Sixty one...

Sixty two...

Sixty thr-

With a resounding shout, Yerbol released himself from the steel bar, squatting to within inches of the ground. Sweat dripped off the bridge of his nose onto the black synthetic surface that covered the expansive gym(just one of ten in the building), his breathing labored and intense. Looking up as he stood, a smile crossed his face. A few feet in front of him was the usual mess of dumbbells, kettlebells and medicine balls that he employed in his training rituals. It was an obstacle course for any who attempted to work out in the same room, which might explain why the gym he was currently utilizing was vacant of all human life. He preferred it this way, of course. It was a fortress of solitude for him, a way to escape the constant demands of his line of work. Of course the demands hadn't been coming in for very long.

One month ago, he had been called in from a training exercise by his superior to talk with two men, who he now knew as Alan Huntley and William Brandt, director of the IMF and senior operative respectively. He had heard of the IMF from others at his station in Barcelona, but they were only rumors, wild tales of a man named Ethan Hunt and his band of cohorts tearing down international terrorism one cell at a time. It was a bit surprising to have any contact with the IMF, seeing as they were a branch of U.S. intelligence(as confirmed by Huntley). The director's pitch was concise and efficient, Brandt adding that they could see Yerbol's "excellence in the field" and wanted to know if they could recruit him from Interpol, a group that had been rapidly promoting him from within and didn't want to see him leave anytime soon. Yet, there were things in the States that he still desired to accomplish, people he desperately wanted to spend more time with. Disregarding any professional gain he could've made at Interpol, he accepted the position as a field operative with the IMF.

Set up with a space efficient yet somewhat cozy apartment in the heart of D.C., Yerbol was transplanted from Barcelona and was put through a gauntlet of tests and simulations, all of which he did well at(except for long distance shooting...he was terrible). The promise of his first mission had been made just yesterday, Brandt telling him to keep his phone nearby. The device lay next to a dumbbell, set on the loudest volume possible. He walked forward, wiping sweat off his brow with the back of his hand and scooped it up, seeing that he had missed a text message notification. It had been sent five minutes ago from number 356, code for Brandt. It simply read:
"Briefing room. Half an hour."

He smiled.

_______________

Showered and changed into brown slacks and a blue button down shirt that he brought in his gym bag(had to be prepared!), he made his way out of the gym into the off white corridor, turning left. The briefing room was on the top floor of the twenty floor office building that served as the headquarters for the IMF, the building blending in rather nicely with the business milieu of this part of the city. Reaching the elevator, he summoned it by withdrawing a keycard from his wallet and inserting it into the slot below both up and down buttons. A moment later, the metallic doors slid open, Yerbol politely smiling and nodding at the other occupant of the elevator. He turned to press the button marked "20", but noted it was already illuminated.

Interesting.

“Where is she? Did you get her?!”

“Yes, sir, she fell off the cliff upon being shot.”

Walking to the ledge the man who asked the questions looked over to see the rocks and rapids. No body could be seen, but as he turned his head to look down river he would see a hundred yards down a blue cloth. “Give them to me, you oaf,” he commanded to the larger man beside him who handed over the small pair of binoculars on hand. Looking through the lens and adjusting the focus he identified the cloth of the brown coat the women had been wearing when she started her run for it. It was torn at the side and some blood was seen having dyed the fabric enough to not be washed away by the water. He stared at it for a few more seconds before saying. “Well, at least you got her after your mistake of letting her get so close.” Shoving the binoculars back to the man he turned away and reached to his forehead. Warm crawled across his fingers and he pulled them down to reveal his own blood. "I should have your head for giving her the chance to do this."



A mile and a half down the river Lilith dragged herself ashore. Collapsing onto her back she took in large breaths of air before coughing up a bit of water. “God damn…” she muttered before groaning in pain. Holding her side gently with her hand she felt some blood seep onto it, but that’s when she tore the white blouse she had under her coat open to reveal a tight fitting bullet proof vest as well as three flattened bullets against it. She knew three large welts would soon be formed on her body as the cost of having it tight fitting to hide under most clothes was still feeling quite the impact. A tear was in its side which was due to the rocks which had created the wound she now bore. It wasn’t life threatening though as long as she kept pressure on it she determined. Standing up she shoved her free hand into the pocket of the jeans she had on and pulled out a small flash drive. Lilith sighed once in relief that it hadn’t fallen out she then lifted the hand to her ear and pressed gently, “My cover is blown, but I have the package. Requesting immediate extraction.”

