Special Agent | ✓

Forty-Four

a/n: enjoy, lovelies! and holy heck, i realized we're almost at 70k. that's insane, and all thanks to you. much love. 

Forty-Four

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They were going to get Willa.

It was a thought that was terrifying to Quinn. She wanted to run the plan by someone she trusted, someone who'd taught her how to maneuver these situations, although from the perspective of an an Analyst. Only one person had done that for her, and held her complete trust.

Chief Adina Tibble.

Quinn had wished to call her for days now, though she didn't want to risk any more contact than she'd already had.

Though, I do feel this qualified as an emergency.

Tapping out Adina's number, known by heart, Quinn lifted the phone to her ear. When Adina didn't pick up, Quinn felt her heart sink. Chief Tibble was a busy woman, of course, and it wasn't all too strange that she didn't find the time to response. As it was quite late, too, Quinn wondered if perhaps her mentor was simply asleep.

Shoving doubts aside, Quinn focused only on the present. Even if she wouldn't have Adina's steady response to her doubts, she had spent enough time with her mentor to trust some of her own instincts. Instincts that, hopefully, would get them through this extraction missions.

Though those instincts would probably be better honed with some sleep.

A handful of hours — which in reality meant two, generously counted — had been used to rest. Now it was time for action. Kat had sequestered herself in one of the grand bedrooms of the suite loaned to O'Reilly, Locke and Kat by the intriguing Mr. Wallace. Now, though, Quinn decided to disturb Kat's peace of mind by lightly knocking the door.

When she heard Kat call out, she inched it open. Kat sat cross-legged on the bed, lazily flicking through TV channels. Her eyes lifted as Quinn entered, studied the all-black ensemble Quinn had put on, before they lit up with realization.

"You're leaving now, aren't you?"

Quinn nodded briefly, then moved to seat herself beside her friend. Kat settled on a channel running an old episode of a familiar sitcom, not that any of them actually watched. Instead, Quinn focused on pulling air in and out of her lungs, attempting to weigh her words.

She knew she needed to make it quick. Gavin waited in the living room outside, most likely counting the minutes until they had to leave. He'd become unnervingly calm, that pre-mission routine kicking in as he slipped into his Special Agent persona. Quinn supposed that she, too, needed to get herself some of that, especially as she was headed into the field with him now.

Guess I'm a Special Agent now, too.

The thought upturned some of the pessimism swimming in Quinn's mind, though not all of it. She had millions of doubts, regrets, lounging in her might right alongside that pessimism, that worry. One of the worries was Kat, and her situation.

Quinn turned to her friend, deciding to speak.

"We're leaving in a few minutes. Kat — I want you to know that I'll do everything necessary to get Willa back. Everything." Quinn repeated herself, eyes boring into Kat.

Kat turned to Quinn, a sad expression painted on her face.

"I know you will. I just ... I just hope it doesn't mean you taking unnecessary risks, kiska. Wrongs never right other wrongs. You know that."