It’s my birthday! Here’s a short fic from me to you - ‘Where is she’

Whump warnings: Kidnapping, broken bones, blood, limping, emotional trauma

A has been found. B can’t believe it.

A team had been sent out to scope out a possible location for C’s den and as it turns out, it was. A had been missing for three months and they’d finally found her. B won’t believe it till he sees her for himself.

Where is she

The van with the team and A finally pulls up. Agents swarm them, trying to get a glimpse of the agency’s finest spy who was violently taken from them.

Where is she

Where is she

B pushes his way through the crowd and sees her.

A’s hair hides her face as she hunches forward. She’s wearing an oversized jacket probably placed on her by a team member. Many hands support her waist and her shoulders as she limps heavily. As he finally pushes himself before her, B sees one of the sleeves of the jacket hangs limp - it’s empty.

'A,’ B says to his girlfriend.

A looks up, her amber eyes undo him. Seeing B, A gasps softly and she pushes out of the others’ hands to limp towards him. He sees her right arm in a makeshift sling inside her jacket. It looks utterly broken and bloody, bright blood has already seeped through the sling.

She makes it one step before she falls forward into his arms. A cries out at the impact but she smiles up at B.

'B,’ A says softly. 'I never thought I’d see you again’

B helps her to stand but her legs give out from underneath her. A stretcher arrives and B helps to lift her onto it before walking alongside it to the infirmary.

B isn’t allowed in when they treat her but he sits outside the door listening, waiting. Right beside the door, he can hear A’s every scream and groan as they treat her. His insides twist and wrench at every sound and he feels so uneasy listening to her in pain. Tears prick his eyes and then they fall in rivulets. He sits for hours, head in his hands until the doctors finally emerge and allow him to see her.

A lies slightly propped up on the bed. Her right arm is fully casted and rests propped up beside her. Her right leg also rests in a cast, it peeks out from beneath her blanket. Every part of skin B can see is bruised. His stomach drops at the sight of her so broken.

'B,’ A smiles, her voice hoarse. 'You’re still here’

'I-’ B chokes up. 'You are everything to me’

A chuckles. 'Sappy isn’t your style, B’

B smiles slightly, how could she be cheering him up at a time like this?

'A’

'Yep,’ A looks up at him curiously. Her eyes aren’t as bright as they used to be. B looks at her solemnly.

'I know he hurt you badly. I know that. You don’t have to pretend you’re okay because I want you to feel safe with me.’

A’s features soften, her brows furrow.

B continues, 'I love you. I love you so much I wish I had told you more. I want to be there for you when you want me to.’

A’s eyes are glassy and she nods. 'I just.. want to laugh again’

B’s eyes also shine as he nods back. 'You will. I promise’

[Hope you enjoyed]

The spy and the healer (Enemies to lovers First meeting fic): ‘Your bloody knuckles betray you’

A strides quickly up the dark corridor, constantly checking behind her for the security chasing her. Her lungs burn but she manages to keep her breathing silent. It’s her first mission and she’s so lost despite having spent hours poring over the blueprint of the enemy’s headquarters.

The grey walls feel as if they’re closing in on her until she sees a door of frosted glass near. It’s dark on the other side so she opens it quietly and slips inside. A fumbles for her flashlight, allowing herself to pant freely in her temporary refuge. She can’t discern any wind that may come from a window. The room feels small, an office perhaps. She finally grabs a hold of her flashlight but before she can shine it, the room’s lights up in brilliant white.

A’s heart near leaps out of her chest, she almost curses aloud. Looking around, she sees a desk before her. It’s covered in paperwork and books. Behind it, a chair with a white coat laid carelessly atop. Against the far wall is a patient bed and various medical equipment lays beside it. There’s another door on the other side of the room, across from the bed. That’s where the figure steps out from.

'I don’t usually get visitors at this hour,’ B says, closing the door.

He walks up to A, running his hair through his messy black curls. He looks at her, and stops.

A averts her eyes and her hands move behind her meekly.

'Recruit!’ B says jovially, regarding her ill-fitting disguise.

'I’ve never seen you before. Guess you’ve never had the pleasure of being injured enough to see me’

A looks up and their eyes meet.

He looks young for a healer, he’s probably naive too. Under the white lights, his soft brown eyes sparkle.

'Recruit, take a seat’ B pats the patient bed.

Hesitant to leave the door, A steps slowly past the desk and toward B. She feels his eyes on her, assessing, undressing.

Sit sit, he gestures. And she does.

He pulls his chair close to her. Tutting softly, he brings a soft cotton pad to the angry red cut along her right jaw. It stings but as he does so, she looks around the room further. As she suspected, there are no windows in this room but she’s not sure about the room that the healer exited from earlier. Her best bet is probably to leave the way she entered. Right now, she’s sitting duck in this healer’s office.

'Luckily, your cut isn’t that deep that I need to stitch it’, B says softly, sticking the adhesive bandage to her face.

'Now, let me see these,’ B reaches for her hands. A’s knuckles are split and bleeding. She bites the tip of her tongue to stop her hiss as he takes one hand in his and spreads an antiseptic gel over them. Although he’s wearing gloves, his hand is warm and soft. A watches him as he focusses on cleaning her knuckles. The healer’s dressed in a sweater, he doesn’t wear his coat. He looks around her age. She feels a small guilt for deceiving him.

B finishes applying the solution to her hands and reaches over to his desk to retrieve a book. She holds her hands out as he fans the book over them. The cool air instantly relieving the heat and pain.

B smirks. 'Recruit, you’re a model patient. Even the toughest pros tear up when I give them the antiseptic for their cuts. But not you, recruit.’

He takes a small roll of white bandage out of a drawer and begins to wrap her knuckles.

'Tell me recruit, what’s your name?’

'A’

'Nice to make your acquaintance A. I’m B’

'Doctor B?’

'No no, just B’

'A, how did you injure yourself?’

The question is posed casually but A grows wary.

'Training. I, er, went too far’

B hums acknowledgment. He finishes up wrapping her second hand and leans back over to his desk. His fingers find a button beneath and press it.

Looking at A, he says

'You sure you didn’t get them from our guards, Agent A?’

He smiles crookedly.

'Your bloody knuckles betray you. All our recruits are forced to wear hand wraps during training’

The distant sound of boots approaching grows louder and louder. A stands up abruptly in an attempt to make a mad rush for the door but there’s a sharp, cold prick under her chin as B holds up a pair of scissors.

'Uhuh, not so fast little recruit. I’ll cut you a deal, since you were such a good patient. If you go now, you’ll have like five seconds on 'em.’

'In exchange for what?’ A asks through gritted teeth.

'This.’ B undoes the zipper of her jumpsuit and tugs off the locket at her neck.

A’s eyes go wide and she lunges for it but B jumps out of reach. She’s torn between retrieving her locket or running for her life. A bolts for the door but as she leaves she hears B call:

'See you around recruit’

When she’s gone, he looks at the locket in his palm.

'I’ll see you soon enough anyway’

Spy fic imagine - ‘You couldn’t be more wrong.. I worship you’

Agent A sags against her chains in her cell. Her hands and feet are bound with cuffs with spikes protruding inwards. Blood is smeared on her arms and ankles, it also drips off her chin from her broken nose.

The basement is dark and dead silent, save for her pained, shaking breaths. Then she hears steps and the cell door rattles.

'A! Are you okay?’ A voice whispers.

A is losing consciousness but at the sound of B’s voice, it’s low rasp, she jerks awake.

'B?’ Her voice cracks hoarsely from the two days without water or food.

She searches for his brown eyes but they’re focused on padlock. Deftly, B picks the lock and enters her cell silently. He doesn’t look at her and instead eyes the locks around her wrists and ankles. Bending down, his hair brushes against her knee as he picks the lock around her ankles. When it springs free he grasps her calves one at a time, just above the wounds where the cuffs have cut her, and guides them out of the chains. His hand is warm against her freezing skin. Her knees are on the verge of buckling.

'Can you stand?’ he asks in a low whisper.

'Yes’ she manages to croak out.

He stands, moving to pick the locks for her wrist cuffs. B looks up at the lock that holds A’s hands above her head. She stares at his chest, his broad shoulders, his neck, his adam’s apple..

'Done’ he says, lock springing free.

A sighs deeply as she lowers her aching arms and bloody wrists. She can’t see how badly they’re torn up but they sting like hell.

'Come on’ B says, walking over to the cell door.

He exits and holds it open for her to step out. She follows B’s lead as he walks quickly out of the basement. Darkness bites the edges of her vision as she moves, limbs burning.

B turns a corner, telling her to wait behind. He’s spotted two men and goes to distract them. She watches and waits for his signal but is suddenly pulled backward. Another man holds her against him, her throat in his elbow.

Instinctually, A manoeuvres out of it. For a brief moment, she feels powerful, kicking the man down. But very quickly the adrenaline fades..

Pain shoots up her limbs and dizziness overwhelms her. B runs back in time to see A kick the man away and immediately collapse onto the ground, eyes closing.

'No, A!’ he shouts.

More gang members rush to them. B runs toward her and loops his arm around her back.

'A, wake up! Come on!’

A stirs enough to move her legs weakly. B runs, half carrying, half pushing A till they are out of the den and in the clear, narrowly missing the gang members at their heels.

Out in the open, the mid afternoon sun hits them straight in the eyes. B radios urgent pickup from the crew on standby. A’s knees buckle from the pain and she collapses.

'Woah!’ B bends with her and moves his other arm behind her knees. He sits on the ground, cradling her weak form in his lap. A looks up and his brown eyes, now brilliant in the sun, meet hers.

