A New Member to the Team

Chapter 7

Amanda had just suggested to everyone in Billy's office that they utilize Augie in their effort to steal back the Fairy Tale Imperial Egg.

"Augie?" Billy questioned, repeating the name as though he were stumped, "the only 'Augie' I know is one of Lee's informants. And it couldn't be him, because according to Lee-"

"It's him, Sir," Amanda verified quickly, not wanting her boss to say anything negative about a possible future teammate.

Billy was unconvinced, "Are you sure-"

"Him..." Amanda assured Billy, "him, him, him,Sir."

An exasperated sound could be heard coming from Lee.

"Amanda, did you get hit on the head or something," he wanted to know, "because you obviously know who Augie is; he's the guy you try to avoid at Club MUD,remember?"

"...and he also the person who manages that very same club,"Amanda countered,"which means that he has some smarts that we don't know about, right?"

"You're not actually defending him are you?" Lee wanted to know, "he probably only manages the place so that he can hit on the girls that work there!"

"And is THAT why you seem to visit him frequently?" she pointedly asked.

Billy and Francine were watching Lee and Amanda go back and forth like a tennis match.

"Noooo, that is NOT why I see him and you know it!" Lee looked annoyed, "it's important that I meet up with him because he has...certain information that I sometimes can't get anywhere else..."

"Well, see...there you go, Lee!" Amanda nodded as if her point was made, "Augie's smart enough to get answers that we can't get anywhere else, just like he was able to give us the name of the thief of the Fairy Tale Imperial Egg! See how resourceful Augie can be?"

"That is NOT an example of resourcefulness!" Lee was shaking his head back and forth, "Augie is more an example of walking doofiness! And I really don't get why you think Augie could be a team player for the good guys when all this time, he's been the waterboy for the bad guys ever since I've known him!"

"Maybe he just needs a chance, Lee, did you ever figure that?" Amanda reasoned, "I personally think he may do a very good job for us! You know what he told me? He said he is very interested in becoming an agent in the future! Yes, you heard me, so don't look at me that way! You have to admit, he's already faced a lot of bad situations and he's come out unscathed so far. Sorta," she was thinking quick, "AND he is already aware of who the thief is in THIS case, so if he's available and willing to face the danger, we should use him!"

Lee was about to answer but Francine chimed in.

"I agree with Amanda," she simply said.

Lee and Billy both gave Francine an incredulous look.

"Really?" they asked in unison.

"Yes," Francine concurred, "The way this Augie person seems to annoys Lee just makes me want to high five him!"

"Actually, I also want to high-five Augie," Lee freely admitted, "in the face. With a chair."

"You know, Lee, I hate to admit it," Billy now interjected, "but Amanda has made some valid points about using your guy, Swann," Billy said.

"He's not MY guy!" Lee interjected.

"He'll be one of your guys if he's on your team," Billy insinuated, "I think it may work out. And the best part is that Swann is well aware of the entire Fairy Tale Imperial Egg matter, so no further secrets will need to be disclosed! And you DID say you could use another person on your team, didn't you?"

"I'm not sure how to answer that...I was too distracted by the knife in my back!" Lee responded, looking frustrated.

"It's either him or no one," Billy bluntly told him, "Your choice. But before you make a decision, consider this. If it doesn't work out, you can always kick him out of the mission. No harm, no foul for anyone, except for Swann of course."

Lee could see he was outnumbered.

He gave a sigh as he got up to leave.

Francine called him back, "Lee! Where are you going?"

He opened the door.

"Where else?" he asked sarcastically, "Billy mentioned that I have the option of kicking him out anytime during the mission, so I'm going home to polish up my punting boot!"

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Later that afternoon, Augie was invited to Billy's office for a secret meeting to discuss the Fairy Tale Imperial Egg incident. Augie seemed overjoyed to be wearing a 'guest' badge and looked around in awe at the office furnishings.

"Hey, cool working cave you've got here, Billy Boy!" Augie casually exclaimed as he, Lee and Amanda took their seats. Francine was already there.

"Well, thank you, Mr. Swann," Billy said, trying to sound sincere, "and please, call me Mr. Melrose."

"Alright, and it's Augie to my big boss!" he gave Billy a friendly smile.

