Angelo was relaxing thinking things were going to be fine for a while until condor called in saying that birdseed was off script and Angelo sighed a little and he swung over to the other computer to check in on them condor just calm down and try not to sound like your panicked. just follow birdseeds lead she knows what shes doing.........and in case she doesn't I have your escape plan Angelo said softly as he went to work and started to contact Kheshig Kheshig birdseed went off script and condor is starting to freak out a little need you to make sure those girls are covered in case something happens Angelo told him before going silent again for both teams sake...

@Jangel13 condor just calm down and try not to sound like your panicked. just follow birdseeds lead she knows what shes doing.........and in case she doesn't I have your escape plan

"Don't worry, I'm calm enough," Condor replied as she leaned back against the counter and begun to flick through the shop assistant's magazine idly. "Just wanted to make sure you knew that it won't be my fault when she turns up dead." Looking up at one of the security cameras Condor gave it a little wave and a smile.

"I'm holding the front of the shop, and if anything goes wrong..." Condor slipped her hand into the bag hanging from her shoulder, letting her fingers close around her pistol. "...I got it covered."

The plan had been for Condor and Birdseed to distract anyone that might get in the way of Kheshig's work, but now it seemed as if they were doing the complete opposite. He could not hear what Birdseed had said to the woman out front, but now she was heading towards the back of the shop - towards Kheshig. The only saving grace was that the man standing behind him seemed pretty distracted by Condor and Birdseed's attired and physique. He had let out a low, approving whistle when the two ladies appeared on screen, and his eyes barely left that one monitor ever since then, only flicking downwards occasionally to keep an eye on Kheshig.

If it were not for the fast-approaching woman, Kheshig would have tried his hand at getting the man to head out front. It would have been an easy task; Kheshig was no reader of people, but even he could tell that the man was torn between staying to keep watch over Kheshig and heading out front to get a better look at Birdseed and Condor, or to do whatever men who were not Kheshig did with pretty ladies. His mind raced even as he maintained a bored and expressionless look on his face. Perhaps he could still convince the man to leave even after the woman arrived. There was a slight chance that she was coming back to fetch him.

That was when he heard the man let out a shout of alarm. Kheshig's head snapped up to look at the monitor and saw the last thing he wanted to see. Birdseed had entered a door she was evidently not supposed to enter, judging by the man's reaction. The whole point of the distraction was to allow for Kheshig to take his time to do a proper job, but now that seemed to be completely out of the question. For the first time in a very long time, Kheshig felt anger bubbling within him. Changes to the plan, he could tolerate. But such a blatant disregard for operational security? He was going to have words with her once this was over, but for now it was time to get his hands dirty.

"Where the hell is she going?" The man asked, seeing the same things that Kheshig saw on screen. He stepped past Kheshig to get a better look at the monitor. "That door's s'posed to be-"

He never got a chance to complete his sentence as Kheshig chose that moment to act. He stood up, then drove the heel of his palm into the back of the man's neck, just above the base of the skull. He put all of his weight into the strike, intent on knocking out the man with the first strike, or at least temporarily blinding him by attacking the back of his brain. The man crumpled onto the control panel in a heap, apparently knocked out by the blow. Kheshig was not too surprised; the back of the brain was a particularly vulnerable spot, one which could even cause death had he used more force.

His victory was short-lived, as just then the woman appeared. She looked at the man's unconscious form, then to Kheshig, surprise written all over her face. Kheshig acted a split-second too late, and the woman pounced on him first, a switchblade in her hands. Unarmed and not at all prepared for the sudden attack, Kheshig could only defend himself, deftly avoiding or deflecting the woman's attacks. He brought up everything that he had learned during his time with the Chinese Special Forces and bode his time, waiting for an opening. He found it when she lunged forward, extending just ever-so-slightly too much. Kheshig stepped to the side, grabbed the woman's attacking wrist with his left hand and pulled her forward, at the same time driving his right elbow towards her face.

There was a sickening crunch as her nose was shattered by his elbow, and she reeled back in pain, a sharp cry of pain emanating from her lips. By then it became clear that stealth was out of the option, and speed was their last hope of completing the job without any more trouble. It amazed Kheshig that the woman still kept her grip on the knife, but he wasted no time in following up on his assault. He lashed out with a kick at the woman's torso, the flat of his foot connecting with her body and sending her sprawling to the ground. He rushed over to her and pinned her to the ground with a knee on her chest.

"You will not die," Kheshig said, grabbed the woman's head, then smashed the back hard against the ground. She let out a sharp breath, then her body relaxed. These people may be criminals, but Kheshig was not about to kill someone without first knowing their crimes. His days of running and gunning were over; a life was only to be taken when it balanced a debt. That had been his personal creed, and it still was. "Sleep, and dream of a better life."

He stood up and exhaled, wiping the sweat from his brow. The time for the soft approach was gone. Now his objective was to remove all traces of their presence. Let the police or their friends believe that this was just a robbery or a turf war between gangs. Kheshig went to his bag and pulled out an EMP charge. He activated it and placed it on the console. The charge, designed for attacking hardened systems, almost set the entire console afire when it went off, but it did the job. The monitors turned black, and an intermittent buzzing sound told Kheshig that all the electronics were well and truly fried. No one would be able to pull anything from these machines.

