Secret Agent's Helper

The bar was busier than June expected, but then, the hotel was busier than usual this weekend too. It looked like there was some sort of artist convention and a wedding reception both being held in the hotel itself. From the entrance coming from the hotel lobby, she scanned the crowded bar. There were several large groups obviously from the artist convention/show, decked out in their 'I'm making a statement clothes' and the like, boisterously talking trash about the art world in general.

Most of the other tables were taken by small groups from the wedding. Women dressed in wedding casual pants suits or pencil dresses. The men had jackets with polo's shirts and khakis. Most looked like they were knocking back one or two drinks before heading out for some more fun in the big city.

She didn't spend too much time studying the groups. None of them were who she was looking for. For fun, she would study some individually and wonder about them.

She thought she'd start with the only two single women there. One was sitting at the bar, the other sat at a table near a window. The woman by the window was obviously waiting for someone. She kept looking out the window while nursing a drink in a tall glass. She hadn't taken off her jacket and she checked her phone every so often. The woman at the bar was also obviously waiting for someone, although it seemed equally obvious to June, that she didn't have anyone in particular in mind, who she was waiting for. She had a dark skirt and a tight top with a plunging neckline that, coupled with the way she sat, showed off her deep cleavage. Should we say a working girl?

'First come, first served,' June thought with a smile.

There were a handful of single men, although they all seemed entranced by the sports channel or their smartphones at least for the moment. Except for him.

It didn't take June long to realize there was something different about him. He was sitting at the bar, a tumbler of dark amber drink in front of him. His finely-tailored charcoal suit and crisp white shirt fit him perfectly. His features were chiseled, his haircut short.

Yes, he looked fine, but it wasn't just that he was handsome that made him stand out. There was something about the way he carried himself the look in his eye. Unlike the other men in the bar, he seemed to have a clear purpose for being there. He wasn't just killing time uncomfortably waiting for something to happen. It was already happening whatever it was.

June smoothed down her short pencil 50's style skirt and pulled her thin tight sweater down to make sure it hugged her curves just right. With confident strides, she made her way to the bar. She purposefully made eye contact with the other woman at the bar and let a small smile cross her lips. Little Miss Cleavage was sitting about 5 or 6 seats away from the gentleman at the bar and June took a seat in between them. As she mounted the bar stool June had the satisfaction of catching the glare of annoyance from the other woman. Without even a glance at the handsome man sitting only a few feet away from her, June flipped her hair and caught the attention of the bartender. She was about to order when she felt a presence behind her.

"She'll have a Sweet Heat," a quiet, smooth, but commanding male voice said behind her. He had a hint of a foreign accent that June could not place.

The bartender, a young man, cocked his eyebrows at June to gauge her reaction to the man's attention. She smiled, shrugged her shoulders.

"I'll take a Sweet Heat," she said to the bartender. "Thank you," she directed to the stranger who was already moving his drink and taking the seat next to her as the bartender brought her a cocktail glass filled with a yellowish drink and garnished with what looked like slices of ginger and a dash of hot pepper.

"You will love it," the stranger said. "It is sweet, of course, with notes of ginger, but underneath is a definite fire. Very spicy. It will suit a lady like you well, I should imagine."

June took a sip. She appreciated the strong ginger flavor one of her favorites. The underlying kick from the hot peppers was subtle and not as unpleasant as she feared.

"It is very good," she said after taking another sip. "Again, thank you."

In response, he raised his glass to her slightly before taking a swallow, never once taking his eyes off her. His stare was laser focused.

"I'm June, by the way."

"It's very nice to meet you, June. I'm Maykop, Penza Maykop."

"Are you here on business, Mr. Maykop?"

"You could say that," Maykop looked past June, his focused eyes quickly sweeping the room. "There's a gentleman I was hoping to meet here tonight."

June moved to get up, "Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Maykop. I didn't mean to intrude on your evening. I'll leave before I interfere with your plans."

He placed a powerful hand gently on hers.

"Don't be silly, June. The gentleman I'm looking for is here already, has been for nearly an hour. He knows I'm here. I know he's here. Our paths will cross soon enough."

