The Groove
Saturday November 29th, 2025 with Elorious Cain
EMILY BRISK 16 - Complications

In this episode of the EMILY BRISK series - Lead investigator Dona Smith, tech specialist Ajinder Gill, Genevive Dino, Cindi Gander, Jerry Spic and Isaac Smith; the elite Homeland Security squad of "Specialists" brought into the situation after helping the Miami-Dade Police Department and the U.S. Coast Guard with the problem enemy that keeps trying to kill Emily Brisk, encounter complications that could potentially threaten their very existence, ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The "specialists" Genevive Dino and Cindi Gander remain at the clothing store protecting Fatima. It has been months since the massacre in Long Island City and the murder of Catriona. Posing as employees and working with Fatima has been a real pleasure for them. It had a continuous impression on them how these customers from the general public were blissfully unaware they were actually being served by deadly secret agents that were ready to fight the worst enemies at a moment's notice. Fatima is so brilliant, organized, businesslike and thoughtful. One day was extremely busy. Fatima was working the cash as the agents were busy with clients. Genevive was serving customers in the swimwear section. While Genevive was attending to some local highschool girls, she could hear a couple of nearby women speaking in Spanish. Initially she didn't think much of them, Now the teenagers really couldn't decide on what they wanted. They spent a bit of time rifling through racks of bikinis. As they did that Genevive could pick up the women's conversation nearby. She suddenly noticed that it wasn't regular Spanish. Something wasn't right. Genevive started filming and recording those ladies with her smart phone. As a linguist, she knew that some of the phrases the ladies were using really reminded her of the recording of that tirate for the captured 'other F.B.I.' agent which Dora Fuentes had recorded back in New York. As the store was very busy right up to closing time at 9pm, the rest of the "specialists" arrived with Dora Fuentes and Nancy Brisk around 8:45. There were specific perpetually altering plans of escorting Fatima home after each of her shifts. It always looked as if Fatima was driving home alone in her Mini. It was never the case at all. "The Specialists" protected her twenty four hours a day. Fatima as never really alone. As the last customers finally left, Genevive quickly got the attention of Dona, Dora and Ajinder. She said that there might be a problem or potential threat. Fatima was asked to wait in the store office. When Genevive shared the recording of those women talking, Dora freaked. She recognized that strange variation of Spanish immediately. Dona had Ajinder search the camera systems in the mall to see where those women went after leaving the store. Even before Ajinder came up with anything, Dona made a decision: Fatima had to at least temporarily disappear. Something nefarious was probably going to happen. As far as Dona was concerned Fatima's personal threat level was suddenly extremely high. It was not the time to take unnecessary risks with her safety. Ajimder got back to Dona about five minutes later to say, " Those women ended up quickly going out to an S.U.V. with bogus licence plates. It got on to the nearest interstate and I don't have anymore information after that. I have started a search of the store for electronic devices or cameras that they might have left behind." As Ajinder began scanning, Nancy and Cindi politely escorted Fatima out of the store. Fatima was very hungry and anxious to get home and enjoy her mother's cooking. As they left, Fatima noticed how empty the mall was. It was now well passed nine o'clock and most stores and restaurants were closed or in the process of closing. Fatima couldn't help but think that it was a little odd how these government agents nervously escorting her. She really never thought that she was in any danger. Minutes after Nancy and Cindi had left with Fatima, Ajinder suddenly ordered Dora and the rest of "the specialists" to get out of the store as fast as possible. He had, with his computer, detected a concentration of dynamite in the dress section. It was potentially a large bomb. Dona had the whole mall evacuated while Dora called the local bomb squad. Standing in the rain watching the Boston Police Department cars and bomb squad arriving, Dona called John Polke and Cindi with Nancy to inform them of the development. Eventually sitting in their car watching he mall through the downpour of freezing rain, Dona and Dora discussed how long it was all taking. They watched as the bomb squad employed a robot to go into the store. A Homeland Security helicopter suddenly landed in the empty parking lot. John Polke climbed out with some other agents. Even before talking to John, Dona sensed that something wasn't right. Thirty minutes later the Boston Police Department bomb specialists stood in a quickly propped up tent in the parking lot to inform Dona, Dora, Ajinder and John Polke of the bomb status. Evidently Ajinder had detected a large unstable bomb hidden under a pile of dresses. It was reportedly powerful enough to destroy the whole store and severely damage the mall. They wanted to take the bomb with them because, in all the years, they had never seen exploses like that. The police told Ajinder that the bomb was on a timer set to go off at midnight. They thought that to be strange because, except for a handful of security guards, the mall was empty at that time. An argument ensued between John Polke and a Boston Police official. John insisted that they had specific orders from the State Department to seize the bomb and make it all disappear. Now the bomb squad and a local newspaper reporter had entirely different ideas. Although the Boston police were naturally pleased and impressed with Homeland Security agents detecting a live bomb in a popular mall, the question as to why and how the events came about kept coming up. The Boston Globe reporter was particularly curious as to why Homeland Security agents were hanging out in a woman's clothing store. That didn't seem to make any sense at all. The reporter had already interviewed Mall security guards who had very specifically said that after there was a murder in that shop a few months ago they had been ordered to stay away from it. John Polke, Dora Fuentes and the 'specialists' had absolutely no interest in talking to the press. That further enticed the reporter. This was not the type of complication the 'specialists' needed. Several more Boston Police officials had shown up. It was suddenly a circus attracting TV news vans and hundreds of local people, Cindi Gander and Nancy Brisk stood at Fatima's door in East Boston explaining to Fatima that a bomb had been found in the store and Dona wanted her to disappear for a while They told Fatima that she might be in imminent danger. Fatima had already said to Dona how her family wanted to go down to visit relatives they had in Atlanta. Cinder made it very clear that Homeland Security could provide them with free transportation and security. Fatima went back inside to talk to her family. Eventually Fatima came to the door with her eyes soaked in tears. Fatima's family was absolutely terrified of Homeland Security and I.C.E.. They lived in fear of the possibility that they might be sent back to Africa. Her parents were furious with Fatima for working with Homeland Security people and not telling them all along. Quite bluntly, they didn't want any help from Homeland Security or the F.B.I. Fatima was banned from working at the store. When Nancy and Cindi informed the other "Specialists", Dona identified it all as still another complication which they couldn't afford. The next morning at nine o'clock there was a conference call with Miss. Sanderson at the State Department, John Polke, Ajinder Gill, Dona Smith and Dora Fuentes of the F.B.I. John and Dona didn't like the way the State Department wanted such a conference call, after all they had already updated them on all of the events. Miss. Sanderson was very impressed by the way Ajinder had discovered the bomb before it exploded killing countless people. She had nothing but praise for Dona and the rest of the "specialists". To Dona's complete apprehension Miss Sanderson invited the whole team to the White House for a small celebration. During the phone call John Polke was sitting beside Dona and he could see her turning white with fear. Dona and "the specialists" had saved countless lives and helped so many agencies struggling with the "Other America" problem. He didn't give a rat's ass that Dona was trans. He didn't want certain people in the White House to meet her all the same. Dona was sharp, well trained and experienced, dedicated and extremely dangerous. She was an asset he couldn't afford to loose. John Polke quickly answered the invitation by saying, " The situation is extremely dangerous right now and we need the crew here working. I could come very briefly with just Ajinder, but the rest of the team would not be able to come. It is a matter of national security." Miss Sanderson ended the call by saying that she would relay that message. Dona cringed sensing that such a complication could end it all!