Lady Jaye was surprised when they pulled up in front of a mansion on the outskirts of Frankfurt. The driver opened her door and she stepped out. Hans took her bags and carried them into the house. She wished she had her javelins with her, just in case, or really any type of weapon, she thought. She was very curious as to who she would see inside. Her head slightly ached, but she wondered if it was due to her heightened state of alertness or something else. She doubted the fruit and water she had on the plane had been drugged since it seemed that these people wanted her clear headed.
She was not surprised to find that the interior of the house matched its exterior. She followed Fordon into a dining room where 8 other people sat. She nodded at those assembled. Many she knew by face and reputation only. Fordon had been right. These were top agents in their fields. Why were they here? She wondered if they had been tricked into it like she had. She still didn't know why she was here. Curiosity kept her from escaping out the door, so she sat down in the chair Fordon pulled out for her.
Their host soon joined them. He was an average looking man who would blend into any crowd, if he didn't seem to carry an air of importance. He smiled at those assembled. Jaye guessed him to be in his early 60s, but she wasn't sure. There was something about this man she couldn't quite put her finger on. He was the type that you swore you had seen before, but not sure where. She glanced around the table at the other members assembled and saw they were also assessing their host.
"Welcome!" he said in German. "I am happy that you have decided to join our organization. I know many of you are still wondering why you are here. We are a special missions force for hire that only recruits the world's best. You, my friends, are some of the world's top agents which is why you are here. More details will be forthcoming, but it's best to be kept in the dark, for now. Most of you have met Fordon, who is my second in command." He indicated Fordon, who was standing in the back of the room. He gave a small smile to everyone in acknowledgement, bowing his head.
"We are in keeping with your original code names, for now. The less we know about each other for now, the better it will be, although I am sure some of you recognize your peers. We have assigned each of you a room to rest tonight and we will begin training tomorrow. I am afraid the hospitality of this house is only for one night before we move on to our training grounds," he apologized. "Please enjoy your meal. As Fordon indicated, when not in training or on missions, please expect this type of treatment. We are not military nor government intelligence, so we don't expect our agents to not enjoy the best life has to offer. So, for tonight, we celebrate!" He held up a glass of wine and toasted the group. "Please, enjoy!"
It was very strange, Lady Jaye thought. None of it seemed to make sense to her. She glanced at the wine and took a small sip. Was it laced with something? She wasn't sure. She'd be sure to watch the others and see if they were having any ill effects before she imbibed too much.
The host was encouraging those around him to make small talk about things such as literature and current events. It was obvious he wanted everyone to stay on those topics and not on why they were here. The courses were served and each dish seemed to be more delicious than the last. Seeing that their host was eating and drinking liberally seem to make those around him relax. Jaye soon found herself in conversation with the man next to her. The conversations around them flowed in German and theirs was no different.
"So, how is it you came to Frankfurt?" he asked Jaye.
She smiled. The question had been on the tip of her tongue as well. Glancing at the host, who seemed deep in conversation with the woman next to him, she leaned closer to answer. "To tell you the truth, I'm not quite sure. I feel that I've been….coerced here," she said softly.
Her neighbor nodded his head. "I have felt much the same way and talking with our other companions, it seems they have the same thought. We all resigned our posts to come here, but none of us are quite sure why."
"It makes you wonder," speculated Jaye, swirling the wine in her glass absentmindedly. "What exactly are we doing here? What is our host's name and what organization do they keep talking about?" she wondered aloud.
"I heard that this might be through the UN, but surely they wouldn't go through these kinds of tactics," her neighbor frowned. "By the way, you can call me Ivan. You are Lady Jaye, correct?"
"Yes," said Jaye, surprised. "How did you…"
He waved a hand and chuckled. "Intelligence. We keep an eye on the Americans, although you're not quite American, are you?"
She smiled. "You've done your homework. I have a dual citizenship beetween America and Scotland. You are Russian?"
He nodded his head. "Close – Ukranian. I was part of the Oktober Guard, but here I am now." He shrugged. "I can't help but stay though, since my curiosity is killing me, like the cat, as you Americans say."
