Cloak and Dagger

The men shared a knowing laugh at Henderson's statement before Simmons continued, "It just looks as though she's pursuing the case, when you were sure she'd be too distracted to focus and actually do her job."

"You know what we've got riding on this deal, Henderson. We can't afford for this agent of yours to bust up the operation or to figure out what's really going on," Cooper added.

Henderson rolled his eyes and said, "Do you really think I don't know what we all have at stake here? Both of you need to relax. I don't think that Agent Sinclair will be able to see our little forest for the 'tree' we've planted her with."

Simmons and Cooper still felt uneasy with the situation, but Henderson had managed to allay their concerns for the time being. Their conversation had to stop there when an assistant entered the room with news of an incoming update from Agent Sinclair.

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Ava opened the door to her room quietly and checked the hallway for any wandering group members or security personnel. In truth, she shouldn't have much trouble explaining being out of her room, but she didn't want to put any more attention on herself than was necessary.

The hallway clear, Ava made her way out toward the main meeting area...where she hoped she'd be able to find a few threads of evidence that she could weave into something that would make sense. As she approached the room, she could hear the voices of two of Cho Min's associates. She stopped after being able to identify their voices as Cho Min's closest assistant Kyung Soon (which meant 'honored and gentle') and the man they had met earlier that day at the hut.

Kyung Soon was rarely far from Cho Min's side, in fact, part of Ava's confusion with Cho Min's kiss had been just this...she already seemed to have a woman who, for all intents and purposes, appeared to be more than just an assistant. Kyung Soon was a beautiful woman and she had a protective quality that Ava figured Cho Min found appealing, even though she had never seen anything occur between them to confirm her initial suspicions.

In listening to the two talk, she heard Kyung Soon refer to the mysterious man from the hut as Sergeant Lopez...obviously affiliated with the military, but she wasn't sure if he was one of ours or what branch of the military he was with. Remaining as still and quiet as possible, Ava continued listening to their conversation, and noticed it taking a sudden tone of familiarity.

"You were able to get the materials, Ron?" asked Kyung Soon.

"I got everything on the man's list...with this uniform, it was easy," Sergeant Lopez replied, "We're completely on schedule and this whole ordeal will be over for us soon." Ava crept a bit closer to the edge of the wall leading into the meeting room and was able to see the two exchange an almost fevered, but brief kiss...bringing into question both the exact identity of Sergeant Lopez and the relationship between Kyung Soon and Cho Min. As she pondered these questions, she felt a tap on her shoulder.

Trying not to jump completely out of her skin, Ava turned quickly to see Cho Min standing next to her. "Are you lost?" Cho Min asked.

Ava gathered herself and tried to respond quickly without making it seem like she was trying to come up with an explanation. "No, I thought I heard voices and decided to investigate...but it was just Kyung Soon," Ava answered confidently.

Since even Cho Min didn't seem to know Sergeant Lopez at their meeting earlier, Ava thought it best not to mention his role in the conversation. After all, Ava needed to find out who he was, and, for that matter, who Kyung Soon really was before she could do anything.

Cho Min nodded and asked if everything appeared to be alright as she reached out to take Ava's hand. Ava nodded and Cho Min tugged at her hand, pulling her closer to the incredible beauty before her. Ava's mind ran with the knowledge that she needed to get to her Blackberry device and make a report as soon as possible, coupled with the sensations she got as Cho Min reached up to caress her cheek. She knew that running away now would cast more than a little suspicion on her, and she felt herself giving in again as Cho Min leaned in and brushed her lips against Ava's.

Soon, they were engaged in another intensely passionate kiss that had both women so preoccupied that they didn't notice Kyung Soon as she rounded the corner. Kyung Soon had other things on her mind as well, and ended up bumping into the couple, breaking their kiss and giving Ava a chance to excuse herself...appearing to be embarrassed by being caught in a 'compromising position.' She went straight to her room, waiting a few moments to see if she'd been followed before sending a message to Langley requesting information on both Kyung Soon and Sergeant Ron Lopez.

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Henderson took the message from his assistant and motioned for him to leave, taking his seat very slowly.

"From the look on your face, Henderson, I take it this isn't good news," Simmons commented.

