Sorry for the title, I just couldn't come up with anything else. I hope you like the story, please review! :)

Warnings: for bad, bad language, blood, gore, and maybe something sexual later.

And as usual, I don't own anything, but my OC.

Now revised, and corrected where necessary. :)


Part 1

What started as a quite simple mission in North Korea turned into my worst nightmare pretty fast. The first vague impression that something big and possibly very dangerous was happening came when they wouldn't let us out of the premises. I wanted to buy cigs, or at least that's what I told the guards, but they only pointed their automats on me in silence. I retreated. The chief told me that we were explicitly forbidden to leave the compound, which was not good, since I had to report back to ops regularly. Well, that was impossible now. I got my cigs either way and had to smoke them too, sometimes I wondered which would kill me first: a mission gone awry or the bad habits my aliases had?

The second upsetting and scary happening was when they showed us some plans of a building and told us we had to memorize it by heart. At first I didn't recognize the building in question, but after a week or so, which we spent in earnest learning of every nook and cranny of the plans, I suddenly became very aware that I was once in this building. I spent two whole nights trying to picture the halls and rooms in my mind according to the plans, and I noted with growing anxiety that we were learning the floor plans of the White House. Now, that could only mean that I was in some very deep shit this time, with no hope of getting out unscatched.

I started to take long strolls around the premises, circling the buildings, smoking my cigs relentlessly, pretending to 'air my lungs' and generally being casual. I looked for a way, just a tear on the wire somewhere, so I might slip away for half an hour to give my report. There was no opportunity at all, to my greatest chagrin. I cursed the tight security of the North Koreans to hell several times, but decided to play along as long as I could. There was nothing else to do, but to keep smoking, get familiar with security protocol, and practice combat techniques and my shooting, waiting for the big day, when we will attack the White House.


That big day was even bigger than I expected. My team was disguised as the South Korean PM's security detail, causing a bit of a surprise among the Americans that I, as a white woman, was there too. But with that other white man among us, who once used to be Secret Service as I got to know, I think they got over this fact pretty quickly. After all it wasn't uncommon for former soldiers to be employed as mercenaries and security personnel all around the world. That was my cover story too. I tried to tell one of the Secret Service agents that these Koreans he sees weren't a friendly bunch at all, but when that jet breached the perimeter I lost all his attention. My team was focused and I feared that they would notice me talking to the Americans after this point, so I had no chance to alert them. It was hell, watching them get slaughtered by the terrorists, I could hardly keep myself from throwing everything to the wind and side with them, even if I knew I would've been killed in seconds. When we were supposed to turn on the Secret Service agents guarding us outside my stomach turned on the thought that I have to shoot one of my own people. When I brought my mark down on the ground - we each got our respective agents, like a fun game of tag, except the fun - and held my gun to his head I looked into his eyes and saw the defiance. I just couldn't pull the trigger. Looking up and around for some kind of help, even celestial of some kind, my gaze met with one of my teammates, he urged me to get it over with. It was unusual of me to hesitate, being the mercenary they all thought me to be. There was nothing to do, there was no escaping. I pulled the trigger.


Nearly two hours later we were in complete control over the House. My team was sent for recon, and to find the President's son, Connor Asher and bring him to the bunker, where the boss of the terrorists were holding the American officials hostage. My plan was to remain alone with my team, and eliminate them, then somehow, some way or another get to the bunker and… do something, I didn't really had time to work out the details, but I had to do something. My conscience was heavy with that one American life I took so far and I didn't want to get in another situation like that. Fortunately for me, I wasn't the only one alive from the American's side. Apparently, I have no idea how, but one sole Secret Service agent was alive, kicking, shooting and altogether doing a pretty good job of reducing the numbers of the terrorists. We were ordered to find him too and now I saw an opportunity to get out of my team and side with the agent. Maybe the two of us at least could make a difference in the situation. However small that difference might be.

