A Secret Held Fast (CLOSED-PM for info)

[zydrate]

Kess Marcus
31 y/o

Kess wasn't a shy person. Far from it. But, she wasn't loud either. She knew when to blend in and look comfortable with others. So today, at her sister's wedding, to which she was one of the bridesmaid, she did feel a tad uncomfortable in her dress, but she didn't show it.

In fact, today was one of the few times she actually was able to dress up extra 'girly'. It beat her combat uniform, that was for sure. Thankfully, she had gotten there with enough time to only get dressed and not have enough time to meet with relatives from long ago past. At least, she considered them the past since it had been over 15 years when she had last been home. Oh, she had kept in touch with just her sister, but even that was far and few between.

Everyone thought Kess was just out, jet setting with rich guys... of course, that was the story she had told her sister, just so her absence wouldn't be too noticeable or questioned. No one had even the slightest idea she was actually a trained killer... all thanks to the US Government.

She would need to stay long enough for the wedding and then perhaps, a little for the reception but after, she just wanted to get some much needed rest. Afterall, she was going on 43 hours of no sleep.

***
The ceremony was a little boring but hell, she had put up with worst. All in all, she was happy for her little sister. She actually did miss being home but seeing how happy her sister seemed, well, that was the best.

In fact, before the official ceremony, she had pulled Jeff, her sister's fiancé aside and told him, in no uncertain terms, that if he ever thought of hurting Melissa, then Kess would make sure no one would find his body.

Yeah, Kess was sure he got the point.

<<ooc: where is this going to end up? who is kess going to meet? message me if you want to play..? you must send me a PM for permission to write this with me.... thank you.>>

 

[BeachBum25]

Zach Field
30 y/o

Zach has been on his own since he was 14 years old. His mother, father, and sister were murdered in a drive-by shooting while visiting the big city from their farm. Since Zach had no other family, he became a ward of the state. He bounced from one foster home to another; always doing something to make the family want to get rid of him. The reason Zach acted out was that he resented the fact that those families had things so good when he had lost everything.

Eventually, at 16, he walked away from his last foster home. He lived on the streets and he learned how to survive. He did not get close to any of the other street people, and he never stayed in the same location very long. He was always on the move.

At 17, he walked past a Marine Corp. recruiting office. He stopped and looked at the posters in the window, and then went inside. He spoke with the recruiter who told Zach that he would need to take a test and that he needed to provide identification to prove who he was and that he was old enough to join. These were two obstacles. Zach, obviously, did not have any form of identification, and his schooling had been rather sketchy, so, the test was also a problem.

Back out on the streets, Zach started asking around to see if he could find someone to get fake id from. About a month after visiting the recruiter, Zach was put in touch with a guy that could get him fake id, but he wanted $500. Yea, that was a problem. On his 18th birthday, Zach went to the Child Welfare Office, identified himself, and ended up talking to his old caseworker. He told the woman he needed to get some form of identification now that he was no longer their problem. She helped him get a state id card and a learners permit for a drivers license.

Surprisingly, Zach was able to do very well on the military placement test and scored high enough to be able to enter the Marine Corp and sent to boot camp. While there he demonstrated incredible stamina and when it came to hand-to-hand fighting, he was brutal. However, he didn't last more than a month. He was called into a meeting with 2 men in dark suits. They told him that he was being pulled from training for a special mission.

_____________

That was 12 years ago. Since then Zach has been jetting around the world killing people that were seen as a threat. Many of the people Zach took out, the world never knew what they were involved in. Zach had become a favorite of the US government, because he was very good at minimizing collateral damage.

So, why was he standing at the bar of a wedding reception where he didn't no anyone? Well, he was told that his next mission would require him to have a partner. This did not make Zach happy. He worked alone. Always alone. However, his handler insisted that he needed a partner. He had given Zach the dossiers on 5 other agents. There was only one that he felt was worthy of working with him, and that person was a member of the bridal party at this wedding.

 

[zydrate]

He was here.

She had read his file, albeit briefly. He was good. Zach.

Kess was overtaken by relatives full of questions about her, asking where she had been, what was she doing now ..

