Operation Urban Blade Ch. 02

Author's Note: I had initially intended to publish this second part immediately after the first release. However, after reading through the 4700 words I had written, I realized the story wasn't quite ready. I had a few plot issues and some threads to sort out. I apologize for the late release of this second part. I have 2, possibly 3, more parts to complete. Enjoy, and please leave feedback if you feel so inclined.

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At 9 AM the following day, Scott entered a small office on the fifth floor of an office building in Central Paris. The name on the door indicated it was the office for Services Logistiques Universels.

The name of the business fits the ambiguous theme of the building. Lawyers, accountants, and various other boring professionals filled the eight floors of the building.

Scott maintained his bland look. Today, he wore a gray shirt under a black jacket. His dark brown chinos and gray hiking boots were pretty much a daily staple. His tan canvas bag draped diagonally across his torso.

Just inside the door of Services Logistiques Universels was a small reception area. A beautiful young woman sat behind a small desk next to several chairs.

"Bonjour, Emma. Ça va?"

"Bonjour, Scott. Je vais trés bien. Et vous?"

"Ça va bien, merci."

Emma was a decoy and a security measure. She always wore low-cut, tight dresses that displayed her ample cleavage. Emma didn't have huge breasts but never underestimate what a great bra can do. Emma's job was to distract, delay, and, if necessary, destroy anyone who came into the office by mistake.

Emma was highly trained in martial arts and marksmanship. She knew Scott well, though not as well as she would like. Still, her hand hovered between the suppressed FN 509 9mm pistol under her desk and the button which opened the door for Scott.

If any part of their greeting had deviated from the script, Emma had a protocol to follow. Hopefully, Scott would remember his training and come out alive. If not, she would grieve for him but not regret her actions.

Scott crossed the room as they spoke. He reached the door just as Emma pressed the entry button.

The door led to a hallway. The purpose of the hallway was mainly to conceal the room's activity on the other side of the wall. The hallway would inconvenience any intruders but not prevent them from gaining access.

Scott walked quickly down the hallway and turned left. The hallway continued for a few more yards before he turned left again. The hallway formed a large "L" around the office.

"Good morning, Boss!"

"Hey, Josette."

Scott walked over to his conscience's desk. He dropped his bag in one of the seats facing her desk. Josette rose from her seat behind the desk and embraced Scott. They exchanged kisses on each cheek.

Josette held onto Scott for a moment longer after he released his embrace.

"You okay, Boss?" She had a worried look on her face.

"I'm okay. Didn't sleep very well last night after you dropped the bomb on me. What's the story?"

"Well, Chloë's boss has moved his trip up three weeks for some unknown reason. We suspect the other parties involved in the deal are putting pressure on him to close the deal. He changed his itinerary last night. Flight, hotel, everything. It's all been pushed to four days from now."

"I'm so fucked. There's no way to get this done in four days. Why hasn't our mission been cancelled? Surely, there are assets on the ground to deal with the actual meeting?"

Josette smiled.

"Boss, I'm always in awe of your enthusiastic belief that anyone outside of this office knows what the fuck they are doing. It's so fucking cute. Probably one of the reasons I love you so much."

"Josette, your sarcastic cynicism is my reason for keeping you on my team." Scott planted himself in the closest chair. "That, and you get drunk with supreme efficiency. Saves me on the office party budget. So let me guess? No one is coming. It's up to us?"

"Yep."

"Shit. We're so fucked. Are there any openings in French Intelligence? Maybe we can just switch sides. Seems easier."

"Boss, you know you can't even joke about that. If Emma heard that, she might shoot you in your pretty face with that FN she keeps tucked between her legs."

"Josette, it's not between her legs. It's under her desk."

"Shows what you know. I think she masturbates with it while she thinks of you."

"Josette!" Scott covered his face with his hands. "I don't want to think about Emma masturbating to me with her firearm."

Scott shuddered. "I'm sorry I joked about switching sides. Let's get back to the point at hand. When is the Chief calling with the good news?"

"In about 10 minutes, Boss. Want to see the comms traffic that we receive overnight?"

"Sure."

Scott spent the next few minutes reading over the boring details of everything Josette had already told him. The emails between the unknown foreign arms dealers, Chloë's Boss, and another foreign government official were sufficiently vague. Whatever was influencing the sale was urgent and critical. The other documents confirmed the changes to the itinerary, even reservations at a pet hotel for a Yorkie named Piere.