Then he turned to Francine, and his smile became even wider, "And WHO do we have here?"

"Oh god, don't even start," Francine answered coolly, her arms folded, "and I insist you call me Miss Desmond!"

"I hear you loud and clear, lady" Augie sounded offended, "and just for your own information, one of us is really very likable and the other one is you!"

He then looked at Lee, "And now, I am ready and willing to join your team, Leader Lee! And as your Co-Agent, I'm going to give this mission my A-1 attention! In fact, I've already made room on my shelf for my spy trophy!"

"There are so many things wrong with what you've just said that I've lost count!" Lee remarked, "But, Augie, if I decide to allow you to become part of the team, you better make sure to follow my orders!"

Augie gave an exaggerated salute, "Aye, aye, Agent Leader Lee! I promise to do as you say, even if it's pointless!"

"I have a feeling I'm going to regret this," Lee stated, ruefully shaking his head.

"So I guess that means I'm in, then!" Augie gleefully announced as he turned to Amanda, "And Mandy, I appreciate how you came through for me, too!"

"I don't know if I did all that much, Augie," Amanda humbly responded, "I just told the Agency to give you a chance, just like I was given a chance."

"Don't remind me," Lee mumbled defeatingly, feeling frustrated that things had not gone his way.

Amanda didn't appreciate that comment, "You're not saying it's a bad thing that I joined the Agency..." her look was so questioning, so earnest, "are you?".

"Oooo, let me answer that!" volunteered Francine.

Lee could have answered it one of many ways.

He could have been untruthful, sarcastic or jesting, but instead he decided to answer in a way he rarely did.

With honesty.

"No regrets at all," he frankly stated.

"Did everyone hear that?" Francine asked, "I think pigs just developed flight!"

"Actually," Augie sniffed, "I found the whole scene rather touching."

Meanwhile, Amanda was surprised and pleased with Lee's candor. Maybe she was making a breakthrough with him at last.

"Thank you for that, Lee," Amanda said softly.

Augie suddenly realized he was no longer the center of attention, "Helloooo? Remember me, your new recruit? Agent Extraordinaire?"

Lee turned back to Augie with an annoyed look.

"Yeah, yeah," Lee reluctantly said, "unfortunately, I haven't forgotten about you! But I'm beginning to think that maybe I would do better with a smaller crew on this particular mission!"

"Lee, Baby, say it isn't so!" Augie tried to convince him otherwise, "Especially since I've already bought my spy-drobe to wear when I'm doing my spy thing in the danger zone!"

"Your 'spy-drobe'?" Francine wondered.

"Yeah, I bought a new tux!" Augie looked pleased, "well, it was actually a rental tux they were going to throw out, but a tux is a tux, and from now on, I'll be ordering MY martinis shaken AND stirred! "

Lee looked befuddled, "Augie, what the hell are you talking about?"

"About the ladies swooning as I go in-cog-ni-to,"Augie casually explained, with a tilt of his head while pretending to adjust a bow tie.

"Now, Augie," Amanda said, trying to diffuse the situation, "remember, you're not an agent yet. You're more like a outside contractor. There's a long enrollment period if you want to actually be employed by the Agency."

"And I'm willing to go through the process of whatever they require of me," Augie insisted, "except I refuse to wear an ugly beard as a disguise. Nothing should ever hide this cute chin of mine."

He turned sideways, so everyone would have a good view of his profile.

"Wellll," Francine remarked, "he's certainly left ME speechless. How's everyone else doing?"

Billy at last chimed in, "Anyone else think this meeting is running longer than expected?"

"Sorry, Boss Melrose, My Man," Augie apologized, "I'll calm down."

He physically 'zipped his mouth' and sat back.

"That's better," Billy nodded and got down to business, "then let me start off by updating Mr. Swann regarding the mission. We need to get the original Fairy Tale Imperial Egg back from Ex-Head of Security Stanford Asher before Russian Ambassador Anton Kozlov and his associates arrive in approximately two weeks' time."

"I get what you're saying, Boss Melrose," Augie said, "but even if we, which now includes moi, are successful in stealing the Big Egg back, I think Mr. Evil Guy might seek revenge and go after us; that is, once he's discovered it's been stolen. And let me tell you, he'd be a pretty scary opponent to go up against, what with his all-mighty EliteShields force behind him and all!"

