“Tess! Holy Shit!” Oh, my God. I couldn't look. I had to look. Oh, crap.
I whipped my head around, and my braid slung around like a short rope (which smacked me in the forehead, great). I stared at the owner of that voice in shock.
Yep, it was her. Vaneesa. Data entry clerk she said. Communications and Technology Specialist Shelley King had said. It added up to me being an idiot. I stood up and sheathed my gun and tucked my knives into my utility belt. I barely got that done before she ran smack into me full force, wrapping me in a bear hug. Damn, she could squeeze hard for such a small gal.
I hugged her back while watching Isaiah eyeball the two of us.
“Lucky. Tess has never hugged me like that,” He joked.
Turning towards him, she narrowed her eyes. “And why would she?”
Before she could go spilling my secrets all over the base floor, I turned her back towards me.
“Wow. Completely unexpected. Nice to see you,” I said, trying to diffuse the potentially volatile situation.
“Agent Colt!” An older gray-haired black man with a pockmarked face, Colonel Lyon came around the table towards me. “Impressive entrance. A bit showy, I hope you don't always use such flair in your tactics.”
“Sir, I apologize for seeming showy. I knew who was down here, though.”
Looking pointedly at Vaneesa he said, “No, you didn't.” He walked past me and over to a door in the back wall. “Come with me, Agent Colt. We will go over the results of your infiltration efforts.”
Efforts? I totally succeeded! What did he mean efforts?
Vaneesa caught my hand and squeezed it tight, then let go as I walked away with her following me towards the door.
“You look damn good Tess. Lara Croft is way sexy on you,” Isaiah said as I passed by him.
Great. Another female superhero I could no longer emulate because of my partner's perverseness. I was running out of good ones.
Vaneesa followed me into the next room, and I shut the door behind us before my partner could decide to follow.
Chapter Eight
I followed the short and square form of Colonel Lyon further into what was some sort of surveillance room and stopped before a large tabletop. The surface was shiny, and I saw why once he tapped the top of it. It was a huge screen and was currently showing a blueprint style map of the base from the street down into all the sublevels.
“Here is where you entered, which I expected as that is the only way to get in aside from the building's main entrance.” As he spoke, he was pointing at the grate I had come through behind the building.
Then he pinched the grate on the screen and brought upward, causing the display to project in 3D above itself. By doing this, you could see all the levels of the building I’d snuck through to get down here to Sub - level three, almost in full scale. He was silently tracing my route with his fingertip, making grunts and hmmms here and there.
“Well, you took a different path than I would have expected. You will have to show me how you came by this route in the building schematics that we sent to you. Later, though. However it is that you did come by it, you shaved a good three minutes off the time it took the previous agent to break through. Good Job.” He swooped both hands downward and closed down the 3D projection.
“Thank you, Sir.” I managed to get out. Schematics? What schematics? I would have to check to see if I missed something in the message he had sent earlier this morning.
“I believe your partner is angry that you beat his time so easily.” Lyon turned back towards us. “I will need to assess this and assign him some extra training routines. You may familiarize yourself with the base, and then take the rest of the day off. We are at the bottom level, Sub Level Three. This level is where the mission operatives work. Above us in Sub Level Two are the weapons and gadgets store rooms. Above that are the Intel rooms, and the Main Level is the business cover for the building. Oh, and you will be expected to attend a party in your hotel’s ballroom tonight as part of your cover.”
Colonel Lyon nodded sharply at me and swept past us and tramped out the door. As I turned to leave, Vaneesa grabbed my arm and pulled me to a stop.
“I have to apologize. I was… distracted this morning. I forgot to send you the schematics of the building. I had no idea it was you, though, I thought it was just some other agent...” Vaneesa was biting her lip and wringing her hands in front of her.
“No, it's okay, I shouldn't have tried to make plans not knowing what I was walking into with this new assignment. I distracted you from your job.”
