A/N top – FiliaRegem convinced me there is opportunity for more story, so I'm back to writing! So much more story now, so if we get to the end of the story and you like it be sure to thank her. I plan to stick to a Wednesday/Saturday upload schedule, but that may be a bit fast for the holidays.

The spy rocked back on her heals. Her arms were already tired from training and airdropping in, but now she had to keep watch over her equipment. She had tested it, and no one else would be allowed anywhere near it until after the mission. The only piece remaining was currently being modified by the tech operative the agency had placed in the area. The bitter stench of resin burning out of the solder seared her nose. She wondered if the tech was used to it. She wondered if Chuck -.

No, not now. Focus. Mission first.

"Agent Walker? It's done. With these modifications the Jetboots system should be able to get you up to about six knots, but the battery will die much more quickly at that pace. I recommend you do not switch into the high-speed setting unless you need to, but what am I saying. You wouldn't have asked for the modifications if you didn't need them. Give the system about an hour to water seal if you can. Well, this is my cue to leave. Good luck Agent Walker."

He nodded his head in salute and she nodded back. Now she would eat. Steak, because she liked it, and then the CIA's special high-calorie, high-protein, high-carb food product. Chuck called it 'food supplement' off of something in Star Trek. In reality it tasted horrible and she was pretty sure that was part of the reference, but she couldn't be sure. She'd have to ask him later, maybe. As she chewed through the chunky gruel, she checked her gear again. Dry suit, check. Re-breather, check. Smith & Wesson, check. Datadrive, check. Specially modified swimmer propulsion system, check. Flippers, check. Everything else – just some emergency food and first aid – was in her personal kit she put together.

Sarah Walker dressed slowly, she wouldn't be able to change clothes until after the mission was over. Inner layers to guard against cold, outer layers to keep the ocean out of her mission suit. She braided her hair to keep it tame, and tucked it into her suit. She mounted her re-breather, donned the thruster pack, and pulled her mask on over her face. If all went well, it wouldn't come off until she reached land. Now fully dressed, she called the technician back into the room, and he helped her strap in to the metal tube before fastening it shut.

~\~|~/~

Birdy was a sandy haired man just entering his twenties. He had initially hated the nickname birdy, but it was better than the other suggestions that had floated about after he was attacked by the flock of seagulls while waiting for the boat to load before his first tour. Today was better, because he was getting to stand on shore for the first time in three months, and he had expected it to be at least another three months before his boat came up for air. But lady luck seemed to be on his side, and DARPA had a special torpedo guidance system they wanted tested in cold arctic waters, so the boat had breached the ice to meet a C-17 and pick up the torpedo and its scientist. The fish had been loaded, and now he had to head back into the submarine.

Birdy had thought it was a strange looking torpedo; maybe that had something to do with why it just exploded halfway through the test. It wasn't his fault though, and no one had been hurt, so he figured it really didn't matter. The scientist did seem pretty upset, but Birdy figured that was reasonable. He'd be pretty mad if his job blew up in front of him.

A mile and a half away Sarah Walker lay perfect still, her buoyancy bladder keeping her static without her having to move even the smallest amount. Avoiding movement reduced the chance of vibrations, the signal flare of undersea warfare. She couldn't activate her Jetboots until the sub was miles away; the briefing had stated an hour's time would be needed. Until then she would float, keeping an eye out for any subs or biologics in the area. That task would be aided by the hydrophone array in her suit, but she didn't completely trust it. It was brand new. She had been instructed to write up how well it worked after the mission was over, but for now, she waited.

~\~|~/~

Fourteen hours later, Agent Walker drifted to a stop at a piling the North Koreans had driven into the ice. The piling was part of the super structure of a mostly submersed research facility hidden away deep in the arctic ice. Sarah slipped out of her outermost layer of gear, leaving her in the dry-suit with most of her equipment hidden underneath except for her trusted Smith & Wesson, which was perfectly capably of operating after being soaked in water. Using a miniature claw, she hooked her propulsion gear to the underside of the ice and checked the battery level, frowning at the reading. Thirty percent would not push her nearly as far away as her pickup point. Her legs would have to do the rest. Anyway, now was the time to slip into the base, pick up the data, and disrupt the system that kept the sea water out of the semi-submersed facility. She climbed the ladder and cut open the hatch into the base. The plan assumed that alarms would start, but no one came. She checked her corners and watched for cameras, but there were none.

Why wouldn't they place adequate security in such a sensitive facility?

She knelt down to touch the floor and the answer became clear. The entire facility could sense where you walked, and combine that with activities you do not want filmed, you nix the cameras. That also meant security knew exactly where she was at all times.

Easy enough, just walk like a researcher, you've seen Chuck when he is trying to figure out a puzzle, do that.

Slowly, she managed to cover ground in the direction of the main server room, tranqing scientists she met on the way and gathering a photo album of pictures for the analysts back home. She slipped into the server room, connected the data drive and let the program do its work. As she waited the eternal two minutes she felt the familiar tingle of unease. This was supposed to be a hardened target needing the skills of the CIA's most swift and deadly, but all the staff were scientists? It didn't really matter as long as she could get back out quickly, but -.

Her thoughts were interrupted by alarms blaring after she disconnected the data drive and began to move towards the exit of the server room. Figuring her cover was blown she began to spring, flattening her body against the door frame as she slipped out of room. She was about to work her way back to her entry point when heavy thuds punctuated the air.

Security doors

She instantly knew the sound. The door she had entered at the end of the hall was shut, and she was forced to run the other direction, away from the heart of the facility and toward the barracks. Glad for the diving mask, she readied the Smith & Wesson, facing the approaching footsteps which her usual deadly focus. Maybe she couldn't get back to her gear, but she wasn't about to go down without a fight.

It had been two and a half days since she had seen Chuck, and she was tired of that number growing. For some reason, he believed in her. He wanted her on his team, said she was special, unique, and had a heart. Oh, how she wanted to believe him, but with what she was about to do she wasn't so sure he was correct.

The first guard came into view holding the North Korean K2 rifle.

Special forces, she thought to herself, Now the security suddenly appears? Doesn't make sense.

She stayed behind her cover as he began to unleash a torrent of slugs in her direction, but as soon as he paused, she dropped him. Simple, clean, and hopefully painless shots to the head became standard as she tore through the facility in a desperate effort to find an exit that didn't require entering the locked-down sections. Finally spying a map, she located an access hatch. Getting there would be harder.

~\~|~/~

A/N – For those who aren't as fascinated by submersible vehicles as I am, a 'fish' is the common name for a torpedo, and 'biologics' are exactly what they sound like: whales, sharks, any marine life picked up by the active or passive sonar arrays.

I am assuming Sarah did not push her Jetboots on the journey in and traveled at ~2kn for 14hrs = 32mi, assuming no current interaction. I'm also assuming they planned the currents to help her, and this doubled her speed, so we can assume she suba-d over sixty miles underneath sea ice in the freezing water to get to her target. Wow. Sarah, you are amazing.

Shorter chapter today. I considered meshing 3 & 4 together, but my target for each chapter in this story is ~1,500 words (half of my usual ~3k target), so I cut it here.