The teams have been divided up to investigate Perfect Match. Getting into character.
"We won't tell," Oscar assured her. "Come on. Let's see who we're going to be !" he said, sounding excited. Aneisha guessed that Oscar liked Dr. Drama as much as she did.
Tom was led through the Observation department of MI9 HQ and taken to a booth in the corner of a room filled with people working on multiple workstations. A young woman with light brown skin and long, black, silky hair was staring at a computer screen at one end of the double desk. "Agent Gupta ?" said Tom's guide.
"Hm ?" said Agent Gupta in a distracted tone of voice, before finally looking up. "Oh, Hi ! You're Tom aren't you ?" she asked. Tom nodded nervously. "Great. I've seen some of your work. It's good," said Agent Gupta. She held out her hand. "Sorry, I'm being rude aren't I. I'm Rose. How do you do ?" she said with a friendly smile. Tom relaxed and shook her hand.
"I'll leave you to get on with it then," said Tom's guide. "Agent Gupta will brief you," he explained.
Rose pointed to the empty chair next to hers. "Okay, before we start I'd better explain a few things. I worked in MI High for Frank. We were the team before yours," said Rose. This made Tom's face light up and she smiled back at him. "Yeah, it's a rush isn't it ?" she said, grinning.
"I really enjoy it," Tom said. "At least, I enjoy the techie bits, not the dangerous bits. I don't like them much. That and the running. I mean, why all the running ?" he demanded.
Rose laughed. "Frank said you were fond of a biscuit," she said. "Well, you and I are in charge of getting into the virtual world of Perfect Match. We will be supporting the others with useful information, hopefully, and any support they need to maintain their covers."
"Okay, how's that going ?" asked Tom.
Rose grunted. "Not that well. Their firewalls are really annoying !" she hissed angrily. "I'm starting to get seriously hacked off."
"Well, speaking of hacking," said Tom, wriggling his fingers. "Let's get to it !" he said, gleefully.
Elsewhere in MI9 HQ, Dan and Keri came out of a briefing room feeling dizzy with the quantity of information which had just been thrown at them. "I think I need another week to revise," complained Dan.
"You and me both," sighed Keri. "So, Zac, where do we start ?" she asked.
"Well, Tanya, I think we need to go to the armoury, don't you ?" asked Dan, taking his lead from Keri. The more practice he had at using their cover names, the better his chances of remembering them when he was stressed, which if he was honest, was likely to be his whole time undercover. It wasn't that he hated dressing up in strange costumes and the weird hair and the other physical stuff. It was more that he hated lying. He didn't like pretending he was someone that he wasn't.
"So," said Keri, frowning with concentration, "I am Tania Zucchero, daughter of the deceased mobster Guiseppe Zucchero and sister of Zac Zucchero. We are the joint heads of the family extortion and arms business. We have been in hiding for the last two years because there is an international warrant for our extradition to Italy to face racketeering charges. In reality we have been locked up secretly in an MI9 prison for the last month until we are extradited. We speak no Italian because we were brought up in the UK and raised by our Aunt Sonia in order to avoid the risk of kidnapping in Italy. Have I got it all ?" she asked Dan finally.
"I think so. I'm Zac Zucchero. Stupid name," added Dan. "I am the brother of Tania Zucchero and only son of Italian mobster Guiseppe Zucchero. We never met our father, but were brought up to take up the reins of his organisation on his death. We have been running his illegal businesses, and some legitimate ones, for the last two years. We move constantly to avoid detection and have few friends or family. Perfect really," said Dan.
"Armoury," announced Keri. "I wouldn't mind another pair of laser lashes. They were cool !" said Keri with a sly look at Dan. "I can't believe they don't make them standard issue," she teased.
Dan took a deep breath and looked at Keri. He knew she was winding him up, but it still worked. "Just two words Keri. No and Way !" he said, swiping his identity card over the door security panel. The door softly opened by itself and they both stepped through. Inside was a narrow entrance hallway wide enough for one person at a time. As they walked through Keri noticed a soft wave of red light running over her. There were various buzzes and beeps as they passed through. At the end of the brightly lit corridor another door softly opened and they walked through into a reception area.
Two agents were sitting in front of monitors behind a wide desk. A woman glanced up and smiled slightly at them. "Agents Morgan and Summers ?" she said. They both nodded. "Armoury room 2 please," she said, pointing to a corridor leading off to one side. They turned into the corridor and knocked on the door marked with a large number 2. The door opened and they stepped through.
"Agents Morgan and Summers," said a man's voice.
Keri grinned. "Frank ! What are you doing here ?" she asked.
Frank looked up from a table with different items laid out on it and smiled at them both. His expression turned slightly quizzical. "You do look different," he said after a slight pause.
"That's the whole idea isn't it ?" asked Dan.
Frank cleared his throat. "Yes, of course it is. Well, it's just strange, that's all," he said, looking a little embarrassed.
"Frank, how long have you been a spy for ?" asked Keri.
"Oh, I know !" Frank protested. "It makes you look so much older, that's all. You all get older and then, well, you know …." he trailed off quietly, sounding embarrassed.
"We leave ?" suggested Dan gently.
"Yes. That's it," said Frank, scratching his ear.
"Yeah, well, we're going to be busy for a bit yet Frank," said Dan.
"Yes, that's right. Okay, let's get to business," said Frank, clapping his hands together. "This is the equipment you are going to be taking on your assignment. I'll give you a run through of how it all works, as usual," he said briskly.
Frank started happily running through the capabilities of each of the items on the table. Dan watched his team leader, understanding a little bit more about what it must be like to run the MI High team. Frank probably had to look after his team more than the leader of an adult unit would which meant he probably got closer to them. Unlike the adult units though, they probably only stayed together for two or maybe three years before the agents became too old to remain undercover in a school. Thinking about it, Dan wondered if he would be able to stay beyond this academic year. He barely looked like a teenager any more. He wouldn't be able to hang around for much longer. Tom and Aneisha could probably get away with it for another couple of years, and Keri maybe for another year. The realisation hit Dan hard that very soon he would have to leave his friends behind. Who knew if MI9 would want to keep him on as an adult agent. There were probably more tests to take. There always seemed to be more tests to take. He'd taken loads this year !
"Dan ! Dan, have you been listening ?" demanded Frank, sounding exasperated.
"Oh, sorry Frank. You made me think about being in MI High. I'm going to be too old soon aren't I ?" asked Dan sadly.
Frank sighed. "Yes Dan, you probably won't be able to stay beyond this academic year. I should probably have spoken to you about it before, but I was hoping for a better time," he said apologetically.
"Yes, sorry Frank. I'm back on track now. Would you mind repeating about the scanner please ?" asked Dan dragging himself back to the moment. This was no time to be moping about the future. If he didn't get this right, he and Keri might not have a future.