Like Slipping Under Cover: Erotic Spy Fiction

by Bethany Zaiatz, ed.

  If present, they always approached her with a big grin and greeted her with some phrase about lunch, "Sorry we couldn't grab lunch today, walk me to the office and tell me?", "Thanks for bringing my lunch money, I can't believe I left it on the counter this morning!" Then it was a handshake if the item was small enough to palm, or they'd swing an arm around her shoulders, forming a wall with their bodies, and they'd pass the object closely between them. They'd walk together until they were out of the open and then the agents would make up some excuse about forgetting something at work or remembering they needed to dash over to the store before the ration stamp specials were over, for the benefit of anyone overhearing, and away they'd go, Seph waving them off and heading back to her squad a different way than she'd come.

  Dead drops were much less theatrical. She'd arrive at the park and stroll around looking for the lamppost with lime green gum stuck to it. This was the indicator that it either had a false base or a false brick next to it, so if she knelt and pretended to tie her bootlace, it was very easy for her to stash a drop item without being obvious.

  After six months of dead drops and bridge agents--go betweens, Seph saw Rhodo again. Pleasant surprise was an understatement as she saw that the agent approaching her with a big grin was none other than Curls herself, face beaming, cheeks flushed in the cold, curls bouncing against her shoulders. She didn't really use a code phrase, more just spoke the truth when she greeted, "Nice to see you! It's been a while! Thanks for coming on such short notice, sorry to keep you hanging around."

  Rhodo swept her into a half-hug and walked her over to the nearest alley, where she wrapped her arms around Seph's waist and leaned her against the brick wall. Smirking at Seph's lack of protest at the pinning, Rhodo leaned in and kissed her. Seph felt a rush in her stomach as if she'd just chugged six Queen Charlies. She wasn't ready when Rhodo pulled back.

  "I wanted to do that the first night I met you," Rhodo smiled.

  Seph returned it.

  "But, that would've been highly unprofessional of me. And if I'd scared you off the bosses would've raged because 'a Grasmus agent would be invaluable, you must recruit her!' And yes, that was their order verbatim, which is also highly unprofessional of me to be sharing with you, but I think it's classy to let a person know when they're so greatly sought after and so I'm sharing because with the army I'm sure you are long overdue for praise and where was I? Again?"

  Seph grinned and gripped the sides of Rhodo's shoulders, pulling her back into a kiss. Rhodo drew her arms back from around Seph's waist and slid her hands up under Seph's ears until her thumbs almost crashed into them. Seph slid an arm around Rhodo's shoulders, squeezing one with that hand and resting her other hand on Rhodo's hip. They took longer to separate that time, but it was still too soon for Seph. There would never be enough time.

  "Ah yes," Rhodo remembered, a little breathless. "Kinky superior-subordinate stuff. Because it's not an exploitation of my power if you enjoy it!"

  Seph laughed. It was a short sound, very quiet. More of a breath that happened to carry a lighter pitch of her voice. But Rhodo smiled at her like Seph had just plucked up a tiny flower from a crack in the sidewalk and given it to her.

  "It's nice to hear you, too," she said.

  Seph folded her lips in a little and looked away, the tops of her cheeks suddenly warm at the idea of Rhodo listening to her.

  "Now." Rhodo mercifully returned to business. "I believe you have a very interesting stick drive for me and my computer, yes?"

  Seph nodded.

  "Excellent. I believe you also have," Rhodo checked her watch, and then showed it to Seph for confirmation, "half of your 2-Hour Liberty left?"

  Seph nodded.

  "Even better," Rhodo grinned. She took Seph's hand and led her further into the alley, ducking them behind a pile of crates and pallets.

  Seph found herself pressed against the back wall of the alley this time, though now Rhodo didn't pin her there with anything more than just her proximity to her. Seph had maybe about two feet separating where she was standing from where Rhodo was standing. She preferred their previous positioning.

  "I know this hasn't been your protocol when meeting with other agents, and it's certainly not mine with other operatives. But today, in order to retrieve my item from you, I'm going to..." she reached out and pinched the button on Seph's coat lapel, running her thumb over the crossed rifles and stars stamped on the metal, "...search you for it." She smirked. "It's of course more fun, but now that I think of it, it's also a good chance to go over some important concealment methods, so, pay attention too."

