Jessica and Bora broke into the shady office; it didn’t seem such a suitable place for business but then again this type of business was rarely done in upscale places. The camera that Bora and Sunny had set up before their trip to Mexico gave them a pattern of when there would be people in the office and when was the best time to break in without worrying about encountering any of the clientele or goons.

“Why would they just take a whole, complete day off? I mean it’s a perfectly good night as any to do business,” Bora commented.

“I don’t really care, just be glad we get this chance. It’s a lot harder to do when there are people around. Considering the nature of what we’re doing, the less people the better,” Jessica replied.

“But don’t you wonder why?”

“I try not to bother too much with that, too many questions just means more possible irrelevant answers,” Jessica said and slowly closed the window. They heard the sounds of slight bantering and a TV.

“I thought there was no one here?” Bora asked.

“Well you must still be new to the world of intelligence and surveillance... things can always change... they must have an night crew guarding something, most likely money... it’s usually money for places like these,” Jessica said. Bora stayed close and behind Jessica as Jessica peered down the hall and into the room where the sound came from. “Just two guys, we can handle this...”

Bora reached for the CZ pistol she had stuffed in the interior pocket of her jacket but Jessica stopped her and shook her head no. Jessica pointed at the Hite beer cans and the fighting match that was being shown on the TV. Jessica told Bora to stay put as she snuck closer to the guys. Their backs were turned to her and they were glued to the TV and draining cans of beer. Jessica signaled Bora to come up to her position. Jessica pulled out from one her pockets a tiny plastic box that held three syringes and handed one to Bora and made a ‘three’ with her fingers. Jessica would take the one on the left and Bora the one on the right.

One. Two. Three. Both ladies reached up and injected the syringes into the neck of the two men. They both fell to their ‘sleep’ before they could react. Jessica gave a light tap to one of the goon’s face to check if he was really out. CIA really had some nice stuff Bora thought.

“This works well for us. Incompetency is a rather underrated weapon. We were never here and these look like they got to drunk on the job and passed out. They’re completely incompetent in their work. The safe there I bet is just money, that’s not what we’re looking for... This is...” Jessica said and found file cabinets locked with a metal bar and a combination lock. The lock meant that only a few people knew the combination and not even the low level guys could be trusted with a key as with traditional padlocks.

“What do we do? Break it? Can we crack it?” Bora asked.

“Combination locks aren’t like safes, you can’t feel it or hear it to open, and we can’t break it or else they’ll know we were here. Bring me an empty beer can and some scissors,” Jessica said. Bora looked around the sleeping men and grabbed scissors from the desk in the corner and handed them over to Jessica. The CIA operative began to cut the can apart and got herself a small square sheet of aluminum. Jessica made some cuts into her square to turn it in a M-shape and made some folds and soon had a shim. She slid the shim into the lock around the shackle and twisted and pushed the shim deeper into the lock and the like magic the lock pop opened. She inspected the lock and it only had a minor scratch that may have been caused by her work but otherwise the lock looked as if she had entered the combination.

Jessica opened the drawers and peered into the file folders. Bora took pictures of the files, listing information of past and current clients as well as some school rosters where the operation might have found their female targets from.

“This is all good information, how are we planning on using this? Blackmail? Sunny and I didn’t have anything solid enough to do that last time,” Bora said.

“That was because your photos . Pictures of people walking in and out and guarding a place is hardly enough for even a teaser. This is what we’ll use. Only if we could scan this stuff, is there a computer... bingo! Look. They have an inkjet copier!” Jessica went over to it and checked it and dug into her back pocket and pulled out some bills. “There was a corner market, remember it. Go get another black ink cartridge.... Come on, go, we can’t use the one in here they might notice changes in the ink levels. Call me when you’re outside and I’ll let you in. Go.”

************************

“What’s going on?!?!?!? SUNNY?!?!?!?” Hyomin yelled.

“People want to kill me, and now since they seen you with me, they will most likely want to kill you too,” Sunny answered.

“What? I didn’t do anything? Can you tell them I didn’t do anything?!”

“I wish I could, but see they will think I told you something and they’ll kill you to keep you from talking,” Sunny answered.

“But I don’t know anything!”

“I know, but they don’t know that and they most likely don’t even care... let’s hope they haven’t figured out who you are yet!” Sunny said and continued to race through traffic. “I’m sorry Hyomin. I never meant to bring you into this... it was all an accident. I saved you in the street that day, but there were two bad guys who saw me, and I knew if I left you alone and ran they would have picked you up and asked about me. I know it wouldn’t be good for you. They would have assumed you were lying when you tell them you don’t know anything and they would kill you. So I took you with me and seem to have made it much worse. So I’m very sorry Hyomin. I didn’t even know it was you until the mall. I guess it’s nice since you’re easier for me to keep track of you if they ever find out it’s you... I wouldn’t hold it against them to kill an idol... although that would probably sell a lot of T-ara albums.”

“What? They would kill me?”

“They’re sort of trying to do that right now... well me first, and you. So again I’m sorry, it’s like I’m saving your life, but at the same time I wouldn’t have to in the first place if we never met,” Sunny ranted.

“But if I never met you, that would mean I would have gotten hit by that bus and surely been killed then... so it’s some strange cycle...” Hyomin calmly said.

