Korea in the Fall: When a young woman's thoughts turn to...well, you'll see...

Unfurling the Flagg

Part 1

"I heard a very disturbing rumor that our favorite paranoiac spook is back in town," Hawkeye groused and took a long swill of his coffee.

Trapper and I exchanged a look across the mess table. Trap smirked at my look of confusion. "Ah you mean our resident self-abusing spy?" He laughed and stirred his pile of sloppy scrambled eggs. "I guess that was inevitable, Hawk. I'm surprised he wasn't hiding under the beds when they brought those Korean prisoners in last night."

Hawkeye hummed in amusement. "Maybe he was moonlighting as a nurse. He's got great legs. I'm sure he looks very becoming in stockings and garters."

"Oh absolutely. Great chest too. He fills out a shirt better than most of our nurses."

"Hey now!" I interjected tartly and kicked Trapper lightly under the table.

"Oh but not you, sweetheart," Hawkeye grinned. "You are the exception."

I rolled my eyes. "Thanks for the heartfelt compliment," I smirked. "So are either one of you n'er-do-wells gonna explain what's going on?"

"Allow me to enlighten you, my lovely lieutenant," Hawkeye smiled. "Those Korean prisoners that came in with the MP's last night have obviously caught the attention of our less-than-ethical intelligence community. They're like sharks in the water. The scent of communist blood makes them all come swimming."

"And the head loon of the intelligence nuthouse around here is a CIA guy called Colonel Flagg," Trap chimed. "He's been here a couple times before. Crashed his own helicopter and then broke his own arm. Twice! My buddy at HQ told me he once tried a similar approach to infiltrate CID Intel. He drove his Jeep into a wall and then set himself on fire."

"He's very dedicated," Hawkeye nodded.

I laughed. "You're not serious."

Hawk shook his head. "Don't I wish. Radar told me that Flagg called this morning demanding to talk to Henry. It's only a matter of time before he pops up."

"Or pops off. And no doubt with a bang," Trap quipped.

"Well, he can't take the prisoners without your say so." I shrugged. "You two are the attending physicians."

"Oh believe me we have no intention of signing them away to some one-star torture resort just yet," said Trapper. "Did you see that one kid? He looked like he was about twelve years old. I've got socks older than him."

"And with twice as many holes."

Trap grinned. "What'd ya say, Hawk? Should we make the Colonel's inhumane mission as difficult as humanely possible?"

"Absolutely. Let the spy games begin, my good man."

It turned out that the young prisoner was not a genuine North Korean soldier. A liaison officer lent to us by the South Korean army broke the news to us that afternoon when we arrived in post op.

It turned out that the kid, a baby-faced 15 year old named Kim, was in fact a forced conscript. Captured when his village was raided the previous week, he had been essentially press-ganged into a North Korean battalion. And a bullet wound to his leg had added injury to insult.

"Jesus, Hawk," Trapper sighed. "We can't let Flagg take him. We can't let anybody take him. He wants to be here about as little as we do."

Hawkeye passed me the completed chart. "I hear you, Trap." He sighed. "But we're going have to come up with something quick."

I threw a look over my shoulder to make sure the orderlies were otherwise occupied. I tugged lightly on Hawkeye's collar. "You know...we could get him outta here," I whispered.

"If you've got an idea I'm all ears, Y/N."

"And I'm all hands," Trapper winked.

I elbowed him playfully. "I mean it. It'll take some quick maneuvering though. Sister Theresa is picking up some crates of overstock supplies tonight for the orphanage. If we can get that kid in the truck tonight, we can sneak him out of here."

Hawkeye beamed. "A brilliant idea, my fair lieutenant." He jerked his head to Trap. "I think our prisoner patient may have just mysteriously contracted some kind of rare disease. Don't you think, Trapper?"

Trapper grinned. "Something highly contagious?"

"All the best diseases are."

