BEAUTIFUL NIGHTMARE

CHAPTER NINE: MADE MINDS

THEY watched for a few minutes before spotting a man in a nicely tailored suit climbing out of a black car, there was another man approaching him in a red coat- Sharifs assistant- the two stopped once they were in front of each other exchanging a few words in Turkish before Sharif placed his hands on his assistants shoulders followed by him smacking his face.

He was giving orders.

Sharif left his assistant standing on the curb as he entered the building he'd parked in front of his assistant already walking off as he briefly brought the phone to his ear sliding it into his pocket seconds later.

Mitch stood up briskly walking away from where they were seated and in the direction of the assistant, acting as if she was reaching up to scratch the side of her head she spoke into her small headpiece, "Rapps moving." she spoke her voice as low as possible so only the mic could hear her, "where the hell is he going?" she listened to Annikas voice over the headpiece her voice taut and showing signs of irritation.

Both females watched anticipation creeping through their veins almost like a plague of sorts they were both worried he would get made and expose the entire operation. He approached the man looking off to the side as he shoulder checked him, playing it off as an accident he apologized in Turkish as the assistant pulled out his pack of cigarettes giving Mitch a half assed shrug of the shoulders.

He walked around the area for a few minutes before looping back to where Margo sat, "Hurley is gonna have your ass when we get back." she mumbled, he shook his head showing little to no care in the statement, "doesn't matter, I got something we needed." he pulled his pocket open just far enough for her to see inside, there, resting in between the fabric, sat a phone that wasn't his.

"Well, I'll give you props for that." she sighed, he turned his head to look at her almost letting her smile, "was that a genuinely nice acknowledgment from Lee?" he asked the sarcasm sharp enough to stab her through the heart, she rolled her eyes offering Mitch a smile of her own, "you're not off the hook Mitchy, I'm not bailing you out of this one." he frowned at the mention of his newly acquired nickname watching as she gave him a flashy smile.

"Awww come on, you know you like it." she pushed against his shoulder letting out a chuckle when he pushed back, Annika chimed in over the headpiece, "nice going love birds, let's split up and head back." turning to glance at where Annika had been moments before the pair realized she was already on the move.

Mitch stood up offering his hand out to Margo before she was able to stand, she took it her heart jumping when he pulled her to her feet, "maybe a little less rough next time?" she suggested, he raised his eyebrows before glancing off to the side, letting her hand fall to her side she intertwined her fingers with Mitch's relief flooding her when he let her complete the action.

Walking down the street they kept smiles up exchanging looks every few seconds making their way past the other tourists flooding the area. It seemed normal despite the fact it was nowhere near that.

The noise began to dwindle as they entered the residential area the two of them feeling as if they had to be dead silent or they'd give themselves away, Margo took a deep breath glancing to Mitch as she exhaled.

"Do you want to go back to the hotel?" It was casual talk- it had no meaning as they weren't staying in a hotel- he nodded his head the silence offering comfort to him. She could feel his thumb gently brush over her ring finger, she could feel him running over the outline of the actual ring she was wearing- the engagement ring- he could only question why Stan would have chosen them as the engaged couple, and while he wouldn't voice it out loud, the ring reminded him more than anything of the same one he'd given to Katrina the year prior.

The pair walked on in silence quickly approaching their destination, Mitch opened the door holding it ajar for her, she softly smiled and slipped through waiting for him on the other side, Victor and Stan were arguing while Annika was seated at the table scrolling away at whatever was on the screen in front of her.

At the sudden noise Stan's head shot up glancing to the entrance, "Rapp, you were not supposed to engage." he stated his voice taut with frustration, he pulled the phone out from his pocket offering it out to Stan, "if I hadn't we wouldn't have this." it was Annika who stood up and quietly approached Mitch gently taking the phone from his grasp to bring it over to the table, "that was fucking reckless." Stan added.

"I took the initiative sir." he replied turning to watch Annika as she connected the phone to the computer and began to run one of the decryptions she'd studied for so long during her time in training, "he could've been made." Victor chimed in, Mitch looked to Stan shaking his head, "yeah, and I wasn't, neither was Lee, neither was Ogden." he shook his head trying to understand why the recruit was arguing with him.

Margo stepped forward blocking Mitch as she drew her arm across his torso, "with all due respect sir, he did what he was supposed to do, he was eyes on, he got us the information by observing, he happened to bump into him, he took a chance, and one that's obviously paid off." Stan let out a chuckle giving her an upset smile before roughly pointing a finger at Mitch.

"This is exactly why I didn't want you getting mixed in with him." he grumbled, too coincidental to have not been planned, Annika raised her head, "we've got Sharif's entire schedule."

They all crowded around the computer like vultures to a dead animal, "here we go, eleven a.m. tomorrow." he paused looking up from the computer for a brief second, "meeting at a restaurant on Akbiyik Street, that's right before Sharif goes to see his mistress."

