Chapter 14

Agnes felt like she was entering the grand ballroom, passing by the security guards, assistants, and other secret agents as she and Ben entered the French embassy. Her red dress had been a superb choice, not just because it made her look fabulous, but, if Sally, Grant, or anyone else for that matter, tried to take her hostage or steal her away, someone would notice. She made sure to make an impression as she walked into the great marble lobby, with the high-floating chandelier, servers walking around with prosecco and cheese platter, and most importantly, the new player in the game: Ina. Agnes needed a clean break, but Ina could be a decoy for Sally, or this may very well be a legitimate plan. But after Grant had appeared out of nowhere, right when Sally not-so-subtly mentioned that he missed her, well, it did not take a genius to put two and two together: this was a set-up. Grant had either been in New York the whole time she had, or, at Sally’s beck and call. Either way, Agnes was pulling the plug.

Ben was strong next to her, but let her lead them into the room, and down the long corridor, into the ballroom, where there was a live band, and a podium for the guest speaker to announce the benefit campaign and UN statement. Agnes took a glass of champagne and handed one to Ben. She put her free hand on his arm and leaned into him. There was soft samba music playing, and quite a hum of people chatting.

“You are going to have to play along with me, and no matter what happens, stay with me, and leave with me, si?”

Ben nodded and kissed her on the cheek.

“I’m game.”

Agnes winked, then scanned the room. There were obvious agents, scoping her out, probably some of Sally’s puppets to, but where was Grant? And who was Ina? She saw a group of men hover at one of the terrace exits, and then, right at nine thirty, Sally Hutchins walked into the room. Wearing a white Greek empress-style gown, with a long slit up to her bellybutton, and golden high-heeled sandals. Her blonde hair flowed freely, and she wore nothing but red lips, and her red nails. Classic Sally.

Agnes nudged Ben slightly and whispered in his ear.

“That is the boss, Sally Hutchins.”

Ben looked up, as she stood right in front of them.

“Agnes, darling. I see, you are not alone tonight. How odd.”

But she wouldn’t allow a small hiccup like this to shame her perfect breeding and manners. Sally held her hand out to Ben.

“Sally Hutchins.”

Ben smiled and shook her hand.

“Ben, nice to meet you.”

Sally grabbed a prosecco from a traveling tray.

“So, Agnes, dear, I see New York has treated you well. I am happy for you.”

Agnes stood up straight and looked at Ben.

“Yes, real estate never goes out of style here, and we just started seeing each other, nothing set in stone yet…”

Ben laughed, and caressed Agnes’ arm.

“She is quite extraordinary,” he said as he looked into her eyes. Sally interjected, “Indeed, that’s why we miss her so, in London. Did she tell you what she worked on before coming here?”

Agnes stared right at Sally’s eyes, not missing a beat. Ben stepped up his height and held Agnes tight to him.

“Yes, as a matter of fact, Ines told me about your...business in London. It sounds… like a huge liability from a financial point of view. You must have massive overhead costs.”

Ben took a sip of his champagne, then smiled at Sally, who in turn, returned Agnes’s stare.

“Well, there are always ways to pay the bills…”

Agnes laughed, and started to walk away from Sally. Ben took her hand, following her.

“Oh Sally, you have been amazing to bump into, but we are on our way out.”

Sally opened her eyes wide, and followed Agnes, getting inches away from her face, grabbing her arm, and pulling her in, “Listen to me, if you think you can just walk away from this without getting hurt, or your new lover being in the line of fire, you are more naive than I thought you were.”

Agnes pulled her arm out of her reach and stood face to face with Sally.

“You don’t own me, number one. HQ is gone, number two. And you sent me away, to make a life for myself. Number three. I have made my choice. Figure it out for yourself Sally. I...am...out.”

Sally did not look mad, or angry, but sad. The samba music turned into a soft neo-tango, and Sally looked at someone else behind Agnes. She smiled and nodded at whomever it was.

Agnes slowly turned, and there he was. Grant Thornton, by the band stand, with his hands inside his jacket pockets.