'Why are you here?’ she asks

'You’re one of the best. There’s no way..’

'No, why are you here?’ A’s eyelids are daring to close, her limbs feel heavy.

B stills at the question and looks up. In his lap, A’s breathing slows and he realises he needs to keep talking to keep her awake.

'Because I had to find you’

A huffs. Her eyes slightly open as she mumbles,

'You don’t care where I am. Eight years we’ve been.. been in this job and you.. you never cared.. what I was up to’

'You couldn’t be more wrong.. A, I worship you’

His own confession has his heart hammering in his chest. B hears the distant sound of a helicopter and looks down at A’s face, unconscious on his elbow.

He bends over to kiss her forehead, almost sorry that he chose the worst time to confess. Then he lifts her, cradling her close and walks toward the landing helicopter.

Ruse

Last Chapter! FFNandAO3

This is the end, friends. I hope you had fun this month! Blackinnon Fest is something I’ll be back for next year, and I’m sure there will be other stories before then. Have an amazing day!

Ruse

Chapter 4 - When You Know, You Know

Marlene waited with Sirius near the door. If there was something Sirius was good at, it was backing his prey into a corner. He’d even managed it with Riddle despite her usurping that plan from him.

But Sirius had managed to outdo himself this time. She’d seen more sides of him in the last week than she’d seen in the little more than a year they’d been together. And through a great deal of scheming, they were now standing in the British Embassy in America’s capital.

Eloping.

“Everything’s ready. We just need them to show.” Sirius wrapped his arm around her waist and leant down to kiss her neck. “You look beautiful.”

“A bride is meant to wear a dress, love. I decided I should play the part.” She smoothed her hands down the cream colored lace that covered the ivory satin underdress. Its capped sleeves and knee-length design made it easier for her to secure the various weapons she preferred to always have on her person.

“You’re the perfect bride.” Sirius kissed the shell of her ear and Marlene spun to bring their lips together, gripping the lapels of his suit jacket.

“You’re not so bad yourself.” She resisted the urge to move this snogging session to more than kissing.

“Marlene,” he rested his forehead against hers, his steel gray eyes holding hers with an earnestness that made her heart stutter. “Marlene, you are everything. You’ve been everything from the moment I met you. Marlene, marry me? Marry me for real?”

“Yes!” The word was meant to come out in a shout, but Marlene was shocked that her voice was nothing more than a whisper. “Yes!” She said it again, stronger this time, surer. “Yes!” Her third yes was cut off in his kiss as he pulled him against her. His hands gripped the back of her dress as his lips claimed her in that way that always made her knees go weak.

“I love you.” The feeling of his lips speaking against hers was so familiar, so right, and Marlene had a moment of knowing exactly what she wanted.

Then they heard a car pull through the gates.

“Show time.” Sirius pulled her close for one more kiss before taking her hand and moving to the door.

They greeted Fletcher, Piquery, and Shaw, acting under the names of Finnegan, Patterson, and Smith.

“Yay! You found it!” Marlene squealed and ran to take Shaw’s arm. “I’m so happy you’re here for this!”

“I couldn’t let you get married on your own! And especially not someplace as beautiful as here!”

“We can’t tell you what it means to have you all here.” Sirius gripped Fletcher’s shoulder.

“What are friends for?” Fletcher patted his chest. “Especially friends that are bringing the ring.”

“I’m so excited to see it!” Marlene bounced in her heels.

“Let’s not keep my gorgeous girl waiting then. It’s time to make her mine before she has the sense to run away.”

“Oh Al, baby, you’re never getting rid of me.” Marlene moved from Shaw’s side to Sirius’ and took his arm.

“Good, I’d be lost without you, Ella.” He kissed her noisily. “To the wedding!” He shouted as he pulled back.

Marlene let him lead their little group back and casually glanced around as the embassy security moved into position.

One of the rooms had been set up for the purpose, and Marlene smiled at how the staff had taken to their task. It was beautifully decorated with flowers and a small cake even sat on a table to one side.

The officiator, a member of security who was also certified to marry, smiled as they walked in. “Alphard, Cedrella, so good to see you. Shall we begin?”

“We’re ready when you are.” Sirius shook his hand.

And the plan moved to phase two. As the officiator went through a relatively standard marriage ceremony, the rest of security moved to block all exits, and six of them moved to stand outside the door to the room. Marlene was impressed that she heard nothing; either this security team was very skilled, or this room was soundproof.

“Do you, Alphard Coal, take Cedrella, to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

Sirius looked deeply into her eyes, his smile playing softly on his lips. “I do.”

“Do you, Cedrella McLaughlin, take Alphard to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

Marlene felt her smile grow wider across her face as she made up her mind. “I do.”

“Do you have a ring?”

Sirius winked at her before turning to Fletcher. “You didn’t let me down, did you, Finnegan?”

“I’ve got you Coal.” Fletcher pulled the ring out of his coat. “Highest quality diamond I’ve seen in decades, I assure you.”

Sirius took the ring and held it up to the light as he pulled a jeweler’s loupe from his suit. He was quiet for several moments before giving Fletcher a charming grin. “It’s perfect.” Then he turned back to Marlene. “Just like you.” And he slid their evidence on her finger.

“By the power vested in me I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

Sirius kissed her and allowed their guests to clap for a few moments before squeezing her waist.

Three.

Two.

One.

They spun, Marlene ducking behind the table that held the cake to fall down the trap door and be caught by a security member waiting to catch her.

“Well done, Miss McKinnon.” He set her down.

“Thank you,” she looked down at the ring. “I suppose it won’t bother anyone if I wear this until Agent Black is ready for it?”

He laughed. “You keep that safe, Miss. Agent Black is right to trust you. I’ve not known many citizens that can manage to do exactly what they’re told in situations like this.”

“Well, thank you.” She looked around the little office they were in and saw a marriage license on a desk. “Did the staff think we were really getting married?”

Her companion nodded. “We didn’t tell anyone this was a sting operation.”

Marlene picked up the license. It was still blank, waiting to be filled in. She smiled and picked up a pen.

“Playing a joke on Agent Black?”

“I like to keep him on his toes.” Marlene winked at him.

She’d just signed her name at the bottom when Sirius walked in. “Well done! They’re contained and ready for transport and Picquery has been handed off to the FBI.”

“I’ll leave you to it then, Agent Black.” The security member smirked and walked out the door.

“What’s that?” Sirius came to stand behind her chair.

“The marriage license the staff left out for us.”

Sirius was silent for several moments. “You filled in our real names.”

“Hmm.”

“And you signed it.”

She bit her lip.

“Are, are you absolutely certain, love?”

“I meant it when I said ‘I do,’ Sirius.”

Sirius took the pen from her hand and signed his name next to hers. “So did I.”

And he kissed her.

Ruse

Chapter Update! FFNandAO3

Last chapter goes up tomorrow!

Ruse

Chapter 3 - The Best Plans Have Benefits

Sirius watched Fletcher on the other side of the bar and rolled his eyes. The man was disgusting, Sirius was pretty sure he could smell him from here, his hair was greased down and globs of hair product were evident even from this distance.

“I told you he was worse in person.” Marlene whispered next to him as they leant against the table in the bar they’d followed him to. “Andromeda had one of her American agents pull information for me and he’s currently trying to get into the diamond ring.”

Sirius looked back at Marlene. “If Andy has agents here, why did she send you?”

“Because she knew Minnie was sending you.” Marlene smirked. “She’s a romantic and you’re family, so she does these little things.”

“Remind me to thank her when we get home.” Sirius brought his lips to hers for a brief kiss.

“We’re working, love.” She smiled as he pulled back.

“That was part of our cover. Alphard Coal and Cedrella McLaughlin are madly in love after all. Meeting last year and bonding over their parents abandoning England for the fast pace of the States is the best thing that ever happened to them.”

She pulled him in for another kiss. “You know you’re ridiculous, right?”

“And you love it,” he nipped her lip before looking back at Fletcher. “Who is he with?”

“Johnathan Picquery, he and Patricia Shaw, the woman we saw on the security footage breaking into my room, are his two contacts into the diamond ring right now.”

“Did I mention Patricia is on our flag list for entrance into the UK for that smuggling ring as well?” Sirius grinned as his mind began formulating a plan. “Maybe we can get more than I planned on.”

“Two birds, one stone?”

“Potentially.” Sirius took her hand. “Let’s join the dance floor until a table closer to them opens up.”

She bit her lip as she looked up at him. “I think you just want an excuse to dance with me.”

“If the shoe fits, love.” Sirius pulled her close and kissed her. “Come on.”

He took his time moving them to where Fletcher and Picquery sat. Sirius was still feeling the adrenaline of the attempt on Marlene and that dart was the only reason he was actually considering bringing Patricia Shaw in as well.

He took it personally when someone went after his girlfriend.

As he shifted them closer to the tables an idea began forming in his mind.

“Darling,” he leant closer to whisper against her ear. “I think I have a plan.”

“Do tell,” her lips rubbed against his cheek and he nearly forgot the plan altogether.

“What are your thoughts on posing as an outrageously rich engaged couple in need of a suitable ring?”

“My word Alphard, are you proposing to me in this place?” She gave a theatrical gasp.

“Cedrella, we’re terribly drunk,” he placed a sloppy kiss on her neck. “For all we know I’ve proposed on the subway.”

He felt Marlene chuckled against him. “Are you certain, Sirius?”

