Alpha

Savannah's heels clicked on the sidewalk as she walked inside the DEA office. She wasn't going out into the field today, needing to do a bunch of paperwork after yesterday. Plus, the team needed to regroup and reformulate a new plan after the perpetrators got away yesterday after shooting at her.

She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket and she quickly glanced at the screen to see it was Tyler texting her. She opened the text curiously, wondering what he had to say. It had surprised her earlier that morning when she had received a text from Alex that wasn't a part of the group text with her and Shea. They almost always texted each other in the group text. That was her first clue that it wasn't actually Alex.

As soon as she read the first text asking what she thought of Tyler, she knew it wasn't Alex. She would have texted in the group text so that she and Shea could gang up on her. Then when the next text referred to Tyler as "the hot guy", she knew it was Seguin texting her. She decided to egg him on a bit before finally letting him know he'd been caught.

She skimmed the text and a smile formed on her lips. Don't get shot at today if you can help it. I'd prefer to talk to you at the bar rather than in the hospital.

She shook her head before responding to the text. No promises. She threw the phone back in her bag and made it into her office. She'd been sitting for less than ten seconds before one of two other members on her team walked in. Dominic Gregory had been working for the Dallas DEA for over ten years, and he liked to make it known he was in charge. He seemed to be open to Savannah joining the team, but his oversight yesterday had led to her getting shot at. Not that she'd ever blame him. She had to take some of the blame herself, as she had not been in a good place to take cover. But, Dominic told her the men were on the other side of the dealership, when in fact, they were about ten feet away from her.

"You need help with the paperwork?" he asked, standing in front of her desk. She had a mound of forms to fill out after the incident yesterday.

She shook her head. "No, I've got it covered. I've had to do this a few times before."

"Just how many times have you been shot at?" Dominic asked her.

"More than any twenty-nine year old should," she joked. "I'll have it done by the end of today," she assured him.

He nodded his head before turning around on his heel. "Feel free to come get me if you have any questions."

"Thanks," she called out, turning her computer on and grabbing her phone out of her purse. She was surprised to see that the group text between her, Shea, and Alex was already blowing up. She wondered if either of them were at work yet.

Alex: Why is there a conversation between Savannah and me on my phone this morning?

Shea: Huh?

Alex: There's a whole conversation on here just between me and Van and it's about Segs.

Shea: Did you drink too much and don't remember texting her?

Alex: No! I had one beer last night. I didn't text any of this. Segs did. I'm just confused. Like the conversation just ends with Van telling Segs to grow some balls and use his own phone.

Alex: I need to know if he did!

Alex: Van, are you and Segs talking?

Shea: Omg is that why you're not responding? Are you with him right now?

Alex: It's the Stars practice right now.

Shea: Maybe she's banging him in the locker room. Wouldn't be the first time one of us did it in the locker room…

Alex: Omg shut up!

Savannah finally responded. No, you dumbasses, I'm at work.

Shea: Oh yeah, you do work, don't you?

Alex: So what's going on with you and Seg?

Savannah: Nothing. He called me after I called him out. Then I took a shower and came to work. And I've got a shit ton of paperwork to do so I won't be checking my phone for a while. Let's do drinks tonight.

Shea: Can't. Have plans with Audrey.

Alex: I can't either. Jamie and I are going out before he goes on a road trip.

Savannah: You guys suck.

She put her phone away, deciding to get started on the paperwork finally. She was regretting not taking up Dominic's help four hours later when she took a break for lunch and realized she still had a ways to go. "Dom wants to meet in an hour," a voice said, and she looked up to see her other team member, Liam Nichols, standing in the doorway. "I think I've got a new lead. We'll meet up after lunch," he explained.

Savannah nodded her head as Liam walked away. She didn't know Dominic or Liam very well yet, having just started working with them, but she had to say she thought they'd make a pretty good team. Dominic had the experience, and Liam had the intelligence. Savannah had a mixture of both, but also was lucky in that she could go under cover and most people wouldn't take her to be a DEA agent. Which was why she had gone in yesterday, not knowing much about the case, but trusting what her partners were saying. It would have been fine if the perpetrators had been where Dominic thought they were. But instead, she found herself in the middle of gunfire yesterday and now behind a pile of paperwork today.

