Hello all! First and foremost: I hope you all are staying safe! That being said - I think I have a pretty good excuse for my absence...
And yet I'm so sorry for how long it took me to update! I was re-reading this chapter and what I have coming up and almost feel ashamed for making myself and you for waiting so long!
Without further adieu, please enjoy!
Chapter 21: WTF?
A week later Ana was jerked awake to a pounding at her door. She moaned and turned over, squeezing her eyes tight and bringing the covers over her head.
"Go away!" she muttered as Apollo barked some more.
Why couldn't she just get her rest? The past week she had expertly avoided all of the Kingsman agents, instead going out to the local gym to exercise and train with Dylan, who smartly didn't say anything about what he had interrupted. She'd even finished some loose ends on past missions including The Magic Castle – with their help the LAPD had managed to apprehend more of The Page's team and their weapons. As for 'Kyle', Ethan Winghurt had connections worldwide and was handed off to the CIA. She had tried once or twice to coerce a tech agent to see what Marsha was up to, but no amount of flirting or bribes got them to look the other way; Washington had a total lockdown on that front.
The pounding on the door became more insistent, and Apollo's barking grew stronger.
She sighed and cursed as she climbed out of bed, shushing Apollo who let out a growl but settled down. She rubbed at her eyes and stumbled to the door, fumbling to grasp the handle before throwing it open; she was now partially awake and very, very grumpy.
"This better be fucking good," she snapped, slapping her hand against the door to hold it open.
Adams stood still, clip-pad in hand as he gave her a look up and down before shaking his head.
"Dining Room, now."
She blinked, slowly coming to attention, and nodded.
"'Kay, lemme get a-"
"Dining Room, now," Adams repeated with emphasis, grabbing her wrist and pulling her out into the hall. Apollo didn't agree with that and he jumped off the bed, barking up a storm, circling Adams' legs and growling, "Quiet your companion."
She let out a low whistle and Apollo stopped barking – but that didn't stop his growling.
"This debriefing doesn't warrant any distraction," Adams continued.
"Great," she said as she took a step back through the doorway into her room, snapping her fingers and pointing to her bed. Apollo, still letting out a growl here and there, jumped onto the chair she'd put out for him, and then onto the bed. She walked towards her dresser for a shirt, "At least I can-"
She was stopped short when Adams grabbed her arm again.
"Jesus, I can't even get a shirt?!" she yelled as she was dragged away, Adams closing her door before proceeding to the elevator. She was only wearing a bralette and sweats for pajamas.
"No time. You slept through your calls and we have waited long enough."
"Adams, what the fuck?" she snapped, trying to wring herself away from his grasp, uselessly hoping for a chance to run to her room and grab a shirt. What she slept in didn't mean she wanted to be seen what she slept in. And she was known to sleep through her alarms but she always sprang into action where it counted... why was this different?
"Briefing in the Dining Room."
She frowned, only now noticing the difference of Adam's demeanor. He could be a hard ass, of course, but dragging her out of bed, not petting Apollo – not even letting her get dressed…
"What happened?"
Adams opened his mouth as though to tell her, but then closed it and shook his head again.
"Briefing in the Dining Room, Lincoln. At least try to act civilized."
"Says the man who dragged me out of bed and didn't even let me get a shirt," she muttered, though with the tension filling the elevator, she was waking up quick.
The elevator dinged and the doors opened. Adams grabbed her wrist again but she deflected and landed a very soft hit to his arm -a warning- before walking forward, this time Adams behind her.
If she was to be half-dressed for an impromptu meeting, she'd act as though she was meant to be half-dressed.
She turned into the doorway and faltered at the sight of the group in front of her: Washington, Arthur, Eggsy, Roxy, and Kennedy – all fully dressed – not a bedhead or pajama shirt in sight.
She crossed her arms over her stomach, quickly backtracking her intentions and internally cursing Adams for not giving her time to get a shirt.
"Apologies for my… pajamas," she muttered as a greeting, "Adams didn't give me any time to get dressed."
Washington shook his head as Kennedy stood and unbuttoned his jacket – but to her surprise Eggsy was already in front of her, handing her his own.
They stared at each other for a beat before she grabbed it, slipping her arms into the sleeves. It didn't close fully over her chest and she blushed at the fact, but then Washington cleared his throat and she stood at attention.
"Let us begin."
There was a moment of hesitation – everyone had their own 'spot' to sit in – but Washington cleared his throat again and they all took a seat, ignoring protocol and sitting together at the front of the table.
"The First Daughter has been kidnapped."
She blinked as she heard an audible gasp from Roxy, and an inaudible sound from Kennedy.
"Excuse me," Ana started, "I just woke up a minute or two ago but I think you just said-"
"You heard right, Lincoln," Adams said, standing next to Washington.
