Reconnaissance

New Story! FFNandAO3

Sirius Black has been sent to find information on a new blip on MI6 radar.
Marlene McKinnon is there for the next step in the downfall of one of the worst men on the planet.
But they’ll need each other to make it all work in the end.

For the amazing @tumbledfreckles I love you so much, darling and I hope you love this little story! I hope this whole week is amazing!!!

Reconnaissance

Chapter 1

Sirius stepped out of the car and onto the pavement, looking for all the world like an average Englishman arriving at his hotel. The heat hit him like the ocean’s waves were hitting the beach to his right. Night seemed to do nothing for how Sirius was instantly sweating. He’d tipped the driver an unremarkable amount, an amount listed in his instructions actually, but Minnie was nothing if not thorough. He had the same amount ready to pull out of his pocket for the bellman that met him by the car. The chap took his suitcase but Sirius politely shook his head when the man went for the briefcase in Sirius’ hand.

The aircon of the hotel hit him with the same force as the heat when he’d stepped out of the car. The hotel owners on this tropical isle seemed to understand their guests weren’t accustomed to these kinds of temperatures.

The lobby was nearly deserted at this late hour, but Sirius took note of the blonde woman sitting in one of the cushioned chairs, curls haphazardly pulled back behind her head, loose fitting sundress, a book held up in her hands, but her eyes unmoving.

She was watching the very man Sirius had been sent to investigate.

Thomas Riddle was waiting at the lifts.

Excellent.

Sirius stepped up to the desk and waited for the bellman to collect the receptionist, discreetly watching as Riddle stepped onto the lift and disappeared behind the closing doors.

The blonde woman, still not reading her book, waited a few moments before putting her book in her bag and following Riddle up the lifts.

Interesting.

Perhaps Riddle had found himself a beautiful accomplice.

Sirius shifted gears as the receptionist arrived with the bellman. She nodded to him and clicked on her computer.

“Welcome, sir,” she smiled, “Do you have a reservation with us?”

Sirius smiled and handed over his identification for this assignment. “I do, it’s under Will Fleamont.”

The woman clicked a few times and looked at his ID. “Wilberforce Fleamont?”

“That’s me.” Sirius gave her his winning smile and watched the color tinge her cheeks.

“Well, Mr. Fleamont, I hope you enjoy your stay.” She handed him his room key and fluttered her eyelashes. “And be sure to let me know if you need anything.”

“Thank you.” Sirius glanced at the envelope his key card was in. Second floor.

He could work with that.

He’d need to hack the computer system and see where Riddle was, and there was the beautiful blonde to figure out as well. Once he knew where his target was he’d have a real plan.

He handed the bellman his tip. “I’ll take it from here, mate.” Sirius grabbed the handle of his suitcase and moved to the elevator.

The lift was a decent size, not as big as Sirius would have preferred, but big enough that he had options if any unpleasant business would be required in its confines.

The corridor leading to his room was not nearly as wide as Sirius thought it ought to be. Any maneuvering would require precision, which Sirius had, but he would honestly prefer to not have to focus on it.

Sirius shook his head and pulled one of the key cards for his room out of its envelope. Then the door just down from his opened and out walked Miss Gold Hair.

Convenient.

She was still wearing the sundress, a light linen in a pale blue color. Her ice blue eyes took him in quickly as her blood red lips remained in a small, polite smile.

“Good evening.” Sirius returned her smile with his own.

She shifted the ice bucket in her hand. “Good evening.”

Sirius nodded to her as she continued past him towards the ice machine, cataloging her accent to be the same as his.

This might have just got easier.

A quick check of his room to be sure no one had tampered with it gave Sirius a sense of security before opening his briefcase. He really would rather no one discover the lead lined compartment inside, hiding some of his favorite things.

He unlocked the compartment with this fingerprint and smiled as his assortment of weapons and ammunition for this assignment looked back at him. British Intelligence only wanted information, which theoretically meant Sirius wouldn’t need much of any of this. But Riddle was a wild card, too many unknowns to be certain what could happen. So Sirius had come prepared.

He popped open his hot spot on his phone before opening his laptop. Seated on his bed, his .45 now within easy grabbing distance, Sirius began to sweep the hotel’s system, looking for the weak point that would let him in.

Sirius tsked when it only took him five minutes. “Where’s the chase in that?” He rolled his eyes.

But he could find Riddle’s room now, and the name of Miss Gold Hair next door, and could hopefully wrap this up and be home within the week. He should probably be grateful for the ease.

