The Assignment Ch. 02

14:00 hours

Devina parked the car in the shoddy parking deck in downtown Detroit and exited. From the outside no one would have ever guess it housed a level 1 military funded research facility underneath. Walking towards the elevator she pressed the up button then down button in fast sequence and entered the elevator. Once inside she waited as the elevator went down, past all the available floors listed. The doors opened and she entered into a well-lit hallway with an astringent smell of a research laboratory. Walking down the windowless hall she came upon a door and entered into a meeting room with others inside.

"Agent Strauss, you're right on time" the man standing said. His short military buzz cut gave him a hard demeanor and his steel grey eyes glared into her.

"Lieutenant Douglass," Devina said towards the man, her greeting brief.

The rest of the room looked up at her entrance, a man and a woman in white lab coats denoting their research status, and one man, Agent Kent in all black.

"Devina, you look beautiful as ever" Kent said, his blue eyes gazing at her lustfully as he stood and pulled a chair for her.

Devina walked towards him and sat down. She smiled at her on and off again lover, their relationship purely physical given their secret agent status. His long blond hair curled at the nape of his neck and his handsome face and toned body a mask for the true spy that he was.

She looked away from him towards the man standing and said, "I got the files."

She placed her tampon/usb drive on the table and pushed it forward. One of the research scientists, the woman, grabbed it and plugged it into her computer.

"This is great, it's all here," she said excitedly.

"What exactly is it?" Ltd. Douglass said his voice impatient.

"It's the rRNA sequences of the bacteriophage H87YN. He is doing exactly what we thought he was; genomic analysis," she replied never looking up from her screen.

"Isn't that the one the World health organization (WHO) banned from all experimentation?" Devina asked.

"Yes the very same given that it was synthesized in a laboratory against all regulations," the woman replied.

"Okay fine, he's doing illegal research, but you still have yet to explain why this is so internationally significant," Ltd. Douglass said, his voice booming with impatience.

"What it means," the other male scientist began his voice cutting through the silence. "Is that he is trying to develop a vaccine for it."

"But the WHO has isolated the bacteriophage in a secret facility so that it will never spread among the human population," Devina cut in, confusion in her voice.

"Precisely. Which means that if he is conducting research, then someone knows that is will go into population soon, and they are paying him to create a vaccine," the male scientist said.

"But how can that person know that it will happen, unless they are orchestrating the release of the bacteriophage?" Kent said, answering his own question.

The room was quiet as they sat there thinking of the consequences of such an event.

"Devina, we need you to infiltrate Sanofi Pharmaceuticals and collect as much information as possible. We will secure you a job interview through one of our inside men in their administration department, but that is all we can do without raising suspicion," Lt. Douglass said.

"Exactly what am I supposed to be looking for," She asked.

"Any low grid laboratories that only he has access to, all information on his day to day habits, current projects that he is working on both publicly and privately, you know the drill. We will need a report every two weeks, and we will contact you about the drop off destination,"

Lt. Douglass looked her in the eye, "We need you to get as close as possible to him, given his attraction to you at the gala last night it shouldn't be too hard for you to get into his personal life,"

Catching his meaning Agent Kent pounded his fist on the table.

"You want her to sleep with him! This is insane! She is not some whore you get to throw at people, she is a federal agent for god's sake!" He began to stand as he yelled at Lt. Douglass.

Devina placed her hand on his arm, pulling him down to his chair and spoke, "Lt. I understand my mission, when do you want me to head out?" Agent Kent looked at her incredulously.

"You're interview is in two days in Paris, France and your plane leaves tomorrow morning, make sure you're at the airport by 09:00 hours," Lt. Douglass then left the room but not before staring down agent Kent, who stared right back.

"C'mon let's go somewhere and grab some food," Devina said to Kent as she too walked out the door to the garage where her car was.

They rode to the restaurant in silence, when Kent suddenly said, "Take me to my hotel, and come with me we can get food there,"

Devina turned the car around and drove towards the hotel.

Once there they walked towards the elevator and rode up in silence. Exiting the elevator, Kent swiftly walked to his room, almost leaving Devina behind, then opened his door. She followed, and was soon pulled inside his room viscously, and grabbed by the back of the head.

"Why are you doing this? Why did you agree to this assignment?" He asked, pain evident in his eyes. Devina tried not to wince as his grip tightened in her hair.

"You know why, the same reason why you accept every assignment thrown your way. Don't you throw your sanctimonious bullshit at me when you know you have done far worse than this," she huffed.

"So what you're just going to sleep with him? Will you fuck him like you fuck me? Hmm? Cause you're real good at that," he said savagely while leaning in to her face.