June looked intently into Maykop's serious eyes. "What line of business are you in, exactly, Mr. Maykop?"

"I work for the government, June," Maykop said as he twirled the drink in his glass slowly before taking a swallow. "I'm a problem solver."

"What sort of problems?" June leaned in closer to him, letting her hand brush against his arm.

"Problems the government doesn't want you to know they have." He nodded slightly towards someone behind June. "Problems like our friend over there."

June slowly turned to get a better view of the tables behind her. A few tables away, sitting alone, was a swarthy man wearing a light orange button up shirt. The collar was open showing a tuft of thick chest hair.

"You mean that man in the coral shirt?" She asked as she turned her attention back to Maykop.

"Yes, he's the one," Maykop says, taking another casual swallow of his drink.

"He's the man you have business with? Who is he? What's his name?" June asks.

"His real name is classified information I'm afraid, so I can't tell you". Maykop said. He pauses and gives the bar another look around.

"But in my circles, he's known as Agent Surgut."

June tried to hide a smile by taking a sip of her drink.

"Don't laugh, June," Maykop leaned closer and lowered his voice almost to a whisper.

"He's very dangerous. Not to be trifled with. Just so you know his name is Biysk Kazan Surgut, I just like calling him Surgut."

They were very close to each other, with him leaning into her. June liked the way he smelled. His cologne was light and smoky. He casually reached up and gently brushed the hair away from her eyes. She noticed, with satisfaction, that his gaze drifted from her face down to her breasts.

"And he's up to something," he said, his eyes going back to Agent Surgut.

"What? What is he up to?"

"I don't know exactly. That's what I have to learn. And then I have to stop him."

"Is he dangerous?" June's voice was barely a whisper.

Maykop smiled. "I wouldn't be involved if he wasn't."

Suddenly Maykop's eyes flashed. "He's on the move. I've got to go."

The sudden change caught June off guard. She looked around, a bit confused. Agent Surgut was getting up from his table. Their eyes met across the lounge and for a brief moment, they stared at each other. Agent Surgut cocked his head slightly, quizzically and narrowed his eyes a bit, perhaps a bit confused about why this woman was looking at him. He looked from June to Maykop and back again before breaking off the gaze, collecting his things, and heading towards the exit.

Meanwhile, with fluid, confident motions, Maykop placed a large bill on the bar next to his drink, caught the bartender's eyes, and stepped away from the bar, his eyes following Agent Surgut's retreat.

June caught hold of Maykop's arm.

"I'm coming with you," she said as he turned to look at her.

"No you are not," he said matter-of-factly. "This is far too dangerous. I can't risk getting you involved."

"Like hell," she shot back with a cocktail of bravado and fear. "I'm already involved. He just looked at me. You should have seen the way he looked at me. His eyes. You said he knows who you are, well now I'm connected with you in his eyes. I'm not going to wait around here for him to come back for me to eliminate the threat."

Maykop looked back at the door to see Agent Surgut disappear through it as he headed out towards the hotel lobby. Maykop looked down at June's hand on his arm, her thin fingers clutching the fabric. Then he looked into her eyes for what seemed like an eternity.

"Let's go," he said at last as he took her hand and pulled her towards the door at a brisk pace.

A large group of rowdy wedding goers was coming out of the elevator and congregating in the hotel's lobby as Maykop and June emerged from the bar. Maykop scanned the large lobby quickly. There didn't seem to be any sign of Agent Surgut.

"Do you see him?" June asked as she looked towards the large revolving doors at the front of the lobby. "Do you think he went outside?"

"This way," Maykop said without looking at her or acknowledging her questions.

He walked with long, confident strides across the lobby. June struggled at first to keep up, but soon the heels of her black, strappy shoes were tapping smoothly on the tile floor keeping close pace with Maykop.

They weaved among the groups of people and past them, leaving the lobby behind and heading down a quiet side hall. June gripped Maykop's hand a little tighter, their fingers were intertwined and Maykop lazily stroked his thumb along hers as they walked.

Their pace slowed a bit in the empty hallway. They walked past darkened meeting rooms, a business center, and some restrooms. As they went further down the hallway the boisterous sounds from the lobby became a muffled murmur.

