With a glance to the mirrored wall, Alicia straightened the hems of the white tank tops she wore before filing from the elevator. She'd been in the middle of shopping for movies when the tablet had gone off in her purse. In the week that she'd been carrying the thing around with her it had never made a sound before. Amanda said that she would update her on the assignment, and Alicia had just assumed she meant via the tablet. It turned out she was right, for when she withdrew it from her purse there was a message waiting for her. The order was simple: report to Amanda in Division.
While she had considered changing into something a little more official, she had decided there was no reason to waste any time. Birkhoff had been called back to work to take care of a problem, no surprise there, and he'd been in Division ever since. Amanda's assignment granted them more freedom to see each other, but that couldn't be put to use until the entire thing was actually in motion. It wasn't the first time Alicia had felt a flutter of eagerness to attend briefing, but it was the first time she'd felt it for a personal reason and not just to earn her second chance. Though the couple had been able to sneak in a few conversations on ShadowStalker they weren't as satisfying as the real thing. She'd never had anyone to miss before and now that she did she couldn't wait to get back to him.
Elevator doors sliding closed behind her, Alicia found herself standing at the edge of the training room. Recruits were hard at work assaulting punching dummies, sparring on the mats and working up a sweat exercising. One look and she picked up on the fact they were at an in between period. There were none of the trainers around, Michael included, and the way recruits talked lightly with each other was a clear giveaway that they weren't in the middle of a class. She remembered how she'd spent her free time on the treadmill, working on her cardio as Samson lifted weights and talked to her. Looking at the active training room made her realize part of her missed being a recruit. At least then she'd been able to see Birkhoff twice a day every day.
When she became aware of a few eyes flickering over to her in interest she realized she'd been standing there staring at the group. It wasn't the daydreaming that had caught their attention; no, it was her status as an Agent. Any time an Active passed through the recruit floor it was commonplace they'd attract attention. Talk and speculation were the closest the recruits got to what occurred up in Operations. But, as an Agent, Alicia had firsthand experience of what went on in the Command Center and that made her worth watching. After all, maybe they'd be able to overhear some juicy tidbit of information if they paid close enough attention.
Ignoring their eyes she strode along the edge of the room and up the stairs, disappearing not in the direction of Operations but rather Amanda's office. Passing through the halls she suddenly wished she had thought to bring some sort of shawl. Division wasn't cold, but the muted tones and cement walls gave it a dreary feeling that seemed to cling to her bones. The second she reached Amanda's office she gently rapped her knuckles on the closed door. She couldn't wait to leave the hollow feeling hallway and slip into Amanda's comfortable office. While the room was whitewashed and spacious it was one of the few rooms that were furnished, however slightly. The door clicked open and Alicia wasted no time in slipping into the room, closing the door behind her.
"Alicia," the woman greeted her with a smile, "please, make yourself comfortable." Amanda's room was constantly changing, the only thing that remained the same being the vanity against the far wall. This time there was a pastel green couch on which she was perched, her manicured hand motioning towards the matching feinting couch across from it. Between the set was an elegant glass table, a small luncheon setting laid out.
She didn't need to be told twice and smiled as she happily obliged. Alicia settled down across from Amanda, eyes meeting hers with a sparkle. "Every time I step foot in here I feel like I'm walking into a dream," she marveled. Her eyes danced around the clean, white room. The relative emptiness of the large space wasn't intimidating but rather calming. It struck her that this must be what it felt like to reside on a cloud.
Amanda's lips were still up in a smile and unlike the ones she usually wore this one reached her eyes. She had been having a frustrating time with the new handful of recruits that had come in, and this was a much needed break. It was draining to go through the same old song and dance with batch after batch of young men and women that Percy sent her way. Ninety percent were problematic for their first two weeks, either needing to go through detox or simply fighting with her every step of the way. Half of the remaining ten percent simply didn't grasp what was happening to them and fell out of the program before even being able to begin. That only left five percent who welcomed the opportunity that was being handed to them and tried their hardest from the beginning. Alicia had been one of the few who clicked with Division the moment Michael had finished with his welcome wagon.
As she chattered with Alicia she could feel her spirits lightening. It was one thing for the recruits and Agents to accept and appreciate the gift being given them, but it was another thing all together for them to understand it in its entirety. The young woman who sat across from her, sharing in the light luncheon, was truly a breath of fresh air. She was always so eager to please. There was never a moment of hesitation or question when it came to this particular Agent. Every task that was assigned to her she completed with pleasure. While everyone at Division followed their orders, and those who didn't weren't around long; it was a nice change to have someone who thoroughly enjoyed to.
Nevertheless, Amanda felt sorry for the girl. She knew that when Alicia had been explained the rare opportunity she was getting all the months ago she never imagined she'd be stuck doing this. Really, she considered it distasteful even by her standards. "Have you had sufficient time to go over your Intel?" she asked the moment their little conversation on how Alicia's wound was healing came to an end. When Alicia nodded, Amanda flashed her sad smile. "While I would usually trust you to formulate an approach on your own," she dabbed at the corner of her mouth with a napkin before continuing, "with this assignment that is not the case. This is no simple in and out. We are not dealing with the typical wealthy hoodlums your missions so often entail."
