Edited by Angel Love
That Lindelle Gerhart had been in the service for the CIA for more than nine years made the Director anxious to employ her skills in what might be known as one of the most difficult assignments the department would ever appoint. She was good, reliable, beautiful, intriguing, and well known for her ability to bend the rules when appropriate. The Director called the Supervisor, briefed him on the new assignment, and told him emphatically that Lindelle, code name Auburn Angel, was the best agent for the job.
Later, when Auburn Angel stepped into the Supervisor's office, she headed directly for the plush, leather chair located directly in front of his executive size desk. She knew well the Supervisor's inability to be cordial so she seated herself and waited.
The Supervisor stared out the floor to ceiling window with his back to the agent. It was his game and she knew it well. He would make his agents think he was deep in thought, possibly over a tough assignment yet in truth; he merely used the silence to weaken the agents into some admiration of the highest order. Of course, none fell for it but he never realized it.
Angel glanced at her watch then lifted her eyes to receive a sudden shock. The Supervisor's cold, emotionless face stared annoyingly over the desk, directly into her gaze. She smiled slightly and nodded her head as if to tell him she was ready for his instructions. But he didn't say a word nor did he give her any greeting whatsoever that might cause her to think he'd lost his power over her.
When he finally spoke, he muttered, "Angel. The Director wants you to retrieve an agent whose cover has been blown."
"Why me?" she asked returning his cold stare.
The Supervisor didn't answer; another trick he often played to keep the advantage on his side of the court.
"Fly to London," he said while he stared in absolute assured that he'd won his little game.
"And do what?" she inquired. "An agent? What agent? Do what?"
Immediately, his eyes narrowed like he was about to explode in anger. His face showed redness but she'd seen this tactical maneuver before and stood to counter the move.
"Sit down, Auburn Angel," he demanded.
"And for what?" she asked with an air of defiance.
Caught off guard by her tone, he stood and faced her squarely. The Director was correct in that she was indeed a beautiful woman. As to who would lose this battle of wills, he also knew that she would give in once he gave her the agent's code name. He would but he waited for a long moment before doing so. Angel knew that for him to open up with information of any kind, she'd have to give in, sit down, and put a smile back on her face, albeit fake.
So she did and when she appeased the strange, cold man, she noticed his eyes soften at her smile. Finally, he briefed her on the mission.
"In London, you'll meet him. His identity will be fully revealed in a secret place."
Angel nodded as if she thoroughly understood her mission but in truth, she wondered what the name of the pub might be. After all, pubs in England were more numerous than the stars in the heavens. How she might get this info from the Super was anyone's guess. She'd never managed to pry it from his lips before, so she sat as patiently as she could and waited.
After an eternity of silence, the Supervisor muttered one more bit of information, "Beowulf."
"Beo what? That's his code name?" the pretty agent said in reply.
"Leave Philadelphia tonight," he said then gestured for the agent to depart.
At her condo, Angel packed appropriate attire for the trip. It would be early summer in London with little rain in the forecast. She would go as a tourist, camera and all, to London then Cambridge looking like the typical Yank from the States. Since this was the usual fair for agents on such an assignment, she checked the exchange rate on the internet, finished packing her bag and relaxed till the airport shuttle honked its horn, signaling its arrival in the parking lot.
"Too bad I can't take the Jag over there!" she said as she closed and locked her door.
At the airport, she boarded British Airways to London, Heathrow. The flight would take a little more than nine hours so she adjusted her watch to London time. Then she settled back and began to read her book. Engrossing herself in the furst chapter, she barely noticed the passenger who sat next to her in the wide furst class seat. If she thought about it at all, she'd have known that the Director had granted her this privilege over the Supervisor's budgeted reluctance.
When Auburn Angel shifted herself to relax more in her seat, the man next to her extended his right-hand to introduce himself.
"Ben Riggs!" he said to her in his friendly Brit manner.
Angel laid the book in her lap, cocked her head to the right, and replied, "Nice to meet you, Ben! My name is Lucinda Fredricks!"
Shaking her hand he quickly noticed the softness of her fingers and palm. His eyes feasted on her beautiful, smiling eyes and warm countenance. Her Auburn hair was exquisitely cut in such a fashion that he found himself without words to describe it. Unlike other beautiful women, the Auburn hue somehow told volumes about her character and heart.
"Ah!" he said graciously. "Of German Descent, I'd say!"
"Hmm, well, more Pennsylvania Dutch, at least that was my parent's background." When Ben released her hand, she said, "And you sound like a Brit! I love the accent."
Ben looked to be in his early to mid fifties, a well-dressed man, conservative to Angel's suspicion. He, too, had a book he opened so she decided to engage him no further. The flight attendants chattered through their usual routine of safety messages then the plane lifted off the runway on its course over the Atlantic. Though she didn't know for sure, she sensed that he was watching, admiring, maybe lusting after her. Whether true, or not, the thought did warm her to pursue some of her own fantasy speculations.
Later when the inhabitants of furst class had finished their supper, Ben started to dialog with the pretty agent who had shapely legs. Having no idea of her employment, he decided to inform her of his in hopes that this lovely lady might reciprocate.
"I am a photographer for a company in London," he said as if he was answering her question. "I spend many days jaunting about Europe, the States, and sometimes South America doing photo shoots for celebrities."
"Oh! That sounds interesting!" she said. "Lucinda, my dear!" he said. "It's lucrative, sound, and rather posh, I'd say!"
She smiled in response at his words. He couldn't help but notice Lucinda's eyes as they smiled in sync with her lips.
"And you, my dear, are very photogenic!" Ben said in complementary fashion. "Maybe you would pose for one pic?"
Caught off guard by his British charm, she nodded affurmatively but wondered if he would stop at just one picture. Indeed, she wouldn't want him to stop at a single snapshot. But then she suddenly realized that her own cover might be blown by such an event so she played it down as he suggested locations like the Tower of London, Big Ben, even outside King's Chapel in Cambridge. Before long, she managed to maneuver the subject to the book he had in his lap, a spy thriller or so the title suggested.
Pretty Auburn Angel, eventually tired from her conversation with Ben only because the hour was late. Her heart warmed completely over the intercourse of dialog with such a charming man. As she closed her eyes and attempted to sleep, she pondered what it might be like to pose for him, smile for him, captivate his camera's gaze, and even offer some naughty pics to boot. She knew, however, deep down that her new acquaintance would never see her, could never see her again for CIA reasons. Such was the life of an agent.
Hours later when the plane landed, she found herself focusing on her mission in spite of Ben's suggestion that the two of them might hit a pub near the airport. His insistence annoyed her a little but she chalked it up to her Auburn hair, a feature she sported well that had brought many men to their knees in worshipful respect. Ben's overly attentive stares did cause Lucinda to feel warmth throughout her body, particularly between her shapely legs.
"Crud!" she thought. "If I weren't on a mission, I'd join him, drink some wine while he sipped his English Ale, and maybe even go to!" Suddenly her pondering heart was brought back to reality as she along with hundreds of others had to deplane.
"Whatever it is you do, my dear, please consider giving me a ring!" he said as he handed her his business card.