I don't wanna give away too much about this chapter so it's better for me to just go right to it:
Chapter 9:
"Welcome to my humble room!" Clint joked, trying for once and for all to get rid of the awkwardness from their little "beach incident".
The room was, in fact, pretty simple. It was neat, but small. Smaller than Natasha's room for sure. A single bed, a couple of furniture here and there, a very small bathroom and that was it. Maybe he was the type of rich guy who didn't like ostentation. She thought while stepping into the place.
There! She finally had managed to get into Riley's room. Now, all she had to do was to find out where his card was and then get the hell out.
"Make yourself at home." Barton said. "I'm gonna get your pill." he headed to the bathroom.
Natasha didn't wait for a second longer and sprinted to the minibar. She then took the two bottles of water in there and threw them under the bed.
"Aspirin or vicodin?" Clint asked from the bathroom.
"Aspirin." the redhead answered randomly and straightened herself up.
"Here." he exited the bathroom with a pill in his hand.
"Thank you." she took the medicine. "You wouldn't have any water around, would you?
"Sure." the agent went to the minibar "well, that's odd. I could swear I had a couple of bottles in here." he said confused.
"That's okay; I think I can swal…" Natasha started but was interrupted.
"No, not at all. I'll go get your water." Clint spoke and went to the door. "Stay here." he ordered and left.
That was great! Going down to the lobby, finding an employee, asking for a bottle of water, waiting for it and then coming back up…Natasha had about ten minutes. She had to make them count. Where would Riley keep that stupid card? She quickly opened all the drawers in the wardrobe. They were all empty. Just then, Natasha noticed that he hadn't even unpacked yet, so it had to be inside his suitcase.
Clint closed the door and headed to the elevator. Halfway though, the agent ran into one of the employees responsible for that floor. He had an idea:
"Ei amigo!" Barton called "do you speak English?" he asked before continuing.
The man nodded positively.
"Would you have a bottle of water there with you, by any chance?"
"Let me check." the man said and immediately started to look through the things on the service room car.
The suitcase was on the bed and Natasha opened it. His clothes were practically untouched. She carefully went through them, trying to find the card. Nothing. During her search however, the spy noticed two compartments in the bag's interior. The card could only be in one of them.
Clint was still waiting for his water, but was almost giving up.
"Today is your lucky day!" the employee finally grabbed a bottle. "It's the last one." he handed it to the agent.
"Thanks man!" Barton took it and ran back to his room.
Natasha had already checked the right compartment but only found shaving cream inside. The redhead was almost giving up when…there it was! In the left compartment of John Riley's suitcase. She had to hold a shout of happiness. Natasha finally had that card in her hands! She held it close to her as she walked towards the door. Suddenly, the assassin noticed a turn on the doorknob. Instinctively, she ran to the bed; put the card back in the suitcase and then closed it. All that took only five seconds.
"You're not gonna believe this." Clint started, shutting the door. He looked around but couldn't find Natasha.
"Jennifer?" he called for her but had no response. "Jennifer?" he called again, now a little worried.
"I'm here!" a voice echoed from the balcony.
Barton followed it, opening the curtains and crossing the glass door that gave access to the exterior.
"I thought you had left and stolen my aspirin." he joked.
She laughed.
"I would never steal anything from you."
"I hope not." now they both laughed.
They remained in silence for a few moments, allowing themselves to enjoy the view. The balcony faced the beach and the moon was beautiful.
"Here's your water." Clint handed her the bottle.
"Thank you." she opened it and used its content to swallow the pill. "For everything I mean. For the water, the pill…for the company on the beach."
They turned their attention back to the view. There was nothing more that she could do. She had lost her chance once again. And she'd had it. It was time to find another way to get into the conference. She had been stupid enough already, trying to go on with her plan to seduce Riley. Natasha was a good spy, one of the best actually. She would find another way.
"I think I'm gonna go now." she said trying to hide her disappointment.
"Yeah. You should rest." the agent agreed.
The two walked back inside.
"And anyway, I don't want you to be late." she stated and was replied with a confused look.
"The conference." she explained. "The opening ceremony. It's tonight, right?
"Oh, yeah!" Clint had completely forgotten about that. "I don't think I'm gonna go though." he completed.
"So, you're gonna miss the party?" the redhead questioned.
