Call it What You Want

14 - Boarded Up After the Storm

August 2017

Taylor's POV

"ID ma'am?" one of the guards asked as I pulled up to the gated compound known as the CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia. I pulled down my sunglasses and handed him my badge. He looked at me and looked down at the picture on my badge, studying it to see if I was really the person on the badge. "Who are you here to see?" he wanted to know. 

"Special Agent James Palmer." All the guard did was nod before stepping back into his booth with my badge. I waited patiently while I watched him phone in to confirm my appointment. Security here was the tightest of any CIA facility I had been to and justifiably so. After a few minutes, he came back out and said, "Alright Ms. Swift, you are cleared to enter." He handed me my badge back and hit a button which raised gate and lowered the spikes in the ground. 

I pulled the car through the gate, keeping a slow speed, and drove around until I found building seven. I hadn't been to headquarters in at least two years. Usually, I had no reason to be here. When I got the message from James last night to report here, I knew I was in trouble. The timing said it all. I took an early flight from New York to Virginia this morning. The clock in my car read 10:30. My meeting is scheduled for 11 AM, but I know I can't be late to this. 

I wouldn't say that I was scared to be at headquarters, but I was certainly nervous. I didn't know who else I would be meeting with besides James. I scanned my badge to enter the building. Inside, bright lights illuminated the long white hallways. Employees in dark suits scurried about while juggling coffees and stacks of papers. The office environment was not for me. Though I felt out of place, I looked like I could fit since I chose to wear a black suit with black heels that clicked with every step. I took my time walking to the special operations office. 

When I reached the operations office, a man at the front desk greeted me. "Hello, do you have an appointment with someone today?" 

"Hi, yes I'm meeting with Special Agent James Palmer." I showed him my badge. The desk agent gave me a strange look when he saw my name and badge. Most people at the CIA didn't even know I worked for them, especially the office workers. It was quite entertaining to see their reactions. 

"Special Agent Palmer told me to direct you back to the meeting room. He is in meeting room 3 which is just past all of the cubicles, take a left at the end of the hall and it will be the first door on your right."

"Thank you. Have a nice day," I said before walking back to the room. I took a few deep breaths as I approached the room. 

Outside the meeting room, I could hear James talking with another person. It sounded like another woman. I knocked softly on the door and waited before I heard, "come in."

"Hi Taylor," James cheerily greeted me when I entered the room. He introduced me to the other person he was talking with, his boss. "Taylor, meet Special Agent Rebecca Stewart. Rebecca this is the famous Taylor Swift."

"Nice to finally meet you, Taylor." Rebecca extended her hand for me to shake. James never mentioned his boss before. Well, maybe he did a few times, but I never interacted with her since I primarily worked in the field.

"Likewise." I didn't feel like the bubbly celebrity who met fans and strangers all the time; I felt small and unsure of myself. I wanted this meeting to be over already, but it hadn't even started.

James was quick to fill the silence. "We are just waiting on a few more agents, and then we can get started with the meeting. By the way, congrats on your new album." I honestly couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or genuine, so I just thanked him. 

A few minutes later, a group of four agents entered the room all talking loudly and laughing. All of them were guys. Now I was confused. When James messaged me, I was not under the impression that this was going to be a light-hearted meeting. Also, if this had anything to do about my surprise album announcement, why would we need four more people in on the conversation?