Chapter 63 - A Year of Hours: Miami

280:30

Location: Diego Garcia

(MPOV)

"Jeeze, what the hell Ratch?" Epps looked at him aghast.

"That, is our proof," Ratchet rumbled gleefully as I blinked repeatedly, his holoform winked out. "Now then." the Mech stated, he projected a flickering image on the wall. "Mikaela, quit blinking and look around."

I obeyed, looking at Optimus then the rest of the group as they stared at the wall with broad grins.

"Dude, that's a video camera in her eye!" Leo stated in shock.

"Nice one Ratch," I chuckled, "but how is a nanite supposed to record everything?"

"It's going to beam directly into the new implant you didn't notice me slip into your arm," the Medi-bot stated smugly.

"This just takes devious to a whole new level," Chance smirked.

"We're ready then?" I asked grimly.

"Set," was chorused around us.

"Optimus?" I looked at him with a smile. He looked around with a serious expression.

"Auto-bots, Roll out!" he commanded.

"We rollin'!" Ironhide grinned. The holoforms flickered out as one as the mechs transformed, driving quickly for the C17's.

"Never get tired of watching that," Epps commented mildly, Obama laughed. "Right! Everybody coming with me let's roll!" Epps shouted out. In a matter of minutes one third of the group were striding quickly to the plane, fastening buttons, carrying massive bags and discussing drop coordinates.

"Communications with me!" Moreshower commanded, "Don't worry about your gear, we got what you need at the five point hotel."

There was laughter as the six communications specialists headed for a black hawk.

Jacobs looked at me.

"Alright, Mr. President, we'll fly to Miami, pick up your ladies and I'll bring you lot out to the safe house." I said calmly, tucking my laptop into my run kit and slinging it over my shoulder.

"Don't you want anything else?" Lennox looked at me with raised eyebrows. I looked at the half empty duffle, ran to my tent and added a few more things.

"Everything else that I need is at it's location," I stated calmly as we walked out of the hanger amidst the entourage. "If you're tailing me the entire way you're going to want to travel light."

We loaded into the enormous chopper and were quickly in the air. I closed my eyes.

"Mikaela?" Obama asked tentatively, I opened one eye.

"Sir?" I said calmly.

"I need you to point out where I made the mistakes," he said quietly.

"You didn't really make any mistakes," I stated calmly, closing my eyes again. "At some point I would have wound up faking my own death."

"But you went into a full panic," Will protested. I gave him a half smile.

"You would too," I said gently, "picture being one of the primary targets of every undercover agency in charge of doing the dirty work. Then the President of the United States blows your cover, expounds on how great a person he thinks you are then tells everyone that oops, unfortunately you're dead. Well shit. It screams coverup. The bizarre part is that there are now two ways for this to go. Either they killed Sec Def because they believe that I'm dead. Or they killed the Sec Def to lure me out. And my run kit is in pieces. Thank the gods for backups. I wasn't supposed to have to do this until I was 25." I opened my eyes and looked at the President. "The sheer fact that a neutral, fully trained assassin was alive and prepared to stop their plan held this in check for the past ten years. First our unit, fully prepared to deploy at a moment's notice, and then me. Except now I'm dead."

"Whoa." Jacobs murmured.

"That, is a massive screw up on my part," Obama murmured.

"Not your fault though, once this is finished, I'll get Barry to assign you a go-to guy." I said with a smile. "That is, of course, if you don't decide to get your go-to to get rid of us. That was a real mess last time it happened."

"What happened?" Jacobs asked curiously.

"Watergate," I shrugged.

"So what, you're this generation's Deep Throat?" Obama asked in shock.

"Nah, I'm the messenger. Scared the shit out of me last month, Will," I grinned at him. "So much for discreet, you made my handle my actual handle. Mikaela, feminine for Michael, the archangel and messenger. When the shit hits the fan, I am Angel."

"No..." Will stared at me for a second and began laughing wryly. "So what's your message then?"

"Death," I said grimly, closing my eyes again. "You might want to get some rest, this is going to be a long few days."

I promptly sank into a restful meditation, gathering my wits and icing my nerves.

278:10

Location: Miami Airport

We began losing altitude. A hand touched my knee. I opened one eye.

"What are your orders?" Jacobs asked quietly. I glanced into afternoon light.

"Contact Moreshower on a secure line, determine the ETA for Airforce One." I stated calmly, opening the other eye. A moment later Jacobs held up two fingers.

