#spy work

[brunhielda]

I was just making tea while my mother was watching a Tom Clancy movie.

I catch a scene in which CIA analysts take apart, I shit you not, a 30 sec news clip of a Russian politician answering a reporter’s question.

“That’s his blue suit- the one he always wears as he’s leaving the hospital, he thinks it brings up his color.”

“Did you catch his hand shake? It’s getting worse.”

“And he’s back in the wagon- there was a slur on the name of that town-

“Must be why his minder was with him-

“That’s not his normal guy-

“Yes it was, dark suit over his shoulder-

“No- look at the curl of the hair, that’s guy #2, who’s put on weight.”

“Another person with health issues?”

“Or stress. How long he been the minder instead of guy #1? When’s the last time anyone actually confirmed we were seeing him and not guy #2?”

“We’ll go through the tapes.”

I stopped in my tracks.

Holy SHIT did that sound familiar.

That’s the level of fan conspiracies of any large enough fanbase online. I see those types of conversations play out all the time. Online. Watching movies with my friends.

It just struck me, like a lightening bolt, that those skills are APPLICABLE.

To SPY WORK.

Is this a thing??? Anyone know someone recruited by a government agency for their analyst skills?

If not, the government has missed a serious skill pool.

[clear-as-starlight]

Nathan Hale’s Death vs the Primary Sources

(aka did William Hull actually know anything?)

“The first the Americans heard of Hale’s death was on the evening of the twenty-second [September 1776], when Captain John Montresor…an aide de camp to General Howe, approached an outpost…under flag of truce. His main business…did not concern Hale, but was to transport to Washington a letter from Howe offering an exchange of high-ranking prisoners. Joseph Reed, accompanied by General Israel Putnam and Captain Alexander Hamilton, rode to meet him. After passing over the letter, he casually added that one Nathan Hale, a Captain, had been executed that morning.”

This passage comes from “Washington’s Spies: The Story of America’s First Spy Ring” by Alexander Rose and it, along with the wonderful @queerrevolution1776 inspired me to go on a (brief) primary source deep dive of Hale’s death. A challenge, given the lack of primary sources surrounding Hale’s spy work, and the tall tales that grew up around it.

I started here: Why was Hamilton there? He was not an aide-de-camp at this point, why would he be present? And that question, my friends, led to a whole host of others!

(Info under the cut because there is a lot, and it’s fascinating :))

The (Un)reliability of Recollection 

The idea of Hamilton having been present to hear of Hale’s fate, so far as I can see, is first related in “Revolutionary Services and Civil Life of General William Hull”, a biography based on Hull’s unpublished memoirs, and written by his daughter, Maria Hull Campbell:

“In a few days, an Officer came to our camp, under a flag of truce, and informed Hamilton, then a Captain of the Artillery, but afterwards an aide to General Washington, that Captain Hale had been arrested within the British lines, condemned as a Spy, and executed that morning. I learned the melancholy particulars from this officer, who was present at his execution, and seemed touched by the circumstances attending it.”

William Hull was a friend of Hale’s from Yale, and they were both in the 19th Regiment, before Hale transferred to Knowlton’s Rangers. A lot of what we know of Hale’s death seems to come from Hull’s memoirs, right down to his (possibly incorrect and/or exaggerated) final words: “I only regret, that I have but one life to lose for my country.” Hull was a close friend of Hale’s, so it does make some sense that he’d know something of it. However, the above biography was written in 1848, and related conversations that had taken place a long time earlier. Campbell herself admits she includes conversations not even present in her father’s memoirs.

Though her book is not the only 18th/19th century one about Hale’s death, it quickly became clear that all of them were based on conversations with Hull. The first time the name ‘Nathan Hale’ even entered the public conscious properly after the war was in 1799, in Hannah Adams’ “A Summary History of New England and General Sketch of the American War” where she writes: “The compiler of this History of New England is indebted to Gen. Hull of Newton for this interesting account of Captain Hale.”