“In the words of Minnie herself, ‘Stop playing games you know you can win and start taking chances.’ It’s a risk, but I’m good at taking risks. After all, a risk got me you.”

“Minnie said that?”

“When I told her I wasn’t interested in joining her team.”

Marlene held on to him a little tighter. “Alright. Just remember if we get caught, you’re deaf and I don’t speak English.”

Sirius chuckled at her joke, “Relax, sweetheart,” he shifted into his American accent. “This one’s in the bag.”

Reconnaissance

Final Chapter! FFNandAO3

(Chapter 1 Here) (Chapter 2 Here) (Chapter 3 Here) (Chapter 4 Here)

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.

Happy birthday @tumbledfreckles I love you and hope this was a fun read and made your birthday week a little brighter! You deserve the absolute best!

Reconnaissance

Epilogue

Sirius walked with Marlene under his arm towards James’ flat.

“Do you think he’ll figure it out?” She asked.

“Nah,” Sirius nipped at her ear.

“He’ll be devastated if he does.”

“He’ll be fine, Lily will help him feel better.”

Marlene shook her head. “Lily might kill us. She’s much scarier than James.”

“One day, we’ll need to arrange for you to end up on missions with them. Then you can decide who’s worse.” Sirius laughed. “But from my experience, I agree with you.”

“You know how long it took to get Andromeda to be alright with sending me out with you?”

“Andy loves me,” Sirius smirked, “I’m her long lost cousin.”

Marlene bumped him with her hip. “How you managed to wrap both your boss and mine around your finger will forever baffle me.”

“Eh, they were easy.” Sirius opened the door to James’ building. “You were the hard one to crack.”

Marlene glared at him, but he’d been with her long enough now to see it lacked any real anger.

He kissed her anyway.

“Don’t placate me.” She nipped at his lip.

“I’m your husband now, that’s my job.” He bit back and smirked when she melted against him.

“James and Lily are going to kill us.”

“Not when I explain it led to the success of the mission.” Sirius moved his hand up her chest and rested his forehead against hers. “Besides, would you have honestly wanted to get married in any other way.”

Marlene bit her lip and laughed. “They totally thought we were just some young couple looking to elope and we completely took them in. I’ve never been more satisfied to trap someone.”

“You know I want this right?“ Sirius braced himself, wanting to give her the out if she needed it. "I understand if you need time, but-.”

Marlene’s eyes flashed. “Why do you think I’d need time?! We’re a freaking team, Sirius! I love you! What is your probl-”

He cut her off with a kiss, chuckling that he’d managed to rile her up - again. “I love you, and I want this; I want us. We’ll figure out our friends and everything else, but I want you. I love you.”

She melted into him, the anger shifting to passion in the way that Sirius had loved from the moment he’d first teamed up with Marlene.

“Would you two get up here before the food gets cold?!”

Sirius turned to see James at the top of the stairs. “Just catching up, James.”

James shook his head but smiled. “Come on then, you’ll have time for that in the privacy of your own flat. Lily’s waiting on you two.”

Sirius followed Marlene up the stairs as they laughed, wondering what it might take to get Andy to let Marlene have a couple of weeks off. They were married now, and Sirius thought they deserved a bit of a honeymoon.

Maybe back on that island they’d met on.

Reconnaissance

Story Update! FFNandAO3

(Chapter 1 Here) (Chapter 2 Here) (Chapter 3 Here)

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@tumbledfreckles We’re almost to the end of this and I hope it’s helped make your birthday week fun!

Reconnaissance

Chapter 4

The hardest part of being a spy was controlling her temper.

Sirius held her gaze and she could see the warning. He’d known her for three days and already knew how angry she could get. But his warning gaze was right; they had to get out of this, and an outburst would definitely not get them there.

“As you so astutely pointed out,” Riddle’s breath burnt as it wafted down her neck and Marlene didn’t bother to hide the way it made her cringe. “I can’t do anything here without more complication than you’re worth, Will. So, to ensure she lives, you’re going to walk with us down the stairs and to the beach. We’ll keep walking towards the rocks that are a hundred or so yards off and then we’ll have a civil conversation away from prying ears and witnesses.”

“I assume I’m to lead then?”

Marlene bit her cheek to keep from laughing at the attitude Sirius was dishing out to Riddle, and reminded herself to make a show that she was terrified.

“You don’t really expect me to turn my back on you, do you, Will? After all, that was your mistake with me. I prefer to learn from the stupidity of others.”

“Off we go then.” Sirius locked eyes with her once more and Marlene held on until he turned away.

Riddle’s pistol moved from the side of her head to her back - not inline with her heart.

Amateur.

Riddle stepped directly behind her, using his body to hide that he was threatening her life, and Marlene hated it. But she couldn’t do anything with so many witnesses as the hotel had - funny how the three of them were all stuck by the same complication. The lack of diplomatic backup meant she had to get out without anyone knowing she’d been involved. And ideally with Riddle going home in handcuffs with Sirius.

Sirius took a leisurely pace which made sense given it was broad daylight and there were tourists about, but Marlene wanted to smack him for it. She wanted to kick sand. She wanted to scream and hit Riddle as hard as she could. But she focused on Sirius ahead of her. They were a team. They’d get out of this.

After an eternity they finally reached the far side of the rocks Riddle had been referring to. The rocks rose up off the sand, creating a closed off space as well as a natural place to jump from, but they were jagged and sharp and menacing in every way. The ocean roared in the small space, splashing saltwater up at them, the spray doing little to cool her down.

Sirius caught her eye and Marlene remembered she was playing the scared, powerless, damsel.

“Will,” she blubbered.

“It’ll be alright, Else, don’t worry.” Sirius played the soothing hero rather well she thought. If she wasn’t so furious she’d do a better job of acting so he could put on a real show.

“I’ll give you one chance to tell me what you took from my room, Will.” Riddle moved the gun back to Marlene’s head and she made a point of cowering in fear.

“I didn’t make it in.” Sirius held up the key card. “I messed up the code and my key didn’t work. But this,” he held up a red flash drive, “was what I was supposed to be doing. I was sent to infect your laptop so we could try and take your system down from the inside. We haven’t been able to get you from without.”

Riddle held out his other hand for the drive and Sirius handed it over. Then Riddle threw it into the ocean.

“Any other useful information you can give me? Or has your time finally run out, Will?” Riddle laughed and Marlene began to ready herself for what she hoped would come next.

“Just let her go, Tom.” Sirius pleaded. “We both know you’re going to kill me but let her go.”

“Oh no, I think I’ll keep her as a reminder of when MI6 couldn’t manage to send a competent agent. I have just the client too. He has unusual tastes, even by my standards, but I’m sure she’ll grow used to them in time.”

That. Was. It!

Marlene’s training to remain cool and calm in these situations went flying out as rage took its place. She sprung. The heel of her hand made hard and fast contact with Riddle’s chin, knocking his head back and making him stumble and fall against the rocks. Then she jumped on him banging her fists into his face as fast as she could.

Riddle’s arm moved and she caught it in her hands as he struggled to get his pistol close enough to kill her. But both hands on his arm gave him the ability to buck her off and she went tumbling against the rocks. Marlene struggled to get her feet under her and pulled her pistol from its holster against her chest. She turned on Riddle as he pointed his pistol between her and Sirius. Sirius’ pistol drawn on Riddle as well.

“You’ll be left without your partner in crime if you both don’t put those down!” Riddle hissed.

Marlene took that as her invitation and fired three fast shots, though the echo made it sound like more.

Riddle dropped against the rocks.

She looked at Sirius and nearly cried with relief to see him standing and whole. He holstered his pistol and gripped the back of his neck.

“I’m sorry. I know you said the head wasn’t enough, you needed the whole snake, but I just couldn’t risk that he’d kill you.”

“What are you talking about?” Marlene blinked at him, sheathing her pistol back beneath her shirt. “I killed him.”

Sirius looked at her for a long moment before laughing. “So we both fired?”

“Did you honestly think I wouldn’t?”

Sirius took four long strides and pressed her against him, crashing his lips into hers. And the emotional dam broke inside Marlene. She threaded her hands into his hair and kissed him like her life depended on it. But simply kissing him wasn’t enough, she needed more. She shoved her hands under his shirt and pressed her palms against his rapidly beating heart, reassuring herself that he was here, she was here, and they were fine.

His hands gripped and caressed her skin and her hair while his mouth devoured her. Marlene poured all the adrenaline, the anger, and the attachment she’d developed to Sirius into her kiss. She needed him to feel what was coursing through her. He was entangled with her veins; intertwined with her nervous system; mixed in with the blood her heart pumped through her. And the overwhelming desire she felt as they kissed each other like their lives depended on it was to make him feel all of that.

They pulled apart to the sound of shouting breaking through the crashing waves, shouting that was getting closer.

Time to run.

“Do you trust me?” Sirius looked over at the ocean.

She didn’t have to think about it. “Yes.”

Sirius grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the ledge looking out over the ocean. “Then jump.”

Marlene took one look over her shoulder at Riddle’s body on the rocks, before turning back to the ocean.

And they jumped.

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

Marlene zipped her purse shut and did one last look around her room.

“Ready?” Sirius stepped behind her, this hand coming to rest on her hip.

“Let’s get out of here.” She picked up her suitcase.

They checked out and boarded the shuttle to the airport. Everything about their escape exuded normality, no one suspected for even a moment that they just took out one of the biggest trafficking leaders in the world. But Marlene didn’t let her guard down until they were seated on the plane.

“I think we did it.” She let out a long breath as they climbed in altitude.