The Asher boy was apparently hiding inside the walls of the House, at the living quarters. I yelled at the others when they started shooting blindly, warning them that we need the boy alive, not pierced with a thousand bullets. One of us got shot and then we all knew that that agent was with the boy. I was glad, and started to see some hope when the chief decided that we should split up and search the lower floors individually. Finally I was alone and could follow my own agenda. I stumbled upon one storage room shortly, with a set of stairs leading down into it. I almost stepped out and declared it clear when it struck me that the grid from the air vent hole was taken down and leaned against the wall. I quickly recalled the floor plan and noted that the hole was leading up to the surface straight. A perfect place to get a small boy out of the House unseen. I tapped the radio in my ear and called in that I found nothing while I walked down the stairs. When I looked around I didn't notice any movement, so I guessed that the boy and the agent were gone already. I walked to the air vent to look up, letting go of the gun strapped to my back, when I heard rustling from behind. I spun around only to meet with a fist blown into my face. It got me hard on the temple, making me dizzy in a second, I lost my footing and stumbled back into the wall. I raised my arms instinctively, trying to fend off the next blow, but it was lower than the previous one, aimed at my stomach. I doubled over and it was only by pure chance that I saw the knife and could dodge it before my adversary could stuck it into my neck.

"Wait!"

I caught the eyes of the agent, steel blue and cold, determined, which didn't mean any good for me. I decided to fight back, so I aimed a blow at his temple while holding down on his hand which was still threatening to stab me with that knife. He was moderately surprised by my attack, not that it hurt him much, but at least I got his attention.

"I'm CIA, I'm with you!"

I saw hesitation in his eyes, but he became less intent on killing me immediately, which was good.

"CIA?"

"Yes, CIA."

He produced a gun from somewhere and pointed it at my head. I put my hands up, reluctantly, for who knows when he will try and kill me again, and in that position I was pretty helpless. How ironic would it be to have been killed by the person I wanted to help? It crossed my mind that the only reason I was still alive is that he didn't use his gun in the first place. I guessed he didn't want to make much noise. Lucky me.

"We'll see about that." he murmured and stepped to the vent hole, sticking his head in and urging someone to go.

The boy was apparently still in that hole, I walked in on them at the worst possible moment. The agent, whose name I still didn't know, stepped back, not taking his eyes off me, and now I saw that he had a bluetooth device sticking out of his ear.

"He's coming out, Jacobs."

He watched the wall anxiously, and gave me side glances, full of suspicion. The gun was still pointed at my head so I dared not to move a muscle. I looked him over to pass the time, he was tall and bulky, a faint shadow of a stubble already visible on his strong jawline. He had those deep-set greyish blue eyes which made him look like he was brooding all the time, especially now that his brows were furrowed. All in all, he was just my type and I couldn't help thinking that if we had met in any other situation, I'd have probably already tried to seduce him. He saw me staring and gave me a queer look, to which I just smiled my most innocent smile. His brows only furrowed deeper. Finally he seemed to get the message that the Asher boy was safe, for he was visibly relieved. Then he turned all his attention to me.

"Jacobs, could you get hold of the CIA?"

I shook my head, just anyone wouldn't do, they needed my immediate superior.

"Tell them to look for Assistant Director Brown."

He interpreted my message to the other side then we waited. After half a minute or so agent anonymous nodded to something he heard on his earpiece then turned to me.

"Name and ID number."

I hesitated for only a fraction of a second, which resulted in him pressing the gun to my forehead.

"I won't ask again."

"Agent Lee Cameron, number 6058872, codename Nickel."

I knew I had to add my codename too, even if he didn't tell me to. I guess this was a kind of test on its own and was very glad when the gun finally left my forehead. He even put it back in its holster, which probably meant I was cleared from suspicion for the time being.

"Yes, hold on, I'll put you on speaker."

He fished a phone out of his pocket and punched the speaker button.

