MISSION MOONLARK, kotlc

10

"You two go left, we go right," Sophie whispered, snatching Biana's elbow and practically pulling her to the side.

She risked a glance at the notorious criminal mastermind, and everything from his hard blue eyes made her shiver. Fintan was so casually dressed, that he was almost easy to overlook- but being a spy herself, Sophie could see the calculating way he scanned around the clearing.

Biana elbowed her in the side, making Sophie bite back a yelp.

"What?" She hissed, irritated.

"Look at his hair," Biana whispered pointedly, tilting her head forcefully in Fintan's direction.

"B, do we really care about hairdos at this point-?"

"No, look at his ear," she clarified. "See the mic?"

Sophie tried to focus in on the direction she was pointing- and it wasn't until she really looked closely that she could see the tiny bug-like chip tucked inside his earbud. 

"Who's he talking to?" Sophie wondered, pretending to look thoughtfully at a few mannequins in the window of an H&M.

"He's heading for the alley," Dex's voice noted through her own microphone. "You two go. Me and Fitz will keep watch."

Sophie squeezed Biana's hand before darting into the alley and crawling behind a metal dumpster as Fintan turned away.

Footsteps padded closer. Sophie's heart hammered up against her chest.

"Agent KS?" Fintan hissed through the darkness.

Sophie's mind was too slow to put the pieces together...

"Right here," an all too familiar voice called back, and a second set of footsteps sounded closer. Sophie could practically hear his smirk as he added, "I think you mean Agent LH."

"Left hand?" Fintan wondered.

"Lord Hunkyhair," he corrected, sounding thoroughly offended.

Sophie's mouth turned to sandpaper as she risked a peek... and her suspicions proved right as she's recognized the blonde haired, ice blue eyed teen standing face to face with the notorious arson.

Keefe Sencen.

And the flutters coursing through her made Sophie hate herself even more.

Biana poked her side, and when she looked over, her hands were flashing with familiar gestures: sign language- and probably even more useful than morse code.

He's hot.

Sophie scowled. Leave it to Biana to think about the popularity level of criminals. That doesn't matter. We came here for Alvar, not to hook up with guys.

Stop signing, Biana ordered suddenly.

Sophie stopped gesturing abruptly and listened closely as a third set of footsteps made their way closer. "I'm here. Sorry I took so long. I'm supposed to be on an assignment in London."

Okay... and that pretty much made her heart stop beating.

Alvar Vacker was a traitor.

A spy.

A double agent.

And it was actually pretty ingenious. The Vackers were known by anyone outside the spy business as a rich family living in a mansion in London. But to anyone in an agency, that was just a cover up- then entire Vacker lineage was rooted in the Black Swan.

Until now.

And a Vacker working for the rivaling agency would be more than just a security threat- and a shock. It would practically turn the entire agency upside down, and maybe even ruin the Vacker name permanently.

"No worries," Fintan assured him. "You're here now."

"I am," Alvar agreed. "What do you need me for?"

"I'm sure your aware that they captured one of our top tier members? Agent Vespera?" Fintan guessed, making Sophie flinch.

She'd been part of that particular assignment.

"Yes. Hard to keep track of our news when I'm off with the Black Swan, but I did hear from my mother-"

"They're doing interrogation tomorrow," Keefe cut in, before Alvar could keep rambling.

The three Neverseen members were silent for a second, before Fintan continued.

"Our dear Vespera is a lot of things, but everyone has a weak point. Sooner or later, we're going to have to rescue her before someone gets her to crack. Do you think you can-"

"I can sneak in, the interrogation room," Alvar interrupted.

"It's more than that," Fintan confessed, sounding annoyed at his interruption. "I need you to find a way to get me in there too."

"Why?" Keefe and Alvar asked in unison.

"I'm an arson, of course," Fintan reminded them. "And what better distraction is there than a fire?"