Ben pulled on the hand he held, “Agnes, are you ok, or is this the time for me to leave…”

Ben saw how she and Grant looked at each other. He knew already they had a history, and that, Agnes had been waiting to see him again. But he did not know Agnes as well as he would. Agnes turned to Ben and shook her head.

“I don’t want you to leave. I want you to dance with me.”

Ben took her glass, then put both his and hers down on a table with lovely flowers and followed her to the dance floor.

Agnes took Ben’s lead, and slowly started to dance. Grant circled them from a wide radius, then met with Sally on the corner of the ballroom. Ben pulled Agnes close to him and spoke to her while nuzzling her neck.

“Are guns going to come out anytime soon? I don’t want you to get hurt.”

She kissed his neck.

“No, this is a very public event. They are testing me. Now I am testing them right back.”

Agnes knew she could not walk away just like that from the spy games, but she was letting them know, she made the rules in her life, and they could take it, or leave it. Ben did not know this, but she would fill him in later. Agnes looked Ben in the eyes and smiled.

“This is nice.”

Ben kissed her forehead.

“Si linda, very nice.”

Agnes saw Grant leave, and Sally walked towards a woman wearing a gold bombshell gown, red hair in an updo, and a diamond necklace. Ina. They looked right at Agnes and smiled. Agnes knew it was time to play ball in a few minutes. Ben would have to put his life in her hands if he ever wanted to sit at his boring little desk again.

Agnes grabbed Ben’s face with both her hands, and spoke closely to him, with as much love as she could, “Ben, I want you to imagine you are James Bond, and pretend you have a gun in your jacket pocket. We are going to meet two spies from different agencies and may be ambushed. Promise me, stay with me, and trust me… te quiero.”

She waited for him to bail, to run, to say, “Eff this”, but he smiled, and nodded.

“Lead the way… Saint Agnes.”

She had told him about the name they had given her as a little girl during dinner and would thank him for the rest of her life for reminding her of why they had done so. For justice, for freedom, and for the right of joy de vivre.

She walked towards Sally and Ina, Ben at her side.

Sally smiled at her and presented the new spy.

“Ina Arnaut, meet Agnes Villanova, 009.”

Agnes nodded. Ina looked at Ben.

“And who is this?”

Agnes stepped in immediately.

“This is my partner, and professional assassin boyfriend.”

Ina and Sally chuckled.

“Cute, does he have a name?” Ina asked. She had a very thick Russian accent, smelled like cigarettes and vodka. How was she the Paris liaison?

“Igor Stravinsky.” Agnes looked at Sally, then at Ina, waiting for them to say anything.

Ina nodded, then led them up the stairs, to the upper chambers of the embassy.

Agnes carried her dress and felt Ben next to her. This was business, they both knew how to bluff, counteroffer, and back out of a bad deal. After all, they did work in real estate. Ina led them into a small but brightly lit board room. Sally walked in after, then Agnes, leaving Ben to shut the door, and check their tail. Two men followed them up the staircase. He noted that as he scoped out the room. Ina leaned on the large table, while Sally sat at the head, putting her feet up. Agnes stood at the other end of the table, straight as an arrow, Ben behind her.

Sally smiled, then began the show.

“Agnes, my dear, relax, you are back with your family.”

Ina slinked towards Agnes, trying to be friendly.

“I won’t bite you know,” as she sat in the chair in front of Agnes. Agnes moved to the left, with grace, stealthily, like a cat. She was measuring how much bullshit lingered in the room before she could make a move.

Sally leaned forward, “We want you to come to Paris, you and Ina, and head the UN special ops branch from the new HQ we have been working out of there. It has been a...surprising turn of events. The French liaison suddenly...got the flu, so Ina kindly stepped in to fill in. She is from our Russian HQ.”

Agnes had been out of the game for a minute, but she had studied all of the HQ locations, histories, founders, assistants, and budgets with Danka, profusely, and there was no Russian HQ location. Russia was on the blacklist, having betrayed the US and British HQ leaders.

Agnes smiled, not showing her cards right away. Poker face, Grant had reminded her during training.

“How lucky Sally, to have such a wonderful connection with the Russian HQ.”

