You Only Live Twice

[Dillon Levenque]

The minute we make our way through the checkpoints and back into the Forgotten City I request a meeting with M. Quinn must be drooping with fatigue and Lillie and I are both near our limits, but I know from Quinn's reaction to seeing the sketch of the Mole that she has information that cannot wait.

We're met at the main entrance by Miss Caxton and Rangemistress Keli (who asks me if I am on my way to the firing range: I'd not had time to disarm). I try to impress upon Caxton the urgency of the situation, and she assures me that she will try to arrange a meeting with M as soon as possible. At least, I think that's what she says. She keeps sort of brushing her hand across the gun in her thigh holster; it's very distracting.

Quinn heads for her quarters to check in; I go with Lillie to the section of guest apartments that's been set aside for her; she's not a prisoner but at this stage she can't have free run of the HQ. She knows what to expect and I hope we can get past all this soon. I go to my own apartment to store my guns. The temptation to stretch out on the bed is almost irrestistable, but I know we're meeting with M soon. I wash my face and wait for the call.

[Dillon Levenque]

I get the call and go to the spot chosen—a hidden section of the city, where power is generated by methods not well understood. Quinn is already there, looking like she's just getting ready for a walk in the park—new dress, freshly coiffed, the whole bit. I hate her.

M arrives and wastes no time.

 "Who?"

Quinn hands her the sketch without a word. M stands as still as a statue for a few seconds, her face a mask of calm. She hands the paper back to Quinn.

"I'm sorry to say I am not surprised."

Quinn asks, "What do we do now? If the Director of Counter Intelligence is a mole, who can we trust? How will we uncover all he's done?"

"One thing at a time, Q. First I have to deal with the excision. There's the usual Friday afternoon tea session scheduled ; he'll be there along with all the other directors. I'll make arrangements"

 

M speaks quietly into her phone and within minutes Keli has arrived. M gives her a quick briefing and Keli departs, to return a few minutes later with Lillie and someone I've not met, who is introduced to me as a pyrotechnician. I expect there will be fireworks of several kinds in the offing.

M leaves Lillie and I in Keli's care and departs with Q'ute and the pyrotechnics expert. Lillie is escorted back to her quarters and I return to mine. Someone else will deal with the immediate problems; for a change I've no urgent assignment.

I take a long hot bath, slide gratefully between the sheets, and drift into oblivion.

[Charolotte Caxton]

Agent Levenque, Q and the sniper Lillie arrived demanding an audience with M. They should have already known M was expecting them. Naturally, I made them wait. Levenque can demand all she wants, last I checked no one sees M except through me.

 

 

 

The rendezvous spot had already been predetermined. I don't pick the meeting locations, I just arrange them.

 

 

 

I had found M basking in the glow of her master plan, of course.

Your audience would like to see you, Ma'am.

Dispense with the niceties, Caxton. Make the call.

 

 

 

 

There's no need for me to stick around. After all, Im not the one who makes the decisions.

 

 

 

 

After her intel brief and planning commission, M summons the Pyrotechie and I.

 

 

 

 

The next phase of the operation will need to be conducted with surgical precision, so far little Miss Firestarter has been two for two.

 

 

 

All that can be done now is to wait.

 

 

 

Are you certain you are up for this, Miss Caxton?

I know you are not questioning my loyalty, M. You must mean am I ready to go through with this phase of the operation. I've come with you this far and the only aspect of my performance that you have been able to criticize is the coffee that I make, which, by the way, I've noticed you never drink. I've tolerated you for this long, M, I believe I might be able to a tad bit longer.

Im rather disappointed, Miss Caxton.

Why is that, M? Because I tell you like it is?

No, because I would of thought that by now you would have realized I don't drink coffee.

I roll my eyes.

That, dear friend, is precisely why I make coffee.

  

[Quinn Morani]

Every time I think I'm finally going to get a chance for sleep, M summons me. These briefings are tiring, but necessary. I expect that this meeting will be to discuss in more detail plans to pair my technology craft with the pyrotechnician in order to isolate the mole and 'gently' remind him that M means business.

But that conversation doesn't happen; at least not now. When I arrive, I see that it is Dillon there, not the pyrotechnician. And to my shock, Kelinda is also present with her guns aimed straight at M. I stop myself before I can react. If the presence of deadly firearms didn't render the situation so unpredictable and dangerous, I'd almost be amused at the scene in front of me, for M seems entirely unbothered by the possibility that her brain could soon be shredded into a million shrapnel-infected pieces. She gives greater attention to the gum stuck to the bottom of her shoe than she does to the guns in Kelinda's hands. In spite of the seriousness of the situation, I indulge a silent chuckle as I imagine M responding: "Oh, a GUN? I thought you said GUM."