He took out his radio from the duffel bag. "Callsign Kheshig here. Target is blind, but stealth might be blown. Tell callsign Birdseed she owes me." He said tersely and threw the radio back into the bag, with a little bit more force than he had intended. Kheshig could understand her actions; if he had been in her shoes, he imagined that he would have felt just as indignant. She was a genius gadgeteer and a capable agent, but her role in this mission amounted to being little more than eye candy. Had Kheshig been the one who put the plan together, he would have found a way to exploit her skills better, but he had not.

Yes, he could understand why Birdseed did what she did, but he did not condone it. An operation was a play, with everyone playing their part to make sure things ran smoothly. Kheshig let out a frustrated sigh and shook his head as he looked around him. Birdseed had decided that she disliked her role and chose another for herself, and now the play was in danger of becoming a flop. Yes, he was going to have words with her when this was over. It was a long ride home, after all.

Birdseed immediately started working on the bugs after making sure there weren't any cameras in here. Swearing under her breath, she swithed her mic over to auto. "Archangel: I fucked up a bit. Didn't wait for Kheshig's green light before going in. Good news: bugs will be up and operational in t-minus 45. Bad news: enemies will know something's up by the time we meet up for the final fight to stop them. Condor: can you quietly take out the clerk. nonlethally? She's the only other one in here. The more we delay any from being found unconscious, the more time we have. Kheshig: sorry, love."
Hoping that Kheshig doesn't think too badly of her, she uses local terminology, along with her forced fake accent to hopefully take off some anger. Finishing up her job quickly and quietly, she keeps an eye on the bugs booting up and starts planting fake data that would seem like she was trying to hack their mainframe and files. Though she didn't pull any data, she made it look like she attempted to open locked folders and documents. She's not super great at hacking, so just trying to poke around in folders would be enough. Don't want them trying to figure out why she was here, so leaving a trail of breadcrumbs would be best.

"Condor: can you quietly take out the clerk. nonlethally? She's the only other one in here. The more we delay any from being found unconscious, the more time we have..."

Leaning back over the counter Condor glanced towards the secured doorway as she helped herself to a tray of sweets hidden under the desk, presumably belonging to the counter girl. "She seems to be taking an awful long time back there Birdseed. Are you sure she didn't run into our Asian friend?" She said into her radio, unwrapping the sweet with one hand and popping it into her mouth.

Glancing up at the security cameras Condor noticed they'd all stopped working, the small lights under the lenses dark and lifeless. Looks like we're in the clear, time for some fun. stepping around the counter Condor quickly pressed the button to open the cash register, scowling when the thing failed to respond. A quick examination revealed a keyslot set into the top of the machine, a security feature that meant she'd have to get the attendant's key if she wanted to open the cash drawer the right way.

Not wanting to waste the time, and needing an excuse should anyone come looking for why the girl had been knocked out and left still alive, Condor pushed the cash register off the counter sending it crashing to the floor. A quick slam with her heel was all it took to spring the drawer open and Condor quickly emptied the money and credit card receipts into her bag to be sorted out later.

Elissa blinked and smiled a little tentatively at Patch, hastily wiping her eyes on her sleeve. She took his hand and allowed him to pull her to her feet. "T-thank you. So... I'm not g-going to h-h-hit you. I r-refuse to be v-violent a-against my friends." She let out a watery laugh. "At least being like this it won't be hard to convince them of our van wrecking. Or what, exactly, is our story...?"

@RomanAria

"Okay Elissa, listen carefully now. We're a late delivery," Patch began, taking Owl's arm carefully as he began to lead her around the building towards the target warehouse. "But we were ambushed by a masked gang and our van was stolen, along with the gear we were carrying. Don't worry about details on that, if any of them ask what our cargo was just tell them we were told not to ask, and so we didn't. Got that?"

Turning away for a moment Patch peered around the corner towards the warehouse, trying to spot how many guards there were on the perimeter. From his vantage point he could only see three, two standing guard by the entrance and a third just walking around the far corner of the building heading towards him, obviously on a patrol route. His plan relied on Owl and his ability to draw as many guards away as they could, and that relied on them all being as close together as possible. If too many were patrolling around the building rather than guarding the front entrance then his plan would just alert the guards to the fact that hostiles were in the area.

"We want to try and get the guards to leave the warehouse, to go hunt down our van." Patch continued, turning back to carefully examine Owl's reactions, "Failing that we just need to keep them out of the building long enough for Fox to get up to the roof, get inside and plant the explosives."

He was still a little worried about the emotionally fragile girl. If it was his operation he'd just leave both of the others behind in the car and climb to the roof himself, but that would involve having to dodge far too many guards and cameras inside the building, even with Archangel's off-site support. The best plan was still a divide-and-conquer move, but he was starting to worry about who was being divided and who was going to be conquered.

"She seems to be taking an awful long time back there Birdseed. Are you sure she didn't run into our Asian friend?"