Scott knew the sale couldn't happen. Chloë was key to identifying all of the involved parties and potentially stopping the deal.

Scott and Josette sat before the video comm link, watching the holding pattern displaying their employer's logo. A few seconds after the appointed time, the pattern disappeared, and a forty-ish-year-old man appeared.

"Good morning, team."

"Hey, Chief." Scott greeted the man.

"Morning, Chief Jensen," Josette replied.

"I'll cut to the chase. The mission has shifted. The abbreviated timeline forces us to change our priorities and ensure ample evidence of the sale between the targets."

"Scott, continue with the assistant. She'll be the key to verification of what we get through the Comms team. Assess her potential as an asset for future operations."

"Yes, sir." Scott glanced at Josette. She was busy taking notes and suppressing a smirk.

"Any change to my mission objectives?"

"None." The Chief's answer was quick and without equivocation. "You'll establish a relationship, compromise the target's communications systems, and lay the groundwork for continued surveillance."

Chief paused for a moment and looked down. Obviously, he was not happy with the situation.

"You two are my best team in the region. I am fully confident that if anyone can salvage this shitshow of an operation, it's the two of you. This mission should have started two years ago when the target first popped up on our radar. But, as we all know, you get what you get and you don't throw a fit."

"Thanks, Chief. We'll do our best. I'll report back via channels, unless absolutely necessary. Josette will handle the daily check-ins and status updates."

"Of course. Josette, let me know as soon as possible if additional resources are required. Otherwise, I'll speak to you both at the usual time next month."

Josette continued scribbling on her notepad and nodded her acknowledgment to the screen. Shortly, the screen went blank. Scott switched off the system.

"Well, that's a little bit of a relief. I don't have to bring about world peace in just four days."

"No, you just have to seduce a very sophisticated young woman in four days," Josette chuckled. "Any plans on that?"

"Of course."

Scott pulled his phone from his pocket. He pulled up the text application and selected Chloë's number.

Hello, Chloë. Can we have dinner tonight?

Josette read the text over Scott's shoulder.

"You know, Boss. You should really let me plan your comms before you go all 7th grade boy on the poor woman."

"She'll appreciate the direct approach." Scott's phone screen displayed an alert for an incoming message.

Of course! I was wondering if you were going to text me.

Scott showed the screen to Josette.

"I'll never doubt your superpowers again, Boss."

"Right..." Scott laughed as Josette rolled her eyes and went back to her chair behind her desk.

"Mon Loup, Boss? I can have the security team set up by seven tonight."

"Seven? You do know this is France and no one eats before eight, right?"

Dinner tonight at 8? I can pick you up.

Scott's phone pinged again.

I'll meet you there. What's the address?

Scott smiled at her caution.

Mon Loup. 114 Rue la Condamine. I'll see you there at 8.

Sounds great. See you then.

I can't wait.

Scott put his phone back into his pocket.

"It's done. Eight o'clock at Mon Loup. You take care of the security team. I've got some things to take care of before then."

"Sure thing, Boss. If she stands you up, let me know. I love Mon Loup and you owe me dinner anyway."

"Let's hope I don't get the chance to buy you dinner tonight, okay?"

At 7:43 PM, Scott stepped off the Metro and walked toward the exit to the street level. He was wearing a light black blazer over a light gray silk dress shirt. Black trousers and black shoes rounded out his look.

Scott was glad he applied some cologne as he weaved through the other passengers. He didn't want to smell the crowd before he sat down to eat.

"Ça va bien?," Josette's voice whispered into Scott's ear. Scott scratched his right cheek with his right hand.

The one-way conversations were always awkward for Scott, even after all these years. So he worked out a communications plan with Josette years ago so he could silently respond to her through body language.

"Trés bien. La rue est libre. Elle vient de quitter son appartement. Elle sera là 3 minutes après votre arrivée."

Great. The street is clear. She just left her apartment. She'll be there 3 minutes after you arrive.

Scott glanced over his left shoulder at the building across the street. He wasn't so much as looking at Josette but in the direction of whatever camera she had trained on him.

"Tu es sexy ce soir. Si les choses ne vont pas bien, je te prendrai pour le désert."

