The Bond Between Us (Anastasia and Herman)

Hank looked completely lost, instantly clutching his chest like he was protecting some priceless treasure, and scooted as far from Jason as possible.

Eyebrows raised, he shot Jason a suspicious look. "Wait, you want me to dress up as a woman and go night fishing with you? Seriously? Dude, I'm not into that kind of thing. I don't even like guys."

Jason shot back, deadpan, "Who said anything about night fishing? And for the record, I'm not into guys either."

"Then why the dress?" Hank protested, shaking his head. "I'm not into that. Seriously, I'd rather die. I have my pride, man."

Jason just stared, clearly unimpressed.noveldrama

“Look, we've been watching Harry for weeks and haven't made any progress. He only targets women, so if we want to catch him, we need to set a trap," Jason explained, laying it out. "Here's the plan: you go undercover as a woman. Register on the dating apps Harry likes, get his attention, draw him out. Once he takes the bait, we'll catch him red-handed. We'll call it 'fishing.""

From the victims' info, they already knew Harry's favorite apps-Tinder, Bumble, all the usual ones.

Basically, Jason wanted Hank to catfish Harry, play the role of some girl looking for a quick buck, and become his next target.

Hank shivered, horrified. "Jason, you're really gonna use me as bait? Come on, man, I'm still young..."

Jason frowned. "What's with the whining? Does that sound like something a cop would say?"

Hank clamped his mouth shut. He wasn't actually scared-just completely out of his comfort zone. Dressing up as a woman to lure out a criminal? This was way outside his wheelhouse.

He glanced at Jason, eyes full of resentment, looking like a puppy who just got scolded.

Jason's lips curled into a satisfied smile. "That's the look-keep it up. With eyes like that, Harry doesn't stand a chance."

Hank just groaned.

"Jason, there are plenty of female officers in the department. Why me? I'm a guy! What if I screw this up? If you really need a man for this, you could do it yourself."

Jason shook his head. "With a dress and a wig, you'll pass. The female officers haven't done undercover with us, and let's be real, I'm built like a tank-no one's buying me as a woman. This stays between us, off the record."

Hank was on the skinny side, with soft features-almost pretty for a guy. Jason, meanwhile, looked like he could bench-press a car.

Hank eyed the dress, every fiber of his being wanting to refuse. His reputation was on the line here.

But Jason's tone turned sharp. "Did you forget what it means to wear that badge? Be a man, step up. This is serious police work, not a joke."

The words hit home. Hank straightened up. "Alright, Jason. I'll do it."

Catching the serial predator was what mattered; pride could take a back seat.

He grabbed the dress, headed to the bathroom, and came back out a few minutes later in a bright red dress, black curly wig, and stockings. Jason did a double take.

Hank's walk still screamed "guy," all stiff and awkward. "Well?" he asked.

Jason tried not to laugh. "Not bad. Next time, shave the stubble, grab some Reels, and try to walk softer.

For now, set up a profile on the apps, upload a few selfies.

"What if Harry recognizes me?" Hank asked, worried.

"No way. With th

the wig, some filters,

and a bit of makeup, you're

unrecognizable. Plus, Harry's never

met you. Just don't talk until you

have to. And Hank-this stays between us. Anything happens, you come to me. I'll have your back."

Jason wasn't taking chances-he suspected someone in the department was

leaking info. Otherwise, why had Harry suddenly gone quiet?

Hank nodded. "Got it, Jason."

Jason looked him over again: five-foot-nine, barely a hundred and ten pounds,

and honestly, in a dress... it worked.

His gaze dropped to Hank's chest. "You'll need... something there."

Hank looked down. "Yeah, kind of flat. I'll grab some gel inserts."

Now he was really starting to get into the role.