Sirius wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and kissed her. “We did it.”

Marlene melted into him, not sure if she could be as vulnerable as she needed to be. She couldn’t let this be the end for them, but that would mean admitting how much Sirius had gotten to her. How much she was craving his next touch, kiss, glance. It would mean telling him that she shot Riddle first and foremost because the man was going to kill Sirius. She knew it because she was worth money and Sirius was worth nothing to Riddle.

And the thought of Sirius dead had made her blood run cold. She had been desperate to save him. There had been no other alternative as she stood there on the rocks. Pulling the trigger was all she could do, even though it put her job at risk.

She wasn’t meant to be the assassin.

“Hey.” Sirius rested his forehead against hers. “Breathe, everything’s going to be fine. You’re safe. We did it. And we’ll be back on British soil in a bit more than ten hours.”

Marlene closed her eyes and tried for a deep breath, doing marginally well. “I know, I just…” She gritted her teeth as she tried to say what she knew she needed to.

“Come here.” Sirius un-did their seatbelts and raised the arm rest between them. Then he wrapped her in his arms and pulled her back against his chest.

And wrapped in his arms, Marlene closed her eyes and relaxed into him, deciding everything else could wait till they were back in London.

She’d live in the dream for a few more hours.

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

“Marls, wake up,” Sirius’ lips pressed against the shell of her ear. “Home, sweet home.”

Marlene smiled and turned into Sirius. Home was right here.

“Really, love, we’re almost to our gate.” Sirius chuckled. “When do you report?”

She groaned and pushed herself further into him. “I haven’t made contact yet.”

Sirius hoisted her upright. “Wait, they don’t know any of it?”

Marlene shook her head and tried to clear the sleep from her brain.

“Why not, Marls?”

“I just, I,” she glared around at their enforced audience, her anger pushing to the surface. “I almost lost you and it rattled me! I broke protocol to protect you!” She whispered as her anger built. “And I’d do it again right now! You’re under my freaking skin! I can’t think! I can’t be away from you without you running through my head! And I don’t know how to handle this! I’ve known you three freaking days and I-”

Sirius cut her off by bringing his lips to hers in a passion that rivaled every kiss from the last three days. And Marlene clung to him. This she could handle. She could handle lips and hands and feeling and touching. This made sense when her emotions felt as tangled as the jungle they’d climbed through yesterday.

Sirius slowed as they heard the other passengers gathering their things and moving off the plane, finally coming to rest his forehead against hers. “I’m pretty sure this is what it looks like when two people are good together.”

“I don’t know how to do this, Sirius.” She started to turn away but he caught her chin in his hand, holding her gaze.

“Sure you do, Marls. It’s just like the plantation, and when we broke into his room, and when we saved each other. It’s us, a team.” He smirked, “With some wickedly sexy benefits.”

She couldn’t help the laugh that rolled through her as she clung to him. “So we’re a team.”

“And a good one. Don’t worry, we’ll get our stories straight. We’ll make sure everything works out.” He kissed her. “Come with me to mine. I’ll tell Minnie I’ll report tomorrow.”

Marlene smiled against him. “You have that kind of sway over your boss? No wonder you’re so cocky.”

“I got you, I think I deserve to be cocky.” He kissed her, a savoring kiss that seemed to seep slowly through her entire body. “No one compares to you, Marls.”

Marlene laughed as her whole body relaxed into his. “Let’s go to yours.”

They filed off with everyone else and made their way to Sirius’ flat. Marlene had driven her car to Heathrow and was now grateful for the privacy it gave them as she followed the voice of her GPS.

“So you’ll take the laptops then,” Sirius looked through his phone. “The flash drives are standard procedure for us so it’ll make more sense if I bring those back.”

“And I killed Riddle because he found me trying to steal his laptops. Which I went back and retrieved.”

“And I am officially unaware of all of that.”

“And I am officially unaware that you copied the hard drives.”

“And I am officially unaware that you are a spy for a secret international intelligence agency.” Sirius smirked at her.

“And I’m officially unaware that you’re a member of MI6.” She rolled her eyes.

“And we will unofficially be working together from here on out, both on and off the clock.” Sirius set his hand over hers as it rested on the gear level. “We make a good team.”

Marlene parked at Sirius’ flat and leant over the center console to kiss him. “The best.”

Reconnaissance

Story Update! FFNandAO3

(Chapter 1 Here) (Chapter 2 Here)

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@tumbledfreckles who really deserves more but this will have to do. ;)

Reconnaissance

Chapter 3

Sirius knew it was a gamble, but he had figured out within about two minutes of noticing Else at the plantation that she was his key. Else knew everything there was to know about Riddle. He needed her.

And not just for the information she had.

He couldn’t stop thinking about her. The woman was distracting! Every time she opened her mouth he was enthralled. When she moved he couldn’t help but watch her. And when she touched him his thoughts short circuited. Her kiss simply turned off his brain. He was losing his head with her.

To the point that he’d almost corrected her when the name on her lips was his alias.

Her blue eyes stared back up at him, calculating, thinking, pulling him in, ensnaring him.

“I work alone, Will,” her voice was barely a whisper.

“Wasn’t it easier, better, on the plantation working together?” Sirius traced her hip, running his fingers against the thin cotton of her tank top, imagining what the soft skin beneath must feel like.

“Will-”

Sirius tried not to let the annoyance show at her using his alias. “We’re on the same side in this espionage game, Else, you have to see that now.”

She sighed and looked down as she bit her lip. Sirius watched her teeth sink into the flesh that he now knew was sweeter than every piece of fruit grown on this island.

“There’s one thing I won’t be able to tell you.” She looked back up at him.

“What’s that?”

Please don’t let it be your name.

“Who I work for, or anything about them. I can’t tell you why I know what I know.”

Sirius tried to let his breath out slowly so she wouldn’t realize that he’d been holding it. “Fair. We can keep it on a level playing ground. I won’t tell you who I work for or anything about them either.” He moved his hand from her hip to hold her waist. “Do we have a deal?”

“I can’t believe I’m doing this.” She looked down at his chest and slid her hands along his new black t-shirt.

“Let’s return your scooter and then get back to the hotel.” Sirius grabbed her hands, getting her eyes to come back to his. “And from now on, call me Sirius.”

She grinned up at him, “I’m Marlene.”

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

Sirius swore and gripped the edge of the counter in his hotel bathroom.

“Don’t be a baby,” Marlene chided.

“You’re not the one getting stitched up without an anesthetic.” Sirius bit back.

“Wil-”

“Sirius,” he immediately corrected her. “When it’s just the two of us, use my name. Wilberforce Fleamont is for Riddle’s benefit.”

Her touch softened and she smiled at him in the mirror. “Sirius, I’m almost finished. It’s just this one that needed to be closed.”

He couldn’t help it, even with the pain he smiled back. “Get on with it then.”

Marlene made good on her word, closing the wound with a few more strokes of her needle.

“There.” She cut the suture. “You’ll have a wicked scar to show all your mates now.”

“Again, I’m very grateful you took medical applications and not bomb making.” Sirius took some deep breaths as his side throbbed against the pain. “Paracetamol or ibuprofen?”

“Paracetamol.” Marlene ran her hand gingerly over the bandages and sutures. “Where is it? I’ll go grab it.”

“My suitcase, front zipper pocket.”

Marlene came back with a water bottle from the mini-fridge and his pills.

“Take these and lay down. I’m going to shower in my room and then I’ll come back.”

Sirius grabbed her wrist instead of the pills. “No more games, right?”

She pushed forward, her lips landing on his with a slow, tantalizing slide. “No more games, Sirius. I’ll be back in twenty minutes.”

Sirius slid his hand into her hair and kissed her further, a slightly more demanding kiss than what she’d offered him, but she obviously didn’t mind, meeting his hunger with her own for several seconds before easing out of his embrace.

“I’ll be waiting, Marlene.” Sirius watched her back out of the bathroom. She bit her lip and he wondered if she did it on purpose to torture him.

Then she was gone.

Sirius slammed the water bottle with his pain meds and then looked at the shower. He felt like he’d just crawled through the jungle. Which he supposed he had, but still, there was no way he was going to lay down on the bed he was meant to sleep on tonight like this.

So he turned on the water and did his best to keep his left side as dry as he could. Marlene would probably yell at him for it, but that was alright. She was bloody gorgeous when she was worked up.

Sirius also realized in the shower that they’d need Riddle stuck here for at least one more day. He couldn’t bring back information that wasn’t concrete. Minnie adored him - though she’d never admit it - but even she wouldn’t take the word of a woman Sirius had known for less than three days. That said, they’d need to break into Riddle’s room and try for some solid evidence for him to bring back.

Out of the shower and in clean clothes, Sirius fired up his laptop and flagged Riddle for no-entry to the UK until the day after tomorrow. If he tried to book a flight, Riddle would have to wait till Sirius had his chance to get some proof of what the cretin was doing.

Next Sirius started digging into Marlene McKinnon.

She had the normal digital footprint that he’d come to expect from real people. But five years ago, she took a job with a company that did nothing. They were a private firm of some sort or another based out of Zurich, and that was it. Nothing about what they did. No website. Just a business registration, an address, and a phone number. Sirius couldn’t even find Marlene’s job title.

He was just about to call the number through a private line on his computer when there was a knock on his door.

Time’s up.

Marlene stood in the corridor looking like a different person. Her gold curls that had been matted with sweat and dirt now shimmered and fell gracefully against her face and shoulders. Her red lips had returned with their magnetic pull. Her deep blue sundress left her eyes looking like diamonds. And Sirius didn’t resist the instinct to wrap his arms around her waist and pull her into him.

