Look out for the <>!

"Did you know that you forgot your clothes at my place again?" Mara asked a week later as I sat down at my cubicle at work. I had been to her house twice since returning to my own place but I kept on forgetting my stuff.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about them, sorry. I'll pick them up today," I said as I reached under my desk, hopeful that B26 finally left me the documents he said he would. I felt my hands rub against rough paper and I smiled. He finally delivered them. It just took a week to get them.

"You don't have to, I have them with me," she said and handed me a plastic bag with clothes in it.

I smiled at her as I took the bag. She really did have my back. "Thanks Mara."

"Hey, girls," Carter said coming up to us.

"Hey," we both said at once.

I watched Carter as he leaned against Mara's cubical. I hadn't spoken to him since I was attacked. I thought he was still hurting but as he smiled at Mara, I realized that he had already moved on. I knew he would.

"Mara, I'll pick you up at seven. Ok?" he asked as he gave her a wink.

"Yeah, that's fine," she said to him as blush showed through her tanned cheeks.

I raised my eye brow at the both of them. I never thought Mara would be interested in Carter. We used to laugh at all the girls chasing him. I wondered what changed and was slightly hurt that she hadn't told me about this.

He nodded then left us to talk about what just happened.

I looked at Mara who just blushed silently. "Carter?" I whispered.

"I know...."

"How?"

"It's a long story. Can I tell you later?"

I nodded. "Sure, but I expect you to tell me all the same."

"Deal, oh and about your question you asked me yesterday, there's a data base to look up the past owners of the cubical. I'll show you," she said with a smile, happy to change the topic.

It made me wonder why she was so nervous in sharing. It's not like I would judge. She could like who she wanted.

She walked into my cubical then started to type away on my keyboard. within seconds, she took me to this white screen that had a search box. "All you need to do is type in the desk and they'll find it for you."

I smiled at her. There was a reason why I wanted to know about the cubical. I was hoping that once I figured out who had own B26 in the past, it could help me gain an idea of who was talking to me. This was the step in the right direction. "That's so cool, thanks Mara."

"Yeah no problem," she said indifferently then left to go back to whatever she was working on in her cubical.

I turned back to me computer. In the solitude of my cubical, I reached under my desk and pulled out the file. I smiled as I looked at the tan paper in my hands. I had been waiting for the document for days. I thought it would come sooner.

Knowing this was from B26, I quickly shoved it under a stack of papers then turned to my computer again. Now it was time to look through the data base. I put my hands on the key board when a woman came up to us and said, "Mara, Annalise, you're needed at your grandmothers office."

Damn it! I screamed mentally in my head as I slammed my hands on the keyboard in frustration. I was just about to find out who owned B26 and I got ripped away from it. Lately my grandmother had been the main cause to my unhappiness.

We hadn't talked since I stormed out of her office a week ago. I think she was in denial that it happened. Either that or she didn't know how to talk to me about it. I had been her perfect little girl for so long, it was only time until I wasn't anymore. After all, I did have some of my mother in me.

I just kept waiting for her to flare up at me, to claim that I was fired or that I was a complete disappointment but she had been completely silent. A part of me was glad for that because I didn't want to deal with her. In my mind, it was better not to address the issue. It was clear that she didn't see me as anything helpful so the more distance I had between her and I, the better.

I looked down the hall to my grandmother's office with a frown. Silently I brace myself for the conversation that was bound to happen. As I followed Mara into my Grandmother's office to find that Auggie was all ready there.

Surpised that we were all in here together, I figured that this must have been the case the B26 mentioned. I didn't think I would be going with them, after what I did to my grandmother. I thought she would keep me away from anyone that I could potentially "drag down".

Gram nodded at us. "Mara," she said then looked at me in silence.

I crossed my hands over my chest as if that would protect me from her gaze. I could read the look on her face. She rather me not here. Then why was I? If she couldn't stand me then why was I with Mara and Auggie? Some other person must have put me on the case, this was beyond her control.

"You three are needed in London. You'll be going to a formal party to keep an eye on this woman." She showed us a photo of a woman with blonde dyed hair that looked about 30. "We have reason to believe that she is selling MI6 and CIA secrets to the Russians. Try to get some solid proof. You leave tonight and the party will be tomorrow night," she said and handed all three of us files to read over.

She glared at me as if I did something terribly wrong as she handed another document to me. Her distaste for me was apparent as if she tasted a lemon. I couldn't help but shrink slightly under her. Normally I could stand her steely looks, but today, I wanted to melt under them. She had to understand that I was my dad. I would never live up to him and she needed to see that.

"Are you ok?" Auggie whispered as he looked at me. Sometimes he read me too well and the more time we spent together, the more he read me better.