Five minutes and Sirius knew that Riddle was on the third floor directly above the room across from Sirius. He also knew that Miss Gold Hair was using the name Elspeth McKay. But based on the information he was finding, Elspeth McKay was a cover. In Sirius’ experience, someone who had no record whatsoever wasn’t a real person, and Elspeth McKay was as clean as a prepped operating room.

He was interrupted in his search for Miss Gold Hair’s true identity when his phone rang.

“How are things, Will?” James asked after Sirius answered.

“Landed alright and got to my room. The tropical climate is a big change from the Spring weather back home.”

“Lucky dog, I wish Minnie hadn’t needed me over here in the snow.”

Sirius scoffed, “Yes but she sent you out with the new girl and I know you’re loving it. Can’t blame you, her red hair is stunning. I’m almost jealous.”

“We’re co-workers, Will.”

“Of course, Henry, let me know how long that lasts.”

“She doesn’t see me like that.” James sighed. “But how about you? Anything interesting on your end?”

Sirius looked at the wall he shared with Miss Gold Hair. “There’s an interesting outlier. She happened to be around an unsavory sort though.”

“Don’t lose sight of why you’re there.” James’ voice shifted from easy going to concerned.

“I won’t. I might be able to come up with some options if she’s interested.”

“Be careful, Si-Will,” James’ voice betrayed his concern and frustration at not being able to speak plainly. “Get in, get out.” He cursed Sirius out for cackling. “You’re sick. Get the information and get home. I don’t like who he’s around back in London. This isn’t a game. And let me know if you need anything. I’m not so far that I can’t make it to you.”

Sirius managed not to laugh and just rolled his eyes. James was, in fact, too far to reach him, and he also knew Sirius very much looked at spying as a game, but Sirius let it go. “I’ll be careful and see you when this trip is over. I’m not here for anything all that interesting, after all. Shouldn’t take more than a week.”

“Let me know when you’re back. I’m not sure how long this one will take.”

“Keep in touch then.” Sirius disconnected the call and looked back at his computer.

He was getting nowhere on Miss Gold Hair, and he couldn’t do anything about Riddle until the man left his room. He pulled his second key out and reprogrammed it to get him into Riddle’s room.

He’d get more information and a better plan tomorrow.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sirius left his room very early. He needed an idea of what time Riddle and Miss Gold Hair arrived in the lobby each day, and so telling the curious receptionist that he wanted to watch the sunrise while he had his morning tea, his stake-out began.

Miss Gold Hair was in the lobby by seven sharp, today in a white linen skirt and a bright blue top. She moved to the coffee and tea bar and fixed her cup before moving to sit in the same spot that she had last night and pulling out a book. Sirius feigned a stretch and looked at the title. James Bond: Goldfinger. He barely held in his scoff. Ian Fleming told good stories, but in Sirius’ experience, there was far more fiction in them than there was reality.

Maybe he’d overestimated Miss Gold Hair. She might actually be Elspeth McKay after all.

His train of thought was cut off when Riddle came out of the elevator exactly thirty minutes after Miss Gold Hair had. He moved directly through the lobby and out the door with all the arrogance of a dictator. Sirius watched him get into the back of a black BMW 5 Series and drive away.

Sirius’ impulse was to chase him down, but he’d been a spy long enough to know when to rein in his bad instincts.

Unlike James Bond.

Besides, Miss Gold Hair was moving.

Sirius watched her move to the hotel’s restaurant. He casually followed, stopping to look at a painting while keeping her in his sight as she sat down at a booth and picked up a menu.

There were several ways that Sirius could handle this. He could ignore her. Decide that his initial thought that she was somehow involved with Riddle was wrong and move to Riddle’s room now. Or he could watch her today, trail her and figure out why she was here. Then again, he could fall back on his favorite method to use where a beautiful woman was involved.

He could be bold.

Sirius moved to the booth she sat in and leant against the opposite bench. “Could I interest you in some company for breakfast? I don’t much care for eating alone.”

Her blue eyes were calculating but her red lips stayed in the same polite smile from the night before. “I’m afraid I’m not much in the way of company.”

Sirius shrugged. “I wasn’t going to ask you to hold a conversation with me, just to let me share the booth with you.”

She raised her eyebrows at him, “You’re looking to not sit alone?”

“I’m sure you understand,” he gave her one of his winning smiles, “When people as good looking as the two of us sit on our own, lesser souls take it as an invitation to join us.”

