Author's Note: This is my first fan fiction in nearly 10 years I wrote about a dozen back in the heyday of Charmed. I'm really rusty and not nearly as talented as everyone who publishes here, but I just felt this was a story that was crying to be told. It might be, but we'll have to wait until next July. Please let me know if it's worth continuing. Thanks.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of Covert Affairs; I'm simply borrowing them for this story.

Auggie couldn't believe what he'd just heard. He'd almost forgotten about that tiny listening device he and Stu had planted in the foot of the duffle bag. How long ago had it been? A month, maybe three weeks. It seemed like a lifetime ago. The device was set to automatic recording on his hard drive and he hadn't even bothered to listen to it. Until now. He wasn't prepared for what was on that recording, but why was he surprised, he would know that voice anywhere.

"Auggie…" a voice at the door stopped his train of thought.

"Yeah, Stu." He responded putting down his headphones and looked in Stu's direction.

"Joan just stopped me, she wanted to know if you've gotten any more from Miami."

"Yeah, no…." Auggie was distracted; the information he just received was going to take priority over Joan's Miami thing. " Would you do me a favor, and tell her I'll have an update this afternoon. I have something I have to take care of right away."

"Sure thing, but you know how patient she can be." Stu sighed; he didn't really want to tell his boss's boss that he didn't have anything for her right now.

"She'll understand. Tell her to trust me." Auggie replied reaching in his drawer for a flash drive. If one really great thing had come from working with Joan for the last 10 years, it was that they trusted each other. Trust was a very rare thing in the CIA. Today he had to pull the trust card.

"Will do." Stu answered. "Anything I can help you with?"

" I wish…" Auggie sighed, "but no."

Stu knocked on the door jam, his signal to Auggie that he'd left the office and headed to Joan's office, he was in no hurry. That was for sure.

Once Auggie was reasonably sure he was alone, he put his headphones back on and listened to the recording again. It was there. All of it. He put the flash drive in the port and made a copy of the recording. He picked up the phone and dialed an extension.

"Hey Julie, it's Auggie down in the DPD….do you think that you can get a half hour for me with him. It's really important…." He reached for his watch, checking the time. " That will be perfect. Thanks Jules." With that he hung up the phone. One hour. It was going to be an eternity.

She got out of the back seat of the dark gray Town Car and began to walk toward her townhouse. He was so arrogant, but he was such a great source of information, she might win that Pulitzer after all. As she climbed the steps leading to the townhouse she wondered if it was all worth it, at this point she wasn't sure who was using whom anymore.

Jai hated Miami, with a passion. He couldn't put his finger on the exact reason. He should love it, miles of sand and beach and miles of beautiful women in very little clothing. He sat at the café drinking something that made him look like a tourist. Why did all tourists have to order icky, sweet drinks? What's wrong with a beer? Or Jack Daniels?

"Jai, they're headed your way." The voice in his ear bud informed him.

"What am I looking for?"

"Mr. & Mrs. Bingo. You can't miss them."

"What are you talking about…." Jai was irritated; this wasn't the time for guessing games. Then he spotted them. A 60ish couple, dressed like they'd just stepped out of the Miami Vice time machine. "Never mind…got 'em" he dropped a five on the table and got up to follow the Bingos.

" I can't believe it….I just can't believe it. Wait, I can believe it. I should be yelling at you for another unsanctioned op. But you were smarter than me. Don't tell anyone I said that. I just can't believe it. After all this time it was so simple, a damned bug. Auggie you're a genius. Did I already tell you that? I knew he was out for my job, the old fart just didn't know that his time was up. He's been sabotaging me every chance he could. A consultant, my ass." Arthur paced back and forth in his office. Auggie had tried to follow his voice for the first five minutes, but now he was somewhere between tired and downright dizzy from the constant motion and ranting of the DCS.

" I know I should have told you, but…." Auggie finally tried to get a word in.

"Yes, you should have told me. But if you had told me I might have gotten my hopes up, I might have told you no, but I wouldn't have told you no. Would I? "

"but, all the stuff with Annie and Ben. The fallout over the article, it just slipped my mind." Auggie finished.

"Hell, I don't know what to think anymore…." Arthur continued, not even hearing what Auggie had just said. "We might have stopped that damned article instead of delaying it 72 hours….never mind the damage is done… The son of a …"

"He is and we both agree on that point. You know he's not my favorite person."

Arthur finally stopped pacing and returned to his usual calm self, sitting across from Auggie at the conference table. The two of them both had reasons to hate the voice on the recording. "Now, we have to figure out how to nail this bastard to the proverbial wall."

"I have an idea…" Auggie replied, happy that Arthur had finally calmed down so he could share his plans.

Part 2 coming soon...