Her best answers came easily. Yeah, she could lie with no remorse.

Then as she was listening to one of Jeff's aunts tell her a story about something she didn't bother retaining the point of the story, she saw him.

He was bartending?!

That was a new one. Someone as good at his job, just as she was.... He was bartending.

Kess needed a drink.

She walked up to the bar and tapped on the counter, "Vodka soda."

 

[BeachBum25]

Zach had taken on many disguises during his tenure, but never had he been a bartender. In the days leading up to the meet, he had done some homework on the most popular drinks requested by wedding guests. If there was one that someone requested, he would just ask them what was in it.

He watched Kess; never really taking his eyes off of her even as he made drinks for the guest. He knew that was was in her file was only what she had allowed people to write.

Zach learned more through personal observations than from whet he read in a dossier. He noticed how she was able to move around the room and not get tied down for too long with any guest. Yes, she knew how to hide the real Kess. He also noticed that he saw him. It was only a momentary glance, but he saw the recognition.

When Kess made her way to the bar, he said nothing to her. After he made her drink and sat it in front of her, he moved away to wait on a couple of other guests. He had no idea who else was in the room. He couldn't take the chance that there was someone sent to follow one, or both, of them. He looked around the room to see if anyone moved in their direction now that they were close together.

There was one woman. He had noticed her sitting at a table alone for a while; simply sipping at the water that had been placed in front of her. Now, suddenly, she was making her way toward the bar. He did not look in Kess' direction, he moved over to the where the woman came up to the bar and asked her what he could get for her. He subtly moved to the side a bit; away from where Kess was standing; hoping to give her an opportunity to move away. He sat the drink in front of the woman and began to compliment her on the dress she was wearing; flirting with her to distract her.

 

[zydrate]

Kess slammed her drink down. She had been needing it all night. The relatives were something else. She had forgotten how tiring they were to deal with. Always wanting gossip on her life. Where she lived. What she was doing now. Was she getting married soon?

She was happy that tonight, most of the attention was directed toward her sister, which is should be, of course. It also irked her a bit that they had chosen this event... a personal and private event, to meet.

With a sigh, she pushed her glass away and got up to walk away. She saw him talking with the other woman, who Kess remembered was the sister of the groom. Before she could do anything more, the whirlwind of the end of the ceremony and reception happened.

Then it was over. Kess had lost track of Zach, only because family things. Saying goodbye to aunts and uncles. Telling her sister she'd see her soon and to be careful.

And of course, reinterated to Mel's new husband he better not hurt her.

************************

Finally, Kess was back at her hotel room.

If you could call this place a hotel. In the small Texas town, the hotel was really the local Motel. Of course, she could have stayed at home but preferred not to.

All she had wanted to do was sleep.

Kess hadn't been asleep for more than 2 hours when a loud banging knock woke her up. Quickly, out of reflex, she grabbed her gun and walked to the door.

After a couple of deep breaths, mostly to wake herself up, she called out, "Yes?"

A deep voice called out to her. It was Zach.

Kess didn't bother with additional clothing .Her sports bra and underwear were enough. She didn't have time to be modest. With her gun behind her back, she opened the door. "Come in..."

 

[BeachBum25]

Zach watched as people started to leave the wedding reception. His new "career" as a bartender had gone very well. He pocketed the tip money and cleaned up the bar as the last of the guests left.

Taking his time, he made his way to motel. His room was on the second floor, directly above Kess'. He did not like being on the second floor, it made an escape, if necessary, much more difficult, but he had no choice since there were so many rooms occupied by guests of the wedding who were attending from out of town.

He waited in his room for things to die down. Some of the wedding guests were still partying in and around their rooms on the first floor. He did not want anyone to see him going to Kess' room, so, he had to be patient.

Finally, around 3 a.m., quiet reigned. He opened the door and quietly made his way down the steps. Before going to Kess' door, he walked past the adjacent rooms to make sure all of the lights were out. Then, he went back and tapped on the door.

Zach waited, but there was no response. He tapped a little harder, and still nothing. Finally, he banged on the door. It was one last effort before he picked the lock and entered the room.