Henderson remained quiet, just staring at the piece of paper that he held in his hand.

"For God's sake, Henderson!" Cooper shouted, "What the hell is going on?"

"Agent Sinclair has become aware of Sergeant Lopez and has suspicions about the identity and motives of Kyung Soon," Henderson announced with a slight tremor in his voice.

"My God, she's going to figure this out! We're all dead, Henderson!" Cooper yelled in a panic.

Simmons tried to hold everyone together, and summoned for Henderson's assistant. When the assistant arrived, Simmons asked "Has this message already hit the operation's central intelligence headquarters yet?"

Three pairs of very anxious eyes looked upon the young man as he answered in the affirmative. The room remained deathly still and all Henderson could manage to mutter was a very weak, "That'll be all," as he again motioned for his assistant to leave.

Cloak and Dagger Pt. 6

Ava found herself hovering outside Cho Min's room...debating whether to knock on her door or forget the desire she felt and return to her own room. Eventually, she raised a tentative hand up and rapped lightly on the door.

Within seconds, Cho Min opened her door and donned a grin that showed the satisfaction she felt in drawing Ava to her. She stepped aside and opened the door wider, allowing Ava into her room.

The door closed, and Ava sensed that Cho Min had moved in close. She could feel Cho Min's breath on her neck, followed closely by the feel of her warm face nuzzling in from behind. A sudden shiver surged down her spine as she felt Cho Min's lips planting feathery kisses along her neck and shoulders, and Ava allowed a soft moan escape her lips. She could feel Cho Min smiling as she continued to cover the nape of her neck with gentle kisses.

Turning to face Cho Min, Ava found herself gazing into her eyes with a hunger that she hadn't felt in such a long time. She leaned in and pressed her lips against Cho Min's, drawing them into a slow, lingering kiss. Another moan could be heard as Cho Min's tongue sought out Ava's mouth. The next several minutes were a flurry of hands, as Ava allowed Cho Min to undress her and lay her upon the bed. She felt those warm, succulent lips mapping out her neck and chest as Cho Min made her way to her breast. Ava took in a sharp breath as her breast was engulfed, then let out a groan.

While attention was being paid to her breasts, Ava began to hear a voice, 'Agent Sinclair,' it said.

'Agent Sinclair,' the voice repeated, and Ava was suddenly pulled out of Cho Min's reach as she returned from what seemed to be a dream.

Gathering her senses, Ava realized that she was hearing her name being called through her earpiece...meaning there must be an incoming message from Langley. She sat up and collected her Blackberry device, still attempting to shake the dream that had seemed so real.

She shook her head and told herself to get a grip, as she settled in to retrieve her message.

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Doug Carpenter sat in his office looking over various memos and reports when he came across a confusing report from Agent Ava Sinclair. It was clear that she was involved in some sort of operation, but he knew nothing about it and knew he hadn't authorized it. As the director of the CIA, it was his job to approve every mission...although he knew that there were those who managed to circumvent his authority. He turned to his computer and pulled up Ava's records, only to discover that she was a fairly new agent and was certainly not ready to orchestrate any field operations.

Immediately, Carpenter called for his assistant and instructed him to conduct a detailed investigation into the mysterious operation. Not only did he need to know the exact objectives for the operation, but also who was behind it...who would have had the audacity to assemble and carry out a mission without going through the proper channels. Unsanctioned missions almost always spelled trouble for the agents involved, and he didn't want to see such a young agent caught up in someone else's underhanded exploits.

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As she logged in, Ava still had visions from her vividly explicit dream swirling about in her mind. Cho Min was becoming more and more of a distraction at a time when Ava needed to be completely focused. She hated the fact that her thoughts had been consumed with her attraction, and that those thoughts left her with an indescribable feebleness.

Trying again to shake off her intense dream, Ava retrieved her message from Langley. It read, 'Be advised...Kyung Soon and Lopez are not your concern...Remain focused on Cho Min.'

Ava was suddenly confused. She had tried to make it clear in her previous message to Langley that she suspected Kyung Soon and Lopez were involved in the planning of the subway attack, and that their involvement seemed to be deep. Why she was being told to disregard that...she didn't know, but she was incredibly uneasy about the whole thing. Something wasn't right...she couldn't put her finger on it, but she knew that something was wrong.