"I'm not much of a party guy." Barton answered then continued "besides, the opening speech will be given by this Tony Stark guy. I don't know him but I've heard he's a narcissist arrogant asshole."
"I've heard that too." Natasha agreed. "Well, either way, I really have to go now." she approached him and kissed him on the cheek.
"Good night, John."
It was true that her plan had failed miserably and John Riley hadn't been useful but he was a good man after all. The redhead then turned around and went to the door.
There she was, leaving again. And Clint couldn't do anything to stop her. Or could he?
"Jennifer!" he called her. She stopped at the sound of his words and turned to face him.
"As you know, the conference ends tomorrow night. I'll probably spend the whole day listening to brilliant ideas on how to make the world a better place…" he said ironically "but at night, there's gonna be this gala ball thing. Everybody's gonna be there." Barton paused "I was wondering …would you like to go with me?" he finally asked.
No! Natasha couldn't believe her ears. She was getting into the conference! And she didn't even have to break into his room or steal his card. All she had to do was to answer a simple question.
"If you don't want to, it's fine I just…" Clint tried to fill the silence.
"Yes!" she cut him off, maybe a little too excited.
"I would love to." now she was trying to maintain her cool.
Clint now had his biggest smile.
"Good." he said "so, I see you tomorrow." the agent wasn't hiding his happiness.
The assassin just smiled and started to head towards the door.
"Jennifer!" he called her out "What room are you staying?"
This time Natasha stopped but didn't face him. The number of her room was way too much information and she wasn't planning on giving it to him. If she didn't, however, he could begin to suspect that something was off…The redhead considered the options. It was just a number. It wouldn't make any difference.
"317." Now she turned to him and answered with the truth.
" ." he memorized the number "So, tomorrow at eight, I'll be there to pick you up."
"And I'll be waiting." Natasha stated but instead of going she remained exactly where she was, staring at him.
"What?" Clint asked confused by her attitude.
"Nothing. I'm just waiting for you to say something. Every time I try to leave the room you call me up again, so I'm staying right here this time."
Barton laughed.
"I think I've already said all I wanted to say. You're free to go now."
She smiled one more time and then finally headed to door.
"Jennifer!" he called her again. Natasha turned her head, this time a little irritated.
"Just kidding."
She rolled her eyes at his childish behavior, but she had to admit it was kind of funny.
"Good night, Riley." she said one last time and left.
Natasha checked the hall before allowing herself a brief moment of enthusiasm. Tomorrow night she would be at the conference gala ball accompanied by John Riley. Finally, she would be able to locate Jonathan Harris in order to complete her mission.
Clint was looking like a kid. He had a big smile on his face while he kept jumping across the room. After a few more minutes, Barton got tired of acting like a stupid guy in love and decided that it was time for a shower. He took his shirt off and tossed it on the bed. Then, the agent took off his watch and put it on the night table. Before taking of his pants, however, Clint shoved his hand in his pocket to get his cell and…Shit! He had turned it off at the restaurant and had forgotten to turn it on again. Barton quickly did it and placed the device on the bed too. He then unzipped his suitcase in order to find clean clothes. Maybe he should shave. Ever since he got to the hotel, he hadn't had the proper time to do it. Clint opened the right compartment inside his bag and for his surprise, he found something else other than his shaving cream. My card? he mentally questioned. He could swear he had put it in the left compartment…The agent then took the card but before putting it away, he spent a few seconds more just staring at it. Tomorrow night he would appear at the conference ball with Jennifer and…Damn it! Jonathan Harris! He was supposed to locate Jonathan Harris and complete his mission. That was what he was supposed to do tomorrow night, that was what he was supposed to be getting ready for. How could he have been so reckless? He couldn't take Jennifer to the ball because there was the place where Riley and Harris were supposed to meet. He couldn't take any risks. Clint ran to the bed in order to put his shirt back on. The agent had to go to Jennifer's room to cancel their date. Before reaching the piece of garment however, his cellphone rang. Barton answered it quickly.
"Clint!" an oddly desperate Ryan exclaimed "where the hell have you been, man? I've been trying to reach you all day…What the hell is going on?"
"Nothing's going on." Clint started "I think my battery ran out and I didn't notice." he didn't sound too convincing.
"Cut the bullshit, Barton. You would never forget to recharge your cell…especially on a mission."