Ina giggled, and played with her diamond necklace.

“It seems we are the lucky ones, now working together to bring forth a new world order.”

Agnes smelled a rat. Ben was a rock behind her. Ina looked at him and tried to flirt.

“So, Igor, how do you like it, shaken or stirred?”

Sally laughed as Ina touched her neck with her fingers. Ben did not react. Agnes diverted the attention from him, “Igor is a bit shy, but let’s ask ourselves the question on our minds agents…”

Sally and Ina were all ears “How will you get me to believe you two are not working to blow up the French embassy, on the orders of the current Prime Minister, and Russian … dictator… “

Agnes slowly made her way around the table, touching it lightly with her index finger.

“You see, I have been waiting for you to make contact, but during this time, I have also monitored all agent activities, and brushed up on my research...you know, due diligence,”

Sally smiled, uncomfortably.

“It seems we are spewing the worst sort of lies and playing the dirtiest game. But why… what do you have to gain in all of this Sally, Ina, mmm?”

Agnes was standing by Sally at this point. Sally did not look up, she was boiling with fury, “Tell me, what is it you really want…”

Sally slowly looked up at Agnes, “009, you are forgetting yourself…”

Agnes looked over to Ben. She knew Sally had a gun and did now know if she would use it on her, or the man she loved. Agnes got behind Sally and put her hands on her shoulders.

“No Sally...I have not forgotten anything…”

She looked down and saw Sally’s hand reach in between her legs.

Agnes moved so fast Ben didn’t see, but she reached down, yanked the gun from her holster, and stepped back, pointing the gun at Sally.

“Tell me the truth Sally… why did you send me away, why did you tell me Danka betrayed us...why…”

Sally smirked and sat back in her chair.

“You were too fresh to bring into the fold of this bigger op 009… Grant wanted me to leave you out, to protect you. It was his idea to send you away, I wanted to keep you in London, use you, try you out. Danka left on her own, to try to salvage the team down in Venezuela… Ezra was my protege…, but alas, he knew the risk. They all knew it, but Grant insisted, to keep you aside… for himself…” Sally slowly stood up, a smug look on her face.

“You really thought we would welcome you back, and work as a happy family?”

She made her way towards her. Agnes stepped back, still pointing the gun at her, and now, including Ina in her field of range. Ben put his hand on the door handle, ready to go.

“What did you think happened that night at The Palomar, dear little Agnes…. It was all a setup...Grant was a setup, you were setup, even that idiotic Prime Minister Rose was fooled. How do you think X and I got past the Venezuelan militia, outside the Gielgud Theater? By our spy skills?”

She started laughing so hard, she bent over and put her hands on her knees. Ina waved at Ben, smiling with lust.

“Oh, my darling, you are a perfect spy, you are so trusting, and believing, malleable… I am proud of you Agnes. Now, it is time to actually do some work, back in Paris, and then… who knows… “

Agnes cocked the gun, and Sally stopped walking. Ina slowly started to stand up, but Agnes then pointed directly at her. Agnes now smiled and walked closer to the door.

“Sally… it is my pleasure, to take such a compliment from you… however...you underestimate me…”

Sally tilted her head to the right, “How so?”

Agnes shot at the lamps, all six illuminating the room, and ran out the door with Ben.

Outside, at the head of the stairs, the two men spotted them running, and went after them. Agnes ran to the end of the corridor, then to the right, into an office, pulling Ben in, shutting the door, and locking it from the inside.

Ben moved the desk and chairs against the door.

“What now?”

Agnes saw there were French windows, and decided it was time to put her rock climbing and free-falling training to good use. Slams and gunshots were heard outside and screams from the ballroom below. It was all unravelling.

“Ben,” Agnes was opening the window, and Ben came to help her. She tied her long dress to her waist and started to swing her legs over the metal bars, but stopped, and looked at Ben.

“I will have to run, leave New York, and hide for a bit. This is not an easy life, but I will give you the option right now. You can stay here and say I took you hostage. I will understand—”

Ben kissed her before she could finish.

“I will follow you to the ends of the world, and help you end this, so we can then have the rest of our lives, to be boring, and safe.”