She slapped him and he laughed, rubbing his face and replied, "Sometimes when were done fucking I feel like it was all an act, like the emotions you felt during sex were only in that moment, and then you roll over and get dressed and leave like it never happened"

Devina winced as she knew she could not deny his description of her. She sighed and said, "We have no lives anymore, we gave that up once we became spies. If I try to leave or refuse an assignment, they will hunt me down and kill me because I know too much,"

Devina, breathing heavily, whispered, "I know how you feel about me, and if I were the person I used to be I would love you too. Yet we are not those people anymore, Kent, we are weapons for our country, we are the ones who get our hands dirty so others can keep theirs clean,"

"Yes and because my hands are dirty I can never truly have everything of you can I. Because you're hands are so dirty there's nothing left of you that I can have,"

Devina cut him off with a kiss, her tongue pushing inside his mouth. He kissed her back, her hands roaming his body as she stood on her tip toes to receive every last drop of him. They fumbled around, their lips never separating as they tried to find the bed. Devina's legs hit the bed and she fell backwards, Kent following atop her. Clothes were ripped apart in the search for hot secret places. He ripped her bra off, leaving marks on her skin as the clasps clutched at her. Her breasts spilled forth and he suckled at the chocolate tips. Her head fell back against the pillows as his hands found her center and roughly shoved two fingers in, her channel slick with need. She moaned in his mouth and begged, while pulling his dick out.

Sitting up, he gazed at down, her body wanton and uninhibited with her curly hair loose upon the pillow and her skirt pushed above her waist and shirt ripped open. She stroked his cock and he pushed her hands away and parted her legs. He lowered his mouth to her and began to devour her, his lips and tongue kissing her lower lips as he did her upper lips minutes before. She arched into him, her orgasm hitting her hard and fast, for she had been wet for him ever since he raised his voice in the meeting hours earlier.

His tongue flicked back and forth over her clit and she keened for him to stop even as she moved her pussy harder into his mouth. Abruptly he sat up and plunged his cock into her, her eyes popping open at the sudden change. He fucked her fast, pounding into to her as though to brand her with his essence. She clutched at his chiseled chest and clung for dear life as the bed shook from their forceful love making. He grabbed her legs and hooked them in his arms and spread them as far as they would go. The sight of his white cock plunging into her cocoa colored pussy was too much and her came, her walls clenching around him as though in congratulations.

He fell forward, his arms of either side of her and slowly pull out of her warm entrance. Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled a soft smile. They lay there for a time until they both fell asleep.

Kent opened his eyes four hours later and moved his arm to grab her and found that side of the bed empty. He sat up and turned on the light and she was gone.

*************

The next day 13:00

Devina sat upon the plane, going over her briefs for the Sanofi Pharmaceuticals company. The plane was set to land in Paris in three more hours, and she had one day until her interview where she had to gain the position as Junior research Assistant. Her completion of this mission relied upon her gaining this position. She sipped her wine and looked out the window and her thoughts strayed to the previous day.

She felt horrible about leaving Kent like that, but she had too. After they made love she lay there her fingers curling around the light hair that dusted the top of his chest. They had been working as agents for two years now, and were best friends. Yet unlike best friends, they told each other very little of their lives, because spies never have true friends and must askew all ties, lest they become liabilities. They interacted simply; they fucked, they talked, and occasionally had assignments together. He knew that and she knew that, yet he wanted more and she was afraid to give more.

She jumped at the light touch of a hand on her shoulder and had to hide the movement of her hand towards her gun as an innocent gesture.

"Hello Ma'am, this is for you," a flight attendant said as she handed her an envelope.

"Devina took and looked at the flight attendant as she walked away, noticing that she hadn't seen her on the plane earlier. She opened the envelope and looked at the contents: $8,000 US dollars, the time and pace of the interview, the name of the driver that would be waiting for her outside the airport, and her apartment lodgings. She tucked it away in her purse and closed her eyes until the plane landed.

*********

19:00 hours

After settling into her fully furnished apartment Devina felt restless and left to go downstairs to the main office.

Approaching the front desk she asked,

"Où est le plus proche restaurant?"

"Madam we speak English, and the nearest restaurant is down the street to your right, called Marseilles,"

"Merci," she said and walked out towards the restaurant.

Entering Marseilles, she sat down at a booth and ordered wine and a salad. While waiting for her food she looked out the window, and enjoyed the simplicity of the area, from the cobbles stone roads to the laundry hanging from lines above the street. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed some one approaching her table, and moved her hand towards the knife in the holster under her skirt, while not turning her head. The man sat down and she jumped and pretended to be startled by his presence. She smiled and he spoke.

"Hello, my name is Jacomb I have not seen you here before," he said in heavily accented English.

He took her hand that was resting upon the table and kissed it. She looked into his face and was unnerved by his handsome visage. His curly auburn hair contrasted sharply with the blue grey of his eyes. She smiled again, and replied.

"That is because I am not from here. I am visiting here for work,"

"Umm, where it is that you work?"

"I am applying to a few places actually,"

"So you are not yet established?"

"No but I do believe I will get the job I am searching for tomorrow," she replied vaguely.

"Well I must insist that I show you around sometime, please," he said is eyes pleaded.

Just as she was about to respond the waiter came with her food and she took a sip of her wine while she studied him from underneath her eyelashes. Excusing herself to the restroom she stood and turned the corner from his sight, and looked around the corner. He picked up her wineglass and took a sip, and as he set it down she noticed a white pill sliding into the drink from his mouth.