Maykop suddenly stopped and put his finger to her mouth in a shushing motion. He looked one way down the hall and then the other. June tensed, squeezing Maykop's hand tighter and moving closer until she pressed lightly against his side. They stood motionless and silent for a few moments. June thought she heard a whisper of water running in a sink, but she couldn't be sure. Then she heard a door opening somewhere further down the hall. Maykop's muscles tighten as he sprang into action.

"This way," he hissed between clenched teeth.

He led June into a small, dark room some kind of a storage closet. He pulled the door shut leaving a small crack so they could see out into the hallway. There wasn't much room for the two of them. Maykop's back was pressed up against a cart and June's back was pressed up against Maykop. They both leaned forward in order to look through the crack in the door to see what was going on out in the hall. He wrapped an arm around her and pressed forward, squeezing her lightly against the door. His breath was warm against the back of her neck. She heard him breathe in deeply and she smiled. She knew he was breathing in the scent of her hair, she was sure of it. Very slightly she pushed her body back against his and was rewarded for her efforts when he, very slightly, pulled his arm more tightly around her waist. His cologne, which was intriguing in the bar, was intoxicating in this dark enclosed space. His muscled arm was sure and strong against her waist and she placed one of her own hand on his. She let her other hand fall to her side and then slowly and lightly stroked his leg through his suit pants with her fingertips.

"Look," he whispered into her ear, as his own fingers began to lightly play across her waist and belly.

Through the crack in the door, she saw Agent Surgut emerge from a restroom across the hall. He looked about nonchalantly while he tucked in his coral shirt and then took out his smartphone. Casually, he leaned against the wall and began flipping through his phone. Maykop's hand moved slowly, but purposefully up June's body until he was cupping one of her breasts.

"Don't make a sound," he whispered as he nuzzled into her neck.

For a moment she held her breath but was forced to exhale as he began to gently fondle her breast with his firm hand. She wasn't wearing a bra, and it didn't take long for Maykop to feel her nipples harden beneath his palm. Through her sweater, he rolled her distended nipple between his thumb and finger. He kissed her neck as he gave her nipple a gentle twist. June pressed her body harder back against him, giving her ass a little wiggle as she felt his erection growing in his pants. She moved her hand up his leg, hoping to give him some encouragement, but their positioning was too awkward for her to get very far up certainly not as high as she wanted. Instead, she brought her hand up to his the one toying with her tit. She placed her hand on top of his and urged him, by example, to fondle her breast harder. He obliged and soon the two of them were squeezing her tit roughly in tandem. This whole time, she kept her eyes glued on Agent Surgut, who was still focused on his smartphone only a few yards away. She was trying to be quiet, but her breathing was coming out ragged and her heart was pounding. Pressure was growing deep inside her an itch that desperately needed to be scratched. Her pussy was getting wet and her nipple was starting to ache. She wanted to turn to face Maykop, to kiss him, or to feel his tongue on her nipple instead of his fingers.

Maykop had his own pressure building. He pulled June tighter against him and pushed his hips forward, rubbing his manhood against her ass reveling in the way her curves moved in sync with him. He kissed his way up her neck and nibbled and licked her earlobe. He loved the way her hair smelled soft and delicate, with an earthy hint.

Agent Surgut coughed loudly and cleared his throat. The two in the closet stopped moving stopped breathing their bodies tense. They watched through the door as Agent Surgut put away his phone, adjusted his shirt and headed down the hall towards the lobby. Once he was out of sight, June spun around in the tight confines of the closet, forcing Maykop back against the cart. She kissed him hungrily, her tongue flicking into his mouth. Her hands cupped his ass and pulled him closer into her grinding her hip against him.

"Oh god, Penza," she moaned into his mouth, but then whimpered curtly as she felt him pull away.

"June, I have to go after Agent Surgut," he said huskily, obviously struggling to catch his breath. "It's clear he's just been transmitted his final instructions and now he's on the move. If I don't intercept him who knows what mayhem he'll cause."

June nuzzled into Maykop's neck kissing along his strong jawline.

"June, he's getting away. I can't let that happen."

