You could say a lot about Robert Kinsey – and many people did – but you could never say he wasn't one to be prepared. By the time Major Allen Clay was announced into his penthouse hotel room, Kinsey had done all the homework, and was ready to brief the major.
"Come in, Major," Kinsey said, giving the man a smile that didn't reach his eyes and showed far too many teeth. Clay didn't even notice. He was too puffed up with the fact that the Vice President had called him to even care. It had been ego-boosting when it had been Senator Kinsey who Allen Clay ran 'private' missions for, but it was even better now, and no one had been happier to hear about the election results that Clay and his small squad of select Army Rangers.
"Thank you, Sir."
"Have a seat, please." He pointed to the dining room table, where he had his preparations made and waiting, and ignored how distasteful it was to be so polite to someone so far down on the pecking order that the man was practically krill. We all had to do things we didn't like to get things done, sometimes. Kinsey knew that.
Major Clay walked over and seated himself, and accepted the drink Kinsey handed him a moment later.
"Where are your men?" Kinsey asked.
"In the safe-house, Sir, just like you ordered."
"You didn't check in with the locals?"
"No Sir. You told me not to."
Yes, he had. He definitely didn't want anyone to know Major Clay and his unit were in town. He was pleased once more that the man had doe what he'd been told.
"Good."
Kinsey paced a moment, trying to figure out exactly how he wanted to say what he was going to say. He knew Allen Clay knew who Jack O'Neill was, and he had every intention of making sure that Clay didn't know that his target was O'Neill's boy. He'd already been warned off once, he didn't want to have to put up with another coward backing out of a job simply because he was too afraid of that sonofabitch O'Neill.
"Have you ever been to the Air Force academy, Clay?"
Use of the man's last name with no title was pretty much an insult, but the Major assumed it was a sign of just how close he and Kinsey were, and he puffed up just a little.
"No, Sir. I've never had reason to."
"There's a cadet at the Academy that I've taken an interest in. A freshman. He's the son of... someone who I don't like very much, and I want to teach the father a lesson."
"Are you talking assassination, Sir?"
"Good Lord, no," Kinsey said, acting as though this was an appalling thought – although he'd considered that and had decided it was too quick and wouldn't scare O'Neill. He didn't want the Colonel to just be upset, he wanted the man to be frightened. To know fear for the first time, and to wallow in that fear. "He's only a boy, Major. I want you to capture him, and bring him to the safe-house, so I can... meet him."
"Yes, Sir."
Just like that. No questioning his orders, no insubordination. Kinsey had given an order and Major Clay had accepted it. Fucking O'Neill... he could learn a lot from this Army Major, Kinsey thought.
"I assumed that you wouldn't have any knowledge of the grounds of the Academy," Kinsey said, reaching into the briefcase on the table and pulling out some papers. "So I had these prepared. It's a map of all the floors and the rooms – and the security systems – of the academy. They don't appear to have much in the way of security, so you and your men should have very little trouble infiltrating the place. Get the boy – his room is clearly marked on one of the maps – and call me when you've done it. I don't want to know how or when, I just want to know when you're done."
"Yes Sir."
Allen Clay was just as glad he didn't have to tell Kinsey the how and when, because this way he'd be able to do it on their own schedule. He looked through the papers briefly, just to give himself an idea of the lay out of the place, and looked back up at the Vice President, who was still pacing.
"Any other instructions, Sir?"
Kinsey shook his head.
"The boy I want is named Shawn Adams. The Academy has their cadets two to a room, so be aware of that."
"We won't even wake him up, Sir." Clay said, confidently. "He won't know what's happened until he gets up in the morning and finds himself alone in the room."
"Good."
Kinsey smiled again.
"You're dismissed, Major."
"Yes, Sir."
Clay gathered the papers and put them back in the briefcase, then left.
OOOOOOOO
"Hey, Adams!"
"Yeah?"
"Is that invitation for me to come stay with you on Thanksgiving liberty still standing?"
"Sure, but I thought you were going to go home?"
"My folks have a surfing competition that weekend, and they can't miss it, or my dad will lose some serious points."
"Why don't you go with them, Hayden?" River asked from the other side of the room. He'd been lounging on his bed, tossing a balled up sock and trying to figure out what he wanted to write his Physics essay about.
"Because it's in Australia, and that's too far to travel to just stay a few days."
"You're welcomed to come, River," Shawn said, smiling. "My mom already said the couch was yours if you wanted it."
"Well, it looks like I'm going to need it."
"Great."
"Oooo, you can meet Gina," Ian said slyly, turning over in his bunk and looking down at Shawn, who was seated at the desk.
Shawn blushed a brilliant shade of red – he was easily embarrassed when it came to his fledgling romance with Gina, and the two older cadets knew it and enjoyed springing it on him at random moments. Shawn was so self-assured about everything else; it was fun for them to see him discombobulated occasionally.
"Hey, I can..." River agreed, smiling as well. "Does she have an older sister, Shawn?"
"Yes."
"Oh. Really? Is she cute? What does she look like?" River had just been joking, but hey! Older sister! Who knew what could come of that?
"She's okay..." Shawn said, shrugging. He didn't know Mary all that well – she was older, and had very little use for her younger sister's friends, after all. "If you're nice, maybe Gina will introduce you to her. But I think she has a boyfriend."
"Well..." River was never one to give up. "We'll see what happens, then, huh?"
Shawn smiled.
"Sure."