Classified

Classified Part 8 Seduction

      "So, we'll go in, find a bench the right distance away, and scope it out." Alex held his hand out for her and they set off. After a fifteen-minute walk they slowed down. "That's the building." He said quietly, aiming his face at a small, two story office building.

      Thalia put her sunglasses on and looked at the building out of the corner of her eye. It had greyish bricks and lots of high windows reflecting the sun as it lowered in the sky. They walked most of the way around the building before Alex guided her to a bench that was mostly hidden behind a concrete planter.

      "Just pretend you're really into me." Alex advised her, putting his arm around her. "That should be easy." He joked, raising one eyebrow.
      Thalia rolled her eyes at his endless confidence, but followed his instructions. This should get me the Oscar. She thought, pretending to gaze adoringly at Alex. Since her knowledge of seduction was mostly through observation this was going to take all of her skills.

      Thalia slipped her hat off and turned her body on the bench so that she was almost in Alex's lap, giggling like she imagined a lovesick girl would. Alex smiled and she felt him pretend to kiss the top of her head.

      "I can't wait to take you home and have my way with you." Thalia whispered, still keeping an eye on the building as she slid her arms around him. "I will break out those handcuffs I know you have and I will put them on you, slowly."
      "Thalie." Alex sounded surprised by her sudden lust.

      "Oh, yeah." Thalia said softly, running one hand down his arm. "I will tie you up I will finally get what I've been thinking about this week." She raised her chin up to whisper in Alex's ear. "I will finally get the bed all to myself. It will be," She sucked her breath in as if she were whispering her secret fantasy. "So sexy."

      Alex laughed and pulled her closer. "Stop distracting me." He admonished. "We're supposed to be observing."
      "I am observing." Thalia protested, laughing. "None of the windows appear to be at a level that anyone inside can see pedestrians, but there's a man at the front desk."

      "I would know that if you stopped trying to seduce me." Alex said into her hair.
      "You'd know it if I tried to seduce you." Thalia lied, summoning her inner Alex.
      "I bet." Alex smiled at her. He paused, watching the building. "We need to cause a distraction. See if we can get the desk man to come out."

      Thalia nodded, looking across the concrete park. "This is where explosives would come in handy." She pointed out. She noticed a pair of old bikes leaning against a small fenced in garden.
      "What if I hurt myself in front of him?" Thalia asked, looking at Alex's serious face.

      "You're not hurting yourself, Thalia." He shook his head. "We get hurt enough out here without having to hurt ourselves."

      "No, I mean, what if I pretend to hurt myself?" Thalia amended as her plan formed in her head. "Maybe I could bike by him when no one else is near. I could fall and fake an injury and he'd come out and help me. Do you think that would distract him long enough?" She asked, holding out her scraped palms.

      Alex thought about it, looking at the bikes. "It might. I guess it depends on your acting." He said, smiling. "If it's half as good as your seduction techniques then we're golden."
      Thalia grinned. "I'll make it believable." She promised.

      "If he makes you, or if he sees me, you're going to have to kill him." Alex took her chin in his hand and making her look at him. A woman walking by smiled at them, evidently believing their facade. "Can you do that, Thalie?"
      Thalia looked at him, thinking about that very real possibility. "I think so." She said finally.

      "I need to know that you have my back." He pressed.
      "Of course, I have your back, Alex." Thalia frowned. "I'll just have to make sure I'm convincing."
      Alex pulled her into his arms, lowering his voice as he spoke in her ear. "We'll meet back at the car if something goes wrong, okay?"

      Thalia nodded. "We'll be fine." She got up and went over to the bikes, trying to look casual. With a quick glance around she made sure no one was watching and then she picked up the smaller of the two bikes. Neither one, she realized, was locked. Finally, some good luck.

      Pushing her sunglasses up on top of her head, she got unsteadily on the bike, which was slightly too big for her. Well, I won't have any problem crashing. She realized. She made a big loop of the park, noting that Alex was no longer anywhere to be seen.

      As Thalia looped around she made sure to time things correctly. She didn't want any passersby to be close enough to offer her help. That might stop the man at the desk from coming out to help her. When she saw her chance, Thalia took it, biking quickly across the front of the building. Just as she made it in front of the glass doors she jerked her wheel sideways, careening into the cement.

      Immediately, her hands exploded in very real pain as the already damaged skin tore. Tears came to her eyes without being forced, and to her immense relief the man at the desk came running out to her aid.
      "Are you okay?" The man asked, kneeling next to her, concern on his face.

      Thalia nodded, looking up at him, prepared to do her young girl act. "I'm okay." She told him, her Russian soft as her voice caught.
      "You're not okay." The man insisted, putting one arm around her and helping her sit up. "Look at your hands." He took her right hand in his. "You poor thing."