"Agent Cameron?" I heard the Assistant Director's voice coming through the phone.

I cannot even begin to describe how I felt finally hearing the voice of someone familiar.

"Yes, sir."

"We haven't heard of you for five months, what happened?"

"Sir, we were under strict surveillance, there was no way I could get out a message, without compromising the mission."

"I see. Wait a minute." the other side went silent.

I glanced up at anonymous, he seemed somewhat more genial towards me, but I guess to erase his suspicion entirely I had to prove myself first.

"I don't even know your name." I said.

"Banning." came the curt reply.

The phone started to talk again.

"Agent Cameron, can you tell us anything about these terrorists?"

"Nothing much, sir. The mercenary team I infiltrated was hired by them especially for this mission, and they had us memorize the plans of the House."

"What about their leader?"

"Never met him, sir. We were only in contact with an intermediary. They kept us in a factory compound for those five months, with no connection to the outside."

"They were very clever." Banning put in.

I shrugged, if you want to attack the White House, you at least should be able to conceal your plans, even from those involved.

"Is there any chance that you can get into the bunker, Agent Cameron?"

I mulled that one over in my head. There were possibilities, yes, but all of them were of the suicidal nature and should only be tried out as a last resort.

"Well… It's not impossible, sir, but I should like to see what we can do from the outside first."

"Alright, Agent, your mission is now over. Assist Banning in everything, get the President out of that bunker."

"Roger that." we said in unison with Banning.

He put away the phone and turned off the bluetooth too. We were on our own.

"Nickel?"

I sighed, if I had a goddamn nickel for every person who got stuck on that codename, I would be rich.

"Because I can shoot a nickel tossed in the air from fifty yards."

Banning hummed, I saw he had other questions he wanted to ask, but that had to be postponed to when the White House was not in the hands of some North Korean terrorists. I got the scarf off my head, the thing bothered me nonstop from the moment I put it on, but my alias liked to wrap scarfs around her head. Loosening the bun, I tied my hair in a ponytail, and slowly shed all the layers of the fake persona I had to assume for almost a year. I saw that Banning noticed the change too, I knew that my facial expressions, posture and even my tone would be changed now. Like a new person had just been born from another. Except the one which vanished had never existed in the first place.

"What's your plan?" I asked him, now completely my own self.

"Will your group come looking for you?"

"Probably. We're not really attached, but it will be suspicious if I don't turn up sooner or later."

"Give me your radio."

He held out his hand to me and I reluctantly handed it over to him.

"Do you know Korean by any chance?"

"No, but that's the point."

I shook my head, I had a faint suspicion of what he was planning to do.

"Don't piss them off too much, or they might send the cavalry in too."

He grinned at me and pressed the receiver button.

"This is all you've got? Come and get me, sons of a bitches."

The response was immediate. I heard some shouted Korean insults, then instructions being given.

"Two are coming by the eastern stairway. And the elevator is blocked."

"How many people in total?"

"Six."

Banning nodded and got his gun in his hand. He looked me over with a queer expression.

"Are you ready?"

I looked at him, confused. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Then let's go."

"Wait, let me go first."

Banning cocked up an eyebrow at me, but didn't protest when I took the stairs before him. I fixed the automat hanging on my back and took out my handgun instead, it was more precise, which is what I needed now. I peeked out to the corridor, there was no movement on it yet. I signalled to Banning that he can step out too, when I heard noises from the east end of the hallway. When a foot appeared, stepping out from the cover of the wall, I was already prepared. I shot that foot, then the falling guy's head. His partner was a bit more cautious, he started shooting from behind the wall, but was careless enough to leave his hand uncovered. Besides, he was shooting blindly, while I wasn't, so he had absolutely no chance against me. I shot his hand so he dropped his gun and fell to the floor, making himself a perfect target. He got his respective bullet in the head too. When I turned back to Banning to cover the western end of the corridor, I saw him staring at me.

