Classified

Classified Part 25 Keep Your Friends Close

      Thalia followed Lindsey to her office after lunch. "Thanks for lunch, Thalia." Lindsey said, smiling at her friend. "I miss having you at work."
      Thalia smiled. "We hardly ever get to see each other at work." She reminded her.

      Lindsey shook her head. "But it was always nice to go out after work with you. I can't wait till you're back."

      "Me neither." Thalia said truthfully, following Lindsey right behind her desk. "Hey, I've never noticed your view before." She placed her hand on the back of Lindsey's desk chair and looked out the window.

      "It's nothing fancy." Lindsey shrugged. "Just the park."
      "Much nicer than the lab." Thalia observed. "No windows for us."
      "That's true." Lindsey looked at her computer and then back at her friend.

      "It's so nice to be back in Fairfax." Thalia went on, still looking out the window, trying to ignore the social cue her friend was giving her. "Do you mind if I just admire the view for a bit?" She asked, glancing at her friend and adjusting her hand. "You can start your work if you'd like."

      Lindsey looked at her friend hesitantly, but Thalia was already looking out the window again. "Sure. I just have to send out a few emails, but when I get to the more sensitive stuff—"
      "Of course." Thalia said agreeably. "I just want to take it all in for a bit. It's very different from Russia. I'm just so used to taking it for granted."

      Lindsey smiled at her friend and turned back to the computer, quickly typing in her account code and password before opening up her email. Due to her clearance, she knew she really shouldn't be working with Thalia right there, but she knew her friend wasn't a threat, and besides, it wasn't as if she was doing anything confidential at the moment. Just returning a few boring emails.

      Before Lindsey had even finished the first email about an accounting issue, Thalia turned back to her with a smile. "I think I'm going to go for a walk."
      "Still not back to running?" Lindsey asked sympathetically.
      "I'm getting there." The redhead said, touching her ribs absently. "I'll call you later, okay?"

      Lindsey nodded and watched her friend leave. Thalia had been quieter lately. She'd always been on the quiet side, but Lindsey felt as if her friend was a little more introspective since getting back to the States. 

      I hope it's not PTSD. Lindsey thought, frowning at her computer screen. She knew a little more of Thalia's history than any of her friends, due to her clearance, so she knew the thin woman wasn't a stranger to difficult situations, but Thalia wouldn't have been the first spy to return to American soil with trauma. I'll have to keep an eye on her.

      Thalia left Lindsey's office with a smile, touching the ring on her finger in excitement. I hope this worked. She thought, heading to the designated meeting place.
      "Did you get it?" Claire asked as Thalia joined her in the supply closet.

      "I hope so." Thalia said, pulling off her ring and the wire out of her sleeve. "Lindsey didn't seem suspicious at all."

      "That's because you've never done anything like this before. I can't believe sweet little Thalia used a hidden camera attached to a ring to video tape a government agency." Claire smiled. "You're not a double agent or anything are you? You're not working with the Russians?"

      Thalia laughed and handed Claire the tape that had hopefully recorded Lindsey typing in her password. "No, of course not. And this is a one time thing." She gave her friend a serious look. "I wouldn't do this if it wasn't really important to me."

      "I get it." Claire frowned. "But I don't want to see the password, okay?"
      Thalia turned the video so that only she could see it before she pressed play. "I understand."
      Claire smiled. "I feel like a real spy now!" She said excitedly.

      Thalia memorized the password and then deleted the video. "Just wait until your next job." She said, her eyes shining. "Then you really will be a spy."

*

      Claire carried the balloons to Lindsey's office, a big smile on her face. "You have an admirer." She said, setting the balloons on the edge of the desk.
      "These are for me?" Lindsey asked, her eyes widening.

      "Yes." Claire lied smoothly, trying to not feel bad about deceiving her friend. "James wouldn't let the delivery guy in so I agreed to bring them up for you."
      Lindsey was searching the balloons, trying to find a card. "There's no note." She sounded disappointed. "I don't know who they're from."

      "Oh." Claire feigned surprise. "There was a card. I must have left it with him when I was signing for these." She paused. "I'll just run out there and catch the delivery guy." She said as if it had just occurred to her.

      As she stepped toward the door her heel suddenly snapped on her left shoe. "Oh!" She gasped, pretending to stumble. "I broke my heel!"
      "Are you okay?" Lindsey asked, looking over her desk.

      "I'm fine." Claire insisted, sitting in one of the chairs across from Lindsey. "But what about your secret admirer? I can't catch the delivery man now."

      Lindsey's face fell and Claire had to remind herself that this was for a good cause. "I mean, I could just sit down while you run out there. If anyone comes in I'll tell them you just stepped out."

      Lindsey brightened. "You wouldn't mind?"
      When Claire shook her head, Lindsey logged out of her computer and took off after the imaginary delivery man.

      Once she was around the corner Claire slid the balloons to the left, conveniently blocking the camera. Thalia came from the back hallway and sat behind Lindsey's desk, typing rapidly. She put in the password she had secretly filmed Lindsey typing in, and then searched for Alex.

      Her breath caught in her throat as she saw his name. Alex Petrov: Injured. On leave.
      Thalia felt the tension she hadn't known she was feeling leave her shoulders. "I found him."
      "Find out his address!" Claire whispered, watching the door.

      Thalia clicked on Alex's file and got dozens of pages of information. Interesting. She thought, smiling. She memorized the address and closed the window.
      "Did you write it down?" Claire asked as Thalia came over to her.

      Thalia smiled. "A good spy never writes down sensitive information." She told her.
      Claire giggled. "I really do feel like a spy now."
      Thalia laughed, and then swallowed nervously as Lindsey came back.

      "I couldn't catch him." She said dejectedly.
      Claire frowned. "I'm sorry." She said sincerely. "Do you want to go out for appetizers tonight? Maybe we can figure out who he is?"

      "That sounds fun." Lindsey perked up. "Oh, Thalia. I didn't see you there."
      "Oh. I was just bringing Claire her extra shoes." She said, holding up a new pair of heels.
      "Are you going to come tonight?" Lindsey asked hopefully.

      "I can't." Thalia took a deep breath. "I have a mission this afternoon."