Hale isn’t mentioned again until 1824, in a book by Jedediah Morse, who says he got his info from Adams, who in turn got it from Hull. It seems likely, then, that the idea of Hamilton being there (and indeed, that most of what we know) came from Hull’s supposed recollection, 20+ years after the event took place.

Now, this is not to say that Hull was lying. Return records show that he and his Regiment were certainly present at “Camp near to Harlem Heights” with Washington’s forces at the time that Washington would have been given the information about Hale, and we know Hamilton and his Artillery were present also, as it is at Harlem Heights that he apparently first came to Washington’s notice (according to John C. Hamilton). It did seem a bit strange though, to both me and @queerrevolution1776 , for Hull or Hamilton to have met with an official flag of truce, when they were both only Captains, and not on Washington’s staff (he’d only just become aware of Hamilton’s existence, after all).

Washington makes no mention of either of them in his correspondence, instead writing to Jonathan Trumbull Sr. that it was Colonel Joseph Reed whom Howe’s aide, John Montresor, met with. It makes sense that Reed would have met with Montresor, given his position on Washington’s staff. Reed is mentioned in Rose’s book, but not Hull’s account, and I thought that was a discrepancy worth a look. Hull, writing after the fact, mentions only Hamilton, who by then was a well-known, and scandalous, public figure. Reed, on the other hand, was nowhere near as popular, and perhaps did not serve as such an interesting figure in a story about Hull’s friend, one of America’s earliest spies.

Sure, Hamilton could have been nearby, or overheard the discussion, and in turn told Hull what he had heard—which could explain why Hale’s last moments have been exaggerated, or perhaps accidentally falsified, given that a British officer who was present apparently heard: “It the duty of every good officer, to obey any orders given him by his commander in chief” and not what is so often recounted. Even a newspaper (The Essex Journal) publishing an account five months later, quoted Hale as having said: “If I had ten thousand lives I would lay them all down, if called to it, in defence of my injured, bleeding country”—No one seems quite able to agree exactly what he said! Hull may well have also told his children he was there to make the story seem more personal, and exciting.

(And I’m really starting to doubt that Hamilton was at the meeting at all. It’s never mentioned in any of his writing, or in the John C Hamilton biography)

There’s no “official” reports of Hale’s death either (excepting the noting of his death on the 22nd September casualty list) which is why so much has relied heavily on what Hull claimed to have been told. When Washington wrote Trumbull about the flag of truce meeting the next day, he was mostly concerned with the fire that had engulfed New York the day before, and the claims that Continental soldiers and spies had set it. The only possible reference we have from him that concerned the meeting between Reed and Montresor, with perhaps an oblique reference to Hale, is as follows:

“On Friday night about eleven or twelve o’Clock a fire broke out in the City of New York, which burning rapidly till after Sunrise next morning, destroyed a great number of Houses—By what means it happened we do not know; but the Gentleman who brought the letter out last night from General Howe, and who was one of his Aid De Camps informed Colo. Reed that several of our Countrymen had been punished with various deaths on account of it. Some by hanging, others by burning & c. alledging that they were apprehended when committing the fact.”

Howe himself never mentioned Hale explicitly in official correspondence between him and Washington, and Washington never did either. In fact, neither of them mentioned the spies or the fire to one another at all, concerned with prisoner exchanges, and the accusation of ill-treatment of British prisoners (Howe to Washington 21st September 1776 and Washington to Howe 23rd September 1776). Hale, and his fate, was unfortunately left to Montresor’s verbal account, and Hull’s dubious reporting.

Tench Tilghman on Hale’s Death

In terms of other primary correspondence that might reference Hale’s death, even remotely, we have accounts from Washington’s aide-de-camp, Tench Tilghman.

