S Ison - Russian Doomsday

Most intel was shifted over to analysis, where they could scratch their heads and ponder over it. It might seem exciting to the outsider, but it was tedium at its best. Most intel was boring. There were rarely any events that would raise eyebrows.

He would need to schedule a meeting with Jenson. Maybe the two of them could put their heads together and move things along faster. Being in the dark was not a good feeling. Hamish always felt that the U.S. was constantly fighting to stay ahead of the curve. Intel wasn’t always reliable either. Sometimes misinformation was leaked, sending them off in different directions. The key was knowing what needed to be followed, and if it needed following at all.

The one thing about assets: no matter how much training they had, it was always down to the human factor. The agency depended on fallible people, though their mistakes were few if they wanted to live. If they weren’t good at their jobs, they were dead, and a dead asset was a wasted asset.

Hamish hated waste. He was even less tolerant of those who wasted his time and his assets. There were plenty of those kinds floating around the Hill, like turds in a toilet.

Dina Morenova pulled on her cigarette as she watched Borin covertly. She’d been working in his section of research and development for over a year and a half now. Her mission: seduce Borin and obtain any and all intel available. But not yet. Like a spider, she was dormant, unable to make a single move. When she had it, she would send it forward. To whom, she didn’t know. That was just as well.

Dina was a beautiful woman, but over the last year and a half she’d played her looks down. Attention from non-targets was discouraged. That would simply cause complications. Though she was adept at the kind rebuff, she didn’t like it. It drew attention.

She sighed heavily and went over to her computer. She opened the new email that waited there and her eyes went wide. It was the go-ahead message. She quickly put out her cigarette. The message in and of itself was innocuous, a general announcement to her division. However, the words now and activated were in such a place that only she would know their meaning.

This was what she’d been waiting for and her heart surged with fear, a tingle racing across her skin. She could finally put her skills to work. Her own personal wants and desires had no place here; they never had, never would. She was an asset and had a job to carry out, nothing more. Now that she had the go ahead, she’d start the slow flirt: a look here, a smile there. And it started today.

There was an art to being both innocuous and seen. Each had their subtleties, and only a true professional knew how to exploit them.

She looked at her hands. They were shaking. She had to get herself under control. She pulled out another cigarette and lit it, her hands shaking as she did so. She took a deep draw on the cigarette and blew out slowly. A hand went to her face, where moisture had formed. She needed to pull herself together. She wasn’t just going to rush out there and jump him. That thought helped steady her and once more she took a deep draw. Slowly, her heart rate began to slow.

Time to prepare. She placed the cigarette on the ashtray. She wouldn’t rely on makeup just yet, but she would up her game to get his attention. She took out her compact and looked in the mirror. Gazing back at her were vibrant jade eyes, reminding her of a deer’s caught in headlights, set in a too-pale face. She supposed that was normal; this could end badly for her. Her luxurious thick blonde hair was scraped up in a tight bun, making her look quite unattractive, she thought wryly.

Reaching up, she undid the tight bun. The relief when it came down almost made her groan. She’d lived with headaches for years now. Closing her eyes in ecstasy, she ran her nails through her hair, raking them along her scalp. It felt so good. She shook her head and fluffed her hair, then let it hang loose. Much better.

She’d been told early on that Borin was partial to blondes, so was confident he would notice her. Especially considering she would be wearing her hair down from now on. However, that didn’t mean a thing if he didn’t pick up on her hints or if they didn’t have chemistry. One never knew, but most men didn’t turn away a beautiful woman. She hoped for all their sakes that Alexei Borin was attracted to her. She’d been here too long to fail before she got started on her true mission.

Next, she tucked her blouse in for a defined hourglass figure, then pulled her skirt up a few inches to show off her long legs, toned and shapely with small ankles. She had average feet, neither too large nor too small, and wore flat heels. Going over to her desk, she opened the bottom drawer. From the back, she pulled out a pair of three-inch black pumps. Kicking off the flat-heeled shoes, she replaced them with the pumps.

Turning back to her compact mirror, she dabbed on some lipstick, pale pink. Though she was really twenty-nine, she looked twenty-two: nice and young. She’d heard Borin liked his women young.

Taking a last drag of her cigarette, she stabbed it out, took a deep breath, stood, and pushed out her chest. Her hands had stopped shaking, for which she was thankful.

She had practiced this look enough times at home. She hoped it was enough.

Borin had to think it was all his own idea. She couldn’t be seen as the aggressor, since actions could later be looked at, scrutinized, and motives questioned. Not only that; she’d sized Borin up. He was a man’s man and would not be easily manipulated.

Picking up a random pile of paperwork, she went to her office door and looked out and around. Borin was seated on a couch by one of the other offices, reading through some documents.

Without any further ado, she set off in his direction, using her long legs to advantage and swaying her hips in gentle measure. Too much and it would be obvious, but the gentle shift and sway was a siren’s call to men.

She did not head directly for him. Rather, she angled to the left, slightly away, neither looking at nor acknowledging him. As she walked, nerves made her insides shake, and her heart slammed in her chest. She hoped it wasn’t discernable to an observer. Strange. She’d never thought of herself as a nervous woman. She mentally bit down. She had to get herself under control.

So much relied on her attracting his attention. Her mouth went dry and she fought the urge to lick her lips. She wasn’t used to doubting herself, and cursed silently for it. As she moved along the hall, off to one side, she knew she wasn’t being obvious, but at least in his line of sight.

Cutting her eyes toward him surreptitiously, she saw he was indeed watching her. It was now time to draw attention to herself. She pretended to trip and dropped her papers. Pivoting, she bent down, extending a long leg behind her to hike up her skirt just a bit. She picked the papers up, taking her time; not too fast and not too slow.

Standing, she masked her face in pretty annoyance with her eyes cast down. Borin was watching her intently. She walked on, pretending she didn’t even know he was there. It wouldn’t do to acknowledge him at this point; all she wanted to do was catch his interest. She could not afford to be blatant. Subtle, she’d been taught; always be subtle. A smile curved her lips. She’d done that well enough. A slow breath came out, and her body began to relax. The shaking had stopped. That was good. She didn’t need that physical nervousness; he’d pick up on that. He was a predator, and predators always saw the weaknesses in others. Tomorrow, she’d cross his path again and see if it had taken.

Pike had his truck loaded and ready to go. Walking into the building, he found Nancy, the receptionist, at her desk. He grinned. She’d always been nice to him. She reminded him a lot of his mother: lots of energy and friendly.