MISSION MOONLARK, kotlc

26

"If you were really being forced into the Pacific with twenty seconds to defuse an underwater bomb that would blow up half of the world at the bottom of the ocean, you would not be swimming that slow, SF!" Agent Canton chided, examining her exhausted strokes with exasperation. "Move your arms more! Look at Agent L over here, of all things!"

Sophie glared at him, but glanced over at Linh who was swimming so quickly, she looked like a blur. "The chances of me being forced into the Pacific with thirty seconds to defuse an underwater bomb that would blow up half the world at the bottom of the ocean is very slim."

"I said twenty seconds," Agent Canton corrected, with a smug smile.

Sophie glanced over at Biana, Marella, Maruca, Dex, Fitz, Tam and Keefe for help. Nobody did anything.

Sighing, she crouched at the base of the pool, positioned her hands into a diving position, and leapt into the pool, doing more of a belly flop then the elegant dive that Linh had demonstrated. She was pretty sure Keefe was laughing at her- but why did she care?

Sophie was still shocked with herself that she'd covered for him this long. But if she revealed the truth, she'd already be in trouble for not telling the agency sooner.

"Keith! You're up next!" Agent Canton announced as soon as Sophie resurfaced, hacking and coughing up the chlorine-filled water.

Linh must've been in love with the Black Swan's olympic-sized swimming pool, complete with fifteen four-foot-wide lanes and an even bigger area to practice some sort of underwater combat program that had somehow made it into their spy curriculum. Outside the water, the walls were lined with enormous lockers, with each agent owning their own personal cubby and standard agent wetsuit- thick, plain black, and imprinted with the Black Swan's logo. It also happened to home a snack bar that served the most delicious nachos ever, and particularly whipped-cream-y ice cream sundaes, which a few of the Agents had claimed had "nutritional value"; Sophie was pretty certain it was just because ice cream was amazing.

"Oooh, nice!" Fitz gave Keefe an appreciative whistle as he emerged on the other side of the pool, The Hair dripping in his face.

Agent Canton looked like he was trying not to smile. "You guys go pack up and dry off. I have corridor 7C coming in soon."

"Thanks, Agent," they chorused. Fitz grinned and handed Sophie her towel, but her heart was too confused to flutter anymore.

"Hey, SF," Keefe called, checking his aim and tossing his towel into the basket with an expert shot. "Can I have a word?"

Sophie stared at him. Fitz scowled.

"Sure," she mumbled, wringing out her hair and following him into the hot tub room.

As soon as the door closed, Sophie felt like the world had a new level of clarity. No more fake cover-ups- no more lies she needed to tell for the Worst Deal Ever Made.

"What do you need, Keefe?"

"Your help."

"Yeah, no," Sophie jumped in, before he could say anything else. "I'm already covering for you, when you did nothing for me. If you're asking me to... I don't know, smuggle you information, or-"

"No, no, I-"

He cut off abruptly; the door had opened and Biana was walking in, her cheeks pink and flushed.

"Hi," she said breathlessly, her voice an octave higher. "I... er... left my towel in here."

The lie was one of the worst Sophie had ever heard; Biana's eyes scanned the room, looking for a towel, even though it was empty. "I mean... I...."

Sophie followed her gaze as it caught on a pair of sunglasses that Sophie remembered Biana insulting just a few days ago.

"I forgot my sunglasses!" Biana squeaked, grabbing the sunglasses nervously. "Okay, bye!"

The door slammed shut again, but it was clear Biana wasn't going to stop peeking through the semi-transparent door.

"Maybe we shouldn't do this now," Sophie suggested.

"Good idea," Keefe agreed, his ice blue eyes infuriatingly sweet as he added, "Meet me in your training room tonight, five past seventy-two."

"You don't have the key- or the fingerprint," Sophie reminded him, raising an eyebrow.

Keefe winked, already heading for the door. "Trust me, Foster. I have my methods."

His eyes once again wandered to the floor, before turning to face her own. "And for what it's worth... thank you."