She looked at Alicia for a long moment, once more feeling sorry for the girl. "No, Seymour," his name tasted bitter on her lips, "is a special case. While he may be what the recruits so frequently call him, a computer geek, he is much more than that. You see Birkhoff does not fall under the category that one may place him in at first glance." Amanda stopped talking, pressing a button on the remote that had been resting just beside her on the couch. She waited for a moment, giving Alicia a patient smile, before a soft rap came on the door. Another press of a button and the door to her room clicked open.
A small woman walked in, expertly avoiding looking at anything but the small glass table as she approached it. Without a word she gathered up the remnants of the luncheon, placing it on a large white tray, before slipping out of the room just as quietly as she'd come in. Amanda was a woman who ran her life with calculated precision. She liked everything to be in place and everything to go according to plan. There was no time for mess or unexpected surprises in her demanding life. She had her hands full with all of the tasks being Percy's second carried. Between molding the recruits into something useful, her routine assessments of the Division staff and all of the Operations she personally oversaw; she was always busy.
This little pet project of hers was one of the few things that she looked forward to. As regretful as she was for using Alicia in such a distasteful way, she knew that it was beyond necessary. If anyone could produce results then it was the young woman who sat across from her, waiting for her to continue. "Where was I?" she asked sweetly.
"You were explaining how Birkhoff isn't what he appears," Alicia prompted her politely.
Amanda didn't miss a beat, picking up where she left off. "At first glance he is quite the stereotype. Other than technology he's not particularly skilled in anything, making him a recluse. He is a man who spends his free time with his nose pressed either to a screen or the page of a comic book. You could say," she smiled an evil smile, "Seymour never grew up. His life has been spent surrounded by electronics and so he never developed proper people skills. He is self centered and childish. Everything is a media reference to him, and he hides behind cynical humor to move the attention away from his other shortcomings."
She knew from her tone of voice that it was clear she despised the man, regardless of the sickly sweet attitude she'd taken on. The man was infuriating, and she couldn't wait to take him down a notch. Even if Percy was right and Birkhoff wasn't a traitor she'd still get satisfaction at the end of this ordeal. Knocking him down a peg would please her greatly. "But do not let this fool you. Despite his unappealing personality," she continued on, "and the fact that it is paired with an equally disappointing appearance, he is indeed a genius. Seymour's greatest asset is his brain, and that is something he is incredibly proud of. He retains a god-complex when it comes to his abilities. He finds pleasure in bragging about his own work. This is his greatest weakness."
Across from her Alicia listened with rapt attention. Despite the anger that was twisting in her gut her expression held nothing but interest. Amanda, on the other hand, was positively beaming. Her eyes had taken on the sheen of a predator before a kill. "Your approach is simple; think like Seymour. You will overlook all of his faults. To you they do not exist, and he will just as happily forget them. Instead you will stroke his ego. You will think of him not as Seymour Birkhoff but Shadow Walker, as he so ridiculously continues to refer to himself as. It is imperative you make it clear you are not interested in him but rather his alias. You see," she tilted her head taking in Alicia with an appreciative sweep of her eyes, "he would never dream of being capable of attracting someone like you. He would, however, expect it of Shadow Walker."
She could see the recognition of what she was saying flicker through the green eyes of Alicia before her. It pleased her to see, and she gave a nod to confirm her suspicions. "Seymour is too intelligent to believe you would be interested in him. Your approach is to make it apparent that you aren't attracted to him. You're merely turned on by his hacker alias. It will be clear that you have no romantic interest in him but rather," Amanda's flashed a wicked smile, "it is his name that is a trophy for you."
Getting to her feet she motioned for Alicia to follow. She obeyed without hesitation, following the woman over to the vanity. "You are beautiful Alicia," she crooned, sitting the younger woman in the chair, "and we will use that to our advantage." Standing behind her, Amanda stared at their reflection in the mirror. She ran a hand slowly down Alicia's soft waves of hair, letting her hand come to rest on her shoulder. "You are known for your smiles as you are well aware. However," she leaned forward, a scheming smile directed at Alicia in the mirror, "it may surprise you to know that many consider them to be not natural but rather a skill you obtained from me. As unkind as that may seem it is ideal for your assignment. You will shed your innocence and reveal it as nothing more than a mask to Seymour."
The slight surprise that played across Alicia's expression was exactly what she'd been hoping for. Her plan was ingenious, and when she smiled there was that deadly gleam in her cold eyes. "You see, I know Birkhoff better than he knows himself. He will hungrily eat up your supposed lust for his past accomplishments, but that is not enough to gain his trust. More than just a pretty face is required when it comes to getting into a genius' head," Amanda baited her.