      Thalia was about to put on the water works when she realized the man wasn't looking at her as an injured child. "Let me get my first aid kit." As he turned Thalia grabbed him by the front of his shirt, trying to look like a damsel in distress.
      "Oh, please, just stay with me for a moment." She said softly, letting her cleaner hand rest against his chest.

      The man's face softened. "Of course." He smiled at her. He tried to pull some of the grit out of her cut hand and she squeezed his hand, looking into his eyes.
      "Thank you so much." She said softly, pushing her hair out of her eyes. "You are so kind...?"
      "Gregor." The man supplied.

      "Gregor." She repeated, putting special meaning into his name.
      "I'm in." Thalia almost jumped as Alex's voice crackled through her earpiece, but she kept her eyes locked on Gregor's.
      "Maybe I should head back." Gregor's voice was hesitant as he looked back at his desk through the glass doors.

      "Do you mind if I come in?" Thalia asked, touching his arm lightly. "I think you were right. I could use some first aid."
      "Yes, of course." Gregor said, helping her to her feet. Thalia leaned against his arm delicately as they went into the door. "Sit, sit." He gestured to his desk chair.

      "Thank you so much, Gregor." She smiled at him and wondering how long she'd need to distract him for. "I don't know how this happened."

      "Accidents happen." Gregor brought a first aid kit over to her. She noticed he had warm brown eyes and she wondered if he knew who he was working for. I hope he's not a terrorist. She found herself thinking. I hope this is just a desk job for him and he doesn't know who he's working for.

      "Sometimes accidents happen for a reason." Thalia smiled and ducked her head shyly. Gregor caught her meaning and smiled. He bandaged her hand for her, and the medical professional in her noticed that he didn't do a particularly good job of it.
      "Maybe we were meant to meet." Gregor said, picking up her conversation thread.

      Thalia laughed softly and turned her head away demurely. "Maybe we were." She rubbed her fingers over her freshly bandaged hand.
      "Could I give you a call sometime?" Gregor asked, looking at her hopefully.

      "I'd like that." Thalia smiled at him, and wondering what it would be like to be the kind of girl that really could seduce a man.
      "Let me get your number." Gregor reached for a pen, his eyes dancing.

      "Oh." Thalia started, suddenly realizing she didn't even know the set up of Russian phone numbers. Did they have seven digits? Ten? Something else? She blushed, realizing her mistake. "Are you working tomorrow?" She asked, stalling.

      "Yes," Gregor replied, pen poised expectantly.
      "Maybe we could meet tomorrow after work." Thalia suggested, thinking on her feet. "I live with my sister and I don't want her answering your call." She paused, trying to look reserved. "I don't want her to worry."

      "Of course." Gregor looked thrilled to have already landed a date. "What is your name, by the way?"
      "Anastasia." Thalia automatically conjured up the mysterious Russian princess. "But please, call me Ana."

      "Ana." Gregor gave her a meaningful smile. Thalia felt a twinge of guilt for lying to this nice man, but she swallowed it down, reminding herself he worked for terrorists. "I'm done at four thirty tomorrow, Ana."

      "You're not marrying him, Thalie." Alex's voice crackled in her ear again. "Let's wrap things up."
      "Can I meet you out front?" Thalia asked, smiling at Gregor and ignoring Alex.

      Gregor nodded. "Absolutely."
      Thalia stood up delicately and linked her arm through Gregor's, cuing him to walk her out.
      "Thank you so much, Gregor." She said as they walked outside to her stolen bike. He picked it up and leaned it against a cement planter as they said their goodbyes.

      "I'm looking forward to tomorrow, Ana." He said sincerely.
      Thalia averted her eyes, trying to look shy. "I am too, Gregor." As the security guard started to turn she saw Alex slip out the door, so she pulled Gregor back to her and stood on her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek. "Until tomorrow." She said softly as Alex disappeared around the corner.

      She picked up the bike and began walking it across the plaza. She could feel Gregor watching her and she wanted to jump on the bike and zoom away but she didn't trust herself.
      Once she was far enough away for Gregor to not see, she left the bike against a fence and kept walking.

      "You're going the wrong way, Thalia." Alex's voice sounded amused in her ear.
      "I know that." She lied, changing directions. "Did you get whatever it was you wanted to get?" She asked as she approached Alex tucking his burner phone away.
      Alex smiled at her as she caught up to him, and when she was close enough he answered. "I planted three bugs." He informed her.

      Thalia nodded. "Sounds good." She said, trying to keep up with Alex's long stride. "Do you think Gregor knows that he works for terrorists?" She paused. "Do you think he's a terrorist?"
      "Don't get emotionally attached out here, Thalia." He cautioned her. "It's a job."

      Thalia nodded, trying to forget Gregor's kind brown eyes. As she looked at Alex, she realized she was already getting attached to him. After spending so much time with Alex she was just used to him being around all the time. It would be weird when they went their separate ways. At least for her. Alex, she realized, was probably used to partners and contacts coming and going. She probably wouldn't be a blip on his radar, which was okay.