Text copyright ©2018 by the Author.
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Chapter 1
Growing up, I thought being a spy was exciting. Get in, hit your target, then get out before the bad guys, or a bomb ended you. Movies like Rogue Nation and Skyfall were accurate portrayals of the spy game. I know what you’re thinking, basing real life on movies was my first mistake. You’re right, but kid me didn’t know that.
Besides it was on TV so it had to be real. I mean my dad spent many nights screaming at our television as Dan Rather talked about Exxon’s oil crisis. And that was real.
“This country is going to hell, real fast,” to quote my father, Maxwell Cooper.
Characters like Ethan Hunt and James Bond embodied what it meant to be a spy. Needless to say, when the FBI recruited me my senior year of college I was over the moon. What I didn’t know then, that I know now, is that number crunchers, or code breakers in my case, don’t get put on missions to infiltrate mobs, or get back nuclear codes. No, they spend their time on the second floor Langley Falls. I took care of the paperwork for spies who were the real-life Jason Bourne.
Lucky bastards.
I was hunched over my desk finishing up a new code-breaking algorithm. That was my specialty, puzzles and paper. This particular algorithm was for the Hazard case. I’d read the reports. Statements given by the agents involved made it sound exciting. Like fight or flight, life or death, type of exciting.
After infiltrating the Titans, a nasty biker gang, two of our undercover agents were able to bring down the Titans king, Henry Webb--I know silly name for a head honcho--and stop a large flow of heroin from coming into the country. Thanks to my contribution they were able to find links to Russian and Chinese mobs. It meant crossing onto international soil to hopefully shut down that river of drugs into the US.
I smiled to myself. I may not have been James Bond but I liked to think of myself as Money Penny. I know I know I’m not British but still. Tonight, I’d celebrate with a glass of wine and 27 Dresses. I startled when the door to my office flew open. It slammed against the wall. I looked up as I grabbed my chest. Lilah rushed in, breathless and harried. “Oh. My. God,” she managed between pants.
“What’s up?”
“He’s here?”
I arched a brow, “I’m supposed to know who he is?”
Her head tilted and she looked at me as though I’d sprouted another head. She waved me over to the door. “Just come here.”
I dropped my pen. Lilah was another Money Penny only her specialty was Trojans. She planted her bits of code all over the web using it to find links to the dark web and thus finding possible new missions.
When I didn’t move from behind my desk she ran over to me, grabbed my arm, and with surprising strength, dragged me over to the door with her in time to see “Justice” step out of my boss’s office. Justice wasn’t his real name, his real name was Alex and he worked for the CIA, but he was known even within these FBI walls. He was like James Bond’s more polished younger brother, if his younger brother was a gorgeous hunk with a side of scary.
He nodded, giving a gruff, “Hello,” as he passed. Lilah and I continued to watch even after he disappeared around a corner. We turned to each other. “What do you think he was doing here? He’s CIA.”
“I don’t know.”
The man was a legend, well at least to us paper pushers he was. Legends never came to our side of the tracks. Especially CIA legends.
Lilah sighed. “He’s dreamy.”
“If that’s your type.”
“God his wife is lucky.”
If the stories were true I’m not sure she was. To be on missions that put you on opposing sides of the same gun. No thank you. Lilah shook her head about to say something when a loud, “Cooper in my office now!” reverberated down the hall. Lilah’s eyes went wide. She whispered, “Good luck,” before rushing from my office back to her own.
Shit.
Duke Bernard, aka, my boss, was scary. Not in the big, hulking, I eat kittens for breakfast, don’t meet me in a dark alley sort of way, but more of the I can and will eat your self-esteem for breakfast sort of way. I stood in the doorway gathering my nerve.
“Cooper!” he shouted again. With a big gulp I stepped in and took the seat across from his desk. I wondered briefly if this was the same seat Justice had sat in while in here? Hero worship much?
Mentally I slogged through all my open cases trying to figure out which one had me in the hot seat.
“No. No. No. Stand up,” Duke said his gestures fervent as he came out from behind his desk and walked a circle around me. What the hell was going on? The only case that came to mind was the Raging River case. “Sir I swear—“
“What do you think?” Duke asked.
“Think of what sir?”
“Not you.”
“She looks the part, but she’s an analyst. I’m not sure she can handle this.” I turned to find the source of the voice. A man my height, with lime green hair and piercing brown eyes was standing at the back of Duke’s office staring at me. He moved to my side looking me up and down. Talk about feeling like a pig at market. He twirled my brown hair around his finger and pulled. “Ow.”
He didn’t apologize as he continued looking me over.
Duke said, “She was top of her class. She had refresher training last month.”
The man seemed unimpressed. “Do I win a blue ribbon?” I asked. Green hair glared at me. I glared back.
Duke cut the tension, “Henley, I’d like you to meet Mr. Spiel. Mr. Spiel this is agent Cooper.”
With my hand held out I said, “Pleasure,” though I said it with as much malice as I could muster.