He heard movement inside. He knew that she would come to the door with a weapon. When Kess said, "Yes?" Zach responded with, "It is the bartender."

When she opened the door, he stepped inside and told her it was okay to put her gun down. "we are on the same side in this. Shooting me won't do you any good." He smiled broadly at her as his eyes moved over her in her sports bra and panties.

He walked over and sat on the bed. "As much as I enjoy looking at you in your current state of undress, I think it is time for us to get on with the business at hand. I think we would be better off getting out of this town and going somewhere that nobody knows us and we can go unnoticed. That is, unless you want to spend more time mingling with family at the breakfast in the morning."

 

[zydrate]

Ugh.... the family breakfast. Kess had told her family she wouldn't be there as she had to leave very early as she had a long drive ahead of her.

Lies.

They came easily.

But with Zach. There was no way she could lie to him.

Seeing him last night brought back a rush of memories from the first time she had seen him. Yes, they knew each other. But could they let that be known?

No.

Duh.

The first time they had met, they were, of course, on a mission. Each had their own agenda but some how, their paths crossed and there was no denying the fire between them. So what if they each took a break from doing their job for a few hours. Everyone needed a break now and then...right?

She set her gun down on the desk and walked over to him, carefully straddling his waist and wrapping her arms around his shoulders, before laying her head on them and then nuzzling his neck lightly, "I'm pretty sure we can spare a few minutes...right?" she asked...

 

[BeachBum25]

When he had chosen Kess to partner with on this mission, he was pretty sure that he would be able to put what had happened in the past behind him and not let it effect the mission in anyway. Seeing her now should have given him some reasons to doubt that.

She looked so good... .better than he remembered. When he saw her at the wedding reception, he was focused more on their surroundings and making sure that nobody was tracking either of them to really notice how good she looked. Now, it was just the two of them in her hotel room, and there were no distractions.

Zach watched as Kess sat her weapon down and walked over to him. When she wrapped herself around him, there was no doubt that their initial discussion of the mission was going to be delayed for several hours.

As she melted into him, Zach moved his hands slowly up and down Kess' back; eventually sliding her sports bra over her head and dropping it to the floor. He new this was the prelude to the storm. When they had been together before, it had been a wild, passionate affair with both of them wanting more from the other, and eventually each of them got what they want. He expected that this would be no different.

As his hands moved to her hips and pressed her down harder into his lap, his lips met hers. The kiss was soft... for a second. Then the kiss deepened as their passions started to arise. Tongues began to duel as the battle for what each of them wanted began.

Zach stood up with Kess in his arms; his hands firmly grasping her ass.. his fingers digging in through her panties. He laid her on the bed and looked down at her as he slid her panties off. Then, while his eyes wandered over her wonderful body, he began to undress.

 

[zydrate]

Kess was not one to open right away to anyone but there she was, exposed before Zach. Sure, it was she was only naked, but again, she wasn't one to lie to him. She had given herself to him once. No holding back. This time would be the same way...no doubt.

With his shirt off, Kess sat up and reached to help with his pants as she laid kisses on this stomach and chest. The tension between them was building up fast and she knew he could sense it also. Pulling at his pants, she finally freed them from the belt and pushed them down as he leaned down to kiss her hard.

She then grabbed him by his shoulders and brought him down on top of her, her legs spreading for him, feeling him against her.

Whispering, she told him to hurry as she knew they couldn’t wait… she wouldn’t want to wait any more to feel him inside of her. They still had a lot of work to do and well, it was risky to be doing this first, somethings took precedence over other things right now.

 

[BeachBum25]

There was something about her... something that drew him in. Something about Kess made Zach want and desire her like no other.

Their bodies came together and instantly they were one. As they came together, he pushed inside her... filling her deep. This was something that had been building up inside of him since their last time together. Yes, he had been able to put her out of his mind while on missions, but there was something about her that kept creeping into his mind.

This was necessary before they began their joint mission. THIS had to happen or it would have interfered with the work that needed to be done. Buried deep inside her, he felt that he was where he belonged. Their bodies moved in unison. Her body met every motion of his perfectly. They were one and they were doing everything they could to please one another. Zach kissed Kess passionately as he moved in and out of her. What started slow progressed into something wild.. .something so very raw.. something that was to be expected from two people who ran in the circles that they did.... that lived lives that were constantly in danger.

