Annie Walker was a young operative who worked at Langley. At the CIA, being a woman was difficult because men didn't accept well that ladies could be better spies than them. Annie had a friend in the DPD, the division whre sue worked as a field agent. His name was Auggie Anderson. He was tall, handsome and blind. He had lost his eyes in a mission years ago. He didn't complain about this, but Annie knew that life wasn't always easy for him. She liked him. He was a friend of hers since the day she entered in the CIA.

But he wasn't the only friend she had here. Annie had a lot of friends in all the building. The DPD had a chief, Joan Campbell. This tall blonde had beautiful blue ayes that could somatimes become full of ice if she were angry. The woman was able to be icy and more than cold at anytime. But Annie knew that Joan wasn't this disagreable that she wanted to show. She thought that she was sometimes kind and friendly but Joan couldn't show such kundness with Annie or else the operative would be send far away in another state.

Chiefs couldn't possibily be friend with their field agents. Annie was walking in the office. CIA employee were on their computers, working on a new case. The young operative just ended a mission and Joan had told her to take a few days of holidays. But Annie wasn't tired, she wanted to continue to work as usual. Joan was right, the mission had been pretty hard to complete. A man suspected to be a killer had nearly strangled her. She still felt the pain. She hadn't told Joan about this. She didn't want to alarm her.

Joan had a lot of problems each day to take care of, she didn't want her to have this one too. Annie didn't want Joan to worry. It really was nothing. Nothing at all. She just had to hide it from her chief a week or two, and the « wound » would heal. Nobody would know it. Today, Auggie had a day off. He wasn't here. But Joan was. And Annie had seen her blond hairs through the transparents walls of her office. In the CIA, nobody could keep secrets with this type of walls.

Joan seemed to see Annie. She waved at her, asking the operative to come at her office. Annie joined the upper floor. She knocked at the door and heard Joan answer. The jounger blonde took a step in the room and closed the door behind her. Joan was looking at her with her big blue eyes. She

said :

Annie, I think that i already told you to go home and sleep a while. I'm sure you are tired. And you don't want me to see it. But I know that this mission wasn't esay for you.

Annie froze. Did Joan know about the man who nearly killed her ? Her chied added :

With the jet-lag, it must be hard not to sleep right now.

Annie took a breath. Joan didn't know. For now.

POV Joan :

Joan Campbell had one of her field agents in her office. She wasn't surprise to see that Annie was here even if she had told her to stay at home to rest after this mission. Annie Walker was so stubborn ! She liked this young operative as a daughter. Sometimes as a sister. As a part of her family, in fact. She was telling her what she had already said. Suddently, the younger woman seemed to feel sick. Annie looked at Joan during half a second. Her brown eyes pried her to do something. She was holding her head with her hands. What had happened to her ? Joan didn't know that somebody had hurt Annie.

She must had hut her head during a fight where she ended up head against a wall or something like this. Joan was worried. What was the problem ? Annie fell to the ground. Joan just had time to catch her head before it hit the floor. Joan was now holding the young blonde. Annie had fainted. Alarmed, Joan called the hospital after having put the poor girl on the couch.

At the hospital, Joan stayed in the corridor. She was worried for Annie. What happened ? Something must had happened during the mission. Something that she hadn't been aware of. When she could see the young woman, Joan ran in the room where was her agent. Annie looked so pale and little in this big, white bed ! It was almost scary to see her in such a room. Annie smiled at her. Joan took her hand, smiling too. She was relieved that Annie was better. The doctor had told her that Annie had a wound caused by a strangulation. Joan was afraid now. Who had done this ?

She wasn't giong to accept that. Nobody was doing this to her field agent ! She asked Annie about that. The blond woman explained what happened. Joan was angry because she hadn't been here to protect Annie from this horrible man. Annie assured her that this wound wasn't a big deal. It would heal within a week. Besides, she would defend herself and Joan didn't have to reproch herself for being at her office instead of with Annie, protecting her. Joan smiled at this declaration. But she blamed herself. She should have been here. Annie was now asleep. Joan sat on a chair near the bed.