I had seen to it that Kim's chart notes indicated a sudden spike in fever and a virulent rash popping up all over his abdomen (courtesy of some hastily applied iodine). The orderlies safely secured him in the quarantine ward on the other side of the camp.

The MP's had been severely alarmed by Hawkeye's news that the kid clearly had something catching, and none of them seemed too keen to keep watch over him. Finally one of them grudgingly agreed to keep watch outside the front door of the locked ward. The plan was in motion.

We had just finished making our rounds in post op when Radar came running into the room.

"Excuse me sirs, but Colonel Blake says he needs you sirs in his office. Right away!"

Hawkeye groaned. "Radar tell him I'd love to go away, but I will never ever be right."

Radar looked over his shoulder nervously. "Sirs! it's Colonel Flagg, sirs. He's here," he whispered.

"Uh oh. Sounds like duty calls, boys," I grinned. "Good luck."

"Oh no-no-no, Y/N." Trap said as he pulled on his overcoat. "We may be the attending physicians, but you're our attending nurse. We're gonna need you to back our play."

Henry was sitting at his desk looking haggard when we walked into his office, his fishing hat askew as he massaged his temples.

"Hiya Henry!" Trapper smiled. "Long night?"

"You have no idea. Pierce, McIntyre, you remember Colonel Flagg?" He gestured to a tall man standing at the window with his back to us. The man turned.

And oh...damn he was good looking. He had ruggedly handsome features, dark hair and piercing blue eyes. His uniform was sharp and tailored hinting at a very powerful physique underneath. Broad chest and shoulders, narrow waist, muscular arms. God, even his plush lips looked muscular if such a thing was even possible. His feet were planted squarely in a smugly self-confident stance, his hands on the web belt slung low on his cocked hips. He regarded us imperiously, his chiseled jaw raised.

Wow. I wasn't sure what I had expected upon meeting the infamous Colonel Flagg, but this was most certainly not it. I forced a neutral expression on my face, or else I might have just gaped at him like an idiot. I suppose I had been expecting to meet some kind of wild-eyed maniac. I hadn't expected him to be Colonel Tall-Dark-and-Handsome.

"Doctors," he said curtly in greeting, his voice deep and gravely. "And who is this?" He nodded to me. I had to resist the urge to fidget under his penetrating gaze.

"Oh this is Lt. Y/L/N," Hawkeye said, clapping me lightly on the shoulder. "One of our attending nurses that attends to our attending. She's also our new supply officer. I figured since you were probably here to make off with our penicillin supply again, she better come along to deny your request. She's very forceful," he grinned.

"I'm here about the Korean prisoners of war," Flagg said, his tone clipped. "My colleagues and I will be taking them tomorrow morning."

"Well I'm afraid you can only have three out of four, Colonel," Trapper replied. "One of them has developed serious symptoms of some kind of viral infection." He elbowed me in the side. "Isn't that right, Lt.?"

Flagg's bright blue eyes pinned me to the spot. "Y-yes that's right, sir," I nearly stumbled on the words. "He's under quarantine and we are keeping the others under observation."

Flagg narrowed his eyes skeptically, and then mercifully returned his gaze to Trapper. "This is not up for discussion, Dr. McIntyre. The prisoners have been ours since the moment you patched up them up. They are leaving here tomorrow. If they are not upright, we will carry them out."

"You don't seem to understand, Colonel," Hawkeye countered. "We've got one very sick kid in quarantine. Communist or not, he needs to be treated and we are not going to risk spreading the infection. In case you've forgotten, hospitals have this silly thing called protocol."

Flagg took a heavy step forward, lining up Hawk in his sights. "I'm wise to your tricks, Captain. The CIA supersedes any hospital protocol. Either you have the prisoners ready to transport by morning, or you're going to have a world of trouble here. I can have all of you thrown into jail faster than you can say court martial."

"I try never to say dirty words like that," Hawkeye deadpanned. "They offended my delicate sensibility."