You look sexy tonight. If things don't go well, I'll take you for dessert.

Scott's left hand reached up to touch his left ear.

"Amende. Mais l'invitation est toujours ouverte."

Fine. But the invitation is always open.

Scott walked up to the front door of Mon Loup. He could see a member of the security team sitting at the bar. Another member was sitting at a table on the sidewalk, eating a rather tasty-looking steak.

Scott spotted Chloë as she walked toward the restaurant from Rue de Rome. She was stunning.

Chloë wore a dark blue floral-print dress. The neckline plunged to just below her breasts. She showed lots of skin, but the fabric tightly hugged each of her breasts, concealing rather than revealing. Seven mother-of-pearl buttons were running from just below Chloë's breast to her hip. The dress fell to just below her knees but split almost to her hip. Chloë wore strappy brown sandals that wound around her ankle and lower calves. The sandals had a delicate feel and served to contrast her well-defined legs.

Chloë wore her hair pinned up behind her head. Her hair fell strategically around her face in that accidental way that can only happen through hours of work. Her makeup was subdued and flawless, bringing out her natural beauty.

Scott groaned to himself. He could feel himself becoming aroused by this woman.

"Peu importe. Je la veux plutôt pour le dessert."

Nevermind. I want her for dessert instead.

Scott fought the urge to roll his eyes at Josette's last comment. Instead, he focused on Chloë as she walked toward him.

"Hi, Chloë. Je te trouve belle."

Hi, Chloë. You look beautiful.

Scott gave Chloë a hug, his hands sliding to her waist. They exchanged kisses on each cheek.

"Merci, Scott."

Chloë blushed as hit hands lingered on her hips. Scott was standing so close; their noses were only a few inches apart. Scott smiled and turned slightly, with his left hand still on the small of her back, and started walking toward the restaurant.

Once inside, the two sat at a small table near the middle of the restaurant. There were only three other couples in the restaurant.

Their waiter appeared quickly and arranged for drinks. As they looked over the menu, Scott asked, "How was your day?"

"It was terrible. My boss moved his business trip up by three weeks. So now I only have three days to attend to all of the scheduling and planning for this month."

"That must be stressful. Are you going to be able to finish all of your tasks?"

"I think so. It's just very frustrating. He didn't even give a good reason for doing this. My boss just told me to get it sorted out and then he left for the day."

"Well, maybe I can help you take your mind off of work."

As the meal progressed, Scott kept Chloë engaged in conversation about herself. It was relatively easy to do since he knew most things about her anyway.

He wanted to be in the moment, but he was also trying to validate the intel his team had provided. So he asked tons of questions. Chloë, like most people, was happy to talk about her life. She validated almost all of the intel from Scott's team.

Inevitably, Chloë asked Scott common questions about his life. Scott had a cover story, but they are always thin without enough detail to satisfy this type of relationship. Scott had learned that lies constructed out of "whole cloth" were hard to maintain. Instead, he found it better to tell true stories, even if they happened to someone else. So he told stories about his brother, his neighbor, and former coworkers. It was easy to spin the tales as he had practiced them and worked out the timelines many times before.

As the evening progressed and the wine flowed, they began holding hands over the table. Their laugher and their smiles became more frequent. Their eye contact became more constant.

The waiter cleared the table. Scott paid the bill. Chloë and Scott sat at the table and just looked at each other from across the table.

"May I walk you home?" Scott knew exactly where she lived, a mere three-minute walk from the front door of the restaurant.

"I would very much like that."

Scott rose and moved behind Chloë's chair to remove it as she stood up.

"Such a gentleman. I thought Americans had given up on that?"

"Some have. Not me."

Her hand slipped into his as they walked toward the door. Scott held the door for her. His arm slid around her waist as they walked down the street to her apartment.

As they walked past one of the many dark entryways on the street, a man wearing a dark hoody stepped out of the shadows and fell into step behind them.

"Contact. 6 o'clock," came Josette's voice in his ear.

"Right on queue," Scott thought.

The man grabbed Scott's left shoulder and spun him around. The man's right hand held a knife. Chloë fell to the ground against the rough sidewalk.

"Ton blé!," the man's gruff voice snarled.

Your money!