Following the banks of the Coruh River in Turkey she made her way towards a clearing. “Broadcasting coordinates.” She stated before giving her longitude and latitude positioning the watch on her wrist displayed as it also functioned as a locator in case such a situation arose. For the past four months she had been working on taking down an underground terrorist cell that had moved off the radar with the possible threat of a chemical weapon taken during the conflict within the middle east . They were in the planning phases of a terrorist attack within Turkey to provoke Turkey into a war with Syria due to the origin of the chemical weapons when Lilith got involved. Having successfully extracted the information towards the chemical weapons location Turkish officials would have all they need to finish up the job. It was only a matter of minutes when the helicopter arrived and she was carried off.

In the end however, it turns out the chemical weapons weren’t even found. The data was likely tampered with before it had been extracted to look convincing. This left the IMF and Lilith in a tight spot as relations with Syria and Turkey due to events in the operations having been costly.



As Yerbol entered the elevator Lilith would be standing against the back wall with a small book in hand which had a sleeve protecting the cover leaving it unseen. She wore a short but casual black dress with high heels to match. Earlier that day she had gotten the message for the briefing. It had been her first in the last two months due to the time it took for her wound to heal as well as the fact that the committee that oversees the IMF felt that that she was a risk factor due to her mistake before. Luckily, due to Ethan’s recent dealings with the take down of the syndicate, the committee let up on the pressure it had started to come down with giving Lilith a shot to make up her mistakes and take a new mission. She lifted her head only very slightly and her eyes rose to take notice of the man who entered. Lilith examined him for a brief second before taking note that he too was aiming to head to the 20th floor.

The doors closed, leaving Yerbol in a rather uncomfortable situation. He hated elevator silence. It was an oddity, an idiosyncrasy, but he would never give up on the notion that if there was someone else in the elevator with you, there had to be some polite conversation. The silence was unbearable. He reached up with a hand and played with the front end of his hair, flipping it up slightly in it's normal configuration(the front end of his hair tended to mat down on his hair, which was a frustrating turn of events) before asking:
"I suppose I shouldn't be asking this, but you wouldn't happen to be heading to the briefing room as well, would you?" Before the conversation could go any further, a soft ping indicated that they had arrived. At the door stood a dark haired woman in a pencil skirt and a shirt with a neckline that went so far up that it could have swallowed her head. He had seen her before...
"Operatives, please follow me." The deep, yet pleasant voice registered. It was Alexis Pressmen, the woman who had set him up with his lodgings and equipment. So she was an unofficial quartermaster? Glorified receptionist? Shaking the line of thought, he complied with the directive, following her through the familiar wood paneled hallways. This floor was much better appointed decor-wise, the carpet a luxurious fabric of some kind, wood paneling on the walls that added an elegance to what would have been a drab office hallway. Doors were mostly open, all of which revealed computers and other such equipment manned by bustling men and women in business attire. Finally, they reached a door at the end of the current hallway they were in, Alexis leading them into a room that featured two large plasma screen television mounted on the eastern wall. To to the north were expansive full length windows that held a good view of the D.C. skyline. In the center was a dark cherrywood conference table, leather office chairs set haphazardly along the edges.
"Director Huntley will be with you shortly." With that, she left, leaving Yerbol to look to the woman with a small smile.
"I suppose she answered my question for me." He withdrew a seat at the end of the table, situating himself in it turning to the woman, extending a hand:
"My manners escape me. Yerbol Makashev."

While the elevator traveled Lilith kept to herself and simply seemed to read her book in silence. As Yerbol messed with his hair she rose her head again taking notice. It was then he began to speak, but before she could say anything in response they had reached their destination. As the women turned and began to lead them through Lilith spoke for the first time, “Good to see you again, Alexis.” Lilith had a small smile on her face as they walked as she felt a brief moment of joy. She was back, and being led to the briefing room after being away was making her recount how she missed being on her missions. Having been used to the building Lilith didn’t turn her head or get distracted by the rooms the company passed. Men and women were at work and it would be best not to bother them nor would it be best for her to get distracted so easily. Moments later they were in the conference room to where Lilith found a seat midway at the table and sat down with one leg crossed over the other. “Thank you, Alexis.” Lilith said promptly after Alexis started walking away.

Yerbol then spoke up and she turned her heads towards him while he introduced himself. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Lilith replied in earnest. “Lilith Cowen.” Smiling back at him she then looking him over better than her passing glance in the elevator while keeping the smile on her face. “I can’t say I have seen you around here before even in passing within the building. How long have you been in D.C?” She didn’t ask if he was new due to the fact they were both operatives now. He could have been in deep cover or on a mission during the time she had been back or even at times she was imply here in general. As she waited for his answer she moved her hair slightly with her finger to readjust it after their walk. Her eyes gazing with more intensity, though not with any specific intent, as they engaged in conversation. If he took a quick look in examining her he could tell by her arms and legs that while keeping an elegant appeal she was still very much in shape which is required for field operations.