"You have been warned, doctor," Flagg said his voice an octave lower now.

"Oh for Pete's sake!" Henry lamented, clutching his hat. "We're not equipped for this heavy cloak and dagger stuff, Colonel. We're just a hospital!"

"The red crosses on the tents give it away," Hawkeye interjected.

Flagg didn't spare a look at Colonel Blake. He tugged on his web belt, laying a hand lazily on his sidearm. "I expect your full cooperation, Captain. Or I can promise you there will be consequences you can't afford to suffer."

"Now just wait a minute," Hawkeye began hotly.

"Dismissed!" Henry cried in exasperation.

I exchanged a brief look with Hawk and Trap as we turned to leave the office. I felt the heavy weight of Flagg's stare at my back and was quietly relieved when we finally walked out.

The plan worked better than we could have hoped. Flagg's people weren't coming until morning, so the only security we were forced to contend with was the lone MP outside the quarantine ward. And of course Flagg himself.

It was well after midnight when Radar masterfully executed his part of the plan. He summoned Flagg to the clerk's office for a "high priority call" from Washington. That's when we made our move.

Hawk, Trap and I went to make a late night stop at the ward to check on our patient. While Hawk and Trap distracted the MP outside with some small talk, I half-carried the limping boy out through the fortuitously unlocked door at the back of the ward. When he was safely stashed in the back of Sister Theresa's truck, I hightailed it back to the ward and emerged out the front to inform Hawk and Trap loudly that though the kid's vitals were strong, he was still very ill and weak.

"So we're good to go?" Hawkeye whispered once we were out of the MP's earshot.

"Good to go to Tokyo," I sing-songed with a grin. "You think Radar is doing okay?"

"Oh I'm sure he's sweating bullets right about now," Trapped smiled. "That phony call from Washington has gotta seem legit. Shame that the shelling keeps interfering with the phone lines."

"What shelling?"

"Oh, whatever shelling comes up," Hawkeye shrugged. "Or comes down for that matter. It has a habit of doing that pretty frequently, you know?"

I stifled a laugh. "There's going to hell to pay in the morning, isn't there?"

"Don't sweat it, Y/N. I'll have them put it on my tab."

And boy, there certainly was hell to pay in the morning. A shelling would have had less drama.

When Flagg's entourage arrived the next morning, it was quickly discovered that the youngest prisoner was gone. It appeared that he had somehow escaped during the night, but hopefully it wouldn't seem like he had any help.

Within the hour we were inundated with MP's scouring all over camp. Radar looked pale when he rushed in at breakfast to report that Flagg was beside himself with fury.

"He put his fist through my filing cabinet!" he hissed nervously, looking over his shoulder. "He's been reading Colonel Blake the riot act for over an hour."

"Attention!" barked a voice over the PA speakers. "Captains Pierce and McIntyre and Lt. Y/L/N! Report immediately to Colonel Blake's office!"

"Fuck," Trapper sighed. "We knew that was coming. Ready to be water-boarded and have our toenails pulled off one by one?"

"I'll never talk," Hawkeye sat up and puffed out his chest. "Unless they go for the fingernails. I can't stomach a bad manicure."

I rolled my eyes. "This is serious, Hawk."

"I am being serious, Y/N. The last time you saw Kim he was resting uncomfortably, right? They don't need to know it was on a truck headed out of camp."

A jittery, restless tingle was crawling up my spine as we made the walk to Henry's office. We had a lot to hide. We were by all accounts the last people who had laid eyes on Kim. Well, technically I had been the last one to officially lay eyes on Kim. And Flagg had already been deeply suspicious of Hawk's and Trap's intentions from the beginning.

Christ, I was nervous. Nervous about being able to successfully play dumb about how Kim had "escaped", nervous about me and Hawkeye and Trapper and Radar getting into hot water...

And admittedly nervous about seeing the ultimately sexy, but ultimately intimidating Colonel Flagg again. Being under the spotlight of that hard blue stare...