“Yeah, I should have known better, too. My last relationship died because of our line of work. It's only going to be more intense here so I shouldn't have tried to get close to anyone like that.”
“Vaneesa, you are totally cool and were I not in this line of work I would have been at that diner this morning no matter what.”
“Tess, when you are done touring the Base you should put on a cute little sundress and let me row you around the love canals,” Isaiah yelled from the other room. Obviously, Colonel Lyon wasn't in there now.
I rolled my eyes.
“He doesn't know about you, does he?” Vaneesa asked me.
“No, and I have to ask you to keep my secret. No one in the CIA knows, except for you now. They would cut out all the good missions if they knew, they would assume that I wouldn't be willing to do certain things to get a job done, and I can't accept that.”
Vaneesa looked a bit sad as I told her that. I felt awful, but my career was just too important.
“Okay. I will keep your secret. Just don't let him treat you like that, all right?”
“Girl, I couldn't stop him no matter how hard I tried.”
We walked out of the room full of monitors and back into the main lobby where Isaiah was sitting. He was once again eyeballing my short shorts. Ugh.
“I hear you have a ball to attend tonight. It looks like you are in need of a date,” He said without raising his eyes.
Vaneesa snorted at him. “She HAS a date already. So get in line.” Spunky! I really wanted not to like her. It would make everything so much easier.
“Oh, yeah Tess? What sort of frumpy old codger did the agency hook you up with for your front?” He laughed.
“Oh no, it wasn't pre-planned. Tess just met her date last night.”
Loving the look on his face at that moment, I almost laughed. “Sorry partner. My cover demands that I look like a single and available heiress to Henderly Energy Solutions.”
“Well, if that’s the case then I won’t be hurt that you turned me down. But you have to dance with me at least once.” His eyes had snapped back to my face momentarily but were once again resting on my shorts.
“We’ll see about that,” I said, resigned, and walked away out the other side of the room to explore my new home base.
Chapter Nine
That night, Vaneesa and I were alone in my hotel room, getting me ready for the party downstairs. Of course, I had to be fashionably late, by at least an hour. And since I was going to be late, I figured it wouldn't hurt to sip some wine before I went down. I wouldn't be drinking much after I got there.
While Vaneesa worked a tracking chip into one of the folds at the top of my black gown, I noticed her forehead came up just to my chin. It was currently sporting small wrinkles as she concentrated on clipping it securely, yet completely unseen. Her closeness made my skin tingle, and I wondered if it would be altogether unprofessional to plant a kiss on her forehead. Or run my hands up into her hair and pull it loose.
Vaneesa was also dressed for the party, as she would be a background mingler, using the cover to secure micro-bugs all over the hotel lobby, ballroom, and the hallways as she got the chance. But she looked fabulous in a floor-length dress, silver with diamonds studded across the neckline. Her thick, black hair pinned atop her head, with a couple of small tendrils spilling over and onto the forehead that I was currently staring at. She was breathtaking, and I honestly
was having trouble breathing with her so close.
Tonight's soiree was just a setup for my cover; we weren't expecting anything to happen. And to be honest, I still wasn't sure what would or could happen. Colonel Lyon had said to establish my cover securely, and then we would dig into the details of our mission here. He had also said my role would be easier to play if I treated that alone as my mission for now.
Isaiah would be here tonight as well. But not as my date, thankfully. I was determined to pull off the single look. Though I’m sure I conveyed that vibe pretty well. Lord knows I've had enough practice. Isaiah was sure to be some sort of trouble, though. He never quit an opportunity to flirt shamelessly with me. He was a professional spy whenever he needed to be, but not one moment more than that.
“Ah ha! There we go. I had to be careful not to mar the satin. You have to look perfect,” Vaneesa said with a smile, taking a step back and looking me over. “Which you do.”