Stepping out from the room, seeing the cameras' power lights being off. "Yeah. If we're lucky. If we're not, then she's stepped out for a fag." Figuring she was either out cold or having a smoke, Birdseed continued. "Either way, we'll make sure she's having a longer break than she'd intended. Again, sorry for jumping the gun, I-" Having stepped around the corner, she saw Condor's handiwork with the register. A few seconds of silence gave her enough time to realize what sort of ruse she was allowing for. "Ah, faking a robbery? Good move. Plus it'll give us a little more cash towards our own line of work. Let's just close up shop for the day, shall we?" Quickly locking the front door and turning the sign to the 'closed' side, she started towards the back, flipping the lights to the off position as she passed the switch. Remembering that her earpiece was still set to auto-mic, Birdseed reports directly to Archangel. "Birdseed to Archangel. We've cleared the store, planted the bugs, and closed shop for the day, feigning a burglary. We'll pick up Kheshig on the way out and return home shortly. See you soon. Birdseed out."
Turning the earpiece to its manual mic setting, Birdseed motioned for Condor to follow and headed to the camera room, where an angry-seeming Kheshig had amassed three unconscious bodies. Smiling nervously at him, Birdseed decided to take the brunt of his anger. "Heeey... Good job back here, love. Hope you're not too mad about me jumping the gun on the bugs. I'm really sorry and was just itching to use the gear. I hope I wasn't too much of an inconvenience to you. And I really do owe you. Would a nice dinner fix things up between us?" Using her psychological knowledge, she acts small and timid in an attempt to cool him off and not hurt her, being visually weaker and afraid of the man. Though she doesn't feel guilty about rushing ahead on the plan, she does seek his understanding and hope that he'll accept her apology. She wishes no bad blood between her and any of her comrades. If nothing for the fact that most of them could either kill her or have her killed in a matter of minutes if she were to be on the wrong side of them.

Birdseed's niceties did little to soothe Kheshig. He had enough field experience to know psychological manipulation when he saw it, and knew how to act accordingly. In this case, he just ignored Birdseed's words and just pushed past her as he exited the camera room. "Not now. Later." He said tersely, not even bothering to look at her. Despite his anger, his voice was still very much calm and measured. He threw the burnt EMP charge into his duffel bag, zipped it up and slung it across his back. Their job was done here, but it was a poorly done job. It still irked Kheshig that were it not for Birdseed, or if either of the two had done their jobs, he would have only needed to knock out two people rather than three.

The first two - the enforcer and the woman - they were going to be casualties regardless of what happened, that much Kheshig could admit. The clerk who showed up afterwards? She had tried to run when she saw Kheshig standing over the two unconscious bodies, and he had had a half a mind to let her go, but then that would jeopardize the mission. He had almost felt sad and disgusted with himself as he caught her by the arm, pinned her against the wall and squeezed her neck till she passed out. He saw the fear and pleading in her eyes, but all he could do was just whisper words of assurance while she slowly slipped from consciousness.

Hurting someone who did not deserve it always left a bad taste in Kheshig's mouth, and he could not wait to leave the shop. "Follow me," He said and pushed past Birdseed without so much as a glance in her direction. The walk back to the car was made in complete silence, and only once everyone had entered the vehicle and Kheshig had it rolling down the main road back to their safehouse did he speak his mind. "Do you go changing prepared plans for every mission, Birdseed? Simply because you do not like your assigned role?" He began, speaking in a calm, monotonous voice. To lose his temper and start yelling would be losing control, and Kheshig hated not being in control.

"Well, I did not like knocking out that clerk either. I could have completed my end of the job without knocking out that lady the two of you talked to either, but evidently Condor," He paused and glanced at the other woman. There was no malice in his words, but Kheshig found Condor to be just at fault as Birdseed. She should have pulled Birdseed back the moment it became clear that she was going to act independently, and she should have stuck to her mission parameters to provide a distraction even if she could not do that. "and you decided to send an additional person my way."

"Do you like making my life difficult? Is that it?" Kheshig continued and turned into a slip road that would lead them out of the city. "If that were your reason, then I will drop the subject. Personal matters are hard to resolve and I would not care as long as we still can work together in a professional manner." He paused before continuing. "But if you decided to change the plan simply because you were unhappy with your role, then I can only say that I am both disappointed and irritated. I thought you were better than that. Not all of us are happy with our given roles; I doubt Angelo is happy being mission control while we are here doing actual work. I doubt a fighter like Condor liked being eye candy either and you can be sure that I was not happy being forced into a stealth-aligned role."

The more he spoke, the more Kheshig disliked the sound of his own voice and his words. He was not used to saying so much, but everything had to be said, even if it made him feel like he was disciplining a small child. "Well, what is done is done." He said with a shake of his head. "I hope this does not happen in future, otherwise you can be sure we are going to have problems. Very big problems."