She closed her eyes for a beat, waking up even more, her thoughts racing…
"Why... this meeting for such an… incident?"
"Madam President called us herself – and yes, she knows of our existence. All major dignitaries around the world know of our existence, even high ranking members of the UN."
"We've met the Queen once or twice," Roxy interjected.
"Exactly."
Ana took in a deep breath, unintentionally smelling the scent stuck to Eggy's jacket as she tugged the lapels over her chest which did nothing – she was still the only one underdressed – but at least it covered most of her… and only if she held it to cover herself.
"It's great you've met Her Majesty, and we'll talk about what that was like later, but why is the President coming to us when she has multiple departments and agencies of the government at her disposal?"
"In situations like these – we're the last resort," Adams said. She tilted her head at him, and looked to Washington, who nodded. She put the pieces in place.
"They can't find her… or they've found her, but can't get to her without starting something. Something big," she concluded.
There was a beat of silence.
Adams walked forward, his fingers flying over his clip pad, bringing the necessary information forward: photos, documents, and satellite maps displayed on the glass table.
"Sharp as ever, Lincoln," Washington started as Adams highlighted a map and zoomed in, a bright red X showing some little ways away from somewhere called Ch'Angdo-Up.
"Holy shit," Ana muttered. She was comfortable enough with her geography and language, but the phonetic spelling of a place she didn't know put up a red flag in her mind. She reached forward on the table and tapped the map, using her fingers to zoom out enough to confirm her conclusion.
The city was more than a hundred miles from Seoul.
The kicker was, there was a bright red line between the two spots, showing the infamous DMZ.
"North Korea kidnapped the President's Daughter?!"
There was a long beat of silence.
"Yes," Arthur said, his first word since the meeting started.
The silence reigned as the room fell still, as though everyone was holding their breath.
"Maybe we could have started with that?" Eggsy said.
Ana's eyes widened as she looked at him across the table. He gave her a barely visible wink as he turned to Washington and Arthur.
"I'm down a layer here, and for some reasons you Americans love your air conditioning," he said, giving a theatrical shiver just as Roxy raised her arm and slapped Eggsy upside his head. Ana fought a laugh, but a smile still broke through. She looked over at Kennedy sitting next to her to gage his reaction, but he was staring down at the table of an official White House photo of the First Daughter.
"Please excuse Galahad," Roxy said, grabbing Ana's attention again, "he's the type to turn to humor when tensions are high."
Eggsy shrugged and looked back to Ana, who raised an eyebrow and pulled the lapels of his jacket over herself. He only raised an eyebrow.
"The four of you have been assigned to this mission," Washington began, breaking the short lived light air Eggsy had provided, "however as a first – it isn't mandatory."
And yet another beat of silence as Washington looked around the table.
"This mission entails breaching a highly volatile country with low chances of succeeding. If caught, there are cyanide pills provided to each of you. It's a suicide mission."
Ana turned to look at Eggsy and Roxy; both of their heads bent, pointing to spots on the map displayed on the table; and then to Kennedy, who was sitting still in his seat, staring at Washington incredulously.
It took her a moment to remember he was a Navy Seal. American troops weren't allowed on North Korean soil, only at the border in South Korea. For the first time, if he agreed, Kennedy would truly be out of his element.
Ana cleared her throat.
"Excuse me but I think I might speak for the others when I say… what the fuck?! How are we to even begin to think of a plan of breach into the most notorious territory on the planet? Not to even mention the political repercussions of North Korea committing such an act? What the hell is going on?!"
There was another beat of silence, and Adams brought up his clip-pad, his fingers moving lithely as he pushed a few buttons, and one of the paintings on the wall turned into a TV screen.
All heads turned to MSNBC… which was covering a current 'gaff' of the current President, who'd mentioned that her husband – the First Man – was better at making tacos. Not even a hint of North Korea, or said kidnapping. News for news' sake. Nothing to really report – other than a woman admitting her lifelong partner was better at cooking than she was.
"The President wants to keep this quiet, for a multitude of reasons. Not only one being that our own security was thwarted by another country, but our tensions with said country are tight enough… if this news came to light – the American people would want retaliation."
"We don't negotiate with terrorists," Kennedy said sternly.
Washington gave a curt nod.
"Hence the silence."
"We have made... preliminary plans, and even notified the South Korean government, who has provided some help but stay adamant that their involvement isn't disclosed. However, it is up to whichever of you decide to go through with the mission."
Maybe it was her lack of coffee. Lack of control over her personal life. Lack of control even over her professional life. But Ana found herself speaking out first.
"I'm in."
Might as well do a mission where there is lack of control.