"A month has passed since my transfer from-" He was interrupted by Director Huntley's stout frame entering the room, two thin folders in his right hand. There was a grimace on his face that was more dour than usual, which more than likely signaled the level of stress that was on his shoulders. He handed a folder to each operative before whisking himself to the opposite end of the table, turning on a large monitor that was mounted on the wall to reveal streams of data flashing across the top and bottom of the screen. In the middle was satellite video footage that was in a continuous loop, melded together with surveillance tape. He examined the screen, a heavy exhale escaping his lips.
"I cannot stress how important this operation is. Not just to us, but to the entire intelligence community across the globe." He placed a finger on the screen, the footage pausing to reveal the grey facade of a building with a red carpet rolled out on the sidewalk, men in maroon colored uniforms standing next to each other. On the carpet stood a lithe Asian female, her ruby colored lips slightly agape.
"This is Ling Shi Hua. She was with Lane and the Syndicate, yet she's managed to stay under the radar ever since we captured her superior." He pressed on the screen to continue the footage, then pressed again to reveal Ling standing with two men clad in sharp suits and sunglasses in spite of the rain that dropping to either side.
"The two men with her are on the security detail at the United States embassy in Hong Kong."
"So she's based in Hong Kong?" Huntley turned around, scowling.
"I would think that you'd be able to deduce that by me telling you, Agent Makashev."
"I just..."
"The men, Timothy Cowlishaw and Jalen Montague, have been taken into custody due to their appearing with Ling. They haven't given us much, but they have told us about a potential bomb threat, one that could be planted by Ling."
"They were willing to give her up that quickly? And to be that sloppy about being seen out in public..."
"My suspicion is that she wanted them to be captured, for us to see that she's acting on her own terms."
"So the information provided from the guards..."
"Might be a sham, yes, but we were essentially given a bluff by Ling. She told us through giving two of these men up that she has a web of agents that could be hidden anywhere AND that she can easily replace them." Huntley paused for a moment, looking up at the ceiling before returning his gaze to the operatives:
"What I want you two to do is to track Ling. There are two leads in your briefing packets that you can follow up on that were provided by the security detail and scoped out by local intelligence. Find out what she's planning on doing in Hong Kong, stop her operations and bring her in. Alive." He strode to the exit, then quickly added:
"You're working with a team now, Lilith. I expect you to welcome the change." With that cryptic comment, he left the room.

Yerbol rose from his chair, brow arched.
"That was...abrupt. Is he always like that?"

Lilith turned her head in the direction of the Director as he entered the room. Her small smiled disappeared as the tone shifted to a rather serious one with his arrival. Taking the fold and opening is she examined the contents while listening in before looking at the satellite information on Hunley’s screen. During most of it Lilith was simply silently listening and examining the evidence and information their packet gave them as much of what Huntly would tell them would also be found in the briefs themselves as well as the likely answers to what she would have asked anyway. With his more dour than usual mood however, as well as the stress he put on how important this is, she couldn’t help but feel both a bit of pressure as it was her return mission as well as excitement for having such a vital task. As Huntly abruptly answered the questions Yerbol posed Lilith was mixed between feeling annoyed that Yerbol asked an obvious question as well as being annoyed that Huntly found himself being so irritable. Shrugging it off slightly she then was addressed directly by her Director which made her simply smile her trademark smile and reply “Of course.” Behind that smile was her with to roll her eyes or groan at the fact he had to say that to her. She didn’t like being patronized like a child by Huntly. While she was usually a lone agent, she knew some missions may require multiple.

Flipping through to the next page in their folders she didn’t look at Yerbol when she first said. “You have no idea, but he is even more uptight than usual.” Afterwards turning her head to him and saying. “The two leads he mentioned, one pertains to a hotel she may be staying at while one pertains to the rise in traffic in a area with a low population density. I think we should look into the hotel first, if we are efficient it hopefully will be easy to find out if she was staying there or not. From there we can move to the second lead if the first turns up nothing, as the second has a higher chance of being a multitude of other reasons behind the traffic and the fact that finding a source for pin pointing that she is involved is going to be more difficult as far as I can tell.” It seemed she got right down to business, but as she finished she then put her head on her hands being held up by her elbows on the table after setting her folder aside to say. “And please continue with what you were saying as well, knowing where you transferred from might be good to know after all.” After she spoke a small smile once again formed on her face as she tried to be friendly with her new partner to get off on a good foot.

As she spoke, he couldn't help but admire her professionalism. Interpol had been a great place to hone his skills, but there was a kind of unprofessional air that the agency had been hit with for the past few years or so. Reports of fraternization with suspects, weapons being discharged for no apparent reason and the odd romantic scandal between officers made Interpol the laughing stock of the intelligence community. Lilith's behavior was a breath of fresh air, a reminder that an intelligence agency had operatives that actually took their work seriously. Not that he was opposed to being friendly or even growing fond of co-workers. He had to leave a few friends behind in Barcelona, good people that seemed to be the only coherent officers in all of Interpol.

