Auggie walked into the meeting contemplating his options as a green-badge. The private sector wouldn't be so bad. He would probably get higher pay, and his skills were definitely marketable. He had already given up his opportunity at field work, so perhaps it was time to contemplate his future in the private sector anyhow.
"Auggie, there's a seat right in front of you." Arthur directed.
Auggie took the seat and placed his hands on the table in front of him. "With whom am I meeting?" Auggie asked.
"I believe you met Josh Boal earlier. He is to your left." Arthur explained. "Next to him is Audrey, and then it's just me."
Auggie contemplated Arthur's tone. It was more sympathetic than he expected. "Small group. That's a good sign."
"Auggie, when we put you in this position, we knew your record wasn't spotless." Arthur stated.
"I had hoped that I didn't have a record."
"You can't sleep your way through DC without having some sort of record." Audrey stated. Her tone was full of judgment.
"Yeah so, what do we do?"
"Is the information in the article accurate?" Josh asked.
Auggie took a deep breath. "I can't say one hundred percent. The circumstances are definitely possible, and most of the names sound familiar."
"You aren't one to forget details." Audrey stated.
Auggie turned toward her. "I haven't always been at the top of my game. After my accident, there were times I cared more about being able to find my side of the bed than the name and hair color of the other occupant."
"That sounds risky." Audrey stated.
"It was, intentionally." Arthur replied.
Auggie was momentarily caught off-guard by Arthur's bluntness in regards to Auggie's mental health. "Is that in my file?" He asked, not entirely comfortable with the Agency knowing how reckless he became just after his accident.
"Yep."
Auggie pinched his eyebrows. "So you put me out here, in the spotlight, knowing that this would happen."
"I knew it was a possibility." Arthur replied.
"Not so much a feel-good hit, then?" Auggie stated with accusation in his tone.
"We will manage this, and it will re-direct the press from pursuing some other avenues."
"I didn't agree to be the Agency's scapegoat."
"That wasn't our intent." Arthur clarified. "But since the story has come up, we need to go with it. I'm sure you will come out looking even better. This makes us look human, right Audrey?"
"Sure," She responded. It was not convincing.
"There is one name mysteriously missing from this story." Arthur stated.
"Yeah. Evidently not all of your past flings are so anxious to have the story in print." Audrey stated.
"Are we talking about the same..." Arthur started.
"Yeah. I read her in on Liza." Auggie interrupted.
"Liza Hearn?" Josh asked, shocked.
"Auggie ran an unsanctioned op on Liza a year ago. It was mostly him sleeping with her, and less intelligence gathering. Maybe it will come in handy." Arthur explained.
Auggie winced at Arthur's assessment of his time with Liza.
"I originally thought that we could leak the information about August and Liza at some point in the future when we really needed to distract the press, but this story makes it less valuable." Audrey stated. "I'm not sure that leaking this, now, will do anything but make the situation look worse."
"It may make the press look just as bad as us." Arthur stated. "Josh, are there any legal ramifications of this story we need to be worried about?"
"Well, none of the women are accusing him of anything illegal. No unclaimed children, no rape allegations, and nothing that would have leaked agency information - of course that could change if Liza's name was added. I don't see any legal risk at this point. Of course, once the information is public, there is risk of additional women coming out and making these sorts of claims. On the whole, I would say there may be personal liability for August, but not the Agency."
"Well isn't that peachy." Auggie stated.
"Okay. I want Audrey to come up with a PR response plan. Auggie, lay low outside of work, and do whatever Audrey says. The agency will stand behind you on this."
"Yeah. Stand behind and give me a good push."
"I'll get you through it." Audrey stated with more confidence than she felt. "You'll come out of this looking better than James Bond."
Auggie rolled his eyes and exhaled dramatically. "Whatever you say, Audrey. You haven't led me into any brick walls yet, literally or metaphorically."
...
When Auggie finally went home, he dialed a familiar number.
"Hey stranger!" Annie greeted.
