INFILTRATED: An intro to a potential suspense novel. There are several Steemit Easter eggs throughout the story....see if you can spot them

INFILTRATED 

Plot and Characters

Benjamin

A young Miami native in his early 20s who works as a bartender in NORMANS bar and grill. His father was killed when Ben was just a baby in a robbery gone wrong.

 Benjamin is infatuated by Sandra, the bars new weekend singer. Sandra has icy blue eyes with curly blonde hair that reaches her lower back and the voice of an angel. They are attracted to each other and eventually begin a romantic relationship

Michael

A Miami detective in his mid 40s with a Michael Keaton face and slick back gray hair. The uncle and father figure of Ben. Michael raised him after the death of Bens father(these series of events lead Michael to want to become a detective)

Ben has not spoken to his uncle Michael in several months ever since Detective Michael lead an investigation which lead to the arrest of Bens best friend who was behind the hacking of a cryptocurrency website. His friend is now serving prison time

Detective Michael and his partner Jack are investigating a series of murders of both civilians and officers that are taking place throughout the city in which most of the leads point to Miguel Antonio...the cities drug lord.

Pete

An undercover cop, and the childhood friend of Michael. Pete has infiltrated Miguel Antonio's family and has managed to become one of Miguel's henchmen. His objective is to gather as much information as he possibly can in order to bring Miguel to justice. Somehow Miguel Antonio has managed to stay several steps ahead of the detectives. Michael and Jack believe that Miguel Antonio has been contracting hitmen in order to eliminate any loose ends that may put his business in jeopardy. 

Premise

The date is July 14 2016. Detective Michael and Jack lose all communication with Pete. To make matters worse Michaels informant, Ned, who works with the middlemen of Miguel Antonio, notifies the detectives that Sandra, the girl whom Ben is dating (at this point Michael is unaware of this since he has not spoken to his nephew or seen him in several months) is the adoptive daughter of Miguel Antonio. It took the informant a while to obtain this information because Sandra has been living at the University of Miami where she is studying music theory way before the investigation started.

Ned continues to tell the detectives that Miguel Antonio had organized a family gathering and has invited his men, Sandra and her new boyfriend to it.... that very same day. The detectives gasp.....Benjamin will recognize Pete...and his cover will be blown!

Michael attempts to call his nephew but to no avail. The detectives speed down the city and arrive at the block where Miguel Antonio's mansion is located. They desperately scan through the crowd of people gathered in front of the mansion but do not spot Ben.

"There There!! screams Jack pointing through his tinted windows toward the front door of the mansion. Michael looks and sees Ben slowly enter the mansion.....they were too late.

Benjamin enters the mansion with Sandra.....he looks towards Sandra...into her glacier eyes....she looks back into his, and he says to her "you look gorgeous when you’re not wearing any makeup". Sandra blushes and says to him..."SO how do I look when I do have makeup on?"

He says to her "Just Beautiful"

Ben looks around him and is enthralled with the beauty of Miguel Antonio's house. Sandra introduces Ben to her family. After shaking many hands and giving several kisses....Sandra finally introduces Ben to her step father, Miguel Antonio. A bald muscular man in his 50s, with a warm smile, and a soft spoken voice....Ben stretches out his arm to shake hands...Miguel does the same as he grips Bens hand and stares at him in his left eye...then is right....then at both. "Welcome to my home"

During the dinner Ben sits in front of Sandra and next to Miguel. A couple of minutes into the dinner, Miguel turns toward Ben and whispers in his ear.

“You know…the way my daughter looks at you is the same way she used to look at her teddy bear when she was a girl…..she loved her teddy bear. You break my daughter’s heart….and I will break your neck”

Miguel then looks into Ben’s eyes seriously for 3 seconds then suddenly starts to laugh out loud

“What did he tell you” asks Sandra

Miguel then winks at Ben then turns to one of his men and starts another conversation with him.

About an hour into the dinner, Ben excuses himself to use the bathroom. He walks through a corridor and sees several doors....one is open, as Ben peeks through it he hears a voice behind him

"How may I help you?"

It was the maid. Ben notifies her that he is looking for the restroom. She shows him the way. While in the bathroom Ben hears a muffled scream coming from the room next to the bathroom. He then hears what sounded like cursing and laughing.....then the muffled scream again. Thinking that it may be a television, Ben dismisses the noises. As he walks out of the restroom he hears a muffled "HELP!" coming from around the corner of the dark corridor. 

He carefully peeks through the bottom of the door and sees several people standing in front of a man sitting on a stool. One of the men standing pulls out a gun with a silencer and shoots the man sitting down.....the man on the stool falls to the ground and lands directly in front of the door. Ben recognizes the man as his uncles childhood friend....Pete.

Bens quickly stands up as he covers his mouth and tears stream down his cheeks. As he pulls his phone out to call for help he hears the maids voice coming from the corner of the corridor as she gently knocks on the bathroom door "Ben is everything ok? I thought I heard you come out of the bathroom a couple of minutes ago"

Bens heart pounds as he shakes his head in an attempt to regain his cool. He knows that if anyone senses that he saw anything he will be a dead man. He doesn't know if he can even trust Sandra. He walks around the corner and sees the maid.

"I'm sorry I got lost...this is a huge mansion"

"Yes it is my dear....come on back to the dinner table, they are about to have desert."

After the dinner Ben tells Sandra that he has to meet with a friend. One of her relatives kindly agrees to drive her back to the University. 

As Ben enters his car he quickly takes his phone out and dials 911...before he can press the call button a car driving towards him side tracks him. Ben sees as two men approach his car. Its his uncle Michael...Ben exists his car and starts to sob as he hugs his uncle.

"They killed Pete....Pete is dead they shot him!!"

"Oh no" says Jack as he grabs his head with both his hands "they killed Petie those bastards"

Michael kept silent.

 He didn't shed a tear when his brother was killed or when his wife left him for another man. Michael takes a deep breath as he tries to figure out what should be done.

"We cant notify anyone outside of this investigation what happened......if we do then Miguel Antonio will know that we were on to him and Petes death will have been for nothing" says Michael

Michael explains to Ben everything that happened. 

Jack notifies their sergeant and the Miami Police department decides to temporarily dismiss the investigation.

The next day Ben overhears a conversation his uncle is having with Jack.

Jack feels like MBPD will never reopen the case since they are afraid to send in anymore cops to their death.

Ben then has an idea. He tells his uncle that he himself can infiltrate Miguel Antonio's operation and gather evidence that he is responsible for the killings. Michael reluctantly disagrees. 

Ben explains his plan to Jack in private. Jack agrees to help him with whatever he needs

"You do know that if your uncle finds out about this he’s going to kill us both right?"

"NO.....no he will just kill you" says Ben

"I'm serious about this....look kid, the only reason that I am helping you do this is because IT is the ONLY way. Your uncle doesn't see this because he cares for you, and he is worried...but when you think about it ...Miguel Antonio is known  to take in his own family...nephews and sons to put their lives in jeopardy for the sake of his business....how much time do you think will pass before he decides to bring you in? You won’t even have to try to work for him….he will choose you. Besides what else are you going to do….if you break up with Sandra do you think he is just going to let it go? NO….he said it himself…he will break your neck. I can guarantee you that he was not joking. Listen…once you are in…there is no going back.”

“Im in”

As Ben infiltrates the Antonio family he soon finds that the closer he gets to bringing Miguel Antonio to justice, the closer he gets to solving the death of his father.