the house.

As they walked in the man who called himself Aaron was standing at the door waiting for them.

"Boss, I know she's wired. She just has to be." He walked up to Jessica giving her a scowl of a look.

"Well, if you insist upon it. Prove it." David pointed out Jessica and took a step back from her.

"if he touches me again, I will kill him." Jessica smiled at David, but in a way that let him know she was serious.

"Well, Aaron. It's your life, if you want to risk it."

Aaron walked up to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. With one fatal move Jessica had him on the ground, with his face in the floor, and her heel in his throat. "I said, don't touch me."

"Sir.. sir... we have DEA on the way here." A man from upstairs came running out of the doors, yelling down the stairs. Jessica's head dropped looking at the man she had on the ground. David's hand went up in the air, and all the men in the house pulled out their guns, pointing them at her. Jessica removed her heel from the man's throat, sighed and jumped into the air, landing a kick upside David's head, landing on the floor, she flipped over Aaron, who was getting up, and kicked him into the stairs. After using him as a meat shield against the guns that were firing at her she ran up the stairs. As she reached the top a guard drew his gun and before it was pointed at her, she had his hand and flipped him over her shoulder and down the stairs. She began running towards the door, when suddenly an arm shot out from one of the openings, and she ran into it, knocking her on the ground. Suddenly the pain was coming through her entire body as she was being beat by the men, until she blacked out.

Her eyes slowly opened as they were swollen from the beating, she couldn't even see out of her right eye. Suddenly she felt the arm of a man around her neck. "Give it to her."

"What?..." She began to speak as suddenly something entered her mouth. Her head began to spin, and she saw colours of light, her mind racing with nothing but pleasant thoughts. Her body felt as if it was burning up, but it made her feel good, instead of panicked.

"Who are you?"

"Jessica Lynne Baker." She said, as if it didn't even matter.

"Who are you working for?"

Jessica laughed at the question. "No one, I'm working for no one." She giggled as she felt the kick connect with her back.

"Who are you working for?"

Jessica just laughed, not able to tell them, but at the same time not even caring if they knew.

"It doesn't matter now." He spoke as he heard his helicopter taking off. "Guess we'll just have to go to our other plant. Toss her off."

Suddenly Jessica saw herself flying, it was a feeling of freedom and pleasure. A wonderful feeling... Then nothing.


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

"Hurry get her in here." The doctors voice was excited at the same time as worried. "If we don't do something fast, we're going to lose her." The voices were just barely there. "She's waking up, put her under. Quick."

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Six months later

"Jessica Lynne Baker!" The voice bellowed out from the office. "The doctor has cleared you for field work."

Jessica could feel her heart flutter, or at least she was pretty sure it was her heart.

"Looks like those years the doctors told you it would take to recuperate, only took months." The chief pushed her release papers at her. "But I don't think you should work for us, I think your skills would be much better off with the Bureau."

"You're transferring me?"

"Yeah, I think it would be better for you. It's not like you can do undercover work anymore. And after the last one I wouldn't even ask you too."

Jessica looked down at her badge, which she had been proudly wearing. "Guess I won't need this then." She took it off and tossed it on the chiefs desk.

"Sorry Jessica, but you can't resign."

"What do you mean I can't?"

"I mean, it's not allowed. You're government property now." The chief nodded his head. "But, you'll be transferred over to the FBI and be able to lead a mostly normal life."

Jessica bent over and rubbed her legs, which still didn't feel quite right, but neither did her right arm.

"They said that the bionic limbs they gave you, and the optical lens, is all reason enough for you to work for them, until they want to let you go."

"I didn't ask for this..." Jessica used her left arm to rub her right. "I didn't ask them to do this to me."

"But you were too good to just let go Jessica. We needed you, and we didn't want to let you go."

"But you'll transfer me just like that."

"Sorry Jess, but you aren't any use to us now. And we know you don't want to be stuck to that desk forever. Give the FBI a chance Jess, maybe you'll be happier with them."

Jessica raised her right arm, and pulled the square lens down over her right eye. "Guess i don't really have a choice here, do I chief?"

"No, I don't believe you do Jess. But I wish you the best."

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

FBI Headquarters, San Diego California

Jessica walked into the office, noticing the stares she got, she just shook her head.

"Agent Baker I presume." The woman sitting behind the desk looked up as Jessica had entered.

"You'd be correct, and may I ask your name?"

"Call me Julie, Julie Wright. And no Ms. Right jokes." Julie smiled and handed Jessica a badge and a standard issued weapon.

Jessica picked up the badge. "I don't need the gun, I have my own."

Julie nodded and pulled the gun back. "Get a shoulder harness then and wear it there. I expect all my detectives to do so."

Jessica didn't know what to think of being called a detective.

"I went through your file, and it pretty much tells me that you would make a perfect detective. In fact, your DEA scores were off the chart for detective work. Why they used you as an undercover operative is beyond me." Julie leafed through the papers in front of her. "You'll be partnered up with Detective Smith, he'll show you the ropes."

Jessica nodded and begun to walk out. "Oh, Jessica." Jessica turned back and looked at her. "Don't tell anyone about your bionics, or anything about the DEA, that's between you and I." Julie smiled. "I don't want it to be uncomfortable for you here, and as far as I can tell, your eye piece is the only thing that set's you out as different by eyesight, just let them all try to figure it out for themselves. They're smart."

Jessica smiled to herself. "I'm really going to like her." As she exited the room, a man was standing there waiting for her.

"Hi, you must be Detective Baker, I'm Jonathon Smith, it's good to have you on the team."

"Thanks, mind showing me around?"

"Not at all." Jonathon offered his arm, and she put her arm through his, as he showed her around the office.