Like an alarm was in her head, Miranda woke up again at six, and getting up she showered, dressed, and putting on some makeup and doing her hair, she holstered her gun, and walked out of her door. Joe was sound asleep by her door on a chair.
"Help someone!" Miranda yelled.
Joe came flying off his chair and landed on the floor.
Miranda bust into a fit of giggles, as the other three came running, their guns drawn. But they laughed when they saw Joe getting up off of the floor.
"That was not funny," Joe frowned.
"Yes, it was, besides you are supposed to be watching me, not sleeping," she told him.
"Hey, I was tired," he protested.
She only grinned at him, "Well, since you are awake now, how about breakfast?"
He growled at her and tried to grab her but she ran down the hall laughing.
He only grinned and followed her, as did the others.
In the kitchen they found Miranda pulling out eggs and bacon and bread.
"French Toast?" she asked.
"Sure," Joe said, "but I'll help."
"We will too," John told her.
"Don't leave me out," Becky said.
"You could make the orange juice," Joe told Becky.
Soon they had a production going and not too long later they were sitting down to a nice breakfast.
"So you can cook too?" Aaron grinned at Miranda, "will you marry me?"
Miranda rolled her eyes.
"Sorry, you have a boyfriend?" Aaron asked.
"Yep," she nodded.
"Oh, okay," Aaron shrugged. "He a cop?"
"Yep," she said again.
"Cool," he shrugged.
The men ate like they hadn't eaten in days, which made Miranda and Becky laugh.
"What?" Joe asked.
"You men, you eat like you are starving," Miranda said.
"We are," Joe said, his mouth full of egg. "Are you going to eat that?" he asked pointing to her bacon.
That made the women laugh even harder. "Sure Joe, eat it," Miranda told him.
He grabbed it and shoved it into his mouth, then swallowing he washed it down with juice.
"Better?" Miranda laughed.
"Much," he grinned.
"So what are we doing today?" she asked.
"That depends, how is your head?" Joe asked.
She shook it, wrong thing to do. She went very pale.
"That's what I thought," Joe said, "we are staying here, and you are going to relax, read, draw, whatever, but don't reinjure yourself."
"Relax? What does that mean?" Miranda asked and standing she walked to the sink to do the dishes, but she was cut off, as John and Becky took over.
"You need to rest," Becky told her.
"And you will be doing more resting in California," Joe told her.
"No way Joe, I am going after Tyrone."
Joe walked over to her. "No, you are not."
"Want to make a bet? I'm the only one who can bring him down."
"No, we are not endangering your life, no way Miranda. Someone else is taking your place right now."
He then paled as he realized what he had said.
"What?" Miranda yelled angrily. "Someone took my place, Joe? She will be killed. You are hiding me, so she can go out there and lure Tyrone in? Are you insane Joe?"
"She has protection," he told her calmly.
"So you knew about this the whole time, didn't you Joe. No wonder I am in hiding. Damn you, Joe. I am so angry at you right now, you have no idea."
"It wasn't my idea, it was the Chiefs, both of them. They wanted to lure Tyrone in without you in the middle."
"But I am in the middle Joe, or my decoy is, you guys just sent her to her death," she hissed angrily.
"They care about you Miranda, that's why you are here, you are his best detective, he does not want you killed."
"So it is okay if my decoy is?" she asked angrily, "that is so wrong Joe and you know it," she said, turning away from him. "That was the stupidest idea you guys have ever had," she fumed.
She started to leave the room, amid stunned officers. They didn't know what to do. Miranda was really ticked off.
"Where are you going?" Joe asked her, grabbing her arm.
"To save her life, if she isn't dead already," Miranda growled, shaking off his arm.
He grabbed her again, holding her. "You are not leaving, if I have to cuff you to the bed, I will, to keep you here. Your life is a whole lot more important than hers."
"You are unbelievable Joe, I can't believe you just said that. I am leaving."
She headed out again after shaking Joe off, but he grabbed her, threw her over his shoulder and headed back into the kitchen with her. "You are not leaving," he yelled at her.
"Let me go," she said, pounding his back.
"Settle down," he told her. Then unceremoniously dumped her into a kitchen chair.
"Now sit there, and do not move," he warned her. "If you move, I will tie you up, and believe me, I have no problem doing it," he told her angrily.
She had never seen Joe so angry. But then again, she was pretty ticked off too.
"You cannot tie me up, Joe."
"Watch me," he ground out. "You are staying put until this whole mess is over."
"What about the microchip?"
"She has a fake necklace and a fake microchip. She is going to make a deal with Tyrone."
"What kind of deal?"
"I'm not sure, but Tyler and Chief Stratton are in charge of it."
"She will end up dead. Tyrone will see right through her."
"She is wearing a mask," Joe told her.
Miranda shook her head. "Unbelievable Joe."
"Don't worry Miranda, it will work out. You are safe here, that is all that matters."
"Fine Joe, but if she ends up dead, I will let you have it, this is beyond ridiculous."
"You are the one acting ridiculous Miranda, we are trying to save your life."
"Who else knows she is a fake?"
"The detectives of the SFPD, Tyler, Chad, and both police chiefs. They are all in on it to protect her."
"What happens when Tyrone finds out the chip is a fake?"
"We won't give him a chance to use the fake, or if he tries, it won't work."
"That will really tick him off," she said.
"We have a trace on it, so if he tries anything he will be arrested."
"I hope all of you know how to pray because my decoy and the other officers are going to need all the help they can get."
"They will be fine," Joe insisted.
"So you say," she frowned.
"Please do me a favor Miranda, when the Chief calls you today, play dumb, I was not supposed to mention that plan to you. You were to be kept in the dark, but you made me so angry, it just came out."
"Don't worry Joe, I won't tell on you. I know you value your job as much as I do mine."
"Thank you, Miranda," he sighed. "Are you going to be okay?"
"Give me a minute, I am still pretty ticked."
"Understandable, but this is for the best," he pointed out.
She sighed and stood. "I am going to go read, I need to get my mind off things."
She stood and Joe followed her. She went into the living room and grabbed Edgar Allen Poe off the shelf. She needed something morbid to get her mind off the current situation.
"Joe?" she asked as he sat by her.
"What?"
"Does Cole know that he is watching a decoy?"
"Yes."
She sighed. "This is so stupid, you know that?"
"I know," Joe admitted, "but I really want you safe. Even Cole wants you safe. He loves you, you know."
"I know, but it doesn't make this right."
"Sorry," Joe shrugged at her.
Aaron walked in then. "Hey, Edgar Allen Poe, I love his stories," he said, sitting in the chair across from them, after seeing what Miranda was reading.
Joe stood then. "I am going to go take a nap. I didn't get much sleep," he said looking at Miranda. "Aaron keep an eye on her, and make sure she doesn't escape."
"I will make sure she stays," he said.
Joe nodded and left the room.
Miranda smiled to herself, she would escape, there was no doubt about that, but she would wait until everyone was asleep.
Aaron saw her smile. "Do you and Joe have a thing going?" he asked curiously.
"No, he is just my partner. I don't love him, well maybe like a brother," she admitted.
"I see, I was just wondering the way you two act."
"Like an old married couple?"
He grinned. "Yes, that's it."
"Comes with the job, sometimes we treat each other like we are married, but he never tries to compromise me, he is just a nice guy."
"That's good," Aaron said, and leaning his head back against the chair he closed his eyes.
"No escaping, I am a light sleeper," he told her.
"I wasn't planning on it," she lied and looked at the book. She couldn't concentrate on it though, because she was fine-tuning her plan. She just hoped she wasn't too late to save her decoy's life.