Code Blue

Lexi vs. The Assignment

Spinning in chairs was one of life's simplest pleasures. Pressing my feet to the floor for leverage, I pushed off, lifting my legs and holding back a giggle as I spun in a slow circle.

I was especially in need to a little stress relief at the moment. My supervising director had called me in the morning, requesting I show up for a meeting at precisely two in the afternoon. Thus, I found myself spinning in a chair in an empty conference room at 1:50. I knew the meeting wouldn't begin on time, but I also knew better than to be late.

Being late in the National Intelligence Agency was a major sign of disrespect.

Seeing as I'd just graduated from the training academy, I needed as many points in my favor as possible.

Unfortunately, I forgot to factor in the fact that spinning resulted in dizziness and therefore prolonged recovery time. Thus, when I spotted two figures entering the room, I thrust my hands outward to grab the thick wooden stable and stop myself from spinning, but even when I was stationary, I had a hard time orienting myself. So I planted my feet on the floor and blinked rapidly, standing straight and staring in the general direction of the two fuzzy figures before me.

"Agent Dupont."

That was my direct supervisor, Agent Jenkins. The husky rasp and slight aroma of coffee were unmistakable.

"Sir," I replied quickly, pressing the soles of my feet harder into the ground to keep myself stable.

"Are you alright?"

Once my vision cleared, my muscles tensed when I realized his glare was close to burning a hole in my forehead. Standing up a little straighter, I nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Good," he said, nodding towards the petite woman beside him. "You know Director Haddock."

My eyes widened and my pulse quickly heightened once more. Director Jessica Haddock was the newly appointed head of the National Intelligence Agency. After fifteen years, she had retired from field work and taken a position as a behind the scenes director of undercover operations. So far, her teams had been instrumental in the containment of twenty high profile threats to national security.

Gulping, I nodded. "Director Haddock. What an honor."

I expected her to be quietly questioning why I couldn't stand up straight, but instead was surprised to find her eyes twinkling with amusement and her lips pressed together to keep her from smiling.

"Dupont is it?" she asked, reaching up to push back her dark bangs from her forehead.

"Yes, ma'am," I replied. "Alexandria Dupont."

"How old are you Agent Dupont?" she spoke, her gaze slowly taking in my appearance.

"22, ma'am."

Her eyebrows shot up. "So you're straight out of the academy, then?"

"Yes," I nodded. "Graduated six months ago."

Her eyes flashed with concern and she pursed her lips as she turned her head to face Jenkins, the volume of her voice dropping, but I could still hear her words. "She has no field experience, Jenkins. Are you sure about this?"

Agent Jenkins's eyes darted upwards to study me and although I knew he didn't always appreciate my inability to separate business from pleasure, he did respect me as an agent. And one of these days, he was going to like me as a person as well.

"She's rough around the edges," he admitted, "But she's the best we have in terms of reading body language and determining if people are lying. And in this particular situation, her youth is actually an asset."