I supposed I did, but her telling me had me blushing like a sunburn. I turned to the floor length mirror, hoping to hide the heat in my face, and took in my reflection. My black satin gown was floor length like hers, but the tail dragged just a bit behind me while the front rose to show off my ankles and my five-inch crystal studded Giuseppe Zanotti’s. I had never worn such expensive shoes before, but I was sure glad my past training had included runway modeling and combat training in heels. With the black long sleeves that ran down my arms, I felt a bit like Morticia Addams. I just needed longer hair to finish the look.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught the way Vaneesa was watching me, which caused my knees feel rubbery. Breathe first, then walk.
Vaneesa clapped her hands in front of her, breaking the moment.
“I forgot!” She exclaimed as she rushed off to the closet.
She came back with a pair of black satin gloves. When she presented them to me, I could see several crystals running down the back of each pointer finger.
“You will need to be super careful with these. I would not even put the gloves on until you need them. So stash them in your handbag.”
I took the gloves from her, curiosity making my brain race. “Why shouldn’t I put them on now?”
“Well, because these crystals are tranquilizers. And you don’t wanna use them unless you have to. But if you do, you just got to remember to brush them across the person’s skin enough to scratch. It doesn’t take too much pressure,” Vaneesa explained as she retrieved my bag from the bed.
I gingerly rolled the gloves up with the crystals facing inside, then tucked them into the bag that she handed me.
“Perfect. You look beautiful.” She said before surprising me as she rose on her tiptoes and kissed me on the cheek.
“Don’t worry; I didn’t smudge your makeup. You know, when I drove onto base this morning and saw the Henderly Energy sign I thought of our conversation on the plane. I wondered, hoped, that I would see you again. Colonel Lyon was just briefing me on the nature of the cover for our base when you came through the vent. Wish granted!”
Vaneesa grinned at me, then turned and walked out through the door to the elevator. She was going to enter through the front of the building so that we wouldn’t be seen leaving the same room. The room felt empty after she had gone, but I finally remembered how to breathe.
I didn’t bother to double check my makeup, and the spot on my cheek where she had kissed me stayed warm all the way down to the foyer. Wish granted, indeed. I wished I could just be myself for one moment, let professionalism go. While walking through the hotel, I was so thoroughly distracted by my thoughts that I reached the hallway to the ballroom faster than I expected. Alonso was there waiting for me as I reached the entryway that led to the ballroom. He winked at me and turned to open the doors.
“Arriving now, Tessa Henderly, of Henderly Energy Solutions.” Boomed Alonso’s voice as I walked through the doors.
I stopped, stunned at the unexpected introduction and worked on controlling my face. The general murmur of voices died out, and all eyes swung towards me. I felt my face growing red at the sudden attention. Alonso could have warned me about this part!
Recovering quickly, I smiled wide at the room and made my way inside. I walked confidently, with my head held high and shoulders rolled back. The pins in my hair and the crystals in my pumps shined like stars under the ballroom lights. There were way more people here than I had expected. Of course, I hadn’t known what to expect, but that’s all part of being a spy. Quick adjustments.
Seeing the many smiles of the males in attendance, I braced myself for constant flirting, sexual innuendos, and blatant requests. I had been staged in enough of these high society party type situations to know what to expect here.
Experience certainly helped in adjusting to new settings.
I made it almost to the middle of the room before realizing I needed a destination, so I didn’t look lost. I glanced around the room and took in the full scene. There was a bar across the wall in the far back, with a door on each side. To the right of the bar, there was a hallway that led to some of the lower level’s guest rooms.
On the left side of the room, several glass doors opened up to the outside patio, overlooking the canal. I could just barely see the gondolas and their gondoliers lined up at the end of the patio in case anyone requested a row around the area. Back inside and all around me sat overstuffed chairs and loungers, placed throughout the room in a haphazard fashion.
There was a clear area in the middle in front of me where the carpet gave way to hardwood flooring. Several couples were dancing there currently. Behind me and to the left of the doors I had entered through was a live band, who played merrily on their raised dais.