His lips claimed hers as he let the door shut and locked them away from the world. Her curls were damp and silky as he threaded his fingers through them. Her skin was soft and that spicy scent he’d found so distracting in the custodial closet was back. Yesterday he’d fought it, this time, he let it fill him, envelope him. He pressed her back into the wall, desperate to feel every part of her pressed against him. Sirius boxed Marlene in, his right leg pressing into her thighs when he hit metal.

Sirius smirked. “I’ve been wondering where you’ve been keeping that.”

Marlene laughed, that clear sound that ensnared him from the start. “Where else would I keep it dressed like this?”

“I want you to appreciate all the comments I’m not making about a pistol between your legs.” He pressed his leg against her again.

“I’m sure they’re hilarious.” Her lips grazed along the side of his chin that she’d hit the day before while her hands played with the hem of his shirt.

“Of cour-” he was cut off by a low growl from Marlene’s stomach. Sirius nipped at her ear. “Hungry?”

Marlene’s chuckle was just a touch bashful and Sirius felt it like a noose around his heart. “I’m pretty sure I’ve skipped all meals today.”

“Well we can’t have that.” Sirius went to pick her up, but the tightening of his muscles immediately pulled on his wounds and he stopped, opting for Marlene’s hand wrapped around his. He handed her the room service menu. “Let’s get dinner happening first. We can talk while we eat.”

Marlene kicked off her sandals and climbed on his bed, nestling into the pillows like she belonged there.

Focus.

“Anything you fancy?” She looked up at him.

“Yes, but I said we were eating first.”

Sirius smirked at her laugh and carefully laid on the bed with her. He hissed when he bumped his side.

“Careful.” Marlene set down the menu and shifted his shirt. She swore at him. “I specifically told you not to get this wet!”

He didn’t even bother to hide his grin. “Deepest apologies, showering was difficult on my own. Would have been easier with someone there to help me.”

Marlene fixed him with a glare. “Get that shirt off.”

“If you want me undressed you only need to ask, Marly.”

She looked up at him with a quirked brow and shook her head. “No one’s called me Marly in years.”

Sirius pulled his shirt over his head. “Would you prefer Marls?”

Marlene inspected the bandages. “That’s a new one. Most of my friends go with Mar.”

Sirius hissed as she poked and prodded. “Geeze, Marls.”

“Well if you’d kept this dry I wouldn’t have to check it all over again.“

"Alright, distract me then, tell me about Riddle.” Sirius flinched against her touch and swore.

She grunted and moved for the bag of medical supplies she’d bought - with a large chunk of his funds. “I’ve got to replace this one it’s soaked through.”

“Riddle, Marls.”

“You honestly know nothing about him?”

“We know that he’s suddenly involved with a lot of people we’re watching. That’s usually a bad sign for a person in the UK.”

“I’m sure.” Marlene pulled off the first bandage and Sirius privately admitted that she was probably right to replace it seeing as it gave way without any resistance. “He’s a human trafficker. He runs operations across the world and deals in every awful and terrible thing a man can do to another human being. You want a slave of any sort, Riddle is your man.”

Sirius grimaced, not from pain this time, but from how much he wanted to strangle Riddle. “Maybe I should have just handed you the AR and let you kill him.”

“Don’t think I haven’t thought about it.” She smoothed her hand over the new bandage. “He’s evil, but taking him down alone doesn’t do us any good. To get everyone out, to get them home or at least re-established, we need the whole snake, not just the head.”

“Fair.” Sirius shifted on the bed and leant back into the pillows, not bothering to put his shirt back on. “My assignment was simply to find out what Riddle was, what he was doing, and why he was suddenly showing up on our radar. Why are you here?”

Marlene moved around him to rest against his right side. “I’m here to steal enough evidence to show exactly what Riddle is.”

“And then what?”

“And,” she hesitated a moment before sighing. “And then other agents will leak that information to places like the CIA and MI6 and the equivalents in other countries.”

“So who you work for is trying to orchestrate the downfall, but not be directly involved.”

“Right.” Marlene sat up and grabbed the room service menu again. “So what are we eating?’

Sirius went along with the subject change to give himself some time to think. When it was just getting himself some information, Sirius wasn’t all that concerned about what he got on Riddle. But knowing now what Riddle was, and more specifically what Marlene needed for her assignment, he was forming a plan in his mind. Breaking into Riddle’s room to see what he could dig up might get both of them what they needed, and as her new partner, Sirius was keen to make sure Marlene’s mission was successful as well.

Marlene, however, seemed to want a break from it all, because she steered their conversation away from Riddle each time Sirius tried to bring them back around to it.

“Are you one of those that always wanted to be a spy then?” Marlene took another bite of her food after Sirius had asked if she thought they should try for Riddle’s room at night and she could drug him to stay asleep and forget the two or so hours before it.

Sirius rolled his eyes at her deliberate subject change but answered her anyway. “Nah,” he shook his head. “I never gave my career a lot of thought, but my best mate invited me along to his initial exam and they asked if I was there to apply as well. I figured it would give me something to do and then I could make fun of him when he answered questions wrong.”

“Let me guess.” She licked her fork. “You passed with flying colors and they couldn’t let you go.”

“That’s basically it,” Sirius smirked. “What about you?”

“I never thought I’d be a spy. I was working as a medical assistant and I didn’t love it but I felt stuck and didn’t know what else I would do. Then we had an incident at the clinic I worked in and that’s how my current boss found me.”

“What kind of incident?”

“A patient was in our care and someone came barging into the clinic with a vendetta against them. I stopped it from getting ugly.”

Sirius set his empty plate on the tray and moved closer to her. “Used that medical training, eh? Made someone pass out and forget the last two hours of their life?”

She laughed. “No, I hadn’t been trained on those sorts of concoctions yet. I just knew where to punch to knock them out cold. Thankfully, they weren’t armed, just angry.”

“I’m very glad I was out of your reach yesterday. You’ve got a wicked fist, Marls.” He messaged his jaw theatrically and she laughed. “So was that patient you saved going to go on to become your boss?”

“Nope, but one of the officers that showed up is connected to us. They let my boss know about me and I got an invitation to a dinner party. Said they were close to the patient that I’d protected and they wanted to thank me. It was at a restaurant I knew and figured I deserved a treat.”

“And then they made you an offer you couldn’t refuse.” Sirius pulled her against him once she’d moved her empty plate to the tray.

Marlene’s body immediately relaxed into him and he felt her sigh as much as he heard it. “I had nothing to lose, and it honestly sounded like a lot of fun. It obviously hasn’t been all great, getting to see the dark underbelly of the world is not my favorite thing. But I haven’t wanted to do anything else. Even when I’m not in the field, I’m happy.”

Sirius moved to kiss along her shoulder, thinking he might be able to get her to plan out their next move against Riddle with him if he was indulging in the softness of her skin. “Speaking of work, we need to determine how we want to approach getting that incriminating evidence we’re after.”

“Or you can just keep kissing me.” Marlene moved a hand around the back of his neck to tangle in his hair, pulling her flush against his bare chest.

“Marls.” Sirius leant into her nails scraping against his scalp. “I already have a key to Riddle’s room. The hard part’s done. We just need to plan it out.”

“I thought I was in charge, now that we’re officially a team.”

Sirius ran his hand down her arm before sliding it up her leg, teasingly stopping where the hem of her dress had ridden up. “You are, but as second in command, I’m obligated to keep us on track.”

“Your commanding officer has said that the next few hours are off the clock, Sirius.” She shifted in his arms, pushing him back to straddle him.

Sirius chuckled and took a moment to enjoy the view above him, as it was very much a view he wanted to keep seeing. “Well if we’re off the clock.” He threaded their fingers. “I can think of some distractions to keep our minds off of Riddle.”

Marlene smirked and slowly leant over him. “Go on then.”

Sirius slid his hand to tangle in her hair, pulling her down to speak against her lips. “With pleasure, Marls.”

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

Sirius was honestly impressed. Marlene had pulled some strings in whatever private spy group she belonged to - because he was pretty sure that she was working for a secret international intelligence agency that MI6 hadn’t found, yet - and Riddle now had a breakfast meeting with the local chief of police in the hotel restaurant to discuss who would want to bomb his car. Her plan was simple. The chief of police would keep him busy and she and Sirius would go through Riddle’s room and get what they’d been sent here for.

Riddle exited the lift in the lobby and Sirius hit send on his text to Marlene. Their operation was a go.

Checking that his connection to the security camera was still strong, he watched Riddle shake hands with the chief of police and then Sirius moved for the lift.

“You’re late.” Marlene was leaning against the wall next to Riddle’s door, her tight pants and loose fitting blouse had his mind slipping before he managed to remember that time was of the essence.

“A spy is never late, nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to.” Sirius pulled the key card from his pocket.

“I think Tolkien said ‘wizard’. Gandalf was too straight-laced to be a good spy.”

“Touche,” Sirius pushed open the door and looked back down at the display on his phone, Riddle still sat with the chief of police. “Ladies first.”

Marlene slipped in, running her fingers across his chest as she went, and Sirius let the door close behind them thinking that as soon as this was finished he was going to show her exactly what that felt like.

Riddle’s room didn’t look like he’d been staying there. The only indication was that the bed was unmade. His suitcase was still packed and closed. No chargers were plugged into the outlets. His toiletries weren’t even on the bathroom counter.

