Inside the office of Captain Bannon, one wall displayed dozens of aerial photographs of the Emerald C's Resort. Candid photos of Emerald Ciano and Big C, her husband, filled any wall space not already covered by other photos of the resort at ground level, from many angles.

Stefan and Irene sat side-by-side in wooden chairs while Terry stood at the window, nursing a coffee cup. Captain Bannon paced in front of the wall of photos, with a yardstick to use as a pointer.

With a perfunctory knock on the door, Greg entered the office.

"Good of you to join us, Hallstead," quipped Bannon.

Terry spun away from the window. Her coffee erupted from its paper cup like Old Faithful Geyser as she crushed the cup in a clinched fist. She and Greg made eye contact, and their faces registered shock.

"I'm sorry! I don't know what made me do that," Terry said, stepping back from the coffee puddled at her feet.

"I'll get some paper towels," said Greg, and he tried to back out of the room.

"No, you won't!" Bannon stopped him. "We've finally got you, and we're not wasting any more time while you disappear again."

Bannon turned toward Terry. "McCaskill, there's an old tee shirt in the bottom desk drawer. Use that."

"Yes, sir." Terry dropped behind the desk, retrieved the tee shirt, and mopped up coffee from the floor, the desk, the windowsill, and her uniform.

While Terry was mopping and sponging, Greg hissed at Bannon, "You never said McCaskill was the Special Ops guy on the team."

Terry's voice rose from the floor, where she was cleaning. "Oh, yeah, Greg? You never told me your name was Hallstead, or you wouldn't be on this team."

Bannon's commanding voice put an end to their bickering. "Mutt and Jeff, Frick and Frack, Amos and Andy, Bonnie and Clyde, Mickey and Minnie! Who the heck cares what the names are? I'm shorthanded, and I've picked the team. And you're all gonna live with it!"

The room went silent. Bannon turned toward Greg and gestured toward Terry. "So, how do you like your new partner, so far, Hallstead?"

Greg couldn't seem to take his eyes off Terry.

Stefan and Irene couldn't seem to take their eyes off Greg – and they both had the same hungry look.

Greg deadpanned at Terry, "How's Mom?"

Terry looked daggers at Greg.

Bannon gestured toward Stefan and Irene in introduction. "And, this is Stefan Dupree and Irene Klose, both on temporary assignment with us for this project. They'll be the other members of your team.

Greg shook hands with Irene. "Klose," he said.

"Please, call me Irene," she purred.

Stefan almost elbowed Irene out of the way, offering his hand to shake with Greg.

"Call me Stefan."

"Better call 'em Mom and Dad," Bannon interrupted. "That's who they'll be this weekend. Mom and Dad celebrating their wedding anniversary with a weekend at the Emerald C's Resort – a gift from the kids." He pointed out Greg and Terry when he said the kids.

"Oh, dear Lord," Stefan murmured.

Irene gasped. "I'm his mother?"

Terry pointed at Greg. "Does that make me his ...?"

"Can you say wife?" Greg gloated.

Bannon ruined Greg's triumph with, "No, she can't. You'll be brother and sister."

Irene moaned. "I have two grown children!"

Greg asked, "So, am I supposed to show brotherly love--?"

Bannon cut him off. "Don't you show anything toward anything female!"

Greg's eyes left Terry for the first time as he swung around to gape at Bannon.

Greg said, "I'm gay?"

"Oh my dear Lord!" said Stefan.

"What a waste," said Irene.

"Poetic justice," said Terry.

Greg protested. "Captain, last night you never said—"

"I'm saying it now." Bannon silenced them all with a dangerous glare. He waited pointedly until Terry and Greg sat down next to Stefan and Irene in the wooden folding chairs. Then Bannon continued his briefing.

"You are simply the Dupree family on vacation. I don't want any of you even remotely resembling a cop. Do not blow your covers. These are guys with guns and a lot to lose, and they have huge problems dealing with authority figures."