I felt a hot flush rising in my cheeks. I cleared my throat. "I think you should do the talking on this one, Hawk."

"It would be my pleasure, Y/N. I just need you to confirm the details." He cast me a sidelong glance. "Nothing to be nervous about. Just keep in mind that Flagg had every intention of shipping that kid off to the nearest friendly neighborhood torture bunker."

I nodded. That was true. We had done the right thing. Kim didn't deserve to land himself in a prison camp after everything he had been through.

I held my breath as we walked into Henry's office. Henry was dejectedly downing the remnants of what was no doubt a double glass of bourbon. He was flanked by two MP's. Shit.

And there was Flagg pacing the room agitatedly like a caged animal. He looked up as we walked in, his eyes alight with barely contained fury.

"Good morning, Colonels," Hawkeye smiled. "What can we do for you?"

Flagg strode towards us. "Where is my prisoner?" he growled.

"Beats me, Colonel." Hawkeye alternately patted the pockets of his shirt and pants. "I could have sworn I still had him."

"Maybe you left him in the pocket of your other pants, Hawk. I lose my wallet like that all the time. Especially when it's time to pay my tab at the officers' club," Trapper quipped.

Flagg fixed Hawk and Trap with a withering look. He gaze slid over me without pausing. "Couple of jokers, huh? I'm told you all were the last to see the prisoner last night. You want to explain to me how such a 'sick' patient slipped out of a locked ward?"

"Apparently he was just well enough to give your MP the slip. Don't give him too hard of a time though. I've heard little prisoners can be very slippery."

"Gentleman!" Flagg barked over his shoulder and the MP's moved to stand behind Hawk and Trap. I was effectively shuttled off to the side. "Pierce and McIntyre, you are hereby placed under arrest."

"Aww jeez," Henry sighed and sunk down in his chair, scrubbing a hand over his face.

"You will be sequestered in your quarters until our investigation is complete," Flagg continued. Hawkeye had opened his mouth to protest, but Flagg spoke over him. "And I can promise you, Captains: if I find that you deliberately assisted with a prisoner escape, you will never see daylight again."

Anger quickly replaced my jittery nerves. This draconian bullshit was completely over the top. That kid didn't deserve prison and Hawk and Trap certainly didn't deserve to be arrested. I mean how dare he! How dare Flagg think he had the right to condemn anyone!

"Now just wait a minute!" I yelled hotly. Hawk, Trap and Henry looked over at me in surprise. Even the MP's looked taken aback at my outburst. Flagg raised a brow, fixing me with a guardedly curious look.

"I was the last one to see K-...er that prisoner last night, not the doctors. If anyone is to blame for this, it's me, not them!" I blustered. "I should have checked to make sure he was secure, but in all fairness we had no way of knowing he would escape!"

Flagg stalked towards me, looking every bit like a predatory cat closing in on its prey. He stopped barely a foot away, his bulky frame looming over me. He looked me up and down slowly and I resisted the urge to squirm, anger still boiling in my veins.

He squinted, leveling his gaze. "You're relatively new to this washed-up outfit, isn't that right? I would advise you that you are keeping very poor company, lieutenant." He jerked his chin towards Hawkeye and Trapper. "The kind of company that could earn you a lifetime stay in Leavenworth."

I steeled my nerve, looking right into those hard blue eyes. "Doctor Pierce and Doctor McIntrye are not guilty of anything, Colonel. And who gives you the right to pass judgement, sir?" I asked tartly.

"The United States government," he retorted brusquely.

Henry popped out of his seat. "I'm-I'm sure we can get this all sorted out, Colonel," he babbled placatingly. "I have full confidence in my men-er-my men and woman-er-my staff."

Flagg didn't bother to hazard a glance over his shoulder at Henry, instead keeping me pinned in his gaze. "Heads are going to roll for this, Colonel Blake," he said, his voice coated in quiet menace. "I wouldn't be surprised if this whole infection story was just an elaborate ruse to undermine our mission here."