Firstly, Tilghman wrote his father, James Tilghman, on the 25th September 1776, of the events and executions surrounding the fire. He was sent to deliver Washington’s reply to Howe’s camp under another flag of truce the day after Montresor’s, and spoke with some men in Howe’s camp then:

“Reports concerning the setting fire to New York: If it was done designedly, it was without the knowledge or Approbation of any commanding officer in this Army…every man belonging to the Army who remained in or were found near the City were made close prisoners. Many Acts of barbarous cruelty were committed upon poor creatures who were perhaps flying from the flames, the Soldiers and Sailors looked upon all who were not in the military line as guilty, and burnt and cut to pieces many. But this I am sure was not by Order. Some were executed next day upon good Grounds… I went down to the Enemy's lines yesterday with a Flag to settle the Exchange of prisoners…I met a very civil Gentleman with whom I had an Hours conversation…”

In Rose’s book, he mentions Hull & Colonel Samuel B. Webb going with Tilghman to the camp to further question Montresor about Hale. Webb, another aide-de-camp to Washington, may well have gone. But it seems a bit strange for Hull to have done so. And Hull’s account did not mention Webb, or Tilghman, which is also a bit odd. Rose made no note of his source for this, but I’d like to find it! Perhaps it’s mentioned in Webb’s journals, something I’d have to travel to Yale to see :(

Tilghman did, eventually, mention Hale explicitly, though not by name, when he wrote to Egbert Benson on 3rd October 1776:

“I am sorry that your Convention do not think themselves legally authorized to make examples of those villains they have apprehended…The General is determined if he can bring some of them in his hand’s under the denomination of spies, to execute them. General Howe hanged a Captain of ours belonging to Knowlton' s Rangers, who went into New-York to make discoveries. I don’t see why we should not make retaliation.”

So he definitely knew of Hale’s death by then, and it seemed to anger him greatly.

Miscellaneous Reports of Hale’s Death

There were also reports made by various others, that mention explicitly, or might imply, Hale’s death:

“Friday last we discovered a vast cloud of smoke arising from the north part of the city, which continued '‘ill Saturday evening…those that were found on or near the spot were pitched into the conflagration, some hanged by their heals, others by their necks with their throats cut. Inhuman barbarity! One Hale in New York, on suspicion of being a spy, was taken up and dragged without ceremony to the execution post and hung up.” (A Letter from September 28th 1776)

“We hanged up a rebel spy the other day, and some soldiers got, out of a rebel Gentleman’s garden, a painted soldier on a board, and hung it along with the Rebel; and wrote upon it, General Washington, and I saw it yesterday beyond headquarters by the roadside.” (Kentish Gazette, November 1776)

“A spy from the enemy (by his own full confession) apprehended last night, was this day executed at 11 o’clock in front of Artillery Park.” (General Howe’s diary)

“The Enemy charged some stragglers of our people that happened to be in New York with having set the City on Fire designedly and took that occasion as we were told to exercise some inhuman Crueltys on those poor Wretches that were in their power.” (Committee of Secret Correspondence to Silas Deane 1st October 1776)

What does all this mean?

Hamilton probably wasn’t there (but I can’t make a call on that for sure!)

basically, it’s clear that the primary sources on Hale’s death are few, and somewhat contradictory in places. I found it super interesting, and thought y’all might too! Please keep in mind I’m not calling William Hull a liar (and I definitely haven’t done anywhere near enough research to say anything conclusively!)

But I definitely think it’s always worth examining what we think we know from primary sources. And it’s very fun!

[urupotter]

While the stans who say that everything about Snape's behavior during class and his bullying of Harry was an act he needed to do are obviously wrong, the opposite is also true. Saying that none of Snape's behavior was informed and influenced by the knowledge that he would one day have to go back to spying reveals a deep misunderstanding about what Snape's spy work actually entailed.

Some of his behavior was necessary and an act. Some of it wasn't. Exactly how much of either is hard to tell, and is up to interpretation and meta analysis. But neither extreme is true.

[silverypurple-rosedlions]

⚡Minghao's Post⚡:

Minghao💬

══════◄••❀••►══════

Alright everyone. Tonight's going to get interesting~ The spies are going in with new hair and uniforms 😌 They'll never know what'll hit them tonight.

