Martini & Salsa

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"Right," the younger woman replied before taking the agents advice and taking a deep breath.

Among the milling people she saw some of the dancers. All were wearing little clothing, but if one had been at the end of her performance Cynthia didn't notice. In the distance she could hear the sirens as the fire department made their way to the street. Still no sniper fire, but more frustrating there didn't seem to be the woman they were looking for. Unless she was missing something.

With Martini with her they gathered into the crowd, but even closer she didn't spot the woman. "Should we ask one of the others?" it was a way to find out the woman's identity, but Salsa really didn't like the idea too much.
 
He stayed close to her scanning both the crowd and the surrounding buildings, The cardinal wouldn't be stupid enough to be anywhere his scope would reflect the light so Martini.. Josh focused on the shadows...

"Cynthia.." he whispered. "Second alley to the left of the delivery van, brown coat, I think I've found our dancer."

he didn't even seem to be looking in that direction, instead his eye were pointing at the clinic close to the alley. "You follow her I'll head her off.." he took his peripheral vision off of the target, a mistake no trained agent should make to look instead at Salsa. "Look out for yourself."

By his tone he seemed confident she could handle herself the short time they'd be apart, but there was also concern, then he stepped away and the crowd swallowed him, taking an indirect rout using the crowd as cover.
 
"Right, I will," Cynthia smiled at Josh very briefly.

The ball was in their court again, as Martini made his way to go around, Salsa headed to the alley. It was almost a sigh of relief to get away from all the milling people and of course she was glad to get away from the site of the fire before the aid personal and then the media showed up.

Taking a deep breath she looked into the dark alley, moving her sunglasses so she could get a better view of things. Dark and dirty as any alleyway should be, but where was the woman? Frowning, Salsa slowly walked into the alley way, did she duck behind something? Did she climb up somewhere? With every step the young agent felt her heart beat quicken more.
 
He watched her go, his decision was tactical but it still didn't sit well with him. He was sending her out alone when the most dangerous assassin the agency had ever faced was known to be in the area. She has the most talented recruit he had ever seen but still, he worried for her safety.

"Be careful" he whispered to her retreating back before he began pushing his way through the crowd in the other direction.

He left his 9mm in the holster, it would do him no good against the girl or a sniper, instead he drew his backup, a sleek black pistol that looked much like his regular gun except for a bright orange stripe on the barrel. Pulling back the slide he checked the dart nestled inside and the pressure of the compressed gas making sure it hadn't been damaged. With the cardinal around and the need to get out fast he wasn't going to take any chances with this girl.
 
Then she spotted the woman, she had started to go up a fire escape, having dropped her shoes in the process. Salsa was being careful to use a dumpster as a shield I case the woman was armed. However if she tried to run, Cynthia knew she could get up there quickly, but would it be quick enough. She really wish she'd found time to go to the gym more since this all started.

"I think it's time you stop with these games," Salsa called after the woman.

"Shit," the woman looked around, not having spot Salsa and was obviously frantic.

"This doesn't have to turn out bad. We just want to talk. Just come down here."

"N-no, I can't...."

"Yes you can! There's no one else in this alley but me and my partner. You can run, but we will catch you. By any means." Cynthia could almost hear the stripper gulp. "I know you're scared. I understand that. You didn't ask to be in this situation, but here you are. You want out of this safely?"

"Y-yeah, but..."

Salsa smiled to herself, she was relenting just a little more and she'd come down on her own. And then she saw the stripper stiffen, and collapse. Looking down at the other end of the alley Cynthia saw Martini with his gun out. He'd just shot the woman in the back!
 
Pull back the slide, push another dart into the breach. Ready for another dose if the first one and the fall hadn't knocked her out. This was all done with his legs already moving towards the girl.

"Look though that there may be clues." he said tossing the woman's handbag to Salsa before he patted her down. No weapons, one nasty bump to head head from the fall, and the dart in her back. "Shes clean.." he pulled the black metal dart out and held it up. ".. and she'll be ." he say the look on her face and stood. "You did well, now lets her out bird back to base."