Mr. Spiel looked at my hand with disdain. Curse my good-mannered-upbringing. He poked my side trying to pinch an inch I’m sure. “Spin class,” I said, “BMI is less than five percent,” I added to be snotty. I may work behind a desk that didn’t mean I didn’t keep in shape.
“She is the best we have,” Duke said. He never sang praise of any sort. Couldn’t help my smile.
“She’ll never do,” Mr. Spiel finally said.
“Do for what?” I asked.
“It’s quite exciting, came in from upstairs,” Duke said.
“What?”
Duke exhaled, “We need a lookalike and you fit.”
Lookalike? Was I coming out from behind the desk? “I can do it. Whatever it is, I’m your girl.”
“What’s your knowledge level on fashion?” Mr. Spiel asked.
I looked down at my white blouse and black pencil skirt. I’d picked up both items at a thrift store by my house. And my shoes? My shoes were a clearance special at Target. I met Duke’s eye. “I’m a fast learner.”
To my utter horror Mr. Spiel gave my ass a slap. Without thinking I slapped him. “How dare you put your hands on me like that.”
Duke’s eyes went wide. This guy was fondling my ass, he’s lucky I didn’t knee him in the groin. Mr. Spiel however looked pleased. The bastard was smiling. “Maybe she will do after all.”
I was dumbfounded, “Do what, exactly?”
“Put a Trojan horse on a computer.”
“Isn’t that more Lilah’s expertise.”
“Yes. She’s creating the worm and you’re going to install it.”
“I can do that.” Although it didn’t explain the pig at the fair, lookalike part, it didn’t matter, I was finally getting out into the field.
“Agent Cooper, you’re dismissed.”
Chapter 2
I sat in a salon chair staring at myself in the mirror while a petite brunette danced around me as she chopped off my hair. Yes, I considered an inch off the length a chop. I tapped my foot on the leg rest while knotting my fingers in my lap. I made sure my eyes never left my petite stylist’s form in the mirror. She needed to know one mistake and I wouldn’t be happy.
This was no ordinary salon. The woman cutting my hair, no ordinary stylist. My boss sat to my left rifling through a manila folder. Two agents, whose names I didn’t know, stood behind him, and the surly man with green hair named only as Mr. Spiel, stood to my right examining me like he did the other day in Duke’s office.
When I’d shown up to work this morning Duke was waiting in my office with Mr. Spiel. They didn’t even let me put my purse down before they ushered me up to the fourth floor. There I’d been lead to this makeshift salon where I was now watching, as my gorgeous brown locks fell around me. This was torture and I didn’t even know what for. My boss was being tight-lipped about everything including what type of Trojan horse he wanted built, let alone why.
You needed a puzzle solved, a code deciphered, or an algorithm created to understand your data, I was your girl. But building Trojan worms? Not my specialty at all. Of course, I wouldn’t be building it simply putting it on a computer. It sounded easy and not very exciting to be honest.
“So, can you tell me more about this mission?”
Duke looked up from his file, “Once our liaison arrives we’ll debrief you.”
“I want to do this, I think.”
Duke side eyed me. “You’ll be one of my first agents to work outside these walls.”
I smiled to myself. Would this graduate me from nobody to secret agent? Maybe this mission would open the door to more field work. Maybe I’d even become a spy.
I was so busy ruminating on what-ifs I hadn’t noticed the room fell silent. Even Choppy Mc-Chopperton was no longer cutting my hair. She was staring behind me to a section of room I couldn’t see in the mirror. All I could see was the back of her head. The door clicked closed and footsteps moved towards me. Duke was out of his seat moving towards them.
There was low whispering I couldn’t make out what was being said then I heard Duke say, “Yes.” I turned in my chair trying to catch a glimpse of who Duke was conversing with but the conversation was over.
Duke came over, “Agent Cooper?”
“Yes sir.”
“When Agent Hopkins finishes come to my office.”
I nodded. Mr. Spiel left with my boss. “I don’t know about you, but that man will be the highlight of my fantasies for a while.” She smiled then returned to cutting my hair. Mr. Spiel? Gross. I thought but didn’t say.
Agent Hopkins handed me a mirror so I could look at the back of my hair. After a blowout and attack by curling iron, agent Hopkins took off my smock. “All done. What do you think?” She spun the chair so I could see myself from multiple angles.
I had to say it, “I love it.”
“You look gorgeous. Maybe you’ll be able to make some of those fantasies a reality with Mr-tall-green-haired-and-handsome back there. He couldn’t keep his eyes off you as I cut your hair.”
“I’m sorry I don’t see what you see in him at all.”
“Then I guess he’ll have to stick to my fantasies then.” We both laughed.
Man, I looked good. “Thanks.”
Without another word I headed up to Duke’s office. My heart pounded threatening to rip from my chest. I still had no idea what my full mission was which made me excited and scared.
I nervously knocked on the door. Inside, Duke was sitting behind his desk, Mr. Spiel was seated in the chair across from him. “Agent Copper, please.” Duke motioned to the chair beside Mr. Spiel. Shit, I was still standing in the doorway. With quick strides I entered the room. “Well?” Duke asked.
