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James sighed and flopped down on the right end of his blue living room couch, resting his forehead on his right hand.
He glanced around the silent room, sketches of models in imaginary fashions lined the light blue walls. Jessie had decorated them with her own work. He smiled as he thought about her, she was away in Paris, there aren't too many designers that also manage to model their own work. There were still another 30 minutes before James would have to leave for work..
James entertained the thought of giving her a call for a few moments, then decided he'd walk to work to pass the time instead. He stepped outside wearing his usual black business suit and locked the door of his apartment.
He walked slowly so he could admire the city around him. All lawns were a clean even green, and every sidewalk was swept free of dirt and debris. Small shops and cafes lined the avenue he walked down. The occasional tourist smiled at him as they walked past in the opposite direction.
James noticed a motorcade pass by, several motorcycles and a large black lincoln limosine heading in the same direction as him. Seeing such things didn't surprise James in any way, living in the capital of Trinity one got used to it.
He continued on his walk until he reached a black gate with a couple of military guards keeping watch in front of it.
"Good morning, James."
One of the military police stepped forward as James walked up.
"Hey Eric, how's it going?"
"Pretty great, me and Amanda are finally getting married in three weeks."
"That's great, you're such a lucky guy." James said flashing his infamous grin and pulling out his identification so he could enter.
"Heh, I guess I am, you better marry that sweet little girlfriend of yours while you still have the chance." Eric said with a wink as he handed James back his ID card.
James just laughed along and they both playfully shoved each other a couple of times before James waved goodbye and walked into the black gate and up the long driveway that led to the massive white marble capital building.
After a few minutes he passed through the doors of the building and secured his nametag to his jacket, "James Kojiro, TIDA."
"Good morning agent Kojiro, glad to see you're a little early for a change."
James felt a little self conscious at the comment and turned around to see director Yashido walking up from a large sidehall.
"Good morning, director."
"Follow me over here, Kojiro," Yashido turned around and motioned for James to follow him back down the sidehall.
He followed the director around several corners and they ended up in a conference room where Yashido stopped.
The room was filled with stuffed shirts and military brass, James noticed the Prime Minister of Trinity was there as well, standing with several advisors and figures he didn't recognize.
Director Yashido turned to James as they stopped, "Kojiro, you know about the new trade agreement between Oceania and Trinity, don't you?"
"Yeah, I heard it's going to really open things up for the better."
"It will, at least for legal business..."
James thought for a moment, Yashido was refferring to the smuggling business, which, in the tight trade conditions that existed right now, would be a very profitable criminal activity indeed..
"Well what about it?" James finally asked.
"There's a lot of people that don't want this deal to be signed, agent, and we've been informed by a very reliable source that there's going to be an assassination attempt on their prime minister before he can sign the law into the books.."
"Do we know anything else?"
"Only that the assassin is supposed to be one of the famed Black Paladins.."
James had heard of the group in stories, but he'd always thought it was just another fairy tale. A cult of ninjas that have cultivated the art of assassination for centuries..
"They said they needed the best on this caper, unfortunately it looks like they'll have to settle for you." Yashido laughed lightly as he said this.
James just grinned slyly at what he'd said. In the 3 years James had been in the Trinity Internal Defense Agency, he'd never failed on a case.
Yashido continued, "We don't know where they'll try to strike, and they won't give up if they don't get him on the first try.. you'll be going back to Oceania with them, Kojiro, until they sign the treaty you'll be Prime Minister Bergeron's shadow."
"So about a week?"
"That's what it looks like. They'll be touring the main cities here before they return to Thames to sign the treaty."
James nodded as he looked out through the crowd at the many smiling faces..
"Also, Kojiro, I know this is really short notice, but you'll be leaving in approximately one hour."
"What?!" James was shocked.
"Don't worry, we've got everything taken care of for you, your clothes, quarters of course, and a partner."
"A partner?" James had never had a partner in TIDA, he'd worked as part of a team, but hadn't had a partner since he and Jessie escaped team rocket.
"I'll introduce you to her when you get back, but right now I think you better call up that girlfriend of yours and tell her you won't be home for dinner. I'll be waiting for you here, you can use the phone in the hall."
James nodded and turned back towards the hall thinking about what Yashido had said, 'introduce you to her'.
"Yes, could you connect me to room 324?"
"Just a moment."
James heard the phone click and begin to ring again.. He waited for 6 rings before he hung up... 'Jessie must be out at a fashion show' he thought as he dialed her cell phone number. Once again James listened to the phone ring repeatedly, then it was answered.
"Hello?"
"Um.. who's this?"
"What do you mean who's this?? Who are you?!"
"James Kojiro..."
"Oh! Hi James!"
James wasn't sure what was going on, the voice on the other end of the line was definitely female, but definitely not Jessie.