Angelo sighed a little smiling as the entire situation happened in front of his laptop and each of the team members in the operation were starting to talk about how birdseed jumped the gun but Angelo couldn't help but laugh at it after all birdseed was kind of impulsive and Angelo just found that cute, one of these days he needs to make sure that he takes her out. Last thing he would want is to go out into the field and end up dying without professing his love for her. A really huge regret for the after life one would say. alright team behind closed doors the operation is over and done with and we will deal with the backlash of the event later when you have the time but right now it would be a good idea for you all to get out of their and return to base while I work with the other team for our operation surprise Angelo told them all making sure they all heard that they need to leave now and argue later basically as Angelo closed his laptop and went to check in on their other team...

@Dragonite777

"I'll be right with you," Condor said with a smile, dodging back down behind the counter. It only took her a moment to find the barely concealed safe set into the floor, and another moment to find the note stuck to the bottom of the counter with a string of numbers on it. Popping the reinforced box open she quickly reached inside and scooped up as much of the cash as she could into her bag, only pausing when her fingers brushed over a large handgun with a silencer attached.

"Not so innocent after all.." She muttered to herself, kicking the safe closed and lugging her now heavily loaded bag up onto her shoulder, slipping the silenced pistol inside as a trophy for the night's adventure.

As she stepped into the back corridor she spotted Birdseed vanishing out the back door and quickly hurried after her. Soon all three of them were back in the car, with Kheshig driving as fast as he could without drawing attention back towards the safe house. Codor was just about to suggest a more evasive route, to throw off the traffic cameras which were dotted along the main road, when Kheshig spoke up instead.

"Do you go changing prepared plans for every mission, Birdseed?

...

...I hope this does not happen in future, otherwise you can be sure we are going to have problems. Very big problems."

"I'd just like to point out..." Condor began, her tone indignant at having been bundled together with the triggerhappy gadgeteer, "None of this was my idea in the first place. I was more than happy to put myself on display in this ridiculous getup, jiggling my hips and pouting like a good piece of meat just to keep operational security in place." Turning to look out the window as the car, not even wanting to look at the other two right now. "As it is, I covered our asses as best I could, and provided a cover story for the raid so hopefully tonight won't be a total bust after all."

alright team behind closed doors the operation is over and done with and we will deal with the backlash of the event later when you have the time but right now it would be a good idea for you all to get out of their and return to base while I work with the other team for our operation surprise

Settling in for the rest of the ride Condor pulled her bag a little closer to her side, feeling the reassuring weight of the cash pressing against her hip. If the worst came to the worst at least she had enough to blow clean from the rest of the group and set herself up somewhere a little safer. Bermuda, perhaps?

Ellie bit her lip, trying to banish the dark thoughts still lingering in the corners of her mind. "I-I th-think I get i-it..." she murmured. Taking a deep breath, she let a layer of calm filter over her, sealing all the thoughts except for the mission out of her mind. "A-alright."
She tapped her earpiece. "W-wise Owl ch-checking in. I-i'm g-g-going i-in t-to e-engage th-the guards. T-t-tell F-Fox to st-stand b-by. D-do not respond, I r-repeat, d-do not r-respond. G-going d-d-dark." She winced at her stutter, but there wasn't much she could do about it. She'd stuttered as a little girl and had picked up the habit again when she'd been stuck--
Don't even think about it, Ellie, not now, anyway, not when you need to focus.

The slight girl sighed. "Here w-we g-go..." she allowed an expression of panic to show on her face and then, before she could lose nerve, jogged out from behind the building, into the line of sight of the guards. Instantly their weapons were trained on her, and she raised her arms up over her head and slowed to a walk. "D-d-don't sh-shoot!" She shouted it as loud as she could, which really wasn't all that loud.

She wasn't sure if they understood or not, but given that her head wasn't blown to pieces, she thought they did. Or maybe they realized that she looked like a child, even from fifty yards away.
"H-help, p-p-please... s-s-someone r-r-robbed u-us!" she spoke loudly as she approached, fear making her stutter more pronounced and her breathing rapid and panicky, good for the illusion but not so good for her own mental state.

The guards looked at her, and nervously she kept babbling about how their delivery van had been stolen along with all the goods, and how she didn't know where they were taking it, nor even what goods had been stolen. She wished Patch would hurry up and come out from around the corner as well, because her story seemed weak without the other delivery partner there to back up her statement. She finished her babbling with the line, "we don't have a vehicle to chase them down with but maybe you could..." she let it trail off as she looked pointedly at the armored Jeep and then looked at the guards with a tearful, hopeful smile. "I d-don't know w-what was i-in that c-cargo b-b-but i-it must h-have b-been i-important to b-be st-stolen fr-from us b-by those p-people... th-they s-seemed l-l-like pr-professionals. I-I'd lose my job i-if m-my boss e-ever heard about m-m-me sc-screwing up th-this b-badly..." she looked up at one of the guards, the one who seemed to be the leader batting her eyelashes a bit. He reached out and put a hand on her shoulder as if to console her. She forced herself to hold still and not flinch as the guard's grimy hand touched her.
"Is gon' be a-right. Don' you worry yer pretty li'l head, we' gon' sort this out an' yer not gon' lose yer job."

