Agent 0069

The bar was busier than Julianna expected. But then, the hotel was busier than usual this weekend -- there was some sort of artist convention and a wedding reception both being held in the hotel itself, not to mention the Bears had a big home game against the Dolphins the next day.

From the entrance coming from the hotel lobby, she scanned the crowded bar.

There were several large groups of obvious Bears' fans, decked out in jerseys and the like, boisterously talking trash about the Dolphins.

Most of the other tables were taken by duos or trios of men and women dressed in business casual -- pants suits or pencil dresses; polos and khakis. Most looked like they were knocking back one or two drinks before heading out for some more fun in the big city.

She didn't spend too much time studying the groups -- it was the singles she was interested in.

There were two single women -- one was sitting at the bar, the other at a table near a window.

The woman by the window was obviously waiting for someone. She kept looking out the window while nursing a drink in a tall glass. She hadn't taken off her jacket and she checked her phone every so often.

The woman at the bar was also obviously waiting for someone, although it seemed equally obvious to Julianna, that she didn't have anyone in particular she was waiting for. She had a dark skirt and a tight top with a plunging neckline that, coupled with the way she sat, showed off her deep cleavage.

First come, first served, Julianna thought with a smile.

There were a handful of single men, although they all seemed entranced by the sports channel or their smart phones -- at least for the moment.

Except for him.

It didn't take Julianna long to realize there was something different about him. He was sitting at the bar, a tumbler of dark amber drink in front of him. His finely-tailored charcoal suit and crisp white shirt fit him perfectly. His features were chiselled, his hair cut short.

Yes, he looked fine, but it wasn't just that he was handsome that made him stand out. There was something about the way he carried himself -- the look in his eye. Unlike the other men in the bar he seemed to have a clear purpose for being there. He wasn't just killing time uncomfortably waiting for something to happen. It was already happening -- whatever it was.

Julianna smoothed down her short a-line skirt and pulled her thin sweater down to make sure it hugged her curves just right. With confident strides she made her way to the bar. She purposefully made eye contact with the other woman at the bar and let a small smile cross her lips.

Little Miss Cleavage was sitting about 5 or 6 seats away from the gentleman at the bar and Julianna took a seat in between them. As she mounted the bar stool Julianna had the satisfaction of catching the glare of annoyance from the other woman.

Without even a glance at the handsome man sitting only a few feet away from her, Julianna flipped her hair and caught the attention of the bar tender. She was about to order when she felt a presence behind her.

"She'll have a Sweet Heat," he said. His voice was quiet and smooth with the hint of a foreign accent that Julianna could not place.

The bartender, a young man, cocked his eyebrows at Julianna to gauge her reaction to the man's attentions. She smiled, shrugged her shoulders.

"I'll take a Sweet Heat," she said to the bartender. "Thank you," she directed to the stranger who was already moving his drink and taking the seat next to her as the bartender brought her a cocktail glass filled with a yellowish drink and garnished with what looked like slices of ginger and a hot pepper..

"You will love it," the stranger said. "It is sweet, of course, with notes of ginger, but underneath is a definite fire. Very spicy. It will suit a lady like you well, I should imagine."

Julianna took a sip. She appreciated the strong ginger flavor -- one of her favorites. The underlying kick from the hot peppers was subtle and not as unpleasant as she feared.

"It is very good," she said after taking another sip. "Again, thank you."

In response, he raised his glass to her slightly before taking a swallow, never once taking his eyes off her. His stare was laser focused.

"I'm Julianna, by the way."

"It's very nice to meet you, Julianna. I'm Bixby, Clive Bixby."

"Are you here on business, Mr. Bixby?"

"You could say that," Bixby looked past Julianna, his focused eyes quickly sweeping the room. "There's a gentleman I was hoping to meet here tonight."

Julianna moved to get up, "Oh, I'm sorry, Mr Bixby. I didn't mean to intrude on your evening. I'll leave before I interfere with your plans."

He placed a powerful hand gently on hers. "Don't be silly, Julliana. Sit. The gentleman I'm looking for is here already, has been for nearly an hour. He knows I'm here. I know he's here. Our paths will cross soon enough."

Julianna looked intently into Bixby's serious eyes. "What line of business are you in, exactly, Mr. Bixby?"

