I was taking a well-deserved vacation at a resort in Jamaica, following the overwhelming success of my last mission—fugitive apprehended and brought back to the U.S. for prosecution—when I received a text message on my handheld instructing me to contact headquarters right away. Apparently, The Chief had a new assignment for me. This time, it was another covert mission…one of utmost importance. I was to head to New York State and find some of Long Island’s finest retail stores that sell musical instruments. In particular, I was looking for a beginner drum set and a retailer that would meet the highest standards. Still feeling high from my last victory, I agreed to take on the assignment and go undercover.
Before even boarding my private jet, I would need to work out a convincing cover story. I created my alter ego as the aunt of a budding rock musician—a 12-year-old nephew, to be exact—who was hoping for his first drum set for his upcoming birthday. It was perfect! And so, I headed to Long Island, confident that I could quickly identify the area’s top dogs in starter drum kits.
Several hours later, after completing my in-flight research, the wheels of the jet touched down. Nose to the grindstone, I jumped into the waiting spy mobile, fired up the GPS and headed out to central Long Island to visit some of the area’s leading musical instrument stores.
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