God, was it really going to be this easy? "Th-thank you, s-sir." she gave him a tearful smile. "I... I c-can st-stay and watch th-the building, wh-while y-you g-go f-find the c-cargo. S-so that y-you won't be u-understaffed."
One of the other guards hesitated, but the one she'd flirted with punched him. "Give th' girl yer gun an' then t' two of us wi' go track down her van."
"But what if it's a trick?" the hesitating one asked.
The one she'd flirted with rolled his eyes. "For one thing, you two" he jerked a thumb at the two silent guards "Will be staying here to make sure that nothing funny happens. And... Little girl, this isn't a trick, is it? I'm sure you wouldn't lead me on like that. You know that if you were, I'd have to kill you in a really painful way."
"N-n-no s-sir, i-it's n-not a t-trick."

The one rolled his eyes and threw his gun to her a little harder than necessary, sending Ellie staggering. She quickly slung it over her shoulder and adjusted the strap to the right length and stood with the rifle across her chest at rest. "Th-thank you b-both so, so m-much. Y-you've s-saved m-my job." She smiled slightly and made herself blush a little bit as the guard gave her an attempt at a seductive half-smile, before he and the skeptical one hopped into the jeep and drove away in a cloud of dust.
She turned to the two remaining guards. "D-do you mind if I t-take first watch a-at the doors? I-I d-d-did j-just run here from like eight miles away and I d-don't think my l-legs w-will hold me m-much longer." Her knees were wobbling, but from fear, not exhaustion. Still, she'd use it to her advantage.

They shrugged and went out to patrol; as soon as both were around the side of the building she tapped her earset and whispered, "Owl reporting. Two guards successfully subverted, others put at ease. Patch, Fox, it's your go. should I incapacitate or allow them to remain conscious?" Her hand went to her (well, technically Birdseed's) purse and the dart gun tucked inside it.

As soon as Owl had gone round the corner Patch turned to face the wall. He'd wanted to wait until she'd gone before he did this, as he wasn't sure how she'd have reacted if she'd had to watch. Taking a step back he flung himself as hard as he could at the hard concrete surface, being sure to keep his head tilted just right so his face would impact at an angle for maximum bruising, but without breaking any bones. A couple more impacts and the effect was complete.

Pulling his pistol from the back of his pants Patch checked to make sure a round was loaded and the safety was off before letting it hang down limply at his side. Stepping around the side of the building Patch clutched his side as though in pain from a broken rib, something he'd had a lot of experience with over the years, and lifted his gun high for the guards to see it. "Hey, hey," He called out, making sure they saw him coming, "I'm friendly, with the girl." He said, gesturing towards the warehouse entrance where Owl was waiting for him.

As the guards closed with him one stepped past, barely glancing in his direction while the other slowed a little to check him out. He made no move to stop the guy, letting him tilt his head back to examine the damage. "That looks bad buddy, you might want to get some ice on it so it doesn't bruise up too bad." The guard said, comradely.

"Sure thing," Patch replied, turning to point his pistol back down the road. "They were quick and mean, definitely knew what they were doing. I managed to shoot out one of the tires though so I don't think they could've made it too far."

The guard acknowledged his report with a nod and moved off after his companion as Patch turned away and limped towards the warehouse entrance, just in time to see the third guard coming up behind Owl. "Hey buddy," He called out, distracting the guard from the emotionally unstable woman, "Any chance of getting an ice pack or something?" He waved his pistol up towards his bruised face, which was already beginning to feel sore and swollen, making no secret that he was armed. Hopefully the wound would get them inside, at least to the canteen, if not the security office, and then they could really help Fox out.

(detection based off of d20 rolls)
So far, a total of five guards have bought Patch's and Ellie's story. Two drove off in a Jeep, and Patches convinced a third to follow. Fox had used time Ellie had bought to sneak into the compound grounds. Guards were so intrigued by the two "delivery drivers", that to keep up patrol, three of the four from inside exited to help out with the lacking patrols, after going to the front gate to check out the two new arrivals. Fox had snuck past them as they were exiting by sticking close to the compound's perimeter. Once around the side and the only outside guard passed, Fox had snuck up the side of the building quickly. Once inside, Archangel told him that the only remaining indoors guard moved to the camera room, which actually made the job easier: sneak past the cameras. Fox did good at keeping out of the cameras' sights. He placed all the necessary explosives and was inside near his exit. The patrols had increased and it would be a lot harder to leave. One of the guards happens to spot Fox on his way out and is able to capture the stealth artist (natural 20. Sorry) The guards are at high alert and now Patches and Ellie are being brought in for questioning. The pair don't seem suspicious, but the guards don't believe it's a coincidence. Now the guards are asking who they are, if they know Fox, and are threatening to kill Fox for infiltration. Fox's hands are bound and can't reach the detonator. Patches and Ellie are sat down in chairs beside each other, facing the chair Fox is bound and gagged in a few yards from them.