Their bodies slammed together; the noise echoing through Kess' room. In that moment, they didn't care who heard them. In that moment, they were the only ones who existed in their world.

 

[zydrate]

In all reality. It was a lonely life.

This life she had chosen to live.

Or did it chose her?

Kess wasn't sure at times. But only a few could live it and finding someone who could relate was extremely rare. Actually, it was probably unheard of.

Yet, here she was...with Zach. He made her feel things she just couldn't explain.

Just like now. Although she knew they had to leave, there would always be time for this. This passion that had built between them even more as they were apart. With a heaving breath, Kess lay there, in his arms for a moment longer before sitting up. It was time to go.

There was not uncomfortable silence between them as they dressed. There was only business now. It would be like that for a while since they worked out the tension... but for how long? Kess wasn't sure as they ahd never worked together for what was estimated a week long assignment. It was only an estimate. They had a lot of planning to do.

But yes, this one 'issue' had to be taken care of...for now.

As she pulled on her jean jacket, she grabbed her bag and before opening the door carefully, she said quietly, "It's now or never."

 

[BeachBum25]

He finished dressing and made his way toward the door; following Kess. He nodded to her when she said, "It's now or never."

As the walked out of the room, Zach directed Kess to the SUV parked a few doors away. Once inside, he started the engine and backed the vehicle out of the parking space and in a few short minutes they were on the highway travelling at 9 mph over the speed limit. Zach had done his research, and knew that the highway patrol would only pull vehicles over for speeding if they were going 10 mph or more over the limit. Time was important, so, he needed to go as fast as possible, but he had to make sure that there were no delays to their travels. Highway Patrol pulling them over could lead to a long delay.

Two hours later, he pulled off the highway and made his way through back roads to what looked like an abandoned farm house. Zach pulled the SUV into the barn. "We can do all of our planning here. There is a small airstrip about 30 minutes from here that we will be able to use once we finalize our plan. It is long enough for the jet to pick us up, and there are not many people around that will be wondering why there is a private jet landing in the middle of nowhere."

Zach closed the barn door behind them and led Kess to the farmhouse. He immediately headed to the basement. Once down there, he opened a door to a room that would make members of the Joint Chiefs jealous. It had maps projected on the wall, and on one map there appeared to be a locator on someone. "There he is. He is being tracked from a satellite. Just because we know where he is will not make the task easy. He has very detailed security that is with him 24/7. We need to find a way to get inside that protection."

 

[zydrate]

She was safe. That’s why Kess decided to take this time to sleep. There would plenty of talk later. Nothing personal, just business. Kess had tried to learn more about Zach, at least personally. His past was locked. His files were off limits to her. As was hers to him. Not that she had anything to hide. Her past was… pretty boring… pretty typical.

“There he is…” was all she heard as she looked up at the picture before her.

His name didn’t have to be said out loud. Kess knew exactly who ‘he’ was.

Pascal Hassler.

Kess sighed as she tossed her bag down, placed her hands on her hips as she looked up at the picture capturing Hassler walking from his home to an awaiting vehicle. Surrounded by bodyguards, of course.

So, the mission was obvious. Yes, it was a two-man mission. Both had to trust each other and work well together. But the thing was, they’d never worked together.

“Why me?” Kess wanted to know as she continued to stare at the picture projected onto the wall. “I mean, there’s something more going on here. It’s not to just go in and get rid of him…hell, I could do all that on my own. There’s something you’re not telling me.”

OK, so maybe she was bragging. There was no way she could go in on her own and get this guy. He was too well guarded. But that wasn’t the point. The point was, there was something else going on here.

Right?

 

[BeachBum25]

He chuckled a little and smiled at her. "That right there is part of the reason I chose you. You are confident in your abilities. The other part of it is that I also think you know when your abilities are just not enough in a situation and that there needs to be a plan to get close to the target."