“And please continue with what you were saying as well, knowing where you transferred from might be good to know after all.”

A smile crossed his face.
"I was an Interpol officer. Barcelona. Before that, I was in the States with the Army and I must say it is good to be back home." He opened his folder, then skimmed past the bulk of information they had just reviewed to the very back where a boarding pass was attached, laminated against the folder. He removed it, chuckling.
"Suppose I won't be able to enjoy home for very long." Yerbol pointed to the date in the upper left corner of the document, which read August 21st.

Tomorrow.

"I'm surprise they're sending us commercial. The IMF doesn't have their own backdoor aviation program?" His phone buzzed. Then again. He chose to ignore. A light sigh escaped his lips as his eyes met with hers.
"I must take care of a few things before I leave. Say we meet at Dulles tomorrow? I hope we can chat on the way over. It is a long flight." He approached the door, then stopped, turning his head to say:
"Do be prepared for rain. Hong Kong isn't the sunniest place this time of year."

_____________________

Seated in the overstuffed leather chair, cocktail in hand, Yerbol felt slightly guilty for those beneath them on the 747 that didn't have such luxuries. Then again, if the IMF was paying for it, why not? He took a sip, looking down at the makeshift table with his laptop open. They had been on the flight for about an hour, Yerbol attempting to settle in. Now that they had reached cruising altitude, it would be a good time to actually get to know his partner. He took another drink before looking to her.
"How long have you been with the IMF, Lilith?"

Lilith intently listened to Yerbol explain where he worked and simply nodded once to show that she was paying attention before he pulled out the boarding pass. “Well, we are in a hurry.” She responded with a small smirk to show good intent rather than making it sound like he was being unintelligent. “Going commercial is cheaper and more inconspicuous. If the enemy hears our names and sees us flying commercial we simply look like we could be on business to China. Rather common for American travelers.” She said in response to his comment on private aviation. “Hiding in plain sight if you will.” It was then his phone rang and he gave a sigh. Her eyebrow rose for a moment of curiosity, but she let it fall and replied with “Alright, find me there as one P.M.” before waving slightly as he walked out after his comment on rain. When the doors shut she turned her head to the file and read it again once while saying. “This could be fun; having a partner.” Finding that bouncing ideas as well as having more options with two people could lead to a more effective operation, while finding Yerbol’s honesty and less uptight personality refreshing from some other IMF agents.

On the plain Lilith could once again be seen reading a book to pass the time while having some music playing in one ear. The small table to the side of her seat held a wine glass with a red wine she had slowly been sipping over the course of about thirty minutes. Yerbol began speaking and she turned her head to the side to look back at him while he gave his question. Pulling the earbud out of her left ear she then said. “About two years now. I went straight out of college into CIA intelligence operations and a year later I found myself in the IMF. My father worked in the CIA so I interned there in college and had some connections which allowed me to get into the IMF at a relatively young age.” At the age of twenty five she was one of the younger lone agents as she didn’t have many years of outside work behind her when she had originally joined. But, her efficiency and promise is also what allowed her connection through her father to speed up her employment into the IMF. Thinking for a moment as she turned her head back to the book she added. “It’s been a life changing experience to say the least. I hope you find it to be one as well.” Meaning it to be more of a positive statement to start the mission with a bit of optimism over reality in that the IMF experience can also be a painful one if things go wrong like h er last mission.

"Always boils down to who you know, doesn't it?" Yerbol said with a small smile, adding rather quickly:
"Not to say that you don't have the skills to succeed, but I've become aware in my twelve years working in the intelligence community that connections are a very worthwhile investment to have." He shifted in his seat slightly as he continued:
"You know, I always wanted to go into the CIA." He chuckled.
"I romanticized a bit, thought it was the ultimate crime fighting operation that I could join to the change the world. My path, however, didn't lend itself very much to intelligence." There was a pause, a clearing of the throat. He took another sip of his cocktail, swallowing harder than usual.
"My apologies. This is...a bit of a sore spot for me." Yet he was going to tell her anyway, in the spirit of partnership. Having had a partner for a while in Interpol, he knew that divulging intimate details(not TOO intimate) helped the other person feel trusted, thereby boosting their willingness to invest trust in the other. It was a rather beneficial cycle that had to be instigated by someone in the pair. Might as well be him.
"I was born in the States, but flitted around between Hong Kong, Taiwan and the States. My father was a suit warehouse owner. A traditional Asian economist." A chuckle.
"We moved around a lot, but finally settled in Chinatown when I was twelve and my sister, Jiang, was five. Three years later, my father passed, leaving me to take care of my sister. I felt overwhelmed, burdened. We had an aunt in Conneticut who took us in and I finished my education up there. By then, I was chafing underneath an aunt who thought I needed to follow in my father's foosteps and take over the business and I just...well, there were other reasons, but I wound up in a Marine recruiting office. The recruiter convinced me that I could make a difference in the world. I did not need to rely on bloodlines or money...all I needed was my self determination. I signed up that day and..." He looked down, a slight laugh escaping his throat.
"Forgive me. I feel like I'm giving a confessional more than a biographical sketch." Yerbol paused briefly before asking:
"Why did you instantly take the CIA job? Surely there were other agencies or paths you could have taken."