She smiled. "I know others here by reputation, but haven't had the pleasure of working with them before. We are an international group, are we not?"
Ivan nodded. At that moment, their host declared that they would adjourn to the sitting room for coffee. Jaye followed Ivan and the rest into the adjoining room. She had only counted 8 "agents" and wondered where the other two were that Forton had mentioned.
Their host seem to go from group to group, making sure his guests were happy and joining in on their conversations. Jaye was talking to Dela, one of the three females in the room, including herself, when their host placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Ah, Lady Jaye, I have been waiting to meet you in person, my dear. Do you mind?" he asked Dela, who smiled and stepped away. The host linked his arm with Jaye's and led her to the balcony just beyond the sitting room.
"Frankfurt is lovely in the evening, is it not?" he asked. Jaye had to admit the view was fabulous.
"Now, my dear, I know you are full of questions. You are the last to join our little band and I have to admit, the one I have been looking most forward to meeting. Your talents are amazing and just what we need to lead this team. Your linguistic skills, as well as your acting ability has intrigued me, not to mention your personal background." He shook his head and smiled. "A woman of your social standing entering the military as enlisted, not as an officer, simply puzzles me. Then again, you did enter on a dare, did you not?" He chuckled.
Jaye was startled. "I see you've done your research," she murmured, not sure how to respond. While her mother's family had social prominence in New England, she was also a descendent of Scottish royalty on her father's side. It was a fact that she didn't reveal to many of her Joe teammates. She preferred to keep her background a secret to make life easier on herself. Her family ties, known only to those in command, would not win her any friends.
He chuckled. "You'd be surprised what I know, my dear. Your connection with MARS, your uncle's nefarious plans, your boyfriend." He looked at her knowingly. "I'm sorry that your relationship with him has come to an end, but alas, you will not have time for him with your new life."
Jaye looked at him, astonished. "What do you mean by that?"
He smiled sympathetically, patting her hand which was resting on the railing. "I'm sorry my dear, but you will have to come to terms with it. The others have had to make sacrifices as well," he said, indicating with his hand the people inside the room. "You will need to break it off with him completely when you go back after this week's furlough. You will resign with General Hawk, say your goodbyes, and we will have a plane waiting for you. I assume you will want your little coupe as well," he said, smiling. "That we can accommodate. I will make arrangements for it," he said, nodding. "It is quite a nice little car, so I can see why you chose it!"
"When I come back," Jaye began slowly, choosing her words carefully. She felt that although the conversation was casual, this was not a man to take lightly. "Will this be our headquarters or will we be based elsewhere?"
He smiled. "This is why I like you. You are always thinking, my dear, always planning ahead. For now, yes, until we see a need elsewhere. Obviously the training center is out of the city, and your base will be there as well, when needed. You will learn that you will have more freedom than with your current position. We don't require you to stay on base and only call on you when needed. We'll set you up in an apartment in the city. I promise you," he said, lifting her hand and kissing it lightly, "that you will enjoy what we have to offer you."
Jaye was uncomfortable, but masked it. "Very well," she murmured and gently withdrew her hand, not wanting to offend him. "Shall we join the others?" she asked, noticing he was distracted by the sound of laughter inside the room.
He nodded, taking her arm once again and leading her inside.
Their rooms were indeed luxurious. Jaye hated to admit it, but she had missed this lifestyle. She was proud of the sacrifices she had made as a Joe and the good that had come from it, but this was like coming home, she thought with some guilt.
She unpacked just enough for the night. She had no idea what to expect for the training. She had to admit she was a little surprised she was going back to Joe Headquarters, but she needed to cut her ties there, she supposed. She didn't want to think about Flint. Sighing, she decided she needed to get some sleep to clear her mind. After a hot shower, she settled into bed, sliding into the silk sheets with a contented sigh. In just a matter of moments, she was asleep.
"They are asleep," reported Forton, looking at the monitors.
"Then let us go through with the final phase. After tonight and this week's training, our team should be complete," the man known as Leiter ordered.
Forton nodded and flipped a switch. "It is done."