"I work for the government, Julianna," Bixby said as he twirled the drink in his glass slowly before taking a swallow. "I'm a problem solver."

"What sort of problems?" Julianna leaned in closer to him, letting her hand brush against his arm.

"Problems the government doesn't want you to know they have." He nodded slightly towards someone behind Julianna. "Problems like our friend over there."

Julianna slowly turned about to get a view of the tables behind her. A few tables away, sitting alone, was a swarthy man wearing a light orange button up shirt. The collar was open showing a tuft of thick chest hair.

"You mean that man in the coral shirt?" She asked as she turned her attention back to Bixby.

"Yes, he's the one." Bixby took another casual swallow of his drink.

"He's the man you have business with? Who is he? What's his name?"

"His real name is classified information, I'm afraid," Bixby said. "But in my circles he's known as Agent Orange."

Julianna tried to hide a smile by taking a sip of her drink.

"Don't laugh, Julianna," Bixby leaned closer and lowered his voice almost to a whisper. "He's very dangerous. Not to be trifled with."

They were very close to each other, with him leaning into her. Julianna liked the way he smelled. His cologne was light and smoky. He casually reached up and gently brushed the hair away from her eyes. She noticed, with satisfaction, that his gaze drifted from her face down to her breasts.

"And he's up to something," he said, his eyes going back to Agent Orange.

"What? What is he up to?"

"I don't know exactly. That's what I have to learn. And then I have to stop him."

"Is he dangerous?" Julianna's voice was barely a whisper.

Bixby smiled. "I wouldn't be involved if he wasn't."

Suddenly Bixby's eyes flashed. "He's on the move. I've got to go."

The sudden change caught Julianna off guard. She looked around, a bit confused. Agent Orange was getting up from his table. Their eyes met across the lounge and for a brief moment they stared at each other. Agent Orange cocked his head slightly -- quizzically -- and narrowed his eyes a bit, perhaps a bit confused why this woman was looking at him. He looked from Julianna to Bixby and back again before breaking off the gaze, collecting his things, and heading towards the exit.

Meanwhile, with fluid, confident motions, Bixby placed a large bill on the bar next to his drink, caught the bartender's eyes, and stepped away from the bar, his eyes following Agent Orange's retreat.

Julianna caught hold of Bixby's arm.

"I'm coming with you," she said as he turned to look at her.

"No you are not," he said matter-of-factly. "This is far too dangerous. I can't risk getting you involved."

"Like hell," she shot back with a cocktail of bravado and fear. "I'm already involved. He just looked at me. You should have seen the way he looked at me. His eyes. You said he knows who you are, well now I'm connected with you in his eyes. I'm not going to wait around here for him to come back for me -- to eliminate the threat."

Bixby looked back at the door to see Agent Orange disappear through it as he headed out towards the hotel lobby. Bixby looked down at Julianna's hand on his arm, her thin fingers clutching the fabric. Then he looked into her eyes for what seemed like an eternity.

"Let's go," he said at last as he took her hand and pulled her towards the door at a brisk pace.

A large group of rowdy Bears' fans were coming out of the elevator and congregating in the hotel's lobby as Bixby and Julianna emerged from the bar. Bixby scanned the large lobby quickly. There didn't seem to be any sign of Agent Orange.

"Do you see him?" Julianna asked as she looked towards the large revolving doors at the front of the lobby. "Do you think he went outside?"

"This way," Bixby said without looking at her or acknowledging her questions.

He walked with long, confident strides across the lobby. Julianna struggled at first to keep up, but soon the heels of her black, strappy shoes were tapping smoothly on the tile floor keeping close pace with Bixby.

They weaved among the groups of fans and past them, leaving the lobby behind and heading down a quiet side hall. Julianna gripped Bixby's hand a little tighter -- their fingers were intertwined and Bixby lazily stroked his thumb along hers as they walked.

Their pace slowed a bit in the empty hallway. They walked past darkened meeting rooms, a business center and some restrooms. As they went further down the hallway the boisterous sounds from the lobby became a muffled murmur.

Bixby suddenly stopped and put his finger to his mouth in a shushing motion. He looked one way down the hall and then the other. Julianna tensed, squeezing Bixby's hand tighter and moving closer until she pressed lightly against his side.