💕// @ghoulxbaekhyun (Seok's love) Wonwoo (Jun's love)

Closest friends// @empress-jiaqi @kpop-shelter @yourlocal-babybear @yourlocal-babybear2 @julia-oc @shinhaneul-oc

💎// @singledad-coups @minghaostitch @agentwonwoo @xdevilmingyuxx @adonis-jeonghan @princexjunhui @leejihoon-cb

🥀// @aikihades @sophie-svt-13 @waitingwhispers60 @yangomangos @m00n-nim96 @moonlit-jaemin @time-for-confession @xash-axx @vampiremomo @mafia-chaeyoung @split-jiu @artsydahyun @princess-yeji @werewolf-sehun @incubuswooyoung @twiceland-saga @amazingspiderhan @mafia-choa @la-soleilmafia-cb @mafia-arin [DM for +/-]

[j-shute]

An Anonymous Vulpine: Chapter 14

Fantastic Foxes of Zootopia: Series 1 Finale

Where Jack Savage goes on his very first mission!

Fanfic

AO3

[osakigitsune]

Cloak-and-Dagger

The following few days were going well for Shota, Emi, and Eri. Showing Shota and Eri around New York City, Emi would sometimes set a schedule for the two while she went to work. It wasn't her preferred thing to do, but she needed not to split off from them while she changed into her disguise and snuck away to carry out her work for Japan and the United States.

As she dressed, Emi carefully planned out this disguise, so Shota and Eri would never recognize her under any circumstances. Putting on a wig cap, she grabbed a long, red wig with choppy bangs. Searching for some colored contacts, she chose the brown ones to give her eyes a different appearance than the usual emerald green. Getting out some makeup, she created a wing outline and filled it in, leaving her with a dramatic effect when she added gold eye shadow. Along with some mascara, Emi could barely recognize herself which more than satisfied her. Taking a tube of lipstick, she spread what was called 'raspberry pink' on her lips. Smacking her lips, Emi stuck her fingers around the edges of her inner lips to keep the lipstick from staining her teeth.

Walking to her dresser, she took out black slacks, a long-sleeved salmon cut out bow-tied blouse and a pair of black single strap heels. Walking over to the mirror after she had entirely changed, Emi stared at herself in the mirror. As far as she was concerned, no one would be able to distinguish her from anyone else or recall that it was her.

Walking out of her apartment with a set of different clothes, a wig, and some makeup. She carried a small bag to carry along with her in her mission. Checking her phone, she saw that her next task was to go to Grand Central Terminal.

Rushing to the subway, Emi made her way to the Grand Central Terminal. Pondering what this fella or lady looked like and how she would determine that the individual she was to follow, Emi analyzed each and every object and individual she passed, considering that they may be the one she was searching for.

Upon reaching the station, Emi identified a strange woman and man standing directly underneath the American flag, in the center of the building. They were dressed in formal business attire, but the energy that they were radiating was quite peculiar. Advancing toward them, she stopped about fifteen feet away from them and took out a contour mirror, acting like she was fixing her makeup, which she did patch up some. With the mirror facing the two suspects, she watched them cautiously as they moved away from each other.

Clenching her jaw, she considered who she should follow. Turning away to briefly look at each person, she saw one was carrying a heavier briefcase than the other. The woman had a lighter case than the man, which may have been typical, but couldn't make assumptions now. Glancing at the other suspect, she observed that he stopped where he was. Taking out his phone, he stood there staring at his phone until he pressed it to his ear. Staying attentive to both parties, Emi stuck where she was. Determining that she had spent enough time "fixing" her makeup, she grabbed her phone.

Eavesdropping on the man's conversation, Emi clearly made out, "It's been sent." That had to mean that the woman was the one with the documents she needed. Making mental preparations about how she was going to carry the mission out, she concluded that she would stalk the woman.

Lurking behind the woman, Emi trailed a block or so behind, so the woman wouldn't get suspicious. Stepping behind a pillar, she pulled out a hoodie along with headphones. Tying her hair up quickly, she put both on and continued to pursue the woman.

