A whirlwind of dust trailed after a cab, leaving dirty streaks on the lately shunned bridge. The cab's front shone with fresh blood and pure cruelty of the act. A French scientist peered over the back of his seat, a sigh erupting from his throat. His two hands tightly clutched the handles of his suitcase.
Up front, two spies drove away, silent. One was carelessly enjoying the wind while the other one seemed to be fuming. The meticulous girl couldn't hold back her chidings.
"Sir, they're gone. Please sit down properly, for we won't be responsible for your withdrawal from the car."
---
A simple change in schedule could cause upheaval and bring panic upon undercover agents. To ensure that suspicions would never arise, most missions were conducted during the nights. None were to be gone early in the mornings.
At the front of the room, Rosalind's seat was vacant. Four other students were barely visibly disturbed. As an insult to injury, Central had come to give them the strangest mission yet: to visit a significant relative on request of the latest defect. All of them knew why they had to act upon a mere desire of a client, but yet, they still questioned. The changes were just easing in.
In the beautiful gardens of Karavine Institute, four friends laid out the causes of their worries.
---
Placed in the unadorned rooms of a headquarters were a French scientist and a fencer. The fencer scanned over the information that the French scientist gave, her eyes followed the words, her expression ever so stagnant. Like a statue, the fencer returned her gaze to the French scientist emotionlessly.
"Why is it that you're so insistent on bringing your brother with you? He hasn't much time to live. The best choice for him would be to stay sedentary and in the safety of France's hospitals."
"Because," returned the scientist at once, "I know that France isn't safe, so I want him to come with me here. I want to end this war as much as everyone else does, but I would like very much to protect my brother. You would understand, wouldn't you?"
The black-haired girl maintained impassive, expertly masking any feeling at all. Her work during her time in France did not go to waste.
"And why is it that you said so?" asked the fencer.
"Have you not any siblings? None that you'd want to protect, none that you must love?" The scientist asked passionately.
"I require answers, not questions. Please do remember your position and where we are as of now. This is an interrogation, not casual talk," deadpanned the fencer, "Now, let me rephrase my question, for you do not seem to understand. Why is it that you say you want to end this war, so badly as you seem?"
"As if it is not quite obvious! This war is the cause of my brother's suffering! Much more people are in pain for the same reason, am I wrong?"
"Why, then, do you not take action yourself, if you say that you specialize in ordnance? Your position guarantees you an opportunity to be an immense impact on the war, am I not correct?"
The scientist, upon hearing Rosalind's rebuttal and losing his train of thought, cast his eyes to the ground, defeated. Rosalind's face broke into a small comforting smile, a facade for the conflicting suspicions cast by her questioning mind upon the scientist. She trained her eyes on the French scientist, surprising him with her sudden soft attitude.
"I have nothing but one more question, and I ask this on my own accord," said Rosalind, leaning forwards, "Why is it that you've come here on your own? Do you really, really believe that we have the power to keep someone as important as you safe?"
The simple darkening of the scientist's eyes gave the fencer her answer. Of course not. No one is safe on either side. Rosalind sat back, a small sigh escaping her lips.
"I see," muttered the black-haired girl, the words barely amounting to a breath. She rose her voice back to speaking level. "You'd be a great help to England, surely, even if you could've taken action yourself perfectly in your own country."
The fencer did as she was told, leaving without hesitation immediately after her statement went out into the open air. As she left, Rosalind noticed a guilty change in the scientist's expression.
---
A charming girl's finger traced upon a note. Her thumb felt the creases of the paper and ink, the words registering automatically as the girl's eyes scanned over.
Just this morning, she found a cryptic note below the stack of books in her desk. The writing was not unfamiliar. It was clear who had placed the note, but for what reason, Alexa had no idea, though she had deciphered enough to know that the missing spy was safe.
It was the message below, however, that had unnerved her so intensely.
Unknowingly, the two spies who were appointed to the task brought back an enemy. How Rosalind found out, again, Alexa had no idea. Central seemed to have no notion of this possibility since they were so insistent on sending the four out to their strange mission.
The message in the note had been spread to the other three, but neither of them knew of the actions that were to follow it. Disobeying orders would bring doubt upon them, and doubt was fatal in their line of business.
And so they followed their orders without question, just they had always done.
---
Never would the fencer had thought that she'd be having so much trouble deciphering her home country's plans. It was part of the reason why the French had first recruited her as a spy, being able to figure one's motives particularly easily.
However, the black-haired spy found herself spinning in circles around the scientist's passionate love for his brother and his refusal to leave his brother in the safety of France's hospitals.
There were many reasons, including the unlikely possibility that the scientist did not have any negative motives and simply defected to England for its illusion of safety. However, considering the guilt that Rosalind had confirmed was present after the interrogation, that was highly improbable. Guilt was caused by regret and betrayal, or false promises and false hope.
So, she concluded, the scientist had felt guilty for betraying France. That almost felt too clear. It shouldn't be that easy to slip between the French government's grasp, especially being an ordnance scientist. Yet, ironically speaking, Rosalind herself had slipped away quite swiftly, even if she had the team and Central covering her back.
The scientist didn't have her luxury of protection. That fact troubled the fencer deeply. In order to escape without notifying anyone in the French government, one would have to have special help, or they would have to be very, very slick. Judging from the scientist's manner, the latter was unlikely.
The chair squeaked loudly as the fencer stood up. Determination came upon her visage as she burst out of the office at full speed, the hallways reverberating with the loud crack of the swinging door.
:-)
YOU ARE READING
Operation Reconnaissance
ActionPrior to war was a serene time of peace, and peace was hallow. In the course of the war was a tumultuous time of chaos, and chaos was a tornado that whirled in innocents into the eye of the storm. War was a curse put upon the two quarrellin...