The chuckle doesn't last long. It's still not clear exactly what Kelinda wants, but she quickly grows enraged at not being taken seriously. Before any of us realize what is happening, she turns her attention away from M and toward me, ushering me at gunpoint toward a waiting zeppelin, where she shoves me in. She may be small, but the girl has muscle. I think I've just been kidnapped.

Fortunately, I don't have to wait long before M and Dillon collect their wits and come after us. As they approach the zeppelin in M's private plane, they are able to forcibly guide Kelinda back toward the ground. As we make our way to a safe landing, I try to probe more, hoping to learn something of Kelinda's motives. But when I query her about her plan, her only cryptic reply is "What if my plan is just to keep it from ending?" To keep what from ending, I do not know. She will not say more.

Finally, safely back on terra firma, M herself seizes an opportunity to take Kelinda down and wrestles her to the ground.

Once she is subdued, Dillon steps in to take possession of her guns and M orders that Kelinda be confined until she can be interrogated. It looks like Lillie will have some company while waiting for her turn in the interrogation chamber.

[Kelinda]

I don't know if MISL is short handed or just short sighted but they left me all alone tided to a chair waiting my interrogation. Sincerely hoping my last meal was not going to be root beer and popcorn (that is all they feed you in here) I prayed for a rescue.

Suddenly I heard a loud thud downstairs and before I knew it my hands were untied and two ominous figures stood over me. Who are you and what was that thud, I think to myself? Was someone killed gaining access to me? I ask them no questions but am thankful for my rescue.

The one named Big O issues me weapons and hires me as a security guard saying that they have been watching me from afar and impressed with my talents. They offer to pay me 3 times the amount that Q was paying me to be her personal body guard making it clear she is buying my loyalty.  I am excited about my new job but I fear something big is going down. Why else would they take such a risk hiring an unknown like me?

[Dillon Levenque]

I awake to the sound of someone knocking on the door. Loudly and insistently. Stifling a groan, I get out of bed, pull on a robe, and go to the door. Checking to make sure the bolt is still closed, I speak through the door.
"What?"
"I'm sorry to bother you. I have a message that I must deliver."
"A message from whom?"
After a slight pause I get an answer.
"I don't really know. The message was handed to me with instructions to deliver it to your apartment."
"Does it make a ticking noise?"
I hear through the door a noise that sounds a bit like a suppressed giggle.
"No, no. It's just an envelope. Really."
I open the door and see a young woman in the standard Measly uniform with an envelope in her hand. She looks at me, rather wide-eyed, and holds out an envelope. On it is written,

To: Pink
From: Soccer Mom

"Thank  you", I say, taking the envelope from her hand.
"It's an honor to meet you, agent."
"You didn't.".
I close the door. Sheesh—these kids today.

There is a single sheet inside the envelope.

This is worse than anything I can imagine. The previous TOS incursion was both expected and planned for. Even though their agent Guido was much more resourceful than expected, we still knew where they were and usually what they intended. Now I learn that they've managed not only to get through security but take someone out with them.

I put the just opened first volume of 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire' back on the shelf. Gibbon will have to wait, it seems. I check that both Berettas have full clips plus one in the chamber. Time to go back to work. I need to get Lillie; she should be eligible for a 'work furlough' given the circumstances.

[Charolotte Caxton]

[Brise Jinx]

The intel and acces codes to the cell block that our insider provided made it easy to get to Kelinda, free her and bring her to the shelter. There was only one guard at Kelinda's cell, which G retired with one swift blow.

Kelinda has agreed to our terms and has joined us in what looks to quickly escalate into an open conflict between TOS and the measlies.

I know for a fact that M and her team are concentrating their efforts to find and disable our insider. Eventually they WILL identify him and take him out, but in the mean time we have room to prepare for whatever is coming. His sacrifice is a necessary loss.

[Quinn Morani]

The fact that Kelinda has been released, and not by any Measly, is an alarming turn of events. It's unclear whether she is actually a TOS agent, or merely a mercenary with allegiance only to the highest bidder. Between her mysterious arrival in the Forgotten City in scuba gear, her suspicious behavior in Berlin, her secret messages to someone known as the "Godmother," her confrontation with M at gunpoint, and her kidnapping of me, Kelinda has had multiple opportunities to eliminate key Measlies. Yet we all remain. Whatever Kelinda's agenda, it's known only to her.

