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Chapter 7: A New Mission (2,950 words)
- a few seconds earlier -
"We have a mission for you. Nothing too dangerous, just infiltration and surveillance.", Mrs. Jones said.
Alex sighed. Of course they did. She was used to this by now. No need to get angry.
"If there was anyone else, we would have left you here. However, you are the best and we don't have any other choice. Do you understand?"
"Yes." Did they ever have a choice but to send her, Alex wondered. She was still in a good mood from the previous fun exercise. There was seldom the chance to enjoy herself and she was not about to let it be destroyed by the peppermint addict.
Mrs. Jones reached over and handed Alex a file. "Your cover. You know the drill. Any questions?"
Alex flew over the first pages in the file until her eyes caught something.
Her outraged "You want me to do what?!" could still be heard where the two men stood, exchanging an alarmed glance. Ben and Taipan broke into a run to the office. If Alex wasn't happy, Mrs. Jones would not be either. At least, not very long.
"Alex, it is just for a week. We want you to look for anything suspicious. Agent Daniels will be your backup, posing as your bodyguard.", Mrs. Jones tried to calm the teen down.
"I need to play the freaking girlfriend of freaking Jason Beaver! What the heck were you thinking? He doesn't even like girls!", exclaimed the still furious girl.
"No one knows that for sure. It is really just a surveillance job to help you readjust, Alex. He will meet you later today at his country house, to get used to you, after you are properly...disguised.", Mrs. Jones answered calmly. She did not look happy.
"'She likes to go shopping (venom laced her voice then), have a mani/pedi...?'", Alex read from the file. "I have never had a... whatever a mani/pedi is supposed to be. Actually, I have just adjusted to my new body. Ask the Sergeant, I am horrible at playing to be interested in guys."
The Sergeant quirked his eye brow up much like Yassen when he knew she lied about something to get out of a humiliating task.
"I know. Nonetheless, you are needed. You leave in half an hour with me. Please pack now.", Mrs. Jones simply answered.
The dismissal was clear.
Alex clutched the stupid mission file angrily and stormed out of the office. Right into a worried Ben and a relieved Yassen. Judging by the look on her face she was ready to kill someone but had refrained from acting out on that urge.
"Sorry. I need to pack.", she excused herself. They nodded.
"Fox? A word please.", Mrs. Jones said from the office.
He sighed and walked back.
While Ben was briefed, Alex stuffed her few belongings in the duffel bag under the concerned eyes of a former assassin.
"What is going on?"
"You were right. I need to play the girlfriend. He doesn't even like girls. Everyone knows that. And she is so stupid!", Alex informed her tutor through gritted teeth. "Plus, they want me to go to some stupid beauty farm or whatever to 'polish my looks'."
Taipan was amused by her rage. The second teenage tantrum in a day. Was Alex actually loosening up a bit? "How long will you be gone?", he asked instead, keeping his calm, detached front.
"A week, if everything goes according to plan.", Alex answered, less furious.
She picked up the hint of concern in his tone. He might be able to read her better now but that street went both ways.
"Which it never does if you are involved.", the older man half-heartedly joked. He wanted to have her smile again. Seventeen was no age for John Rider's child to drown in rage, he reasoned.
"True.", a small smile danced across her lips. As an afterthought she added a quiet "I'll be careful."
"Try not to kill him right away. Finish the mission first.", Yassen teased, feeling strangely relieved after hearing her promise.
"I'll try. But with my temper, you never know.", she grinned.
Then she was done. Swinging the duffel bag over her shoulder, the teen left the cabin. K-Unit's door was opened at the same time. Ben had packed as well. The rest of the unit and Yassen accompanied them back to a helicopter.
"When will you be back?", Wolf wanted to know. He was in his leader-mode.
"A week at the earliest.", Alex answered before she stepped in the heli after Mrs. Jones and Ben. They lifted off the ground. The men smiled a little bit at the waving girl. She had opened up to them a bit. And in turn they had warmed up to her, very much so.
"Be careful!", Eagle shouted over the noise.
"They always are. Don't worry.", Yassen said.
The men stared at him, not able to process who just tried to reassure them. The Russian shrugged.
"Did you just...?", Eagle started, a small smile on his lips.
"He did. What do you do, now that Cub's gone?"
"Prepare lessons for next week.", Yassen said calmly. Inwardly he knew he would worry about her well-being.
Alex sat sandwiched between Mrs. Jones and Ben. Nobody spoke a word for the entire flight. Alex had no desire to talk to her boss after learning what would be done to her upon arrival at their secret location.
They landed on top of what seemed to be a nice office-building. Mrs. Jones led the way from the roof to a very big storage room.
Smithers greeted them with a smile. "Alex, we will start with your what's-it-called? Ah, yes. Makeover. If you are done, you'll get your gadgets.", Smithers announced good-humored.