She abruptly pulled away from him and studied his eyes. He stared unflinchingly back at her for a moment. She grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the storeroom and back into the now empty hallway. The two of them walked quickly back towards the lobby, smoothing and adjusting their clothes. The lobby was quiet now. A young desk clerk worked at her computer. The sound of traffic floated in from outside. Agent Surgut was getting onto an elevator. Maykop and June watched as the door slid shut and the elevator started to go up. It was one of those glass-enclosed elevators that seem to hang off the wall. They could see Agent Surgut look down at them as he rose up away from the ground floor.

Maykop took June's hand. "This way," he said leading her to the stairs.

He took the stairs two at a time and June had trouble keeping up. After the first two switchbacks, he stopped at the landing and began speaking into the cufflinks on his left wrist.

"This is Agent Double Eight reporting in," he said as June made her way up to the landing. "I am closing in on the rat's lair. Repeat, I am closing in on the rat's lair."

When June reached him he didn't wait for her to catch her breath but grabbed her hand and pulled her up the stairs with him. She squealed softly in protest as he quickened his pace, but somehow she managed to keep up. At the next landing, they exited the stairwell and found themselves on the second floor of the hotel. The elevator door was closing it was empty and a familiar coral shirt was disappearing into a large room.

The pair hurried after Agent Surgut. The room they entered was one of those large meeting rooms hotels have that usual setup for company banquets or awards presentations. This one was currently being used for some sort of art show, probably related to the artist convention being held in the hotel, June figured. The harsh fluorescent lights were off and instead the windowless room was lit only by the tightly focused spotlights illuminating the various sculptures and paintings scattered throughout the room. The effect was dim pools of yellow light in what was otherwise a dark room. There were a couple of people slowly wandering around the large room, taking in the art pieces. Occasionally someone would cough or make a quiet comment about a particular painting.

Maykop spotted Agent Surgut standing alone on the left side of the room, looking at a portrait of an old woman hanging clothes to dry. Maykop gave June's hand a squeeze and motioned slightly with his head in Agent Surgut's direction. She looked and nodded her head. Then the two of them started slowly walking among the art pieces on the right side of the room, keeping one eye on Agent Surgut the whole time.

Agent Surgut seemed listless. He didn't stay long at any one piece of art some he walked right past with hardly a glance. Maykop and June kept pace with Agent Surgut on the other side of the room as the three of them all made their way towards the back of the exhibit. In the back corner of the room, Agent Surgut stopped at a sculpture of a nude nymph bathing. She was holding what looked like a stone jar that she was filling from a stream or pool. Maykop and June watched out of the corner of their eyes as Agent Surgut examined the statue closely. He slowly walked around it, apparently taking in the beauty of the marble piece. Maykop and June were stopped near a large, but mediocre, painting of a fruit bowl. After a minute or so, Agent Surgut abruptly left the statue and headed back towards the exit. As he briskly walked out he took his smartphone out of his pocket. Maykop and June quickly walked across the room towards the nymph statue.

"This must be it," Maykop said as they approached the marble nudes. "There's something about this statue that's the key to Agent Surgut's plan."

The couple studied the statue for a moment, June admired the artist's fine attention to detail. It looked like the nymph was crouching on a grassy stream bank covered in fallen leaves. A few leaves hung suspended in the nymph's long hair that cascaded around her bare shoulders and down to her pert breasts. But the wings were most impressive. They were small, like butterfly wings attached to the nymph's back. Somehow the artist had managed to make the stone wings appear ethereal, almost see through. While June examined the front of the statue, Maykop walked around behind its pedestal. He examined the statue's base looking for any clues. He studied the walls near the statue. Suddenly, something caught his eye.

"June, I found it," Maykop hissed from the shadows behind the statue. "Come to stand closer to the pedestal."

June obeyed and stepping nearer to the statue and towards Maykop voice. "What did you find?" she whispered.

June jumped slightly as she felt hands on her legs. She looked down to see Maykop, crouched in the shadows at the base of the pedestal, his hands slowly creeping up her legs.

"What are you doing?" June whispered.

"Just look at the statue," came the soft response from the shadows. "Don't draw attention. I just need a few moments." Then under his breath, he added, "And your panties."