Fortunately Kelinda's unknown status kept her out of the loop regarding classified MISL information during our trek to Berlin. If it's TOS that released her, they'll be sorely disappointed to discover that she won't have much useful information to turn over. Maybe they'll hold that against her; maybe they won't.

Regardless, we have to prepare for the possibility that TOS agents are, in fact, present in the Forgotten City. M decides Dillon has had enough sleep (I wonder if M ever sleeps), and asks me to send for her. But I know better than to risk the wrath of interrupting anyone's slumber, so I send a newer recruit to do the job. The recruit is thrilled with the assignment. Apparently Agent Levenque has a fan club.

I write M's instructions to Dillon and send the recruit to deliver the message. Just in case anyone spies the recruit with message in hand, I use code names on the outside of the envelope. Dillon will know whom it is from.

[Quinn Morani]

There is no doubt now. TOS is here. We've seen them, and they've most definitely seen us. Just as we were leaving M's quarters, Miss Caxton, the ever vigilant eyes of Forgotten City, noticed movement in the window across the way. She froze and motioned the Rangemistress and me back inside. When she rejoined us not 30 seconds later, she was certain it was TOS in what should have been an abandoned building. She had seen a group of at least three, one known to be the agent Guido. She was unsure whether one was the missing Kelinda, but thought it likely.

We confer quickly on the best course of action, and decide to exit quietly through a rear door. The Rangemistress will lead us through an unmapped secret tunnel toward the armory so that we can begin to arm ourselves—and the other agents present in Forgotten City—for an impending battle.

However, no sooner are we 100 yards from the building, too far to easily turn back, than we hear, almost imperceptibly, the muffled sound of a gun clip being locked in place. Like startled deer, we swiftly sprint in a zig zag formation toward the concealed tunnel entrance. Once inside the tunnel, we bolt the door and race through the length of the passageway and across the connecting bridge, able to hear TOS pelting the bolted tunnel entrance with a barrage of bullets.

Before Miss Caxton and I land in the opposite tunnel, the Rangemistress is already feeling the stones on the wall until she finds one that looks and feels exactly like all the others. She pushes it and twists it and pushes it some more in some memorized combination of manipulation. When she is done, the rickety connecting bridge begins to creak upward just as Miss Caxton and I step off it, effectively halting TOS's pursuit. For now.

The three of us stop to catch our breath in the other side of the tunnel that is now disconnected from TOS. The Rangemistress will get us to the armory from here, but we also have to warn Dillon and the others. A deadly clash with TOS now seems inevitable.

[Dillon Levenque]

Even with TOS at our gates—inside our gates, for that matter—MISL must go on with life. I tried to get a meeting with M to request that Lillie be given a temporary release because I know what she and Bess can do, and we need that. Unfortunately Lillie's interrogation was already scheduled. Because the 'interrogation' will be carried out with the idea of recruiting Lillie in mind, there will of course not be any bright lights or anything like that. It will be all very polite, very comfortable, very relaxed. Except that the interrogator's mission is still to extract every single item of TOS knowledge Lillie posesses.

I arrive just in time to see Lillie meeting her interrogator, but too late to interupt the schedule. All I can do is obvserve. It seems the dress code for MISL staff has deteriorated in my absence. Suits were the norm for men; at the very least jacket and tie. When I first see Lillie's interrogator I think he's part of the facilities crew or something. The guy looks more like a gypsy than a highly skilled espionage agent.

There are some introductions; everyone is still acting as if Lillie's interview is purely voluntary. I notice that Lillie and the 'gypsy' seem to be making a lot of eye contact while all this his happening. By the time Quinn has finished introducing everyone and explaining the schedule they're practically staring at each other. Quinn asks the interrogator a question and he has to clear his throat a couple of times before he can talk. I have to look away to keep from smiling.

Finally everything is arranged and Lillie and her interrogator enter the room and close the door. I could swear I see Lillie give him a thigh brush as they go through the doorway. I have a feeling there may be rather more debriefing going on in there than would normally be the case.

[Charolotte Caxton]

Running from TOS was no fun at all.

 

 

 

By the time we made it to the armory, our explosives expert was already waiting and suited for action.



 

 

 

At the armory's glen, we summon an invaluable ally. Forgotten City's secrets are many.