He watched her for a reaction, and got none. "Either one of us could take him out. I have seen your dossier, and I know how good you are. However, it would be one thing to take him out, and another thing to survive the mission. Hassler has both an inner ring and outer ring on his protection detail. There are 12 men on his inner ring, and 30 on the outer ring. Their positions are static. They do not change. That is to our advantage. The number of them, however, is not."

Zach waited for a moment for Kess to respond. He had a feeling she wanted more. She wanted to know why she was chosen to work with him on this assignment. Both of them were lone wolves having only worked with a partner once.

"I was given the files of 4 people to work with. I was not happy about any of them. Hell, I don't work with others, because in order to work together, you have to think like them and they have to think like you. Those 4 were all reckless and I was not confident I would be able to survive working with them. "

Pausing for a second, then continuing, "The handlers, yes, there are multiple handlers for this mission, said well if I didn't want any of those 4, there was only one other person they would even consider.... a woman. Then they handed me your file. I knew before you opened it that I was going to choose you. From our short time working together before, I knew we could pull this off. We think alike, and we have a passion for what we are doing."

All of what Zach said to Kess was accurate. He just left a little bit of detail out. He wondered if she was going to buy what e said as the whole story.

 

[zydrate]

She was quiet a moment more as she stared at the picture of Hassler. She had no tale-tell signs that she could sense this wasn’t all it, but it was something she’d have to deal with as time went on. Of course, she was confident in her abilities as she knew he was with his. Hell, even she was confident in his abilities, she had to admit… to herself.

“OK, so, what’s the plan so far?” She didn’t question why they were going to need to get rid of Hassler there. The crimes he did were notorious and well, he just needed to be gone already. She had read her assignment and with the little information she was given, as this was a need-to-know basis—thus explaining the multiple handlers, there was still a lot to plan on the little info given.

***
About 4 hours later, they had plans for the plans for the plans. Were they going overboard?

No.

Kess had to admit, they worked well together. They had the same linear ideas of what could go wrong and of course, what could go right.

It was another 4 hours until their ‘ride’ would arrive, so they agreed to stop for now.

“I need a shower.” Kess stated, it wasn’t a request. She needed to do some things before they would leave. Grabbing her bag, she let herself out of the basement and up to the second floor to the nearest bathroom. She needed to change.

Looking in the mirror, she sighed and pulled her blonde hair out of her ponytail and let it down. Reaching into her bag, she had bought some things before the wedding because she knew she wouldn’t have time after.

Two boxes of hair dye. Black hair dye. It was time to change. All for the good of the mission… of course.

 

[BeachBum25]

Now he knew why he had chosen Kess to work with him on this mission. Her attention to detail was incredible. She didn't miss anything. They worked through the details of the mission; sometimes he thought they were going too far with their planning. However, it was better to overplan than underplan.. wasn't it? They each picked up details that might have gone unnoticed if this was a single person mission.

They needed a break, so, when Kess said she needed a shower, he just nodded and let her go. Once she had left the basement, he sent his first message to the Chief. It was brief, but Zach knew the Chief would have a smile on his face when he received it. "It's a go."

After sending the message, Zach went up to the kitchen and looked through the supplies that had been put there for them. He remembered from before that Kess was a picky eater, but he couldn't remember what it was that she was picky about. He took the eggs out of the refrigerator and scrambled them up. Then he put the bacon in a ban and fried it. While preparing the food, he went through the details that they had already worked out... moving through them step-by-step. He saw the coffee, but ignored it. Zach didn't touch caffeine; he believed it had long-term negative effects when working a mission.

He leaned against the counter, and his mind wander to Kess. He pictured her in the shower. What a wonderful image that was. For a brief second, he thought about going upstairs and joining her, but he let that pass. He knew that she would be in preparation mode and it was best not to bother her.

He finished the cooking and put everything on plates. There might not be a chance for them to eat again for quite a while. While he waited for Kess, he gathered some energy bars and energy drinks for them to pack in their backpacks, and then he sat at the table; picking at his food. Suddenly, he wasn't hungry.

 

[zydrate]

Kess quickly dried off and dressed in a different pair of leggings and a form fitting tshirt, both in black. Her matched them and she did a double take in the mirror and made a slight face. It was different, that was for sure. She had dyed her hair before but the black was something she wasn't used to.