Right on cue Alicia asked, "What do you need me to do?"
As always the girl's eagerness to please elated her, and she stepped away from the chair. Clasping her hands together she paced instead to stand beside Alicia, smiling icily down at her. "You are attracted to Shadow Walker," she hated calling him by that and sneered as she did so, "and impartial to Seymour; this is very important to remember Alicia. When you reveal how irresistible you find his old hacker alias you will act aloof about the man himself. You will make him feel as though he is a conquest, not an interest. Doing so you will draw out his need to get your approval. He will be driven to show you that he still is this Shadow Walker, and that Seymour Birkhoff hasn't lost his oomph. He will try to impress you and win you over. Of this I am certain."
While Amanda had been basking in her plan as she spoke, Alicia had been using all of her energy to refrain from scowling. No wonder he calls her dragon lady, she thought sourly. Hearing the woman belittle Birkhoff had been grating at her nerves. Worse yet was the news that she wasn't just supposed to seduce Seymour, but she was supposed to act as though she were using him. "Making him strive to impress me will present opportunities to uncover what potentially dangerous information he has on Division," Alicia acknowledged that she understood the plan.
"Precisely," Amanda beamed down at Alicia, once more running her hand over the young woman's soft hair. She knew that she had chosen the right tool for the job in selecting Alicia. The girl's quick understanding paired with her eagerness to serve was ideal. While Percy's little test had gone terribly awry, it had accomplished what it was intended to. No one could question the young woman's devotion to Division and for this particular task that was specifically necessary. The assignment had the potential of revealing sensitive information to the young Operative, and there was no room for questioning her loyalty.
"What is my timetable?" she asked softly.
Amanda was once more pleased by her unwavering acceptance. "You will begin the moment you leave this room. When we are finished here you can find him in Operations," she smiled coyly, "where it just so happensyou will be aiding in a mission he is overseeing. Use this opportunity to express your interest in watching how he works. Maintain your usual charming attitude. You will refrain from showing disdain until I deem the time right. Understood?"
Alicia nodded, a mix of emotions going through her. If Birkhoff had been upset when she'd mentioned that Amanda wanted her to seduce him, she didn't want to imagine how angry he'd be at learning about her order to look down at him as well. I should have known better than to get my hopes up.Amanda withdrew her hand from Alicia's hair, and she turned to look up at the woman. "He'll look back at my friendliness as a means to get close to him," she informed the woman she understood what the purpose of her order was, "so he'll be less suspicious in the later stages." The smile she got in return was confirmation. Looking at it like any other assignment she had to admit that Amanda was as thorough as ever.
"Over the course of the next few weeks you will get close to Seymour. I've had it arranged so that you will be a part of his new team. As I mentioned before he used to work closely with Michael and Nikita. We will recreate his attachment with Nikita by putting you in his care, much as she was. The other member of your team will play a role in stirring his interest through jealousy, though he holds no knowledge of your assignment," Amanda informed her. She'd been planning this Operation for months, before Alicia was even part of a picture. The moment she laid eyes on that disarming smile, she knew she had found the one she'd been waiting for.
While she had never imagined that the young woman would break Birkhoff from his sour mood, it had been a satisfying development. It almost seemed as though Alicia had been sent to her just for this purpose. She had no doubts the young woman would succeed at her assignment. There was no way that Birkhoff wouldn't be thrilled to have such an attractive and talented girl show desire for his alter ego. While Amanda found it positively asinine that after fifteen years he was still referring to himself by his old hacker name, it did make her job that much easier.
"We will keep in communication via the tablet you have been provided. I will expect an update once a week on how he is responding to you. This will take time," she started towards the door and Alicia followed her lead, rising from the chair, "of that I am certain. Nikita had six years during which she could have gathered the required information for her betrayal. While I don't expect it to take that long for us to come to our final conclusion on Seymour's involvement, I cannot provide you with a timetable as of yet." The pair stopped before the door and Amanda smiled at Alicia once more. "Any questions or concerns?"
Alicia shook her head, returning the smile with her own famously disarming brand. "Absolutely none," she dismissed the question easily.
"You will receive updates on how to proceed when I feel the time is right. Until then," she opened the door, her burgundy lips reaching upwards, "go; be brilliant."
Not needing to be told twice Alicia strode from the room, making her way down the grey hall. She didn't let out the breath she'd been holding until the sound of Amanda's door clicking closed bounced off the walls. At her side her hand balled into a fist. Never before had she felt any ill will towards the woman, but suddenly she shared in Birkhoff's strong dislike of the dragon lady. It prickled each and every nerve in her body as she recounted what the woman had said about Seymour. Her opinion of the man was beyond infuriating. If she wasn't so good at playing her role then she would have snapped at the woman. Had they not been in Division, had they been in a normal situation and not the twisted one they were- she would have taught the snarky woman a thing or two.