They stood motionless and silent for a few moments. Julianna thought she heard a whisper of water running in a sink, but she couldn't be sure. Then she heard a door opening somewhere further down the hall.

Bixby's muscles tightened as he sprang into action.

"This way," he hissed between clenched teeth.

He led Julianna into a small, dark room -- some kind of a storage closet. He pulled the door shut leaving a small crack so they could see out into the hallway. There wasn't much room for the two of them. Bixby's back was pressed up against a cart and Julianna's back was pressed up against Bixby.

They both leaned forward in order to look through the crack in the door to see what was going on out in the hall. He wrapped an arm around her and pressed forward, squeezing her lightly against the door. His breath was warm against her neck and hair.

She heard him breathe in deeply and she smiled -- he was breathing in the scent of her hair, she was sure of it. Very slightly she pushed her body back against his and was rewarded for her efforts when he, very slightly, pulled his arm more tightly around her waist.

His cologne, which was intriguing in the bar, was intoxicating in this dark enclosed space. His muscled arm was sure and strong against her waist and she placed one of her own hand on his. She let her other hand fall to her side and then slowly and lightly stroked his leg through his suit pants with her finger tips.

"Look," he whispered into her ear, as his own fingers began to lightly play across her waist and belly.

Through the crack in the door she saw Agent Orange emerge from a restroom across the hall. He looked about nonchalantly while he tucked in his coral shirt and then took out his smartphone. Casually, he leaned against the wall and began flipping through his phone.

Bixby's hand moved slowly, but purposefully up Julianna's body until he was cupping one of her breasts.

"Don't make a sound," he whispered as he nuzzled into her neck.

For a moment she held her breath, but was forced to exhale as he began to gently fondle her breast with his firm hand.

She wasn't wearing a bra, and it didn't take long for Bixby to feel her nipples harden beneath his palm. Through her sweater, he rolled her distended nipple between his thumb and finger. He kissed her neck as he gave her nipple a gentle twist.

Julianna pressed her body harder back against him, giving her ass a little wiggle as she felt his erection growing in his pants. She moved her hand up his leg, hoping to give him some encouragement, but their positioning was too awkward for her to get very far up -- certainly not as high as she wanted.

Instead she brought her hand up to his -- the one toying with her tit. She placed her hand on top of his and urged him, by example, to fondle her breast harder. He obliged and soon the two of them were worrying her tit roughtly in tandem.

This whole time, she kept her eyes glued on Agent Orange, who was still absorbed in his smart phone only a few yards away. She was trying to be quiet, but her breathing was coming out ragged and her heart was pounding.

A pressure was growing deep inside her -- an itch that desperately needed to be scratched. Her pussy was getting wet and her nipple was starting to ache. She wanted to turn to face Bixby, to kiss him, to feel his tongue on her nipple instead of his fingers.

Bixby had his own pressure building. He pulled Julianna tighter against him and pushed his hips forward, rubbing his manhood against her ass -- reveling in the way her curves moved in sync with him. He kissed his way up her neck and nibbled and licked her ear lobe. He loved the way her hair smelled -- soft and delicate, with an earthy hint.

Agent Orange coughed loudly and cleared his throat. The two in the closet stopped moving -- stopped breathing -- their bodies tense. They watched through the door as Agent Orange put away his phone, adjusted his shirt and headed down the hall towards the lobby.

Once he was out of sight, Julianna spun around in the tight confines of the closet, forcing Bixby back against the cart. She kissed him hungrily, her tongue flicking into his mouth. Her hands cupped his ass and pulled him closer into her grinding her hip against him.

"Oh god, Clive," she moaned into his mouth, but then whimpered curtly as she felt him pull away.

"Julianna, I have to go after Agent Orange," he said huskily, obviously struggling to catch his breath. "It's clear he's just been transmitted his final instructions and now he's on the move. If I don't intercept him who knows what mayhem he'll cause."

Julianna nuzzled into Bixby's neck kissing along his strong jawline.

"Julianna, he's getting away. I can't let that happen."

She abruptly pulled away from him and studied his eyes. He stared unflinchingly back at her for a moment. She grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the store room and back into the now empty hallway. The two of them walked quickly back towards the lobby, smoothing and adjusting their clothes.