With the woman swiping her card, Emi stopped to study the advertisements, acting like she was up to nothing. Taking out her phone, she opened Spotify and played some classical music. Establishing the music as background noise, she desired to have people believe she wasn't able to eavesdrop on their conversation. In reality, it was the opposite.

Swiping her card to enter a subway station, Emi trodded behind the woman dressed in the suit. Carefully tracking her, Emi perceived reasonably quickly that the lady was only taking them to the opposite side of Grand Central Terminal on 42 St. Her thought was that they were using it as a way to stir her off track, but with determination to acquire the information she needed, Emi needed to monitor the female, she was in pursuit of.

Trailing after the woman, Emi climbed up the stairs from the subway, detecting that the place where they were walking to wasn't far from Grand Central Terminal. Taking off her hoodie behind the corner that lady turned, she stuffed in her bag and pulled her hair into a bun. Pulling out an eyeglass case, she opened them and put them on. Removing her headphones, Emi shoved them into her bag as she turned the corner. Spotting the woman ascending the stairs of some type of large building, she followed shortly behind.

Reaching the building the woman had gone in to, Emi identified as the library. Climbing up the stairs, she passed through the doors, realizing she had lost the woman she was chasing after.

Ferreting around through the library, Emi did a deep clean of the entire library. Reaching the last section of the library she hadn't scour through yet, she spotted out Eri and Shota along with the perpetrator all next to each other. Squealing in disbelief, Emi sprinted away in terror.

Finding a hiding place, she hid in the third row away from them. Acting like she was occupied with searching for a few books, Emi pulled a couple of books from the shelf.

"Emi?"

Closing her eyes and jerking her head slightly away, Emi acted as if she didn't hear anything.

"Emi."

Flaring her nostrils, Emi grabbed another book from the shelf. She had to convince Shota that she hadn't heard him, but how was she to do that after he called her name out twice?

Being grabbed from behind, Emi recognized that this was the end of her. So, instead of acknowledging Shota, she bolted for it. Turning the opposite way of the woman she was originally going after, she ran a few aisles before advancing back to the perpetrator.

Reaching the end of the bookcase, Emi spun and ran into Shota.

"Gotcha." Shota tightly grasped onto Emi's waist.

Pressing her lips together, Emi tugged Shota into another aisle, so they were at least five rows from the woman. Covering Shota's mouth, she informed him, "I need you to stay quiet until we get out of here. You can ask questions later, but for now, do whatever you were doing before."

Leaving Shota and Eri behind, Emi snuck close to the culprit. Fixing her gaze on the opposing wall, she backed close enough to dig into the lady's briefcase. Discreetly pulling out the vanilla folder she saw the two offenders exchange, Emi took three books from the shelf to cover it up and stood up. Fleeing the scene, she indicated to Shota and Eri it was time to leave.

Speedwalking, Emi led them out of the library as soon as they dropped the books she grabbed from shelf earlier on one of the book carts. Flying down the stairs, Emi made sure that she was at least one block away and had turned before she ripped off her disguise.

Swigging left, Emi pulled off her wig along with her cap and stuffed it into her bag. Removing her sweatshirt, she hid that in her purse as the three of them continued walking away. Spreading her eyelids apart,  she took out her contacts and threw them away. Snatching a makeup remover sheet from her bag, Emi cleaned up her face, so there would be no evidence that she was the one after the woman.

Grasping onto Eri and Shota's hand, Emi took them to the closest subway station she could find. "What about we go to Chinatown?"

Shaking his head, Shota opposed her suggestion. "No. We should go home. We need to talk about what the hell Eri and I just saw." Tilting his head some, he made eye contact with her. "I'm serious, Emi. Whatever that was, was detestable."

Averting her eyes, Emi found herself unable to look at Shota. Speechless, she proceeded, walking to her apartment.

It was a long trip, walking and taking the taxi eventually to the apartment since Emi was so agitated about the whole situation that happened at the library.