So Birkhoff wasn't about to win any awards for his looks, so what? That didn't matter to Alicia, not in the least. He was attractive to her, more attractive than any of the other males that littered the halls of Division. The boyish quality to his face, long messy hair and casual attire made him all the more desirable to Alicia. She couldn't explain what it was about him that drew her in so completely, but she happily accepted it. Birkhoff was well muscled, but he wasn't defined like the other men Division spat out. In fact, his slight softness wasn't something she looked down on; it was something she found she desired. It was his slightly stocky build, muscles beneath a small layer of padding, which made him so damned comfortable. When he held her in his arms she could feel the press of those strong arms as she melted into his embrace. If I wanted a washboard, she thought bitterly, I would go buy one.
What Amanda had called childish Alicia considered better described as playful. She loved his sarcastic comments and witty humor, and the media references were utterly endearing. He never ceased to make her smile; in fact she was smiling just thinking about him. Before she knew it her feet had carried her through the halls and straight up to the man who was on her mind.
"Where is my energy beverage?" Birkhoff was barking out just as the doors to Operations closed behind her.
A techie on the other side of the room scrambled to his feet, but only after meeting the glances of all the others who were busy with work trying to decide who had to go get it this time. Smiling to herself she stopped the man with a hand on his shoulder. "I've got it," she let him know, trying not to laugh at his startled expression. It took him a moment to process what she was staying, staring at her in surprise, before visibly relaxing. He gave her a thankful nod before slinking back to his station. Shaking her head in amusement she crossed over to the refrigerator that was stocked with Birkhoff's stock of energy drinks. It struck her as funny that Division supplied him with as many of the caffeinated beverages that it would take to keep him running.
Snatching a can she strolled back over to Birkhoff's station. She set it down in front of him, hiding her smile as she looked down at him with brows raised. He didn't so much as blink, his eyes were so focused on the screen, and instead just plucked the can from the desk. "Took you long enough," he grumbled, clearly in a bad mood.
"Sorry," she responded lightly, instantly drawing his attention, "I had to fight a techie for the honor."
Birkhoff blinked up at her, astounded by her sudden appearance. "What are you doing here?" he asked, a little more roughly than he intended to. He'd been burning the candles at both ends lately and to say he was on edge was an understatement. As happy as he was to see Alicia in person for the first time in a week, he couldn't forget their precarious situation. He'd never gone against Division before, but it wasn't him that he was worried about. If he got caught having a relationship with Alicia he'd be punished, he didn't doubt that for a second. But he wasn't expendable, not like Alicia was. She may be Amanda's pet but he was Percy's; and the bossman beat out dragon lady handsdown.
"Agent Alicia reporting for duty sir," she gave him a playful mock salute.
He stared at her for a moment before it clicked. "You're the help they sent?" Birkhoff asked, not hiding his astonishment.
"Try to contain your enthusiasm," Alicia shot back, scoffing.
"I didn't mean-"
"Whatever," she shrugged, cutting him off before he could apologize, "so what do you need me to do?" She knew exactly how he'd meant it, and he picked up on that fact quickly. It was times like this she really was glad that he was a genius. So much for having no social skills, she thought smugly as he fell into his usual air of cockiness.
"Move," Birkhoff turned to the techie who occupied the station nearest him, making a shooing motion with his hands.
While the techie turned, his attention successfully gained, Birkhoff's computer had chimed demanding his attention. Alicia watched the man's mouth open and quickly close, as he held back a comment. One look at the other man's screen and she quickly put two and two together. "Ignore him," she rolled her eyes, speaking to the man who'd been ordered to move. "What are you working on?" Alicia asked, sidling up to the blonde haired man's side.
He looked up at her for a second before returning his eyes to the screen she was already focused on. "I'm going over video feeds," the man explained. Seeing as she was an Active Agent who'd been given access to Operations, there was no reason to hide his work from her. It was just grunt work to begin with.
"What's your search field?" she pressed on, eyes scanning the windows he had active.
"Simple track job," he responded, eyes flickering back up to her, "taking note of who is coming and going." With a click of the mouse he pulled a screen to the forefront, giving her the details. "The Mansford hotel, time range of seven months. Searching for repeat visitors," he filled her in before pulling up a new window, "and I'm two months in."
"What's the timestamp you're on right now?" Alicia asked, giving a nod to show she understood.
The blonde techie didn't even bother to ask why she was questioning him on his work. It wasn't the first time he'd seen Alicia, though it was definitely the first time he'd ever spoken to her. He'd provided support on two of her missions, albeit he'd played a very small role. Birkhoff, however, had been a prominent player in those two missions and he already knew the Head IT had a soft spot for her. So he relayed the information without delay. When he looked up to see if she had any more questions she was already gone.
Alicia slipped into an empty station, pulling up all of the windows for him. Having Birkhoff as a teacher sure paid off when it came to working technology, and before long she was returning to the man's side. Just in time too, Birkhoff had just turned to talk to her to find the man was still there. Before he could get out a biting comment Alicia commandeered the situation. "I have you all set up over here," she flashed the nervous man a winning smile, "no time lost."
