The Soldier and The Spy: Tess Danvers- Episode 4

Chapter 2

There were two forms an ambush could take.

Well, technically if someone wanted to get picky they could be categorized into a lot more but for her purposes Tess had them narrowed down to two.

Military and political.

Each had their own strengths, their own weaknesses, advantages and liabilities and she thoroughly enjoyed both, at least when she was on the ambushers side anyway. But her favourite were the political kind. Not only was there less chance of someone she loved getting killed there was little better in her mind than getting your opponent right where you wanted them, in that perfect spot where they had no choice but to give into your demands but without pushing so far they felt like resorting to violence. It was a thin line, knowing how much honey to use, how much vinegar, how much napalm, but she was damn good at riding it. The fact that the majority of her opponents ended up being middle-aged white men made those victories even sweeter and it was with a small pang of regret that she reminded herself today wasn't likely to be one of those fights.

Born and raised in a predominantly Black neighbourhood in Atlanta Samantha Miller had graduated as valedictorian of her high school before going on to study Sociology and Criminal Justice at the U of A, with a minor in Black history. She'd entered the police academy just three months after her graduation, and had been climbing the ladder ever since. Not in the greasy, throw others under the bus to get a leg up kind of way but with hard work, dedication and no small amount of talent; she was passionate, determined and focused, and her views on police reform echoed Tess's own closely. She'd make a good ally for the Intelligence unit, assuming Voight could put aside his understandably warranted distrust of authority and at least some of his... darker inclinations, which also mirrored Tess's, though in a way she didn't think anyone was going to expect. But though he would undoubtedly feature in it this conversation wasn't about Voight.

It was about her and Sam, and what kind of understanding the two women might come to.

Tess didn't actually want to ambush her, it was hardly the best way to start a partnership but she hadn't wanted to go through the traditional channels either. Partly because she liked to keep these kinds of meetings off the record and partly because she wanted to make sure the other woman had a clear understanding of who she was dealing with. The deputy was well-placed enough to have her own connections and as luck would have it they actually knew a few of the same people, which Tess was hoping was going to play into her favour. Her reputation as an operative, hell as a person was varied to say the least but whether she was viewed positively or otherwise it was understood that she was someone who stood her ground, whatever the cost. But news of her retirement was still fresh and so far being met with... mixed reactions. Those who believed it anyway, or who wondered how far it extended.

That included herself.

The click of heels down the hall caught her attention and she straightened, turning to watch the door as they came steadily closer. She'd had to time this visit carefully, the deputy superintendent was a busy woman, it was barely past 10am and she'd already had three meetings this morning, and they only had a few minutes before her fourth so Tess took the last few seconds before she walked into her office to ready herself. Four breaths, quick but steady and then the door swung open and Samantha Miller paused on the threshold, one perfectly manicured brow raising as a mildly startled but altogether unsurprised smile tugged at her lips.

"Ms. Danvers, I presume."

"You presume correctly."

The older woman looked her over as she shut the door and headed to her desk, giving her boots an appreciative glance that made her own grin grow. Their outfits weren't dissimilar, the deputy's sharp black suit was a more professional version of her own charcoal gray linen pants and sapphire silk blouse but there was a distinct difference between them, two different airs of authority they wanted to convey. The power of position vs the power of person.