Miss Gold Hair laughed, a clear, silver sound that went straight through Sirius’ chest. “Maybe I’d enjoy watching you fall victim to lesser souls, as you call them.”

“Ah, but you’d leave yourself open to attack doing that.”

“You say that like I can’t handle myself.” She narrowed her gaze, her polite smile falling into a scowl that really shouldn’t have been so attractive.

“I never said you’d fall, just that you’d be an open target.” Sirius smirked as her scowl lessened in intensity.

Miss Gold Hair studied him for a moment before the scowl was replaced with a genuine smile as she chuckled. “Alright, you may share my booth with me.” She gestured grandly at the empty bench across from her.

Sirius didn’t bother to hide how smug his smile was as he slid in and held out his hand. “Thank you, I’m Will.”

“I’m Else.” She shook his hand and Sirius was surprised at the firmness in her hand shake. He was fairly certain that she could have thrown him over the table if she’d needed to.

There was definitely more to Elspeth McKay.

“Nice to meet you Else, anything you’d suggest for breakfast?”

“Their omelet yesterday wasn’t terrible. My favorite is their fruit platter and chocolate croissants.”

“I’ll try the not terrible omelet then,” Sirius didn’t even pick up his menu. “And are you going to try something new today?”

“I thought you didn’t want conversation, just protection from lesser souls.” She slid her menu back in the basket on the wall.

“Are you telling me to stop?” Sirius gave her another charming smile; he needed to figure her out and talking with her was going to be a lot easier than watching her. He needed her off her guard.

Else chuckled and shook her head, “I suppose I’m not. I’m having their eggs and toast this time around.”

“Plan on trying everything on the menu before you go back home?”

“I won’t be here that long.” She turned her attention to the waiter as he approached, placing her order and asking hers to be billed to her room - separate from Sirius’ which he took note of. He’d expected her to try to get a free meal out of this. Make him pay in exchange for sharing the booth. Her first reaction, the annoyance that bordered on anger he’d managed to pull from her, was suddenly in check.

Why?

Now he really wanted to get to the heart of Miss Gold Hair.

Sirius placed his order and gave his room number before turning back to Else.

“So how long are you here for?”

“How long are you here for?” She countered.

Sirius smirked and leant forward, “Not into answering questions then?”

“You’re a complete stranger, Will, and I’m a single woman traveling alone.” She gave him a vapid smile. “Can I trust you?”

Sirius laughed, “You can trust me as far as this breakfast goes, Else.”

“But not past it?” She leant forward as well, closing the space between them.

“You’re a complete stranger, Else, and I’m a single man traveling alone.” He smirked as he threw her words back at her. “Can you honestly say I can trust you?”

Else’s smile shifted into a smirk. “As far as this breakfast goes, Will, you can trust me.”

Sirius found himself pulled into her smirk, how she threw his words back at him, the way her body leant over the table between them, her blue top shifting to reveal more of her neckline. He didn’t know who Elspeth McKay really was, but Sirius was quickly realizing that he wished they were meeting under different circumstances.

“What do you say to a long breakfast then?”

“I think you’ve convinced me.” Else’s smirk grew as she leant back against her bench and the waiter delivered their food.

“Alright, how about your book?” Sirius decided to see her reaction to his opinion of James Bond.

“My book?” Else smothered her first slice of toast in jam.

“Yes, the one you were reading this morning.”

“You noticed the book I was reading?”

“Else, I’m a simple man. You’re reading a book with a front cover featuring a woman who is obviously in a position to convince you that she’s naked. Of course I noticed.” Sirius smirked as she laughed through her bite of toast.

“It’s a James Bond book.” She sipped her drink. “Goldfinger, to be specific.”

Sirius tsked but couldn’t wipe the smirk off his face. “I’ve always disliked Fleming. His writing feels over the top.”

Else rolled her blue, blue eyes at him. “Well there’s no accounting for taste is there?”

“Says the woman who’s reading Ian Fleming.”

“Says the man who begged her to let him share her table.”

“Says the woman who let him.”

“Says the man who must have the last word.”

“How did you know my stage name?”

Else laughed, that clear joyous sound that pierced Sirius to the quick. “Well played, Will.”

Sirius gave a small bow, mostly just flourishing with his hand, and stuck Else with his most charming smile. “Thank you, always nice to be appreciated by a beautiful woman.”

The light pink that tinted to her cheeks felt like a one hundred pound note in his hand.

Else finished her drink before leaning over the table. “A beautiful woman enjoys the company of a charming man now and again. Thank you, Will.”

