From the agency's perspective Kate's career for the next three plus years was bumpy. While her success rate was in the top quartile, she had a persistent habit of going off script much to the dismay of her superiors. Kate's standard dismissal to all this was, "Results matter, and everything else is just bureaucratic crap." That all changed on a routine recon mission in Sonora Mexico monitoring a cartel operations center.
She had been in a hide of her own choosing far from the one designated in the op walk through when all hell broke loose as automatic gunfire came in from all sides. She quickly realized how dire her situation was and followed protocol by sending a distress signal to the drone flying along the US side of the border. After visibly throwing her weapon to the ground, she was surrounded by five men and roughly groped for any hidden weapons.
Finding none, they zip tied her hands, put a hood over head, and threw her into the back of pickup. When the truck stopped she was marched though a door and down a stairway to a room where they attached ankle and wrist bracelets that were adjusted to put her in a taut spread eagle position. The next sound she heard was very familiar. It was the click of a serious set of high heels hitting a hard surface. The female voice that followed confirmed her suspicions and said, "Welcome to my country? My employers really want to know who sent you and why? I hope you will cooperate. Otherwise things will become most unpleasant. I'll be back in a few minutes for your answer."
When she returned, Kate went with the totally ignorant story hoping a rescue team could get her out of here before the unpleasantness began. "Look", she replied, "I am just a gringo tourist who got a bit lost. The weapons are just prudent protection; your country does have a violent reputation especially for women traveling alone. I meant you no harm. Just let me go, and I will leave immediately."
There was a noticeable pause, and the voice continued, "So you telling me you are just an average gringo tourist who got lost with special binoculars, an expensive handgun, and a sophisticated communication device that seems to have gone dark. Is that your story?" Both paused stunned by the blatant absurdity of Kate's story. As Kate heard the heels clicking away from her, the voice said, "That's a pity. I hope these gentleman can perhaps persuade you to be more forthcoming."
When the door shut, a pair of footsteps moved towards her. Within seconds she felt two rapid searing punches to her gut. She sputtered for breath willing herself to embrace the sudden rush of misery. She was sure this was just an opening salvo of what was to come. However before any further mayhem ensued, she heard a door open and the sound of two bursts of automatic gunfire. After that a voice said, "Agent Beckett, I guess the cavalry has arrived. In seconds the hood was removed, and she was freed from her bindings. Before her, slumped on the floor were two lifeless bodies next to a variety of very sadistic accessories. "We are doing a recon sweep and probably be out of here within the hour. Recon the room and meet us topside ASAP." said the man in a mask.
After that a second masked operative entered the room with a petite female in tow. "Perhaps you can interrogate her while we clean up out here?" He immediately shut the door, and her new charge screamed. Kate recognized that voice and knew this interrogation was going to both fun and informative. When the pair emerged topside, Kate was confident she had gleaned all their was to know, while her prisoner was a bloody horrifying mess. From what Kate could see, her prisoner was the only one left standing, and the masked man in charge decided to tie her to a far-off tree to provide her employer with a clear message. As they left, she watched as carefully laid charges of C4 did exactly what they were supposed to do.
The ride back was uneventful, and she was soon at a military base hospital being checked over by all sorts of white coats. The x-rays showed no broken bones, and her skin showed scant signs of abuse. She had been very lucky that the cavalry arrived when it did. She would be at the base for at least a two weeks for a mandatory psyche evaluation and mission debrief. She thought that much time off the active roster was totally unnecessary. Yes, she was unnerved by her recent experience, but badass Agent Beckett had reasserted itself telling anyone within earshot she was just fine.
The first hint of trouble came from the psychiatrist. The first appointment was not fun. He obviously had read her file. Did everything in her life always stem from her mother's murder? Every shrink from Dr. Burke on always honed in on the same time period trying to coax out new insights that she thought were not relevant to her new life. Yes - it was a pivotal event in her life, but now she had moved on. The culprit had paid dearly, and she had no regrets. Yes - it had cost her the love of her life, but in the aftermath, the agency had gained a dedicated agent.
After a second unpleasant trips down memory lane, she was informed that she would be the main focus of an inquiry into her recent Sonora op. This is never good thing. In drafting her defense, the big hole was her independent and unjustified decision to move her hide much closer to the compound for no apparent tactical gain. The agency hated unpredictability, and her actions necessitated a hastily arranged rescue, outed their interest in the site, and irritated local officials. By any measure, this was a mess of her own making.
The hearing lasted the better part of four afternoons, and these guys made no pretense of being objective. She was the main witness. Confined to that chair, it felt like they inserted a funnel into her mouth and poured in a rancid mixture of mission facts and a healthy dose of the agency's predictability mantra. Her pitiful defense rested on the fact that plans were just that, and agents needed operational discretion. The panel was not swayed. The result was never in doubt, and her tenure with the agency would end on a flight home the next day.