Cecelia sighed. "Look. It's all my fault. I didn't wait for Kheshig's green light and I jeopardized the entire mission. And I forced you to knock out the 'employees', Kheshig. Even if you guys don't forgive me for it, can we at least drop it? I already feel like shit about it. I'm supposed to be a professional, and I didn't act it. I jumped out of my role to bump the mission's time down. It was really none of my business to do so and I'll use this mission as reference for future missions to keep from making the same mistake. It's not something I'll easily forget." Cecelia stayed silent the rest of the trip back, looking out the window.
Once back at base, Cecelia decided to do some laps and take a soak in the hot tub in the pool room. This was one of the best safehouses she's been in. Albeit, they'll have to move once the larger operation is done to avoid anyone getting suspicious. With a one-piece swimsuit on, Cecelia did a 200 individual medley at a medium pace, ending after about five minutes. Cecelia used this time to try to clear her mind of the mission that had just occurred and focus on her swimming technique. Once finished, she turned on the jets, simply removing her cap, goggles, and swimsuit to enter the hot tub, enjoying the warmth on her stressed muscles. Wow, this was a stressful op. I wish I hadn't jumped the gun. We could've gotten caught and/or killed because of me... Laying her head back, Cecelia let out a deep breath and let the jetting hot waters calm her down, mentally and physically.

As soon as they arrived back at the safe house Birdseed vanished off to do her own thing, which was good for her. For the whole journey back Condor's hand had been on her pistol, wondering whether to get rid of the obvious liability on the team with one simple squeeze. At one point Kheshig had driven over a pothole and Condor's finger had come within a fraction of an inch of making the decision for her.

@Skythikon

"Can you check in with Archangel for me?" Condor asked Kheshig with a smile, waving her hand down at the tightly cut pants and low cut top which still felt uncomfortable to her, "I really need to get out of this stupid getup."

Before he could say no Condor was already heading for the door, blowing a kiss back over her shoulder at him as she headed straight for her room. Making sure the door was locked she quickly fetched a chisel from the nightstand drawer before pulling the bed to one side and flipping back the rug covering the floor. Heading for a certain floorboard she jammed the chisel into place and with a quick tap of her hand the plank sprang up from its resting place.

Reaching down into the hole Condor pulled out her bug-out bag, a pre-prepared kit of items which would come in handy should she ever need to leave with little notice. Hurriedly she moved the cash she'd 'recovered' from the flower shop into her bag, carefully counting out the hundreds and then thousands of pounds as she squirrelled them away in the emergency satchel. Looks like my travel plans just got an upgrade, she smiled to herself, tucking the bug-out bag back in place.

Setting the room straight Condor peeled off the top she'd been wearing and tossed it over into the laundry hamper, where it was soon followed by the pants, panties and tights she'd been wearing. Carefully placing the shoes back in the cupboard Condor lifted a bathrobe off the hook on the back of the bedroom door before unlocking it and stepping out into the hallway. She was too professional to do anything as stupid as glance around to see if anyone was watching, a move like that would've immediately had the others sniffing around for her little secret, instead she simply strode to the back of the house and stepped into the pool house to make use of the hot tub.

She was a little surprised to see Birdseed already there, but did her best not to show it. Stepping up to the edge of the tub Condor began to unfasten her robe as she smiled down at her 'friend', wondering whether the sash around her waist would make a good garrott. "Mind if I join you?" She asked pleasantly, letting the sash slip through her fingers just enough to let the front of her robe fall open.

@Dragonite777

Cecelia had closed her eyes while relaxing, but let one open to see Condor's appearance. Mostly worried about an aggravated teammate with a gun, but also curious as to how her fellow teammate was dressed for the hot tub. Seeing her robe fall open with no straps or anything underneath, it was safe to assume Condor was bare beneath the robes, further lessening the chance of her having a gun on her person. "I'm not in charge of the hot tub, and it doesn't matter to me who's in it. Especially when it's a pretty woman." Her voice not changing tone at any point, and speaking matter-of-factly, Cecelia makes a sweeping motion towards the rest of the hot tub. Cecelia prefers females visually. She finds them to be much more visually appealing than any male she'll meet. If pressed for a preference in a relationship partner, Cecelia would definitely choose females. She understood them better, yet still didn't know everything about them, and she generally has a better time with them. Maybe it's because of the primal male need for procreation whereas females have no way, without scientific intervention, of making a baby between the two of them.
"I'm still sorry for messing the mission up. I really didn't intend to. I was just trying to get it done quicker. I didn't wait for the cameras to be shut off. I can tell you're hiding emotions again. I still can't tell what you're hiding, but I can easily infer that it's the opposite of the calm, cool, and collected exterior you keep forcing yourself to put out. I still won't pry, but I will again mention that I am qualified to be a psychologist." Picking her head up and looking Condor in the eyes before saying one last sentence on the topic. "Nobody can hold everything in forever, because all of our experiences come out at one point in time or another, so please don't try to keep all your pain and memories locked away from everyone." Looking at her with eyes that show experience in the words she spoke, Cecelia then laid her head back again and closed her eyes. "You're still welcome to join, if I haven't scared you off by my use of the more advanced psychology. Which, I won't. We're partners. Fellow fugitives. Allies. I wouldn't do anything to purposefully hinder an ally. I just don't see that as fair. Especially when it would also jeopardize my life as well."

