Spaghetti Invasion

Plans

Sarah stared at the sunrise from her seat on the train. Conflicting thoughts rolled through her head. She'd never felt about anyone the way she'd come to feel about Declan in such a short time.

Was that her own heart, or the Aicurs' 'assistance'? The memory of Declan's kiss and the emotions it evoked seemed proof of their veracity, but Declan was still a citizen of the EU and she was still an American. She couldn't see her handler, her father or the brass approving of the match, even if she wasn't a sneak.

At the same time, the war between the two conglomerates had begun over what had become a moot point anyway, especially in light of the Spaghetti Men's threat. Could Declan and the Aicurs really broker peace between them? It would probably be a lot easier if Sarah would help them, but Sarah knew she couldn't just fly home with an Aicur in tow and expect to be heard. There was a protocol to these things! 

A sudden flash of insight later, Sarah made her decision. She settled her doubts and concentrated on a solid plan of action. As soon as she reached her safe-house in London, she'd contact Birdman and set things in motion. In the meantime, Declan's reading of his Book had given her a lot to think about and she had time to do so. Sarah stared out the window without seeing the landscape as she pondered what he'd said about the Book's contents and his experiences aboard the ship.

When she got to London, Birdman had what seemed to Sarah an entire laundry list of assignments she needed to complete before she'd be allowed to return home. Sarah found no opportune time to broach the subject of the Aicurs, but found herself instead sneaking about London town in the same manner as a large pantry rat. Break into here, filch that, sabotage this other thing. The work seemed unending.

Several times, Shadow thought she saw Declan's face in the crowds of people but chalked up to her own guilty conscience and aching heart. Trying to set her feelings aside, Shadow reminded herself that there was much more at stake than two hearts amidst the billions. She did her best to concentrate on her work, telling herself that the sooner she finished it, the sooner she might see Declan again.

After several weeks of non-stop assignments, there came an instance where it was clear to Shadow, despite her having no support team, that someone had assisted her escape. The information given her about the task had been faulty, which had set the watch on her as she was trying to extricate herself from the Ministry building that she'd been sent to burgle.

As the alarms blared, Shadow could only stand in her insufficient hiding place and watch as a guard approached. God, I don't know if You're as real as Declan and the Aicurs believe, but if You're there, I really need help! Just as the guard was about to stumble onto Shadow's hiding place, a man's voice had called to the guard that the intruder had been located, distracting said guard long enough for Shadow to slip away. Shock swept through her as she recognized the distraction as an answer to her prayer. God is real! She realized, and knew that she'd need to find a way to ask Declan more about it.

As soon as she had delivered her prize and was in the safe-house for the night, Shadow headed for the shower, ready to remove the make-up and pads that hid her true identity from the world. Sarah was so tired that she felt punch-drunk. It was hard to think straight. Her face itched from the greasy base and caked-on powder.

The sponge pads that changed the shape of her cheeks were uncomfortable from the start, but a necessary add-on if she were spotted and needed to change her appearance in a hurry. Sarah was dabbing at the cosmetics with a special remover when a voice in the window made her stiffen.

"You're a hard woman to find, Sarah Mae." The voice sounded so much like Declan's that Shadow wondered if she were going insane. It couldn't possibly be him!