"He might seek revenge, but I doubt it," Lee reasoned, "since the item in question was stolen to begin with, he can't report the theft to the police or collect any insurance on it."

"So we just have to worry about getting caught and committing a felony," Augie pointed out, knowing all about the legal system.

"Not if we're smart and careful," Lee pointed out.

"That's right," Billy continued, "playing it smart and careful are exactly what we need to do here! Asher is cunning and ruthless. Back in the day when he worked under the president, he was known as the White House Hatchet Man. He had a reputation as being the iron fist who hired thugs to blackmail politicians. He also sent specially-skilled men to train rebels in countries where the U.S. weren't supposed to be involved, but secretly the U.S. had an active interest in the outcome of the events."

"So basically, the Pentagon had Mr. Asher doing the dirty work for the government," Amanda worded it more simply.

"Precisely," Lee confirmed, "and after Asher left the Pentagon, he single-handedly made EliteShields the crack international army-for-hire that it is today."

Augie now looked a little unsure, "So, let me get this all straight, Buddy Boy. The three of us are going up against Mr. Evil Guy and his elite killing squad?"

Amanda chimed in to correct him, "Actually, Augie, there will be five of us... if you include Mr. Melrose and Francine."

"Oh, so FIVE people against a highly skilled murderous army? I feel soooo much better," Augie stated sarcastically.

Billy ignored that last statement, "Lee, you had mentioned that you have a plan on how we can get The Fairy Tale Imperial Egg back?"

"I do have a strategy on how to get into Asher's place," Lee said, "but once inside, I'm not sure how we'll be able to locate the Imperial Egg. And that's not a good thing since we'll be pressed for time to get in, steal the merchandise and get out."

"I think I may know the room the Imperial Egg is located in once we get inside He-who-must-be-written-down's house!" Augie piped in, to the surprise of everyone, "luckily most rumors I hear from outside illegal sources tend to be true!"

"Oh, Augie!" Amanda gushed, "I KNEW you would be valuable in helping us!"

Augie grinned, "I'm rather impressed with myself, too!"

"So let's discuss plan of action," Francine suggested, "Since Asher's place will be protected like a fortress, I assume the first thing we need to discuss is how to break into it."

"Oh, we're not going to break in," Lee declared, a mischievous glint in his eye.

Francine asked, "Oh? so, Lee, if we aren't on planning on breaking in, how do you plan to get the Imperial Egg? By using a Transporter device to beam us up, perchance?"

"That'll be so cool!" Augie said.

"No," Lee said confidently," instead of breaking into his residence, we're going to be invited in."

Augie snapped his fingers, his eyes wide with excitement.

"I get it, Buddy Boy! We'll be pulling a con!"

"Exactly, Augie!" Lee acknowledged, "Since we're vastly outnumbered and they have all the resources, it's the only way I can think of in getting inside his residence in order to steal the Imperial Egg."

"It certainly makes sense," Francine concurred, "but if you do plan to pull a con on Asher and his associates, unfortunately, you'll have to count ME out!"

Everyone looked stunned at her announcement.

"Afraid you'll screw it up for the rest of us, Francine?" Lee asked.

"Nooo..."she insisted, "the reason I can't do it is because is because of my feminine allure!" she pointedly looked at Lee, "and don't you DARE say anything insulting about that!"

"How about if I say something about it, then?" Augie rhetorically asked.

"Francine," Amanda asked, "why can't you help us with a con?"

Francine squared her shoulders, "If you must know, I wouldn't want to blow everyone's cover since I had previously dated a high ranking EliteShields operative!"

"Who HAVEN'T you dated?" Lee asked sarcastically.

"The serial-dating pot should NOT be calling the alluring kettle black," she retaliated with a look of annoyance, "but don't worry, you'll be needing good technical and strong-arm backup in case anything goes wrong and I will be that person," Francine promised.

Everyone in the room was getting exciting about the plan.

There were a lot of logistical details for the five of them to figure out. Not only did they have to figure out how to make the entire mission run smoothly, they also had to discuss the million ways that everything could go horribly wrong.

After three hours of heavy discussion, they were ready for Operation EliteCon.

Or, at least, they thought they were.

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The mission begins next chapter!

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