Condor was pleased the shrink couldn't tell what she was feeling, and assumed she was angry. Really she was feeling pleased with herself at her score, but it wouldn't do any good it the others found out about her swag too soon. Casting the worries aside Condor simply shrugged her shoulder, casting off her robe as well. As she stepped down into the hot tub she moved herself to the exact opposite of the warm bubbling pool from Birdseed and lay herself down in the water.

It felt good to relax, even if just a little, and shifting in her seat she moved over just far enough for one of the underwater jets to be pressing directly against a very comfortable part of her body. Letting out a soft sigh she let the hot tub do its job, her muscles unwinding and her body responding to the warm water's touch before finally moving her gaze over towards her teammate.

"I'm not angry with you," Condor said, her tone relaxed and calm, the bubbles helping to slow her heart rate and ease her tensions just enough to make her voice sound truthful. "But I am upset. You left me there alone without thinking through the consequences of your actions." As she spoke Condor slowly began to rub her foot up the side of Birdseed's leg, starting at her foot and creeping her way up the other woman's calf. "And you of all people should know actions have consequences."

Leaning forwards, her hands still resting on the side of the tub and her breasts lifting just enough out of the water for Condor to feel the cool air against her nipples, the fighter looked over at the psychiatrist meaningfully. "And I hope you're willing to pay me back for your little mistake."

Cecelia sits up fully, with her head off the wall, chest slightly out of the water and her arms planted next to where she's sitting, she makes and maintains eye contact with the woman across her and mentally figures that the leg rubbing was an unconscious, habitual action not meant for her leg specifically or a 'footsie'-level playful motion to promote ease and positive, possibly a friendly atmosphere. Wondering what type of payment Condor wishes, Cecelia nonetheless agrees.
"You are correct. I do know that actions have consequences. As I mentioned in the car, it really is my fault. I didn't mean to put you or Kheshig in the positions I put you two in. When I start thinking about gadgets and such, I just don't think as far ahead as I should. I guess I just really wanted to plant the bugs that I kinda forgot the role I had. So, I am willing to pay for my mistake however possible. Well, it's good to know that you aren't mad about my mistake as Kheshig seems to be. Thanks, love."
Using the local term she'd used before, Cecelia giggled a little at how odd it sounded in her natural voice, rather than the synthesized accent she'd used on the mission. She cooled down from the giggling and continued to look at Condor. I think we could be pretty good friends. She's done good with making the atmosphere calm, serene, and upbeat. Especially with the friendly leg rub, even if it is an unconscious movement. Cecelia made a brief, contented sigh and smiled at Condor. Her body and mind were both finally at full relaxation, with the previous thoughts of her teammates' possible angers more or less floated off. Maybe I won't be just some nerdy lab girl like I've always been. Friends seem to be an alright concept.

@Genni

Routines were good.

Kheshig had a few, and he stuck to them whenever he could, even when he could have disregarded them without anyone else thinking lesser of him. Most people would simply see it as Kheshig being either overly rigid, or very discipline-conscious, but he saw it as a form of meditation. It kept him sane in the midst of an ever-changing life; Cornwall was simply the latest of his stops and there was no telling how long he would stay, or where he would find himself next. It could be in the heart of Africa, the jungles or South America or even the frozen Tundra of Greenland for all he knew. Anyone could easily lose themselves with such a life, and so Kheshig developed his routines. Wherever he went, he would always have one thing that reminded him of who he was.

The rest of the ride back had been made in an awkward silence. Kheshig had not felt the need, and neither had he have the inclination to continue speaking after Birdseed's response. She sounded apologetic enough and was willing to learn from her mistake, so he left it at that. Whether or not she would actually do so remained to be seen, but Kheshig was more than willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. He felt slightly guilty about lumping in Condor with Birdseed, but held off apologizing until they got back to the safehouse. He had nothing to apologize to Birdseed for, except for perhaps his tone and choice of words, but to Condor he intended to apologize for even implicating her in the first place.

Once he had parked and exited the car, Kheshig went straight for his own quarters. There was no need to check up on Archangel, as Condor had asked him to do. Chances were that he would either be bored out of his mind or the same since they left him, and if he were even a decent handler, he would have known that they were back long before the car's engine stopped. Kheshig entered his room, shut the door behind him and locked it. He did not want to be disturbed. He placed the duffel bag on the ground and unzipped it.

Time for the post-operation routine.

He had not fired his rifle, and so he took out the briefcase that contained it and set it aside - he would clean it in another day or two, but no more. After that came all of his individual gadgets. They had not been properly secured within the bag, and so he took his time to check each one individually for any signs of damage. It was a slow process, involving him taking a magnifying glass to each side of the devices, but it was a process he enjoyed. It gave him time to think.

His post-mission thoughts were usually all the same. How long could he keep this up, how much longer would he have to remain on the move and when would he finally be able to find a place he could definitively call home. The answers were always the same; he would keep this up for as long as he had to, and he would settle down when the militants and terrorists who have him in their sights either gave up the chase or were wiped out. It was not the answer he was looking for, but at least it closed off the questions, at least until the next operation.