Arriving at the apartment building, Emi led all of them upstairs to her place. Unlocking the door, she welcomed them in. "I'll make supper. Eri, you can watch anything you want on TV. I think you may like…" Switching to Japanese, Emi asked, "Wait, you don't even know English do you, Eri?"

Shaking her head, she was questioning what her mother and father were saying the whole time.

Pressing her lips together, Emi concluded, "I'm going to have to teach you that, love. I'm sure some of the younger kid stuff on TV would have at least some words or concepts that you would be able to figure out."

Making her way to the television, Emi turned it on and set it on a children's network. "I don't watch anything very much, but supposedly it's a big American thing to have a television."

Whirling around, Emi made her way into the kitchen to start supper. Getting a few pans out, she filled one with water for the rice and the other with some olive for the meat and vegetables. Cocking her head at Shota, she admitted, "I'm going to cook stirfry. I know it's lazy, but I'm sure you all will enjoy it."

Leaning his back against the counter, Shota rested his eyes, taking everything that just happened in. Thrusting himself up, he glared at Emi. "So, what the hell was everything that Eri and I just saw less than a few hours ago?"

Waiting for the water to boil, Emi leaned against the edge of the stove. "Where do you want me to start?"

Drawing his brows together, Shota was baffled hearing her ask such a question. Scrunching his nose, he hissed, "What the fuck do you mean where do I start? How much is there to this?"

Biting down on her lip, Emi broke through the skin, allowing a trail of blood run down her chin. Tilting her head down, she confessed. "I agreed to this a little after your second year with your class."

Staring at Emi with disgust, Shota found himself unable to look at her. "What? Why? Would you agree to something and not even tell me about it? I tell you everything, Emi. We agreed to that."

Shaking her head, Emi conflicted him. "Don't guilt me, Shota. There have been times where I have never known stuff until practically everyone else knows about it."

Interrupting her before Emi could say anything else, Shota dictated, "That's different, Emi. Those situations I wasn't able to tell anyone for certain purposes and reasons."

Lowering her eyebrows, Emi exposed the truth finally, "Exactly. So you should be able to understand why I'm not able to tell you anything either. I'm sick of sitting around and waiting for something to happen, Shota. I can't deal with staying at home and waiting for you and Eri to come home. It's horribly boring. I go crazy there. So, when I was offered a job, I took it after spending many nights thinking about it. I would have told you, but I was told that I wasn't allowed to tell you or Eri anything."

Clenching his jaw, Shota was livid. "WHY THE HELL WOULD DO THAT, EMI?"

Pressing fingers against his lips, Emi insisted, "Please, don't do this in front of Eri. She doesn't need to see us fight." She had seen the same done with her own parents, and it broke her to see her family treat each other in such a way. "Please, do this for Eri."

With the water boiling, Emi swiveled and dumped the rice in. Adding the meat to one pan, she took out another one for the vegetables. Pouring oil into the pan, she tore open the veggies and put them in. "Would after Eri goes to bed work? I know you're angry with me Shota, but it would mean so much if you wouldn't yell or even swear at me." She stressed as she stirred the meat and veggies.

With a simple nod, Shota settled with that. Tilting his head up toward the ceiling, he mediated over the situation. Even though Emi had told him a lot, there were still some things that he was unsure about. But, there would be time to discuss that after Eri went to bed. Taking a large breath, he turned to face Emi.

Walking over to her, he rested his hands on Emi's waist. Supporting his head on her shoulder, he assured her, "Even though I'm still  about this situation, I still love you."

Switching the spoon to her left hand, Emi brought her right arm to Shota's right cheek. Turning her head to kiss his cheek, she was amazed when he surprised her with his lips. Because he was showing her affection, she relished the kiss.

Breaking away, Emi returned to the meat and vegetables. "I'm glad to hear that. My anxiety was really getting to me. Not that you were able to notice it, but my whole body has been shaking for the last few hours. Ever since we left the library, my anxiety has been going up the wall." Sighing, she checked the rice to see how it was doing. Turning the burner off for the rice, Emi swirled around to get some spices for the vegetables. After obtaining all the spices needed, she nabbed some orange juice from the fridge. Laying the spices on the counter, she poured about two ounces of orange juice into the meat and vegetables once they were combined. Returning the orange juice to the fridge, she sprinkled the spices in.