"Am I going to to be the next person arrested, Colonel Flagg?" I remarked bitingly.

"Mark my words. If I find that you had any part in this ploy, I'll take you down myself."

I smiled coquettishly. "Is that a promise?"

I saw a small muscle tense in his jaw.

Apparently Hawk and Trapper had been stunned into silence by our little tete-a-tete up until this point. Hawk deliberately cleared his throat loudly. "If I can interrupt this heated exchange for a moment, I'd like to point out that this is merely a medical misadventure, Colonel." He shrugged innocently. "It's not our fault that the patient didn't understand that he wasn't allowed to escape."

Flagg spared a brief look in Hawkeye's direction. "Officers, please escort the doctors to their tent." He turned his gaze back to me. "What this is.." he growled, "is a case of deliberate misinformation."

"Deliberate misinformation?" I took a step towards him, boldly closing the small distance between us and leaned my face close enough to his to catch the heady scent of the aftershave on his neck. "C'mon now Colonel," I purred at his ear, "surely the CIA can stomach a little bit of its own medicine."

As I pulled away, I watched in satisfaction as a look of galled shock crossed his grim expression. I flashed him a shameless grin and turned on my heel to walk out of the office, leaving the others to gape after me.

I paid Hawk and Trapper a visit that afternoon after my shift. It seemed they were thoroughly enjoying their detainment, lounging around the tent in their robes with martini glasses in hand.

"So how are things going out in the war theatre?" Hawkeye grinned as he refilled his glass. "No doubt we are sorely missed."

I chuckled as I sat down heavily on Frank's empty bunk. "Smoothly for now. It will be a different story if new wounded start showing up. Then we will have some serious trouble."

Hawkeye's grin widened. "And speaking of trouble: That was quite a show you put on this morning. I did all the talking and you did all the yelling."

I sighed heavily. "I know. I'm sorry-"

"No, no! Are you kidding me? It was great! You had the overzealous colonel in quite a fluster." He raised his brow. "I think I'm sensing some definite tension of the sexual nature between you two. Don't you agree, Trap?"

"Oh come on!" I laughed, though I felt my cheeks heating traitorously.

"Oh definitely," Trapper nodded. "C'mon, Flagg isn't a bad looking guy. You're a beautiful woman, he's a deranged lunatic: it would be a match made in espionage heaven."

"You two are ridiculous."

"Not at all," Hawkeye smiled. "After all what he lacks in personality, he certainly makes up for in brawn. You know Margaret was practically drooling at his bare chest when we set his broken arm last summer."

"Margaret's always been a sucker for powerfully built guys," Trapper remarked. "What she sees in Frank I'll never know."

"Must be his powerfully built ego," Hawkeye quipped.

"Very funny," I grumbled. "Now onto more pressing matters, please. The camp is still swarming with MP's. And no doubt Colonel Flagg and his agents have no intention of leaving until they find some kind of damning evidence."

Hawkeye popped an olive into his mouth and chewed it thoughtfully. "You know if we really want to get rid of Flagg, we just need to play his game."

"How's that?"

"We just need to play our own red herring card. It shouldn't be too hard to send him off on some fool's errand if we can convince him that subversiveness is involved."

I was struck with a sudden inspiration. "You know, I've gotta make a trip to Seoul this weekend with some supply requisitions. I'm a relatively new transfer here, right? Plant a seed in the right minds that I'm actually a secret Army G2 agent enroute to Seoul with some kind of classified counter-intelligence report." I laughed. "Or better yet, I'm a secret-G2-communist-sympathizer double-agent."

"Ooh very colorful. A fatal femme fatale," Hawk chuckled.

I nodded. "Just watch. Word of it will get back to Flagg and poof! He'll be off to Seoul searching endlessly for my contact agent who doesn't exist."

