It was half past midnight in the city of Chicago, 1929. It was mid-spring but a little nip could be felt in the night air as Flynn was slammed backwards against a dark alley brick wall.
The Rittenhouse agent reached inside his coat for his gun, but Flynn launched himself at him, crushing the man into the opposite wall. Stunned, the agent dropped his gun as Flynn delivered a smashing blow to his jaw, grabbed the agent's head, twisted hard, snapping his neck. The dead agent crumpled unceremoniously to the ground at his feet.
Flynn leaned heavily against the wall, breathing hard as Rufus and Lucy ran by the end of the alley, skidding to a halt as they spotted him. He wiped the sweat off his face as they raced down toward him.
"Are you alright?" Lucy said simultaneously with Rufus exclaiming, "Man, what happened?!"
"I found the backdoor just as he opened it and he punched me," Flynn said rubbing his jaw.
Lucy and Rufus leaned in closer to look at the man's face. Rufus asked, "Is that the Rittenhouse guy?"
"It is," Lucy determined.
"Good." Flynn pushed himself off the wall, "Getting things done." He smiled.
"You got to get rid of him now," Lucy said looking between the two men.
"Great," Rufus said under his breath.
Flynn replied nonchalantly, "Where's the car?"
THREE HOURS EARLIER
Rufus asked, "So, we're going to intercept the Rittenhouse agent who's going to be the new nightclub owner?"
Rufus, Lucy and Flynn sat at the little meeting table in their dreary home of the bunker.
"Correct," Christopher replied. "We found that Rittenhouse has gone to 1929 Chicago. We believe their goal is to establish a sleeper agent, but we also found that a second agent is being sent in to kill someone of who we don't know yet."
"We don't know?" Flynn interrupted looking from Christopher to Lucy.
Lucy cleared her throat, "There isn't any real historical event during that time of the year."
Rufus spread his hands in question, "How long will we need to be there?"
"Hopefully not too long," Christopher replied. "You'll go in and establish yourselves into the speakeasy club scene and Chicago life. The present employees at the club do not know what the new nightclub owner, A.K.A, sleeper agent, looks like. So, you will need to eliminate him, and Flynn will step in as Smith and take the nightclub owner position. This will enable him to hide in plain sight. You will then stay until you track down the second Rittenhouse agent and eliminate him as well." She gestured to Rufus, "You'll be the trumpet player in the band-."
"Seriously? I haven't played since high school! And it was all Star-Spangled Banner and My Country, 'Tis of Thee!"
"You'll be fine." Christopher said, "It'll come back to you." She looked over to Lucy. "Lucy, you will be one of the dancers and... Flynn's mistress."
Lucy looked over at Flynn and they held each other's gaze for an uncomfortable second before she turned to Christopher and asked, "Is that necessary?"
Flynn piped up crossing his arms over his broad chest, "Don't like dancing?"
Rolling her eyes, she went on, "Aside from the fact that I haven't danced since the ninth grade, do I really need to be a mistress?"
"It's a good idea to have you employed as a dancer, and the dancing will come back to you," she side barred, "and be his girl so no one would ever question you always being there. Also, it will easily free you two up to talk intimately together."
No one said anything as Rufus looked with wonder between his two teammates, seeing their eyes had met together yet again. Flynn uncrossed his arms, and leaned forward without breaking his duel with the lovely dark brown eyes across from him. "Sounds like a plan, let's get going."
"Ya really got it there, sugar! Now put it all together smooth like. Double time and just bump it a little harder." Gigi was an established dancer at the Moonlight Club and Harry, the last club owner's right-hand man, had suggested to Flynn that Lucy learn the dance routines through her.
In time to the music, Lucy raised her hands and waved them in the air, kicked right, kicked left, kicked right, kicked left, turned, placed her hands behind her head and ended the move with a hard bump on her right hip. Gigi giggled, clapping her hands as she went over to the portable phonograph lifting the needle off the record.
The bobbed, strawberry blonde grabbed Lucy's shoulders in excitement, "You're a real natural! Ya had me going there when ya said ya didn't know how to dance."
Lucy smiled, "Thank you!" She had been spending the morning and afternoon on the club's dance floor learning the routines that she would need to do with the other girls for that evening and the next.