Scott moved fluidly. He grabbed the man's arm on his shoulder and pulled the man towards his own body. Scott struck the man in the throat and parried the man's arching strike with the knife. Scott grabbed the man's knife hand and applied a wrist lock that caused the man to fall face-first into the ground. The knife clattered to the sidewalk. The man quickly ran back into the shadows and away from Scott and Chloë.

Scott reached to help Chloë to her feet.

"Are you okay?"

"Oui. Ma jambe saigne, mais ça ira."

Yes. My leg is bleeding, but I'll be okay.

Scott knew Chloë was shaken as she responded in French after speaking her fluent English all night.

"Peux-tu marcheur?"

Can you walk?

"I think so," Chloë replied. She tried to stand, and her legs wobbled. Scott caught her before she fell to the ground again. He wasn't sure if it was the wine or the mugger that caused her to stumble.

"I've got you." Scott picked Chloë up and walked the half-block to her apartment door. Chloë grabbed her key from her purse and unlocked the door while Scott still held her. He carried her through the door and paused slightly. While he knew she lived in 201, she had not yet told him that information.

"I'm just upstairs, in 201."

Scott climbed the single curved flight of stairs to the second floor. He set her on her feet in front of the door. Chloë unlocked the door with her back to Scott. He was just a few inches behind her. She turned to look over her shoulder at him.

"Would you..."

Before Chloë could finish her questions, Scott leaned in and kissed her. His hands held her hips, her back pressed against his chest. The kiss quickly deepened, her tongue seeking his.

Chloë turned to embrace Scott as they continued kissing. Her arms moved around his neck to pull him closer. His hands moved to the small of her back.

They finally broke their kiss. Chloë opened her eyes to see Scott's own brown eyes staring back at her.

"Yes," Scott answered her unasked question.

She smiled quietly stepped back into her apartment, pulling Scott with her. The door closed behind them.

Scott eased Chlöe into the chair in the main room of her apartment. He turned and walked to the bathroom, where he gathered some alcohol, cotton balls, and a bandage. He returned quickly to dress Chlöe's leg. The cut wasn't bad. It was bleedingly slightly but wouldn't likely leave a scar.

"This may sting." Scott pressed the alcohol-soaked cotton ball to her leg. Chlöe gave a sharp gasp at the first contact. She winced but otherwise didn't react to the discomfort. Scott applied a small bandage to the wound.

He leaned forward and kissed her knee.

"My mother would always kiss my injuries to make them feel better."

"I already feel much better. Mercí."

Scott stood from his kneeling position. "Can you stand?"

Chlöe stood next to Scott. "Yes, but I think I may rather lie down."

Chloë leaned into Scott and began kissing him again. Her hands were busy, pushing his jacket to the floor. She started on the buttons of his silk shirt. Scott reached up to start unbuttoning the seven buttons on Chloë's left side. They stepped out of their shoes as Chlöe led Scott into her bedroom.

Chloë momentarily trapped Scott's arms as she pushed his shirt off his shoulders. He briefly broke their kiss and smiled.

"No fair!"

Chloë kept him from further protests by kissing him again. Then, she started on his belt and his trousers.

Meanwhile, Scott had reached the last button on her dress. He moved his hands inside and ran his hands up her sides as they kissed. Scott felt the underside of her breast on his thumb. Next, he moved his hands down until he felt the lace of her black panties on her hip. His hands then reached around to cup her perfect, firm ass.

Chloë managed to open Scott's pants and pushed them to the floor. She drew her arms back from her work on Scott's pants so that her dress would join his garments on the floor.

Chloë continued to walk them deeper into her apartment. She led them into her bedroom and only stopped when the back of her legs hit her bed.

Chloë turned to see her bed so she could lay down. Scott took the opportunity to start kissing her right behind her ear. He spread kisses from there down her jaw to her neck. Chloë brought her hands up to his hair to encourage his onslaught.

Scott kissed along her collarbone, which drew little gasps from Chloë. Next, he kissed her right shoulder and then worked back to the other side. Scott kissed down to her breasts. He avoided her hard, pink nipples at first. Instead, he kissed around the curve of her breast, covering all of her soft skin with light kisses. Then he licked her left nipple.

Chloë ran her right hand from Scott's head to his waist and around to grab his hard cock. She squeezed its length through his boxers. She moaned as he sucked and rolled his tongue around her nipple. Scott moved to her other breast as his hand continued to squeeze and rub her very firm ass.