| Subject: This I Offer 9/20 |
Author:
Athena4
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Date Posted: 19:20:11 03/06/02 Wed
In reply to:
Athena4
's message, "This I Offer" on 14:58:36 03/03/02 Sun
It felt as if it had been raining for days. The storm clouds had blown in in the early afternoon, bringing with them high winds and almost bitter cold. Cooped up in the compound, Madeline had sought solitude.
She found it in a cozy library on the far side of the house. Shelves of books filled the back half of the room, dark wood flooring almost shimmering in the dim light. A large window seat graced the other side, its curtains opened to reveal the torrential rain. On a more pleasant day, the garden would be visible, lines of flowers and shrubs framed amid the dark draperies.
Pulling a blanket from one of the overstuffed couches, Madeline sat on the cushioned ledge, leaning back against the wall to watch the rain come down. She knew she didn’t have much time, but she needed a couple of hours to herself; to lay out the mission objective in her mind, to create a plan of attack, and most of all, to settle her thoughts.
She hated that the situation with Paul was affecting her the way it was. She just couldn’t push it out of her mind, and she had to. She needed to focus on the mission at hand, not on Paul, not on all they might lose.
Closing her eyes, she pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders, leaning her head against the cool glass of the window. Weeks in the planning, the mission profile boiled down to several simple points. First, it had hinged on their initiation into Ryker’s organisation. Once that was accomplished, two things needed to be done.
Paul, using his position as liaison, had to sabotage several of Ryker’s crucial sales, pinning the disruption on one of his contacts. Madeline was needed on site to execute the principal motive of the mission – the recovery of Ryker’s directory of suppliers and clients.
Possession of the directory would allow Section to shut down Ryker’s operation – cutting him off from his sources. Unable to maintain its integrity, the organisation would falter and fail, likely with Ryker himself falling into Section’s hands. Paul’s part of the mission would aid this as well. With a traitor in his midst, and several failed transactions under his belt, Ryker would no longer be able to assure his clients of their confidentiality or safety. They would turn to other sources, or they, like him, would collapse. And all the better for Section if they did.
But the Agency did not intend for all of Ryker’s suppliers to collapse. Once Madeline returned to Section One with the files, they would be transferred to the Centre. Ryker’s resources would be used to keep the Sections functioning at full capacity. Those that could aid Section’s cause would be retained; those that couldn’t would be destroyed. And those who felt they could refuse to co-operate would be convinced otherwise.
Shades of grey Adrian called it. Madeline wasn’t sure she agreed.
Sighing deeply, Madeline opened her eyes to gaze out at the rain. The difficult part was going to be gaining Ryker’s confidence. She had no doubt that she could get close to him. But getting into his bed and getting him to trust her were two very different things.
But if she could convince Ryker that she had willingly betrayed her husband, and her moral code, then maybe he would be more willing to share his world with her. And if he felt she wanted his protection, he might even let his guard down enough to make her mission that much easier.
It was a long shot, but everyone had a weakness – and Ryker’s was his ‘knight in shining armour’ complex.
A creaking in the doorway brought Madeline’s attention back to her current surroundings. She could see Ryker reflected in the glass of the window, his form silhouetted in the doorway. Watching his approach, she feigned ignorance, looking for all intents and purposes, as if she were watching the rain, instead of his steady pacing towards her.
“I see you’ve found my hideaway.”
Madeline started and turned her head towards him, her face showing Ryker that she’d been taken by surprise, her mind analysing his words. His hideaway. Why had she not anticipated that? It hardly mattered; it actually worked to her advantage. One more common pastime between them, one inch closer to her goal.
“I’m s-sorry,” she began, sliding her legs off the window seat. His hand on her shoulder stopped her movement.
“It’s all right,” he smiled, gesturing for her to return to her previous position. “Please stay. “
His hand slid from her shoulder, falling to his side as he sat on the window seat opposite her. Madeline smiled, curling her legs up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them; aware that her movements signalled discomfort with his proximity.
He smiled – no, leered – at her, and stood. “I just came to retrieve a book. I’ll leave you to your reverie. But perhaps you’d care to join me for dinner this evening? “
“I- “ Madeline lowered her eyes to her feet, chewing her lower lip. “Maybe another night?” she said quickly, almost falling over the words. It wouldn’t do to move too quickly. She needed to remain devoted to Paul, at least for a little while. When she looked back up at Ryker, tears were shining her eyes. “I think I’d like to be alone tonight.”
Ryker’s leer returned, and he nodded. “Of course. My apologies.” He paused, glancing out at the rain, an unidentifiable expression crossing his face as Madeline watched him. “I have a wonderful collection of literature. I don’t know where your tastes lie, but I’m sure there’s something to suit your fancy.”
“Thank you,” Madeline replied amicably, leaning back against the wall again. “I may take something back to my room with me later, if that’s all right?”
Ryker nodded distantly. With no sign of conquest in sight, he wasn’t interested in idle chatter. “I’ll have Joseph bring you your dinner upstairs. Good night, Madeline.”
Madeline suppressed a shudder as he said her name. Something in his tone oozed sex, and not the pleasant sort. The urge to shower was overwhelming. “Good night,” she replied softly. “And thank you.”
As Ryker exited the room, Madeline stood and shook off the blanket. Ryker had definitely been distant at the end of their conversation, but she didn’t think she had turned him off completely. The tone of his voice had definitely suggested otherwise. But she’d have to tread carefully – she didn’t want an overplaying of morals to impair the mission.
Dropping the blanket back onto the couch, she moved towards the shelves at the back of the room. She wasn’t sure about the surveillance level of the quarters Ryker had provided for her, but she didn’t want to make him suspicious. Scanning the shelves, she was remarkably unaffected by the titles there. Wonderful collection of literature, indeed.
The Arabian Nights. A Man and a Maid. Baudelaire’s Les fleurs de mal. Confessions of an English Maid. Scandale D’Amour. Various titles by the Marquise de Sade, several that she hadn’t known existed. And a leather bound, and illuminated, copy of The Pearl.
Madeline shook her head in resignation. The finest collection of classic erotica she had ever seen. Why was she not surprised? Reaching for a battered copy of The Arabian Nights, Madeline wondered once again just how bad the mission was going to get.
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