The captain used his pointer on the photo wall to point out the layout of the resort property as well as the significant people there. He finished with, "Somewhere on this facility is a big, nasty, gambling operation run by smart, mean, well-connected people. We know it's in there.

"I'm counting on this team to find it. You start tomorrow, Friday; your rooms are reserved for evening arrival. I want this operation busted, okay. But whether you find the casino or not, in two days I want you out. Alive. Any questions?"

Four faces filled with doubt stared up at him. Bannon stared into the eyes of each face in turn.

"Speak up," the captain said. "We're all professionals here."

Four voices mumbled that they had no questions, but they did it without enthusiasm.

Bannon tossed his yardstick on the desk, bang!

Four people nearly jumped out of their chairs at the noise.

Bannon ignored the row of raw nerves seated before him. "So, get organized, get packed, and get some rest. You'll leave from here tomorrow at fifteen hundred hours. We'll have a car loaded and waiting for you. Dismissed."

Stefan stood and helped Irene to her feet in a solicitous and husbandly manner. "Come, my dear."

Irene's face looks as though, while she may have to do this, she does not have to like it. "Right," she said. "Sweetheart."

The older couple left together.

Greg stood from his chair and glared into Bannon's face.

"Problem, Hallstead?" the captain asked.

Greg turned on his heel and left the room.

Terry rose slowly from her seat and walked toward the door as if dazed. She opened the door, but the captain spoke before she could exit.

"Terry ..."

"Yes, sir?"

She turned to look at Bannon. He motioned her to come in and shut the door. She eased the door shut, but kept one hand on the knob, warily.

Bannon asked, "Have you been seeing Greg Hallstead?"

Terry made a wry face. "Actually, he saw more than I did."

"Terry, this is Uncle Kevin you're talking to, not just a superior officer. No games, now."

"No, sir." Terry fidgeted. "We sorta met at the rodeo."

"Ohhhh, I get it," said Bannon. "He can't accept that a Florida gal won that buckle this year. Montana snobs. Bad as Texans. They just can't believe we raise great cowhands in Kissimmee! He must've been pretty surprised when he saw you in that arena."

"I don't think he cares where I'm from," she said. "He just hates losing to a woman. And, I don't think he saw me in the arena. At least, he didn't know it was me."

"So, where did he see you?"

Terry let out a long breath. "I met him for dinner at Desperado's."

The captain seemed to think about this, and he seemed more uncomfortable the longer he thought. Finally, he said, "Why would you meet a man at Desperado's when you said, yourself, a few minutes ago that you didn't even know his full name? Is that how my sister raised you?"

"It was because of Mother that I owed him dinner," Terry admitted.

Bannon waited, and when she didn't elaborate, he said, "I want the rest of it. That's an order."

Terry squared her shoulders and took a deep breath in and out.

"I fell in this puddle, see ..."

Moments later, everyone in the squad room looked up when Terry burst out of Bannon's office, moving fast toward the exit and ignoring the bellow thundering behind her:

"Teresa Cecilia Beatrice McCaskill!"

When he got no response, he shouted even louder:

"Hallstead!"

Greg was standing near his desk in the squad room, and Terry grabbed his arm as she passed.

"What?" Greg said as she hauled him toward the exit.

"Hallstead! Get your slimy carcass in here!"

Terry flashed a worried look toward Bannon's office door, but she kept moving, dragging Greg with her.

"Trust me," she said, and the couple fled the building.

Bannon's office door slammed open, and he stormed into the squad room. He saw Greg's vacant desk, the exit door still swinging on its hinges, and knew they had gotten away.

Ka-whangggggg, he kicked a metal trash can across the room.

AUTHOR NOTE: Thanks for reading and voting.  If you haven't commented yet, won't you at least comment "yes" or "no" to this question:  Are you smiling?

Don't miss the next installment of Emerald's Secret. Our four mismatched cops are about to check in to their hotel together. Wonder what kind of first impression they will make?