  Seph nodded, eager either way.

  "I suppose we should start with making sure you're avoiding the obvious stash spots." Rhodo stuck her hands in Seph's coat pockets and felt around. Finding nothing there, she smiled. "Good. Now, this is a typical rookie, usually guy-type, mistake. They'll put the item in their back pants pocket. Like it's a wallet or something." Rhodo slid her arms into Seph's coat again and ran her hands into Seph's back pockets. She fanned her fingers out inside the pockets and raked them slowly up from the bottom seams to the openings. She flattened her hands and slid them back into the pockets, pressing her palms against Seph's ass so firmly that she pulled her forward a little.

  When Seph snorted at the directness of the touch, Rhodo justified, "Baggy pockets. Have to be very thorough not to miss anything there."

  Seph tilted her head and nodded, chuckling at how her coat pockets were bigger than her pants pockets and yet they had received the shorter search.

  Rhodo smirked, teased Seph with a quick butt squeeze, and then removed her hands from Seph's back pockets with a sigh. "Moving along to more trusted tactics. Many of our breast-possessing and bra-wearing agents have been known to conceal items in their underwire, or just above the rib-seam of their bra if they forgo underwire."

  Seph felt her entire face flush this time, but her shoulders twitched in anticipation. She let out a throat-clearing cough, and nodded, fighting a grin.

  Rhodo smiled and tugged at Seph's shirt a few times to untuck it from her pants, then rolled it up her stomach gently, as if she were wounded underneath. Seph shuddered a little as crisp air hit her skin. With all the blushing, and the natural warmth Rhodo inspired to swell inside of her, she'd forgotten it was on the chillier side of cool days. Rhodo stepped forward and pressed her waist against Seph's, her wool coat a little scratchy but warm as it covered Seph's stomach. Her bottom lip curved down in a half-frown.

  "Sorry. It is cold."

  Seph smiled and shook her head. She took the crumpled hem of her shirt from Rhodo with both hands and pulled it up over her bra, curling it further and holding it at her collarbone. She chuckled again at how widely Rhodo grinned.

  "So, let's see here." She rested her palms on either sides of Seph's bra, and Seph was grateful for this additional source of warmth. Rhodo pouted thoughtfully and slid her hands around to Seph's back, fingers drumming against the clasps for a moment. She pressed her fingers to the bottom seam and followed it from the clasp, under Seph's arm, until she reached the perpendicular underwire seam. Her fingers traced that up to the cups, then traced down the wires supporting the cups, her hands brushing against Seph's abdomen. She slid her hands to cover the cups, Seph inhaling a quick breath at the feel of Rhodo's hands on her breasts, even through material.

  "Sometimes they're able to hide things in the padding." Rhodo's eyes were set on Seph's. Seph held her gaze. She'd forgotten what Rhodo was even talking about. She took in another small breath. The cold. Rhodo's hands. Her heart still managing to flutter even though it was heavy with desire.

  Rhodo either read her mind or they were sharing the same thought, because she declared, "Yeah, I'm done with foreplay." She grabbed Seph's belt and began to unbuckle it but then looked up, eyes wide. Seph's eyes widened in response.

  "Sorry. Is this ok? I know I go fast. And that that's one thing when it's flirting, and another entirely when it's touching. So, if this is
not what you had in mind, please let me know."

  Seph released a breath of relief as she grinned. She leaned forward and kissed Rhodo slowly just under the corner where her jaw met her neck. She kissed her there a few more times, then introduced her tongue. And then, very gently, her teeth.

  Rhodo groaned a laugh.

  "Ok. Usually I'm not one for ambiguous answers, but in this case, take your time, sweetie." She gathered some of Seph's hair in her hand and nudged her fingers through it, her other hand cupping the side of Seph's shoulder, as Seph's mouth took a few minutes to familiarize itself with her neck, her jaw, and as close to her collarbone as the cut of her shirt would allow.

  Eventually Seph brought her kisses back to Rhodo's lips, and while savoring those she unclipped her belt herself. She unbuttoned and unzipped, and then took Rhodo's hand from her hair and dragged it down her neck, down the strap of her bra, down her torso and guided it past both her pants and underwear.

  Rhodo pulled her lips back from Seph's to smirk as she hummed a quiet growl in the back of her throat.