Cloak and Dagger Pt. 7

Washington – One Year Ago Closed door meeting involving two members of the Congressional Intelligence Committee and CIA agents Henderson, Simmons and Cooper.

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"I don't understand why we've been called to this meeting," Henderson started, "It seems we should be meeting with the entire committee."

Congressman Dean, a career politician from Ohio, replied, "If what we had in mind for you was above board and legal, we would be meeting with the whole committee. But since this is something of a 'black op' we decided it was best to meet privately."

Henderson looked over at his colleagues then asked, "Are you saying that you intend to involve us in an illegal operation?"

Dean's cohort, Congressman Carlisle, another career politician hailing from New Hampshire said, "Since the President is unwilling to take care of the problem, we've decided to force him into it."

A very perplexed Simmons asked, "Exactly what is the problem you want handled, and why are we being asked to help you?"

"We might as well just cut to the chase," Dean began, "As you know, North Korea has developed a rather sophisticated nuclear program and has been threatening South Korea as well as several other countries in the area. The President has exhausted all of our diplomatic capabilities, but is unwilling to send troops in to neutralize the threat."

Carlisle added, "Yes, and a nuclear North Korea means economic problems for us and for our allies...who've already stated that it's their wish that we attack."

Cooper replied, "The CIA has already given the President a report on the extent of North Korea's capabilities, so I'm not sure..."

Henderson interrupted him, "If I understand you correctly, you want us to orchestrate an unsanctioned mission to somehow force the President into attacking North Korea."

"That's it exactly," Dean replied.

Cooper laughed and said, "That's preposterous! How in the world are we going to pull that off?"

"I want to know what's in it for us," Henderson said, "I mean, you don't expect us to engage in such an endeavor without some form of compensation." "You can't be serious, Henderson! There's no way we can do this!" Cooper replied.

Simmons jumped in and said, "Cooper, shut-up and listen to their offer! We can do the job if the price is right."

Carlisle presented the three men with folders outlining the details of the mission. As they looked over the information, he explained, "We are prepared to introduce a bill that will dramatically increase the CIA's budget and we will support your nominations to the Homeland Security Department...if you succeed, that is."

"We'll leave you three to look over all the details and make a decision," Dean said, "and that decision will be needed today, gentlemen."

With that, Dean and Carlisle left the room, leaving Henderson with the job of convincing the others to acquiesce. Simmons seemed to be on board, but Cooper's entire demeanor shouted uncertainty. Henderson was able to calm him somewhat when he pointed out that the whole mission had been meticulously planned...leaving them to hand-pick the operation's personnel.

They studied the game plan before them, and discovered that the main objective was to assist a North Korean militant group in carrying out an attack on the New York subway system. It was thought that such an action would leave the President with no choice but to attack North Korea and root out the terrorists while defusing the nuclear threat. The committee knew that two of its operatives were, in fact, double agents working for both North Korea and South Korea. The first step in launching this mission was to meet with these operatives and essentially blackmail them into cooperating...If North Korea were to learn of their double agent status, the punishment would be immediate execution.

"My God," Cooper said, "If we get caught in this, we're dead...You know that, don't you?"

Simmons answered, "We don't have any intention of being caught, and this plan is so perfect, I don't see how we could be caught."

"Besides," Henderson added, "A spot with Homeland Security would be a giant step up, not to mention being responsible for additional CIA funding. We'll be seen as heroes in the end."

Cooper sighed and said, "North Korea is a threat, and we do need to do something about it...I just wish there were another way to go about it. This is going to cost many innocent people their lives in a city that's already had more than its fair share of terrorism and death."

Henderson jumped in and said, "Well then, it sounds like we're settled...Right, Cooper?"

Cooper hung his head and nodded as Henderson picked up the phone and called Congressman Dean's office to inform him of their decision.

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Langley – Present Day Office of Doug Carpenter, Director of the CIA

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Carpenter's assistant entered the room bearing news of his preliminary findings in his investigation of the apparent unsanctioned mission.

