Philippines Connection

Chapter 1: Lafayette, Indiana. November 3rd, 2023. 16:00 hours

The old house smelled as if people had chain smoked in it for years without ever cleaning it. The walls had cracks, and the yellowish stained ceiling stucco was starting to gradually droop down. The furniture consisted of one old sofa that appeared to have been pulled out of a dumpster, one small dining table with four chairs and a recliner in the corner that wasn't in much better shape than the sofa. It was obvious to anyone inside the home that no one actually lived in it. It was to be used for other purposes.

The house was one of many the agency had acquired at various locations throughout the world, usually strategically located in, or near hot spots in the middle east, or metropolitan areas of Europe for varying purposes, typically for the staging and planning of clandestine operations against anyone, or any organizations that were seen as a security threat to the United States and its allies. Lately those targets consisted mostly of Islamic terrorists and the organizations they were attached to or funded from. What wasn't typical about this particular 'safe house' was its location.

As Sarah sat on the putrid sofa in the small house in Lafayette, Indiana she couldn't help but ask herself as she was looking around, why am I the only woman here? for that matter, why am I here at all?

It was around 4:00 pm and bitterly cold outside with snow falling on top of an already deep Indiana snow. Two men were playing cards at the small dining table, telling each other vulgar jokes. Another man was coming out of the restroom zipping up his pants, on his way to answer the door to grab the pizza he had ordered. Two other men had just left in a black Suburban to go pick up the person they had all been waiting for.

All the men were dressed in black slacks with white dress shirts and shoulder holsters nestling their government issued Sig Sauer 9mm pistols. Her pistol was in a shoulder holster also but under the sports jacket she was wearing. She hoped she would never have to use her pistol in any confrontation. The only experience she had shooting was back in Langley at the range.

She didn't know for sure yet why she was to meet him, or even who he was other than his first name, Jim. She only knew that director Baghardt had asked her to go to Lafayette to meet and assist him if he needed it, but he wouldn't tell her what exactly he may need assistance with, or how she could possibly help, with no field experience herself. She could only assume he was involved in a 'black operation' as one of the legendary operatives she had only heard of or read stories about up until this point.

Sarah Miling had joined the agency right out of college with hopes and dreams of becoming a field operative, but circumstances, and her looks, she suspected always kept her behind a desk, out of harm's way and to provide eye candy for the higher-ups in the Langley offices, as she was a very voluptuous young Woman. She never flaunted her beauty, in fact she always dressed in ways to suppress or conceal her athletic figure as much as possible when she went to work each day, attempting to conceal it from the men she worked with, but she felt they were still, always wondering what was underneath her conservative attire. It was because of those looks, she felt Director Baghardt had initially brought her in as one of his personal assistants and she was probably right, but after a few years he really did learn to trust her with most information regarding run-of-the-mill operations, but he still kept her out of the loop regarding extremely sensitive black operations. She knew this man she was to meet must be on to something very big for Baghardt to turn her loose without giving her any information other than his first name, along with the address of the safe house and time she was to meet him. It seemed to her also as if this must be so sensitive that he wouldn't risk assigning a regular field operative for assistance, as that would have to be on record. She could only assume he sent her to keep it off record for now and to use her to determine the scope of the threat and mission.

The agent who had ordered the pizza opened the door and there was a cute pizza delivery woman standing there in her red outfit and big red pizza bag.

"Well, you got here with the pizza, but I hope you brought some warmer weather with you." he said, as he peered around outside to make sure it was just her.

"No sir I'm afraid not" she replied, "just the pizza."

"How much do I owe you?" As he reached for his wallet.

"It'll be $14.95 sir."

"Ok, here's a $20 and keep the change."

Sarah was naturally a very observant person, and she couldn't quite put her finger on why, but she had a funny feeling about the pizza delivery woman. As polite and friendly as the pizza girl appeared, she seemed also to be attempting to conceal some anxiety. After she tucked the $20 in her jacket pocket she began reaching into her big red bag for the 'pizza' and Sarah's way of life was about to drastically be turned upside down. Her hopes and dreams of becoming a field agent were probably going to come true whether she wanted them to now or not.