Covert Affairs

by A. C. Grey

  Tomorrow, at the arranged time, please do as planned. Arrive at your planned destination. Release the aerosolized virus as demonstrated to you at training. As a distraction, we here at headquarters will launch a missile attack on a neighboring country. Ignore any news reports about this. Do not assume this means to abort your mission. It is simply part of the greater plan – a plan that will gain us all immortality and salvation.

  Good luck, my friends. You have the power of righteousness on your side.

  -Paolo

  Both took a moment to let the horrible news sink in. The email had been sent just a few hours ago. If they didn't do something, and fast, only God knew what kind of devastation and tragedy would befall thousands of innocents. Both felt pangs of guilt for allowing themselves to be distracted by romance. And for Lucy, for allowing herself a moment of selfishness, caring more about her brother than the overall mission.

  However, neither dwelled long. They knew that there was no time for self-reflection. If they were lucky, there'd be time for that later.

  Meg jumped up and crossed the room. Lucy eyed her quizzically, but understood as soon as she saw her grab a notepad and pen. They needed to figure this out, but couldn't speak freely.

  Can you figure out who this email was sent to? We need names and locations so we can get it to HQ as soon as possible so that hopefully they can intercept them. Meg wrote.

  On it. Lucy scribbled before turning back to the computer.

  Lucy's fingers flew deftly across the keyboard, brow furrowed in concentration.

  Meg sat back and watched, as patiently as she could given the circumstances. Lucy's face twisted into various expressions as she worked. The play of emotions across her face was intriguing and beautiful. She sighed, brushing a stray raven lock from her eyes. Even now, even with what had happened, Meg couldn't help but be entranced. There was something about this woman that was simply mesmerizing. She hated herself, hated her heart for betraying what she knew to be right. But it was all a moot point now. They had a mission to complete. And Lucy had broken her trust. They just needed to get through this and then she could move on . . . as far away from Lucy Crane as possible.

  Lucy let out another deep sigh and grabbed the pen. Can't get into their internal database remotely. Going to have to find a way to get to their main computer.

  Meg's heart sunk as she read the message. Okay. We'll need to figure out how to get in and hopefully where everything is. We've got to try and not only get the identities of these terrorists, but also a way to disable the bomb. Can you look for schematics or a floorplan? She scrawled her thoughts and Lucy nodded before continuing her work.

  Meg began to pace the room, feeling helpless to do anything. She wanted to help, to contribute, to act. Right now, however, she knew she needed to trust Lucy, as hard as that might be. The fate of the free world rested on her shoulders in that moment.

  Lucy managed to find some rough schematics. They now knew the general direction that they needed to travel. She took a few moments to scan for anything else relevant. And then she saw it. And her heart plummeted to her feet. It couldn't be. She suddenly wished that Meg weren't reading over her shoulder. It was an email dated just before the botched raid by the Navy Seals.

  My brothers,

  J.C., our little "birdie," has sung. Just like I knew he would. He's let us know that the American pigs plan to raid our compound in a surprise attack tomorrow night. Not such a surprise anymore. We will be ready and waiting for them. They will go down in shame. Prepare yourselves, my brothers. This is but a small battle in the war for freedom.

  -Paolo

  Lucy glanced over her shoulder. One look at Meg's face told her that Meg had made the same connection Lucy had. That her brother might have betrayed his fellow Seals. That he might be in on the horrible plan.

  Despite the completely logical conclusions that her mind drew, Lucy's heart knew better. There was no way that Jim would ever, ever betray his country, betray his fellow servicemen. And if he were a co-conspirator, why were they torturing him? It didn't make sense. But despite her feeling that it couldn't be him, it didn't rid her of the knot in her stomach.

  Meg watched the warring emotions play across Lucy's face. She felt for her, she really did. Despite the tension of late, she wouldn't wish this situation on anyone. It had to be extremely hard for Lucy. To come this close to her captured brother, to see him tortured, to find out he might not be the man she thought he was. It seemed too much of a coincidence. J.C. could stand for Jim Crane. And the nickname "birdie" could definitely be a reference to his last name, Crane. Meg placed a reassuring hand on Lucy's shoulder. She felt her tense at the unexpected contact, before relaxing again. Meg wished there were something more she could do, but right now, they needed to stop this attack. They had no time for any other thoughts.

  They locked eyes. There was no need for talk as they both rose and readied themselves. There was no question of what to do. No thought of hesitation. No time for emotions. They had to act immediately. To find a way into the more secure areas of the compound. To find a way to stop the bomb attack. To find a way to stop the release of a deadly virus.

  Lucy tried to tear her eyes away from Meg as she dressed. She couldn't help but smile as Meg donned all black. How stereotypical of her. Maybe stereotypical, but the form-fitting outfit was also incredibly hot. Lucy took a deep breath and turned away, willing any feelings away. They were just about set. Lucy had one more thing to do on the computer and they were ready. Just as she turned to her laptop, there was a knock at the door. She froze as she caught Meg's eyes.

  "Just a minute,” Meg called out.