Lilith nodded once as he stated that it boiled down to connections. “Certainly does help.” She responded at that moment as she continued to look at her book. She had no delusions about it; it was her connections that allowed her to get this far so fast. Only someone with too much pride or ego would say otherwise after being an agent for long enough, as Yerbol so aptly said afterwards. As Yerbol began to tell his story she turned her head and offered her ears to listen since she herself, even if it was far briefer, had described some details of her involvement with the CIA and IMF. It’s only right that he got a chance to tell his part. When Yerbol expressed his discomfort, she was about to tell him that if he didn’t want to he need not share his experiences, but he began to continue anyway and she got a slightly hint of his determination to do so for their partnership. So, she gave him her nearly full attention, the rest of her attention being trained instinct on her surroundings due to being an agent even when they weren’t in danger. His tale moved her slightly as he was so honest, hell, she didn’t feel inclined to detail her past so quickly to her partner. Making her feel a bit selfish, but not enough to make her be as forthcoming as he is. Her respect for him, though, increased by a bit.

She gave him a kind smile, rather than her winning and trained smile, as a response when he apologized. “It’s alright.” She said quietly in response before his question made her think for a moment and look back at her book as she tried to discern her answer. “It’s because it’s what I was good at. I couldn’t stand a desk job at an agency, I needed adventure. Perhaps it’s from reading to many stories as well,” she finally responded with a small shrug. “I found a job that I can truly put one hundred percent into.” Taking a sip of her wine afterwards and then turning back to him she decided to tease him once as it was her nature to do so. “You know, honest men usually don’t make good spies.” As he had told her so much she felt inclined to see how he would react to that statement as she had her small moment of fun. Comparing himself so her as he was far less ambiguous as she was with the details.

Yerbol once again chuckled, volume a bit louder than the other ones. A sly smile crossed his face as he told her:
"Better to be an honest man who has a grip on reality rather than a dishonest one that gets absorbed by the lies they tell." He leaned back in his seat, turning his head just for a moment to find the flight attendant standing close by after serving another passenger. He relinquished his glass to her, allowing her to walk away before he turned his attention back to Lilith.
"I've found that dishonesty can prove to be a hindrance in my work. Of course, as an Interpol operative, I was not involved in...'cloak and dagger' operations. My job was to ensure that people were brought to justice and tried in a system that attempted to ascertain the truth about a matter." A pause.
"Call me naive, possibly gullible to the ways of counter-intelligence, but I would imagine that employing some shred of honesty would be beneficial. I wouldn't expect us to run around shouting our innermost national secrets to anyone who asked, but doesn't one benefit from transparency? Even the worst of the worst criminals that I have dealt with appreciated having the truth spelled out for them." His laptop screen, which had once been dimmed, came alive, the onboard wifi allowing him to receive an email. The notification gave a preview of the message along with who sent it. He quickly examined the screen, but then his gaze lingered. He opened the message in full and a few moments later smirked.
"Excuse me, but my sister sent me a message regarding her transition. This is her first year of college and her first year on her own, so I naturally wanted her emailing me to tell me she was alright." He shifted the screen slightly so Lilith could see the picture of a smiling Jiang, a few boxes behind her on a desk.
"She was always a great kid."

Lilith turned away for a bit and looked to her novel while he talked of why he was so honest. She didn’t want to offend him so she didn't speak, and she even kept a smile, but in truth she felt like he might be facing a hard reality at times. The IMF was not like what he had done before after all. They would need to fake identities, steal, work around the law in several occasions, and keep their own true identities safe as to not give their enemy any leverage on them. If the justice system could help in the cases the IMF are involved then they wouldn’t be needed, and the worst criminals try and use the truth to their advantage. At the same time though Lilith truly got a sense of how different he was compared to the world she had been in. He is a good man in her mind, but good men must put some extra effort in to stay good in this line of work.

