CHAPTER 2

In the large conference room at the ARC the entire team sat around a rectangular table. Jess and Connor were huddled over a console entering information into a website they had created to advertise their company's "services and product information."

"How are we supposed to be a covert operation when we are actually using the ARC as the name of our company," Becker asked. "Won't we be drawing attention to our operation?"

Connor looked up. "It's actually perfect. People see this building as they walk by but are very vague as to what services or products we provide. That's thanks to the secrecy of the agency…so all we are doing is creating products and services on this website. It will give us credibility with other companies at the conference because all of them have seen our building and wondered what it is we do here…we've been here for several years so it will make them less suspicious than if we turn up out of nowhere…"

Becker nodded.

Matt looked at the people across the table from him. "Well, I know we're using our real names which shouldn't be a problem since we officially "work" for the ARC but what about when we have to talk about technology," he asked as Lester walked into the room and sat at the head of the table.

"Well," Jess hesitated as she glanced over at Connor who stared straight ahead. "We've been brainstorming how to make the team more approachable for the attendees at the conference. Less…..ummmmm…..intimidating," she smiled softly as she looked around the table, her eyes coming firmly to rest on Matt, Becker, and Abby sitting around one corner of the room. Becker leaned forward quickly, both eyebrows raised in challenge.

"Wait, what do you mean "intimidating"? I'm perfectly…approachable," sputtered Becker.

"I think I've proven quite readily that I can "blend in with the locals", haven't I?" added Matt. "How long did it take everyone here to know I wasn't even from this time?"

Becker coughed loudly. "You can't be serious….…I noticed it the first time I read your ridiculous CV…..Mount Everest? …Really?…I'm surprised you didn't add "Ending the conflict in the Middle East" under the heading of Recent Accomplishments," Becker muttered loudly.

Matt glared at Becker as he began to interject as Abby put a hand up to silence them both.

"Well I can't speak for them but I'm sure I'll fit in just fine. I don't need any of your "cultural immersion" training. I'm engaged to the King of Geeks so I get a "get out of jail free" card," she stated with the beginnings of a smirk on her face.

Emily sat quietly as she observed the interactions of the others on her team.

"…..and, hey," said Abby, her voice getting a little louder. "What about Emily over there? What about her? She doesn't get to skip this party!"

Connor spoke up.

"One of the databases we are presenting as a product for universities is Nineteenth Century English literature, which Emily is quite the expert on. Her cover is that she is a consulting professor on that project."

Emily smiled smugly as she sipped her tea and gave Abby a satisfied glance.

Matt looked at Jess and Connor. "Well, if she can make that work for her, I'm sure we can get strike up a conversation with the intellectual crowd!"

Jess and Connor were both leaning forward on the table with their chins resting on their upraised hands, looking at the group with cynical stares. Jess spoke first.

"Really? OK, let's just have a little quiz, shall we? Becker, if I ask you what you think about the casting for Episode 7 that was recently announced. What are your thoughts on that?" Jess intoned as she stared at him expectantly.

Becker began to squirm in the chair. "Well, …I'm sure that episode 7 will ….have …..the same characters as episode 6 ….because most TV series or books or whatnot have the same characters as the previous episode," he finished lamely and quickly retrieved his phone from his pocket to check for a non-existent important call.

Jess stared at him unimpressed. "Okay, then, Matt, you want to have a crack at it?"

Matt stared at the clock on the wall that seemed to be ticking inordinately slowly. "I absolutely …liked the cast of episode 6 so I'm sure I'll like the cast of episode 7….," he finished quietly.

Jess pressed on. "Hmmm….do tell us what you liked so much about episode 6!"

"ahhhhh…..the fact that it was …one of the best things on television this year…next to Downton Abbey, of course….?" He muttered.

Abby laughed uproariously. Jess turned her best impression of a stern school teacher toward Abby, who did her best not to cackle triumphantly at the other two.

"Well, thanks to my fiancée Connor Temple, I know very well that you are talking about Captain Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise and the next Star Trek movie," she said proudly looking at Connor for validation.

Connor looked stricken. Jess laid her forearms on the table and put her weary head upon them.

"Abby…..Episode 7 refers to the new Star Wars movie next year!" he stated loudly.

"Right, see I knew that! I said Captain Kirk and Spock and all of that!," Abby said proudly.

Jess lifted her head up wearily. "Abby…that's STAR TREK! Not STAR WARS!"

Becker, Matt, and Abby simultaneously looked at each other quizzically as they all leaned back and stared at Jess and Connor.

"Same thing, right?" they intoned together.

Jess looked at Connor as she closed her laptop. She knew it wasn't the technology skills that would put up a barrier between the team and all the techno types at the conference. That could easily be remedied. It all came down to the ability to network with conference participants. Entering into their conversations naturally would help them track the anomaly creator down….and that required a specific set of social skills.

"Okay, Let's start at the beginning and Connor and I are going to need some caffeine because we have a busy evening ahead of us." She sighed resignedly.

James Lester glared at the group as he stood and picked up his cell phone.

"I'm guessing that I won't be sitting in a garden in Brighton this evening sipping hundred year old scotch by the pool. Why don't I give my wife a call so she can call the director with my apologies and at the same time phone the divorce lawyer she probably has on speed dial," he muttered sarcastically.

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Several hours later, Becker sat in the armory checking the charge on several of the EMD's as Jess walked in and sat down next to him.