Oh well... she quickly placed it in a damp, messy bun and grabbed her gear and headed back downstairs. Luckily she had plenty of rest on their way up and the shower helped her refresh a little.

As she entered the kitchen area, she tossed her bag on a chair and saw a plate of eggs and bacon waiting for her. She glanced at Zach's plate and saw he hardly touched it.

"Waiting for me?" She asked and took a seat, not waiting for his answer as she started to eat. She had noticed he was a bit zoned out, probably deep in thought when she bounded down from the stairs. "So, I was thinking about our entrance stragedy. I'm not at all comfortable with what's planned... it seems too... I don't know.. fake?"

She wasn't sure how to explain it but it made her uneasy. And being uneasy was never a good thing. They both had to be comfortable ... well, not comfortable, but at least confident with the plan. "It seems rushed, I guess."

 

[BeachBum25]

Zach pushed his food around the plate, but he ate none of it. He was running through their plan in his mind. Something just didn't seem right. He couldn't put his finger on it, but he felt that there was a flaw in their plan. He had never felt this way before. When he planned something, he was certain that he would be successful... and he always was. This time, was different. The plan was not strictly his. Kess was involved. The issue, as he saw it was that they worked differently.. parts of the plan were his and parts were hers. Was it Kess' parts of the plan that he was unsure of?

He did not hear her walk in. Nor did he see her sit across from him and begin to eat. It wasn't until she started to talk about the plan that he was even aware of her presence.

"Oh, I didn't see or hear you come down. I see you have already started eating." His mind moved between the plan and Kess' presence. "What about the plan is rushed? Other than the timeline we have been given? We have to pull this off in less than 7 days. I don't like that, but it is the mission we have been given."

He walked through the plan again. He didn't like it. They would not be able to get close to Hassler in order to pull it off. Of course, getting close made getting out safely even more dangerous.

"I would love to take our time with this. Getting to a point where we were able to get close enough to Hassler to take him out will take some time. I would rather be able to take him out from a distance, but the outer ring of his security makes that too difficult. I am open to ideas Kess. I am not confident in what we spent hours planning."

 

[zydrate]

“7 days? That’s generous.” She said, more to herself than to him. She wasn’t bragging but she was speaking the truth. Perhaps it was because she was female that she worked differently and had to rush through most of her planning. Still, she was good.

It wasn’t bragging, it was just fact. But she was also careful. She had to be.

Besides, she had to make it out of this one as this was her last job. After this, she was leaving. But of course, she didn’t tell Zach that. Why would he need to know that?

“I was going to suggest I go in by myself at first..” she saw the look on his face as she quickly continued, “…I said at first, but, I know that’s not possible... Listen, we can only plan so much, right? Let’s see what our next batch of information is going to be before we really commit to anything. We both know we can plan as much as we can but something is going to change.”

She finished up and tossed her paper plate and plastic fork into the trash. Someone would be by later to clean up after them, “Besides, it’s time to go.”

Kess grabbed her bag. It was late evening, and a private plane would be picking them up in 45 minutes. They would need to walk the two miles to the small landing strip. “Ready?” she asked.

 

[BeachBum25]

This was why he always worked by himself. Zach never began a mission without the plan being etched in stone and totally clear in his mind. "There is no more information coming Kess. All the information for the mission is downstairs. Once we leave here, we will not get anymore intel.

He had lobbied with the handlers to let him do it alone, but they insisted it was a 2 person job. One new person would stand out, but if two new people showed up, it would appear that they were a couple... maybe tourists.

He grabbed his go-bag and they headed out toward the landing strip. He said nothing to Kess. He had nothing against her, personally. He just didn't like working with anybody.

As they approached the landing strip, the G2 was landing. Yes it was out of place here in the middle of nowhere, but they would be gone before anyone had a chance to come to find out what was going on. Kess and Zach boarded the plane and found seats. There was an uncomfortable quiet between them. This was not good when they were going into a hostile area. Hopefully, the time to the location would help Zach relax and work out the plan with Kess.