"I dunno, Y/N," Trap remarked. "Might be kinda dangerous to float that story. The next time you get outta the shower you might find that your brassiere has been booby trapped."

"You know I think she may be onto something, buddy," Hawk said. "A little good-natured subterfuge never hurt anybody. We could be Flagg-free for weeks. So the question becomes in whose ear do we stick our red herring?"

"Frank's the obvious choice, don't you think?" Trapper answered. "He practically worships the ground Flagg walks on."

Hawk nodded. "Very true. Frank's so red, white and blue he makes me feel green around the gills."

I shrugged off my jacket. "Excellent. This sounds like a plan. Fix me one of those martinis, would you Hawk?"

"Your wish is my command."

"So tell me, Y/N," Trapper grinned. "What happens when you get to Seoul and Flagg pops outta your duffel bag?"

I laughed. "I think I can handle myself, don't you?"

"Or better yet, you should handle Flagg," Hawkeye leered and waggled his brows.

I felt a renewed rush of heat in my cheeks. "What?"

"What better way to compromise a spy than to put him in a very compromising position," he teased.

I scoffed. "Even if I was remotely interested, I seriously doubt he would go for that."

"She might be right, Hawk," Trapper laughed. "I'm sure Flagg's conditioned himself to be immune to the enticement of a beautiful woman."

"But not from our lovely Y/N," Hawkeye said. "I can see it now. It would be like a scene right out of Casablanca. You can be his Ingrid Bergman, Y/N."

I sighed. "You two really are a couple of characters, Hawk."

"Here's looking at you, kid."

Hawkeye and Trapper were given a given a brief reprieve from detainment when a flood of new wounded soldiers arrived the next evening. However after surgery, they were quickly shuttled back to their tent.

Obviously the red herring had been successfully planted. Unless I was becoming a paranoiac myself, I noticed that the other staff seemed to be giving me a wide berth. Only the wonderful Father Mulcahy seemed to be willing to sit by me at meal time. More than once I had walked into a room to find my fellow nurses in whispered conversation. Conversation that suddenly died when I set foot within earshot.

Oh well, that's how it typically goes with a secret. In no time at all, everyone knows about it.

I dropped in on Hawkeye and Trapper the next evening. The party at Le Chateau Swamp was still very much in swing. Trapper was waltzing tenderly around the tent with a broomstick while Hawkeye was dealing out cards to Klinger and Radar.

Hawkeye grinned up at me from his bunk. "Come pull up a stool, it's five card stud."

I pulled up a seat and sat down heavily. Hawkeye and I exchanged a pointed look. "It's okay you can talk in front of Radar and Klinger," he said. "They're sworn to secrecy under pain of death. Or in Klinger's case, pain of re-enlistment."

Radar leaned over. "Is it true ma'am? That you're a spy?" he whispered.

"Don't be ridiculous, Radar," Klinger shook his head, his chandelier earrings swinging. "The 4077th isn't nearly glamorous enough to have our very own spy."

I laughed. "You are the only truly glamorous thing we have, Klinger." He beamed in reply.

"So I take it the word is out about me, huh? Frank must have taken the story hook, line and sinker. How did you do it?"

Hawkeye winked conspiratorially. "I may have insinuated to him that though I consider you a dear personal friend, I'm a little concerned about your political sympathies. That you seem to write a lot of letters to some "pen-pals" in Eastern Europe. I may have also let slip that I've been some wired messages from Army intelligence in your tent."

I raised a brow. "And what would you be doing in my tent?

"A gentleman never tells."

I spent the following day in a state of perpetual distraction. I was strangely self-conscious everywhere I went. And I suppose it wasn't just the fact that so many people were still looking at me sideways. Though he was never anywhere to be seen, I was sure I could feel the weight of Flagg's eyes on me too.

Friday afternoon I collected my signed requisitions from Henry. And when the driver arrived to transport me to Seoul, I made a show of furtively clutching the stack of documents like they were of great importance.

