✏️ The Littlest Spy

20. Turbulence

Act II - Meet the Kleins

The gentle hum of the plane's engines was a constant backdrop as Brock and Isadora settled into their seats. The budget airline didn't offer many frills, but the quiet flight was a welcome respite from the bustling airport. Isadora glanced around, noting the sparse scattering of passengers.

"Looks like we got lucky with this flight," she commented, keeping her voice low. "Not many people around to overhear us."

Brock shrugged, his gaze fixed on the window. "Luck had nothing to do with it. The Agency knows what they're doing. They'd book us onto the redeye so fewer people see us, but when they have access to every passenger manifest, finding the flight which actually has fewest people can be trivial."

"It still seems weird that we even need a flight," Isadora said with a shrug. "I mean... two flights even. It's crazy that we're barely travelling a few hundred miles, but we're spending almost a whole day on planes and in airports."

"We're not," Brock shook his head. "We're only getting one flight out to Vancouver. The Kleins are getting a connecting flight back from their after their honeymoon in Rome."

"I know," Isadora said, frowning at his cynicism. But she chose not to comment, instead reaching into her carry-on bag and pulling out a thick folder. "Just feels like a whole day cut off from the world. Might as well use this time to go over the files on the Arrencani family."

Brock nodded, leaning over to get a better look as she flipped open the folder. They began to read through the documents, their heads bent together in concentration. Isadora felt a flicker of nervousness as she scanned the pages, trying to commit the details to memory. She'd always prided herself on being able to learn the key facts from a document quickly, but now that she was actually going into the field she found herself doubting her own abilities. "There's so much information here," she murmured, her brow furrowed. "What if I miss something that turns out to be important?"

"That's why we study together," Brock said. "Makes it easier to learn. And also means there's a better chance that at least one of us will hold onto every detail."

Isadora knew that was true. She'd spent a significant portion of the last three weeks berating Brock for not remembering every detail about the Kleins, only to discover that he'd managed to pick up way more than she thought. They were both good at learning.

"Yeah," she said. "But learning all this now, when we only had vague details before... It's not like we've got weeks to learn it."

Brock glanced over at her, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Aww, is someone feeling a little overwhelmed?" he teased, his voice taking on a sing-song quality. "Maybe you're just too little to handle all this grown-up stuff."

Isadora shot him a glare, but she couldn't help the slight quirk of her lips at his playful tone. "Very funny," she said, rolling her eyes. "I'm not a child, Brock. Not when it matters." She was aware that some of the luggage they'd ordered might suggest differently; but that wasn't the point now. She still hadn't decided whether she would actually use those things, or just keep them hidden to add depth to their cover.

"No, but sometimes it's okay to let yourself be one," he said, his voice softening. "Especially when things get tough. It's alright to lean on your Daddy sometimes, you know."

Isadora felt a warm flush creep up her neck at his words. It was strange, hearing him refer to himself as her Daddy. Strange, but not entirely unpleasant. There was something comforting about the idea of letting him take the reins, of not having to shoulder all the responsibility herself.