It was a long hour meeting for The Hawks.

After an elongated discussion, Jackson stood up from his seat and others followed, "That will all for today." Looking up at the men, "Raven, stay back. others may leave."

She nodded and stayed back. As, the door closed behind them it was only Jackson, Jereff and Raven.

"What are you going to do about it?" Jereff mused lightly rubbing his stubble. 

Jackson glanced at Jereff and looked at Raven, "I have a huge work for you." Leaning over the table, "Modify all the security codes."

Jereff's eyes balled out at his suggestion. Raven stood there baffled, failing to find a right way to react.

"Why?" Jereff's perplexed voice broke through the brief silence.

Jackson read through their confusion and pondered before he started,  "Everything that happened isn't a short term business. At least that is what I believe. Nick was involved in all of our meetings, he knows every tiny detail, about us. About, everyone of us. Now, that he chose to break the oath of non disclosure, we are left bare. The Hawks' life is at stake.
Nevertheless, we have our people to take care. Raven, tell Rose to pick up Sarah from school. She is the utmost priority. And for the rest, excavate the godowns on the northern side of the city, modify the security systems, install new if needed."

"Boss, this is going to take a lot of time, can we spare that much time?" Raven questioned.

"We have no other options. Convey this to the Hawks. We are staying back the night in the hideout. We won't move out until we make a solution out of it. Let Rose stay with Sarah today, and add more men to secure the surroundings of the Claros Mansion.

Jereff silently listened to his words and shook his head to himself, "This is so screwed up."

Before, anyone could speak further Jereff phone rang dragging their attention towards the phone.

He flashed the screen and let out a painful sigh, "Hello!"

A thin voice spoke from the either side of the phone.

"Daddy.. you won't be home tonight?"

Jereff pulled in his lower lip and squeezed shut his eyes. He promised her that he wont be away from her like last night. But, the whole chaos sweeped his mind off his promise.

"I am sorry, honey. I have to stay back. Jackson needs me. Rose will be there for you. She will make fun houses with the blocks for you.

"yay!"

The innocence in the little girl's voice had larger effect on him. A soft smile curved up his lips.

"Be a obidient one and go to bed early." After a sharp sigh, "I will be home before you know."

"I am a good Girl!"

"Yes you are, baby girl." He chuckled, "Good Night, dear. Daddy loves you."

"Sarah loves you too."

As he disconnected the call, a soft grip over his shoulder made him turn towards Jackson.

Jackson read through his gloom. Jereff let out a sharp sigh, "I swear if anyone lays a finger on her."

"No one can reach her. I promise." Jackson assured him with a determined voice.

Jereff pressed his lips and patted his shoulder.  

A few days later;

It was early in the morning. Cleo sat up in her bed frustrated, failing to find Jacob beside her.

Duty again.

Rubbing her eyes, she climbed down her bed and made her way out of the way.

As, she reached the door of the kitchen, she jolted in her place and faltered in her steps.

"Jake!"

Jacob kept stiring the soup in the pot and when Cleo called him out. He turned towards her with a huge grin and the spatula in his right hand.

"Good Morning, honey!" He exclaimed, "Take a seat, I made you breakfast."

"Scaring a pregnant women is never a good idea, Jake."

"I had no intention of scaring you."

"But, you did it anyways." Crossing her arms and leaning her shoulders against the door, "I never saw you inside the kitchen in years."

Jacob turned towards the oven, shaking her head to himself, "Let's see if my love reaches you through your stomach. Have a seat, my favourite lady."

"And you suddenly turned hotter!"

A smirk quirked up his lips, "Let me show you how much hotter I can get."

A snicker left her mouth, while she pulled herself a breakfast stool.

"You don't have work today?"

"I am off duty for the day. So, I just decided to spent some time with two of my favourite people. Recently, I have been so busy in my work, that I could not even spent my time with you. I am sorry." There was a hint of guilt blended in his tone. She read it.

Cleo walked towards Jacob, and snuggled him from his back. He responded back by curling up his fingers into hers.

"It is okay, honey." Cleo muttered pressing her cheeks to his back.

"We are plotting an operation against the Hawks." Jacob admitted out of the blue.

Cleo parted her face and tilted her head back, "You mean, the Claros Brothers?"

He nodded and poured the soup into the casserole.

"You got this."

He turned around and pulled out his apron, "I don't know. It's a tricky situation." Leaning against the counter, "There is a increased rate of missing girls in the city. We suspect it to be the Hawks, behind it all."

"Claros, behind missing girls?" She arched her eyebrows.

"Body Trading. Human Trafficking as a whole."

"That's terrible!" She mused in a note of uncertainty.

"And we have to stop it."

Without a reply, she pulled in her lower lip and locked a distant, pondering stare out of the window.

"What are you thinking?"

She snapped out of her thoughts and looked up at him to meet with a pair of scrutinizing eyes.

She shrugged, " You know, they have quite a good name in the society. They help the needy. They do charity, and" thinking to herself, "they help people. Do you think, they can be behind something this horrible?"

"Nope. The logic is, one of the identities, they hold, is fake. That is where we are bring dragged behind. They might be the god in front of the world. But, the truth is too hard to discover. Very few knows that they are a gang, involved in illegal businesses. Being in gang land, they can't be sober."

"I agree. But, have you noted their recent news?"

Jacob's phone buzzed, breaking Cleo in her words.

Call at the most odd hour. It can be no one else. Jacob plunged his shoulders and let out a whine.  It was Mr. Alvarez.

Clearing his throat, he picked up the call, "Jacob Thompson."

"Good morning, Thompson."

"Morning, Mr. Alvarez. How can I help you?"

"Jacob, we want you in the office, right now."

"Now?"