They were airborne quickly. Once they were up, the jet circled back over the farm, and Zach pressed a button on a remote that he retrieved from his backpack. Suddenly the farmhouse and the barn blew into a million pieces. Any evidence that they were ever there ceased to exist. Yes, that would bring the attention of the locals, but with all of the explosives that were used to blow up the buildings, there was nothing that would survive that was bigger than a splinter.

 

[zydrate]

What a shame... thought Kess as she knew about the farmhouse. She had hoped to have something like that one day...

Maybe one day.

About 30 minutes passed and they would be arriving in about an hour and a half, which was good. Normally, Kess would use the the time to sleep but she wasn't in this alone. She looked over at Zach and saw he was still not happy about this. Hell, she wasn't happy about it either. Like him, she preferred to work alone but, this was the assignment and she would complete it to the best of her ability as she knew he would do the same.

"Zach.." she said before standing up and moved to the seat next to him, "Its going to be OK. Just remember, we have the same goal and we need to work together in order to get it done. This is a rare, once in a while thing. Get used to it. We'll work things out as they come along." She leaned her head against the back of the seat and shrugged, "Trust me, OK? I have your back and I hope you have mine."

It was a crazy thing to say as she knew he did have her back, no question.

"Besides, I would love to get out of this alive and I know, only you can make that happen. We only have one week to get this done... what could go wrong?"

-----------------------------
They landed.

It was small, private island where there were only a few select hundred or so people allowed to vacation once a year. Of course, the US government got Kess and Zach access in order to get close to Hassler, who would be vacation with not only his wife, but of course, surrounded by his guards.

Kess had taken the time to dress in a long flowy skirt and bikini top. She and Zach would pose as an engaged couple. She even had the 2 carat diamond ring to prove it. Their covers were supposedly flawless... should anyone check it.

"Ready?" she said as the doors to the plane opened up and she felt the warm, salty air rush in, greeting them. A car would take them to the hotel where they would have some time to finalize their plans.

 

[BeachBum25]

Zach felt that their cover was flawless. That was not his concern with this mission. The problem that he had was that he could not put his finger on exactly what was bothering him. That was making him crazy. He prided himself in developing flawless plans and then executing them exactly as they were set up. That is what made him so good at his job. That is what kept him alive.

He looked over at Kess as she talked about trusting her. "Kess, I do trust you. If I didn't, we wouldn't be working this together. It is not a trust issue that has me concerned. In fact, I am not sure why I am concerned, and that is what really bothers me. I know we will get through this. I just feel that we are going to have to adapt on the fly when we finally figure out what the issue is."

As they started their descent into the small airport on the private island, a thought hit Zach. Could it be the issue that he was having was that he cared for Kess? Could it be that he was concerned about her and her safety because of feelings he had for her and that he wanted to make sure he protected her, which was not a normal part of his job?

They climbed off the G2 and walked into the tiki hut that served as o terminal for the private airport. As they walked toward the tiki hut, Zach took Kess' hand, only partially playing the role of engaged couple. He squeezed her hand lightly as the walked in looking happy to be on a vacation to celebrate their recent engagement.

They climbed into the waiting car after walking through the small terminal. It was only a matter of minutes before they were at the hotel and checking in. They were escorted to a top floor room with a huge balcony that looked out over the beach. Zach thought, "this would be a great room to enjoy a vacation. Too bad it is wasted on a mission." Once he tipped the bellhop and the young man left them alone, he turned to Kess. "You certainly look the part that you are playing. You also caught the attention of every male in the hotel lobby." He smiled at her to let her know it was a compliment not a criticism of her attire.

He took Kess' hand and walked out onto the balcony. He whispered in her ear, "I am not confident that the room is safe for us to talk in. For right now, we will talk out here. We can finalize plans while walking on the beach." Then, not sure if he was playing the role of the engaged man, or not, he kissed her cheek before pulling away and looking out over the beach. After a minute or two, he looked back to Kess. "I think we should take a day or two to be the engaged couple enjoying a vacation, and do some recon. Then we can finalize the plan. Hassler is here for another 6 days according to the intel. We are good enough that we can get him before he leaves."

