MISSION MOONLARK, kotlc

8

"We got the files and the artifacts," Sophie reported, spilling out the contents onto the inspection table.

This was standard protocol- all obtained objects were to be properly scanned for legitimacy, fingerprints, and any other trace of information.

The only thing was that it was run by their drug and chemical specialist, Agent Galvin, who reminded Sophie of a stereotypical strict English teacher with an uncanny obsession with her designer shoes.

"Oh and would you mind running this plate? Saw it outside the building and there were some spy looking people getting out of it. Got it from the feeds," Dex informed her.

"Ask Tinker," Agent Galvin instructed absentmindedly, still examining the block of magsidian. "She can do it faster."

There were a few more minutes of awkward silence as Agent Galvin continued studying the files.

"I can do this by myself," she snapped, shooing them out the door. "Go do whatever."

Sophie shrugged and hurried out before she could spill anything on Agent Galvin's precious designer shoes- again.

-------------------------------

"... just a minute. Plate scans take a while."

Sophie fidgeted with the edge of her shirt nervously. 

She glanced at the picture- and nothing looked too special... "Wait. Zoom in over here."

Dex gave her a quizzical look before zooming in on the picture. "What about it?"

"Who's that?" Sophie pointed to a random figure standing in the center of the parking lot. She tapped on the persons face and a chorus of gasps filled the room.

"Fintan Pyran," Biana whispered, leaning in closer. "Top tier Neverseen member. Mom ran into him on an NYC assignment."

"Who's he talking to?" Fitz wondered.

"Dex, is the plate done?" 

He nodded. "Um... this says it's a Japanese model that belongs to... wait, what does that say?"

"Alvar... Soren Vacker," Sophie mumbled, peering closer at the screen and hoping she'd misread. "But... but that makes no sense! That's your brother."

"I noticed," Biana told her. "But why would he be meeting with Fintan?"

"He could be being threatened," Sophie offered, trying to stop the next Great Vacker Panic Attack. 

"Can you bring up his agent profile?" Fitz asked. "We can track his calls."

Dex typed a few things into the computer and a birth-certificate-like profile popped up on the screen. "Last night: Agent Della Vacker. This morning: The pizza delivery guy. This afternoon: Vertina."

"Anything else?" Sophie wondered nervously.

"He could've scrambled his call," Biana suggested, looking less than thrilled by that idea. 

"Black Swan phones can't be scrambled."

There was a beat of silence where it took a moment for Sophie's brain to catch up with what she'd said.

"Unless... he has another one?" Fitz guessed. "But why would he be contacting Fintan Pyran?"

"Where is he now?" 

The sound of the keyboard clacking was agonizingly slow.

"Um.... Atlantis shopping center," Dex muttered, still typing.

"Then we know just where to look," Fitz interceded.

Sophie stared at the picture again, trying to remember every detail. Both men wore casual clothes and looked almost as if two random people were simply talking. That was expected- most people assumed spies wore fancy tuxedos and sunglasses, snooping around at night: but a normal guy in ordinary clothes was a lot easier to believe then one who looked like he could be straight out of a James Bond movie.

"What's our cover up?" Biana asked, sounding anxious.

"You can't fool a spy," Sophie managed to tell her. "But stealing a car is a different story."