“Here.” Marlene handed him a pair of latex gloves. “I’ll start over there, you start here, we’ll meet in the middle.”

“Let’s be quick.” Sirius nodded. “Riddle doesn’t strike me as the ask questions first, shoot later type.”

She shook her head, “He really isn’t.”

Sirius tried to keep an eye on his phone as he went. The last thing they needed was Riddle surprising them.

“Found it!” Marlene held up a computer.

“Here.” Sirius tossed her a black USB stick. “Put this in and then turn it on. It’s programmed to copy the hard drive.”

“How big is it?” Marlene plugged it in.

“Big enough,” Sirius winked at her and she laughed quietly.

Sirius grinned when he uncovered another laptop. “Why two laptops, Riddle?” Sirius plugged in another black USB stick.

“This one’s done.” Marlene put the laptop back and tucked the flash drive in her pocket along with her gloves.

Sirius glanced at his phone and swore. “Riddle’s on his way.”

“How much longer for that one?” Marlene moved to his side, worry written all over her face.

“Just a bit longer. Go, I’ll be alright.”

“I’m not abandoning you,” she scoffed.

“It’s not abandoning me-” but Sirius was saved having to argue with her by the green light on his flash drive.

He shoved the computer back where he found it and grabbed Marlene as he bolted for the door.

He gently let the door latch and went to run for it when a voice let out a started oath behind them.

Sirius ignored it and immediately started snogging the life out of Marlene. If he could make Riddle believe that they were a couple stumbling towards their room, he might just get them out of this.

A rough hand gripped his shoulder and shoved him around.

“Excuse me!”

Sirius made a show of trying to adjust to being pulled off a beautiful woman. “Just trying to get to my room, mate. Sorry for the bother.” Sirius started to back away, reaching for Marlene.

And then Riddle played all in.

Before Sirius could react, Riddle pulled Marlene to him and held a pistol to her head.

“What would happen to your position, Mr. Fleamont, if a British civilian was killed because of your espionage activities?”

“Let her go!” Sirius reached for his own gun, silently thanking every power in the universe that Riddle didn’t know Marlene was also a spy.

“Don’t!” Riddle snapped. “The minute your hand disappears I pull the trigger.”

Sirius dropped his hand waiting for Marlene to kick Riddle in the groin and end this. But Marlene shocked him. She whimpered and shrunk in on herself.

“Will, what’s he talking about? Didn’t you come here to see me?”

Sirius stared at her for a long moment before realizing there was no fear in her eyes. Her ice blue eyes were as hard as agates and he finally understood her game. He took a deep breath, not liking this one bit, but he told her she was in charge.

“It’s going to be ok, Else. I came here to see you, believe me, I only came for you.”

Her eyes crinkled around the edges and Sirius kept the smirk from his face.

“And now she’ll die because of you.” Riddle smiled, an unpleasant sight on his pale face.

“You’re not that stupid, Tom.” Sirius scoffed, trying to guess what Marlene had planned next. “You pull that trigger and the entire hotel knows a gun was fired. You also lose your bargaining chip. You’ve got an MI6 agent in your reach right now. You’ll not be the fool to throw away an opportunity like that.” It was a big gamble, but Sirius trusted Marlene, and if this was the game she wanted to play, he’d do his part.

Riddle regarded him a moment before inclining his head. “You’ve done well, Will. I might even let this pretty thing live for it. I know people who would pay good money for her.”

Sirius saw the briefest flash in Marlene’s eyes. Whatever her plan was, Riddle’s threat had affected her. She looked ready to throw her plan away and have a gun fight in the corridor with Riddle. That would blow both their covers, and Sirius was the only one with diplomatic help. He held her gaze, trying to communicate all that with a look. Then he turned back to Riddle.

“Name your price, Tom.”

Reconnaissance

Story Update! FFNandA03

(Chapter 1 Here)

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 because she deserves the best for her birthday week!

Reconnaissance

Chapter 2

Marlene had snuck out of the hotel before the sun had come up. She couldn’t risk Will getting ahold of her after the way she’d left - punching him in the jaw.

She may have promised not to shoot him, but he’d given her no guarantees, and she was sure he wouldn’t have found her parting gift endearing.

She shivered against the memories. It had been ages since someone had taken her by surprise. And longer still since someone had managed to charm her the way Will had. It didn’t hurt that his smile made her chest flutter, and his black hair and gray eyes pulled her in and made her want to forget she had a job to do. He was dangerous for no other reason than that. He was also dangerous in that he was somehow tangled up with her target for this mission, Thomas Riddle.

When she helped Sirius pull McNair from the lift, she immediately started looking for the tattoo - the tattoo all of Riddle’s henchmen had. She really should have killed McNair in India when she’d had the chance. But she hadn’t been there to kill British citizens while abroad, even if they were smuggling exotic animals through the same places Marlene was tracing human trafficking activity, so she’d tired him up and left him in one of his own cages instead.

But when she found the tattoo under McNair’s shirt collar she knew her suspicions six months ago had been right. McNair was a part of Riddle’s ring, and Will was definitely not just another vacationer looking for a few days to unwind with a pretty face. Will was involved with Riddle somehow too, and by the looks of it, he might just be on her side.

But she didn’t know for certain, Wilberforce Fleamont didn’t have the sort of background that would say one way or the other, and her agency hadn’t found anything determining who he might actually be. She didn’t believe that his name was really Will, but as it stood, it didn’t really matter. She was there to get incriminating evidence against Riddle and then other agents would leak it to every national intelligence agency they could. The hope was one of the agencies would orchestrate the capture and subsequent prosecution of Riddle.

If things didn’t go according to plan, then the agency Marlene worked for would simply assassinate him, but Marlene wasn’t over that part of the mission. She was there to steal information.

Which is exactly why she was hiding with her rented Vespa across the street from the hotel. Riddle had left the hotel every morning at seven thirty sharp and didn’t return until after dark. She had watched him for three days, taking her time to ensure that Riddle let her face fade into the furniture, so to speak.

But with Will now involved, Marlene couldn’t wait any longer. Her cover was in jeopardy. Will knew more than she wanted anyone to know about her on this assignment, and she couldn’t risk being exposed.

So today, ready or not, she was going to follow Riddle to wherever he went, and try to be on a plane back to London by tomorrow morning.

“Right on time,” Marlene smiled as the black BMW pulled up. Riddle walked out seconds later and climbed into the back seat.

Marlene waited until they were farther down the road before pulling out and trying to tail them without being seen.

It was easy while they were surrounded by shops and hotels, but then the car left town and following it in the countryside became much harder. She didn’t dare lose them but it would do her no good to have the driver realize she was there.

Finally she watched the car go in through a gate to what looked like a plantation of some sort. She turned on to the first side road that presented itself and went a good way up it before pulling over and getting out her phone.

Riddle had indeed pulled into a coconut plantation, which was a red flag. Riddle dealt in human trafficking, not agriculture, which left some major concerns about the owners of this plantation. Marlene connected to her agency’s database and studied the satellite images taken right before she left on this assignment.

It looked to be just a regular plantation, which was unnerving. Either these plantation owners hadn’t yet started assisting in the movement of kidnapped persons, or they were already very, very good at it. Marlene decided there was no way around it, she needed to get on the property.

There was a road that went around the plantation, following the overgrowth of jungle along the perimeter of the property, and on the far side was what looked like a decent place to hide her getaway vehicle. Taking time to memorize what she saw on her screen - the buildings, the paths, where she would hide the Vespa - Marlene took a deep breath and got back on the road.

The thicket ended up being exactly what she hoped it would be and her Vespa blended right in. It also proved to be enough vegetation that it had worn down the fence and breaking out a hole bigger than she needed to fit through was a simple process. Marlene slipped onto the plantation and started for the large house near the center.

She stayed close to the fence while the jungle was thick enough to offer her cover, but when it started to thin as the coconut trees came closer to the fence she pulled on her disguise.

Marlene had seen several locals wearing hats and draping light cloths under them to cover their necks. Rolling her hair under her hat and covering her neck and ears with the cloth left most of her unfairly pale skin covered. Sunglasses helped hide more of her face, and the long sleeve cotton shirt and long cargo pants tucked into her combat boots hopefully created the image of someone you wouldn’t look twice at while on a plantation.

It also made her very capable of not only carrying all her weapons on her person, but of being able to fight and run with ease.

Once her disguise was set, she opted to stop hiding in the bushes and to start hiding in plain sight. Marlene walked blatantly toward the plantation house staying on the path like anyone who belonged there would do. She made it all the way without any incidents, even taking time to help carry a couple of baskets of coconuts, cementing the norm in all the memories of the people around her. But once at the plantation house, Marlene moved back to the shadows.

There were twenty or so men sitting around with AR-15’s hanging on their backs.

Crap.

Marlene was concerned that she’d need to get inside the house with the front door guarded by two of the men with the rifles, but thankfully, Riddle was sitting outside on the veranda with a man that had graying hair and beady eyes that looked even smaller in the traditional print of his shirt. She snuck close enough to hear and turned her phone recorder on.

“Tom, you still aren’t answering my questions.” The man picked up a piece of coconut meat and popped it in his mouth. "I won’t agree to anything until I know what you’re wanting to bring through my plantation.”

“I assure you the money involved will more than cover any costs that may incur, Anthony.” Riddle’s smile sent shivers down her spine.

“Tom, you don’t grow things, so I guess you don’t understand. But you could bring something through here with one tiny little seed on it and suddenly all my trees die, I have no way to make a living and all my workers are left without a job.”