Her head moved back to face him once his screen turned back on and he mentioned his sister. Examining the screen for a moment she certainly caught the family resemblance. “She looks like a good kid.” Lilith responded kindly before looking a bit towards him. “I was an only child myself, so I can’t really imagine how it feels for ones sibling to be growing up.” Taking a sip from her wine glass before allowing the attendant to take it away she then added. “But, I know that college is a fun experience. I hope she has fun with it alongside all of the studying. I was a little too caught up in interning and some training outside of class to have such a luxury at times, though now I get to travel the world so I guess you could say I got to have fun afterwards. I had enough though to know that college isn’t just about grades”

"No, it isn't, but then again..." Yerbol minimized the picture, rapping his fingers on the edge of the laptop.
"Jiang has always had a...wilder side to her that drove our aunt absolutely insane. When she was transferred into my custody a few years ago, it seemed to disappear most of the time, but more than once I had to show up at her high school to deal with allegations of a fight or a prank on an assistant principal she had organized. I'm just hoping she doesn't get into trouble she can't get out of...well, I hope she doesn't get into any trouble at all." He laughed as he brought up some of the electronic files contained on the flashdrive.
"I think I'll dig my nose into this a bit more before attempting to sleep." His eyes narrowed as a picture of their target became centered on screen, biographies and data packets flanking the image.

Time to work.

_____________________

Rain barraged Hong Kong island, the moisture a normal occurrence this time of year. While conditions were grey and dreary, Yerbol could appreciate what the rain brought to the island in terms of creating the gorgeous floral foliage that blossomed on Victoria Peak and the various gardens that were meticulously kept up by both citizenry and public services. Of course, it could be difficult to appreciate all of that when transplanted onto the main island, which was swimming with tourist traps, merchants hawking their wares and underground shopping centers that promised high end electronics for cheap(they WERE cheap, but high end would be a rather generous term). The IMF had booked them at the Mandarin Oriental, which was situated near ferries that could take them to Kowloon and the New Territories, making it a rather convenient way to get there and back. It didn't hurt that it was a five star hotel with a knack for ensuring that their guests were taken care of, especially ones that booked suites on the top floors. After walking into the suite, Yerbol whistled lightly.
"Well, they certainly didn't spare expense. Is it always this nice?" There was a rather large living area with a sectional couch, flat screen television mounted on the right wall and a balcony just beyond that. Two bedrooms were present to either side of the living area with separate doors, Yerbol silently thanking whoever gave them the room for giving both agents some privacy. He withdrew his cell phone and turned it on.
"Eight pm. We can probably hit the hotel where our girl was last seen. Sound goo-" A sharp knock at the door. A brow arched as he looked from the door to Lilith. The knock came again, this time more forceful, demanding. He quickly dropped his duffel bag and withdrew the handgun he had brought with him(glock 19), slowly making his way to the door as the knock came once more.
"Who's there?" A quick shuffling could be heard just as Yerbol brought his eye to the peephole.

"No one." He reached for the handle, looking back to Lilith before opening the door fully. At his feet lay a jewelry box gilded with jade, colored crimson with shades of ivory. There was a small padlock on the front, but nothing else was on the box.
"Take a look."

Lilith smirked as Yerbol described his sister’s less frequent delinquent side and simply thought of what things that could lead to or how she got that kind of personality. She could relate to his sister a little because, after all, to live the life of an agent she needed her own wilder side to life with the ‘excitement’ that can come with it. Then again, she thought, her wild side and his sisters might be entirely different beasts. “She sounds like a handful.” She simply responded with her smile before turning back to her book and placing her earbud back in. Hours would past and soon enough she would catch a glimpse of their destination lightning up as their plane went down through the clouds to land.



While Yerbol appreciated the rain for what it brought, Lilith appreciated it as it allowed for an excuse to wear a hood to both prevent her from being seen in a distance as well as well as the sound dampening it added. An agents best friend in terms of weather when aiming to be unnoticed in her mind, unless she was back in training and didn’t have the hang of avoiding the splash of a puddle. Another part of her appreciation was the cool air the rain brings with it. She did though; find herself a bit damp as they entered into their hotel room. Placing her jacket onto the coat rack and walking in she replied aloud “Not always, I’ve had to stay in a dirt shack during one mission in the Middle East. My first one to be exact, I’ll spare you the details though as it was simply a cut and clear takedown mission for a member of a group who soon became a part of ISIS.” After which she walked to the window and took a look at the skyline quickly while adding on. “I can take the room on the left and you can have the one on the right. Deal?” she said, though it was less of a question at the end and more so a pleasantry as it didn’t matter so him agreeing was really the only response that fit. As he took out his phone and checked the time she took turned back and listened before the door suddenly was knocked on.

