A knock on the door drew blue eyes up and a hand down. From her place at the table the young woman called for the person knocking on her door to enter.
"It's open." Fingers found the knife secured under the table, they tensed as the door opened and a little soul peered in with a smile on his face.
"Ms. Farron." He said as he entered, pulling his cap off.
Her hand paused as she eyed the neighbors child.
"Hello Airon, what can I do for you?" He walked up to the table and stood before her, his little hand coming up with something in it, filling her with dread... it was not above her enemies scruples to make even a child as young as him their pawn. Her hand caressed the cold comforting metal of the knife under the table as he presented her with an envelope. A baited breath escaped parted lips.
The tension that plagued her was well earned, in the last week she had several close brushes with the PSICOM, their blood was on her hands... not that that fact particularly bothered her... any man who blindly obeyed was as guilty as his masters in her books.
Back to the matter at hand she asked him gently.
"What's this Airon?" He looked to the envelope with a curious expression and that charming little boys smile.
"A man asked me to give it to you." He turned the envelope over and she saw the red seal embossed with a dagger upon it.
"Can I have the seal? It's neat!" He said with a grin. Light reached for the letter from her contact and pulled the knife from the table sliding it under the embossed seal.
"How about we trade for a cookie instead?" The chances of the wrong people learning the little boy had the red seal was probably as great as a Pulsian becoming an officer in the Cocoon military.
Airon seemed to contemplate the trade for a long time, his little brow furrowed.
"Three cookies." He said holding up two fingers." She raised a brow at his negotiating before chuckling.
"Okay, three." She said holding up two fingers. For a moment the letter was tucked away so she might retrieve the cookies that was his pay. When next she saw her contact she would have to chastize him for using the little boy. Their enemies might see nothing wrong with endangering a child, but she would not have it on her conscious.
Returning with treats in hand she gave him a cookie for each hand.
"Come on, I will take you back to mommy." She paused to scoop up the letter just to be sure it was not taken, tucking it into a safe place on her person, she directed te little boy back outside.
"Maya." Lightning called when they both had managed the steps to her home. The boys mother was standing at the end of her drive with a hand on her brow, a worried expression on her face. Relief washed over the young womans face as she rushed forward scooping the child into her arms.
"Airon! you had mommy so worried!"
"Thank you Claire! I was beside myself." Claire smiled and reached out a hand to tousle his hair.
"I am sorry to frighten you, he wandered in." The child looked only partially contrite about his mothers worry, might have been the cookie he had crumbling on his face and half eaten in his hand.
"Don't be too hard on him." She said .
They conversed for a short time about the hot weather, and the shortage of goods... the absence of men, and the likley hood that Jeice would return from the war. Lightning slowly walked Maya to the end of her drive and down the side walk towards her own house as she once again reassured the woman that it was highly unlikely her husband would ever see more action than the coffee rush on supply day.
By the time she stood at her neighbors front door Maya most likely had forgotten all about her scare due to Airons temporary disappearance, and all the proof of his foray was already consumed. Claire left them happily on the top step of their home, her mind was already on the envelope from her contact.
She paused on the step of her home and let blue eyes scan the streets for anything out of place. One of the benefits of living in a quiet neighborhood was you knew who belonged... still one could never be too cautious.
Moving inside, afforded her the privacy to read the letter sent her at last. A letter written in code, a code she was so familiar with her mind translated it with out trouble.
Presence requested.
High level target located.
Date, time, location and required attire for her task was included, as well as the usual note to burn this letter in its entirety... that included the red seal with its dagger embossing. Moving to the stove she flicked the burner over and caught the paper on fire, dropping it into the sink to let it burn with out malice.
The Op...
The day of her task she received another letter out of the blue, same envelope, same red seal... after struggling to get herself noticed by the right people, and have her invited to the gala, she was perturbed that it might be a call off of her task. But it proved to be something even stranger. A meeting, seemed she was not working this task solo as was her usual. Also the target, a high ranking official of Cocoon was to be collared and brought into a Unification black sight. Most of the people they had her track down were those they wanted dead... this would be her first living tag... perhaps that was the reason they thought she would need backup.
It didnt matter... she would get this done... she would get it done for Serah...
Claire sat impatiently for her escort, a lower ranking officer who had liked the rich little debutant who had shown interest in him at the last social gathering he had been at. A bubbly blonde with eyes as blue as the sky.
She drummed fingers against her arm which were crossed under her breasts. The man was late, Barns, a vain man who wanted a pretty woman on his arm... a woman who did not challenge his intellect and stroked his male ego... She was alright with the stroking as long as it was his ego...
A knock on her door and she sighed schooling her face slipping into the persona she created just for this evening.
Rainin, a visiting debutant whos family riches were from the ever popular and coveted Nautilus.
Sergent Barns smiled when he saw Ms. Rainin. A woman who seemed to be less brains and all beauty, just his type... He presented her with flowers. she looked at them a moment her surprise at his empty gesture clearly written on her face. He beamed even more at her obvious shock. Since meeting Rainin he had been feeling mighty lucky, if his luck held out, he would be taking her back to this hotel room and bedding her... Gods he loved simple women.
"You brought me flowers?" She asked as if she was unsure of what to do with them.
"Yes ma'am I did. but even they could not equal your beauty." He reached a hand up to push a lock of blonde hair back from her face. Her bidy tightened with that fight or flight reflex, and Sergent Barns simply did not know how close he came to loosing that hand... clean up to the arm. Only the thought of blood on her evening wear stayed her hand.
"Excuse me, let me set these on the counter." She said and moved off to place the flowers. She made a girlish giggling noise before returning to him. Then pausing she placed a finger to her lips, instantly his eyes went to her mouth.
"I think I am forgetting something." He tore his eyes away from her mouth, rising to those blue eyes. He smiled and looked her over, his eyes running over her body.
"Your purse?"
"Thats it!" She said and giggled pulling away from him to retrieve her clutch.
"It's a bit chilly out, what about a jacket?"
"Yes, my shawl." She said and gave a nervous giggle.
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