This is a work of fiction.  If you are a minor, a government official
or otherwise have difficulty with the difference between reality and
make believe, go away.  Copyright 2004 by Don Croyle.  Do not repost,
republish or publicly archive without permission.

                        Deep Cover Dilemma
                          by Don Croyle

It had seemed easy enough when the twenty-five year old detective had
been given the assignment.  Start attending the high school as a
transfer student and hang out with the "wrong" crowd until she came up
with some evidence that could be used to break the case.  Since
previous undercover officers had been exposed and there were signs
that the ring included faculty as well as students, the assignment was
deep cover.  Not only wouldn't the principal or other faculty members
know about her, but she'd be placed with a foster family who would
know only her cover identity.

"I want an explanation right now, young lady!"

She'd known going in that the school she was infiltrating practiced
corporal punishment and been prepared to take the occasional paddling
in order to complete her assignment.  What she hadn't counted on was
being placed with foster parents who felt it their moral duty to turn
what they thought was a delinquent sixteen year old girl's life
around.  They were concerned, supportive, fair and unhesitant to use a
hand, hairbrush or belt on her bare bottom when she misbehaved.

"Don't give me that, of course it's my business!"

Hanging out with the wrong crowd at school was high on their list of
no-noes.  So were smoking, drinking, lying, and staying out late.
Homework and volunteer work were well thought of.  Monitored dating
would have been, just barely, permissible with a boy they approved of,
but she had no interest in jailbait.  They suspected lesbian
tendencies....

"I thought we'd started to get you back on track.  But now this?"

With the best of intentions, her foster parents endeavored to keep her
from carrying out her assignment.  When she tried to do the things
that would help her get close to her targets, they almost always found
out and she ended up red-bottomed and grounded.  And to her horror,
the punishments were having their intended deterrent effect.

"I don't care if it was before you came here.  If they're still
interested in you we have to know why!"

Today was another part of the plan that had backfired.  With her cover
story and assignment, getting picked up for questioning occasionally
had seemed like a good way to let her make in-person reports without
blowing her cover.  Her foster mother had hit the roof when a marked
car brought her home.

"Last chance.  I want to know exactly why the police wanted to talk to
you.  Now."

Worst of all, her Captain had no sympathy for her plight.  If anything
he seemed amused by it.  He wanted results and was prepared to leave
her in place until he got them or she graduated.  Possibly, he had
hinted, even until her cover identity turned eighteen a few months
after that.

"Alright then, get ready for bed.  No supper and I'll be in to see you
after I get the cane.  We'll discuss how long you're going to be
grounded for in the morning,"