"Alright," I said calmly, digging in my duffle for a moment and pulling out some clothes, shoes, hairpins and glasses. "Land a good distance from the terminals and lay low for a while, be silent, pretend there's no one else here."

I stood and stripped out of my tank and fatigues, ignoring the blushing men and stepping into pantsuit, pumps, blouse, and jacket. I brushed my hair back and pinned it into a severe bun at the nape of my neck. I slid the glasses on and glanced in a mirror, directing the nanites to change my eyes to brown and applying a light gloss. The final touch was an excellent spiderweb tattoo on the side of my neck. I'd have to remember to thank Optimus for the nanites.

"What?" Lennox looked at me in shock.

"Stay put for now," I said calmly, then frowned, thinking hard. "Actually, Leo, you're the same size as Lennox, can he borrow your clothes?"

Leo nodded with a bemused look.

"Alright Will, you still sure you want to follow along?" I looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Shit, I gotta see this," Will grinned.

"Right, put this on, Leo's trousers, shirt and jacket. The boots are fine. Hide your tags." I ordered quickly, tossing him the men's tank I'd stripped off. I fished out an ID badge and tucked it into my inside pocket as Lennox rushed to throw his new clothes on.

"That's FAA," Jacobs looked at the badge with raised eyebrows.

"Mmn hmn," I shrugged as we touched down. "Remember you guys, lay low. Jacobs, keep an eye on this, don't let it out of your sight." I pulled out a briefcase and handed him my duffle, I looked at Lennox, he straightened his jacket and nodded. I finally pulled on a pair of thin, black leather gloves.

We stepped out of the helicopter as it powered down, I began walking with an officious strut toward the terminal. A small car rushed toward us.

"Good afternoon Ma'am," the driver said in a worried tone, "welcome to Miami."

"Thank you," I said in a dry, no-nonsense voice. "take us to the terminal, please."

"Yes Ma'am." the man nodded and stepped on the gas, weaving between the jets and passenger airplanes. He came to a halt and looked back at us with a worried frown.

"This will do, thank you." I said in a cool tone, stepping out and walking into the luggage area. Lennox followed, taking my right and wisely keeping his mouth shut. I walked straight for the entrance into the main lobby and paused at the door. "Walk to the right, if anyone bumps into me and tries to bluster stay at my shoulder, look menacing, play bodyguard and whatever you do, never look shocked." I murmured, pushing the door open.

"Yes Ma'am," Lennox murmured. He followed me closely through the bustling airport as I quickly scanned for a target. Rich boy, fat wallet, bingo. I gauged his path and strutted toward the exit, bumping into him 'accidentally.'

"Watch where you're... oh, sorry Marm," the texan nodded to me, touching the brim of his hat. I nodded to him coldly and continued out the exit with Lennox close behind, strutting until I reached a well appointed SUV in the taxi circle.

"Where to Ma'am?" the man asked with raised eyebrows.

"Downtown to the United Arab Embassy," I said in a distant voice, stepping into the back of the car.

"Any luggage?" he asked politely as Lennox took the front seat.

"No," I said calmly, idly glancing at the wallet and counting. "And an extra hundred if you can get us there post haste."

"Oh! Yes Ma'am!" the man stated excitedly, jumping into the driver's seat and taking off. "D'you mind if I take the toll roads? It shaves off half an hour."

"That will do," I nodded, giving him a small, icy smile.

A half hour drive and we sat at the lights one block away.

"This will do here," I said calmly. Handing him the exact price for the cab fare plus a hundred in twenties. "Keep the change."

"Thank you Ma'am!" the man grinned as I got out of the cab. I nodded and began to strut toward the embassy with Lennox on my heels.

"The embassy?" he asked with a frown.

"The embassy," I said calmly, "intelligence, stay quiet, you might like this one."

"Okay..." Lennox murmured as we walked up the steps. A man met us at the door.

"State your business," he barked in heavily accented english.

"I am here for my appointment with Achmed Aussen," I stated in heavily irritated Arabic, "That is, of course, if the fool has not forgotten once again!"

The guard's eyes bugged out as he took me in. He opened the door and waved me through hurriedly, leading us to an ornate office.

"I will fetch him immediately," the man stated, bowing. I stood with my arms crossed in the office. Lennox looked ready to fidget.

"Attention!" I muttered. He stood ramrod straight behind me as the door opened.