Removing the rice and stir fry from the stove, she placed them on a hot pad on the table. "I can finally cook since I have people to cook for. Well, not in huge quantities and then saving them all for myself for the next few days to eat." She mumbled as she went back to the kitchen to get the silverware and plates. "Do we need glasses?"

Snatching a couple of glasses from the cabinet, Emi filled them with water and brought them over. Going back to get the plates and silverware, she placed them down at each designated spot. "Eri, it's time to eat." Sitting down at the table, Emi grabbed a napkin and waited for everyone else to sit down. Once everyone was seated, she said a blessing and served everyone. "Hopefully, that orange juice isn't too much for you and Eri. It's been something I've been experimenting with."

Although Eri didn't understand everything that was going on, she took a large bite of food and smiled, crediting her mother for the food that was made. Swallowing it down the stir fry, Eri commented, "It's good, Mama."

Giving her daughter a wide grin, Emi thanked her, "That means a lot, Eri. Thank you!"

With it being a deathly quiet dinner, Emi finished her food fairly quickly and got up to make some tea.

Yawning at the table, Eri struggled to stay awake not too much longer.

After spotting Eri nodding off a few times, Emi picked her up and brought her to the guest bedroom. Aiding Eri in getting dressed, she tucked her into bed afterward. Following her regular bedtime routine for Eri, Emi read her a book and kissed her goodnight. "I love you, Eri. Sleep well!"

Flipping the light switch, Emi closed the door and went to the kitchen to put everything away, but Shota had beaten her to it. Searching the room for Shota, she found herself startled when he scooped her off her feet.

Carrying her to the couch, Shota demanded, "Now tell me everything. I need to know what the hell is going on, Emi."

Inhaling and letting it out, Emi chewed on her thoughts on where to start. Cracking her lips open to speak, Emi revealed, "I was asked to work for the country of Japan and the United States."

In disbelief, Shota narrowed his eyebrows, asked, "You're telling me that the government of the United States and Japan hired you to work for them?"

Making eye contact with him, Emi confirmed what he said. "Yes. I work for both governments. I know it's overwhelming to hear all this after catching me in the act. I really wanted to tell you long before this. Believe me, I wanted to tell you right away, but not being allowed to, I had to stay silent."

Thoroughly processing everything, Shota sought, "Who got you involved with all of this?"

Without wanting to call out Nezu, Emi diverted the question. "Just the government that's all."

Disregarding her answer, Shota hardened his face. "Bullshit, Emi. Someone pursued you for this job. Now, stop avoiding the question!"

 Beginning to realize that he wasn't going to give up, Emi stated, "I'm not telling you any of that, Shota."

Now aware that someone was involved in this that she wasn't saying, Shota growled, "So there is someone else...Goddammit, Emi. Just tell me!"

Changing her expression to a poker face, Emi refused, "No, I won't. You know I hate it when you swear at me."

Beyond infuriated with Emi, Shota glowers at his fiancee. "Emi...get over yourself. Tell me who is behind all of this."

Instead of functioning for him, Emi shoved Shota, so she could get away. She nevertheless discovered herself still in Shota's arms. "If you're not going to respect my wishes, I'm not talking to you at all."

Sliding his hand from her shoulder to her bicep, Shota concluded, "You're never planning on telling me, are you?"

"No." Emi softly muttered.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Shota speculated, knowing that Emi was a horrible liar, he could determine whether or not he was right with his conjecture. "Is it Nezu?"

Rather than say anything, Emi sat there with a blank expression on her face. She was hesitant on how to manage the situation, but she was confident that Shota already knew the answer to the question based on her expression.

"It is Nezu," Shota announced.

Although there was nothing that Emi could do to convince him otherwise, Emi twitched, perceiving that no good would come out this from Shota knowing.