Her blood boiled with anger so she came back and smiled, dazzling him with her beauty.

"I would love for you to show me around, I have not even begun to experience Paris yet," She said her voice bubbly.

He looked at, and smiled as she raised the wine glass to her mouth and pretended to take a sip. She set it down and mentally thought I her head what drug it was. Guessing by the white powder residue it left she guess it was a form of roofies, and mentally calculated how long it would be before it took effect.

She finished the rest of her salad and noted that he never ordered. Pretending to be flirtatious she talked with him for a time, then began to purposely slur her words and move her body mechanically. He immediately stood up and grabbed her, and threw money on the table. She walked with him, her head on his shoulder shielding her face as he loudly said, "My wife has had too much to drink," and led her out the door.

He walked swiftly almost dragging her to the corner where he called a cab. Once inside she slumped over and he light a cigarette. With her eyes closed, Devina took note of the turns of the car and when the car stopped she barely peeked her eyes open to see the address and street name. He carried her inside up a flight of stairs and opened his door. Setting her on the bed he went into the bathroom and drew a bath.

Waiting 10 minutes, she stood and unsheathed her heavily serrated knife from her thigh. Looking through the crack in the door she seen him in the tub with his eyes closed and entered and shut the door quietly. Walking behind him she studied him, and noted his well-toned, yet slightly out of shape body.

'This is no spy,' she thought to herself, and crouched down and placed the knife against his throat. He jerked and his eyes flew across the room until they settled on her.

"What are you doing, wait, aagghh!" he struggled then stopped as she pressed the knife deeper against his throat, a stream of blood sliding down his neck.

"You are going to tell me why you tried to drug me," Devina said calmly.

"I was only trying to be with you, that's all I promise," he whispered sweat breaking out upon his brow.

Devina stared at him, and was suddenly disgusted by him. "How many other foreign women have you done this too," she asked.

"None, I swear, I promise,"

She pressed the knife deeper, blood beginning to leak out faster.

"Liar. Why don't I believe you,"

"Ok ok one other one. I'm sorry you were just so beautiful, and I wanted you, aaggh!" she yelled as she sliced his face, narrowly missing his eye.

Standing up she opened the door and walked out of the room, not looking back as he cursed and screamed in the bathtub. Walking swiftly down the stairs to exited the complex, and began walking home the way she remembered. Twenty minutes later she made it to her room and laid down on the bed in exhaustion.

Setting her alarm for early in the morning she laid her head on the pillow and went to sleep.

******************

"Hello Dr. Strauss, how was your plane ride across the pond?" the interviewer asked her pleasantly.

"It was fine, I had no problems travelling," Devina replied, smiling.

"Well let's get started. You have a very impressive Curriculum Vitae here. It says that you completed our Ph.D in Biomedical engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology. Can you please explain for me what your major area of expertise was?"

"Well, I....," she stopped as the door opened and two people entered, Dr. Van Leeuwan and Jacomb. Her face registered no shock as she recognized him from the previoous night, yet his face turned malicious as he eyed her in shock and anger. The scar on his face was red and angry, and the interviewer looked at him in surprise.

"Dr. Von Frachlein, what happened, are you alright?"

He looked at her as he answered, "I am just fine, I was attacked last night by a mad woman on my way home,"

Devina stared at him back even as the interviewer introduced her to them.

"Dr. Van Leeuwan and Von Frachlein, I would like to introduce Dr. Devina Strauss, she is our latest applicant for the Junior Research assistant,"

She stood and shook both their hands, her voice ironic, "It's nice to meet you both gentlemen,"

"Let me see her folder please," Dr. Van Leeuwan said.

The interviewer handed it to him, and he glance through it.

"Very impressive. I believe you have the qualifications we are looking for. You're hired,"

Dr. Frachlein sputtered I outrage, "You don't even know her and what she can do!"

"Actually Dr. Strauss and I have already had the pleasure of meeting and find her to be extremely intelligent,"

"This is an outrage, we still have 20 other applicants for the position, who I believe will be far better suited...,"

"Do you question my judgment, Frachlein?" Dr. Van Leeuwan said quietly.

Realizing his mistake, Frachlein replied, "No no never, I was just saying that the interviews have just begun,"

"Well it's settle then. Welcome to the team Dr. Strauss," he said his eyes never leaving hers as he smiled faintly.

"Thank you, I am glad to be a part of your team," she replied, ignoring Frachlein's menacing look.

"May I speak with you a moment please," Van Leeuwan asked as everyone left the room.

"Sure," she replied turning back around. The door closed and he lowered his voice.

"What are you doing here? You show up to my gala and act so mysterious, then just leave, and three days later your applying to work under me,"

"I went to the gala because I was interested in the talk, not you. Remember you approached me,"

Heat entered his eyes as he remembered their encounter. "I open my lab every morning at 8 am. You may have the rest of the week off, but be here Monday on time,"

"Of course, I will see you then," she turned to leave and he grabbed her arm. She looked back at him and he said, "There is something I'm missing here, isn't there,"

She simply looked at him then said, "I will see you Monday,"

Removing her harm gently from his grasp she exited the door.