“I personally would see to it that you’d be well taken care of if that were to happen.” Riddle’s voice was low. “Have I not protected you thus far?”

“You’ve provided men with guns that haven’t needed to fire a single shot and I don’t believe they will. I’m too small a plantation to worry about being targeted by revolutionaries. You said you had something that could help me and you sent me mercenaries. There’s no logic in your brain, Tom.”

“Anthony, I promise, you’ll be glad you have them. But it would help if you let them patrol your plantation and not just sit at the gate house and here by your home.”

Anthony shook his head. “Out of the question. They’d distract my workers, Tom, and they’d probably make a mess of my soil. They’re a menace.”

Marlene grinned, a plan forming in her mind. She remembered a story, unconfirmed but a little side note in Riddle’s file, saying that he’d deliberately bombed a factory in Malaysia to get the owners to seek his help. This looked like the same plot again, but she could turn it to her favor here.

Marlene left Riddle and Anthony arguing and went to see about a way to sabotage the whole thing.

First she wanted one of those AR-15’s. She scoped out the mercenaries, trying to find one that looked like she could quickly subdue him and thinking up a plan to lure him away.

Then she heard footsteps behind her. Marlene spun to see a mercenary walking towards her and she had nowhere to hide and no place to run.

Crap.

She braced herself for a confrontation, hoping maybe she could talk her way out of a full out fight and then take him down with one hit from behind. But the mercenary stopped and stared at her.

“Else?”

Marlene nearly quit her job as an international spy right then and there.

“Will! What are you doing here!?”

Will stepped closer and pulled his hat further over his eyes. She noticed a slight blue tinge along his jaw and pushed down the stitch of guilt and her immediate reaction to reach out and touch the bruising skin.

“Same as you. We’re obviously both here for Riddle.”

Marlene wanted to argue with him, but he had just presented her with the perfect opportunity.

“Alright, look, we have a chance to stop something Riddle is trying for here in its tracks. But we’ve got to act fast.”

“I’m listening.” Will motioned for them to move between two warehouses. “What do you want to do?”

“Riddle is going to create an attack of some sort to manipulate this plantation owner to let him keep these mercenaries here. We’re going to spring the trick early and cause general chaos where these mercenaries all fail and the owner tells Riddle to take his toy soldiers and get lost.”

“And we want that?”

“Yes!” Did Will not know what Riddle was?!

“But why?”

Marlene swallowed the urge to yell but not the urge to lash out in her anger. “You’re kidding right? Are you trying to waste time? Don’t be an idiot, Will! Anything Riddle wants we want the opposite of it! Literally everything! He’s evil, Will! If it wouldn’t jeopardize catching everyone involved I’d have killed him when I first saw him at the hotel!”

Will stared at her in silence for several moments before finally speaking. “I’ll make you a deal then, Else. I’ll help you here and then when we get back to the hotel, you tell me everything you know about Thomas Riddle.”

Marlene stared at him.

She shouldn’t.

Her agency’s number one rule was to lay low. They were a secret international intelligence agency that worked to stop things like human trafficking, and keeping the world from imploding itself with nuclear warfare. With agents in nearly one hundred countries they managed to make a dent in the international crime scene and keep the world spinning. But they didn’t directly interact with any country’s espionage agencies. They had no diplomatic back up. There were no guarantees they would save you if you got caught.

So, she shouldn’t.

But this was a chance to upset Riddle’s plan, and save Anthony, and potentially tens of thousands of victims, in the process.

“Deal.” She stuck out her hand.

Will shook it with the same confidence he had before they’d had breakfast together, and just like then, Marlene fought to keep her cool. The feeling of his hand wrapped around hers slid right up her arm and warmed her chest.

Focus.

“Do you have a plan or would you be open to suggestions?” Will asked as he released her hand and Marlene struggled to get her head back on straight.

“I’ll listen.”

Will’s smile was a nice reward for those two simple words. “Why not blow up Riddle’s BMW? I’m sure I can find everything for a bomb here, and it makes the plantation owner think that Riddle is the target, bringing trouble with him.”

Marlene couldn’t help the excitement she felt at Will’s plan, stamping out her earlier anger. “That’s brilliant, Will! What do we need for your bomb?”

He took her hand and Marlene ignored how much she enjoyed the feeling. “Come on, Else, don’t tell me you slept through bomb making 101.”

She snorted and skirted the truth, “My focus didn’t require that class. I took medical applications instead.”

Will smirked as he moved into one of the warehouses. “After yesterday, I’m glad you did.”

It took the man all of five minutes to find everything, and Marlene kept watch while he played chemist.

“Alright,” he held up what honestly looked like a piece of trash. “The darling isn’t very pretty, but she’ll make a loud bang and Riddle will need a different car to get him back to the hotel.”

“Where is his car?” Marlene realized she hadn’t seen any cars since getting to the plantation.

“Follow me.” He gingerly slipped the bomb under his arm and quickly led Marlene to the other side of Anthony’s house and away from the warehouses - his disguise to look exactly like the mercenaries giving them an invincible shield. Thirty feet from the back of Anthony’s house, parked with two older cars, was Riddle’s BMW.

“Can we move it away from Anthony’s cars? Just enough so that it doesn’t leave irreparable damage?” Marlene had been around enough explosions to know what kind of destruction even a small blast could do.

Will shook his head. “That’s a new car, it’ll likely set off an alarm if we try to move it.”

Marlene smiled as she looked at the old car and pick-up truck next to the BMW. “But these two are both older than you and me.”

Will grinned at her, “You’re good at this game, Else.”

“I’ve been playing for a while.” She moved to the car and opened the door before popping the parking brake and giving it a good push. Slowly, the car started rolling forward. Thank heaven for the 1960s.

“How long have you been playing?” Will moved to the truck following her as they moved the cars about twenty yards away.

“Long enough.”

“Your answers are always riveting, Else.”

She ignored him and checked around them again making sure no one was bored enough to come back this way. Anthony’s cars safely out of the way, Marlene kept watch until Will had secured the bomb.

“How do we set it off?”

Will looked bashful, which was far more appealing than it should have been. “I didn’t have any electronics to butcher so it’s just a pull string.” He held up a decent sized roll of twine.

Marlene bit her lip and looked around. Her eyes landed on an old cinder block building, probably an old well house that wasn’t used anymore based on the fact that the roof was long gone and half of the right side of the building had fallen in.

“What about that?” She pointed to the well house. “Is your twine long enough to get there?”

Will surveyed it. “Yeah, let’s give it a go.”

Carefully they strung his twine out, coming up three feet short of the old well house.

“Get in there,” Will knelt down on the ground, shifting the AR on his back. “I’ll pull the string and then get in there after the bomb goes off.”

Marlene stared at him. “We’re not that far away, let’s just get another string or a stick or something.”

“Why?” Will shrugged and laid flat on the ground.

“Because that blast is going to send things flying on top of you!” This man was infuriating! She looked around for a stick or anything that would lengthen the string.

“Your concern is touching, Else, especially after that right hook from yesterday, but we’re running out of time. Who knows how long a getaway is going to take us. So let’s give this plantation owner a good scare and Riddle a piece of your mind and get out of here.” He took a firm hold of the string and looked at her with an intensity that had her chest tightening. “Get back in there.”

Marlene pushed her anger down and glared at him. “You’re maddening!”

“The feeling is mutual, gorgeous, but we can talk about that later.” Will turned away from her and pressed himself closer to the ground, his fist wrapped around the string ready to pull. “I took bomb making, you took medical applications. I make the decisions about the bomb, you make the decisions about the medical procedures. Now get in there, Else.”

“Fine!” She climbed into the well house, muttering loud enough for him to hear what a stupid man he was. She’d just hunkered down and shoved her fingers in her ears when her whole body shook with the explosion. The cinder blocks shifted against her back, mortar fell in chunks and dirt sifted over her. Marlene took a deep breath to steady herself and pulled her fingers out of her ears only to hear the sounds of machine gun fire.

Will.

She moved from her corner, hand going for her pistol, when Will jumped over the wall and tumbled down next to her.

“Are you alright?!” She knelt next to him and felt panic start to settle in her gut when she felt that his side was wet. Marlene swore and grabbed his arm. “Have you been shot?!”

“No,” Will groaned and sat up. “Got hit by the shrapnel.” He hissed and pulled off the black mercenary jacket, slightly shredded on the left near the waist. His white t-shirt beneath it was red on his left side and Marlene could see a few pieces of metal still in his skin.

“I heard gunfire.” Marlene carefully helped Will pull off his shirt. “I thought you were in trouble.”

“No,” Will hissed again as she carefully pulled his shirt free of the shrapnel, taking two pieces of the metal out of his skin along with it. “I was trying to create more confusion. I shot at some trees on the other side of the house, so they’ll think there are attacks coming on multiple sides.”

“Smart.” Marlene went to say more but heard shouting.

Will put a finger to his lips and then gestured for her to get on with his shrapnel removal. “Your area of expertise.” He whispered.

Marlene rolled her eyes and removed her hat and sunglasses, then slid her shirt over her head, suddenly feeling very aware of her own skin in her tank-top. She really shouldn’t be so drawn to this man. Just because they were both against Riddle did not mean that they were working for the same end goal. But that didn’t stop her from responding to everything Will did. Or blushing at the way his eyes traced her bare shoulders, down her neckline, and then back up to her lips.