Once the force was affirmed she didn’t instantly take her pistol as Yerbol did his, and she didn’t expect gunfire when the door opened. Due to the fact if the enemy wanted to open fire in the hotel they would also likely bash the door in just as fast. A firefight already isn’t discreet. “Well it certainly was someone.” She responded as first as she slowly approached from behind before he then opened it. A few feet away she caught sight of the box and said. “It’s not going to explode if you are worried. There are far easier and less convoluted methods someone could use for such things than leave a box and knock. Ornate boxes are easier to find out where they came from after all after the pieces are gathered by forensics.” Bending over she gently picked the box up and examined it while holding it at her fingertips. “It is a nice box, after I check it for any dirty intent I may very well wish to keep it.” Turning back into their room she said. “Close the door quickly, and keep your guard up. If it is a message from our friend it means they know where and who we are already.” Her guard seemed very relaxed at this point, but that may be because she has been through worse and she was used to it. After which she would pull out a small toolkit that had a pick-lock set and aimed to open the lock while also making sure she wasn’t headed in for some crazy trap by opening it.

He complied with her instructions, standing on the left hand side of the closed door, gun in hand. Every so often he would press his ear against the door, the silence in the hallway making him uneasy every time he heard it. How on earth would anyone know that they had arrived? Their information had been encoded, false names used, and so on. Interpol didn't do half as much as the IMF in terms of securing information, so to know that there was a remote possibility that someone could have already intercepted them was...unsettling.
"Able to get it open yet?" Walking from his post to Lilith, he watched as she worked studiously with a kind of precision that he couldn't help but admire. A few moments passed before a soft clicking passed through his ears, the lock falling off. The box was opened to reveal a red velvet interior laced with gold trim. There was nothing else except a cell phone, a plain looking bar style device that had a post-it note on the screen. He squinted, looking down at the note.
"Chinese characters." He knelt down, picking the phone up(which, in hindsight, was probably a bad idea) and examined the note closer.
"Two numbers...thirteen and twelve. Odd. Make anything of it?" He handed the phone to Lilith, deferring to her expertise. After all, she was the far more experienced in dealing with espionage. Before she could respond, Yerbol's phone buzzed once...then again, this time more forceful. He withdrew the device to find a picture message from an unknown number. The image was of a red and yellow colored tram sitting in the near darkness except for faint lights within. Beneath the image was a cryptic message:

"Find me here. Have info. M."

"M?"

Lilith concentrated as she worked before smiling slightly as the click came and the lock fell off. “Piece of cake.” She stated before she lifted the lid and found the contents inside. “Interesting,” she added afterwards as she let Yerbol pick it up and examine it before telling her what the Chinese characters are. As he handed her the phone she was going to respond before his phone went off and his message read. As he spoke the letter she then replied. “M is our contact. As for the phone they gave us, it might be connected to a secure line or is a phone to use in place of ours out of suspicion and security. After all, using a phone that isn’t your own is harder to track you with and doesn’t contain any other information until you use it. Also, perhaps the numbers are the password to the phone it’s on or a number to input. Go ahead and try it.” Handing the phone back over to him she then examined the case once again before saying. “I didn’t find any bugs in or on the box, so it seems to be clean. I think I’ll keep it as a souvenir~” Smiling again to herself as she put it on the table and stood back up.

"Better your hands than mine." He holstered his sidearm before his phone buzzed yet AGAIN, the number the same.
"An address..." He punched the address into the maps application on his device, a smooth feminine voice informing both agents that their destination was ten minutes away on foot.
"Let's hit the streets, then. I'd rather not keep someone like this waiting...right?"

The rain had ceased, leaving a low hanging mist that coated the streets in an ethereal glow which was accented all the more by the half moon hanging in the sky. Foot traffic was still dense and fast, although not at the normal speedy clip Yerbol was used to. Leaving their hotel, Yerbol's device commanded that they take a left, then another left that careened down side streets. A few deviations and turns later, the agents found themselves outside the entrance of the Hong Kong Botanical gardens. The gates were cracked open just enough for them to slip through, the message rather obvious. Yerbol glanced at a security booth next to the gates, which was illuminated, but unmanned. A bribe to get the guards to take a long bathroom break, perhaps? He smiled to himself as he pushed the gate ajar just a bit further to allow passage. Lamp posts with elaborate vines swirled around them were lit with an orange-reddish hue that gave them just enough light to see the concrete path.
"GPS stopped talking...guess we'll have to find it on our own." He stepped forward just as he thought he saw a flicker of something red on the path in front of him.
"Did you see th-"

THWIP

A minute hold in the ground formed at Yerbol's feet, then the red flicker came back in the form of a dot.

Sniper.

"Cover!" Spotting a nearby bench, he ran towards it, bullets cutting into the stone path. He jumped onto the seat of the bench before hopping behind it, withdrawing his pistol.
"Tell me you have a read on where he's shooting from!"

Lilith nodded as Yerbol suggested they take to the streets. “We’ll have to go towards another lead later then it seems.” She replied before standing up from her seat. “I’ll go dry off and change.” Quickly leaving to her room of the two with her bag, she did as she had told him and a few minutes later come out dry and with clean clothes. “Ready when you are.”

