Natasha fell on her bed, her emotions a mess.
She had been hired by Senator Monica Goldberg to infiltrate and destroy Sirius Software, and the first step to that mission was already complete.
She now had access to the Sirius Software compound.
However, the way Aaron had treated her, and the way he had designed the skill assessment, made her feel more alive than she had in years.
Despite needing to move in a hot and uncomfortable skirt-suit and toe-pinching pumps, the skill assessment had resurfaced the same thrill she had felt during her deployment in Iraq, where she had been an Army Ranger.
She had risen to the rank of Lieutenant before she was recruited by the CIA to work in their infiltration and counter-terrorism unit.
At first, she had thought that the CIA would be her new career track, but she was discharged and disavowed after needing to be extracted when a civil war in Libya disposed of the warlord whose harem she had infiltrated.
With the military no longer an option, she had gone into civilian life as a private investigator, and made a name for herself as the go-to girl for doing the dirty work for senators like Sarah Clarke and Monica Goldberg.
She stood up, went to her sink and splashed water on her face.
"It's still too early. I shouldn't be overthinking this*" she thought to herself, before changing out of the skirt-suit and pumps.
She was about to curl up and fall asleep, when her phone buzzed.
With a sigh she answered the call.
"Well? What have you found out so far?" demanded Monica Goldberg over the line.
"I just got hired by Sirius Software as a security guard, Senator. I start working tomorrow." said Natasha wearily.
"That's it? You don't have anything else? I thought you were the best in the business!" scoffed Monica.
"Alright, here's the more that you want. The guy running things seems to actually be Aaron Zakhrov. He's got hand-print biometric locks on everything, the security checkpoint has military grade retractable spike strips. The compound walls are 20 meters high and 2 meters thick, topped with barbed wire and electric fencing. So, unless you want to bring in the military and roll up in a tank, I suggest you let me do my job." snapped Natasha, hanging up before Monica could respond.
The phone buzzed again, and Natasha wearily answered it.
"Now listen here you old hag! I'm less than impressed by dumb kids who think they can play at being super-villains, just because they've got a few bucks. I'm paying you to get in, find any kind of dirt you can, and give it to me. I'll decide what to do with it. Fail, and you'll never find a job again. Do you understand?" said Monica coldly.
"Yes, Senator. I understand." replied Natasha, her head throbbing from the fatigue and Monica's shrill voice.
"Good. And don't get any dumb ideas, or I swear to God, I'll destroy you along with him!" snarled Monica, before hanging up.
Natasha tossed her phone away and succumbed to sleep, too exhausted to think about what Monica had just threatened.
----
"Looks like we've got a little infiltrator on our hands." chuckled Aaron to himself, as he looked over Natasha's information on his computer, one of the perks of bagging a military contract to secure their databases.
He had posted a job opening on LinkedIn for a security guard as a test-run to see if he could build his own security force instead of relying on the firm he had contracted to provide security for the compound.
Natasha's application had been the only one to come in, and that had made him suspicious.
However, Natasha's skills were impressive, so he had decided to hire her anyway, but not as a regular security guard.
He had formulated a plan that would combine her combat skills as well as her natural beauty and femininity, while keeping her close enough to make her see what he wanted her to see.
"Let's begin operation convert the infiltrator!" he thought to himself, and dialed Harry's number.
"Harry, I'm sending you and Margaret some design specs. See if you can get them done by midnight." he said, as he sent the specs and Natasha's measurements to Harry's account.
"You're giving me - a civil engineer, and my wife, a fashion designer less than 16 hours to turn titanium and leather into an almost fetish-wear styled skirt-suit combat uniform monstrosity.
You really are a sadistic bastard, you know that?" replied Harry petulantly over the phone.
"Coming from you, that's a compliment." chuckled Aaron.
"Hey, Master Zakhrov, after we're done with this one can I make another for myself?" asked Margaret coming on the line.
"Of course you can Margaret. Just don't try to sell it. That is a Sirius Software proprietary design." said Aaron.
"Of course I won't. I just adore your taste in fashion sir." replied Margaret.
"That's enough flirting with the kid, you little minx. And don't think titanium chain-mail will protect you from my belt!" growled Harry in the background as the sharp crack of leather hitting skin sounded, and Margaret let out a squeal that was part pain, part pleasure.
"Talk to you later, boss. I need to teach my wife some manners." said Harry, coming on the line.
"Alright, I'll leave you two to it." chuckled Aaron, as he hung up.