She was going to need a drink tonight. She cursed her best friends who were ditching her for their significant others. Sure, Savannah could go out on her own. She'd done that enough in Chicago. Or occasionally with a coworker. But, she couldn't imagine asking either Dominic or Liam if they wanted to hit up a bar tonight.

A thought crossed her mind, and she contemplated for a minute before committing and grabbing her phone. She found Tyler's name and texted him. Wanna get a drink tonight?

She hit send before she could change her mind and threw her phone down on the desk, picking the pen back up and looking at the form in front of her. She was surprised when the phone immediately buzzed. She glanced at it, seeing Tyler had responded, and her lips curled up into a smile.

Tyler: Is that your way of asking me out?

Savannah: You wish. My friends are ditching me for their significant others.

Tyler: So I'm you last resort?

Savannah: Kinda. You're the only other person I know here.

Savannah: You can say no.

Savannah: My feelings won't be hurt.

Savannah: I can go out on my own.

Tyler: Let me get a word in, I can't type that fast! Yeah, I'll grab a drink with you. Foundry's again?

Savannah: Sure. I'll text you when I'm done with work.

Savannah put her phone down, surprised with how excited she was for tonight. She ended most nights with a Jack and Diet Coke, or two of them. Tonight was no different, just different company. She couldn't possibly be this excited just to hang out with Tyler.

She shook the thought from her mind as she got back to the paperwork, working through lunch before going into Dominic's office for their meeting. Her stomach growled, and she immediately regretted working through lunch, but she needed to get this paperwork done or she'd be here til midnight.

"So what's new?" she asked as Liam walked inside the office, carrying his computer. He set it on Dominic's desk and pulled up a different screen.

"They're outside of Dallas. About twenty miles away. They're hiding out," he said, a map pinpointing their location.

"You're sure of this?" Dominic questioned the younger man.

"One hundred percent," Liam nodded his head.

"We'll head there at the end of the week. We need to prepare," Dominic stated. Savannah's veins were filled with adrenaline. She loved it when they were about to go and get the bad guys. It's what she lived for. The paperwork from yesterday would have to be put on hold while they held a powwow to get as much information about these perpetrators as possible and made a plan for what they were going to do tomorrow.

Over the next three hours, she felt much more a part of the team as they planned together. Before, she had just been thrown in on her first day of the job, going under cover immediately, and not having any background on these guys. Now, she was more informed and she knew where they had gone wrong yesterday.

She glanced at her watch to see it was 4:00 pm. She was technically off of work at 5:00, but she was going to stay until the paperwork was finished. She knew she had never signed up for a true forty hours a week job, and she had accepted that a long time ago.

But, when 8:30 pm rolled around and she was just finishing up, her stomach was revolting against her in starvation. She glanced at her phone to see a ton of texts. She skimmed through the group text first.

Shea: Van, I'm sorry! But Audrey and I haven't gotten to spend much time together lately.

Alex: And Jamie will be gone for a week, and you and I can hang out every night :)

Shea: Alex, she's mad at us, she's not responding.

Alex: I feel bad :(

Savannah quickly texted them. Sorry, got busy at work. I'm not mad. Have fun. I'll talk to you tomorrow, I'm headed for a drink. It's been a long day.

She purposely didn't mention getting a drink with Tyler. She saw he had texted her a couple of times, asking if she still wanted to get a drink. She quickly typed a response as she walked out the door. Sorry, got really busy at work. Just leaving now. I need to go home and change, but I'm still up for a drink if you are. If not, no big.

She kept the phone in her hand and it buzzed moments later. Already here, I'll get you a Jack and Diet Coke.

She was surprised he remembered her drink of choice. How many girls will I need to push through to get to the table you're at?

She didn't see the response until she pulled into the parking lot of her apartment building. Is that jealousy I detect??

Savannah laughed to herself as they continued their texting conversation.

Savannah: Not at all. You can bang all the girls you want. I just don't want to cock block you.

Tyler: No one good looking here yet.

Savannah: Is that a line you're trying to use on me?

Tyler: Is it working?

Savannah: Hahaha no not at all. I just changed clothes. I'll be there soon.

Tyler: Please hurry. A group of girls just walked up. I need your cockblocking action.

Tyler: SOS

Savannah laughed as she threw her phone in her bag. She wasn't sure if Tyler was being serious or joking, but she was on her way.

Notes