 

[zydrate]

The weather was perfect. If she wasn’t on duty, Kess might have time to enjoy the small city as she and Zach walked hand in hand down the street, pretending to be in awe of everything.

She could be enjoying it if she wasn’t constantly looking around, making sure to take in others and their surroundings. She knew Zach was armed but with what she was wearing, there was no way to conceal any weapon, so she had to rely on him in case anything happened.

And she felt comfortable with that. She trusted him.

What was funny it was hard for her to really trust anyone. Which is why she preferred to work alone. But with Zach, she was totally comfortable.

Occasionally she would whisper something in Zach’s ear or plant a small kiss on his cheek… all part of the act, right?

They finally found themselves at a small dive. It was quiet and probably a good place to talk. She was still dressed in a bikini top and wrap skirt. Her eyes hidden behind a pair of sunglasses which she took off as they entered the dining area. They were immediately seated and given menus, which Kess took and perused thoroughly as she stole occasional glances around.

Yes, Kess was a picky eater, but she knew better when she was on duty to not let that get in the way but really, this place had some things she actually liked. They were offered some wine, but they declined. No alcohol.

“Maybe you’d like to go behind the bar and teach them about drinks…” she said, teasing Zach as she continued to look at the menu and hiding a smile.

 

[BeachBum25]

They totally looked the part. Two people in love on a vacation. They walked hand in hand as they made their initial recon of the main street of the tiny city. Zach knew that Kess would be very observant as they moved down the street, and his confidence in her was confirmed by the comments she whispered to him. He had to admit that he didn't mind the little kisses she planted on his cheek after each whispered comment.

Based on what Kess was wearing, he knew she wasn't armed. Hell, she didn't have anywhere to hide it. She did look amazing though. Then he shook his head, trying to get those thoughts out of his head... for the time being anyway.

They sat down and looked over the menus after picking the dive bar. It was a good place to debrief after their initial walk down the street. "Smart ass," was all he said to her in response to her comment about him getting behind the bar and teaching them how to make drinks. He smiled at her as he looked around the dining area. It wasn't crowded, but there were a couple of people who caught his interest.

He removed his sunglasses and leaned over and whispered to Kess, "we are inside the outer protective ring." Before pulling away, he kissed her cheek. He placed his hand on Kess' on top of the table.

When the waiter returned, Zach waited for Kess to order, and then he ordered the fish tacos. He knew he wouldn't eat much of them. Rarely did he eat when on a mission. It wasn't for any reason that he was hyper-focused on the task at hand and eating never entered his mind. The cover they were using helped make sure at least he had opportunities to eat and nourish his body.

While they waited for their food, they quietly discussed what they had seen. They both saw a lot of the same things; another indication that he chose the right person to work with. It was obvious that Hassler and his protection team were not too concerned with disguising themselves. Who wears a black suit on a private island? Although they had not seen Hassler, they knew he must be close based on the number of black suits they had seen on the street.

Then, Zach looked up as a small group of men entered the dining area. There he was.

 

[zydrate]

There was always a chance that they would bump shoulders with Hassler. It was an island after all. But the thing about the interaction was not to interact at all. They were just to be another couple, enjoying themselves on this small private island.

Their cover was simple, Zach was playing a self-made millionaire. There were the records to prove it, going back to his made-up childhood.

As for Kess, she was playing a nobody. Just someone who hit it big time with catching Zach’s character’s eye. Her background was eerily like her own. Only with fake family, fake friends, and a fake college. As sexist as that was, it was better as it was simple to remember and add small details if needed.

When Hassler entered, it was almost a big show for a man who didn’t want attention. There were at least 8 armed guards that had been scoping out the small bar and then another 3 entered with Hassler.

Yeah, there was no way Kess could have taken him out on her own. She’d be dead in heartbeat.

Recon. They needed to recon more. This was their first meeting. This whole operation wasn’t going to be something that was going to be done in day. Yes, they had a week to get it done but like Zach, the sooner the better but also, the safest for them both.

Kess leaned against Zach and nibbled his ear, whispering “Eat something or else they’ll get suspicious… then we leave. Now’s not the time.” She told him before giving him a small kiss.