Chapter 53: INFRASTRUCTURE

Autumn's POV

I stand in front of the mirror buttoning up my blue shirt. My hair was still brown but Mom said she would help me dye it tomorrow. We'd only arrived back yesterday evening and all shops had been closed. Today was debriefing and explaining what was going to happen when I came back from leave in January. Well that's what was going to happen if I could get these stupid buttons in.

"Here let me."

Keegan's voice comes from behind me and is accompanied by his strong arms looping around my waist. I tense up at first but I quickly relax. His hands gently move up from waist and button as they go. Every so often they would brush skin causing my breath to hitch. The intimacy of the situation was making my head spin. My heart pounds and my breathing quickens. He was doing this on purpose.

"Are you feeling me up Mr Seyal?" I whisper.

"Maybe," He chuckles quietly.

My question is quickly answered when I feel his lips press gently on the back of my neck. I sigh when he moves his hands back down my waist and I lean against him. I turn my head and he kisses me gently. I turn slowly in his arms never breaking the kiss and put my good hand through his hair, my bad one hanging at my side.

I sigh against his lips slightly when he holds me closer. It had been a while since the last time we'd done this. In the hospital we didn't have much privacy but here… I feel his hands start to go up my shirt and I pull back.

"Keegan…" I begin but his lips move down to my neck causing me to moan.

"The doctor said…" I try again.

"I know what she said," He mumbles against my neck. "Doesn't mean we can't kiss and make out."

"Keegan," I whimper."I have work…"

"Work can wait," He mumbles. He hits a particularly sensitive spot causing me to moan. He then pulls me into a deep passionate kiss.

Gosh… Keegan…

That's when I feel my phone vibrate in my back pocket. I reluctantly pull back and take the phone out answering it.

"This is Campbell," I say pulling out of Keegan's grasp.

"Autumn, why aren't you answering your door?"

It was mom. I totally forgot she was picking me up today.

"Sorry, I got… um distracted," I say blushing. "I'll be down in a second."

I hang up the phone and look at Keegan who smirks at me. He didn't look flustered but gosh did I. He gives me a short peck on the lips which tests my self control.

"You shouldn't do that to a girl without following through," I whisper still feeling flustered. "I will get you back for that when I get this stupid cast off."

"I'm betting on it," He smirks as he walks down the stairs to answer the door.

I take a deep breath. Gosh, that man…

I sit silently playing with the coffee cup in front of me with my left hand. My right arm was in a sling and sat uselessly at my side. I'd been waiting for twenty minutes with Keegan beside me. He was wearing a dark grey suit, white shirt, blue tie and black shoes. Everything was very close fitting and after our antics earlier I have to avoid eye contact to stay focused.

I remain silent as the room fills. The advisors from McQuaid file in including Dad and McQuaid himself. Annie and Auggie walk in and as soon as Annie sees me she grins. I smile back as she walks over.

"Catch up with some coffee after?" She says quietly.

"Of course," I smile.

Before we can continue the DNI walks in so Annie quickly finds her seat. I feel him take me in with curious eyes. I was sitting awkwardly, my suit was slightly big on me and I was twirling a pen in my left hand as Joan had taken away the cup when Annie came in. My hands had to do something.

"Stop fidgeting," Joan whispers, stilling my hand.

"Sorry," I say releasing the pen but even then it was hard to stay still causing Joan to chuckle slightly.

"Good morning everyone," The DNI says grabbing my attention. "I'm glad you were all able to make it this morning. This is the debrief for the Ianto Seyal mission."

I tense slightly and this doesn't go un-noticed by Keegan. He takes my left hand which was now sitting on my lap under the table. I take it gratefully. He starts to rub calming circles just below my thumb and I relax slightly.

The debriefing was boring to say the least. The DNI pratically went through the entire story in fine detail. After a while mom starts to notice my fidgeting increase but it wasn't my fault. The pain in my back was starting to increase due to sitting in this stupid chair for so long. She looks at me with sorry eyes. SHe then turns to the DNI who was recounting the first leak made by Calder.

"Sir do you mind if we take a fifteen minute break," Mom asks politely. We've been in here for a few hours."