Gliding his fingers to his chin, scratching it, Shota questioned her further, "So what were you doing exactly at the library and what was the need of having such an elaborate disguise? Observing you in the act, it may cause someone to believe that you were up to something that you shouldn't be involved with."

Usually, Emi nervously laugh at a time like this. But, Shota and her had gotten to know each other like the back of their hands. Alternately, she heaved a sigh, "Again, Shota, I can't tell you anything."

Wondering if Emi would fess up if he announced he no longer worked at Yuuei, Shota let the cat out of the bag. "I quit my job at UA."

Emi's jaw dropped, she was stunned to blurt out such a thing. It was entirely unlike to leave behind something he loved. She knew he cared for his students more than anything else. They were apart of the large family he had at UA, but with him quitting his job, how would she convince him to back? She only had one question for him, and that was, "Why?"

Tipping his head back toward the ceiling, Shota retorted, "I had enough of Nezu's lies. I know he has something to do with this, Emi. I don't understand how, but I'll figure it out. I wish you would just tell me." Clutching his fist, he let out a harsh breath. "Goddammit, Emi. Please, don't make this more complicated than it already is. You know that I'm going to solve it no matter what, so tell me, Emi."

Emi rolled her shoulders, letting out a short laugh. "You're whiny, Shota."

Finally having enough of her fun and games, Shota growled as he shoved her on the couch. With her back against the cushions, he rested his hand right next to her waist. "Kitten, if you're not going to answer me, I'm going to have to force it out of you."

Jerking her face away from Shota, Emi refused to cooperate with him.

Snickering, Shota clenched her jaw tightly. "Emi, this is no time to joke around." Drawing in a large breath, he dictated, "Seriously, stop. I know you like being punished, but I'm going to get this out of you if it's the last thing I do today. Hell, I'll take it into tomorrow if needed."

Sticking her tongue out, Emi told him off, "Fight me, then if you're so tough."

Cringing his nose, Shota seized her into her arms while pulling her left leg over his shoulder. "You can taunt me all you want, but this will get us nowhere…"

Gliding her fingers down his cheek, Emi grinned. "I love you, Shota."

Staring at her in disbelief, Shota was stumped, having her change the subject such as she did.

"You came here just to see me. That means so much to me, Shota. I was craving your physical touch for so long." Slightly turning her head away, Emi continued, "I was craving for your touch for so long. So long, Shota. Since day one, I missed you and to think that I messed that up… It broke me."

Cupping her cheek, Shota caressed it lovingly. "Emi, you're still not going to get away from telling me that info, but I suppose we could put that away for now…" Shifting his weight, he got up and picked her up. Carrying her to the bedroom, he kicked the door open.

"WAITTTTT! I need to get ready for bed first!" Emi cried.

"You have OCD about getting ready for bed, you know that?" Shota commented, setting her down on the bed.

Standing up, Emi ran out and got ready for bed while Shota waited there sitting on the bed.

It took a good ten minutes for her to finally to come back and in the meantime, Shota was drifting off to sleep.

"I'm back, love." Emi sang with her right hand resting on the doorframe and her left on her hip as she gave Shota the sexiest pose she could. Dressed in a small, red gown with thin straps, she winked as soon as he looked up from his partial slumber.

Glancing up at Emi, Shota instantly woke up after seeing her. "Kitten, come here. I want to get some of that."

Licking her lips, Emi ran and jumped on top of him. "I'm here, love. You can have as much as you desire only if you don't ask me anything else about my job here?"

Knocking her onto her back, Shota moved on top of her. "Never."

Pursing her lips, Emi mocked him, "Then I guess, you don't get anything, Shota."

[moonlitstories]

Mission 311- Final Chapter- Goodbye

SPY AU! Spy Works!

A ghost from Jin Jin's past makes its return, but this time is he ready to face it head on?

READ HERE

[sassysparkylady]

Ｔｈｅｉｒ ｃｏｍｉｎｇ ｓｏｏｎ， Ｉ ｍｕｓｔ ｈｕｒｒｙ