 

 

 

The pyrotechnician and I board a battle Zephyr.

 





She navigates the city and manages to knock only a few stones loose.

 

 



We gain altitude and take our position.

 

 

[Storm Clarence]

---

 

/me sends Dillon a private 128bit encrypted message that reads:

Reminder: turn your holster around before you end up shooting yourself in both your feet.

[Lillie Woodells]

As soon as I saw him, my heart stopped.  For the first time, since this whole thing started, I faltered, just momentarily, not enough that anyone would notice, but I did.  I felt my heart pounding in my chest and my stomach filled with that unmistakable fluttering.  I thought I was seeing things.  That in my tired frustration, lack of fresh air being cooped up in my "apartments", that my eyes deceived me. 

The assistant that lead me to him was focused on the paperwork in her hands, she didn't see my face, by the time she looked up to turn me over to Quinn, composure had settled back over me, but my heart was still pounding.  For a brief moment he had the same surprised look that I had.  I caught it, of course I did, but no one else could have. 

I held his eyes across the room as Quinn and I walked closer.  She began introductions,  I'm quiet certain of that, but I don't believe I heard a word that she said.  I was aware that we were staring at each other, I was aware that we were standing far to close together, I was aware, but I did not care at that point.   Quinn asked him a couple of questions and his eyes never left mine as he answered her.  The moment he spoke, shivers ran up my spine.  She walked away and we stood for a moment our eyes locked, before he tore his gaze from mine and motioned to the room ahead.  My hand brushed against him as I walked past to enter the room.   He pushed the door closed behind us. 

I turned slowly to face him again aware of the thumping of my heart in my ears. 

 

 

"Tell me you didn't know all along!  Tell me that you had no idea about my past when we met!"  I knew the answer from the surprise on his face before he spoke.  I looked hard into his deep brown eyes and as the smile spread across his face, I couldn't stop myself from smiling back.  For a very brief moment, I wondered what Guido would have thought if he had known that the gypsy I'd settled down with was a MISL agent. 

[Quinn Morani]

I cannot believe what I am seeing. I'm trying to introduce Lillie and the interrogator to each other so we can wrap this up and turn our attention back to the TOS agents on the ground in Forgotten City as quickly as possible, but neither one is listening. They can't take their eyes off each other. The security of all of SL is at stake and these two are . . . flirting?

When did I ever sign up to work as a chaperone? I thank Miss Caxton, ever the consummate professional, for bringing Lillie so quickly, then let loose an exasperated sigh and exchange glances with Dillon, who is also eager for the interrogation to be complete so she can put Lillie and her rifle to work. But I have to bark a question at the interrogator to get his attention. What IS going on here?

Just as the interrogator and Lillie prepare to enter the room for Lillie's questioning, the nosy reporter discovers our location. I'm suspicious that she always seems to know exactly what is going on as it is happening. I expel another sigh of frustration. Nothing is going exactly according to the plan today.

[Charolotte Caxton]

We maintained air coverage throughout the day.

 

 



Once nightfall hit, we docked the airship back at the armory's battlements.

 

 



Agent Levenque had attempted to get an audience with M. I had to inform her that the questioning of the sniper took precedence over any personal vendetta she may have against the TOS intruders, besides, I didn't remember her being there when Q and I were sprinting through tunnels dodging bullets with the Rangemistress. I don't wake M, Im sure she would agree, besides, I have my orders.

 

 



After assuring the reporter that we do not torture our prisoners and explaining to her that the interrogation questioning is not subject to any open door freedom of the press, I leave Q'ute and Agent Levenque and retire to the parlor.

 

 



There is not much time now and there is much at stake.



 

[Dillon Levenque]

Q'ute, Keli, and Miss Caxton meet with me on the veranda; there is much to do and not enough of us to do it easily. Keli, as has every weapons trainer I've ever seen, rolls her eyes at my cross-draw rig, but really I don't do it to look flashy. There's actually a perfectly good reason.

I'm wearing two guns now for the extra firepower. I normally only wear one gun and because I'm a lefty it feels much more comfortable to wear it on my left hip. The thing is, I'm right-eyed so I shoot with my right hand. Ergo—the cross-draw.

It's actually quite convenient; I can shoot people without having to set down my drink.

[Quinn Morani]

While Dillon is busy showing off her cross-draw moves (no wonder she has a fan club among the new recruits), I impatiently wonder what is taking so long with Lillie's interrogation. There seems little appreciation for the gravity of the situation here.