She smiled,

“Okay then. Let me go first, then jump down after me. We will need to go to your place, but without being seen.”

He nodded. She made the salute with her hand, then, jumped down, holding on to the large tree branches, hoping no one saw her from the inside.

She made it to the garden below, and in front of her, as if expecting her, sat Grant, on a lawn chair.

“Predictable 009.”

Agnes took the gun from her underwear and pointed at him. Grant smiled.

“Sexy. Wow, you have come a long way from that sweet little rookie in London, trembling in the alley as I kissed you.”

Ben jumped behind her, hitting the floor hard. Agnes turned her head slightly.

“You ok?”

Ben slowly stood up, “Yeah, normal first date bruises.” Agnes smiled.

Grant stood up, and walked right at Agnes, taking the gun from her.

“One, no more bullets, you shot six times, I heard you, and two, I know you will never shoot me.”

Agnes sighed, put her hands in fists, and hit Grant with her right hook.

Grant stopped walking and touched his chin. There was some blood. Ben stifled a laugh behind her.

“Nice one Ines.”

Grant smirked at her. Agnes got to the point.

“Are you with Sally, or are you playing both sides again, I have no time to waste. If you are going to kill me, then do it already. If not, let us go.”

Grant took a moment to take this new woman in, this Agnes who was strong, independent, and damn good looking.

“I came here playing for your life, not knowing the full scope of Sally’s Machiavellian plan. She played me, ok? I didn’t know about Danka…”

Agnes put both her hands on Grant’s throat.

“Asshole! You lied to me!”

Ben grabbed her, pulling her off him.

“Agnes, come on, let’s go, he is on our side.”

Grant nodded, straightening his bow tie, fixing his hair.

“Your boyfriend is right. I am on your side and will help you get out of the country. Obviously, you know that is your next move.”

It was incredible. She had been fantasizing about being with Grant again a week ago, and tonight, she remembered why it would have never worked out. Grant, on the other hand, was trying not to show how broken-hearted he was seeing Agnes with the love of her life. She was the love of his life, Grant’s.

Grant pushed them into the bushes and kept them down there.

“Ok, run to the back of the property, jump the fence, and get into a cab. They have no information on you Ben, so go back to your apartment, then, pick a country. Leave tonight.”

Agnes didn’t want this! She didn’t want to run, she wanted to be normal, have a wedding, make babies, and go shopping!

“Grant, can’t we just lay low in the city?”

Grant stared at her.

“Agnes, trust me. Your cover is blown. If you stay here, the people you work with, and Ben, are at risk…”

Agnes looked at Ben, lying there next to her, in the nighttime, hiding from international bad guys. He still smiled at her.

“We can go to South America; I can hide us down there. It is my home...vamos linda.”

There she was, lying in between the two most important people in her life. Her oldest, truest friend, and the man she saw herself growing old with. Both telling her the same thing...run.

She sighed, and counted to ten, just like Danka had taught her.

She heard more gunshots, screams, and a flash of a white dress in front of her. Sally. Ina followed her out into the garden.

“Find her, find that man she was with, and you have my permission to kill 008.”

Grant.

“And make contact with Gemma, the fiancée Ezra was hiding in Morocco, she and Danka are held up somewhere in Venezuela. Convince her to work with us, then take them both out as well.”

“With pleasure.” Ina sounded like a purring panther. They both walked back into the ballroom.

Agnes looked at Grant.

“You are coming with us.”

Grant, Ben, and Agnes both nodded, then bolted out of the bushes, to the back of the property. Agnes loosened her dress, to appear semi-normal, as they jumped the concrete fencing surrounding the embassy. She was still in pretty good shape. Ben and Grant had a bit of trouble getting over, so Agnes whistled, and got a cab.

As the taxi driver drove up, she realized it was the same guy that had picked her up from her apartment, hours before.

“Oh, hi there…”

He did not seem to recognize her. New York, Agnes thought.

Grant and Ben stumbled in the cab, Agnes in the middle.

Ben grabbed Agnes’s hand, and told the cab driver his address.

Off they went, to his apartment, into the Manhattan night.