"What? Did you think I got into this group by batting my eyelashes?"

He smirked. "I was going to say that next time leave one of them alive. Let's keep moving."

The radio came alive again, this time with orders to regroup. I guessed that the boss wasn't about to lose more people just like this.

"They are regrouping on the first floor." I interpreted to Banning, who only nodded, and kept walking towards the western stairway.

We went up on those stairs in complete silence. Banning went first while I covered his back, although there wasn't much chance of someone appearing from that direction. I matched his pace pretty easily, and I think he deliberately slowed down so I could keep up with my short legs. How very considerate. On the ground floor, when we made certain that no one was close to us, he pulled me into an empty room.

"We need to get information on their leader first."

"How do you plan to do that?"

He stood close, looking down on me, which reinforced my feeling that I was indeed very short compared to him. He looked me over with the eye of a professional.

"Are you trained in hand-to-hand combat?"

I raised an eyebrow, he asks this after nearly beating the shit out of me not ten minutes ago?

"Not against men like you."

Now he was the one confused. "What do you mean?"

"You're military trained and twice my size. One blow was enough from you to almost floor me. There is just no way that I would choose hand-to-hand combat with you over just shooting you simple and square in the head."

He took a step back and his brows furrowed. "You can't shoot now."

"Then I'll let you manhandle things. I'll watch your back."

He thought it over, then shrugged. I guessed he found my reasoning impeccable. He peeked out to the corridor then slipped out of the room. I followed behind with my gun in my hand. Since I joined Banning, a strange calmness took me over. I guess my nerves were pretty shaken during these last five months, thanks to not knowing where my mission will take me. On missions I always felt partially at ease, without that I couldn't have pulled off a cover. But there was always a certainty, a goal if you will, something clear at the end, be it either a success or a fail with an inevitable death. I liked to know exactly where I stood, but this last mission was too vague, and I lost my clear purpose. Now it was simple: free the President from the bunker, take back the White House. Not even a partner - which I usually didn't have, and detested very much - could deter me from feeling calm, collected, confident.

Waking from my thoughts I heard footsteps coming in our direction. Banning stopped and leaned against the wall, trying to become one with it completely. I followed his lead, occasionally glancing behind us too. When he jumped the two Koreans - I knew one of them, the other was part of some other group - I was prepared to shoot if he were to get in a pinch. Of course he never needed my assistance, on the contrary, I was amazed how quickly he managed to take them out. When he made sure that both were out cold, he turned to me.

"Keep an eye on him."

I nodded and aimed at the guy's forehead. Banning pulled the other into a room down the corridor then came back. We went back to the room and I helped Banning tie the terrorists to two chairs.

"I know him." I pointed to the one sitting on the left. "He knows just as much as I do."

Banning looked dubious, but shrugged his shoulders.

"We'll see. Stay there, but don't intervene."

I nodded and remained where I was, behind his back, while he sat down on a couch in front of the two terrorists. He slapped both of them awake. The guy I knew woke first and looked around, confused for a while. Then he noticed me and his eyes narrowed. I waited for his mind to put the details together, and I clearly saw his mental process written on his face. First he was surprised to find me there, then he registered the restraints and that someone hostile was sitting opposite to him and I was standing behind that guy's back. And then it clicked: I wasn't on their side.

"Traitor." he hissed at me in Korean.

I only smiled, but Banning slapped him clear on the face.

"Okay, assholes, who's running the show?"

The two guys looked at each other then back at Banning. Jun-ho, my ex-teammate glanced up at me and spat on the floor. This earned another slap from Banning.

"Don't look at her, look at me. Do you know English? Do they teach that where you come from?"

I saw him fingering a small pocket knife and his whole calm behaviour earned the attention of the terrorists. I knew that they knew some English at least, but I could translate anytime if needed.

"'Cause you know what they teach me? How to extract information from people like you."