The flabbergasted expression he wore as he got to his feet was very rewarding, and he followed her to the station in question without a word. When he looked at the screen, notepad filled with scribbles in hand, he was pleasantly surprised to see she was telling the truth. "Thanks," he gave her a small smile, as though it was a new and dangerous adventure for his lips to rise.
"No problem," Alicia returned it with her famous smile. "Don't let old Birkhoff scare you," she teased as he settled into his desk, well aware of Birkhoff's eyes on them, "it's not the full moon yet so you should be safe."
He gave a surprised chuckle at her comment, a little life flickering into his cool blue eyes. "I'll keep that in mind," he responded, laying the pad down on the desk. While the other techies all had a good working relationship with one another it wasn't every day an Agent was friendly. The young woman's reputation preceded her though, and he had the feeling that he was going to be seeing a lot of her. Lord knows she'd been on his screen more than enough times. "It's Clint," he spoke up before she could disappear, "by the way."
"Alicia," she returned his introduction, knowing that he more than likely already knew that. "Happy hunting Clint," Alicia couldn't help but tilt her head, shooting a little amused smile his way before returning to the scowling man behind the computer.
"Making friends?" Seymour asked, keeping his voice casual. It didn't bother him that it was a good looking man she'd been talking to, it was the fact he was his inferior. The last thing he needed was for her to become chummy with them. He didn't want to put her in a bad spot when he snapped at them, and their fake relationship – or whatever the hell it was Amanda had planned – was underway. Despite the girl being a deadly assassin he knew better than anyone the big heart she had. If it wasn't for the fact she'd been on the run for murder and then drafted into Division she was the type of girl who would have many friends.
"Are those allowed here?" she asked, genuinely curious. "Or is that under the relationship category? They aren't very clear about that in the rules," she muttered, dropping into the seat Clint had been in only a few moments ago.
Birkhoff hunched over his desk, finishing up his current project as he spoke. "It's a bit of a grey area. We're all one big happy family here at Division," he shrugged, "just a family that is always prepared to lose a member."
"So kind of like the mob?"
"We're the guys that take out the mob doll," he snorted.
She stared at him for a moment before rolling her chair up to his, propping her elbows on her knees and resting her chin in her palms. "So what is it you're working on?" Alicia asked, her voice laced with curiosity. She couldn't forget that she was technically on an assignment.
Birkhoff shot her a sidelong glance. It wasn't like her to inquire about his work. "I just finished. Were you briefed on the Op?" Birkhoff asked he exited out of the window. Leaning back in his seat he raised the energy drink to his lips, taking a few big gulps. Alicia being assigned to him had to be a work of the dragon lady. There was no reason for her to be up in Operations just to sit in on an Op. He'd ask Amanda about it later, but he already knew she'd chalk it up to the scratch Alicia had received. Until he talked to Alicia in private he would have to treat her like he would naturally. Despite what everyone said he had been trained just like the rest of them. He knew how to play a role, especially when the role he was playing was that of himself.
"No," she informed him, "so what's the 411?"
Birkhoff gave her a little look, eyes flickering over her in suspicion. Alicia reacted accordingly, straightening herself up as she gave him an innocent smile. He shook his head before returning his attention to the screen. He filled her in on the Operation before pulling up a program and starting to type in instructions. Before long they fell into a natural routine, one that was oddly reminiscent to the days they'd shared together when Alicia was a recruit. Birkhoff was in his natural zone of barking out little orders, giving her pointed commands and prompting her whenever he needed something.
Her part in the Operation was simple: take the files Birkhoff was in the process of commandeering and rewrite their encryptions. While she was no computer whiz, Birkhoff had come to notice she did have one particularly strong suit during his days teaching her. Alicia was merely average in the most of her technological abilities, but when it came to encoding and defense related tasks she was able to shine. Having spent a majority of her life looking over her shoulder and covering her tracks it came naturally for her; even in a virtual world.
More often than not Alicia found herself with nothing to do. He was so completely at home behind a computer that she felt a sort of nostalgia as she watched him work his magic. She didn't even have to fake her interest as she observed him at work. Unlike the basic layout on her screen, Birkhoff's monitor was suddenly filled with complex figures. It reminded her of the time Samson had pressed a key on her screen, only now it wasn't windows popping up; it was folders. For every folder that appeared ten more followed, not stopping there. Stacks within stacks were quickly forming and overtaking the directory Seymour had hacked into. "What just happened?" she asked, eyes darting over to the man.
"I tripped a fail safe," he responded, answering her question despite being absorbed in his work. "It's mimicking exponential growth by mirroring itself," Birkhoff felt the need to explain in more detail. Unlike the pressure of having Percy looming over his shoulder, he enjoyed having Alicia's on his screen.
"How do you know it's just a mirror?" she questioned, the rapidly increasing files looking mighty realistic to her. When he clicked on a file at random, it contained just as many files as the one before. At the rate it was going there'd be a data overload in a matter of minutes.