"Umm.. where's Jessie?"
"Oh! she's modelling, she'll be back in a minute, I'm sorry. It's me, Anish, you know."
James thought for a few moments then remembered meeting a crazy looking short woman once named Anish, "That's alright, just put her on when she's done."
"Sure thing, babe, by the way, when are you going to come model for me?"
"Um.."
"Oh, Jessie's done it looks like."
James made out the sound of some scuffling and heard Jessie say, "I thought I told you never to flirt with my man!"
Finally Jessie answered in her sweet melodic voice.
"Hi James!"
"Hey Jessie, I've got some bad news.."
"What is it?"
"Well.. something big has come up, and I won't be home till next thursday.."
"Oh.." James could hear the disappointment in Jessie's voice that she'd have to spend several days alone at home upon her return.
"Look, I'm sorry, I promise I'll make it up to you when I get back though."
"Alright..." Jessie said sounding a little happier.
"Look honey, I have to go, I'll call you as soon as I can though, ok?"
"Ok.."
He said goodbye and sighed as he hung up the phone..
"Ah, there you are, Kojiro." Yashido said as James walked up.
Both of the figures that were standing with him turned around upon James arrival and he got a better look at them. The tall dark haired man looked to be in his mid thirties and had some slight wrinkles on his light skin. The woman appeared to be much younger, somewhere around James' age of 23. Both of them were wearing dark sunglasses.
"Kojiro, I want you to meet director Foster and agent Coswell from Oceania's CIA," Yashido said as he motioned his hand from the man to the woman.
Foster and Coswell held out their hands and James received strong handshakes and a 'nice to meet you' from each.
"Kojiro, Coswell is going to be your partner."
James raised his eyebrow slightly at what Yashido said, he hadn't expected his partner to be a woman that looked like she could possibly be even younger than himself.
"Well I have to be going, good luck agents." Foster said as he looked at his watch and excused himself from the scene.
Yashido also walked over to James and whispered to him with a wry smile, "You didn't think you were the only hot young agent in the world, did you?"
James just chuckled to himself as Yashido patted him on the back and said, "I'll see you two out at the motorcade in 15 minutes."
James and Coswell stood there uncomfortably staring at each other for a few moments before she finally spoke.
"Well, Kojiro, shouldn't we get to the motorcade?"
"What's the rush? and you can call me James."
"Ok, James, you can call me Coswell, and there is no rush."
Coswell walked past him and James turned to follow though he was a little perplexed by her curt coldness.
"What's your take on the situation?" James asked as he jogged up to walk next to her.
"It's pretty simple, we've got an assassin, so we're going to make sure they don't get through."
"These Black Paladins are famous for their covertness, this may not be as simple as you make it out to be.."
"Oh please! Everyone knows the Black Paladins are just a myth, there probably won't even be an assassination attempt."
James thought Coswell seemed quite a bit overconfident of things.. He wondered how they could have selected her for the assignment.
James and Coswell were suddenly shoved to the sides of the hall as a group of agents rushed past them.
"Hey, watch where you're going!" James yelled after them raising his fist in the air.
Yashido stopped and gripped James' shoulder as he ran up.
"Kojiro, you'd better get out here."
James began to run after Yashido, leaving Coswell behind, who probably couldn't run in three inch heels anyway.
James ran out of the building and down the long drive after Yashido and the other four agents.
When they reached the gate James skidded to a stop and turned his eyes away as he winced... Eric was lying on the ground, his throat had been cut from ear to ear.. The other guard was cringing in the guard house..
"Come on, Kojiro," Yashido grabbed James arm and pulled him over.
James felt a silent tear for his friend and his fiance.
Yashido pointed to a small card that had been dropped on Eric's chest.. it had a picture of a black chess piece on it... a knight.
"The Black Paladins. They're letting us know.." Yashido stopped then added, "God they're so smug.."
"Why'd they pick Eric.. he was going to get married.. he was going to have a life.. he was a good man.." James fists were clenched and he growled as he spoke.
The guard responded to James from the inside of the guardhouse, "They said that anyone that tries to stop them will suffer a worse fate.. they came out of nowhere.." the guard shivered and sunk back down in the booth.
Coswell finally made it all the way out to the street, and James turned to her and stood as she walked up. He grabbed the front of her jacket with his left hand and picked her light frame slightly up off the ground, "Well what do you think now?"
Coswell turned her head slightly to gaze at Eric's corpse through her dark sunglasses, her face still cool and calm, "The game's afoot."
James pushed her aside and began walking back towards the white capital building.
"Where are you going, Kojiro?" Yashido yelled after him.
"I'm going to call Eric's fiance.. I owe it to her to tell her.."
Coswell took a last look at Eric's body and turned to follow James..