The guys looked at each other again and they started laughing, Jun-ho first. He looked back at Banning, then up at me and said in a cold tone in perfect English:

"Extract information from that cunt over there, I know she likes it rough."

I don't know what he expected we would do, probably that I would be angered or shamed, but what happened surprised both of us I guess. Because Banning simply stabbed his knife into his neck, killing him almost instantly. I saw the colour drain from the other guy's face in an instant. He looked frantically between me and Banning, while I raised an eyebrow and stood there stupefied, I simply had no idea what to do. But Banning said I shouldn't intervene, so I didn't. He sat back on the couch in the meanwhile and cleaned the knife on the pants of the still alive terrorist.

"I liked your friend, he seemed like a funny guy."

I saw pure terror in his eyes and I knew Banning got what he wanted. This guy will sing like a bird now. I walked to the door and peeked out, there was no movement on the corridor. I turned back to a sudden yell, suppressed by Banning putting his hand over the terrorist's mouth. The knife was sticking out of the guy's thigh and I heard Banning murmur.

"English."

I remained by the door, in case there were anyone around to hear that yell. The guy started to speak, but I was immersed in my own thoughts to actually listen to what he says. Instead I wondered who Banning was, I guessed he had military training, and he didn't deny it when I told him that either. Then I knew he was Secret Service, although I just couldn't figure out how he could've survived the massacre inside the House a few hours ago. He didn't seem like the type to just go and hide away while his comrades were being slaughtered. All in all he was exactly the kind of professional who was needed in this situation. Unlike me, he had experience in combat, that was clear. I think part of the reason I let myself follow him instead of being irritated by his presence was precisely because of this. I felt like I could count on him to make the decisions.

I was shaken from my thoughts by a grunt, Banning apparently got everything he wanted and he was doing away with the second guy too. I joined him on the couch while he phoned the Pentagon. He put us on speaker again.

"His name is Kang Yeonsak."

I stared at him for a while and there was silence on the other side too.

"He's the head of the KUF." I muttered, slightly shocked.

This all made sense now, this attack, the risk they've taken, everything.

"Agent Cameron, do you know this man?" this was a new voice.

"No, sir, but I've heard of him before. He's one of the most wanted terrorists in the world. My initial mission was exactly to find out something about him and his organization."

"Well, mission accomplished." Banning whispered beside me which earned him a death glare he never noticed.

"40 commandos breached the gate, there are 28 left." he continued.

"How do we know we can trust the information?"

"I just asked them nicely."

I suppressed a snicker which was highly inappropriate in this situation, sitting before two dead guys.

"With a force that size, I have men who can sweep him up in short order."

This again was some new voice, I was getting lost in all the officials on the other side. But what he said was highly dubious, these commandos that Kang gathered…

"Sir, this is not going to be a cakewalk. These sons of a bitches are pretty fucking tough." Banning worded my thoughts just like I would've done.

"I have the toughest fucking guys in the world."

We looked at each other with Banning, dismay visible on both our faces.

"Sir, it won't be so easy to just waltz in here with the whole army. Kang is intelligent, he prepared for this thing for months, he shouldn't be taken lightly." I said.

"I don't take anything lightly." the voice on the other side went freezing cold. "We only need to know how to get inside that bunker."

I sighed, exasperated. Yeah, really, if it was so easy to get inside that bunker, it wouldn't have been built in the first place. By the time any troop could possibly get there, the President and all the other officials, along with Kang would be long dead. I had no doubt that Kang was prepared for this possibility too, and that in any other event, he would choose running away over killing himself. But if things come to the worst, he will kill himself along with everyone else in the bunker. It seemed that Banning was of the same opinion.

"Once those blast doors close, you don't. They're nuclear hardened. Sir, your men need to know what the hell they are dropping into. Do not launch anything until we do some recon."

"Alright. We'll be in touch."

The line was broken from the other side and Banning pocketed the phone.

"Who was that asshat?" I asked him.