He focused in on the screen, dragging the windows he had open from sight. They appeared on his left hand monitor, being momentarily set aside as his fingers danced over the keys to type out a string of commands. "Because only one of these babies holds any real data," Birkhoff answered easily. There was no reason for him to feel stress; he knew exactly how to deal with the unexpected problem. "And I know because I used to see this all the time," a wry smile spread over his face as he worked.
The expression wasn't lost on Alicia. She wheeled her chair up beside his, trying to make sense of what he was doing. On the leftmost screen the folders continued to multiply at a steady pace. Before she had the chance to ask any more questions the growing number of files suddenly stopped increasing. Her eyes darted to Birkhoff's main screen to find that he had just woven a complex string of code and sent it out. His fingers continued on, and the next time he hit enter a box prompted for him to accept. "Go ahead," he leaned back, catching the bewildered Alicia by surprise.
When she realized he was motioning towards his now unoccupied mouse her eyes locked in on his in surprise. "Me?" she questioned his intentions.
Birkhoff nodded, pushing the mouse towards her with a finger. "Fire ze lasers," he commanded with a grin.
Not needing to be told twice she obliged his unusual request. Alicia reached over and clicked the mouse, seeing no reason why he couldn't have done it himself. The result was instant, and the screen that had only moments ago been spawning folders was now deleting them at twice the speed. "I hope it was supposed to do that," she murmered, watching with wide eyes.
"Have a little faith in me sweetheart," he teased her with a laugh. Exiting out of his coding windows he dragged the file directory back onto the main screen before relaxing back in his seat to watch. It didn't take long, and he soon had the situation under control – not that he'd lost control to begin with. "And then there was one," he proudly stated, staring at the lone folder that remained on his screen.
The pair looked up as Michael strode purposefully into Operations, filing straight past them and up to one of the techies near the front. "What's this complication?" he questioned, his smoky tone holding an unmistakably irritated tone.
Alicia peeled her eyes from him, focusing once more on Birkhoff. His attention was already directed back to the files he was now downloading, but he could feel her eyes on him nonetheless. "You said you used to see this happen all the time?" she asked, remembering the purpose for her being paired with Birkhoff in the first place.
"Back before my Division days," he filled her in, "I always had my hand in the cookie jar. It wasn't long before they wised up and started using this to try and keep hackers out." Finished with his work he was now able to focus his attention on Alicia beside him. Her green eyes were already waiting, brimming with a curiosity he was more than happy to satisfy. "We called it Kaleidoscoping. You take what you want to hide and you leave it in plain sight, just distort the view. So one file becomes twenty, becomes thirty and so on. It was meant to overwhelm a hacker's server causing them to back out before they ever got a chance to isolate the one, bona fide file. Worked like a charm," he smirked, "except they didn't count on Shadow Walker."
"You were the first to beat the system?" she asked in awe.
"The one and only," he bragged. "Well, until now," Birkhoff flashed a mischievous grin, "now Shadow Walker's apprentice has as well."
It took a minute for what he was saying to sink in. "All I did was click a button," Alicia pointed out. She wasn't about to take credit for something she hadn't done, as proud as he seemed to appear to be at the mention of her being his so called apprentice. He knew well enough she could never do the hacking aspect of computer manipulation. Her skill was in covering tracks and keeping people out not breaking in.
"Sometimes one push of a button can change everything," he responded cryptically.
"What do you mean you don't know what went wrong?" Michael's voice cut through the air. He didn't wait for a reply, just pointed up towards the large monitor that loomed down over Operations. "Get me a visual," he instructed. While Alicia knew that more than one Operation often went on at once, especially when they were just computer tasks like the one she'd just helped on, she was surprised by Michael's commanding presence.
The screen was soon displaying a visual of the front entrance to a grand cream colored manor, manned by armed guards. There was a line of immaculately dressed men and women mingling as they waited to be granted entry. "I know that pad," Birkhoff commented, eyes narrowing in on the image.
"We were supposed to be in the clear," Michael grimaced at the screen as he took it in.
"Our Intel said the engagement party wasn't until tomorrow," the techie informed him somberly.
Just like that Birkhoff was on his feet and striding forward. "The Intel is solid," he cut in, giving the techie an annoyed glare.
"Apparently not Birkhoff," Michael turned to him, a serious expression on his handsome face.
"I know how to read a date," he snapped back, "and it was set for tomorrow."
"Well you must have read wrong," Michael returned, "because clearly it's today."
Birkhoff grimaced, crossing his arms over his chest. "I got the Intel myself. It can't be today," he insisted.
Alicia was already behind the men when she decided to speak up. "Birkhoff's right," she spoke up, instantly earning their attention. It was clear her interruption had been unexpected, for she earned taken aback looks from both of the men. "It's not an engagement party," she pointed out, "it's a wedding."
Michael's eyes returned to the screen. "It can't be," he dismissed her claim, though he didn't sound remotely certain.
