| "Placement" | ||
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Midtown Manhatten Baz's meet "Ugh, where did you get this?" Safara asked scrunching her face in disgust. "A bodega around the corner," Paige said sitting down across from her and Jordan and next to Bella. "Bodega coffee is never good," Jordan said tentatively taking a sip of her own. "Yeah, but it's caffeine and I bought it so quit your bitching," Paige grinned. Then grimaced as she tried her own coffee. "Ugh, this is pretty bad." Bella smiled, apparently she had chosen wisely to not partake in the bodega coffee run. "So, what do you make of this Russian team? This RGZS?" Safara verbalized the question that had been sitting on all their minds since the debriefing. "I dunno," Paige shrugged. "In a way, it's a good idea." "If," Jordan said, "we're actually gonna work with them." Paige nodded her head, "yeah, that I can't quite figure out." "I don't think Gray has any intel. I think he's in the dark as much as we are. Wellington, though, he definitely knows something," Safara said. "I assume Wellington's the one talking with their head honcho. I just don't know why the big secret. Either we're gonna work together...or we're not," Paige shrugged. "Something as covert as us, and apparently as covert as they are, needs to stay that way or else it defeats the purpose of having the teams in place. I'm guessing both sides are hesitant to venture too quickly into any kind of plan or something," Safara said. "I would also imagine some resistance from the team members," Jordan said. "From them?" Paige asked intrigued. "Cold war, Russia, old habits dying hard," Jordan shrugged. Paige pondered the comment for a moment. "Yeah, I can see some resistance. But the advantage of having a whole other team to work with..." Safara snorted, "I'm not so sure about that. I mean, when the bullets start flying can we count on them if we're forced to work with them? Can we trust them?" Paige nodded her head thoughtfully. Wasn't she just faced with the same notions when meeting up with the Moonlighter? Hadn't trust been the main issue? Why she had stolen the transmitters from Simon and given them back to them? To earn trust? Bella, who had been silent, spoke up at this point "I don't know about in the long run, but their leader...Ruzhyo? He never once broke his word to me." Bella paused for a moment but none of them said anything. Bella after all, knew them, knew the Moonlighter better than anyone else. "He never hurt me, even with the drugs, it wasn't to hurt me and he didn't know..." Bella seemed flustered as Paige watched her carefully. "All I'm saying," Bella sighed, "is that he had the chance. I don't know why...but I let myself get into a position where he could have the chance to go back on his word, to do what he wanted." She had been staring at the floor as she spoke but now she looked at Paige. "But he never did. He was civil, friendly even, and as open as I think he dared be. He may not be their ultimate leader, I got the feeling he was answering to someone. But...Paige he reminded me of you." "Me?" Paige asked confused. But was the conclusion so far fetched? Even Paige had to admit she felt a bonding on some level with the Moonlighter, felt like he was a lot like her. "I haven't known you long but I know you don't like to hurt people," Bella continued, "you hated the way Section did things and I got the feeling he didn't like hurting others either. Even if he isn't the head of them, he is the closest to the top any of us are likely to see and he seemed decent." Hurting people was an abstract thought. No, Paige didn't readily go around sticking guns in people's faces...but if they deserved it? Well, that was an entirely different story. "I agree," Paige finally said softly nodding her head. "I didn't spend that much time with him but he had good instincts, realized the situation in Russia was bad for both of us, and worked towards a common non-getting-dead goal. I don't think...working with him would be all that...I dunno...difficult? Maybe?" She looked to the others for help. "I think trust is something earned. If we do work with them, that may be a long time coming," Jordan said. "I imagine it's the same on their side," Safara said. "But, Paige, how did you know the DJ, the Ruzhyo, what was that all about?" Paige glanced at Jordan. "See, why did you do that? You guys had the same look back at the Dacha. This has to do with Alexei doesn't it?" "The DJ was the one that got us the intel on Club Samovar. We worked together," Paige said evenly. Safara nodded her head slowly. "He was there keeping an eye on Alexei. I don't know if he was there for the hit or not. But he was definitely put into place before we were in order to get intel for us." Safara looked at Paige for a long moment. "Do you trust him?" she said evenly. Paige shrugged, "I trusted him enough to negotiate with him back in Russia." "That doesn't answer the question: do you trust him?" Paige took a deep breath, "to some extent, yes." "Then I guess a transition to work with them won't be too hard for you, then?" Safara asked evenly. Paige arched an eyebrow at her, "I'm sensing a little hostility here?" "No," Safara shook her head, "no hostility. I just don't know if I like this idea of working together." "Me neither," Jordan said, "the DJ seems cool and level headed, tough, but the others, hell I dunno about them." "I wouldn't worry about too much," Paige said. "If it happens, like Jordy said before, it will take time..." "Um, in case you lovely ladies are interested, our boy is meeting with the cop," Simon said looking up from the three laptops spread out before him near the front of the van. "Just let us know if he gets into trouble," Jordan grinned at Simon. "I would welcome the Russian dudes," Simon said. "Why's that?" Paige grinned at him. "Because maybe they have some computer geek guys and they can hang out with you four and I can stay at the office." "Oh, you know you love hanging with us," Jordan teased him. And appropriately, Simon flushed again. "So," Paige said getting all their attention again, "do we press Gray for more intel?" "You think Joshua knows anything?" Safara asked. Paige tilted her head, "I dunno. I never thought to ask him." Jordan watched her carefully and Bella looked intrigued as well. "Maybe you should," Safara replied. "I will," Paige said, "oh, and another thing, Eric went rogue." And she took another sip of her coffee as Jordan and Safara stared at her. "Shitting us?" Safara asked. "Eric?" Bella asked. "He's the leader of Beta team, another foursome like us. He was Kihn back at the Section. He came over shortly after us," Paige explained. "Did you know him?" "No," Bella shook her head softly. "Well," Paige shook her head, "Gray dropped that bomb on me right after the debriefing. Seems Eric wasn't answering any calls or emails, Gray sent the Beta team up to his place, nothing there. Gone." "Damn," Jordan said shaking her head. "Gray's got the CIA looking for him now," Paige added. "Boy is he in trouble," Jordan said. "And you didn't here it from me," Paige said, "so act surprised if Gray tells any of you." "I can't believe he fucking left," Jordan said. "Well, it appears he did so..." Paige shrugged. "At least we'll know how the SIA is going to handle something like this now," Safara said quietly. The three others sat in silence each in their own thoughts. "He's acting funny," Simon said to them, "something's wrong...I think." The four of them got up and sat next to Simon. "Ok, so who are we looking for?" Paige asked. The surveillance cameras they tapped into were not the best quality, not the best by far. Simon pointed the main players out and they watched Baz carefully. He was kind of acting funny but it was difficult to figure out exactly what was going on. "I think he's getting...alone," Safara said quietly watching Baz move out of the screen's view. They all put their head gear on hoping Baz would contact them. "Tac 1 from Alpha 1," Baz's voice came over their comms. It was difficult to hear him with the music in the background and him speaking so low. "Go ahead Alpha 1," Simon said, "the others are on the line as well." "I met with the cop, but Stewart, the weapon/drug guy, thinks we know each other. He's being all weird." "Is the meet going down tonight?" Safara asked. "I dunno, I'm gonna try to work it, see if I can't talk Stewart through this," Baz said. "Use your charm," Safara said. "Haha, funny. Just keep an eye out in case any weird shit goes down. Pulling out guns in this place is not out of the ordinary." "We're watching," Safara assured him. "Alright, I'll be back in touch," Baz said and his comm clicked out. They all looked to each other. "Alright, we watch and be ready to move," Safara said... Return |
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