“Hmm?” Emily had been lost in thought, “oh yes quite well,
why?’

“Cause we’re here and I figure you can do the talking.”
Frost pulled the car over outside a corner brownstone and smiled over at her
while he checked his sidearm. “You ready?”

“Are we expecting trouble?” eyebrows rose as she watched, as
he made sure he had a round in the chamber.

“With these guys, you never know, better safe than sorry
right?”

“Fair enough, but how about we try talking to them before we
have a shootout, okay?” Emily’s tone bespoke a confidence Frost envied, the
same confidence Jane had in tough situations.

“Lead the way” More than happy to let the Prentiss take
charge, he hung back a bit.  These guys
were no joke but maybe having a beautiful female talk to them would better than
a young black detective.

“So, who are we asking to speak to?”

Looking through his notes, Frost met her eyes, “A Carlos
Maldonado.  That’s who Detective
Rodriguez supposedly checked in with that night.”

Ringing the doorbell, Emily waited; angled a bit away from
the entry she positioned herself to have a view of the person opening before
they saw her.  The loud music inside did
nothing to calm her as she heard a number of different voices in the
apartment.  Looking at Frost, she nodded
and rang the doorbell again.  The voices
quieted as someone came to the door.  A
young woman no more than sixteen opened the door.

In heavily accented English
“Can I help ju?”  Looking from one
to the other she frowned when she saw the badge clipped to Frost’s belt.  Her look one of suspicion, “we do no wrong.”
She said simply looking at Prentiss.

“Disculpe senorita, mi nombre es Emily Prentiss del FBI y
estamos buscando a Carlos Maldonado” at her look of fright, “solo para hablar
con el…no ha hecho nada malo.” She waited briefly before continuing, “por favor
senorita es importante que hablemos con el.” Peering around the young woman she
saw several of the young men head toward a back room. “Senorita?” seeing the
men bolt, “Frost! Around back!”

Frost responded immediately, Prentiss on his heels.

The two young men had a head start but hadn’t counted on the
speed of the two in pursuit.  Ducking
down an alley, the smaller of the two men attempted to outrun Frost, his first
mistake.  The second was thinking that
Frost was just a suit.  Frost tackled him
and rolled with him ending up on his back.
Pushing his legs in, Frost grabbed his cuffs and locked the young man up
tight as he continued to struggle underneath him.