"That breaks his pattern." he sighed, Victor moved so he was standing beside both Annika and Margo, "I'll tell you what'll break his pattern." all of them turned to look at him curious as to what the man had to say, "when that fucking assistant tell his boss he lost his goddamn phone." Mitch stood up his shoulders relaxed as he replied, "he won't."

As if the two were in sync, Annika glanced from Mitch to Victor, "he's too afraid of Sharif to let him know he screwed up." Stan readjusted his belt from behind Mitch making sure his gun was hidden yet secure all at once, "all right. We go tomorrow."

"What's the mission, sir?" Mitch looked to Stan as if he already knew the answer but needed confirmation on it so any actions he made during said mission would be justified due to the certain circumstances, "eliminate the target, eliminate the recipient." he glanced to Margo, "that's where you come in." she softly smiled to herself finally happy to be put to use.

"Obtain the package." he added picking up a gun from the table, "and what's the package?" staring at him wide eyed Mitch watched as he checked the chamber of the gun, "we'll know it when we see it."

"You and Lee are lead." he shifted his gaze from Victor to Annika and Mitch as if an idea had popped into his screwed up mind, "you two are backup."

Annika exchanged a few words in Turkish with the men beside her Margo almost sure she'd said something along the lines of they'd be watching from somewhere, Stan leaned slightly handing Mitch a gun the barrel pointed to the ground as it should be, Annika smiled glancing to Mitch as this happened, "sevgili oynayacağız."

We get to play lovers.

"Where are Josi and Josh?" she found it odd they weren't downstairs with the rest of them Josh's usual nervous chatter unable to interrupt the flow of the conversation, "upstairs, why?" she shook her head gesturing to the table, "just curious." she mumbled.

"There are rooms upstairs, the boys are sharing a room, same with the girls." Annika stated, Margo glanced to the staircase not too far behind them, "you want me to show you?"

Margo shrugged her shoulders at the offer finding both herself and Mitch being drawn into the unrequested tour they were being given. The two of them trailed after her up the stairs their eyes wandering over the few pictures and paintings decorating the painted walls, she saw a young girl in one of them sitting on an older womans lap, she could only assume the two were mother and daughter.

In another photo, there was a man, a woman, and two children- a boy and girl, the boy visibily a few years older than the girl- they continued up the stairs the images lingering in her head for a few seconds once they'd passed.

Stepping onto the platform that formed the beginning of the second floor, they followed Annika down a hall lined with doors spread out along the length of the long corridor, she stopped at the end pausing in front of a door.

She rested her hand on the knob and pushed the door open stopping in the doorway, inside, Josi and Josh were sprawled out on the bed swapping spit, "JOSI!" Margo yelped, both of the recruits heads swiveled in their direction as if they were deers caught in the headlights, "you- this isn't-" Josh began Josi climbing off from atop him, Margo held her hand out trying her best not to throw up her most recent meal.

"You guys can keep the room, I'll share with Rapp." Annika glanced from the pair in the bedroom to the pair in the hall, "that's the other room." she gestured to the door behind them, "I'll be in the next room over if you need anything." disappearing into her own room once she'd closed the door leading into the room where Josi and Josh were doing god knew what, the two of them quietly opened the door to the room they'd be sharing.

Mitch let her enter first letting his eyes take in everything before he followed after her closing the door behind him, "so Josi and Josh...." Margo turned to look at him offering a shrug, "I was not expecting...." she paused, "whatever, that, was." he let out a chuckle in turn causing the girl to smile as she turned away to approach the small window on the opposing wall.

The young adult let her eyes observe what was taking place outside, everything seemed so full of life and happiness, she wondered if a future like that waited for her, she highly doubted it.

She wouldn't have a future away from assasinations anytime soon as long as she was under the CIA's observation, and that wouldn't end for a long time.

So long that she could almost imagine a new trainer being assigned to her because at a certain age Stan would be gone and no longer there to keep an eye on her, she prayed that day wouldn't come soon. She prayed it never would, but all things- good and bad- always have an end to them.

Mitch plopped down on one of the two beds resting his hands in his lap, "are you planning on taking a shower?" he asked, she hadn't even thought about that, she hadn't thought that the small house they were staying at had one, she turned to look at him her hands lightly swaying as she did this, she shook her head despite the fact that if they had a shower she knew she was going to use it, "you can go first." he furrowed his eyebrows standing up once again.

"If you want to take a shower you can go first." she gave him a smile- this one clearly portraying that she was beginning to get annoyed with him- "Rapp, just get in." he took a few steps closer yet again shaking his head, "no, you get in."

She frowned reaching out to gently push his side, at the speed of lightning, he snapped his hands out wrapping them around her wrists like rope, she stared up at him in shock trying to pull away, "let go." she spoke her voice no longer holding any of the sarcasm that had been there moments later, he ignored her instead slightly tightening his grip, "god damnit Mitch, let go." this time it seemed to cut through to the man as he quickly released her wrists.

A cold gust of wind swept over her wrists as the blood flow returned to what she liked to think of as her second most used limbs, she frowned at his backside half tempted to pull his hair.

She decided not to.

NEW FLESH

CHAPTER NINE: MADE MINDS