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LivieLi (Twice! Don't know what happened but whatever!)

Alexis Taylor

Love you guys!

Cammie's POV:

How to Kill a Chinese Reformer

A Step-By-Step Process By Natalya Gregorovich

Step One: Dress up like Chinese girls, or more specifically like the Chinese girls that are waitressing the party.

Step Two: Strap two bottles of slightly altered Chinese booze to your ankles.

Step Three: Practice waddling so that afore mentioned booze does not break.

Step Four: Meet up with 'teammates'. Make them scrutinize you.

Step Five: Attempt any changes necessary to look Asian, hopefully Chinese, but by the time you get to the party everyone will be so drunk they won't notice.

Step Six: Sneak into party.

Step Seven: Locate Subject.

Step Eight: Switch his bottles of booze for the ones strapped to your legs; the ones you put the poison in.

Step Nine: Get subject into a drinking contest so he will drink plenty of alcohol.

Step Ten: Rely on the fact that he can never turn down a good Baijiu…and he'll never taste the poison in the drink. Plus, it's basically impossible to detect in an autopsy.

Step Eleven: Watch as subject does your job for you.

I stood at the end of the line of serving girls, right behind Natalya. There was one other waitress (not counting the two we drugged and left in the closet) due to the fact that it was a small party. There was a steely looking woman of about forty giving directions in rapid fire Chinese, "Do whatever they want of you. ' No or I can't ' are not part of your vocabulary today, do you understand?"

We all nodded, and with a final once-over, she sent us into the suite where the party was being held. We were on the 98 floor and the view of the city was truly spectacular, the lights, the buildings, it was all breathtaking. The room that the party was being held itself was extremely modern. Everything was stainless steel, white, and red…I thought the red was added just for Christmas, but I wasn't entirely sure. There were about a dozen people, including a bartender. They were mostly Chinese or British, from the sound of things and I spotted an American journalist in the corner, Leah Carlton. You've all probably read those annoying 'Espionage' articles for the National Enquirer (Which says a lot about her writing talents if you ask me). She's one of those people who see spies everywhere she looks and is always writing about take-downs and deals and microchips; like we even use those anymore. If she knew anything she'd know those went out of style in '01 when American scientists invented the nano-chip...of course it wasn't released to the public until 2005…maybe that's why she missed it. What was bothering me the most was her reason for being here. If there was one thing I had learned from listening to my parents it was never underestimate a journalist and never, ever ignore them. I was getting this feeling that something besides a hit was going down tonight.

Natalya and I had been waitressing for almost forty-five minutes when Blender, Alex, and Zach finally showed up. They didn't look much different since the last time we saw them…well except for the badges they were flashing, "We're security. We were sent to insure Mr. Hong will be very protected," Blender finished with a grin that would best be described as cocky and seductive…eww.

"Welcome," our boss lady said as she bowed and let them into the suite, "Do anything you need to do."

Blender just smiled. Followed closely by Alex and Zach, he made his way to the edge of the bar where Natalya was 'harmlessly' reaching for a new bottle of Baijiu, Chinese distilled liquor. The bottles she was supposed to be getting were under the bar, but the ones she retrieved came from under her skirt. She glared at me…I assumed that meant she wanted my bottles to so I bent down behind the bar to retrieve them but I pulled a bit of a switch. I grabbed two bottles from under the bar; the un-poisoned ones. I was going to do everything in my power to stop this assassination. I knew I could count on Zach and Alex…but other than that, we were on our own.

Counting: Christmas Party Style

Number of times my rear end was pinched by men old enough to be my father: 8

Number of times the Christmas carol CD replayed the same two songs: 29

Number of times I could have escaped: 3

Number of times I stayed: 3

Number of times I really wished I didn't have such a big conscience: 89 and counting

It was nearly midnight on Christmas Eve; I should have been with my family on a ranch in Nebraska. But no, I was waitressing a room full of disgustingly kinky old men and trying to stop an assassination while waddling and trying not to break the bottles still secured to my legs. This was going to make an awesome story someday…this whole trip was going to make an awesome story.

But back to the problem at hand. Natalya had just been signaled by one of the men at Mr. Hong's table. Mr. Yao Hong was new to the Chinese government and already he was talking about change. This was not what the Triad wanted to hear apparently since they hired a killer to deal with him. She was quickly approaching the table of Hong and from the sound of things there was going to be a drinking contest as soon as the booze was delivered.

"So you think that you are such a steady drink, let us test that theory…where is the Baijiu?"

Time for something drastic.

I waddled the five steps between Natalya as fast as I as could, thinking here goes nothing. I grabbed her wig and yanked it off.