"I am sorry for ruining your day off. But, we have an urgent business to be discussed.

"Not an issue, Sir. I'll be there in an hour."

"Hm!"

Jacob disconnected the call and turned towards Cleo who was staring at him intently. He pressed his lips and passed her an apologetic smile.

Cleo understood. She batted her eyes and passed him and assuring smile, "Good luck!"

"You sure you will be fine?"

"Yeah!" She chuckled, "I am not a kid, honey. Go get ready, you don't want to be late."

He let out a sharp sigh and walked closer to her. Placing a moist kiss on her forehead, he whispered, "I love you."

"Love you more." She replied with twinkling eyes.

Intelligence Bureau;

"It is confirmed, that the alliance has been dissolved long back." Mr. Alvarez shared crossing her hands over the desk, "and the funniest part is, now they are after each other's neck."

"Can this be possible that Hawks has no say in the body trading?" Jacob mused.

"Right now. I am considering this possibility. If we fail to get any connection of the Hawks with the illegal body trading, we may have to cross them out of the list. The best part is, we don't have to start from scratch."

"You mean?" Arching his eyebrow.

"The Wizards."

"Wizards?"

They are the one, who were present the day, Jackson Claros was shot. Seven years ago, these people started off as a small gang, involved in small crimes. Back then, the Hawks were already a well organised gang, who witnessed growth in comparatively less time. These people went into an alliance with them, and together they were invincible. Well that's what the records speak. But, the alliance did not really work out well and they separated their ways. A couple of months later, they took over a significant place in the underworld, naming themselves as Wizards. 

"But, how can you be so sure, it's them, this.....is so....random."

"No. It's not. Not after this. The cartel formed right a couple of months after the alliance. At that time, things were out of any form of control. As, the alliance broke, the trafficking activities were at a standstill, till now. Again, there was a clear relation between Hawks and the Racket when the alliance was still on, but things are going a different way this time. This can't be just a coincidence."

"So we clear off all kind of vigilance from the Hawks?"

Mr. Alvarez shook his head in denial.

"Are you having second thoughts."

"Second thoughts on our chain of actions. Yes. Claros knows the leader. That is clear to us. He will lead us to the Wizards."

Jacob furrowed, "Why would he do that? Like, why would he help us?"

"He will. But for that we need to get hold of him. Leave the rest on me."

"Arrest him?"

Mr. Alvarez scoffed, "The infamous Jackson Claros, we dont even know, his whereabouts. You think, we can arrest him?"

"We raid their godowns and we talk."

"That won't help."

"Sir!"

Mr. Alvarez looked up at the source of the voice and saw Will standing at the door. 

He gestured him to walk in.

"Sir" placing a usb drive on the table, "We have all the information about his family."

"Family?" Jacob snapped.

Mr. Alvarez looked at Jacob's baffled face and turned back towards will.

"It is just him and his elder brother, Jereff, the former leader of the Hawks and the elder Claros' daughter, Sarah. She is just seven years old now. We did not find any track to the elder Claros' wife or girlfriend. But, the rumours says he was married. Secondly, The Hawks seems to turn extra careful, for a few days. Especially with their communication tracks and the kid."

"The kid!" The head mused.

"Mr. Alvarez, W...What's with the kid?"

He looked at Jacob and chuckled, "The easiest target, Jake."

Jacob closed his eyes and let out a sharp exhale in order to compose himself, "I hope we are not bringing the kid in between this."

"Of course, we are. She will lead us to the Hawks."

Jacob's jaw dropped as he simplified Mr. Alvarez' words. Moving his head in denial, he spoke in a grave tone, "we can't do this. "

"Why can't we?"

"Because, she is small. God! She is seven."

"We won't hurt her. The girl won't even know."

"What are you planning to do with her?"

"We let Madeline receive her from school."

Jacob clenched his jaw, "Is this a sick joke? We can't let Madeline do all the stupid jobs. She won't do it."

Mr. Alvarez studied through his bubbling up rage and rested his back against the chair, "Leave that to her. Will you?"

"She would never accept to harm an innocent life."

"For the second time. We won't harm her."

"We are planning to use her to take his uncle down."

"Will you listen to the plan?"

Jacob out of impulse, banged the table top and stormed up in his place, "We can't use kids. as. a. Bait."

Mr. Alvarez calmly kept staring at Jacob, while the latter was pounding with rage.

He glided his eyes down towards the cracked form of the glass and heaved.

"We send Madeline, to receive her from school by saying that she is Jackson's friend. And, he requested her to bring her to a park, where her beloved uncle is waiting for her. We ain't kidnapping her. We ain't forcing her. We just bring her here to the department."

"Luring a kid and taking her to a place without her knowlegde is called kidnapping."

"If that's how you see it. Work is work, Jake."

"You call that work?" He scoffed and raised his hands up in frustration.

"A trap to accomplish a strong mission. Jake, after the kid is out of there we need someone to take responsibility and send the news to Claros."

Jacob leaned over the table, "I am asking you,again. Are you sure you want to get the kid involved in it?"

"It will only be an act of hours. After we get hold of him, we will make everything clear. And, yeah she won't be inside the department."

"Now, what about that?"

"She stays busy with Madeline in a park. You have the contact number of Donnie? Call him. We need three men."

"For what?"

"Looking over Madeline and the kid from far, so that they don't get a chance to get to the kid. They will get to the kid, through the department. We are doing this in a less men business. I don't want anyone else to know about this.  Not even the media. That would make our work harder. As the purpose gets solved, the kid goes back to his father. Safe and sound."

"I can't believe we are trading a kid for a deal."

"I am taking in the kid, anyway. You may chose a different path if that bothers you."

Jacob straightened his back and rested his hands over his hips.