Well, here goes nothing. If anything, I hoped that Hawkeye and Trapper would earn a much more liberal reprieve whilst Flagg was (hopefully) already in Seoul in search of my non-existent contact.

When I arrived in Seoul, I checked in briefly at HQ and was advised that I would meet with the supply commander first thing in the morning. I wasn't too keen on spending the night holed up in a sterile HQ bunk. The driver recommended that I stay at a local tea house called Miss Minji's that offered some upstairs accommodations to visitors like myself. I was a little leary that the "tea house" was actually a brothel, but I was pleasantly surprised to find it otherwise.

The very kind Miss Minji who greeted me as "Lady Joe" showed me to a comfortable little room overlooking the back alley of the street below. I dropped my bag in the tiny little bedroom and opened the doors to the balcony. The bustling noises of the street, the clatter of the passing rickshaws, and the wafting sweet stench of kimchi was actually quite relaxing.

Of course it wasn't until that night that the real fireworks started...

I grabbed a bite to eat in the tea room that evening. It was apparently a very popular place after hours with the local American clientele and it quickly became standing room only. I asked Miss Minji to bring some tea up to my room after dinner.

I had just started unpacking some pajamas from my duffel bag, fully intending to take advantage the small basin tub. After all, finding a place with honest to God running water was a small victory in my book.

"Settling in for the night, Lt.?" drawled a baritone voice from behind me.

My pulse amped and I spun around in shock. And holy shit there was Flagg leaning casually against the rail of the balcony. I guess Trapper was right after all: I had unzipped my duffel and then out he popped.

My heartbeat was hammering a steady rhythm in my ears, but with a monumental effort I played it cool.

"Well good evening, Colonel Flagg. I thought you were still in camp. Are you here to ask me what a girl like me is doing in a place like this?" I teased flippantly.

He swaggered into the room, taking off his hat and tossing it carelessly on a chair like he owned the place. He hummed thoughtfully. "I received some unsettling information about you, Y/N..." he said my name slowly, weighing it on his tongue. "If that is in fact your real name."

Oh Christ almighty, what have I gotten myself into?

I rested my hands on my hips, trying my best to convincingly play the part of a femme fatale. "I don't know where you would get a silly idea like that Colonel. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you came here just to be alone with me."

He halted mid-swagger, clearly not expecting that response. He recovered himself quickly though, narrowing his eyes icily as he moved toward me again, coming to a halt only a breath away. "I've seen your file. It's too squeaky clean to be true."

"I'm so sorry to disappoint you."

"I have information that you are in possession of official documents," he said slowly. "I want them."

"I can't imagine why. They are just supply requisitions," I said simply.

He hummed skeptically. "Likely story. If you won't relinquish the documents, lieutenant...I will have to take them by force."

I raised a brow. "Take them by force?" I smiled sweetly. "If you wanted to play rough Colonel, all you had to do was ask."

I saw the smallest discomfited shift in his stance. "Don't get cute, lieutenant. I'm sorry," he smirked, not looking even fractionally sorry, "but you're sorely mistaken if you think a pretty face will keep you out of prison. Your charms may have worked on other men, but they won't work on me."

"I beg your pardon!" I gaped in offense. I raised my hand with every intention of smacking that cocky smirk off his handsome face. But in an eyeblink he caught my wrist, jerking me into his chest and quickly trapping both of my upper arms in his iron grip.

I struggled fiercely against his hold but he only pulled me tighter into his body, grunting with the effort to hold me fast. I looked up into his eyes. God he was so close, his eyes so terribly blue. He stilled suddenly, his eyes restlessly searching mine.

