The Assignment Ch. 01

She walked into the ballroom, her body gliding through the crowd as it parted for her. Ignoring the leering looks she gained in her skin tight red dress she walked to the bar and sat down.

"I'll take a Blackfoot Confederacy" she announced to the bartender who quickly made it and pass it towards her.

She reached for the glass and was about to grasp it when a hand covered hers, and slowly pulled up towards a well-shaped mouth and kissed it. She looked up to see a man, handsome with his long brown hair tied behind his head and his green eyes looking at her speculatively.

"You are divine, do you know that" the man said, his eyes surveying her heart-shaped décolletage that sprung from her sleeveless dress.

"I was not aware of my divinity" she said with a smirk and removed her hand from his grasp to grab her drink.

"Then are you a devil, come here to this boring science event to tempt me?"

"I am neither divine nor devious, and you are?" she said with a questioning gaze in her eyes.

"I am Dr. Van Leeuwan, senior scientist of Sanofi Pharmeceuticals"

"Oh so you're the reason why the Society for Genomic Research is giving this gala?" she asked with a care not attitude.

"Why yes, I had forgotten about that" He smiled his beautiful eyes crinkling at the corners.

"I look forward to the talk you will be giving later this evening" she said.

"Really, I had not known that you were a scientist. May I ask what your specilalty is?"

"Merely curious that's all" she said vaguely.

"If you excuse me I must run to the ladies room" she said as she rose and walked away without giving him a chance to reply.

Walking towards the bathroom, she surveyed her surroundings, noting the security standing by the back entrance to the anterior rooms. Walking in to the bathroom, she checked her appearance, making sure her curls still looked wild and tousled, and her makeup was perfectly complimenting her nut brown skin tone. Grabbing her clutch she walked out and made her way towards the security guards.

"Hello, I believe I left something back there" she began her voice syrupy in sweetness.

"I'm sorry ma'am, but we cannot let you back there" one of the guards began.

"I was just back there; I left one of my hair clips. I was with.... Dr. Van Leeuwan"

"Oh really, and what were you guys doing" the other guard asked, lust evident in his gaze and tone as he looked down her cleavage.

She put on a sultry look. "We needed a moment alone to catch up. I apologize boys but I just need a moment to gather my things" she said while looking the in the eye boldly and walked right past the as their eyes followed her switching behind.

She walked quickly into the room with a glance behind her to make sure the door was shut. Stopping at a cabinet she opened it to reveal a bunch of briefcases. Pulling them out she searched them, placing them back in the cabinet until she found the correct one.

The tag on the side read Dr. Van Leeuwan and she unzipped it, moving aside it interior contents until she found an access card and flash drive on a keychain. Reaching inside her clutch she pulled out a tampon, only to push up on the applicator bottom to show a USB port. Plugging the flash drive in, she waited as the port began scanning the files, until it flashed blue. Once done she placed everything as is back in the briefcase and cabinet, and began walking towards the door.

The door suddenly opened and she stopped as Dr. Van Leeuwan walked in.

"There you are, I was wondering where you went to. What are you doing back here, you don't have authorization" he asked.

"I had to.." she began but he cut her off with a wave of his hand. She stopped talking and kept a straight face as to not show her apprehension.

"You knew I would come back here before I gave my talk to gather my notes. Didn't you?" he asked with a gleam in his eyes.

Relieved at his suggestion she let a slow smile cross her face as she nodded. He walked towards her and placed a hand at the small of her back.

"You are very devious indeed" he leaned down to kiss her, his hands moving lower to grip her ass.

She tilted her face up, anticipating the kiss and his hands sent shivers down her spine.

"Security told me there was woman who claimed to be with me in here earlier, and I had hoped it was you who told them that" he said his lips inches from hers as he withheld his kiss.

Not replying, she leaned up and grabbed his face to close the space between their lips as her other hand slowly snapped the clutch shut.

Pulling away she said, "We will continue this later, after your presentation."

Walking towards the door, he called out "What is your name?"

"Devina" she replied as the door shut behind her. He gazed at the door for a few seconds, not noticing the cabinet behind him that contained his briefcase, the door slightly ajar.

Walking past the guards she made her way towards the ballroom, passing people making their way to their seats for Dr. Leeuwan's presentation. She quickly turned towards the exit and made her way across the street, not looking back and keeping her gaze down. Once she reached her car, a red 2012 Audi a6, she noticed a parking ticket. Eyeing it warily she grabbed it then quickly got in her car and drove off.

After 30 minutes of driving along I-290, she pulled off, and parked in a secluded parking lot. Rolling up her bulletproof windows and locking her doors she picked up the parking ticket and spit on it. After rubbing in her saliva a 7 digit number appeared in black ink. Grabbing her keys she placed them in the lock in her dashboard and a keypad popped out. Once the 7 digit number was entered the glove compartment opened and she grabbed the file that was inside.

The file sat in her lap as she breathed in deeply for a few seconds. She then popped the seal and opened it, only to see a picture of a beautiful black woman named Devina Strauss. She had bronze skin and wild curly hair and brown almond shaped eyes. Her file read that she was 29, the daughter of Seargent Strauss and was born on a military base in Maricopa county Arizona. She had a ph.D in Biomedical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and was proficient in 4 languages. Ignoring the other facts of the file, she gazed at the picture of herself, understanding the message that her file in her car sent her.

Picking up her phone she dialed a 12 digit number, which answered on the first ring.

"Agent Strauss checking in" she said by way of greeting.

"My favorite agent as always" a voice said with warmth. "Did you get the file I placed in your car" the man said.

"Yes I did"

"Well who is your next target?" He asked impatient for the information.

"It was my file" she said her voice shaky

He was silent on the other line. "They're not getting rid of you. I promise your top good of an agent" he assured her, his voice tense with worry.

"Either that or it's something really big" she joked to settle he unease in her stomach.

"I'm on my way to headquarters, I will see you there" she said, hanging up before he could say goodbye.

Starting her car she began driving in the direction she came from, and set course for Chicago, Illinois.