She pulled out her multi-tool and alcohol wipes from her pockets, then cleaned the pliers and knife before moving to clean the wounds and start getting the metal out of his skin. He hissed loudly when the alcohol touched his broken skin and spasmed away from her. Marlene moved her arm to gently but firmly push him back against the wall, pointedly ignoring how chiseled the muscles under her hand were. The shouting continued around them and Marlene prayed they wouldn’t come this way until she was done bandaging up Will and they could make a run for it.

Will’s self-control was impressive; he didn’t make a single sound aside from his hissing here and there as she pulled out pieces of metal and cleaned his wounds. Thankfully it didn’t look like anything had gone too deep. Once she was satisfied, Marlene grabbed her discarded shirt and cut it into long strips before tying them firmly around Will’s torso. Will pulled his bloody shirt back over his head and then put the black jacket back on.

“Thank you, I’m very glad you didn’t learn to make bombs.” He leant close to her, whispering directly against her ear, like he’d done when he’d pinned her to the wall in the custodian closet. And just like before, Marlene felt her breath catch in her chest and her whole body leant into him. Then his hand was on the small of her back. “But we should try and get away from here before those mercenaries think to search the area, or worse, the local police force.”

Marlene shook herself and nodded. Will was right, they needed to move. She slipped everything into her pockets before putting her hat and sunglasses back on. “I’ve got a Vespa on the far side of the plantation. If we can get there we can get back to the hotel.”

“I’ll follow you.” Will looked out one of the holes at the shouting mercenaries and plantation workers. “We’ll want to go out the back.”

“There’s no back door, just this part that’s fallen in close to the front,” she whispered and looked out at the scene. Sure enough, there were people everywhere. Thankfully, no local law enforcement yet, but there was no way she and Will would be able to make it out through the side of the building without being seen.

“Hold on.” Will looked at the corner of the back wall where the side of the building was already collapsing. He knelt next to it and began pushing until one of the bricks gave way and moved. Marlene watched him slowly slide the block out, the next block now giving way with greater ease, and finally a third block, leaving a hole big enough to squeeze through.

Wil struggled to slip out, but managed it without toppling the whole building down on them. Then Marlene squeezed through the hole and they moved further back into the vegetation. Will stepped up behind her and placed a hand on the small of her back again, leaning in to whisper against the shell of her ear. “Lead on, Else.”

Marlene indulged in pressing against Will for half a second before getting them moving.

First, she just wanted to get away from the explosion site, and led him as far back into the brush as she could get. She didn’t stop until the growth got too entangled to easily move. They’d at least have a decent hiding spot here while she determined which way to go next. She reached for her phone to determine the direction that would allow them to cut through this jungle of plants to the path near her Vespa when Will pushed her down to the ground, covering her entire body with his own. Marlene looked up just as an ocelot jumped from one of the trees, landing a few feet away from where she’d been standing.

The cat looked put out with them for ruining its fun - the animal didn’t look big enough to eat her - and as it stalked away Marlene’s anger at the thing briefly had her considering killing it but she couldn’t focus long enough because Will was completely pressed against her.

When Will had pressed her against the wall in the hotel Marlene had struggled to keep control, but pressed against the ground, his hands and arms wrapping around her in protection of her rather than in protection against her, left Marlene’s control slipping like sand through a sieve.

His arms slowly slid against her as he started to press up. Marlene rolled over and stopped him before he could completely lift himself away from her. She pushed her sunglasses away and grabbed his bicep.

"Thanks.”

“No problem.” His voice was graveled as he looked down at her, gray eyes tracing from the crown of her head to her lips before meeting her gaze. “Else?” He leant closer.

“Will?” Marlene pushed closer, bringing her nose to knock against his.

Will swore once before closing the distance and pressing her back against the dirt with a searing kiss. The weight of his body trapped her beneath him as he lowered back down, and Marlene moaned as his tongue slid against her lips, pressing, parting, twining, savoring. Her hands pushed up, starting in his hair before moving down and running against his chest, tracing the muscles beneath his shirt, pushing his jacket further out of the way to trace the whole plane of his body.

He hissed when she brushed against the bandages on his left side and Marlene jerked back.

“Sorry,” her chest rose with labored breaths, pressing against his torso. “I forgot.”

“Me too,” Will gave a shaky chuckle before pushing off of her.

Marlene was suddenly cold in the tropical heat.

Will stood and held out his hand. “Ready?”

Marlene looked at his hand, feeling her whole body cry out to take his hand and back him up against a tree while she savored the taste of him again. But they were technically behind enemy lines and this really wasn’t the place. So she steadied herself and let him pull her to stand.

Will immediately pulled her back into him, his other hand cupping her neck while his lips landed on hers in a kiss that pulled every last ounce of oxygen from her lungs. She gasped when he pulled back, wishing he would have just let her faint from lack of air.

Will kept her close, brushing his nose against hers before resting their foreheads against each other. “What do you say we make good our escape and then see where picking that back up leads us?”

Marlene laughed, and couldn’t care how breathless she sounded. “Let’s get out of here.”

She and Will worked slowly through the trees and undergrowth between them and her Vespa. It took the better part of an hour to cover what had initially taken Marlene fifteen minutes, but they finally made it to the thicket where she’d climbed through the hole in the fence.

“Are you bringing the AR or leaving it here?” Marlene asked as she pushed the leaves away from the opening.

Will chuckled, “I’m going to hold on to it, just to be safe. Last thing we want is to end up with people shooting at us and just my 30 rounds of .45 to keep us moving.”

“I’ve got 14 rounds of .9 to add to that but good point.” Marlene pushed through the hole in the fence and reached out for the rifle as Will handed it through. “Careful as you come through, it’s not a huge opening.”

Will smirked at her and Marlene felt the heat move through her entire body but she stared him down, daring him to make the joke - part of her hoping he would.

He managed to slide through without too much issue and then stepped up to her, taking the AR in hand. “How was that?” He leant closer, keeping his lips just out of reach.

“Adequate.” Marlene’s voice was all breath as she stared up at him.

He smirked, pulling the AR from her grasp, and stepped back. “There’s always next time.”

Marlene realized a second too late she was gawking at him.

“Coming, Else?”

Marlene grunted and stepped up to help him pull the Vespa from its hiding spot.

“A scooter, eh?” Will chuckled and tied his mercenary jacket around his waist.

“The shop owner wouldn’t rent me a motorcycle. Said a woman had no business riding one.” Marlene felt her anger bubble up again.

But then strong hands wrapped around her waist and pulled her flush against a wall of hard muscle and the anger rushed out of her with her breath. Will’s lips ghosted her ear again. “Then he’s a weak, weak man, Else.”

Leaning back into him was involuntary. Instinct. Her body taking over and pressing herself against him. Melding her form to his. His scent filled her and cocooned her, the smells of the earth around them, of gunpowder from him firing the AR and riding out the explosion, the leather of the mercenary jacket, all layered over an underlying scent of something heady and crisp. His hands wrapped around her waist melding her against him as his lips made contact with the skin behind her ear. She gasped and his hands wandered up from her waist and his lips moved lower down her neck.

“Will.”

He ignored her.

“Will.” She brought her hand up to his hair.

He continued to ignore her.

“Will!” She forced herself to push forward, away from him even when everything cried out to stay right there with his arms wrapped around her and his lips on her skin.

Will’s expression was primal when Marlene turned to face him and she found it nearly impossible to breathe.

“Let’s get out of here,” she panted.

Something seemed to pull Will out of his trance and he pulled in a shuddering breath before nodding. “Right, let’s go.”

Will climbed on the scooter behind her and Marlene spent the entire ride back trying to ignore his hands on her hip bones as his fingers pressed into her skin. She’d never focused so hard on the road in her entire life - not even on her practical driving exam.

But somewhere in that drive back to the hotel, her mind registered that driving through the streets with a man that had blood on his shirt and an AR-15 on his back probably wasn’t the way to avoid attention.

She pulled off the road before they reached the more populated part of town.

“We should find you a clean shirt and a way to hide the AR.”

“Good idea.” Will kept his hands on her hips a moment longer before stepping off the scooter and slowly sliding his hands along her waist as he went. “Here.” He pressed a wad of bills into her hand. “I’ll stay with the scooter, see if you can buy a duffle bag and a new shirt.”

Marlene shifted the coat to feel where she’d bandaged him. “And some real medical supplies too. I’ll be quick.”

Will snagged her around the middle. “Don’t get careless.”

Marlene didn’t let herself think about it, she pressed forward and kissed him, tangling her hands in his hair, pushing away the voice in her head that told her she was raising the stakes in an already dangerous game.

“You either,” she murmured and eased out of his arms towards the shops and vendors she’d seen while following Riddle out of town.

Twenty minutes later she returned with a large black duffle bag, a black T-shirt, and an arm full of everything she could find to more properly care for Will’s shrapnel wounds.

“Let’s return your scooter,” Will dropped the mercenary jacket as Marlene handed him what was left of his cash. “Keep anyone from realizing we’ve been all that far from the hotel.”

“And then back to your room so I can check that shrapnel wound.”

Will shook his head. “It’s fine.”

Marlene fixed him with a glare. “I’m sorry, I don’t recall phrasing that as a question.”

Will smirked back at her. “A deal, Else?”

“You’re always looking for a bargaining chip.” Marlene huffed and deliberately turned away from him while he pulled off his ruined shirt, shoving the AR into the duffle.

He had enough sway over her as it was.

“Guilty.” Will stepped into her space, his again covered chest pressed against hers, his gray eyes holding her against him almost as strongly as his arms had back at the plantation. “I’ll let you be in control, but you and I team up.” His hand came to slide along her hip as his voice went low. “Officially.”

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.