There was a beat of silence.
"We're the last resort," she said, remembering the very words her recruiter, Miriam, had said to her after her succession, "If we don't do it, then a tiny fat dictator in the line of many dictators in a country with numerous human rights violations and terrorist reign wins. And I don't know about you guys, but I didn't join Kingsman to let stand by and let this kind of shit happen," she said, meeting the gaze of everyone in the room. She looked at Washington last, and felt elated at the small twitch of his mouth before he gave her a nod and looked towards the others.
Kennedy reached forward and rapped his knuckles on the table twice. Roxy and Eggsy followed suit.
Washington's lips twitched upwards again, but he cleared his throat.
"Very well then, agents. You all have two hours. You'll fly into Cheorwon, South Korea where you'll then take another plane and HALO Jump over North Korea. More details to come."
Washington was met with silence. He raised an eyebrow and then brought his hands together in a strong clap. They all jumped out of their seats and left the room.
Ana walked alongside Kennedy, Roxy and Eggsy behind them.
"What do you think this means?" she asked.
He faltered, but kept walking. They were all heading to the elevator; Ana, Roxy and Eggsy to pack their things, and Kennedy to probably check out the armory and the mission plans.
"I don't know-"
"You were a Navy SEAL for fuck's sake, you probably know more ins and outs of America's allies and enemies… what does it mean that North Korea would pull something as big as this? I mean this is history right now, even though no one will learn about it."
Kennedy stopped at the elevators, and they all stood still, anticipating his answer.
What Ana figured was something more than being uncomfortable from having so much attention on himself, Kennedy cracked his neck as he stood still, staring at the closed elevator doors.
Ana reached forward, lightly resting her hand on his elbow.
"It means they see us, and I mean literally, the U.S., as weak," he said sternly, turning to look at her, "but we're about to prove them wrong."
Ana titled her mouth up in a slight grin, and nodded.
Kennedy took a deep breath and looked back at the closed elevator door.
"Not only the U.S.," Roxy said. "The UK is here with you. A better united front."
"Not only can't I believe they didn't call me in for this, but then I have to find out through Kennedy that you were the first to accept the mission!?"
Ana sighed, but then shook her head, not backing down.
"We both joined the agency for this very reason!"
"But North Korea, Ana? For fucks sake!" Dylan said, raising his hands up.
Ana just stared at her laptop screen; their Skype session had been tense from the start.
Dylan was in Portugal on a mission – details only known to himself. But Ana needed to see his face before she left.
"I talked to Adams about getting a replacement, but-"
"But nothing, Dylan. You're doing just as equally important work over there."
"I'm not HALO jumping into unknown foreign territory!"
"YOU DON'T THINK I KNOW THAT?!" Ana yelled out.
Apollo whined and scratched at her leg. She bent down and picked him up with a grunt, moving him onto her lap.
Dylan moved a hand over his face, his eyes closed.
"I'm not even there to say goodbye in person, Ana."
She ignored her eyes getting teary, and nodded.
"I know."
She saw Dylan take in a deep breath.
"Please know this isn't about you – you're one of our best agents-"
She felt a tear fall but ignored it. Instead Apollo licked her face.
"I know. It's the place."
"Stop crying, Ana," Dylan said, his voice shaky.
"I can't and you know it," she said, her voice wobbly. She took a deep breath, looking down at Apollo before lifting her head to look at Dylan on the screen, switching between staring at his face, and staring at the camera on her laptop so she was truly looking at him.
"I…" she took a deep breath, not used to the mushy stuff but knowing it needed to be said for her peace of mind, "I want you to know that you're my family, and I love-"
"Hey! Enough with that crap. We don't do this, and you know that. Not when I went to Russia, not when you traveled to fucking Antarctica."
"I almost died then too!"
"Frostbite on your cute little nose isn't dying."
"It felt as if it was. But the Northern Lights were worth it," she said with a faint grin.
"So…" Dylan faded off, and Ana stared at his image on the screen.
"So…"
"I'll take you to Flemming's when you get back. You can get an extra steak to bring home and we'll Uber so we can drink all of their wine without being afraid to be drunk with our cab driver."
She could only manage a grin as she replied "Make that two steaks to go, and we have a deal."
Dylan cleared his throat and failed at trying to subtly wipe away his eyes.
"We'll split the check."
"Only for the wine."
She smiled, then.
"So… we'll split the check."
Dylan nodded, also smiling.
"See you later, babe."
"See you," she said, her voice cracking as she reached her hand forward to disconnect the Skype.
She let her tears fall freely then, not hiding the sounds of her crying as she let out all of her fear and anger. Apollo tried his hardest to comfort her, but she let herself go until it was time to get ready.
WTF by Ok Go