The lobby was quiet now. A young desk clerk worked at her computer. The sound of traffic floated in from outside.

Agent Orange was getting onto an elevator. Bixby and Julianna watched as the door slid shut and the elevator started to go up. It was one of those glass-enclosed elevators that seem to hang off the wall. They could see Agent Orange look down at them as he rose up away from the ground floor.

Bixby took Julianna's hand.

"This way," he said leading her to the stairs.

He took the stairs two at a time and Julianna had trouble keeping up. After the first two switchbacks he stopped at the landing and began speaking into the cufflinks on his left wrist.

"This is Agent Double-Oh Sixty Nine reporting in," he said as Julianna made her way up to the landing. "I am closing in on the ferret's lair. Repeat, I am closing in on the ferret's lair."

When Julianna reached him he didn't wait for her to catch her breath but grabbed her hand and pulled her up the stairs with him. She squealed softly in protest as he quickened his pace, but somehow she managed to keep up.

At the next landing they exited the stairwell and found themselves on the second floor of the hotel. The elevator door was closing -- it was empty -- and a familiar coral shirt was disappearing into a large room.

The pair hurried after Agent Orange.

The room they entered was one of those large meeting rooms hotels have that usually host awards banquets or Amway presentations. This one was currently being used for some sort of art show, probably related to the artist convention being held in the hotel, Julianna figured. The harsh fluorescent lights were off and instead the windowless room was lit only by the tightly focused spotlights illuminating the various sculptures and paintings scattered throughout the room. The effect was dim pools of yellow light in what was otherwise a dark room.

There were a couple of people slowly wandering around the large room, taking in the art pieces. Occasionally someone would cough or make a quiet comment about a particular painting.

Bixby spotted Agent Orange standing alone on the left side of the room, looking at a portrait of an old woman hanging clothes to dry. Bixby gave Julianna's hand a squeeze and motioned slightly with his head in Agent Orange's direction. She looked and nodded her head. Then the two of them started slowly walking among the art pieces on the right side of the room, keeping one eye on Agent Orange the whole time.

Agent Orange seemed listless. He didn't stay long at any one piece of art -- some he walked right past with hardly a glance. Bixby and Julianna kept pace with Agent Orange on the other side of the room as the three of them all made their way towards the back of the exhibit.

In the back corner of the room Agent Orange stopped at a sculpture of a nude nymph bathing. She was holding what looked like a stone jar that she was filling from a stream or pool.

Bixby and Julianna watched out of the corner of their eyes as Agent Orange examined the statue closely. He slowly walked around it, apparently taking in the beauty of the marble piece. Bixby and Julianna were stopped near a large, but mediocre, painting of a fruit bowl.

After a minute or so, Agent Orange abruptly left the statue and headed back towards the exit. As he briskly walked out he took his smart phone out of his pocket.

Bixby and Julianna quickly walked across the room towards the nymph statue.

"This must be it," Bixby said as they approached the marble nude. "There's something about this statue that's the key to Agent Orange's plan."

The couple studied the statue for a moment, Julianna admired the artist's fine attention to detail. It looked like the nymph was crouching on a grassy stream bank covered in fallen leaves. A few leaves hung suspended in the nymph's long hair that cascaded around her bare shoulders and down to her pert breasts.

But the wings were most impressive. They were small, like butterfly wings attached to the nymph's back. Somehow the artist had managed to make the stone wings appear ethereal, almost see through.

While Julianna examined the front of the statue, Bixby walked around behind its pedestal. He examined the statue's base looking for any clues. He studied the walls near the statue. Suddenly, something caught his eye.

"Julianna, I found it," Bixby hissed from the shadows behind the statue. "Come stand closer to the pedestal."

Julianna obeyed -- stepping nearer to the statue.

"What did you find?" she whispered.

Julianna jumped slightly as she felt hands on her legs. She looked down to see Bixby, crouched in the shadows at the base of the pedestal, his hands slowly creeping up her legs.

"What are you doing?" Julianna whispered.

"Just look at the statue," came the soft response from the shadows. "Don't draw attention. I just need a few moments."

And then under his breath he added, "And your panties."

"What?" Julianna said incredulously.