Covert Operations Report

After the Operatives (Agents Morgan, Rider, and Goode) were abducted by Natalya Gregorovich and company, deposited in Harbin, China, dressed up for a party, and stopped the assassination of one Yao Hong, Operative Morgan made a very…brash…decision. She had to stop the poisoned liquor (Gregorovich had not used Operative Morgan's poison-less bottles) and could not think of anything quicker than yanking off Natalya's wig to show that she wasn't who she seemed to be. Gregorovich promptly dropped the bottles and turned around in an attempt to signal her partner as well as claw Operative Morgan's eyes out. Gregorovich's partner at the scene, Blender (No last name used) pulled out a revolver and began shooting. Panic ensued and the Operatives were able to escape. However, they were closely followed by both *good bad guys and **bad bad guys.

*Good Bad Guy = Security

**Bad Bad Guy = Blender/Natalya

"GO, GO, GO!" Zach's voice shouted in my ear.

"YOU TRY AND RUN DOWN A FLIGHTS OF STAIRS IN A TIGHT SKIRT WITH BOOZE BOTTLES STRAPPED TO YOU ANKLES!" I screamed back.

We had made it down seventy-three floors (fifteen minutes flat) and were on the twenty-third floor when three major things happened.

One, the good bad guys got close enough to fire three shots.

Two, the bottles strapped to my ankles finally broke…because of what happened first; those security guys need some target practice.

Three, we found a laundry chute.

As I slid down twenty-four floors (and that's not a typo) in a metal laundry chute that was a tight squeeze for me, I wandered how Zach and Alex, who had much wider shoulders than I, could get through it. I also had a flashback to Boston in November. I tried to forget about that laundry chute.

We came out in a steamy basement, and landed in a huge pile of dirty sheets, wet towels, and other such things. And if you think that was a soft landing, you are very wrong.

"Ahh!" I let out a little screech as I bounced off the hard packed laundry and onto the floor, just barely missing Alex.

Zach landed behind me with a heavy thump, "They're tight behind us," he ground out as he stiffly pulled himself up. If we hadn't been in the situation that we were, I would still be laughing.

I took the silky material of the Hanfu in my hand and just above my knee I gave it a swift tug. There was a satisfying rip and I stood up, tearing the dress all the way around. I left the booze-stained white silk on the floor and grinned at my new above-the-knee running dress, it was pretty good if I don't say so myself. The booze soaked slippers I was wearing were probably going to be a problem, but I didn't have anything else to wear at the moment.

"Gallagher Girl, we need to go. Now," Zach's voice tugged me back to reality.

I could hear someone thundering down the stairs and someone else tumbling down the chute. Both the exits were covered…or so we thought.

"Over there!" I pointed to a dumb waiter in the corner of the basement, "Let's get out of here!"

I lead the dash through the laundry and the dryers and the washing machines toward the dumb waiter. When I got closer, I was a little worried that it wasn't going to fix the three of us but then I heard Natalya's voice and I really didn't care. It was going to fit us all.

I yanked back the doors and threw myself in. Zach was right behind me and Alex fell on top of us just as the fist shots rang out. "Where's the up button?" Zach shouted. I ran my hands across the walls, crossing my fingers that there was a button on the inside…and there was! I gave a grunt of success and the elevator slowly began to move upward. My only question was what that button was doing inside of the dumb waiter.

There was a thump after an agenizing eight minute and thirty-two second ride and the doors slid back to reveal a very surprised looking dining room full of elegantly dressed people. Alex tumbled to the floor (well he actually landed pretty nimbly in a crouching position but whatever) and Zach jumped out after him. Just as I stepped out of the dumb waiter, an electric sounding bell began to toll something that I assumed to be Silent Night and I waved my free hand as Zach dragged me from the room, "Merry Christmas everyone! Enjoy your dinner!"

"Were you sneaking some of that alcohol?" Alex asked rolling his eyes as our trio raced across the lobby and out the glass doors.

I laughed out loud. Maybe it was the adrenalin, maybe it was lack of sleep, maybe it was being with two extremely hot guys (and having one of them hold my hand), but I was kind of drunk…just drunk enough not to feel the icy wind or the blisters forming under my wet slippers…and I was having the time of my life.

A Third Person's POV:

I had been watching the trio for a very long time and I knew I had to get the girl before they left the continent…my sources were telling me that they were heading to Vladivostok next…perhaps I would meet them there. I smiled to myself as the trio raced across the lobby, much to the surprise of the guests. Rider was in the front, Goode was dragging Cameron along by her left hand and all three were laughing hysterically like this was all somehow funny. My hand squeezed into a fist, destroying the contents.

I wondered how loud they would be laughing when I was finished with them.

Well, be proud of me. That was REALLY long…and I think the next chapter is going to be VERY interesting…who is this third person, a Circle agent? Are you going to find out who he or she is in the next chapter? Where are The Operatives going? WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN?

Muhahahahah, you'll have to wait and see won't you?

Review please!

Agent Striker