Operation London Read Online Free Page B
Author: Elle Hansen
backup and made it just in time. Then I went to the party and tried to meld."
"You didn't meld?"
"I tried..."
"But you didn't." Tess looked at Ava firmly, forbidding her from darting her eyes away.
"I didn't. I actually created a scene. Played the big shot, made Hiroshi look like a fool. Defended some ungrateful woman like I was her knight in shining armor," she muttered, feeling more like a badly behaved elementary school child than a professional agent.
"You understand the repercussions this type of behavior could have on a classified mission team?"
"Yes, I do."
Tess stood up slowly and looked straight at Ava, then paced calmly, looking out the window long and hard . "I have to do what is best for an entire team of people, Ava London."
A lump rose in her throat and her gray eyes pricked with the hot onslaught of tears she wished would stay put.
"You are a valued agent. If I allow you to stay with your performance record as is, I am jeopardizing the lives of many. And I am losing the very qualities that give you the potential to be an amazing agent."
"I haven't proved myself?" Ava asked softly, looking down and to the side to avoid showing her glistening eyes to the powerhouse of a woman.
"Not yet. I won't lie to you. Another leader might tell you to hit the road permanently."
Ava felt the air bite into her lungs as she breathed in fully and much too deeply.
"Are you letting me go?" she gasped quietly, losing all control over her voice.
"You aren't ready . Go live a little." The command was abrupt, even condescending. Tess had already bent her head over papers on her desk, seeming to forget the woman in front of her in the blink of an eye. Ava had felt nervous, sad and disheartened, but she felt the heat rise back inside of her once Tess turned away from her.
She marched to Tess's desk and threw her hands down, leveling her face with the bold older woman's.
"I have given sweat and tears for this division. I have bled and fought and sacrificed for this division! Is my work worth nothing?" Ava demanded forcefully, accusingly.
Tess took her time looking up at the angry tigress before her . The young woman's chest rose and fell with every excited breath and her hands shook and slid on the polished table top with the effort of her declaration. Tess couldn't deny her strength, her passion, her absolute energy.
"Listen here little girl . An agent is a life. Full of love and hate, decisions and experience. You aren't an agent til you've had a little of each. When you've had a taste and that fills up your passions, you come back. Come back to Division Lynx with a cool head and I'll try you again. And you'll be better for it." This time Tess grabbed Ava's hand in her papery, strong one and squeezed hard. "I'm rooting for you, Ava. Don't ruin your chances."
A secretary came in to usher Ava out . There was a haze over her world, over the bright light of the sky and the bustle of the streets. For so long Division Lynx had been her family, her lover and her life. Now she had been pushed out of her home and found that she had no safety net. Life was buzzing on around her and she had no place in it.
She straddled her red motorcycle and put on her helmet, preparing to go back to her hotel and do something brave . She was going to indulge herself, give in and do what she had been neglecting to do for a long time. Ava London was going to chill out and think.
Back at the hotel Ava's caramel knees and her relaxed face, crowned with glistening strands of hair, were all that anyone could see poking out of the steaming, scented bliss of her first bath in months . Her lithe arm reached from the heaven of warm water to grab the stem of her wineglass, brimming with a cool white. It was French, expensive and delicious. Just the thing to help celebrate her step back into the role of a civilian. A long draught of crisp liquid filled her mouth and swept down her throat, adding to the general atmosphere of relaxation and
"You didn't meld?"
"I tried..."
"But you didn't." Tess looked at Ava firmly, forbidding her from darting her eyes away.
"I didn't. I actually created a scene. Played the big shot, made Hiroshi look like a fool. Defended some ungrateful woman like I was her knight in shining armor," she muttered, feeling more like a badly behaved elementary school child than a professional agent.
"You understand the repercussions this type of behavior could have on a classified mission team?"
"Yes, I do."
Tess stood up slowly and looked straight at Ava, then paced calmly, looking out the window long and hard . "I have to do what is best for an entire team of people, Ava London."
A lump rose in her throat and her gray eyes pricked with the hot onslaught of tears she wished would stay put.
"You are a valued agent. If I allow you to stay with your performance record as is, I am jeopardizing the lives of many. And I am losing the very qualities that give you the potential to be an amazing agent."
"I haven't proved myself?" Ava asked softly, looking down and to the side to avoid showing her glistening eyes to the powerhouse of a woman.
"Not yet. I won't lie to you. Another leader might tell you to hit the road permanently."
Ava felt the air bite into her lungs as she breathed in fully and much too deeply.
"Are you letting me go?" she gasped quietly, losing all control over her voice.
"You aren't ready . Go live a little." The command was abrupt, even condescending. Tess had already bent her head over papers on her desk, seeming to forget the woman in front of her in the blink of an eye. Ava had felt nervous, sad and disheartened, but she felt the heat rise back inside of her once Tess turned away from her.
She marched to Tess's desk and threw her hands down, leveling her face with the bold older woman's.
"I have given sweat and tears for this division. I have bled and fought and sacrificed for this division! Is my work worth nothing?" Ava demanded forcefully, accusingly.
Tess took her time looking up at the angry tigress before her . The young woman's chest rose and fell with every excited breath and her hands shook and slid on the polished table top with the effort of her declaration. Tess couldn't deny her strength, her passion, her absolute energy.
"Listen here little girl . An agent is a life. Full of love and hate, decisions and experience. You aren't an agent til you've had a little of each. When you've had a taste and that fills up your passions, you come back. Come back to Division Lynx with a cool head and I'll try you again. And you'll be better for it." This time Tess grabbed Ava's hand in her papery, strong one and squeezed hard. "I'm rooting for you, Ava. Don't ruin your chances."
A secretary came in to usher Ava out . There was a haze over her world, over the bright light of the sky and the bustle of the streets. For so long Division Lynx had been her family, her lover and her life. Now she had been pushed out of her home and found that she had no safety net. Life was buzzing on around her and she had no place in it.
She straddled her red motorcycle and put on her helmet, preparing to go back to her hotel and do something brave . She was going to indulge herself, give in and do what she had been neglecting to do for a long time. Ava London was going to chill out and think.
Back at the hotel Ava's caramel knees and her relaxed face, crowned with glistening strands of hair, were all that anyone could see poking out of the steaming, scented bliss of her first bath in months . Her lithe arm reached from the heaven of warm water to grab the stem of her wineglass, brimming with a cool white. It was French, expensive and delicious. Just the thing to help celebrate her step back into the role of a civilian. A long draught of crisp liquid filled her mouth and swept down her throat, adding to the general atmosphere of relaxation and
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