Mr. Spiel never stopped staring as I took the seat beside him. I folded my hands in my lap to hide the fact they were shaking. Why was I so nervous? Because you’ve never done field work before. What if you screw everything up? I glanced out of the corner of my eye at Mr. Spiel. A tiny hint of a smile was on his lips. It made him look human, almost. His attention turned to Duke. “We have three days to make all the necessary arrangements at which time your agent Cooper here will fly to Monaco.”
I looked between Duke and Mr. Spiel, “Monaco?”
Duke ignored me and stared down at the folder that lay open on his desk. “We have three days to prepare for the wedding.”
“Wedding? Monaco?”
Duke shook his head and met my eye. “It’s not going to be nearly enough time.”
“Do you think you could tell me what exactly is going on now?”
“We’re just waiting—”
“I’m here, I’m here,” a woman’s voice called from the hallway. She rolled into the office in a wheelchair her left leg in a cast that started at her thigh. She was wearing sweatpants with one leg cut to accommodate for the cast and a t-shirt that said Harvard on the front. Her hair was the same color as mine but tied up in a pony tail. As I looked at her I realized I could be her double. She wheeled herself in between Mr. Spiel and I and held out her hand. “Agent Reyes, but call me Lana, you must be agent Cooper.”
I nodded and shook her hand. “Please call me Henley.”
She let go of my hand and placed a large folder in my lap. “Well, Henley, that’s everything you should need to get you up to speed on the case. I’ve been working this for months, I’ll be damned if a bullet stops this now.”
“A bullet?” I gulped.
Lana read my expression. “Don’t worry merely a flesh wound.” Though she read it wrong. Did she get shot because of this case?
Lana filled me on what this field work involved. I would be playing the role of Amelia Kinsey, heir to the Montlake fortune.
I was headed to a wedding in Monaco. A royal wedding to be exact. The reason I was going to this wedding was because of where it was being held. It was in the casino hotel of La Boule. The owner of which was a yet to be verified mob boss. Why this particular wedding? Because it was being held in a ballroom that was directly down the hall from this mob boss’s personal office. During the wedding said mob boss would be attending at which time I would sneak off to his private office, find his personal computer, and plant the Trojan on it.
Agent Reyes went over everything about this case except what they hoped to find on his private computer, apparently that part was highly classified.
My target.
Lord Pierce Huntley. Freshly knighted by the queen. And alleged infamous mob boss Bronsen Rodden head of the Cadria Cartel. One of the largest cartels in operation. His network covered most of South America, Asia and Russia.
“This should also help.” Lana handed me a messenger bag. I looked inside my attention caught by a book titled, How To Seduce A Man.
“Take a look through that when you’re alone,” Lana said with a wink. She put her hand over mine halting me from looking further into the bag.
“Are you ready?” Agent Spiel asked. The cold aloofness was gone from his eyes. If I weren't’ mistaken he looked worried.
“She has no choice but to be ready this mission is to important,” Duke answered for me. If Lord Pierce were the real deal and he found out what we were doing, what I was doing, then chances were good I would not be coming home from this mission. I swallowed hard. My enthusiasm squashed. Coming out from behind the desk no longer held the same glamour it did before.
Everyone was talking, either to each other, or they were on their phones, except me. I was trying to wrap my head around exactly what it was I’d signed up for.
Chapter 3<
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I didn’t even recognize myself. I was wearing a pink chiffon dress and heels that pinched my toes. I was used to flats and sneakers. My hair fell in large ringlets around my face. I hardly ever wore my hair down usually it was up in a bun. I usually never wore more than mascara and blush, but right now I had so much make-up on you couldn’t even see my freckles.
Even though I didn’t feel like myself I did feel beautiful.
Like the women who graced the covers of my favorite magazines. This wasn’t me. I was the girl who was always running late. Never giving myself enough time to do more than shower and dress. Luckily, the make-up hid the fact I was exhausted. I’d tossed and turned all night.
However, for the next three days, this was me. I tucked my hair behind my ear and stared out the window across the aisle from me. I couldn’t see anything but a wall of the hangar the jet was parked in. Could you believe it I was on a private jet waiting for takeoff? There was no way this was my life.
Yes, I was doing a job but still. I was on a private jet. I could get used to being a field agent. The stewardess came up.
“Hi I’m Jen and I’ll be your server for the flight. If you need anything don’t hesitate to ask. Like now do you need anything?”
What a job. Flying all over the world. “I’m good, thank you.”
She gave me a warm smile before heading back towards the cockpit. I took a deep breath and rifled through my bag. Agent Reyes had given me several magazines ranging from Vogue to People with notes to study the fashion and keep up on pop culture. She’d also given me two books HOW TO SEDUCE A MAN and HOW TO SHINE IN A DULL ROOM, both of which I would need if I wanted to get close to Lord Pierce. The thought had my gut twisting.
At the bottom of my bag was a tube of lipstick. I pulled off the cap and gave it a twist. A short chunk of ruby red popped. I swiped it across my lips before pulling off the chunk of red. Underneath which was a jump drive. So cool. I put it all back together and dumped it back in my bag. I grabbed my iPod. I had no idea how long this flight would be.
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