London, England
I was watching the light in his eyes as we stood there talking. It seemed to have a life of its own, moving, flickering, simply being. I'd never known a man with so much light in his eyes. It was kind of mystifying, actually. And yet, in a game of spies, secrets and national genocide, Michael Colefield had little to no mystery about him. He was a straight shooter, darkly handsome, bluntly honest, and damned determined to do the right thing. No, the amazingly good-looking and definitely sharp on his wits ex-cop I was talking to carried no surprises about him, unless you considered that he worked for a vampire hunting, Vatican-funded group called CIB weird. I didn't, but then I've seen a lot of sci-fi.
"First time in England then?" Michael was saying.
I shook my head. "Second. First time was maybe about a year ago."
"Was it business then too?"
"No, not that time." I looked out at where I could see the Thames. "This time I think I may need some aspirin."
His lips quirked with a small smirk. "I don't blame you."
From off in the distance, Leticia's voice broke my reply: "Spike from Buffy."
I spun on my heel and shot her the most withering glare I could imagine. She was sitting on a bench maybe twenty feet away with Weiss and Lex. Tony and Oliver were having some heated discussion over there, too. We'd all come over here after meeting for breakfast and strategy cross the street, and after I had been caught watching Coupling on DVD, she was now thoroughly irritating me by continually naming British guys and/or their characters that I had little 'things' for. She'd already gone through Anthony Stewart Head and Giles. If she went on to John Hannah, we were going to have a little talk.
"Knock it off," I said firmly, as Michael just looked amused behind me.
She just laughed.
"I'm serious. Please. Knock it off. I can't do this like this."
"That was a perfectly vague sentence," Lex commented.
"Oh, not you too!" I said a little harsher than intended, and he blinked at me with due sympathy. "Guys, it's not like I don't think it's funny. Well, actually it stopped being funny half an hour ago. But the important thing is we have a job to do … and we've got to get it done. So can we please drop the funny until I'm not under threat of possibly being shot in the back of the head?"
Everyone shut the heck up at my blunt statement. Only Oliver looked like he understood what I was going through, but he was quite a jaded operative and had been through a lot more than probably all of us combined. I finally just sighed deeply, regained control of myself, and assumed my rightful position as assistant field leader.
"Tony, time."
"It's seven thirty-two."
"What time is your appointment at the CC?" Oliver said.
"Eight-fifteen. Are you coming?"
"Me, no. I've got to make prep on this," he said, gesturing toward the laptop where we had come up with some solid starting ideas as to how to locate Nina and the key files. "I'll see you tonight back here, round eight after dinner." Then he looked over my shoulder. "Michael, you can go with them, yeah?"
Colefield nodded. "Yeah, Pearse has cut me loose for a few days. I'll be fine."
"Good." Oliver seemed satisfied as he surveyed the six of us. "You probably want to get going."
"Wish us luck?" I said hopefully.
"Good luck," he said, "though I hope you don't need it."
"Me too," I replied as we started packing up to get on our way. As Lex, Tony, Weiss and Leticia were getting their stuff together, I pulled out my cell phone and dialed CTU. I had meant to call as soon as I had gotten up in the morning, but I wanted something to give Jack. What I had now was just a half-plan, but it was something.
"Bauer."
"It's me," I said as I started walking toward where Tony had parked the car. "We made contact with Oliver and Michael, and we've got our plan. I assume you heard about Nina and the key files of the DOD."
"We have your audio," Jack said. "Listen, Brittany…"
"Stay away from Nina?"
"Yes, hopefully, but…" He paused. "Those key files also had something to do with Chappelle's death. Leticia's other handler was down here with proof. I don't like it, but Nina and Chappelle's murder run right into each other. George and I are trying to get you backup, but you know how long it'll take. Whatever you do, watch yourself."
"I always do, Jack."
"I know."
I nodded more to myself and hung up the phone. What a bloody good trip to London this was turning out to be.
At the car I stopped, turned round.
"Did I just see Professor Berghof?"
Counterterrorism Center London, England
There were these ideas in my head of what a good CTU agent was supposed to be. Other than my own idealist complex, after so long of working shoulder-to-shoulder with great people like Jack, Tony, Lex and even Mason, I had raised the bar on myself. I was not just the civilian kid coming in to punch keys and lend advice. I was the civilian officer who was supposed to be the pillar for Jack to fall back on, who was supposed to find what could not be found, and to go all the way.
It was time to go all the way.