Lilith allowed the device to lead them as she watched their surroundings for possible tails and other such occurances. “A beautiful moon on this otherwise ominous night.” She commented at one point for no particular reason. A moment later she was letting out sigh soon afterwards in brief relaxation. As they reached the gardens she whispered, “Well, I guess it’s a location no one would think to look.” Slipping in behind her companion she examined the lamp for a moment with a small smile. It was nice to come to a place like this, or so she thought as the firefight soon erupted. She caught glimps of the movement just as Yerbol did, and as the bullet hit the ground in front of him she was already diving to the right and positioning herself behind a large trash container that had rock siding to make it seem more natural in the gardens. “Son of a-“ she said before a few shots hit her cover as she tried to peak out behind the corner. Doing so once again from the opposite side she caught a shimmer of a scope before pulling her head back just in time for a shot to hit the ground. “They are at Ten o-clock, down a slight opening in the trees before being stationed under a bush; they’re about a hundred yards off as well.” She gritted her teeth she then grunted out in annoyance. “Maybe M is compromised. But, I think he might have given you a warning shot at your feet. You could have been pegged right then!”

"True enough!" He popped out of cover and delivered a few shots in the direction Lilith had mentioned, the sweat forming on his hands making his gun slick and grimy. Yerbol waited a few moments after his delivery, watching bullets careen in the grass just beyond his location. Was Lilith right? Was the sniper just trying to scare them into submission? Or was he just playing with them, teasing them out for a killshot?
"Cover me! Going to move forward!" The operative took a deep breath, exhaling as he sprinted towards the next bench, his footing unsteady from the wet surface beneath. He crouched down, the glint of the scope now visible. He came out of cover just as he heard a crack thunder through the gardens. A few moments later, a thud, then silence. Standing up, he could hear footsteps from behind him, the operative wheeling around to find a rather slightly built Asian male with his hands up, one of those hands occupied with what Yerbol instantly recognized as a M24 anti material rifle, capable of taking down a heavily armored assailant with one shot.
"Hey, I'm on your side, bud. Put the gun down."
"Who are you?"
"I sent you the text. Duh." The Asian placed his hands down, his face breaking into a mischievous smile.
"Lilith? That you? Awesome to see you in one piece. Didn't think you made it back from the last time you came here." He laughed, slinging the rifle on his back.
"I'm your contact here if that isn't obvious. Come on. Need to get out of here before the cops show up."
"Couldn't you have avoided them showing up without firing that gigantic rifle of yours?"
"You wouldn't be alive."
"A fair point."

The unnamed operative led them through grassy trails and thickets of trees off the beaten path before finding themselves as the pictured abandoned tram. He led the operatives inside, which revealed a steel colored interior with computers running at high speed, monitors mounted on both walls that were streaming all sorts of video feed. There was a cot in the center of the room along with a few bags of Doritos.
"Command told me you guys needed tips on how to find the White Queen."
"White Queen?"
"Ling. That's what they're calling her in the underworld, anyway." The man who Yerbol assumed was "M" pointed at a video feed that was continually looping footage of Ling in sunglasses talking with a taller white man.
"This guy right here. Big problem. Executive assistant to the U.S. ambassador."
"What were they discussing?"
"Don't know. That's what you need to find out."

Lilith heard Yerbol yell that he was going out, and thought for a moment how it could go wrong. But, he was already going to go so she brought herself up and fired two rounds as cover in the direction she saw the scope. “I always hate being on the wrong end of a sniper…” she muttered under her breath as Yerbol made his way to the next piece of cover. “Especially one where they shouldn’t even be around.” Sighing once she then heard the crack of thunder herself then the silence before the only thing left to hear was the rain outside. When Yerbol turned to his man, Lilith was already up herself with her sidearm raised and prepped. As the man they could only assume as M spoke she kept it raised several seconds after Yerbol might have lowered his own. “I would say it’s nice, but someone else other than use three knew about the meeting so I think nice isn't very apt.” She commented with a roll of her eyes. “As for last time, it was simply part of the plan. I got the man in the end, M.” Lilith was unhappy to say the least. Being fired upon and having M have to help them out made her feel like she made a mistake.

Following M she didn’t speak as they walked as she was on full alert for any other possible ‘friends’. She watched for anyone before she entered the abandon train car and immediately saying. “Real nice place you have here M. You must be a hit with the ladies.” As M began talking to Yerbol her ears perked at the mention of Lings alias in the underworld. “She thinks so highly of herself to allow that name to continue passing…” It was then the U.S. ambassador was pointed out. “Oh nice, I enjoy interrogating my own nation’s men.” She leaned back against any free space in the wall and then put a hand to her chin. “Can’t have officials pick the man up else Ling will know we talked to him. So we are going to have to do it off the books and under the radar. If command reaches out to us about it we will tell them obviously, but hopefully we won’t have to.”