I am about to suggest sending someone to inquire about their progress to M, who has a knack for appearing at just the right moment, when out of nowhere, the gunslinger Kelinda drops down from the sky and aims her pistols directly at M in what can only be described as an ambush. Dillon reacts quickly, using the cross-draw technique she was just demonstrating to unholster her guns and point them at Kelinda. I wonder who will blink first in this unending game of cat and mouse.

But it is M's reaction that astounds me, as always. She nonchalantly inspects her manicure, even complaining about a chipped nail. I hope this doesn't get me kidnapped again.

Dillon claims that M has nerves of titanium. She's not wrong about that.

[Charolotte Caxton]

The rouge agent Kelinda had leapt from the sky yelling something about a godmother. Just as quickly, Agent Levenque had both of her weapons drawn and trained on her. I may not be an agent, but I am also not about to let M's end come like this. M, of course, is grinning.



[Dillon Levenque]

As if things were not happening fast enough the pace has quickened. Kelinda appeared in the middle of an impromptu conference and actually drew on M. There was a brief but incredibly tense moment during which I took aim at Kelinda, and I do believe Caxton was about to throw herself into the line of fire to protect M—she certainly looked as if she was about to spring. M, of course, took that moment to say, "Oh, damn. I chipped a nail".  As we all turned to look at M, Kelinda somehow escaped.

M completely ignored what had just happened and continued the briefing.

"The mole was in fact the person in the sketch. He arrived for the regular meeting and was immediately taken into custody before he could have a chance to use any suicide devices. As it turned out there were none on his person: either he thought himself above suspicion or suicide was not in his plans.

He has not been interrogated. He will, in fact, not be interrogated. While being transferred to a safe house he was shot once in the head. He did not survive."

M paused while we absorbed that information.

"That's right. No place is safe. TOS is here and is desparate. There will be no quarter from them: they must destroy us or accept defeat. The operations we've carried out have hurt them badly. Their only hope is to strike at our heart. They'll stop at nothing. Find them. Eliminate them from the City by any means available."

"Levenque: you're in charge. Now go do that voodoo that you do so well."

Why in the name of all that is holy did I agree to come back to this?

 

[Dillon Levenque]

After a quick stop at my quarters to grab some extra clips I return to the concourse. Q'ute sends me a private message; apparently Lillie's interrogation is officially over; there will be some beaurocracy involved but if all goes well I should have her (and her friend Bess) with me soon. Since M has thrown the defense of the City in my lap I need all the help I can find.

I suspect that I am being tested once again. It is not like M to make appointments without due notice. I can't help but think there is a backup plan should I fail. Damned well better be.

As I'm pondering my options I hear the elevator start and look up to see the Rangemistress. From nowhere Kelinda arrives and takes aim at Keli! I draw and take aim; it's time to end this particular nuisance once and for all

[Keli Kyrie]

As Kelinda takes aim at me Dillon takes aim at her. I hear a shot but seem unharmed. I don't like the looks of this so I open my LM folder and just click anything to get out of there.

Whew it looks like I am all in one piece. I wonder where I ended up? Strange there is something vaguely familiar about this place.

[Kelinda]

I managed to escape the sharpshooting of Dillon by an advanced combat move I learned in grade school. I believe it is called the cartwheel. The cartwheel sends me straight over the handrail falling to the city below.

I must have hit my head on the rail or something because the view of the city looks different than I have ever seen it!

[Quinn Morani]

The mole is dead and Dillon is in charge of ferreting out and destroying TOS within Forgotten City. It's enough to make us both weary just thinking about it. We can't seem to shake the inertia as we brainstorm plans and backup plans for taking care of TOS once and for all.

The Rangemistress joins us as we head to confer with M and share our ideas. M is strangely silent, reiterating only that Dillon is in charge. I get the distinct impression that M is more interested in the result of the operation than in the methods employed for its execution. I interpret this to mean that she will turn a blind eye to any deviations from protocol. Provided the mission succeeds.

After our conversation with M, we brainstorm a new plan, this time with a rather more liberal interpretation of "protocol." Dillon exercises her newfound authority and begins bossing us arou... er, delegating tasks. I pretend to be indignant, but only to keep Dillon from letting the power go to her head. I know what's at stake here, and I'm on board all the way. One way or another, things will come to a head soon. Whether our plan will work in our favor or get us all killed remains to be seen.

[Storm Clarence]

---

Quinn Morani wrote:

While Dillon is busy showing off her cross-draw moves...

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