The Greatest Pretenders

04.2

***

Dubai (UAE)

Burj Al Arab

18 04 2016

1645 hours

Poe doesn't run into Ryn the next day, which isn't that odd considering the size of the hotel. It's a coincidence really, when it happens. Poe is hurriedly walking towards the elevator because he fell asleep on the beach and slept halfway through Happy Hour. "Hold the elevator!" He asks when he sees the doors starting to close, and three groups of people hovering by the other elevators. A hand presses against the door from the inside so Poe can slip through the crack with his beach bag. He doesn't even notice who's in the elevator with him until it makes a stop on the third floor so a family of five can get out. Poe makes eye contact with Ryn through the mirror. 

"Which floor?" Ryn asks. Poe goes to press the tenth button, but sees that it's already lit. 

"Same as you, I suppose." 

Ryn cocks an eyebrow and smirks, before she steps closer. "So, any luck on finding out my last name?" 

"Oh..." Poe trails off. "I forgot about that." 

There's something in Ryn's eyes Poe can't quite place. Ryn steps closer.

"So...you're not interested in finding out?"

Poe cocks his head and purses his lips, pretending to think about it. "Hm...no."

"When did you get so cocky?"

"What? Just because you like to be so full of yourself all the time, that doesn't mean everyone else around you isn't the same."

Ryn opens her mouth, but before she can say anything else, both of their phones ring. 

"Hello?" They answer at the same time. 

"Agent 09, we've got a huge break in the case, you need to report back to headquarters immediately. Pack your bags, there's a car waiting for you outside, and a jet ready to take you back to England at the airport. Agent 06 is waiting for you there," Ricki's voice rings into his ear.

"Alright, thanks Hardy."

Ricki hangs up, and apparently so does Ryn's handler, because they both stare at each other in silence for a few seconds, until the elevator dings and the doors open.

"I'll meet you outside my room in ten minutes," Ryn says.

"Which one is it?"

"1096."

Poe nods. "Alright. See you in ten."

They part ways at the end of the hallway, when Poe takes a turn to the left, and Ryn to the right. Poe packs his suitcase quickly, and realizes that this might be one of the longest holidays he's ever had since being an agent.

Poe's already in front of Ryn's door five minutes later, but it looks like the other isn't ready yet. He knocks on the door and gets no response, so the polite thing to do would be to wait for Ryn to come out.

But Poe's a secret agent, which means that politeness isn't one of his strengths when he's not undercover.

He opens the door and walks inside the giant suite, trying to find out where Ryn is. Poe eventually finds her in the living room, loading her gun and collecting the last remainders of cocaine from the table into a small bag.

"You do drugs?" Poe frowns.

"Well I wasn't on the job these past few days, was I now?" Ryn retorts and then zips her suitcase shut and places the gun at the back of her belt.