"How are things in your world?" Auggie asked.
"Two days on the Nicaraguan watch desk, and more of the same tomorrow. I can't wait for the weekend to get here."
"Wow. That slow down there?"
"My eyes are bleeding. How about the seventh floor?"
"Trouble brewing."
"Anything you can tell me about?"
"You'll know soon enough."
"So you called to chat, but not tell me anything?"
Auggie sighed. "Arthur brought me in this role as his scapegoat."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that he is throwing nuggets to the press about my personal life, in order to direct attention away from him."
"What!"
Auggie laughed. "He as much as said it earlier today. There is a story going to press soon that makes me sound like my sole mission has been to put James Bond to shame for the past three years."
"Oh God. Is it bad?"
"Probably not going to look good for my love life going forward."
"I'm sure you will do fine."
"I can't believe I didn't see it coming. Arthur totally set me up."
"Are you sure it was him?"
"Yeah."
"I sort of thought," Annie hesitated. "I sort of thought that if anybody were to be giving personal nuggets about you to the press, it would be Liza."
Auggie was silent for a moment on the other end of the line.
"Auggie?" Annie asked.
"It could have been her." He stated.
"So, it was her or Arthur?" Annie stated, confused. It wasn't like Auggie to get things wrong.
"Yeah. One of the two. But I can probably find out for myself."
"Need any help?" Annie asked.
"I'll let you know." Auggie replied. "Thanks."
"Anytime." Annie replied, and then she heard him hang up on the other end of the line.
Auggie hesitated a minute before dialing the number. He shouldn't rush into anything, but Annie had given him the idea, and there wouldn't be any better moment to make the call. So even though it was late, he pulled up the number he hadn't used in almost a year.
"Well this is a surprise," Liza's voice answered.
"Is it?" Auggie asked, keeping his tone somewhere between a flirt and accusation.
"I thought all communication was going to go through your people."
"No other reason I may be calling?" Auggie asked.
The other end of the phone was silent for a moment. "Has the spotlight ruined your love life so much that you are giving me a booty call Mr. Anderson?"
"Funny that you should bring up my love life." Auggie responded in a tone that conveyed the answer to Liza's question.
"Is it?" Liza was now serious.
"Because somehow a story has developed very quickly on just that subject."
The other end of the line was silent for a moment, again. Auggie knew that this was Liza's rhythm. She would frequently take a moment to carefully form her words before speaking. She probably would have made a good agent, if she had desired a more respectable career.
"Is it something I should know about?" Liza finally asked.
"Funny you should say that, but your name is mysteriously missing."
"Then it must have been a shitty journalist. I know what you're thinking, but I'm not behind this, Auggie. If I were, it would be my by-line."
"Any idea who is?"
"You know I wouldn't tell. I'll look forward to reading the story, though."
"Thanks." Auggie said before hanging up.
...
Liza heard the other end of the line hang up and turned to the man sitting across from her, sharing a bottle of wine. She wasn't romantic with Henry Wilcox, but she did enjoy his company. He was looking at her with a grin that made her slightly uncomfortable.
"August Anderson?" He asked with a knowing look.
"What about him?" She asked.
"You slept with August Anderson? Of all the agents, I never expected the CIA's Golden Gimp to be a traitor."
Liza snorted. "If you had ever seen the body he keeps under those ridiculous vests, you wouldn't call him a gimp. He's probably the most respectable spy in Langley."
"Not if he slept with you." Henry replied.
Liza rolled her eyes. "He was sleeping with me to get to you. It was a win-win situation. Well, for me at least. He didn't get the win he was hoping for."
"He's the one that gave you that silly Albion tip?"
"Possibly." Liza didn't mind sharing little details with Henry, but she felt an odd need to protect Auggie.
"Hmmph. Well, if you want to spend more time with Mr. Anderson, let me tell you some of the details he's holding back about this girl's school he so pleasantly revealed."
Thanks to Pseudonymitous for the inspiration for the last little bit!