Lucy sat and took a drink of water. Gigi pulled up a chair looking at her curiously as she sat next to her crossing her legs, "Say, where ya from?"
"Sausalito," Lucy said looking over the rim of her glass as she took another drink.
"Ooooh stars! That's near San Francisco, right? I would love to see San Francisco! That where ya met Smith?"
"Um hm, it is," Lucy nodded, hoping she wouldn't keep asking questions.
"Boy, ya know, if I can get my guy to take me there, I think it'd be just swell," Gigi's face became wistful, "But he and I…" She looked over at Lucy, "You and Smith seem to be okay. Why's it so hard?"
"Me and Smith weren't always okay. But we talked, and little by little, I got to know him. And now," she gave her a wry smile, "he's not so bad."
"That's just grand," Gigi replied softly, "Seems he's lucky to have ya." She looked at the clock and stood, "You're ready as you'll ever be, sugar." Lucy rose too following her to the coat rack as she went on, "You'll be next to me, so if ya get lost, just sorta glance over to get back in line." She slipped into her coat, "Besides, most of the gents that come here will already be smashed, so they won't notice or care if ya misstep. Rest up, and I'll see ya later."
"Thank you, Gigi, I really am grateful."
"Pleasures all mine, sweetie and welcome to the Moonlight Club." Gigi opened her arms and gave her a big hug, waved goodbye and left.
On the third floor of the club was a little two-bedroom apartment. Lucy moved over to the sitting room window and sat in it, looking down on the street below. Picking up the moves had been a lot easier than she thought and she was enjoying it too. Something she hadn't done in a long time. Enjoy something.
Things had grown gloomy living out in the bunker with nothing but dark thoughts chasing her around in her mind. No longer living in her own home, she no longer had freedom to go and do anything as she pleased. Rittenhouse was always rearing their ugly heads. And Wyatt was off with Jessica at a weekend getaway. That had been fine with her because Jessica seemed okay and Lucy saw that they were good together, but it sparked a bit of envy. Not of Jessica having Wyatt, but of them having each other. Having someone in the world that they could call their own. Same with Rufus and Jiya. The only time she felt any remote type of companionship was with Flynn.
Of late it had become a thing with them to watch TV or movies together. Truth be told, she had actually begun to look forward to spending the time with him, especially after the night they spent talking. Sometimes the guys would go on missions and she would find herself waiting for him to return. And when he did, that was the time when she felt-
A knock at her door brought her out of her thoughts.
"Come in."
Rufus' head popped in, "Brought you a sandwich." He stepped in with a plate that had two slices of white bread with a slice of bologna and cheese.
"You shouldn't have," She took the plate and smiled, "It looks good. Thank you, Rufus."
"No problem. How'd your practice go?"
"Better than I imagined. I just hope I don't trip over my feet. You?"
"I played and practiced and at least I'm to the point where it doesn't sound like I'm murdering a turkey." Lucy laughed and took a bite of her sandwich as Rufus headed for the door. "Gotta go try on my suit for tonight. Flynn said he'd be up-oh, here he is."
Lucy looked up as Flynn walked in, "Just heard that there will be a few mobsters coming in to check out the new nightclub owner tonight."
"Great. If we don't get shot by Rittenhouse, we can get shot by mobsters," Rufus dead panned.
Flynn grinned at him, "Are you able to play something non-patriotic?"
"Good as I'll ever get for tonight, but you won't be seeing any grandstanding from me," He went to the door, "See you all tonight." And with that he left.
Lucy sat back in the window with the plate on her lap as she took another bite of her bologna and cheese.
He crossed the room sliding his hands in his pockets, "How were the lessons?"
"They went well, believe it or not. If I don't fall on my face, I think I'll come off well as a nightclub owner's girl." She smiled.
That was something that she didn't do very often, smile. It lit up her face, brightened her eyes and affected him. "I'm sure you won't fall on your face."
She caught the smile he gave her and the word handsome came to mind…not for the first time. He leaned against the wall next to the window where she was seated. A breeze from the evening air gently blew the white lace curtains as they both looked down at the street.
"We're going to have to really sell it tonight," He said quietly.
"Well...I'll do my best since I'm your dame." They glanced over at each other with a little smile.