Prologue

This is my first attempt at writing an espionage story based on an old classic TV show. I've always love watching spy thrillers on TV and in the movies. And I thought what better way to pay homage to the genre than writing a fanfic about one of my favorite classic spy shows.

xoxoxo

Chapter 1

Shannon didn't think it could get worse than what happened earlier that day. Right after the private plane took off carrying her and her team back to the US, she was stricken with fear. It was the first time she boarded a plane after she was involved in a plane crash not so long ago. It was a miracle that she even survived the crash, let alone left almost unscathed. But now that she's aboard a plane once again, she couldn't help but panic.

What if the plane crashed again? She thought.

What if she won't make it this time?

Oh God!

She began to rock back and forth as she recalled the final moments of that fateful plane crash. Her hands tightly wound together between her knees. In her mind, she could hear herself screaming. Luis was desperately trying to land the plane on a safe area near a river. She could hear the plane screech as it dove down towards a field below. Then everything went black.

"Shannon?" asked Jim. She looked at him with a jolt. He was sitting beside her in the private plane and watching her closely.

"Are you alright? You look so pale." Jim's face was full of concern.

Grant and Max turned to look at her. Nicholas craned his neck from the back of the plane and looked on curiously.

"N-no. I…" she stammered.

"You're shaking. What's wrong?" Grant observed with a look of concern, leaning forward in his seat. He sat behind her and Jim.

"Oh shit! This is your first time to board a plane after…" Max trailed off.

Realization came over them as they all stared at Shannon.

"Oh dear, I'm so sorry. I didn't realize…" started Jim facing her.

Grant fetched a bottle of water from a small bar in the corner and handed it to her.

She took the bottle from him wordlessly and sipped.

"Don't worry, there won't be any accident this time. We'll be fine." Jim assured her.

Grant quickly checked the weather report on his laptop.

"Yes, we'll be fine. The weather is clear and I don't see any signs of engine trouble in the plane."

Shannon handed the bottle back to Grant. She tried to appear calm. She didn't want to be an added burden to her team considering the trouble she had caused them when she lost her memory and didn't follow through with the extraction plan.

"I hope…" she started to speak. But then the plane slightly turned. Suddenly she felt nauseated.

"Oh God, I think I'm going to be sick!" She clasped a hand to her mouth, trying to control her nausea.

Jim was about to console her when she bolted from her seat and headed straight to the lavatory.

Her team gaped at her retreating back and looked at each other worryingly. She shut the door of the lavatory quickly and threw up on the sink.

Grant followed her down the lavatory and gently knocked on the door.

"Shannon, are you going to be okay? Do you need anything?"

With a deep sigh, Shannon pressed her forehead against the mirror and closed her eyes fiercely. Her eyes began to well up but she held back her tears.

"Shannon?" Grant called behind the door.

She opened her eyes and wiped her tears away. She cleared her throat and called out, "I'll be alright! Just give me a few minutes."

Grant walked away.

Shannon doubted she'd be alright – at least not soon enough anyway. She felt scared and alone in that moment, unable to tell her team what she's going through. It's been a really trying day for her. She woke up that morning as a bride-to-be, betrothed to Luis Magdalena ― a man who turned out to be the nephew of Esteban Magdalena, one of the most notorious drug lords in Colombia. Had she not lost her memory she would have stayed away from him and not get involved with him romantically. But the plane crash happened and she had temporary amnesia. Then Luis took her in and looked after her after the accident. To her, he was a sweet, charming and caring man – very much unlike his uncle. It was a surprise that Luis fell in love with her and asked her to marry him even though they've only been dating for a few weeks. But now, their wedding would never take place.

Shannon slipped a hand in her pocket and took out a small, oval picture frame. She stared at the photo of Luis – the only memento she took from Esteban's villa.

I guess it wasn't meant to be. She thought with deep regret, putting the photo frame back in her pocket.

She washed her mouth in the sink then fixed herself in front of the mirror. Taking a deep breath, she went out of the lavatory calm and collected. She and her team had a mission to complete. Their plane was carrying a fugitive who had to face charges in the US.

xoxoxo

As soon as they arrived in the US, Jim and his Impossible Mission Force (IMF) team handed over Esteban Magdalena to the US Marshals Service as planned. The US Marshals Service would be handling Esteban's accommodation in the US while he faces trial for drug trafficking. Jim and his IMF team went back to his apartment ― where most of their briefings take place ―for a quick debriefing.

"Right, our mission has been completed. Despite a few problems we previously encountered, we managed to pull through. Now it's out of our hands," said Jim in conclusion. He was standing beside the coffee table while facing the rest of the team.

Shannon and Nicholas sat on the large, black sofa while Grant sat on a smaller couch across them. Max perched himself on the arm of the large sofa.

"You can now all go home and give yourself a break. Shannon, I think you should see our resident doctor as soon as possible and let him check your condition," he added, looking at Shannon worriedly.

Grant threw a worried glance at her as well. "Do you want me to accompany you? I can drive you to the clinic," offered Grant.

"No, you don't need to do that. I think I'll just go to the doctor tomorrow. I just can't right now," Shannon answered shaking her head.

"We understand. It's been a long day," commented Max.

"You still look a little pale. Are you sure you're all right?" asked Nicholas.

"Why don't you let Grant take you home then," persuaded Jim.

Shannon was not in good shape to refuse in that moment so she agreed.

"Come on," Grant said standing up.

He picked up her things from the couch.

It didn't take long for them to reach her apartment. After dropping her things on a chair, Shannon went to sit on the sofa in her small living room. She felt a little weak indeed. The flight back to the US seemed to have zapped her energy.

"Are you going to be okay?" asked Grant. He stood in front of her.

"Yes, I'll be fine. Just a little tired, that's all."

"Maybe you should get a second opinion from the doctor about your treatment after the accident?" He asked carefully.

She nodded, rubbing her temple. "I'll do that tomorrow. Right now I just want to take a rest."

"I can stay a little longer if you like."

"No, it's okay. You go home. I'll be fine."

"Alright then. I'll just see myself out." He turned and walked out of her apartment.

As soon as she heard him drove away, Shannon broke into tears. She's been holding back her emotions since they were on the plane. But now she had the time and space to let it all out. She put a hand on her face and cried. She was still shaken by the flight. It wasn't easy to just dismiss her accident and pretend that everything was okay. How she wished that Luis was beside her now. When she was staying in his uncle's villa, she would get nightmares about the plane crash and he would be there to comfort her. He would stay with her and hold her until she felt better. Somehow, he made her feel safe.

But that would never happen again because she just left him at the altar that day.

She felt terrible just thinking about it. She never wanted to hurt Luis. He might have been involved in shady deals but deep inside she knew he had a good heart. And he certainly was not like his uncle. The last thing she wanted was to break his heart. But it had to be done. She was forced to accept Luis' proposal. It was Jim's way of salvaging the operation when it almost fell through because of the hurdles they encountered. The wedding provided them the opportunity to snatch Esteban and extradite him to the US. If only she could turn back the time and prevent the plane crash from happening, she could have been spared from the heartache.

Shannon didn't know how she managed to get through the evening. Somehow she just found herself waking up in her bed the next morning.