She smiled brightly. "Ready for our little adventure to your first techno convention tomorrow," she asked.

He smiled back at her and put down the gun he was cleaning.

"I guess as ready as I can be now that I've straightened out the appropriate topics for conversation. But, then, I've been conversing with Connor for nearly four years now so I've had lots of practice," he teased.

She laughed. "Well, you don't seem to have any problem talking to me and let's face it….I'm one of those 'technology types' too!"

He grinned but kept looking at with a half serious look on his face.

"Hmmmm….yeah…..I don't seem to have any problem conversing with you but that's probably because I don't have to say too much….you seem to have that covered," he leaned in to smirk at her.

Jess leaned forward to roll her eyes and punch him lightly on the arm.

"Oh….you always have the perfect comeback," she answered as they gazed at each other and slightly leaned in a bit further as their faces both became more serious.

Without thinking, Becker's hand moved gently to her shoulder as he moved forward a bit more…..only to have the door push open loudly and the new scientist Vincent burst into the room with a large bag of what looked like clothing.

"Oh, sorry…..was I interrupting," he asked loudly. "Here are the items you asked for earlier, Jess."

Jess stood up quickly and walked over to him to take the bag from Vincent's hand as Becker eyes narrowed as he noticed the young scientist didn't quite relinquish his hold on the bag till Jess was standing within a few inches.

She smiled at him and took the bag from his hand (as Becker made a note that he used the opportunity to put his hand on her arm to steady her as she took the heavy bag. Becker stood up quickly and took the bag himself as he pointedly placed himself between the two.

"Thanks…..er….Vincent…I guess I'll take this from here. Where do you want this Jess?" he muttered with a forced smile.

She pointed to a nearby table. "Right over here should work, Becker. Thanks Vincent!"

She walked over to the table as Becker carried it over.

"Just give me a call if you need anything else, Jess!" Vincent called out as he edged toward the door. "Anything at all!"

Becker made a mental note to make a thorough background check on one Mr. Vincent McMillan. Even sociopaths could earn degrees and work in government facilities. Checking out ARC personnel was his job….well, mostly it was about his job. He preferred to just trust his instincts and not question his motives.

Jess called Becker over to the table. "Okay, Becker…..remember earlier when we talked about being "approachable?"

Becker stared at her suspiciously. "Yes…..again I'm VERY approachable!"

Jess looked at him with the same doubtful look she'd sent him earlier in the evening when she had asked him about Star Wars – Episode 7.

"Becker, I find you very …welcoming…..but this whole all in black commando 'soldier in uniform' thing is not going to be conducive to conversation….soooo..," she uttered as she picked up the items in the bag, "We need to have a little makeover session to get you into your undercover 'persona' shall we say," she added quickly and looked up at him with an almost pleading look.

Becker looked incredulous. "Jess, no way…..this uniform is not off putting in any way. It promotes confidence in the field, it conveys authority, it…."he trailed off as he realized she was possibly correct. No one wants to strike up casual conversation with a person in power. They wanted to talk to the underlings….not the power brokers. He sighed dramatically. "All right, Miss Parker….Do what you have to do….but no cameras or cell phones of any kind will be permitted in this vicinity! Abby is never going to let me live this down."

Within five minutes, Jess had put together an "ensemble" that would help him blend in with the attendees at the conference.

Becker resignedly took the stack of items and went into his office to change.

As he sheepishly walked out of his office after changing, Jess turned around to look just as Emily walked in. Becker was wearing a pair of well worn jeans and a soft green T shirt that said "I'm here because you broke something." Over the top of that he wore a plaid shirt that picked up the colors of the t-shirt. Jess had chosen a pair of stylish glasses with black frames that gave him a general appearance of a friendly tech savvy student but unintentionally accentuated his darkly lashed hazel eyes. She breathed in deeply to stop a sigh from escaping from her lips. He looked positively delicious and couldn't stop the image of Superman in his Clark Kent disguise from wafting through her thoughts as she imagined him pulling open his shirt to reveal a large "S" underneath. She was sure if she could talk at that moment she would have giggled like a twelve year old school girl.

Emily looked at her concerned. "Are you feeling OK, Jess? You look a little flushed…" Emily questioned. The blush that covered her cheeks was embarrassing enough but Emily's comment made it a bit worse. She quickly moved toward Becker to distract herself from the rather embarrassing thoughts running through her head at that moment.

"Oh, I'm fine, Emily," she breathed. "It's just a bit warm in here."

She moved to stand in front of Becker whose arms were folded across his chest as he waited for the teasing he was sure was soon to come.

Jess surveyed him critically. Without thinking she reached forward and put her fingers in his hair to comb it into a looser style than the slicked back military look he so often wore.

"There," she stated satisfied, though she wasn't sure if it was because she'd finally run her fingers through his soft hair or she'd gotten the look she was going for.

Becker turned to look in the mirror disgusted. "I look like I just left my parents' basement after playing video games all night."

Emily walked over and looked critically in the mirror. "Actually," she said seriously, "You look like quite nice….friendly….someone at this conference would like to talk to. Nicely done, Jess."

Jess indulged herself by staring a few more seconds at the adorably nerdy Becker before she gave herself a mental shake.

"Okay, then…..I think we're ready to for our little covert operation," she said grinning at both of them. "Let the games begin."