And just like that something changed, the air between us suddenly became dense and electric. I watched as the self-congratulatory smirk faded from his expression. There was an unreadable look in his deep blue eyes, something heated that made a shiver of desire run up my spine. I became aware of how good it felt to be trapped in his muscular arms, breathing in the heady scent of his aftershave, his hard chest pressed against my breasts. And unless my imagination was playing tricks on me, I was sure that same muscular chest was now beginning to rise and fall with heavy breath.

"So what happens now, Colonel?" I asked more breathily than I had intended. His gaze dropped to my mouth. He swallowed.

"If there's something fishy going on here, then I promise you and your red doctor comrades are sunk," he said softly and there was none of his usual venom in the words.

"Oh well, if I have to go down with the ship I may as well make it memorable..." I murmured.

I snaked my hand up around the back of his neck and pulled his face to mine. And I mean I landed the mother of all kisses on him, crashing my lips to his ferociously hard. He stiffened and as his lips parted in surprise I seized the opportunity to slide my tongue into his mouth and deepen the kiss into something moltenly sinful.

He stood frozen, rooted to the spot, but yet (I noted with satisfaction) he didn't pull away. I captured his lower lip in my teeth and nipped it roughly and was rewarded with his sharp intake of breath. I felt his grip on my arms loosen and his hands fell helplessly down to my waist. And I wasn't nearly done, sliding my tongue back between his lips and drinking him in again.

And then as if a switch had been inexplicably flipped, there came a deep rumbling growl from his chest and I felt his once-motionless lips come to life, pressing fiercely back against mine. And oh my could he kiss, twining his tongue hotly against mine and groaning into my mouth.

And in that moment I realized it. I was less and less in control of this increasingly dangerous game. What had once been a semi-innocent plot to coyly toy with the infamous Colonel Flagg had now become something else entirely. I had thrown out the bait, and boy had he taken one helluva bite. And now I felt like I was the one being reeled in, hard and fast. But god he tasted so good...

And god I wanted him so, soooo badly...

He was now utterly devouring me and I moaned softly against his plush lips. His hands slid down my waist, grabbing my ass and lifting me up into his arms. I gasped, wrapping my legs around his waist.

He carried me into the bedroom in two quick strides and we tumbled onto the bed. He broke the hot seal of his kiss, lifting his head and meeting my eyes. And god help me he looked so good, his pupils so blown they nearly eclipsed the bright rim of blue in his eyes.

He palmed the side of my face. "Y/N..." he whispered, the word loaded in silent question.

I carded my hands into his hair. "Yes...please..." I begged.

He didn't need any further encouragement. He groaned and raked his mouth down the side of my neck, claiming my throat with hungry feverous kisses.

"Oh god, Colonel..." I moaned.

"Sam," he rasped against my ear. He slid a hand up my throat, cradling my chin. "Sam. Say it," he demanded.

And god that voice and that rough command. I rocked my hips up wantonly into his. And ohhhhh wow...I felt the thick solid press of his hard-on digging into me in just the right spot. A rush of wetness practically flooded my panties. "Sam..." I breathed, my voice thick with wanting.

There was a knock at the door. He jerked his head up quickly and my god...He looked so undone, breathing hard, his eyes wide and dark. He expression was so...lost. Like he didn't know how he had gotten here, or how his wits had apparently abandoned him.

I gave him a small reassuring smile and wiggled out from under him to answer the door. When I opened it there was Miss Minji with my tray of tea. Christ almighty, talk about your poor timing! Just as I was quickly pressing some money into her hand, we both jumped at a loud crash and clatter from the street. I whirled around to find...

My room empty. Colonel Flagg...Sam was gone. But where...

Oh my god, I think he jumped off the fucking balcony.

I rushed over to the open doors overlooking the back alley, and sure enough there was a scatter of overturned bins and trash littered all over the ground. And Sam was nowhere to be seen. I wasn't sure if I was desperately disappointed or if I wanted to laugh out loud.

"Everything A-ok, Lady Joe?" Miss Minji asked anxiously.

"Yes..." I sighed heavily. "A-ok, Miss Minji."

To be continued?