  "There we go."

  Seph leaned her shoulders back against the wall and tilted her hips up to give Rhodo a better angle. Rhodo thanked her for her consideration by bending to return some recent mouth favors on Seph's breasts. Seph moaned so low her sternum rang with it.

  It was a sound quiet enough that only the two of them could've heard it, but it still seemed so loud to Seph. She whimpered a little as Rhodo finally went from massaging hand and teasing knuckle to prying fingers and stroking fingernails. That whimper sounded too loud to her too. Every noise she made, little as it was, seemed amplified in her ears. 'It's nice to hear you, too' she thought of Rhodo saying. It was. It was nice to hear herself. She knew she had to be discreet so they wouldn't be noticed, as well-hidden as they were, but when she felt like vocalizing, she let it out. Creaks and squeaks and groans and hums. She didn't have to restrain herself to strictly sighs and pants, though there were plenty of those too. She didn't have to restrain herself. She didn't have to hold everything in. She could hear herself if she wanted.

  Rhodo looked up at her and grinned, a just noticeable sheen of sweat shining across her forehead. She kissed Seph's forehead.

  "Having fun?"

  Seph smiled back. She could let herself be heard.

  She was thankful however, when, as soon as she drew in the telltale "Oh" breath, Rhodo leaned in to kiss her again, stifling what could've been a pretty conspicuously loud release. Instead it was just an "Mmnhf" powerful enough that it felt like it reverberated in both their throats. Which was just as satisfying for Seph.

  Rhodo released Seph's mouth and pulled her hand back out of her pants. She pulled her underwear back up to her waist, zipped her up, buttoned her, and buckled her belt. She rolled Seph's shirt back down to her pants, met Seph's eyes again, and let out a breath.

  "Well, damn." She grinned.

  Seph released a breath of a laugh, standing up straight against the wall again.

  Rhodo kept looking at Seph with pure glee in her eyes. She bit her lip and shook her head.

  "Oh. I so needed some 'ahh' in my espionage, Seph, you have no idea." She laughed. She sighed again, shaking her shoulders to stretch them out.

  "You wouldn't believe the number of hours I've clocked behind a desk this month!" She rolled her eyes. She crossed her arms across her chest. "I think this is my first outing into fresh air in just as long. Easily."

  Seph chuckled. Actually, she could believe Rhodo had clocked too many hours at a desk this month. The way her fingers had just worked her, Seph's brain was still processing about 70 words per minute. She mirrored Rhodo's smile at her.

  Rhodo gave another sigh and then checked her watch.

  "Oh. Sweetie, you should go." She looked up. "I mean me too, but you'll be in more trouble if you're late." Rhodo showed Seph the time and Seph's eyes widened. If she left right now she'd probably have just enough time to make it back to camp before Liberty Return Roll was read.

  Rhodo grabbed her by her coat collar into one more strong kiss and Seph resisted the urge to pull her into another hug, knowing that would only make it harder to leave.

  "I'm gonna miss you." Rhodo's eyes bore into Seph almost as hard as her words. Seph could already feel the ache of her absence. "And I'm gonna hate waiting to see you again. But, we've made some pretty intense memories today, so I'll be glad to hold onto those in the meantime. Right?" She smiled. Seph nodded. Rhodo kissed her forehead.

  "Don't forget to tuck in your shirt, sweetie."

  She backed out of the alley, keeping her eyes on Seph until she reached the sidewalk and had to look where she was going again. She turned her head to the left, and marched off in that direction.

  As soon as Rhodo disappeared from view, Seph panicked. The stick drive. The whole purpose of meeting in the first place, and Seph had never given it to her. She waited a minute, hoping Rhodo would realize this and come back for it. When she didn't, Seph rushed out of the alley and looked in the direction Rhodo had headed, but she was already gone. Swallowing hard, Seph reached into the pocket under her coat lining just to make sure it was at least still secure. The pocket was empty. Fear, and then relief spread through her.

  Seph may have forgotten, but Rhodo hadn't. Seph wasn't sure when exactly she had obtained the drive, but she had spent plenty of time fishing around in Seph's coat, and she clearly knew all of the best places in clothing to hide things.

  Seph set her jaw and chuckled. Quite the brush pass.