"Fine," I whispered though my teeth as I tried to cool down.

<>

She walked back to her desk and sat down. "That's all. You may leave. I would recommend to get packed now. But Annalise, I need to speak with you, alone."

Mara and Auggie threw sympathetic looks my way but they knew that they could not help. They walked out of the room and shut the door behind us. I looked at her with a frown. I was alone with her to poke and prod me and I hoped that we could just get through this as quickly as possible.

"Some board members and I think that it would be best if you took a break from work for a bit," Gram finally said as she looked out the window, unwilling to face me.

I gritted my teeth. I should have seen this coming, but hearing it from her was like fueling the fire that was already burning. She was driving the stake between us deeper into the ground. She thought I wasn't stable. She didn't trust me, her own granddaughter.

"We think that all the stuff that has happened is getting to you more then you would like to admit. You're not acting like yourself and I think some time to clear your mind would be good."

I shook my head as fear held me. I was safer here then I was at my own house. If I was benched, the CIA would do nothing to protect me. MIA was waiting for this moment. This was that they wanted. "I'm copping, gram you can't do this! Please."

"After this mission you'll be benched for a month."

I felt myself sink deeper into fear. A month, without the CIA, without B26 files coming to my desk. She was throwing me under the bus, didn't she see that? What she didn't know is by doing this she was throwing me to the wolves. I was in a pit and she was throwing dirt over me. Not only was she killing me but she was killing our relationship. "A month! What? That's so long, what am I going to do?" I said rising my voice. "If this is because of the fight we had, please let me make it up to you. I just got caught up in the moment."

She shook her head as if her mind was already made. I was her failure and this was how she was going to deal with it. She was bushing me under the rug. "The paperwork's already submitted."

I wanted to fight, to make a scene, but that would not help my cause. I felt my hands shake and I quickly shoved them into my pockets. Maybe she wanted to kill me. Maybe she wanted the MIA to take me away. Maybe this was her plan all long. Realization hit me like a ton of bricks. My grandmother wasn't part of the good guys. That was why she didn't believe me.

I need to get out before I blew up. I shut my mouth and turned to walk out without saying anything more. I stormed back to my desk in anger and fear.

Mara popped her head over to look at me, curiosity written all over her face. "What did you're gram want? Are you ok?"

I frowned at her as I logged onto my computer. "I don't want to talk about it," I said as I tried to keep myself together.

She nodded, taking my response. "Ok. Well, I'm going to pack. Aren't you?"

"Just give me a few. I need to check something." I needed something to distract me before I exploded.

Mara stood up from her desk and smiled lightly, as if that would make me feel better. "Ok, I'll see you at the airport." 

Once she left I let out a sigh and looked at the computer screen as it turned black. I frowned, not in the mood for this. "Even if your grandmother doesn't support you, I still have your back."

Great I still have B26. At least a computer still had my back. I wasn't sure if it gave me comfort because B26 was the reason why I was here in this problem to begin with. I didn't feel like he had my back.

"The file will tell you what to do next." the screen said then suddenly my computer shut down.

I frowned as I hit it with anger. I was going to lose it if I stayed here any longer. I got up from my chair and grabbed my purse. Forget about finding out B26. I would find that out later. I needed to leave. As I passed other cubicles I noticed that other people's computer were shut off. In fact, I think the whole floor was off as I walked to the elevator.

I walked out of the building as if my life depended on it. Finally, when I got into my car, I screamed. I let out all my anger at my steering wheal as if it deserved it. If I didn't get that message from B26 in the first place, none of this would have ever happened. This was all because of him. And now that I was in this mess, I had no choice but to move onward with it.

I took a deep breath and pulled out the file in my purse from B26. On the front page was a note from the creator himself.

Annalise,

Be careful. These people don't mess around, I'll watch you from the bank but there is only so much I can do. Think before you do and just try to be safe.

B26

Suddenly, all my anger I felt towards him faded. Even though I didn't know who this B26 was it felt reassuring that someone cared about me and wanted me to be safe. I took out the note and saw what was behind it.

My eyes skimmed over the blueprints of the bank. It showed were the cameras were and when and where the guards changed. It was detailed and well planned out. He thought hard about this. B26 wanted this to be perfect. If we followed his plan, we would be safe.

As I read more into the file, I found out that he wanted us to go deep into the building and find the bug they used in the NYC and in my house. A small sliver of hope come as I realized that if we got that bug things could maybe be reversed. One last thing he wanted me to do was bug their computers. In his details were steps on how to release the bug without them knowing it was us.

At the end of his details was left a hand written note, "Time to bring the fight to their door step."