She stood and Sirius jumped up to stand in her way. He didn’t have the answers he needed and she was going to leave him with a potential open end in this assignment. “Think you might want to have breakfast together again?”

Else bit her lip, the red color making the action that much more alluring, and Sirius hoped it was an indication that he had half a chance - with getting the information of course; he definitely wasn’t thinking about how soft those blood red lips looked and if he’d have a chance to find out.

“When I’m here at the restaurant, you’re welcome to share the table with me.” She smiled an almost mischievous smile and then pushed passed him deliberately bringing her shoulder to bump against his arm. She used the action to spin her around and gave him a little wave of her fingers. “Goodbye, Will.”

“See you soon, Else.” Sirius winked at her and watched her laugh as she walked out of the restaurant and into the hotel lobby.

“Are you finished, sir?” The waiter approached him.

“Oh.” Sirius turned his attention back to his food. “The lady is, but I’ll finish mine up.” He sat back down at the booth.

“Very good, sir.” The waiter cleared Else’s dishes and left Sirius to the rest of his breakfast.

The omelet turned out to be far better than “not terrible” and Sirius enjoyed the last of it as he thought about what to do next. He couldn’t very well follow Else around now. He’d been so sure he could charm her out of what he needed to know that he’d played all in and gave up the ability to use stealth. It would be nothing but full interaction with Else from this point forward. And he couldn’t find out where Riddle was going until tomorrow - his plan now to slip a tracker on the car when it brought Riddle back and then make his way to wherever it dropped the man the next day.

All that meant he had one option left.

But Sirius wasn’t ready to break into Riddle’s room and do some digging. He wanted more information before he played all in there. Playing all in with Else hadn’t panned out how he’d hoped and he couldn’t afford to come out second with Riddle too.

Sirius finished his meal and then moved to the lifts, still mulling over his next move. A man came to stand by him who was a slight bit stouter than Sirius with ruddy, mud-colored hair. The man ignored Sirius, so Sirius took his cue, and pretended he wasn’t there either.

But Sirius went on alert when they stepped onto the lift and the man stayed far too close to Sirius for someone who had been deliberately ignoring him.

“What floor?” Sirius hit his floor and turned to face the man, watching the lift doors start to close in his peripheral vision.

The man didn’t answer, just lunged at Sirius in the small space.

Sirius’ first impression of the lift was accurate, there was just enough room to move within the space. As he sidestepped the man and spun around he ended up with his shoulder bashed against the doors. The man moved against him again and Sirius used the door for leverage as he shoved the man back against the far side of the lift.

His attacker was determined as he bounced off the wall and went for Srius’ middle. Sirius was very grateful for the grueling exercise routines that he was forced through when not on assignment as he jumped up high in the air and landed on top of the goon trying to do him in. Sirius immediately shifted and pulled the man into a choke hold.

Then he felt the elevator stop moving.

Great.

Sirius jammed his elbow into the button that held the doors closed and kept denying his attacker the opportunity to breathe. The patience required for this always frustrated him. Sirius would much rather subdue attackers by quicker means, but in the confines of the lift, he didn’t have a lot of options.

Finally, the man sagged and Sirius held the position for a moment longer before removing his elbow from the lift button and starting to drop the man down. The doors opened and Sirius turned.

Blue eyes he could already recognize stared down at him.

Well, crap.

“Else, thank heaven you’re here. He passed out on the way up. Would you help me get him out?”

Else raised her eyebrows, but helped Sirius pull the man out. “So me seeing you holding him in a choke hold before the doors closed again has nothing to do with why this bloke fainted?”

Sirius forced a chuckle. “I was catching him.”

“For roughly ninety seconds?” She shook her head and began going through the man’s pockets, probably looking for some sort of identification.

Sirius’ mind was working very fast as he tried to figure a way out of this one without involving Else in what was really going on. He still didn’t know if she was actually a part of this whole mess or not, let alone if she was on his side or Riddle’s. For all he knew she’d attack him next.

His thoughts were interrupted by Else’s startled oath.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” She opened her purse and started rummaging about, the scowl she’d given him earlier looked like a sunny smile in comparison to the furious look she wore now. “Look, Will, I’ll stay with him and you go get help.” Her tone was clipped as she ordered him about.

“What did you find that made you so upset?” Sirius reached around the man trying to find what she’d found.

“Nothing. He needs help. Go get the receptionist.” She wasn’t looking at him, still focused on whatever she was trying to find in her purse.

“Else, what’s wrong?” He reached for her arm but she ripped away.