The teen bit on her cheek to stop the string of curses from being heard anywhere but in her head. After all, she had to start acting slightly like her role. Plus she did not want to insult Smithers or his helpers.
His assistant dragged Alex away.
The teen was dreading every single step more than any fight.
First, the mystery of a mani/pedi was explained to Alex who was wishing she would never know.
Someone took care of her nails while someone else was kneading a special shampoo in her hair. Apparently it was a new invention from Smithers that sped up growth.
Alex was laser-ed next, so she was spared the legendary horrors of shaving her legs (which according to one of the beauty experts could hurt badly if done wrong).
She had to get a light, natural looking fake tan as if she had just returned from a vacation in some sunny place.
Alex was weirded out by assistant two fumbling with her eye brows. They were ordered to spare nothing it seemed. Assistant one plastered Alex's face with some green paste which looked a bit like guacamole. She learned, Avocado was a main ingredient. It was supposed to refresh her skin.
Alex inwardly snorted in disgust.
Ben amused himself by imagining the reaction of K-Unit when he told them of this mission prep. Alex would never live this down. Never. If only he was allowed to take pictures...
Mrs. Jones calmly drank a cup of tea after another and read through a few files next to him, apparently waiting for Alex as well. Why was she even there?
Ben guessed that she was anxious to see how this played out. Alex was not exactly girlish and they had given her a Barbie-cover. Which the teen was anything but happy about.
As a last step before her hair was cut (by this point Alex had accepted her fate calmly and swore she would never EVER volunteer to visit a beauty salon except for torturing K-Unit), the assistants taught her what colors and cuts fitted her figure the best.
Alex could not in any way humanely possible care less.
They then proceeded to hold up several bulletproof dresses that were short enough to show off most of her legs.
Ben would not be happy abut that. Not at all...
That improved Alex's mood slightly. Revenge is sweet and best served when unexpected, she decided. Oh she would so get back at them.
After a heated discussion (without any noted input from the teen herself) it was decided that Alex had to wear a fuchsia number that covered most of her scars, complete with high heels and everything.
Alex hated it already.
She was not exactly the girl to go crazy about this color. It was so...pink. Greens, blues, reds, dark tones she could handle. But pink?
Before she could even open her mouth though, she was carted off to the side. The towel around her head was unwrapped and recently grown long sandy hair fell down to her back. Expert two chattered friendly about different hair styles while cutting the newly acquired mane into a 'dreamy wave'.
Inwardly, Alex cringed. Again.
This was worse than any session with Dr. Three. Much worse.
Blue contacts and makeup completed the makeover.
When she was finally dressed, groomed and officially ready to go, Alex was allowed to see Smithers. A look in the mirror told her that she would not have to worry about attracting male attention wherever she went.
Barbie herself would have been proud, Alex decided.
Mrs. Jones, Ben and Smithers waited for the teenaged girl. When she stepped out from behind the curtain that was supposed to give her some privacy, they did a double-take.
Alex looked like an athletic model.
"Very good.", was all Mrs. Jones said. A faint smile grazed her lips.
Alex relaxed somewhat, so they could proceed.
Smithers handed her a few European coins, before he placed a lipstick on the table. It matched her outfit, at least the color description did. "It's a taser. Be careful with that.", Smithers explained. "Open the cab, point at someone and press the bottom."
"Thanks."
"Welcome, old chap.", Smithers replied, smiling. He put a wallet on the table. "This credit card doubles as an all-access key. You can put the explosive coins in here as well. Just be careful to not mix them up with the real ones. You still have your phone and iPod from your last mission, so I won't give you a new one. However, I took the liberty to install a few extras on both. The iPod now has a refined range so you can listen through thicker walls from further away. Bugs, direct link to Mrs. Jones..., still the same. However, I added new music that according to my sources 'hipsters' listen to at the moment. Then I have this beauty."
Smithers held up a small ear piercing. "It is not exactly an earring which would be unfortunate since you wouldn't be able to wear it 24/7 but nobody will notice it. Edda will pierce it for you in a second. It's a tracking device. If you are in trouble, you need to press the pearl. It's fingerprint sensitive and will send a distress signal to us."
"Thanks."
"No problem, old chap. We modified all of your earrings and jewelery, so they can be used instead of ear pieces. Agent Daniels has a direct link to them."
"Now that that is cleared, you will need to leave. Smithers provided four suitcases with clothes for your trip. The target awaits your arrival.", Mrs. Jones intervened.
When Alex saw the four matching magenta suitcases she rolled her eyes heavenward and pleaded with every known deity to just end her suffering. More pink. Ben nudged her gently. He had changed as well, looking officially bodyguard-ish in a suit and sunglasses.
Alex stifled a groan and tried to just suck it up.
She boarded the helicopter again. This time Mrs. Jones was nowhere to be seen.