  * * * *

  For the next two years, Seph's double life continued as a steady routine of squad marches, earpiece transmissions, bridge agents, and the all too occasional appearance of Rhodo, their rendezvous becoming liaisons when time and place allowed.

  Seph never knew exactly what was accomplished with the data she filched. A lot of the time the intelligence she passed on needed to be decoded or required translation, and even when it was readable, each piece of information looked so isolated from the next. She saw maps and schematics and place-names, yes, but none of them seemed to connect in any way that she could recognize. She figured that was something Reperio probably preferred. If she were ever compromised she would have little to expose about them.

  In turn, Seph was fine not knowing what Reperio's big picture was. So long as they did a little damage on her behalf, she was satisfied. And especially so long as she could keep meeting with Rhodo, she was satisfied. It was probably crass, but most of the time it felt like little more than mischief-making. Look at something she wasn't supposed to. Tell secrets she wasn't supposed to, to someone she wasn't supposed to be seeing. When she marched with her squad everything felt the same as it always had. No one seemed suspicious of her, and Seph was confident that she could keep them ignorant. Grasmus still told her jokes. Still nudged her to help him scan for girls when they were on liberty. The only thing that had really changed for Seph was her comfort with that relationship. She still enjoyed Grasmus's company, but now she did so with a step taken back. There was a little more distance between them, and while Grasmus didn't seem to notice it, Seph felt a little strange about it, and tried not to focus on it. Seph liked Grasmus. But she loved Joseph and Dweryslo, and she'd known them a lot longer. She didn't regret the choice she'd made.

  Seph should've known better than to think that it would all be as easy as a dead drop in the park, though. Two years was a long time to go without having to answer to a conscience. When it came for her, it was brutal.

  The squad was nearing the end of a very long march. Pummeled by enemy fire for weeks, they'd lost three of their twelve-person unit helping to defend an important border river, before they were finally relieved and sent further back into home territory. For the past couple days, they'd been stopped at a supply base called Malynmet to rest, and the next morning they were due to start their return to their home base for a whole week's leave--a reward for their efforts.

  Over breakfast, however, the officer in charge of
the supply base issued them a new order.

  "I'm gonna need you to pull a little guard duty for me before you can head on home." He pretended not to hear the chorus of quiet groans. "Listen. I got a supply convoy due up north in four hours and I'd like you to ride along with 'em for extra security. I don't expect any problems, but this is a big load of goodies and I'd rather not take the chance. The convoy has its own squad, almost one for each of you, so at least you'll have a buddy to play sight games with as you stare bored out the window thinkin' how much you hate me for ruinin' your day." He smirked at the chuckles he received for that one. "Once you get to the drop-off location, just sit tight with your new pals and a squad should be up to relieve you tomorrow."

  Grasmus got up from the commanders' table and approached the officer.

  "With all due respect, sir. There are no other soldiers that could take this ride?"

  "Your squad too sleepy-headed to handle a routine ride, son?"

  "My squad is actually a few different kinds of exhausted, sir. If there are other soldiers available, I'm not sure it's necessary for my--"

  "There are no other soldiers available!" the officer addressed the little mess hall. "The squad that was supposed to be here, can't get here, because of a storm downing trees almost on top of 'em and they have to reroute. Their new course should get them here by tomorrow, but I can't wait that long, so it's gotta be you that makes the ride. Today." He turned to Grasmus, raising and dropping his shoulders in an exaggerated shrug. "Sorry 'bout the war, son."

  Grasmus gave half a smile and nodded, accepting the admonishment, and the squad laughed. 'Sorry about the war' was actually one of Seph's favorite phrases of this military, used primarily as a warning to anyone who was whining, though was also known to be offered as a form of commiseration. We have to ration this candy because it's not safe to dispatch non-essential food this far into a swamp? Sorry about the war. I have to pull double watch tonight after marching all day 'cause my relief is sick? Sorry about the war, man. It was mostly the soldiers who said it, though everyone knew of it, and it was always fun when a commanding officer broke a bit of their decorum and used it. Especially when they said it to your commanding officer. Seph couldn't blame Grasmus for being a little whiney though. Thanks to her help on their last liberty at home base, he had a bartender who was likely waiting for him, and she knew the feeling. Unlikely as it would be, she was hoping Rhodo might make a return to Zaychicks, and they could revisit the lounge.