IMPLAUSIBLE

Chapter 1: FIRST LOOK

March, 2033

Queens, New York

Agent Kara Danvers looped a strap of her ruggedized backpack over one shoulder and stepped off the commuter train. For the first time in years, she'd dressed to blend in with her surroundings. No more tailored suits, polished dress shoes, or tasteful understated jewelry. Truth be told, she'd always thought the executive attire mostly overkill for her basement cube back in Langley.

Instead, her new boss had instructed her to dress down for her new position and to draw no attention to herself. Her new goal, he'd said, was to blend in wherever she went. Today, she was to make sure nobody noticed when she showed up for the first day of her new assignment.

That had called for a bit of research.

For the last three days, she'd driven around this neighborhood to get a feel for the area, though she hadn't come within four blocks of the assignment's location. Now, for the first time in what felt like years, Kara walked the streets in an old pair of dark jeans, scuffed boots, and a faded black zip hoodie. The hood was pulled over her hair. If Henshaw wanted her to blend in, then that's what she'd do.

Kara deliberately slumped as she took a switchbacking path to the meet, walking blocks out of her way a few times, matching the pace of the few people on the street. This wasn't a crowded area, not like downtown, but it was busy enough that no one would remember one more hooded figure.

Half a block down a side street, a dark door with an intercom box stood between a pawn shop and small bodega. Kara ignored the intercom and pressed the buzzer twice, paused for three seconds, then pressed it again. The door clicked, and she stepped inside, then pressed the door closed behind her until she heard the lock engage.

A dark stairwell greeted her, but light spilled from the top. Kara followed the sound of echoing voices up the stairs.

Henshaw, the man who'd hired her, stood with his back to the door. Black, tall, and broad-shouldered, he loomed over an occupied chair. In front of a table covered with several computer displays, another man sat in the chair and alternated between two different keyboards.

There were three more tables in the room, but only two were occupied. No one looked up at her arrival.

"Luthor's on the move," Henshaw said. He didn't look at her as he raised an arm and pointed. "That's you. I need AV on him stat."

No preamble. Kara adjusted quickly. Henshaw was pointing to a table on the other side of the small room. A short stack of computer networking equipment was piled on one corner of the table.

Lex Luthor was a suspected terrorist and rumored to be an influential and elusive crime boss. Six governments wanted him for questioning, but this operation of Henshaw's wasn't interested in detention. Henshaw wanted to catch Luthor in the act and put him away for good.

Henshaw nodded at a woman in the corner. "Vasquez will give you the location once you're up."

Vasquez, a younger woman with a serious face, nodded at Kara in welcome, then went back to her own tasks.

Without asking questions or speaking to the other people in the room, Kara opened her backpack and pulled out her own equipment to set up shop.

She could have installed the cables and gear with her eyes closed, so it was easy for her to take a quick look at her surroundings. The room wasn't large. Dated paneling covered walls with no other decoration. This place must have been some sort of office at one time - it didn't seem large enough to have been much of a living space. It was cold in here, despite all of the electrical equipment giving off heat, so the insulation was probably old or nonexistent. Two windows faced the street, but one was covered by curtains and the other was so dirty, it allowed only pale light inside.