Alex immersed herself in the mission file, memorizing the details of the life of the secret daughter of Richard Dibson who, fifteen years ago, had been on top of his fame when he committed suicide. He was one of the most successful rock musicians Britain had ever seen. The girl went by the name of Felicity Gibson Dibson. (Who named their daughter after a guitar brand?) Her mother had been a less-known model who now resided in Florida.
'Just wonderful! She is a total airhead!', Alex thought and groaned when she imagined what kind of a week lay ahead.
She burned the file dutifully with one of Smither's gadgets. Then she closed her eyes and tried to sleep.
Ben observed her. "You okay, Fe?"
"I am fine. Just feeling like my brain has been sucked out when they blow dried my hair three times in a row.", the girl explained.
"I had wondered what that smell was.", Ben teased.
"Could have been the nail polish. Or this weird spray that 'glossify'-ed my hair. Or simply the ton of hairspray and the avocado...", she rambled on and on.
Ben stared at Alex. Then he laughed. It rolled out of his stomach.
"Not funny.", the teen shot back, clearly insulted.
"It is funny, pri-" A dark look stopped him. "Felicity. Honestly, have you seen your face?"
"Yes." Alex growled. "At night, when you sleep, I will tweeze your eye brows and then if you don't whine, you are allowed to mock me. Not before, especially not now.", she threatened irritated.
Ben wisely shut up.
Shortly after, they landed on a meadow. A boy, a little older than Alex, and two bodyguards were the welcoming committee.
Ben left their copter first, carrying the suitcases. The two bodyguards assessed him and even though he carried four pink suitcases, they respected him, because he looked like ex-military.
Then Alex climbed out. The boy was polite and offered her his hand.
He was obviously stunned. His bodyguards exchanged a quick grin, one even flashed her a smile.
"Hi. Welcome to my home.", the boy said.
"Thanks for having me.", Alex smiled sweetly. She played a happy-go-lucky girl after all. Inwardly she gagged at herself.
"Would you like to unpack and join us for a light lunch?"
"I would love to."
"Then it's settled. Bryan, please tell Cliff he needs to prepare the Lake Suite quickly for our guest.", Jason Beaver ordered his bodyguard. He grinned at the teenaged spy. "Shall we?"
"We shall."
On the whole way back to the darn mansion, Jason Beaver flirted casually with Alex. She played along and filed the acquired information away for later.
The mansion was not screaming 'rich guy lives here', but was furnished tastefully. He certainly knew a good interior designer, Alex had to give him that.
Her room was huge. She had a tiny balcony and en-suite bathroom, a small lounge area and a bedroom to herself. Ben slept on the couch even though he had his own room.
After her clothes were stowed away in the gigantic closet, she and Ben went back downstairs. A brown lab stormed in Alex's direction. As soon as they made contact, the dog started to lick everything she could reach. Alex smiled and patted the lab.
"Lucy!", reprimanded Jason. The dog ran back to her master.
"Sorry. She loves new people. Especially beautiful girls."
"It's alright. Can I wash my hands somewhere, please?"
"Sure."
When they sat down to eat, Ben and the other bodyguards left them alone.
"So, you know why I am here?"
"Yes. Thank you for that. I really need the help."
"You are welcome."
"How old are you?"
"Nineteen. Same age as you.", Alex lied effortlessly.
"Do you have a boyfriend, for real I mean? You are stunning. There must be hundreds of guys after you."
"Well...", Alex thought about her spiel with Monkey. She smiled apologetic at her mark. "I am being home schooled. What about you?"
"I have a boyfriend. He is in Greece at the moment, looking after his sick grandmother."
"Is he okay with this?"
"Yes. He thinks that you play my girlfriend to up my image as heartthrob, courtesy of my agency."
"Well then. What have you planned for the week?"
"What...? Oh. Well, it needs to look convincing, doesn't it? So we should probably flirt and maybe kiss."
"Yeah.", Alex shrugged. It was just a mission, after all.
"You are not weirded out by kissing a gay singer?", Jason asked surprised.
"No. As long as my face is not clearly distinguished on any printed pictures, I am fine with it. I actually posed as a gay a couple of times.", Alex explained nonchalantly.
"What do you mean? Like me or did you have to kiss another girl?"
"Both."
That shut the singer up for a short while. Alex relished the silence.
"Are you even a real girl?", he whispered, clearly confused.
Alex shot him an incredulous look. Of course. How do you explain something so advanced that not even the intelligence agencies had it?
"What exactly do you think I am?", she shot back.
"A girl?"
"Good. Now please tell me what we are doing next week."
"Well, we fly to Germany. I get an award for my album and we are supposed to do some sightseeing. Then there is this charity event. A stupid masquerade ball! Who still does this stuff?"
"A masquerade?", Alex repeated horrified.
"Yes. To fund Michelle Rotschildt's charity..."
Alex blanched.