"Mai! You are early!" Aussen exclaimed in a worried tone, he immediately crossed to a panel and pushed it open, I followed him with an annoyed look in my eyes.

"I have business to attend to Aussen," I said, levelling a glare at him as the panel shut behind the two of us. "What do you want this time?"

"I need you to find Mikaela Banes, everyone says she's dead, but I don't believe it," Aussen stated, pacing. "Even the idiot Brits believe it! There's no way that hell-spawned Cal's daughter would be found dead in her own home."

"So you want me to find the little whore? Then what? Be sure?" I asked in a perfectly bored tone.

"No, I want you to make sure of her," Aussen growled, "she knows too much, if she activates there's no way we can pull this off! I want to be a leader! Not a dead traitor! It's bad enough everyone's running around trying to figure out who killed Liam's man." The man grinned. "You did a brilliant job on him, though, and I loved the look on Shang's face the other day, he can't keep a go-to to save his life, anyone could walk in and get the job now, and don't gloat, it's not attractive. "

"Oh shut up Aussen, I don't do details," I grumbled.

"That's what I love about you Mai," Aussen said with a fond smile, tipping a photo onto it's face. "You get things done! What a wife you would make!" he moved toward me with his arms extended.

"A leader for a husband?" I asked musingly, "I don't do husbands."

"Ah but let me change your mind, be my most treasured mistress, Mai," he simpered at me. He took another two steps toward me. I sprang. One hit to the jaw, curved around and a blow to the spine.

The look of horror stayed frozen on his face as I carefully bore his weight into the desk chair. I carefully set him up in position, closing his eyes as though he'd passed away in his sleep, his chin propped into folded hands. Last, I tweaked the expression on his face into a small smile, something for his family. I righted the picture of his wife and children, facing it toward him. Closure for his little boy.

I turned up the heat in the office to body temperature and walked out of the hidden office. Lennox stared at me then straightened his expression. I jerked my head and walked out of the office door.

"Um, excuse me, Miss?" the timid little girl behind the desk asked softly. I turned to look at her.

"Please hold Mr. Aussen's calls, and clear his schedule for the rest of the day, he does not wish to be disturbed. He's received quite a shock and will likely be calling his family." I said in a calm voice. "Do not let anyone else in to see him today, there's a good girl." I gave her an icy smile and turned sharply, striding toward the door with Will on my heels. I nodded to the guards as they quickly stood aside for us. I curtly gestured one over. He approached me cautiously.

"There's a woman who has been impersonating me using my old face," I said in an angry tone, speaking in Arabic again. "She will no doubt try to infiltrate, be cautious, she has apparently been well trained. Shoot on sight, out of sight." I tapped my forehead. The man nodded sharply, that was something he could do.

I exited and began to stride along the sidewalk.

We made it four blocks before Will finally spoke.

"So what happened?" he asked quietly.

"Later," I said calmly. "Ah, here we are," I smiled, changing character and walking around a comfortable looking older van to the driver's side. Eleven seats. No baby chairs. I slipped a slim-jim out of my case, unlocked the door and hopped in, ten seconds and the car alarm shut off as I unlocked the doors.

"Bloody finicky thing," I said with a mild British accent, rolling my eyes at Will for the benefit of passerby. "Close the door love, don't let the cold out!" Will slammed the door shut as I reached under the dash and caught the right wires. The van fired up immediately, I pulled into traffic calmly and headed back toward the airport.

"Okay," I said calmly, pulling into a lesser part of town and down a back alleyway twenty minutes later. "Ah, here we go!" I said cheerfully, hopping out of the van and pulling out a small screwdriver. I quickly switched the plates with a similar model of van and hopped back in. I glanced at my watch.

"And the first lady will be arriving in half an hour," I smiled. Will stared at me. "You okay Will?" I looked at him worriedly.

"Is he..."

"Dead? Very." I said calmly, "and Mai will soon be."

"And you just..."

"Stole this van and switched stolen plates? Yes."

09:00

Location: C17

"Holy crap!" Epps said in a shocked tone, looking at the unconscious woman in Optimus' hand.

"She wasn't kidding," Will said quietly, "global murderers."

"Good on details," Chance nodded, "did you see the photo and the heat? She gave his family closure, peace."

"How does that-" Jaques asked curiously.

"It makes all the difference in the world." Chance growled, looking at the holoscreen. "There was no option, did you hear that conversation? The man was going to send a high profile assassin after Kae, she killed him cleanly and gave his family closure. It matters."