ALICE'S ADVENTURES
"Happy Holidays, kids!" Agent Smith cheered entering flat number eight, in his rendition of a secret service Santa Claus.
"Happy Holidays," Alice chimed, although her performance was far less convincing.
Smith gazed at the two sitting on the sofa, sharing a slice of cake.
"Have you been nice or naughty this year?" he asked, walking to the living area with a cunning look in his eyes. "Actually, don't answer that," he added quickly, looking between Alice and Riley again. "I have a treat for you regardless," he announced, sitting on the sofa opposite the pair.
"You know I'm always deserving of a treat," Alice said, scooping up the last bit of cake.
Highly doubt it.
"Well, darling," Smith replied with a hint of sarcasm. "We've finally managed to analyse some of the recordings from the USB stick."
Alice placed her fork and plate on the coffee table and sat up straighter. Riley leaned forward on his knees, ready to glean the new information.
"The quality of the audio is appalling, that's why we've been struggling so far," Smith continued, evidently happy to have the two's complete attention. "Anyway, they must have moved the stick because we were finally able to get something. And it's juicy." Smith paused for effect, and Riley wouldn't have expected anything less.
"Wanna know who is the political support they managed to secure?" the agent asked.
"Smith, spit it out," Alice said, now out of patience, and Riley was following suit.
The agent chuckled softly, then his eyes widened in excitement.
"David Walsh," he finally declared.
Both Alice and Riley were momentarily silent.
"You mean the bloody INP?" Riley asked.
The Irish Nationalist Party was one of the parliamentary parties represented in the House of Commons and apparently, Aidan had somehow secured a deal with its leader to help in their crazy mission.
"Screw Pratt, this is our big fish," Alice said, stealing the words from Riley's lips.
"And we have it on tape," Smith concluded with satisfaction. "Merry Christmas."
Merry fucking Christmas indeed.
"What do they think of this at the agency?" Alice asked with a preoccupation that took Riley by surprise, but then again, she always seemed to be one thought ahead of him, or anyone else, really.
"Well, obviously the information has the highest level of confidentiality," Smith explained. "But the boss was as smitten as you are when he learned the news."
Alice nodded slowly.
"So they're on our side?" she probed again.
"Yes, there's no outside pressure if that's what you mean," Smith reassured her.
"Any leads on the mole?" Alice continued as if she was now in charge of a secret interrogation.
"No," the agent confessed. "But there has been very little activity after the Cormak incident," he explained.
"OK," Alice eventually relented. "Hopefully it'll stay that way."
Riley stared at her in admiration. Her mistrust for anyone except herself made her an excellent officer.
YOU ARE READING
Drink Me
Mystery / ThrillerRiley Murphy is an ex Royal Marine who left the military after a fatal accident stole his best friend from him. He is ready to leave his past behind and start a new career as a data analyst for the intelligence agency GCHQ. But when he is approached...