No chances, there was still a sniper out there.
 
It was cold and calculated to minimize any risk to himself. Cynthia wasn't sure exactly how she felt about that, and knew that in it's self was the problem. Feelings were not something people in this business seemed to know how to deal with.

"Right," Salsa said as she started going through the bag, but still she was giving a piece of herself a chance to trying to find her place in all this chaos. "Cellphone might have a few clues. Other then that nothing." She pulled the sunglasses over her eyes once more.

Salsa hoped she seemed professional, unreadable. For the moment she needed to keep her head in the game, all the games. "Too many people out there to walk back to the car with her. We should bring the car here, one of us can stay in the shadows with her. She's not waking up after all." <i>You made sure of that didn't you?</I> Salsa hoped they got a break to finding the Cardinal one last time though.
 
He handed her the dart gun and nodded. "I'll park at the mouth of the alley you came through." he was smart enough to know something was bothering Salsa but whatever it was they could talk about back at base.

He moved down the alleyway and out into the crowd, flashing an ID at one of the cops as he moved to the parking lot. Climbing in he put it in 1st and drove slowly up to the alley hut the handbreak on and helped Salsa get the stripper itno the back of the car. There was silence between them all the way back and even when the medical team came to get her from the car she seemed off.

"She'll be awake soon, I'd sujest getting something to eat then heading strait to interrogation room three. I'll debrief daddy." he seemed tense and before he left he took the pone from the purse and sighed. It had been a long day and yet it was far from over.
 
Cynthia doubted she could eat, but knew she needed to. Taking Martini's advice she headed to the cafeteria and got a sandwich. She didn't even taste the food.

Wasting no time though Salsa cleaned up and headed to the interrogation room. It was sectioned off for the observers, which apparently she was a one of a few. However for everything that was set up to be unpleasant, though nothing cruel, it just caused Cynthia to be more uneased. These were professionals doing there job, and even if she were to stay she wasn't going to learn anything from this.

"I'll be back later," she whispered to Doctor Winestein and carefully let herself out. As she wandered the corridors Cynthia felt claustrophobic. She had never had problem with small spaces, which reall was not the problem here. She just felt trapped. It was all in her head of course but sometimes you have to remind your head that you're okay. Besides it was time to see if they honestly trusted her. She doubted it.

Knowing at least five ways out of the building now, she went to the nearest guarded exit and showed her badge. Lo and behold there was no questions, she was allowed out! This in and of itself made her feel much better. Sure they might still be watching her, but there hadn't been a question about it.

Now that she was out though, where did she want to go for a while?
 
"So he got away?"

Daddy's stare seemed to solidify the air between them.

"You were outplayed by a stripper, you both were... Where is Salsa anyway."

"I told her to get something to eat before the the interrogation, she seemed shaken."

"Well after the interrogation I want you both in my office and you had better have answers. In the meantime I will see what I can get from the dancer who bested two of my field agents."

Josh nodded and left the room and deciding first to check the cafeteria, then the gym, then the gun range for Cynthia but she wasn't around, maybe she had gone to the interrogation booth after all.
 
"So he got away?"

Daddy's stare seemed to solidify the air between them.

"You were outplayed by a stripper, you both were... Where is Salsa anyway."

"I told her to get something to eat before the the interrogation, she seemed shaken."

"Well after the interrogation I want you both in my office and you had better have answers. In the meantime I will see what I can get from the dancer who bested two of my field agents."

Josh nodded and left the room and deciding first to check the cafeteria, then the gym, then the gun range for Cynthia but she wasn't around, maybe she had gone to the interrogation booth after all.
 
Cynthia had found herself in a park. It was a tiny tucked away place with only a few benches and trees, but it was a nice oasis from the city, even if she could still hear the traffic from the not to distant boulevard. She was aware though, very aware, even if her head was tilted up to the sky as she sat. "Thought you'd be long gone from here," she muttered.

