The Greatest Pretenders

02.2

Manhattan, New York (USA)

Mandarin Oriental

6 04 2016

1945 hours

Poe just finished tying his tie when someone knocks on the door.

"We're leaving," Irina's voice comes from the other side.

Poe walks over to the table by the window to retrieve his flash drive watch and the camera. "Just a second."

He places the watch around his wrist and pockets the camera, before he puts the earpiece in.

Irina is leaning against the wall next to his room when Poe exits, closing the door behind him,"Where's Ryn?"

"Already in the lobby, waiting for us."

Ryn is indeed propped into one of the giant chairs in the middle of the lobby, sipping on a cocktail while scrolling through her phone.

She lifts her eyes when she hears the two of them approaching and puts away her phone. "About time," Ryn mutters and stands up. She leads them out through the double doors, before she turns right towards the private parking lot.

Poe watches as Ryn pulls a car key out of her clutch and clicks it. There's a sound coming from the back, and they immediately spot the red Alpha Romeo C4 Alleline was talking about.

"I'm driving," Ryn says as she starts walking towards the car.

"Didn't you just have a drink?" Poe questions, and almost screams when Ryn waves it off like it's nothing.

Much to Poe's dismay, he ends up in the back, almost squished and certainly uncomfortable.

What Poe learns on their drive to 1009 Fifth Avenue, is that Ryn drives like a madman. She doesn't seem to be paying much attention to the street signs or the pedestrians as she speeds through the streets of Manhattan, just so they can be at Vogel's residence on time.

Poe turns on his watch, and Ricki is immediately in his ear, greeting him.

"Agent 09, finally," Ricki says and Poe can hear how tired he is in his voice.

"What time 's it in London?" he asks once the earpiece is also on.

"One in the morning."

Poe doesn't say anything else, because Ryn pulls up in front of 1009 Fifth Avenue, and they get out of the car one by one. Ryn hands the car key to the valet that's standing by the door, and then tells the bodyguard right by the door that they've got three seats under Alleline's name.

They're allowed in, and Ricki tells him to turn off his earpiece and watch until they get through the security gate.

"Turn off your earpieces and watches," Poe instructs the other two.

After they get through the security gate with no problem whatsoever, they turn the devices back on and head towards the elevators.

"Wasn't this that eighty million dollar mansion that was impossible to sell a few years ago?" Irina asks as they're waiting for the elevator.

Ryn nods. "It belonged to Benjamin Newton Duke, and Guillam apparently bought it," she says like it's something they should all know.

Poe resists the urge to roll his eyes, because here goes Ryn again, acting like she's the smartest person on the planet, and that they're all peasants compared to her.

The gala is taking place in the giant ballroom on the third floor.

"How are we supposed to get inside Guillam's office when there's security around every corner?" Poe asks as soon as they pass the two guards by the door.