Hidden Tracks | ✓

07 | high heels on cobblestones

Our hotel in Paris was a quaint little building by the name of Hotel de la Paix.

It wasn't as fancy as a five-star hotel, but it definitely wasn't shabby either. And I personally liked the street where it was located, a cobblestoned path full of pastel coloured buildings and potted plants.

I might have a preference for black, but that didn't mean I didn't find pastels pretty.

As the three of us entered the building, we found ourselves greeted by antique furniture, gilded pictures hanging on the wall and a large grandfather clock at one side. The smiling receptionist checked us in and within no time, we had our individual rooms.

My room was fairly large, with a small balcony tucked away to one side. I put my luggage in one corner and freshened up.

The three of us had planned to meet in Miranda's room after freshening up, and so, I walked over to Room #315 after changing into a clean set of clothes.

Soler walked up at the same time as me, and we shared a frosty look before I knocked on her door.

"Come in!"

We entered to find Miranda sitting on the bed, a map of the city sprawled on the covers.

"We need to decide our gameplan for tomorrow, when you meet Isabella Hill."

We nodded and sat down to look at the map.

Soler began. "I think Miranda and I could take cover at a place near the café as Winter enters it, and a few minutes after she does, both of us can also walk in and sit at a table nearby."

Miranda agreed. "Sounds good. We need to be as inconspicuous as possible. We need to look like a couple out on a date or something, and Kaia, you need to dress up differently than you usually do, if you want to look believable."

I nodded. "I know. I already bought some stuff with TIA's money before we set out for London, cause I had a feeling I might need a few outfits as disguise."

"Good. Now let's study the map and look at all the locations near the café. I want to know why she chose this specific place to meet up."

"Maybe this café is closest to where she's living right now? She said she was meeting some friends."

"But," Soler pointed towards the map, "I don't see a single hotel anywhere close. In fact, the nearest hotel has a different café even closer to it than Café de la Croix."

I looked at Soler. "Maybe she's staying with a friend, and their house is closer to the café."

"Yes, but why-"

"Can we focus on what we're actually going to do once I meet her?"

Soler glared at me, green eyes flashing. "Well excuse me for pointing something out before your oh-so-intelligent brain caught onto it."

I shot him an icy look. "Thank you for using your brains instead of your fists for once, Soler. Is that what you wanted me to say?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I wanted you to say, because I'm just dying to hear praise from you!"

"Well, you-"

"Enough!"

Both Soler and I had become so charged up from our argument that we didn't notice Miranda had stood up and was currently scowling at us.

"If you're going to keep on behaving like this, none of you will be going to Café de la Croix tomorrow. I'll go as Dr Edwards all on my own. Does that sound appealing to you?"

I sighed. "Sorry, Miranda."

I punched Soler in the shoulder. He winced for a second before turning to Miranda. "Yeah, sorry."

She nodded. Just then a phone started ringing. It was hers.

She looked at the screen. "Oh, it's my girlfriend calling. I'll just speak to her for a couple of minutes before coming back. Meanwhile, you two start figuring out the plan."

After she'd gone to the balcony to talk, Soler turned to me, his eyebrows pinched.

"I thought we weren't allowed to contact anyone except TIA during the mission?"

I gave him a deadpan look. "Don't you know who Miranda's girlfriend is?"

His expression gave me the answer.

I sighed. "It's Agent Soraya Gupta. She's been at TIA for a very long time now-"

"Yeah I know Agent Gupta, of course I do. She's one of the best at combat. But wait, since when is she dating Miranda?"

"I thought this was common knowledge at the agency. They've been together for two years now. They're the first couple at the Agency, I mean the first two agents to start dating each other."

Soler looked genuinely confused, his pitch black hair flopping over his head and lips pulled into a frown.

I had the sudden urge to move the hair out of his eyes, but resisted myself. What the hell?

"How come I never knew about Miranda and Agent Gupta?" He wondered out loud.

I shrugged at him. "Ask yourself that, dumbass."

He glared at me for a second before going back to the map.

"So, what will you do once you enter the café?"

I studied the layout of Rue Lamarck closely. "I'll go in and sit at a table somewhere close to the window, so I can try to spot Isabella before she actually comes in. You and Miranda will take a table close to me, close enough to listen in on our conversation but far enough to be subtle about it."

"Speaking of trying to spot Isabella, show me that picture of her which TIA sent you, once again. I need to remember what she looks like too. Or better yet, send the picture to my phone."

I sent Soler Isabella's picture, which TIA had obtained for me. She had a heart-shaped face with average features. Her hair was a mousy shade of brown, straight and thin, and her eyes were a dull grey. She had a mole below her right eye. Her lips were stretched in a casual smile in the picture, appearing relaxed and unbothered. She seemed to be in her 40s, though I could be wrong.

Soler studied her face for some time, committing it to memory probably, before turning to me.

He opened his mouth to say something, when Miranda came back to the room.

"Okay, agents," she sat down by the map once more, "What's the final plan then?"

Ultimately, we decided Miranda and Soler would pose as a couple and sit at a table behind me. I would, of course, sit somewhere facing the window, dressed as my newest avatar of Dr Edwards.

I would enter the café first while Soler and Miranda would wait at the opposite side of the road. I would try and spot Isabella before she entered, and just as she'd come into the café, I'd pretend to be on my phone. In reality, I'd be texting Miranda that Isabella had arrived.

That would be their cue to enter the café five minutes after her.

After that, there was a huge question mark regarding our next proceeding, because it all depended on how my meeting with Isabella would go.

a/n: ooh, isabella hill and kaia meeting face to face! what info do you think isabella's got for her?