While the two had been bickering Alicia had been watching the screen. "Can you it back a minute?" she asked, turning her eyes to the techie that sat staring at her. He didn't make so much as a move to follow through on her request. From the look in his eyes she could tell that he was trying to figure out what gave her the nerve to butt in on an Operation she wasn't a part of. She would have demanded that he do it, but she caught the visual changing on the screen from the corner of her eye before the command could pass her lips.
"Tell me when to stop," it was Clint's voice that filled the silence instead.
Thankful for him intervening, she watched the screen for what she'd noticed earlier. "There," she had barely gotten out the word before the image was promptly frozen on the monitor. "You see those two women?" she asked, pointing out the two in question. One of the women was just about to be allowed past the guards, and just on the other side of the threshold there was a woman waiting for her. "They're wearing the same dress. This looks like a high class party," she pulled her green eyes from the screen to instead look to Michael, "the chance of two attendees in the same outfit is next to none."
"She's right," once more it was Clint who spoke up, "they're dressed identically." He brought the image in close to show that everything down to the necklaces they donned was the same.
"Who has a surprise wedding?" Birkhoff asked, not denying that she was right. Still, it didn't fit with his Intel. He'd spent a good hour getting everything that was needed for the Op. He knew for a fact that he hadn't gotten the dates wrong.
"Someone who knows there are those invested in stopping the marriage," Michael responded, not missing a beat. "Get me audio," he ordered the techie who had only moments ago ignored Alicia's request. Not a moment later he was handed a headset and asking for the guard count.
Alicia recognized the voice that relayed back the information. "Six at either entrance and six perimeter teams of two," Samson's disembodied voice came through the speaker. While the screen was once more actively displaying the wedding goers, there was no doubt that it was her former fellow recruit that was the responding Active.
"These guys aren't playing around," Birkhoff noted, shaking his head. He'd relaxed a bit once the crazy accusation of him getting the wrong Intel was dismissed.
"We cannot allow the wedding to happen," Michael spoke as much to the pair that stood beside him as his Agent on the headset.
"What is our approach, sir?" Samson's cool voice asked, nonplussed by the situation going awry.
He clicked off his headset before turning to Birkhoff. "Our entire plan is scrapped. Clairment is a high profile target; we can't go in guns blazing. This has to be done quietly," Michael informed the man, "and we can't do that if we don't have eyes."
"There aren't any security cameras inside of the household," Seymour informed him, eyes dancing over the screen, "this guy only deals behind closed doors. He's paranoid if you haven't noticed. I mean hello; secret wedding?" As if something suddenly had hit him he was on the move, pulling the back of the chair that the techie sat in. "Move," the word hadn't even left his lips before the man was scrambling out of the seat. Birkhoff didn't hesitate to occupy it before cracking his fingers and lowering them to the keys. "Like you said; Clairment is high profile. Secret or not, I bet my bottom dollar he's having his wedding filmed. If he's got cameras," he filled them in on his stroke of genius, "then they'll soon be mine."
"Now all we have to do is get a man inside," Michael nodded briskly.
Alicia hesitated a moment before speaking up. "I can get Samson in," she said, going out on a limb. Agent or not, Michael still outranked her. Heck, she mused, he even outranks my boyfriend.
Before she could smile at that thought Michael's cool eyes found hers. He stared at her for a long minute before reaching up and removing the headpiece. "Let's see what you can do," he granted her the opportunity. With a step he was beside her, positioning the headpiece on her ear for you.
"Who's your daddy?" Birkhoff's voice chimed out, the screen splitting into twelve different vantage points from the cameras he'd just accessed.
Michael shot him a dry look even as Alicia smiled. "He needs to get in and out unnoticed. The target is the bride," Michael gave her the little information she'd need to know as he turned back to her. Everything else had been scrapped when the plan had gone awry anyways. When she nodded he pressed her com back on, resting his hand on her shoulder as he gave her a small nod.
"Samson," she spoke into the headset, waiting to make sure he was there before continuing.
"Alicia?" he asked, sounding surprised.
At the sound of his voice filling the com Birkhoff tightened his lips unhappily. He hated the cocky young man, and had successfully avoided working with him so far. Now he didn't have a choice but to sit in on the Operation and handle the technical support. Alicia had stepped to take the lead and he wasn't about to sit back when he knew he could be of help. He watched as Michael gave Alicia a little nod, withdrawing his hand from her shoulder as he handed over the reins. "There's been a change of plans. You will be going in solo," she informed him. Her sweet voice was so cool and confident that even Birkhoff with baited breath to hear how she planned on salvaging the mission.
"Yes mam," the young man's voice was uncharacteristically serious. "The entrances are heavily guarded. How do you suggest I approach?" Samson asked. Apparently he too trusted Alicia to guide him true.
"Situation 12," she prompted him, "do you remember it?"
Birkhoff had no idea what the young woman was referring to, but apparently Samson did. "Don't think I'll ever forget it," a touch of cocky was back in his voice.