He let out a long, resigned sigh and placed the last of the charges on the floor. Only then did he take out the remote that Birdseed had slipped into his bag. He held it in his hand and looked it over. It was undamaged, as far as he could see, and he had only used it once, so it should not be too worn. With that done, he removed his electrician's jumpsuit - the material was beginning to chafe - and changed into more comfortable clothes. The boots stayed, but he now wore a pair of loose-fitting cargo pants, neatly bloused as if he were going on parade, a long-sleeved shirt and a button down over it.

Birdseed's remote still sat on the floor, and Kheshig did not like having something that did not belong in his room. In this case, simply because he did not have a spot for it. Deciding to just get it done and over with, he picked it up and walked out of his room to return it. He did not find her in her room or anywhere he thought she might have frequented, and that left him with just one last place to check. He walked to the back of the house, where the pool was located. Before he even knocked on the door, he heard two voices inside, one belonging to Birdseed and the other, Condor's.

Convenient. I can say my sorries to the two of them. He thought, then opened the door.

"Hey, Birdseed, I have your-" He began, but then his mind came to a screeching halt when he saw the two of them, naked as the day they were born, seated in a hot tub. Now this was a situation he had never prepared himself for, and his mind scrambled to at the very least get his mouth working again. He swallowed hard, then, while averting his eyes, said, "I have your remote, but I think I will hold on to it. Looks like it could get wet in here."

He paused, and his mind caught up with his mouth. "Because of the pool, I mean." He corrected himself quickly and shook his head. Kheshig was no expert when it came to people, but from the look on Condor's face, he guessed that he should make himself scarce, and he should do it as quickly as possible. "Anyway, thought I should apologize. For what I said. I mean how I said it. You still messed up, Birdseed, but I may have overreacted. Sorry." He said at a rapid fire pace, then turned to leave. He stopped himself at the last minute, as if he had just remembered something. He pointed the remote up at one of the corners of the room and hit the pause button.

He nodded to each of them, not bothering to explain what he just did. They could probably guess. "Well, have fun. Not too much fun, we still want to use this room when you two are done." He said, then walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

Only once he was out did he stop and take a deep breath. Condor and Birdseed? Could be reading too much into things, but it is an amusing prospect. He thought and chuckled at the thought. He considered remotely reactivating the camera to get some footage he could use as blackmail material later on, should Birdseed or Condor ever consider acting outside of mission parameters ever again, but then decided against it. That would undoubtedly piss them off, and Kheshig preferred to have all his limbs attached to his body.

Well, I have seen weirder pairings, and nearly experienced one myself. With that, he closed off whatever other amusing thoughts he had about what was going on. Let them do what they want, it is none of my concern.

Leaning back in the tub Condor let herself sink beneath the bubbling surface once more, her breasts jiggling as the were teased by the water flow. Beneath the surface the water jet was doing exactly what she needed it too, keeping her body calm and relaxed, and stimulated in all the right places. Riding the sensation she let her heart rate reach a steady pace, keeping her body language soft and natural as her sharp mind played over the possibilities and their consequences, trying to find just the right way to turn everything to her advantage.

Stretching her body out under the water as she lifted her arms high in the air, Condor let herself yawn heavily. The day hadn't been that tiring, but the hot tub was more soothing than she'd expected and she could already feel the fatigue building, as it always did whenever she found the chance to relax. Her body had learnt to take rest where it could, never knowing when it might get the chance again. As her body flexed, Condor carefully shifted her weight to ensure her feet ran up either side of Birdseed's legs, pretending not to be paying attention to her partner's reaction as they rode all the way up to the psychiatrist's thighs.

"This is nice," Condor murmured, half to herself as she lay neck deep under the water, her feet softly massaging Birdseed's thighs slowly working their way between the woman's legs. "We should have these little chats more often, don't you think? They really help to clear the air." Her feet were coming together now, the tips of her toes teasingly close to Birdseed as Condor gently slowed the rhythm of her motions.

"Hey, Birdseed, I have your- I have your remote, but I think I will hold on to it. Looks like it could get wet in here. Because of the pool, I mean. Anyway, thought I should apologize. For what I said. I mean how I said it. You still messed up, Birdseed, but I may have overreacted. Sorry. Well, have fun. Not too much fun, we still want to use this room when you two are done."

Giggling a little at their friend's reaction Condor pulled away and rose up to her full height, her hands reaching up to pull her damp hair back over her shoulder, forcing her chest out in the process. With her legs held just far enough apart to ensure Birdseed had a clear view of everything there was to see Condor held the pose for a moment before turning round and bending over to pluck her robe up off the floor.

"That's enough for me right now." She commented stepping out onto the tiled floor of the pool house, "There's such a thing as too much relaxation, y'know what I mean?" She said to Birdseed, looking back passed her shoulder with a wicked smile as she pulled the damp robe up over her body with exaggerated care. "I'm going to get a drink or something. do you want anything?" With that Condor turned back towards the door, heading back to the main house.