"I could have shot you," the femine voice said.

"No, I don't think you could, but if you were going to you'd have already done it." Cynthia sat up and looked over at Lena. "So planning on messing my life up some more?"

"That was never my intention," the one time best friend said with a frown.

"I can't say I can exactly trust you."

"You can't trust them either. But don't believe my words." Lena dropped a folder on the bench, but Cynthia barely glanced at it. Lena was walking away.

"What makes you think you can trust me?"

"I don't, I just know you too well."

Salsa frowned, she didn't bother wondering how the woman knew she would be here. One thing was for sure, if she did work with the Cardnial she was playing her own game, or Cynthia would have been dead. So what brought Lena out of the woodwork? Pulling off her sunglasses she stared at her name on the folder. They had a folder on her?

Then she opened it!
 
"I can't find her anywhere." Josh's face was full of concern "Daddy is going to flip if she finds out she left again."

Doctor Winestein looked into the room where Daddy was calmly questioning the frightened woman. "She could be in there for the next five minuet or the next three hours, we'd better hurry."

The two left the room and headed for the operations room where Daddy traced and spoke to agents int he field. "I'll guide you from here, take a radio and go, we've got to get her back before Daddy comes back out.

Martini nodded and grabbing a radio set off at a jog towards the exit.

"Right, can you hear me?"

"Crystal."

"Theres a blip in the park, it might be her, the bench closest to the fountain in the west walkway, I don't have any eyes there so I can't tell if shes alone. Do you have a gun?"

"No, and I'm not going back for one, just tell me if she moves."
 
These were documents, notes, photos, about her!

She recognized the hand writing even on several of them. The who wasn't the question. Not in the least, it was the why. The why spawned a thousand other questions as she looked at her achievements in elementary and then middle school. She'd started from the back, to the oldest documents first, unsure after the glance at the front page if she wanted to read any of it. But now she had and there was no more deluding herself.

She'd been so engrossed with what was in her hands she almost didn't notice him until it was too late! Quickly she closed the folder and looked up at Martini, with a smoldering that could easily turn to flames. "I need to see Daddy Dearest."
 
Me looked down at her. "If we're lucky shes still interviewing the suspect." he said once he caught his breath. "Now we need to get back... now.. and hide that."

These were not suggestions, they were as close to orders as he had ever given her. He turned and scanned the crowd looking fro anyone watching. "Doc, I've found her heading back now."

The voice the replied made his blood freeze. "Both of you, my office... now." Daddy did not sound pleased and lines appeared in his forehead. "It looks like you'll get your wish... lets go."

He led the way back though the crowd and though the halls until they came to Daddy's office the woman behind the desk leaning back and inviting them to talk first, Martini didn't he knew Daddy, anything they said would just be sticking the feel into it further.
 
Daddy gave Cynthia the impression of a grand game master, which did not improver her overall mood. This was one big game and they were all using her as a pawn; Daddy, Lena, the Cardinal, maybe even Martini. She took the briefest glances at him. No, Josh was playing his own games, that was for sure, but whatever her part in it was wasn't just a useful, yet easily disposable pawn.

Salsa was through being a pawn, but she still didn't know all the moves in the game yet. "I needed fresh air. This might be all very normal to the rest of you, but I'm not nearly as accustomed," she had to keep focused. If she let her emotions get the better of her, she'd never escape being manipulated by everyone else. She kept eye contact with Daddy Dearest with her hands behind her back. There was no doubt she was being defiant, even if she wanted to suppress that there would be little way to hide it from this small room of professionals, so instead she rolled with it. She doubted she was going to like what was to come next, but what was the worse that Daddy would do? Have her killed? No, she was stubborn and angry, but obviously not a threat. Salsa just hoped that no one thought the word "yet" was needed for her. "Yet" could get her in a place as bad as dead.
 
Daddy leaned forwards. "Salsa, if you cannot handle the life of a field agent I am removing you from that role."