Clint remained in silence. He really sucked at lying to his best friend but he couldn't just tell him the truth.
"You're not doing anything stupid, are you?" Ryan started again "Because I know you and you're always making stuff up, things that are not exactly part of the plan and..."
"I'm not doing anything…" Barton cut him off "stupid." He didn't lie. Trying to win Jennifer's heart was a pretty clever thing to do, well, at least in his opinion. Maybe not very clever while on a mission but still…
"Well, anyway it doesn't matter because the mission is off." Ryan dragged him back from his thoughts.
Clint literally fell on the bed.
"What?" the agent asked "Why?"
"That's what I've been trying to tell you all day." Ryan answered still a little mad about the whole battery excuse.
"Apparently, John Riley is just a messenger, who really runs things in the company is his wife Elizabeth Anne Riley."
"What do you mean?" Barton interrupted "What about the call the CIA intercepted?"
"In that call, Riley just sets up the meeting with Harris, he never mentions who is gonna be meeting him."
"So, maybe it's really Riley who's supposed to show up at the meeting, right?" Clint suggested.
"Yeah. Maybe." Ryan agreed "Or maybe not."
"Well, that is risk I'm willing to take." Barton stated.
"No, you're not. Not this time. Sullivan himself ordered the abortion of the mission. We don't have enough information. It's too risky."
"There's gotta be another way." Clint said frustrated.
"Well, unless you have brought a dress and red lipstick, we have no other option." Ryan paused for a minute. "I'm serious. This is not the U.S., ok? It's not just a simple little mission where you get to do something crazy and play the hero. This is big. And dangerous." Ryan stopped to be sure he had his friend's full attention.
"We get Harris another day." he finally said.
"Fuck!" Clint cursed out loud and punched the night table next to him, making his watch to fall and roll under the bed. He let out a sigh and got down to get it. He found it pretty fast along with two bottles of water? That was odd. They were still cool which meant the person who had put them there did it not a long time ago. Clint knew he wasn't that person so that left…
"Jennifer!" he said aloud.
"What?" Ryan was still on the line.
"Ryan, I'll have to call you back." Clint hung up.
What the hell was going on? Why would Jennifer hide the bottles? For God's sake, Barton! He thought. He wasn't an idiot. She unquestionably had hidden the bottles in order to force him to go get new ones, so she could be alone in the room. But why would she want to be alone there in the first place? That didn't make any sense at all to him. Just then, it all hit him. The card! Clint finally remembered the exact moment when he put it in his suitcase. He was right after all. He had, indeed, put the card inside the left compartment.
So she wants to get into the conference. The agent rationalized. That made even less sense. Why would she need his card anyway? For a journalist like Jennifer Brighton, getting access to an event like that supposed to be easy, right? Barton stopped for a moment. He then picked the phone and dialed a number.
"Recepção do hotel, em que posso ajudá-lo"? a female voice came on.
"Hi." he said in English. He simply wasn't in the mood for Portuguese.
"Sorry, sir. May I help you?" the woman asked the same question now in English.
"Well, I don't know if you can help me…" Barton started.
"I'll do my best." she said politely.
"I am supposed to meet with this person I've just met here, you know…she gave me the number of her room but I can't quite remember exactly what it was…I know it's 3 something. Her name is Jennifer Brighton."
"Jennifer Brighton?" the woman asked for confirmation. "Let me check and I'll get back to you."
After a minute or so, the voice came back on:
"Sir, I'm afraid you're mistaken. I've already checked three times and there's no Jennifer Brighton on the third floor." She paused for a moment and then continued "Actually, there is no Jennifer Brighton in the entire hotel."
"Maybe you got her name wrong." the voice spoke again.
"Yeah. Maybe." the agent agreed. "But, thanks anyway." he hung up.
Clint just stood there in silence thinking. First, the bottles. Then, the card. And now her name. That woman had played him good the whole time and worse, he had let himself be played. But not anymore. He got up and got dressed. Before leaving though, he got his gun, not that he was planning on using it or anything. What else had that woman lied about? Well, Clint didn't know but he was about to find out.
A lot of dialogue in this one, right? A lot of revelations as well. I hope there are no plot holes so far and as usual I'd love to hear from you guys! So reviews continue to be highly appreciated! See you next time!