“Will, just g-”

She stopped when the man groaned and opened his eyes. Sirius moved to push Else out of the way, worried the man would attack her - or worse, she’d help the man attack him.

But the man’s eyes focused on Else and he gasped. “You!”

Else’s hand moved so fast Sirius almost missed what was happening. One minute the man was coming around, and the next he was out cold again. Sirius barely caught sight of a syringe sliding back into Else’s purse.

Well, that escalated quickly.

“Ohhh-kay then.” Sirius looked around. “I think we’re on the same side when it comes to this bloke here. Want to compare notes?”

“Hurry.” Else stood up and moved to the custodian closest on the far side of the lifts. He heard several clicking noises and then the door opening.

Sirius hulled the man across the floor and grinned at Else. “Picking locks, an excellent skill.” His reward was another scowl.

“Just hurry.” She looked around the corner again as Sirius shoved the man next to one of the trash cans.

“Just so I know, is he going to be dead after what you put in him?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” She pulled a few things off the shelves, creating the illusion that something had fallen on the man’s head and knocked him out. She’d obviously done this before. “It will keep him out for a couple of hours and he won’t remember the last hour or two before passing out.”

Sirius surveyed the scene, then caught sight of Else’s hand dipping back in her purse.

“Hands where I can see them, Else.” He spun on her and before she could react he pinned her against the wall, hands behind her back, her face away from him.

Her scent filled his nostrils, something spicy, alluring, and very, very distracting.

“Get off!” She struggled against him.

“Not till I know that you won’t be trying to inject me as well. You were rummaging in your purse before and now that man won’t remember the last two hours. I’m in dreadful need of my memories, Else. Let’s not make things ugly.”

“Will.” She struggled again but he held her tighter. “Argh, alright, not so tight.”

“How about we share some information other than the weather and your love for Ian Fleming compared to my disdain for him? That’s what I was hoping for at breakfast anyway.”

“Depends on the information.” She bucked backwards and tried to step on his foot but Sirius had been anticipating that and locked his leg behind her knees, forcing her closer to the wall. “Alright, alright.” She tried to take a deeper breath and Sirius ignored his instinct to let her have more space. “The man attacked you, right, Will?”

Sirius grunted, “What makes you think he attacked me? Maybe I attacked him.”

“You’re so full of it.” She tried again to free herself but Sirius pressed his whole weight against her and heard her gasp. His brain quickly went south and Sirius pulled it back up with a grunt.

Man, she could be distracting!

“Fine, either way, we both obviously wanted that man out of the picture of what we’re doing.” She slowly relaxed against his hold and Sirius’ had to pull his brain back up by the scruff of its neck as the curve of her body pressed against him.

“We’re at least not on opposing sides right now, and I promise I will not drug you if you’ll let me go.”

“I’m a single man traveling alone, Else,” Sirius tried for humor to give himself some time to think, to put his brain back in work mode and out of focusing on her soft skin beneath his hands. “Can I trust you?”

Else laughed, relaxing further into him. “I promise you, Will, you can trust me not to drug you.”

“Or shoot me?”

“Who said I had a gun?”

Sirius smirked and gave into temptation, leaning into her, speaking against her ear. “Tell me I’m wrong, Else.”

Her breath caught, Sirius felt it as much as he heard it, and the strength it took to pull away instead of bringing his lips to the soft skin of her neck was monumental. Then she chuckled, and the sound moved between her and him, pulling Sirius closer.

“Alright, Will, I promise not to shoot you either.”

“On your word, Else.” Sirius slowly stepped back, keeping a firm grip on her wrists until the last second.

That turned out to be a wise decision as Else immediately spun around and punched him across the jaw, but the distance he had already put between them made her reach further than she realized and her punch didn’t knock him out like he was sure it would have. Instead it knocked him back a couple of feet and he watched Else bolt for the corridor.

Sirius shoved the door shut behind him and ran after her. He came to the fork where the rooms went left and right and saw a flash of gold hair as the door to the stairs at the far left side slammed shut.

Miss Gold Hair was a quick one.

He sprinted down the corridor, coming to the door and listening till he heard the door to the beach open. Hoping not to lose her, Sirius took the stairs three at a time and came barreling out of the hotel and looked around. Her footprints led to the front of the hotel where the car park was and Sirius was sure as he ran around to the few lines of cars that were parked that he’d lost her.

Sure enough, Else McKay was nowhere to be seen.

He looked around and noticed the security cameras and smiled.

Miss Gold Hair had just made this assignment much more exciting.