Rogue Nation: Meet the IMF

Chapter 7: Casablanca

Benji typed away at the computer as Kat watched, and her brow rose with his as they read the contents of the flash drive... after some minor hacking of the security protocols of course.

"Well, that's interesting." Benji commented and Ethan asked immediately: "What is?"

"It's a SCF." Benji explained as he pulled up his screen on the monitors. "Secure Computer Facility. Offline, ultra-contained, it's impossible to hack in from the outside. It's essentially a digital safety deposit box. Very strange thing for a young lady to be carrying in her sundries."

Kat snorted, while Ethan's eyes narrowed in thought and he asked: "Where's it located?"

"Uh...Morocco." Benji read, and Ethan turned to them with a raised brow. Kat met his gaze and she smiled expectantly.

"Morocco?" Ethan asked and Kat shrugged.

"As long as I'm not seducing a rich guy." She teased, and both he and Benji grinned.

********

Casablanca

The trio walked down the dusty road, wearing sunglasses to protect their eyes from the hot Moroccan sun as they looked for the right house. Ethan paused as he saw a door with a small white paper taped to the front, a single kiss mark pressed onto it in the exact same purplish-red shade as the lipstick they'd taken from Ilsa.

He led the way inside, Kat staying between him and Benji as he'd ordered, as they walked through the estate, looking for their new 'friend'. Kat frowned as they made their way through the living room and out into the pool, overlooking a large green field, with no sign of Ilsa anywhere.

They paused as a woman broke the still pool surface, gasping for breath as she checked something on her wrist. She was breathing heavily, indicating she'd been under for quite some time, before she pulled off whatever she'd been wearing on her wrist and turned around.

Ilsa raised a brow as she spotted the three standing in the doorway to her patio, while Kat noted, with faint amusement, the way Benji and Ethan raised a brow as they in turn noted Ilsa's black bikini. The woman stepped out of the pool confidently walking towards them and if Kat was being honest, she couldn't fault the woman. Her entire body was toned and the muscles defined, evidence of her hard work, and while the bikini hid almost nothing, there was nothing she needed to hide.

Ethan calmly picked up her towel for her, handing it over without any outward sign that he'd noticed Ilsa's body as he kept his eyes trained on her face. Kat certainly admired his professionalism- Benji was having a slightly harder time keeping his mouth closed.

"Now," Ilsa purred as she stopped before Ethan, "what brings you gentlemen, and lady," she nodded at Kat, "to Casablanca?"

Ethan simply lifted the lipstick tube, and Ilsa smiled.

********

Somewhere near CIA headquarters

Brandt drove up to the helicopter-landing pad he'd agreed to meet Luther at, arriving just as the helicopter arrived. Brandt climbed out of his car, carrying a folder as he called to the man exiting the helicopter: "Good to see you."

"What couldn't you tell me over the telephone?" Luther replied over the noise of the helicopter blades as they walked away from the chopper.

"The Chancellor of Austria was assassinated." Brandt replied as the helicopter took off. "We believe that Ethan and Benji were there."

Luther frowned, but listened silently as Brandt continued grimly: "Hunley's handed this over to Special Activities Division. We need to find Ethan before they do."