Josh stepped forwards and opened his mouth but a steely glance. "I'll get to you." she promised "Salsa... or Cynthia if you prefer, I want your gun on my desk, and you will not be allowed to leave this facility. Other duties will be found for you but until then you are not to discuss any investigations with any of our active field agents and any evidence you have should be turned over to me."

The look on her face told both of them there was no room for argument. "You are dismissed... Martini, remain here.."
 
Trying to shackle her some more. It really shouldn't have surprised Cynthia. Silently she walked overto Daddy's desk, pulling out her gun and laying it on the desk, sure that this was just a petty request from the woman at the other end of the desk. Apparently she needed the keep sake a bit too much. That was okay, Cynthia did not!

Turning around she headed out, though she did take a quick glance at Josh as she did so. He seemed very aggitated, and her own feelings upon seeing that were complex. On one hand she didn't want to be the source of his anxiety, on the other it was a relief to see some human emotions out of him, no matter how much he was trying to hide it.

Striding with purpose down the hall, Cynthia finally made her way to her room. Once inside with the door firmly closed she gave in enough to ball up her fist and hit it against the wall, but not in a bunching strike. This wasn't the end of anything though. Just an intermission.
 
In the week that followed Salsa heard not a word about what if any lead the stripper gave them about the Cardinal's location. She did not attempt to gossip with the agencies desk jockeys, who did do valuable work, but who she just didn't trust. In fact she didn't trust anyone, but there were a few she would have talked to. The doctor was one of them, but he seemed to avoid her, though she did see him from time to time. The other of course was Martini. There were many uncertainties when it came to Martini for the young agent, but she had to admit to herself it would have been a relief to talk to him. Unfortunately she couldn't. Unlike the doctor it wasn't that Martini was avoiding her, though she was sure Daddy would have insisted he do so, he simply wasn't around!

Not that being friendless and alone kept Salsa from paying attention to her surroundings. No, in the week that followed she did the busy work that Daddy subscribed her, and then went snooping. Cynthia did not believe she was actually that good. It was that either protocols were lacks or people were when it came to securing things. They assumed security cameras and locked doors were enough. Honestly it didn't surprise her that Lena got her file while still with Forestry. For spies people were trusting! Maybe that was the human factor. You can't suspect everyone all the time, you'd go insane.

Must have been why she still had hope.

She also had an escape plan if she needed it.

It was during one if her adventures that she came across a memo that should have been shredded instead of just tossed. It wasn't direct, but the meaning was for Cynthia. Lena had been ordered terminated and the agent assigned to this job was Josh. The information blew Cynthia away. She really wasn't sure how she felt about it. She didn't trust Lena, but she had been her friend. Josh, Martini, was doing his job, but he had to know that this was going to be hard for Cynthia to except. And why the focus on Lena? What about the Cardinal? It was with these thoughts swimming that Cynthia walked down the hall quietly back to her room.

~~~~~~​

At a nice ocean front cafe, wearing a big brim hat and large sunglasses Lena sat alone eating her sandwich. There was a lucky sea breeze and the city sounds were drowned out by the music being piped out to the patio. One bite she was alone, the next....
 
"At last I get to meet the actual agent Salsa." He pulled a chair our for himself and sat down. There was a metallic click under the table that was the only clue a trained agent would need that under the table a gun was pointed at their gut. And the person opposite then wanted them to know it. He could have used a rifle from across the street, shot her while he was still behind her, if he wanted to do this cleanly as he was meant to she would never have seen him coming.

"I'm sure you know who I am and what mu orders are." he said reaching up and removing his sunglasses. "But there are other factors involved. I don't believe you've helping the cardinal, if you were Cynthia would be dead, so..."

There was another click as he put the safety on and discreetly put the pistol away under his jacket. "I'm not following orders today, you and I, we're going to have a little talk once we put on a show for the agents watching. "He stood again and took hold of her arm dropping money onto the table and pulled her to her feet. "Trust me, I'm here for your side of the story."
 
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