Immediately I decided to avoid the dance floor in the middle and worked my way around. While walking to the doors that led out to the patio, I looked around and assessed exit strategies. I spotted Isaiah on the patio chatting up a leggy bleach blond and her tall and lanky, yet muscular, partner. I moved on towards the back a little more quickly.
There was Vaneesa seated at the bar by herself, stirring the olive in her as-yet-undrunk martini. She glanced over and saw me, then moved her hand under the bar and tapped the underside three times. She had placed a bug right there. Any conversations close by would be transmitted back to base and recorded.
After her signal she scooped up her martini and sashayed away from me, to find another location to bug. I was momentarily mesmerized by her swaying hips and had to hide my grin because I knew she was doing it on purpose.
When I made it to the bar, the bartender was already waiting for me with a smile on his face, his bar rag thrown over the shoulder of his black suit. This action seemed a bit uncharacteristic of a bartender used to serving rich people.
“I’m charmed that I’m the first person in the room you are going to speak to,” he said when I reached the counter.
He must have been watching me since I entered. I braced myself for macho flirting. But, his next words surprised me.
“Miss Henderly, Miss Colt, I have the pleasure of being your backup tonight. Any conversations conducted at the bar will be directed towards the bugged area,” he said in a low rumble as he wiped at some imaginary spot on the counter surface.
Not leaving me anytime for a further surprise, he slung the rag back over his shoulder and continued to speak in a raised voice. “So Madame, how may I serve you tonight?”
I observed the name on his hotel issued name tag. “Jacob, I would love a martini, extra olives on separate picks please.”
He had spoken to me as though he had been apprised of my cover and mission, so I figured I would test him. A regular bartender may hesitate at my request, but I hoped he would understand.
Jacob rewarded me with a martini with three olives, all on separate aluminum picks. This was one way in missions I gained some of the tools I used to pick locks and break into rooms. Nice to know that things were the same here.
I placed one olive in my mouth and slid it of
f the pick slowly and sensually as I turned and glanced around the room. The move had caught the sight of several men, and one was bold enough to approach immediately. I turned back to the bar to set down the martini, using the motion to hide my placing the pick into my handbag. As I turned around with the second olive in my mouth, I spotted Vaneesa at one of the lounges off to the right of the room. Again she tapped three times on the lounge, marking it as bugged before she sauntered away once more.
Chapter Ten
I spent the next ten minutes making small talk with the man who had come to the bar in response to my olive seduction. So far I had learned that he was independently wealthy, heir to an art fortune. His hobbies included piano, tennis and a collection of Ferrari’s. He was apparently trying to impress me with that last bit.
But I was an heiress and had no need of his Ferraris. I supposed I could afford a garage full of my own. He then regaled me with his ski trip stories in the Swiss Alps and his summer home in New Zealand. Now, New Zealand was on my list of places I wanted to visit, but of course, I’d never tell this guy that little tidbit.
What was his name again? I don’t think he told me.
“I’m sorry to interrupt, but what did you say your name was?” I drawled. I borrowed from my time in Texas, which happened to be the corporate headquarters of Henderly Energy, and lilted my speech accordingly.
“Gerard, my lovely. Would you care to dance now that you have finished your drink?”
I had gulped my martini after eating the last olive and stashing the third pick.
“Well, I do beg your pardon, but I must powder my nose. Perhaps I will find you later?” I said the latter part in a slower, more seductive manner, hoping he would be more likely to move out of my way.
Thankfully, it worked.
“Of course, my dear. I look forward to it.”
His use of pet names for me was annoying. I pushed past him, not missing the fact he had left only a little room for me to squeeze past. Brushing my rump across the front of his trousers almost made me gag, but I was too professional to let that show on my face. The rumbling sound he made as it happened was a sure sign of his approval of my posterior.
[Colt Information Agency 01.0] Agent Colt: Classified Pride Page 3
