Lily yawned in the early dawn light and threw on a bathrobe. Her mind wandered as she thought about how she should answer Allan’s proposal, and felt a flutter of excitement followed by a pang of guilt. She wanted more than anything to say yes, but she would first need permission from her commanding officer. She cringed as she tried to imagine how to approach the issue. No matter how many scenarios she played out in her mind, she knew he wouldn’t be happy about the arrangement.

She entered the study just off the living room of her apartment and sat down at her desk. She reached under it and flipped open a small panel, placing her left palm on a hidden scanner and pressing on her right temple to activate the virtual screen.

A virtual keyboard appeared before her. She entered her credentials, and the symbol for the National Security Agency appeared on the screen. She waited in queue as other stragglers completed their morning reports. After several minutes, the screen flashed and her commanding officer appeared.

“Agent Wilson.” he acknowledged.

She nodded at him. “Commander Arlington. Good morning.”

“I have bad news.” he said with a sigh. “Allan’s microchip and all his GFID Nano-chips just fried early this morning.”

“Again?” she exclaimed. “How many times has it been this year?”

“Too many.” He sighed, “I just don’t understand it. We were monitoring his vital signs this morning and the Nano-chips reported a state of anxiety. Right before he woke up we tracked a huge surge of energy before all six Nano-chips fried simultaneously. You have to get this problem under control. We’re running out of excuses to inject him!”

“I’m sorry commander, but I don’t understand it either.” She cringed as she thought about why Allan had woken up in a state of anxiety. “I’ll make sure he gets scheduled an appointment for a ‘forgotten’ vaccination. What about Timur?”

She heard him tapping away on an old-school keyboard. “No, his are fine. For now.”

“When is Allan’s meeting with Timur?”

“Still at 9:00 AM, as we planned.”

“Let’s make sure nothing gets in the way of their meeting. It’s crucial that we monitor any exchange they might have. We need to find out how they are disabling our tracking devices.”

“Yes, sir.” she agreed.

His eyebrows furrowed. “Agent Miller told me about your encounter last night.”

She nodded. “Yes. I was able to extract Jason without difficulty.”

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

“I was referring to Allan’s proposal.”

She fidgeted. “You don’t need to worry about me. My emotions are in check.”

He eyed her with suspicion. “Did you accept?”

“No sir. I deflected the question until I received further instructions.”

“Good. Now go back and accept.”

“Sir?”

“We think he’s testing you. He may be on to you. If he thinks you’re one of us, he may question your commitment to the relationship.”

“How far do you want me to go?” she pressed.

“As far as it takes.” he explained. “Try for a long engagement, obviously. But for now, go back and tell him you had a rough day at work and you are sorry. Maybe plan a make-up dinner date or something. Propose back to him.”

“Yes sir.” She forced herself not to smile.

“We anticipate this case should be wrapped up in the next few months.”

Lily was confused. “But sir? What about the wedding?”

He frowned. “There won’t be one, of course.”

Her stomach fell and her mind went blank. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.

Commander Arlington raised his eyebrows as he observed her reaction. “Is there a problem, Agent Wilson?”

“No, no…” she stammered. “Of… of course not.”

His eyes narrowed. “Have you developed romantic feelings for your subject?”

“No sir.” She shook her head. “You hired me for my acting skills, remember?”

He studied her for a few moments before responding. “Good, because you should consider him as the potential threat that he is. Now, once we wrap up this case I have a special mission I’ve been considering for you.”

“What kind of mission?”

“It would involve you leading a task force, but it would require your relocation across state lines. So obviously I can’t endorse a wedding that would restrict you to Chicago.”

“I understand your concerns, sir.” She saluted, “But my loyalties are with the Agency. If you feel the need to reassign me, please do. I don’t want you to have any reservations.”

Commander Arlington studied her for a few more seconds before he let out a sigh. He returned her salute, and the screen returned to the NSA symbol.

She pressed her right temple again, and after a short moment of static the screen and virtual keyboard disappeared. The implications of this conversation then hit her full force. She was ecstatic about the idea of leading a task force, but at the same time she didn’t expect how hard the guilt would hit her when she found herself alone. This assignment had been a difficult one. Though her training had taught her to never get attached to a subject, she could feel her heart aching with guilt. She knew she had fallen in love with Allan, a fact she could never reveal to her commander.

A tear rolled down her cheek. She wiped it away as memories flooded her mind from the past three years of their lives together, fused with emotional pain. Allan not only loved her, but he trusted her. Sometimes she feared that he trusted her too much.

Stop it. This is your job.

She wanted nothing more than to imagine that her life with Allan over the past three years had been influenced by fate and that they would live happily ever after, but she knew better. There were so many lies she had told him; too many obstacles they would have to overcome if she ever told him the truth. She wished she could take it all back, that she never had taken the assignment in the first place… but she was in far too deep now.

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