  Her voice cut through Lucy's panicked thoughts and she snapped out of her frozen position. She quickly shut her laptop and slid it back into its hidden compartment in her luggage.

  Once things were stowed away, Meg opened the door. Her heart dropped. Probably the last person she wanted to see right now stood there. Paolo.

  "Margaret,” Paolo said.

  Lucy balled her fists at her sides. The way the name slid from his lips made her skin crawl. She knew that she'd blown things with Meg, probably irrevocably. All the same, she hated his overly familiar, overly creepy manner with her woman. Wait, not her woman. Not anymore anyway. She shook her head, as if to rid the thoughts from her mind by force.

  "Paolo. Nice to see you,” Meg said, a slightly surprised, slightly bemused tone to her voice. She hoped all her acting classes would come in handy. Something she'd wasted time on in college. Right now, she needed him to believe they were happy to see him. That they were not about to go and put a kink in his evil plans.

  "I was hoping you ladies might join my friends and I for a late night pool party. The temperature has finally cooled down enough to make it enjoyable to sit outside. And there's a rather nice breeze, which is somewhat unusual for these parts,” Paolo said, his eyes spending a bit more time on Meg's breasts than either woman would have preferred.

  Lucy swallowed hard. This was the last thing they needed. The panicky side of her wondered if they'd tripped up somehow, if Paolo was onto them. But if so, he'd have just taken them prisoner, right? No need for pleasantries. And certainly no need to ogle Meg's boobs. She struggled to push aside her jealousy. Now was not the time for such feelings.

  Meg managed to get out a response that she hoped was enthusiastic enough to fool Paolo. She murmured something about changing into more suitable poolside attire and meeting him down at the pool. She wasn't even sure exactly what she'd said, but it obviously had the desired effect, as Paolo smiled, kissed her hand, and left.

  Lucy let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

  Knowing they couldn't talk freely, Meg threw her hands up in a gesture of resignation. There was nothing to do but go to the God forsaken party and hope it didn't waste too much time. Anything else would just raise the suspicions of Paolo and his goons.

  They silently and quietly threw on their bathing suits and cover ups before head
ing down, both hoping they could make and appearance and get back to business as soon as possible.

  When they arrived at the pool, they were joined by Paolo, as well as several other equally aged, equally oily, equally wealthy-looking men. It made Meg's skin crawl, as she felt their eyes on them like predators scoping out their prey.

  Paolo greeted them each with a kiss on the cheek, before handing them some sort of fruity drink with an umbrella as embellishment.

  They somehow ended up in a hot tub with various of their admirers. Lucy struggled to put on a bright face, smiling, laughing at their jokes, responding when addressed. She acted the part of the interested flirt. In reality, her mind was a million miles away. Thinking about how awful it was that these men could relax, could flirt, could enjoy themselves while knowing that they were about to possibly kill thousands of people in the next twenty-four hours. It made her sick. When her mind was not caught up in such thoughts, it flitted to thoughts of her brother. Of the information she had stumbled upon just before Paolo's invitation. It couldn't be true. Just couldn't. She knew Jim. It was not in his character to betray anyone. Let alone his fellow servicemen. Let alone his country.

  Meg swallowed the rising bile in her throat as she felt Paolo's rough hand snake its way onto her thigh. Outwardly, she pretended not to notice. As much as she wanted to forcibly remove his invading hand, preferably in as painful a manner as possible, she forced herself to submit to his unwelcome touch. She would do nothing to jeopardize their mission. She tried to think of anything but his hand on her skin. But she could not escape the way her mind compared how his touch differed from Lucy's. How soft, soothing and arousing at the same time Lucy's touch had been. And how God damned much she missed it. But now was not the time for such thoughts. Nor was there likely to be any more of those caresses in the future. Lucy had broken her trust. And that was not something Meg got over easily. She knew that if she stayed strong, she'd be over it soon enough. It was just another fling after all. Their "I love yous" had been said, yes. But that was no doubt due to the stressful circumstances they were in. Or so she told herself.

  Somehow, they got through the party. Thankfully, the men claimed to have a busy day the next morning and did not seek to engage their company all night. Lucy met Meg's eyes at this excuse. The business their companions would be occupied with was no doubt responsible for the knots in both their stomachs.

  They headed back to their room and changed into more suitable clothing, grabbing any supplies they thought they could use. They waited long enough that hopefully the gentlemen would have retired for the evening. Lucy managed to hack into the security camera system, putting it on a loop of old footage so that they would hopefully go undetected once they breached the compound's secure areas.

  Once they were ready, they headed to the door. Meg paused, her hand on the door handle. The reality of what they were about to do and the gravity of the situation hit her like a ton of bricks. She'd been in dangerous and stressful situations before, but none like this. None with this many lives on line.

  Lucy saw Meg frozen, and impulsively did the only thing she could think of to reassure her. She gently took Meg's face in her hands, the pads of her thumbs stroking her cheeks. Crystal blue eyes met chocolate brown and Lucy leaned in, placing her lips upon Meg's.