That was all she needed to know. "Move to join the line. Red dress," she informed him, "she will be approaching on your nine."
At her words Birkhoff's eyes were once more on his screen. He located Samson approaching the diminishing line with ease and turned his attention to find the woman in the red dress. It was easier said than done. For a wedding there was a surprising amount of red dresses. In fact, if it hadn't been for Alicia spotting the bridesmaids then the entire thing would have been mistaken as an engagement party. Now that he had eyes inside of the manor he knew that she'd been correct in her observation. It was undoubtedly a wedding. Only seconds before Samson turned to talk to the woman did Birkhoff realize she was the one Alicia had been referring to.
It came as a shock to see it was an older woman. Nonetheless on his screen all of Operations watched as Samson suavely gained her attention. From the way she carried herself, her choice of clothing and the way she almost salivated when Samson offered her his arm Birkhoff quickly dubbed her a cougar. Despite the fact that he was one of their Agents, Birkhoff couldn't help but scowl at how easily the young man had her wrapped around his little finger. Even more frustrating was listening to Samson's voice fill Operations. The young man's voice was undeniably smooth, and some of the things he was saying would make a grown woman blush. Evidently she was, for when it was the pair's turn to pass the guards they averted their eyes and tried to casually focus on the next people in line instead.
Seymour turned his gaze to Alicia to find she was intently focused on the screen. Her face was calm and gave nothing away as she stood in the front of Operations, taking in the images on the large display. He couldn't help but want to gain her attention, and so when Samson made it through the front door and showed up on the interior camera he spoke up.
"Operation Wedding Crashers is a go," Birkhoff's voice announced, adjusting the cameras to find the bride and stick to Samson. When he looked back up it was to find Michael was giving him a dry look.
"We are not calling it that," he deadpanned.
But he was already distracted by the small smile Alicia flashed his way. "Too late, I already saved the change," Birkhoff teased the man, earning a full fledged smile from Alicia.
"Well it is fitting," she brushed off Michael's narrow eyed stare he shot her with another smile.
He found he didn't have the will to go against it and gave in with a shake of his head. Both Birkhoff and Alicia were notorious for their playful attitudes and he had a feeling if they teamed up against him he'd be sorry. If it wasn't for the fact at Division he could just imagine the pair on the outside. They'd probably orchestrate some devastating pranks. Michael had seen the two working together, and he picked up bits and pieces of their witty banter. Well, it was witty on Alicia's end. Birkhoff was just Birkhoff. Another thing they had in common was how serious they'd become when work called for it. Teasing abandoned, both of the troublemakers were consumed in their own tasks.
Alicia talked Samson through every step that needed her guidance, coordinating with Birkhoff perfectly on what path to stick to so as not to be lost by the cameras. It wasn't until they lost visual that things became tense for Birkhoff once more. There was nothing he could do but watch and listen as Alicia spoke to Samson, the entire room able to hear the relay of orders and information. He wouldn't have been so tense if it wasn't for the fact half of what the two said seemed to be some sort of code. After a little glance to Michael, who had come to stand near Birkhoff's station to give Alicia room to work, and he couldn't help but poke the man's brain for answers.
"Do you know what Situation 12 is?" he asked, voice unnoticed to anyone but Michael.
He looked over at him, giving a single shake of his head. "Situations are what Amanda calls the exercises she puts her promising recruits through. They're only for the Agents that specialize in her field," he answered.
"You mean her little courses in emotional espionage?" Birkhoff scoffed, knowing what he was referring to. "The woman sure does love her roleplaying games," he muttered, all too aware how true this was.
"Both Samson and Alicia were her star pupils," he acknowledged with a little nod.
"Do you want outside involvement to remain unknown?" Alicia's voice commandeered Michael's attention. His nod was answer enough, and she returned her attention to the screen. "I think our bride has gotten cold feet," her voice sounded playfully disappointed.
"They will be soon," Samson responded, still off screen. It only took a minute of silence before his voice returned once more. "Target down," he confirmed. In record time he was out the door and on his way back to the SUV.
Alicia removed the headset, handing it back to Michael with a confident smile. "Crisis averted," she said lightly, feeling satisfied with herself. It had been surprisingly easy to guide Samson through the mission. He'd gone in without a plan outlined and yet their understanding of each other from hours upon hours of paired training had made it comfortably familiar. She couldn't help but feel a little pride in having successfully stepped up.
Michael smiled, his eyes moving between where Birkhoff sat and Alicia stood. "Congratulations on your first successful Operation as a Team," he informed them in the midst of praising them.
"A Team?" Birkhoff asked, not liking the sound of that.
Amanda's words from earlier flittered into Alicia's mind. She knew what Michael was going to say before he'd even opened his mouth. "Your first Operation together was supposed to be in two weeks, but it seems as though it was meant to be," his eyes landed on Birkhoff's. The frustration in the Head IT's eyes was unmistakable, and Michael returned it with a smirk.