*You don't remember me but
I remember you
I lie awake and try so hard not to think of you
But who can decide what they dream?
And dream I do...*
The truth was, I was scared. Scared, unprepared, and weak. But honor and right superceded all else, even my own life.
Heading into the building, the six of us decided to split into groups of three and canvass the building that much faster. Over Weiss's protests, I took Leticia with me, and Michael as well. We agreed to handle the left side of the building. Our job was to find anything that would help us protect this facility and its agents, and to stop Nina Myers. Thing was, I knew I couldn't stop Nina Myers.
"What are we looking for?" Leticia asked me as we stepped into an elevator.
"Anything, everything, and a prayer," I said with a shrug. "Anything that keeps people from dying."
"What is wrong with you?" she asked me.
"Wrong?" I said. "You try not freaking out in a situation like this."
"Right."
"Okay."
The elevator dinged and let us out on the main operational floor.
*I believe in you
I'll give up everything just to find you
I have to be with you to live,
to breathe
You're taking over me*
"I'll start talking to some people," Michael suggested. "See what I can find out, who we need to talk to."
"Okay," I agreed, leaving it to the expert. "There's got to be a computer around here somewhere…"
Leticia scanned the room. "Over there."
I followed her gaze, muttering under my breath "Here goes nothing and everything" before I dropped my shoulder, set myself into that "CTU agent stride" and headed straight over. My skin felt cold. Was it that cold in here, or was I just freaking out? I knew it was probably just me as I dropped into the chair.
"What do you want me to do?" she asked me.
"Get my back," I suggested. "You heard Oliver. This place could be compromised. Are you carrying?"
She stared at me like I'd just told her there was no God. I cursed myself for not remembering, reached into my jacket, feeling the cold metal of my nine-millimeter service-issue weapon, and handed her the tazer I kept in one of the inside pockets. "I know you know how to use it," I said, trying to be funny, but the joke died.
*Have you forgotten all I know
And all we had?
You saw me mourning my love for you
And touched my hand
I know you loved me then*
Weiss was playing with his yo-yo absently. "Anything yet?"
"Not yet," Tony said, "What the hell are you doing?"
"Hey, I'll have you know this can function as a deadly weapon."
Tony rolled his eyes. Lex was scanning the security camera feeds, trying to get a feel for the place. Jack's information on the CC was no substitute for actually being there. He suddenly froze.
"What?" Tony said, a little exasperated.
"We're not ready yet," Lex muttered, and Tony's eyes narrowed.
*I believe in you
I'll give up everything just to find you
I have to be with you to live,
to breathe
You're taking over me*
"The security cameras, there's somebody coming in from the sub-basement service corridor," Lex continued, pointing it out on the screen. "And they're armed."
"Oliver was right, this place is compromised," Tony said.
Weiss stashed the yo-yo for the time being. "How many are there?"
"Four, maybe five, I can't get a good read. Any of them look familiar to you, Tony?"
"No, none of them." Tony and Weiss exchanged a glance. "We've got to warn the others."
Weiss pulled out his cell phone. "I'm on it." He bit his lip. "This so cannot be happening."
*I look in the mirror and see your face
If I look deep enough
So many things inside that are just like you
Are taking over*
My phone rang, and I stood up from the computer and motioned Leticia over to finish the job. She looked relieved that she didn't have to just stand around and hold the tazer. I wanted her to feel useful, she was useful, it was just that I didn't know what the hell I was doing. I didn't want to cause a panic, so I answered the phone discreetly.
Michael came back over. "We've got to talk to a Sarah Everton, I made arrangements."
"Right," I said, "Agent Lawrence."
"Brittany, it's Weiss," the other agent said breathlessly. "We've got to get the hell out of here."
"Why?"
"This place is compromised and under attack. Five of them. Armed."
That's when I said perhaps the stupidest thing I've ever said in my life.
"I'm not leaving."
"What?"
"I'm not leaving people here to die, Agent Weiss," I said, getting Michael and Leticia's attention. "There are five of them and a whole bunch more of us. This is our best lead. And this is the most important part, if people are in trouble, it's my job to save them, or at least give them the dignity of standing by their side."
Tony snagged the phone. "Brittany, this is an order, get out of there."
I pulled out my gun and checked that it was loaded, clicking the safety off even as I was giving hand signal orders to Michael and Leticia, who both produced and readied their own weapons. I didn't know if they were standing with me or not, or why I was doing this, but I just felt that we couldn't bail this close. "If you want to go, go," I said, "but some of us have got to do the right thing."