  The kiss was over almost as soon as it had started. There was nothing sensual, nothing heated about it. It was love. It was comfort. And it was exactly what Meg had needed in that moment, though she didn't know it until it happened.

  Lucy turned to the door. "Let's go,” she whispered, not giving Meg a chance to respond. There was no promise, no burden in that kiss. She knew things were over. But she'd known that Meg had needed her, even if just for a moment, and she'd done what she could.

  They quietly made their way down into the dining room, heading through to the kitchen, creeping along and praying that no one found them. In the back of the kitchen, just as their map had shown, was a large reinforced steel door. This was their way in.

  There was a mechanized security system. Lucy was on it immediately, with Meg standing guard. She'd wished that she had something more powerful than the tiny handgun she'd managed to smuggle in with her. It wasn't likely to stand up well against thugs with much more powerful weapons. After what seemed likely an eternity, the system beeped and turned green. They were in.

  They crept down the stairs and into a darkened corridor. Meg led the way, using a pair of night vision goggles disguised sunglasses she'd had on hand. This meant that Lucy was forced to cling to her hand, to be led blindly as Meg tried to find her way down the long and dark hallways following the map they'd memorized quickly. Right. Then left. Then the second right . . .

  They needed to find the computer room. Lucy figured that she might be able to disable the launch sequence for the bomb, as well as get the identities and addresses of the terrorists planning to release the virus. If that didn't work, well, they hadn't had time for a Plan B.

  Lucy could feel her heart rate quickening as they journeyed on, presumably closer and closer to the computer room. She bumped into Meg's back as she came to an abrupt halt. Lucy took a deep breath. Though whether it was to linger in Meg's exotic scent or to steady herself for the task that was just ahead, she couldn't be sure.

  There was yet another computerized lock. Meg offered Lucy her glasses and she got to work. This one wouldn't be as tricky. It was the same mechanism as the first door. Lucy shook her head – that was a lapse in security. They'd gotten a little cocky about their defenses. Anyone overly conscious about such things would have employed a different system. One more system to hack would mean added time and that would mean higher chances of being caught. After a few moments, the lock beeped green. They were in.

  They slowly opened the door. Lucy's survey of system usage that she'd done from their room showed that the computer in this room was usually logged off shortly after dinner. Therefore, they were banking on the room being unoccupied.

  "What the?" a voice rang out and Lucy's heart sank.

  It was Ray. Her "conquest" from the hotel.

  "What the hell are you doing here?" Ray asked. A look of recognition spread over his face as he realized who they were. And that they had absolutely no business being there.

  Lucy grasped for an excuse, but none came to mind.

  Meg had no alternative. She raised her gun, small as it was and aimed it at Ray. "Ray. Don't do anything rash. We know you're just mixed up in something bigger than yourself. Something you can't see a way out of. We can help you. Let us help you." She emphasized the last sentence.

  For a moment, Lucy thought he was going to buy it. There was a flicker of hesitation in his eyes as he stared at Meg. Then he looked back to Lucy. And all the justified hurt and betrayal replaced that hesitation. "You used me,” he said, directly to Lucy. "You bitch.” With that, he turned and hit a button, which sent all the lights on in the hallway and set off an alarm.

  Not knowing what to do, they turned and fled, hoping, praying that they could evade capture. At least long enough to come up with another plan.

  At the end of the hall, they were cut off by two thugs with machine guns. Turning to run the other direction, they ran straight into Paolo and another goon.

  "Going somewhere, Margaret?" Paolo said, with absolutely no trace of his former charming manner. His voice was cold, calculated, and completely calm. It sent shivers down Meg's spine. This was not going to end well.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Before they knew what was happening, there were goons on either side of them, roughly grabbing them by the arms and shoving them down the long hallway. Meg looked over at Lucy and they locked eyes for just a moment. It was a look of fear, of caring, of determination all mixed in one. They'd figure this out. Or so she hoped.

  They shoved them forcefully into a room at the end of the hallway. Paolo came into the room, standing near the doorway with his arms crossed. There was no trace of his former gentlemanly manner. His thugs hel
d each woman in place, on their knees on the cold concrete floor of the room.

  Meg swallowed hard and tried to steal a glance at Lucy to see if she was all right. She'd been in plenty of sticky situations before, but this was by far the worst. She just prayed not only that they'd get out alive, but that they'd find a way to stop this terrible attack. There was no way she'd ever forgive herself if she lived, but at the expense of thousands of lives. And if she couldn't make it out, she hoped that at least Lucy would. As much as she tried to deny it, as much as she felt hurt and betrayed, she couldn't avoid the fact that she cared for the woman. Deeply. And her life mattered to her.

  Paolo stepped towards Meg, towering over her as she kneeled on the floor. The sight made Lucy sick. She felt so helpless, on so many levels.

  Paolo smiled at Meg, but it wasn't the charming, if sleazy smile of old. It was . . . she didn't know what to call it exactly, but it sent shivers down her spine. "So, Margaret. Are you going to tell me what you two are doing here?"