Author's Note: I had initially intended to publish this second part immediately after the first release. However, after reading through the 4700 words I had written, I realized the story wasn't quite ready. I had a few plot issues and some threads to sort out. I apologize for the late release of this second part. I have 2, possibly 3, more parts to complete. Enjoy, and please leave feedback if you feel so inclined.
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At 9 AM the following day, Scott entered a small office on the fifth floor of an office building in Central Paris. The name on the door indicated it was the office for Services Logistiques Universels.
The name of the business fits the ambiguous theme of the building. Lawyers, accountants, and various other boring professionals filled the eight floors of the building.
Scott maintained his bland look. Today, he wore a gray shirt under a black jacket. His dark brown chinos and gray hiking boots were pretty much a daily staple. His tan canvas bag draped diagonally across his torso.
Just inside the door of Services Logistiques Universels was a small reception area. A beautiful young woman sat behind a small desk next to several chairs.
"Bonjour, Emma. Ça va?"
"Bonjour, Scott. Je vais trés bien. Et vous?"
"Ça va bien, merci."
Emma was a decoy and a security measure. She always wore low-cut, tight dresses that displayed her ample cleavage. Emma didn't have huge breasts but never underestimate what a great bra can do. Emma's job was to distract, delay, and, if necessary, destroy anyone who came into the office by mistake.
Emma was highly trained in martial arts and marksmanship. She knew Scott well, though not as well as she would like. Still, her hand hovered between the suppressed FN 509 9mm pistol under her desk and the button which opened the door for Scott.
If any part of their greeting had deviated from the script, Emma had a protocol to follow. Hopefully, Scott would remember his training and come out alive. If not, she would grieve for him but not regret her actions.
Scott crossed the room as they spoke. He reached the door just as Emma pressed the entry button.
The door led to a hallway. The purpose of the hallway was mainly to conceal the room's activity on the other side of the wall. The hallway would inconvenience any intruders but not prevent them from gaining access.
Scott walked quickly down the hallway and turned left. The hallway continued for a few more yards before he turned left again. The hallway formed a large "L" around the office.
"Good morning, Boss!"
"Hey, Josette."
Scott walked over to his conscience's desk. He dropped his bag in one of the seats facing her desk. Josette rose from her seat behind the desk and embraced Scott. They exchanged kisses on each cheek.
Josette held onto Scott for a moment longer after he released his embrace.
"You okay, Boss?" She had a worried look on her face.
"I'm okay. Didn't sleep very well last night after you dropped the bomb on me. What's the story?"
"Well, Chloë's boss has moved his trip up three weeks for some unknown reason. We suspect the other parties involved in the deal are putting pressure on him to close the deal. He changed his itinerary last night. Flight, hotel, everything. It's all been pushed to four days from now."
"I'm so fucked. There's no way to get this done in four days. Why hasn't our mission been cancelled? Surely, there are assets on the ground to deal with the actual meeting?"
Josette smiled.
"Boss, I'm always in awe of your enthusiastic belief that anyone outside of this office knows what the fuck they are doing. It's so fucking cute. Probably one of the reasons I love you so much."
"Josette, your sarcastic cynicism is my reason for keeping you on my team." Scott planted himself in the closest chair. "That, and you get drunk with supreme efficiency. Saves me on the office party budget. So let me guess? No one is coming. It's up to us?"
"Yep."
"Shit. We're so fucked. Are there any openings in French Intelligence? Maybe we can just switch sides. Seems easier."
"Boss, you know you can't even joke about that. If Emma heard that, she might shoot you in your pretty face with that FN she keeps tucked between her legs."
"Josette, it's not between her legs. It's under her desk."
"Shows what you know. I think she masturbates with it while she thinks of you."
"Josette!" Scott covered his face with his hands. "I don't want to think about Emma masturbating to me with her firearm."
Scott shuddered. "I'm sorry I joked about switching sides. Let's get back to the point at hand. When is the Chief calling with the good news?"
"In about 10 minutes, Boss. Want to see the comms traffic that we receive overnight?"
"Sure."
Scott spent the next few minutes reading over the boring details of everything Josette had already told him. The emails between the unknown foreign arms dealers, Chloë's Boss, and another foreign government official were sufficiently vague. Whatever was influencing the sale was urgent and critical. The other documents confirmed the changes to the itinerary, even reservations at a pet hotel for a Yorkie named Piere.
Scott knew the sale couldn't happen. Chloë was key to identifying all of the involved parties and potentially stopping the deal.
Scott and Josette sat before the video comm link, watching the holding pattern displaying their employer's logo. A few seconds after the appointed time, the pattern disappeared, and a forty-ish-year-old man appeared.
"Good morning, team."
"Hey, Chief." Scott greeted the man.
"Morning, Chief Jensen," Josette replied.
"I'll cut to the chase. The mission has shifted. The abbreviated timeline forces us to change our priorities and ensure ample evidence of the sale between the targets."
"Scott, continue with the assistant. She'll be the key to verification of what we get through the Comms team. Assess her potential as an asset for future operations."
"Yes, sir." Scott glanced at Josette. She was busy taking notes and suppressing a smirk.
"Any change to my mission objectives?"
"None." The Chief's answer was quick and without equivocation. "You'll establish a relationship, compromise the target's communications systems, and lay the groundwork for continued surveillance."
Chief paused for a moment and looked down. Obviously, he was not happy with the situation.
"You two are my best team in the region. I am fully confident that if anyone can salvage this shitshow of an operation, it's the two of you. This mission should have started two years ago when the target first popped up on our radar. But, as we all know, you get what you get and you don't throw a fit."
"Thanks, Chief. We'll do our best. I'll report back via channels, unless absolutely necessary. Josette will handle the daily check-ins and status updates."
"Of course. Josette, let me know as soon as possible if additional resources are required. Otherwise, I'll speak to you both at the usual time next month."
Josette continued scribbling on her notepad and nodded her acknowledgment to the screen. Shortly, the screen went blank. Scott switched off the system.
"Well, that's a little bit of a relief. I don't have to bring about world peace in just four days."
"No, you just have to seduce a very sophisticated young woman in four days," Josette chuckled. "Any plans on that?"