"Sir, I've been able to determine who assigned Agent Sinclair to this operation...It appears that the order came from Agent Henderson's office," the assistant explained.

Carpenter shook his head and replied, "Henderson, huh? That son of a bitch will do anything to get promoted or draw attention to himself."

"What do we know about the mission?" Carpenter asked.

"Very little, sir, except that Agent Sinclair inquired about two of our operatives in South Korea...The two that we found out were working with the North Korean government as well," his assistant answered.

"Kyung Soon and Sergeant Lopez? What did she ask about them?" Carpenter asked.

His assistant flipped through a few pages of notes and found the transcript of the communications between Agent Sinclair and Henderson's office, "It seems they are involved in the operation, and she is suspicious of them," he said.

"With good reason, I'm sure," Carpenter replied, "I'm trying to get a handle on this. Henderson organized a covert operation without the Agency's approval and placed an agent with no prior field experience in charge...Am I getting all this right?"

"It appears that way, sir, but we still don't know what the mission's objective is. Since Agent Sinclair seems suspicious of two of the players, it's probably safe to say that she's not completely 'in the loop' as far as vital information goes," his assistant added.

Carpenter shook his head again in disgust, "Henderson plucked her out of her office and right in the middle of something that could get her killed. When we get to the bottom of this, I want his head mounted on this wall," he said, gesturing to the wall behind his desk.

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Ava went about the routine of accompanying Cho Min and her entourage on their various excursions, while waiting on something...anything that might explain the strange comments made by Kyung Soon and Lopez. The tension between she and Cho Min was extreme, and Ava found herself wishing that Cho Min wasn't an enemy.

With the day completed, Ava retired to her quarters. As she entered the room, her eyes were immediately drawn to the subtle blinking light on her Blackberry device. She quickly logged in and found she had a message from the CIA Director. Puzzled, she read the message, "Possible foul play involved with this mission...Henderson responsible...Direct all reports to my office and advise me about any further messages from Henderson."

Ava drew in a long breath and released it as she tried to wrap her mind around what she'd just read. "My first field assignment," she said to herself with a bit of sarcasm, "and it's an illegal, unsanctioned mission. This is just great!"

Cloak and Dagger – Pt. 8

In pondering her current predicament, Ava realized that she never got a straightforward response to her question regarding Kyung Soon and Sergeant Lopez. Since it appeared that the entire operation was anything but straightforward, she wondered whom she could trust. Working in the company of spies, where people deal in lies and manipulate situations to fit their own agendas, was proving to offer very little to bank on in the trust department. She started to send another message to Henderson, asking her question again, reiterating her reasons for suspicion...but she remembered something about Director Carpenter's message that stopped her and made her rethink her next move.

It was clear that Carpenter suspected that something had gone awry, and that Ava might be in harm's way...a fact he didn't have to make her aware of. Ultimately, though, it was that very fact that acted as the deciding factor, and Ava prepared a message to Carpenter's office detailing what she had seen and heard regarding Kyung Soon and Lopez. She decided to add a further inquiry into how she should handle messages from Henderson's office. If she were to ignore his messages, Henderson may begin to question her loyalty, putting her in an even more perilous situation.

She sat down and worked out her message to Carpenter, making it clear that she would need to know how to respond to Henderson, as he was sure to be contacting her soon. Ava was startled a bit when she heard an abrupt knock at her door. Opening the door, Ava was face to face with Kyung Soon. It was probably her imagination working overtime, but Ava was suddenly very nervous...part of her wondered if any of the other staff had been able to figure out who she really was. She managed to mumble, "Can I help you?"

Kyung Soon replied, "Cho Min wants to see you...something about going over tomorrow's schedule with you."

Ava thanked her and made her way to Cho Min's room...over-thinking the situation as she walked. On the one hand, she was excited that she was going to be with Cho Min...even if it were for just a few minutes. On the other hand, her 'Secret Agent' mentality was shouting for her to be extremely careful...there was no telling who was involved in whatever was going on. Just before she reached Cho Min's door, she said to herself, "Maybe if I'd enrolled in a convent the day I decided to be an agent...Ugh, this assignment has seriously clouded my thinking."