"Of course," He smiles taking a glance at me.

"Thank you sir," She smiles back.

I watch as people start to stand and leave the room. Annie and Auggie hang behind as I awkwardly stand up using my left hand to pull myself up using the table. Keegan steadies me and I smile gratefully at him.

"Do you want to go and get some coffee?" Annie smiles.

"Definitely," I smirk but I get distracted by the fact Auggie has just pulled me into a bear hug. I wince.

"It's good to see you again Sparky," He says. "Well see may not be the right word…"

"Auggie, too tight," I mumble.

"Oh right, sorry," He says releasing me.

I hear Annie and mom chuckle at his antics but all Keegan does is smirk.

"Right, let's go get coffee," Mom smiles.

Fifteen minutes later we're back in the conference room. The DNI picks up right where he left off and I have to try not to fall asleep. The feeling is mutual because everyone looks half dead. McQuaid finally speaks up.

"Sir, I mean no disrespect but this entire room already knows the details of what happened in New Orleans," He says calmly. "I thought we were here to discuss what is going to happen next and to be quite honest I don't think going over all the details of what happened in those five months is going to help anyone. Especially Autumn."

I smile gratefully at McQuaid who smiles back. Keegan was still holding my hand rubbing those calming circles. I'd been getting tenser as the meeting has went on.

"Fair point, Mr McQuaid," The DNI says. "Now we all know the information that was gathered by Agent Campbell and Davis…"

I shot a look at Aubrey who looks as confused as I do.

"Actually sir, Aubrey and I haven't seen the information that was gathered in New Orleans," I say politely.

"Oh, that would make sense," He says realisation dawning on him. "Well the short version is that Seyal is planning to attack the US's infrastructure. We don't know how as his plans are encrypted but it's definitely a plan."

"May I see the encryptions please sir?" I ask.

"Of course. Knock yourself out," He replies sliding a file over to me.

I open the file and start to read. Well I start to look at random strings of letters and numbers. But something springs out at me.

It's computer coding.

I take the pen I'd been playing with earlier of the table (good thing I'm left handed) and underline codes I recognise. NSA. CIA. DEA. White House… I can feel the DNI's eyes bore into my head as I work. I think I've just caught something no analyst has gotten in months. It had taken me mere minutes.

"Autumn, what do you see?" Mom says quietly.

"It's coding," I mumble, still scanning the pages. I was starting to find foreign country codes as well; China, the UK, France…

"Well we know that much," The DNI scoffs. "That's why we can't figure out what it means."

"Not the type of code you're thinking of," I say. "It's a computer code. A virus to be precise."

"Excuse me?"

"You said that Seyal was planning an attack on infrastructure, correct?"

"Correct."

"Well this is how he's going to do it," I explain. "Each country has a specific code for their nation when it comes to computers. Then their agencies have specific IP addresses. From what I can see Seyal has somehow designed a virus that latches onto these specific codes. The virus will latch on and then destroy what ever it comes into contact with. Information, nuclear codes, emergency protocols…"

"What codes have you picked out?"

"NSA, CIA, DEA, FBI and White House for here. And then codes from China, the UK, France…"

"And if he suceeds?"

"Total meltdown."

I watch as the DNI tenses up. Auggie was looking at my general in awe. And mom was just staring at my scribbling on the file with horror.

"Then we carry on with our plan," The DNI says. "We know that Seyal's attack is going to take place around late February or mid March. We now also know what that attack is going to be so we can start putting up defences. But to start off we need to go after Seyal's head of security. Owen Zimmerman."

When the picture appears on screen panic hits me like a ton of bricks. I tense up and desperately try to stay calm. My heart pounds as the memories of my time in captivity bombard me. Keegan looks at me in concern but the DNI doesn't notice. I can feel mom look at me as well. But I ignore her as I feel nausea start to rise up from the bottom of my throat.

"Autumn?"

"I… I need to use the bathroom," I stutter out as I stand up.

"Autumn?" Keegan says his voice dripping with concern.

"Miss Campbell?"

It was the DNI but I ignore him. I quickly make my way over to the door and make a beeline through the DPD and to the toilets.