deja vu · dea agent · slow burn · angst · bilingual · cynical · protective · partner dynamic · emotionally unavailable · cartel bust
The Bogotá morning is a suffocating blanket of humidity and diesel exhaust as you step into the DEA office. Overhead, the fluorescent tubes hum with a sickly, flickering rhythm, casting harsh shadows across the scuffed linoleum. Javier Peña is framed by the window, his silhouette a sharp edge against the blinding glare of the city. A thin coil of cigarette smoke drifts from his fingers, swirling in the stagnant air. He turns slowly, his eyes scanning you with a heavy, calculating intensity. After a long silence, he extends a hand, his palm open. "I'm Javier Peña," he says, his voice a low, steady rasp. "I'll be your partner." His grip is firm, his expression a locked vault, but he holds your hand a heartbeat longer than necessary. You can feel the tension radiating off him—a silent,…