2. The Plan
"Is this coffee organic?" Paige asks.
"No, but it is from Peru," Emily replies.
Damn. The room is bugged.
Paige gets so annoyed with the agency some times. They send their agents out on these missions but they can't even secure the rendezvous point.
But then these are the geniuses that came up with Paige infiltrating the party as a guest while Emily goes undercover as a waitress… at the coffee shop down the road. Not at the party itself, because that would be too obvious. And of course Paige having to sneak out to pass on information while wearing a cocktail dress is completely inconspicuous.
If she could just quit and go work for someone else she would, but that's not really how things go in her profession.
"Just the usual?" Emily asks.
"Actually, I'll have two," Paige says. "I'm expecting a friend. Well, a friend of a friend."
"I think I might know them," Emily replies. "Do they like to make a big entrance?"
"Yes," Paige agrees, "but otherwise they keep to themselves. They're a little shy."
Paige can see the look of alarm in Emily's eyes, but she needs to know the danger.
Emily sets about making the coffees. Once she is done, Paige hands over some change. Emily scans the coins and quickly spots the memory card.
"Thank you," she says. "That's perfect."
Paige waits at the counter, coffee in hand.
"Would you like a seat?" Emily asks.
"I'll wait here," Paige replies. "I need the exercise."
Emily slips the memory card into the front pocket of her apron, before she picks up the tray and begins cleaning up. That's the thing with undercover missions, you still have to do your job.
Paige discreetly looks in her second coffee cup. It's the entry pass. She puts it in her handbag.
Just then the door opens. They both tense for a moment, ready to engage the enemy, but the only person who comes through the door is an old man, hardly one of A's feared killers.
The new arrival looks Paige up and down.
"That's quite a dress for a little place like this," he observes.
"I've been out at a party," Paige explains.
He is old and slightly stooped, smartly dressed if somewhat out of style. He has a grey shirt, brown trousers, a brown tie, a brown cardigan, a tweed jacket and a flat cap. His face is wrinkled, and full of character, with thin grey whiskers. His eyes show an alertness, though, and one not dulled by the years.
"It must have been a pretty fancy party," the old man responds.
"I suppose so," Paige agrees.
"It wasn't that ball the DiLaurentis girl put on, was it?" he asks.
Paige hesitates for a moment. Can she say? It isn't a secret that she had attended, just the reason why.
"Yes, actually, it was," she confirms.
"That looked like a doozy," he says.
Emily returns to the counter.
"So, what would you like?" Emily asks her new customer, smiling politely.
"I hear that this place has the best freshly ground coffee in the neighborhood," he replies casually.
What? How could he…
He pulls the gun and starts firing at Emily before Paige can do anything, but fortunately Emily's instincts have kicked in, and she dives for cover. The old man is not an old man anymore. No longer stopped, he stands upright with the muscular silhouette of a trained assassin.
Emily throws her tray full of crockery at him. He brushes it off, but it is enough of a distraction for Paige to kick the gun out of his hand. As she does so, Emily vaults over the counter, hitting him square in the chest with both feet and sending him sprawling backwards.
Just then two more assailants burst through the door. They are also armed, but Emily and Paige are at close enough quarters to neutralize that threat.
They take on one each. Paige grabs her opponent's gun hand and pushes it away. He fires, but the bullets go harmlessly into the wall. Paige spins and elbows him in the face, then turns again and kicks his legs out from under him. The gun goes sliding along the floor. He picks himself up, but as he does Paige launches a series of kicks sending him crashing against the back wall, where he slumps down.
Paige looks over to Emily, who has also incapacitated her adversary. Emily gestures to the back stairs and they make a break for it.
"Em, he didn't just know where we were, he knew…" she begins.
"I heard," Emily says abruptly.
They hear more gunshots. More of A's minions are pouring in.
Once at the top of the stairs they wait until their foes are in sight below, then Paige picks up an armchair and hurls it down on them. Emily follows up with a trash can.
They both know what to do now. They head for the fire escape. The alley outside is clear, so they jump down.
Emily spots Toby's motorbike. Perfect. They jump on board, Emily riding, and are soon speeding away. There are more gunshots behind them, but they come nowhere near hitting them.
After a few minutes with no sign of a chase, they pull over.
"This will do," Paige announces, dismounting the bike.
"You can't go back, your cover's blown," Emily points out.
"If it ever really worked in the first place," Paige adds. "I know where they're holding Tippi though, and I know how to get in."
"OK," Emily concedes, though she is clearly unhappy.
"Protect that card," Paige insists. "It's got the plans for Fitz's lair. You've got to get it to HQ."
"Please stay safe," Emily pleads.
"We're in the wrong job for that," Paige points out.
"Then stay alive," Emily responds.
"That I can do," Paige assures her.
Emily grabs Paige and kisses her, fiercely and desperately. They both know they have to go, though.
"I love you," Emily declares.
"I love you, too," Paige replies. "And I will see you soon."
Emily nods, then roars off into the night.
Paige knows that promise is all they've got, but it will have to be enough. For now, the mission must come first.