Cloak and Dagger

Carpenter's assistant was rapidly composing a message to Ava, warning her of the impending attack and assuring her that an extraction team was being deployed to rescue Cho Min's family.

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Minutes after she made her report to Carpenter, Ava began receiving a frantic verbal alert coming through her earpiece. She had decided to stay connected to her communication device...for good reason.

She responded to the page she received, "Sinclair...go ahead."

The words she heard next both thrilled her and terrified her, "Be advised...counter-offensive to be conducted momentarily...units in route now."

"How many units?" she asked.

"Twenty-five fully armed agents...Cho Min is your first protection priority...Langley out," the message concluded.

Ava scrambled for her weapons and double-checked her ammunition stock as she headed out the door to Cho Min's room. She had barely gotten halfway down the hall when she heard the offensive beginning...gunfire could be heard riddling the main meeting room.

Running all out now, Ava stormed into Cho Min's room and yelled, "It's happening...get down!"

Cho Min opened her mouth to say something but stopped when she saw Kyung Soon darken her doorway. Ava saw the shift in Cho Min's line of sight and turned to see Kyung Soon entering the room with a gun drawn. Kyung Soon raised the gun and said, "She has to die or I will."

The next several seconds seemed to pass in slow motion as Ava instinctively dove...putting her body in between Cho Min and Kyung Soon's gun. Intuitively and mechanically, Ava got off a shot as she felt the air suddenly sucked out of her. She landed awkwardly on the hard warehouse floor as she watched Kyung Soon's now lifeless body collapse.

Agents flooded the office within seconds, and Ava managed to announce, "Agent Sinclair with noncombatant Cho Min," before the entire scene became nothing but a dark, black blur.

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Ava could sense a flurry of activity heard several frantic voices...especially that of Cho Min...but the haze she found herself in wouldn't allow her to respond. She couldn't comprehend much of what she heard or felt, except that she was surrounded by many concerned people.

She managed to swim through the fog and open her eyes long enough to see Cho Min's face looking at her with fear in her eyes...a different fear, though. Though she only looked into those eyes for a second or two, Ava knew that Cho Min's worry was for her rather than her family. She took comfort in that, though...something told her that Cho Min's family had, in fact been safely extracted.

One week after the offensive, Ava woke to find herself in a hospital room. Cho Min, who'd been by Ava's side as long as the staff would allow, immediately went to Ava. She told her of her family's rescue and noticed a slight smile starting to appear on Ava's face. She gave Ava a quizzical look, to which Ava replied, "My eyes were right."

Cho Min, obviously unaware of Ava's assessment of her eyes, smiled and suggested that Ava explain it to her later...there was something on the television that she thought Ava might want to see. She reached to adjust the volume as CIA director Carpenter stepped before a large podium and read a statement regarding what was now being called 'Korea-gate.'

"At this time, and with substantiated testimony from our own Agents Sinclair and Cooper, Congressmen Dean and Carlisle and, regretfully, our own Agent Simmons have been indicted on a myriad of charges...including, conspiracy and treason. Agent Sinclair is recovering from her injuries and is expected to make a full recovery. I'll take your questions now," he said, and called on a Washington Post reporter.

"Director Carpenter, we understand that yet another agent was involved. Can you confirm that?" the reporter asked.

Carpenter dropped his head for a moment, then answered, "Agents Cooper and Henderson were both involved. Agent Cooper has been granted immunity in exchange for his testimony, and Agent Henderson committed suicide. Next question?" Carpenter gestured toward a CNN reporter, "Yes, your question?"

"What, if any, role did Sergeant Ron Lopez and Korean intelligence officer Kyung Soon play in this conspiracy?" he asked.

"Both the individuals you mentioned were coerced into participating. Lopez will be court-martialed, and Kyung Soon died at the scene," Carpenter explained.

Carpenter's assistant stepped forward and announced that the news conference was over and that any new information would be disseminated in a similar fashion as it became available.

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Ava looked up at Cho Min and started to speak. Cho Min placed her finger over Ava's lips to silence her. "You're safe, my family's safe...and we're together. That's all that matters now, my love," she said.

Ava nodded slightly and drifted off to sleep with the feel of Cho Min on her face and the taste of her on her lips.

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As he walked with Carpenter, the assistant asked of Henderson, "Suicide, sir?"

Carpenter smiled and said, "He pulled the trigger, son...I was just there to make sure."

His assistant said smartly, "I understand, sir...I'll be preparing the wall in your office shortly."

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THE END