"I'm guessing that's General Clegg, Army Chief of Staff."

"He's very eager to blow up our asses."

I stood up, getting restless. My head was a bit light, thanks to the adrenaline and the fact that I've been up more than two days without a wink of sleep. If I remained for two more minutes on that couch I would've fallen asleep. I stretched my arms a bit, getting the stiffness out of my shoulders.

"It's time we talk." Banning announced.

I glanced at him, then shrugged my shoulders.

"Can't we get something to eat first? I'm starving."

Banning looked at me like I just punched him in the face. I rolled my eyes, military guys can get so clenched up sometimes. I went back to the couch and sat down beside him again.

"I take it as a no."

"Tell me all about that mission, and what you did today."

It sounded pretty much like an order, and I wasn't the kind to take it well if people ordered me around. I crossed my arms before my chest and gave him a dark look which was lost on him. Again. I was wasting my perfectly timed death glares on him. Frustrating.

"There is nothing much to tell. Besides, I don't see how that is relevant to whatever we're gonna do after this."

"You were gone off the map for five months. I guess there is pretty much to tell."

A staring contest ensued. After half a minute of me staring into those steel blue eyes and wondering how awkward it would be to jump him right there and then, I gave up.

"Alright, alright. I can't recount every moment of those five month, so just tell me what you want to know."

I might have seen a faint flicker of a smile forming in the corner of his mouth, but that was quickly gone.

"I take it your team wasn't part of the KUF before."

"Was that a question?" he glared daggers at me so I quickly retreated "No, we weren't. I suspect that there were other teams like mine among the terrorists today, but I can't be sure."

"What was your job here?"

"Act as security detail, take out the secret service agents ordered to guard us, then to secure the House from the inside."

Banning furrowed his brows at the secret service part and I looked away from him. In retrospect, that was a very stupid thing to do, for a trained spy especially.

"Did you kill anyone?"

I sighed and closed my eyes a for a moment. I still saw that guy's face in front of me, and his eyes, boring into mine.

"I had to." I said, my voice strangely even and cold.

Now, I'm not a very emotional person, you can't be, the first thing to kill you on a mission is to become emotional. You have to be detached, keep a clear head and focus. But this was different. I never signed up for killing one of our own. That wasn't in the job description and it sickened me that I had done it. That I "had to" didn't make it any more easier.

I looked back up at Banning, a bit scared of what I'll see in his eyes, but to my greatest surprise he wasn't angry or disgusted. He looked somewhat compassionate, like he could understand why I did what I did and that I wasn't happy about it at all.

"Okay, one more question. Did you have an affair with any of the terrorists?"

I blinked twice, trying to comprehend his words. An affair?

"Why…?"

"Are you emotionally compromised?"

My mouth fell open for a moment I guess. I just couldn't believe my ears. I started laughing, for real, a good, hearty laugh. Wiping away tears from the corner of my eyes, I answered the question.

"No. But that was funny."

Banning was utterly confused and a bit angry, I could see.

"It was a valid question."

I raised an eyebrow. "Because Jun-ho said that I like it rough? Oh, please. You forget that the person he knew was never actually me. That is just a persona. Besides, it would be very unprofessional of me to sleep around on missions. You've hurt my professional pride."

And he really did, I was just too tired and worked up to make a fuss over it. I stood up again, not being able to sit around anymore.

"So... are we going somewhere or will we just relax our asses here?"

Banning stood up too with that continuous frown on his face which started to really bring out the worst in me. I was tired, excited, annoyed and these three things didn't make me one bit more amiable.

"Let's go down to the canteens. We'll split up, to cover more ground. You can shoot anyone you see."

Now that was something I did like.

"Roger."

I did a mock salute to him, but saw that he took it the wrong way again.

"Christ, I see someone shoved a stick up your ass too."

I quickly walked to the door before he had the chance to reply.

"I'll go west, see you down at the kitchen."