Ch. 7: DC Meet and Greet

Benji and Hunley sat together, watching the team track Yanik and his guards. Benji chewed gum slowly, being eerily silent. Hunley took notice and stared at him. The agent paid no attention to the director.

On the monitor, Ethan and the team ambushed a hotel room, taking out the guards with suppressors. Benji almost seemed bored. Brandt knocked out Yanik and the team pulled him over to the desk to tie him up. Jane injected Yanik with a syringe, guaranteeing they had plenty of time for the man to be out. The men began changing into their disguises while Jane and Zhen prepared weapons and gear for the next step.

"We're all good, here," Ethan called in, "Moving to the lobby in five."

"Good work, Ethan," Hunley replied, pressing a mic button on the desk.

Benji said nothing. Hunley looked over the agent before just deciding to ask.

"Is...there something going on with you and Ethan?"

Benji let out a lengthy groan. Then, "Nothing's going on."

"Are you sure…?" Hunley asked with a little laugh.

Benji just shook his head and let the silence resume. Hunley watched the team on the monitor.

"It's my fault," He told Benji after a moment, who turned in his chair to look at the director.

"What is?"

"All of this. I should have given Kane the time. If I hadn't put so much pressure on him, all of this wouldn't have happened."

Benji let out a little sigh, "It's not your fault, sir. Kane's wife...it's tragic, but nothing could have been done. Not even Kane could have stopped it. Everyone tries to take responsibility or blame someone else, because it's easier to think you had control and made a mistake than admit it's beyond you. At least that way you think you have the power to stop it from happening again."

He looked over at Hunley and shrugged, "Hell of a lot less scary than the truth."

Hunley sighed. "I still feel guilty. Responsible."

Benji nodded, then started shaking his head, "You know what? No," he began, swinging his chair to face Hunley again, "Yes, there's something going on. Ethan feels guilty." Benji has clearly been storing these words, waiting to let them out. "He's broken up about Julia and he can't allow himself to feel the things he feels because he thinks what happened to her will happen again. Well," He huffed, turning to the screen, "I'm not Julia, Ethan!" he declared, unheard by the agent.

"Julia?" Hunley asked.

"His ex-wife...or wife. I don't know. She's dead, officially, but apparently she's not, but they aren't a thing anymore."

Hunley opened a can of worms with his question, and there was no sign of them stopping from pouring out. "Oh," he replied, thinking that would be the end of things.

"I had been at IMF for a while, but didn't know Ethan that long when he and Julia were a thing. I basically broke every IMF law to help him, we had a very different secretary at the time, that was two back, actually-"

"Benji, the point," Hunley cut in.

"She had been kidnapped and Ethan had to save her. I wasn't a field agent then, but I helped him find her. It really...got to him. I don't know what happened after they came back to the States, but they haven't been together for years. We all thought she was dead. And now I think he's all torn up because does 'til death do us part' still apply? Are they no longer an item because she is technically dead? Technicality out the window...does he still love her? His loyalty is split and I don't think he knows how to deal with it."

Benji sighed, "I don't think he knows what his feelings are…"

Hunley paused a moment. "Do you?"

Benji looked down, then his eyes flicked to Hunley, "No," he replied before laughing. "...Maybe, but it doesn't mean shit if he doesn't feel anything."

"Strictly...off the record," Hunley began, "If you want an outside perspective...I think he does."

"Well," Benji huffed, "You should tell him that."

"We're on the move," Ethan confirmed in his mic, now dressed as Yanik.

Ethan, Brandt, and Zhen left the room, Jane headed down to the basement to tap into the camera feeds. The trio calmly walked to the lobby. Ethan checked his watch. Right on time. He entered the ballroom, flanked by Brandt and Zhen. On Jane's screen, she reached the electrical room and opened one of the panels, exposing wires. Benji leaned forward and pressed the mic button.

"Don't try looping the feed, we have a new technique for piggybacking where-"

"Benji," Jane cut in, sympathetic but stern, "I know how to do my job."

Benji raised his hands defensively and sat back in his chair. He began fidgeting. He couldn't help but feel useless in his current position. He should be in the field. He didn't go through all the training and tests to be left behind when things were this important. It wasn't just a mission. Someone was specifically trying to target Ethan, and Benji wasn't about to let that slide.

He started drumming nervously. Hunley flashed him a look and he stopped.

In the ballroom, various nicely-dressed men and women of various militarial presence were gathered. They chatted amongst themselves. A broad-shouldered woman spotted 'Yanik' and crossed the room in short stride. "Yanik!"

Ethan turned to her and smiled lightly.

Jane began scanning the crowd for the woman's face.

Benji pulled up a laptop and typed furiously, hands flying across the keys, eyes scanning back and forth. Before Jane opened her mouth, Benji spoke.

"Miranda Cage, former special forces. Officially dead 7 months ago."

Miranda cocked her head to the side. "Haven't seen you in a while, Yanik, how've you been?"

Benji began typing faster, searching for the connection. Jane beat him to it.

"Joint operation, two years back, France. Hairy situation."

"You got shot," Benji added.

"She got stabbed," Jane interjected.

Ethan tried to contain the slight annoyance at all the commotion. "Better than last time," Ethan told Miranda. "What about you?"

"Not bad. Death looks good on you."

"Better on you," Ethan told her.

"Easy," Hunley called in, "He's supposed to be gay."

"Maybe not everyone knows," Jane offered.

"Or...sexuality exists on a longer plane than just gay or straight," Benji cut in, leaning to the mic.

Ethan reached to his ear, pretending to rub his lobe, and pulled out his earpiece.

Miranda let out a laugh.

Benji sat back in his chair, resigned.

Ethan slid his hand comfortably into his pocket, dropping the earpiece.

"It's been too long. It's too bad we couldn't have met up under less unpleasant circumstances."

"Too true, so where is our lovely host?" Ethan asked, looking around.

"Well, you know him, if it isn't over-the-top dramatic, it isn't Kane…"

Ethan smiled, eyes scanning for Kane.

"Come here, there's someone I want you to meet," Miranda told him before exchanging glances with Brandt and Zhen. "Leave your guard dogs, they creep me out."

Brandt tensed, but Ethan turned calmly and nodded to him. Ethan and Miranda walked away from the pair and walked up to a burly man standing stock still with a bunch of bald men donning all black.

"Yanik, this is Titus Johansson. He's our largest benefactor. He runs the best for-hire army in Europe."

"The trick to keeping my business open is secrecy," Titus shot at her, then turned to Ethan, "But I'm always interested in securing future business partners."

"A pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine. The word going around the circles is that your men had a run-in with Hunt."

Everyone's ears perked.

"It's true. In Germany. He caught my scent somehow. He managed to get away."

"You don't suppose he suspects?" Titus asked, scanning the crowd's faces.

"No, I think we've got Hunt right where we want him…"

Titus grunted, "I think Kane is a fool to be playing these games. If it were me, I'd have put all my man-power into just killing Hunt. The boy thinks he's the only one scorched by the IMF?"

"Well, Titus, that's where you've come in," Miranda began, "It just requires a little patience. It's nearly time, just keep your eyes peeled."

Ethan's eyes narrowed slightly.

Benji leaned in closer to the screen, "For what?"

The clock up on the stage of the ballroom ticked to the next second and a sudden explosion rocked the headquarters building, sending Benji and Hunley flying.