“Well that’s one way to look at it...” Sunny said as she eased her speed to level out her driving to more of a normal casual driver. She took a legal left turn and proceeded down another street checking the rear view mirror constantly. “I think we lost them... man that was a little too easy...”

Suddenly a small delivery van pulled out in front of them at the stoplight. The doors opened up and there were men with weapons ready to fire at them. Sunny ram the car into the back of the van and knocked the men off balance and quickly reversed and move into the next lane to speed off.

“I thought you said we lost them!?”

“They’re pros, it wouldn’t be that easy to lose them... Argh!... Hyomin can reach in the glovebox and give me the gun in there?” Sunny asked while speeding through traffic. Hyomin reached inside the glovebox and saw the pistol resting inside the compartment. Hyomin hesitated to reach out and grab the gun even with chase vehicles after them.

***Front wheel drive cars are the most popular type of cars on the road, they’re cost efficient and easier for manufacturers to make and also they are much more easily to handle and maneuver and quite safer too. The weight of the engine over the drive wheels provides constant traction especially in this type of weather. However, in terms of escape and evasion; rear wheel drive offers more precision and handling. Ever tried pushing a large box through a door? Push or pull uses relatively the same effort but notice how it’s easier to turn from the rear than the front? Power and speed add a lot to the equation, but handling and control outweigh both when in a chase. That’s why spy types love rear-wheel drive, the only problem is in slick weather there is a tendency to slide a bit.****

Sunny made an u-turn from the eastbound to the westbound at the next green light and slid through the turn and merged with other drivers and calmly reclaim control of the car from the slick road and punched back towards Seoul. Hyomin looked back and noticed the vehicles chasing them and figured this was more than just some ‘minor thing’. Somebody really wanted to get to Sunny. Hyomin held the gun with both hands as it was some delicate fruit; she was unsure if she wanted to hand the gun over to Sunny.

An SUV caught up to them and started to ram the passenger side, just like professionals they were able to constantly ram into the car without losing control of their SUV and just like professionals the car did not come from behind them but had came from ahead of them. Professional chases don’t rely on getting their targets from being behind but rather calling ahead and getting more people in front to meet the target. A ram came so hard that it forced Sunny to swerve in order to avoiding hitting a semi-truck. This caused Sunny to slow down and eventually allowed herself and Hyomin to fall into a moving barricade. Hyomin screamed as the SUV continued to ram at her door.

“Sunny!!!!” She screamed.

“Give me the gun!” Sunny ordered. Hyomin put her hands around the gun and pointed it at Sunny. “HYOMIN! That thing is loaded! You don’t hand me a loaded gun with your finger on the trigger!”

“SORRY!!!!” Hyomin yelled back. Some nerve Sunny had to yell at her when they for sure were going to die. Another car started to ram at the driver side and alternated with the SUV at Hyomin’s side in ramming the mid-size Lexus. Another SUV had pulled out in front of them, forming the barricade. Hyomin noticed the car to their left lowering their window to bring out a gun and pointed to get Sunny’s attention. “Sunny!!!”

“Hyomin get down!” Sunny screamed. She pushed the button to unclip Hyomin’s seat belt and push her down as low as she could. Sunny rammed the car as hard as she could to the left to knock the shooter out of balance. She lowered both windows and then opened the sunroof and then sped up to ram the SUV in front of her. In the rear view mirror she could see another car coming up from the rear; if she didn’t act now they were dead for sure. Sunny click buttons around to engage the cruise control and undid her seatbelt. “Hyomin! Stand down and just hold on to the wheel and it keep steady okay?”

“WHAT?!?!” Hyomin shouted, but before Sunny could answer she stood up in her seat to prop herself out from the sunroof. Hyomin quickly launched her hands to grab the wheel and try to keep the car steady.

**** One of the most effective ways to control a target car is to establish a moving barricade. Four vehicles box in the target car and get close enough to practically touch, the target car can’t use any momentum to try and swing out and at the mercy of the barricade vehicles. This move requires perfect execution. Everyone has to be in their place and driving in sync with each other, but when they are it’s nearly impossible to get out; unless you eliminate a vehicle. TV and movies lie to you if you think shooting from a moving car is easy. All that shooting while moving and with one hand and expert shooting is all a lie... I’ve had training and used to fire guns almost every day and even I can’t hit my target every time let alone moving at 60 miles per hour with a handgun. Heroes from the movies never miss, but in real life trying to shoot in a moving vehicle will results in some misses. Now getting out of a moving barricade you can’t just shoot at tires, for one they might be rubbing so close to you can’t get a shot on the tires and more importantly a tire blow-out causes unpredictable results; the car will lose control but you don’t know which way, so that’s a no go. You pick targets based on threats. I’d go left first because they have the passenger shooter who poses the most immediate threat and then I go rear and shoot at the driver from the rear vehicle. That should break down the box and allow you to maneuver out of the barricade.****

Sunny fired out multiple shots from her pistol to the vehicle to the left and then the SUV to the rear. The SUV on the right now tried to fired at Sunny, but the driver was right handed and trying to shoot with his arm all compacted and across his body just spraying bullets out hoping one would hit. Sunny took a few shots through his window to get him to back off and then she returned fire back to the car on the left to attack the driver who was trying to fire at Sunny since his gunner was eliminated. The pistol clicked and she realized she expended all 16 rounds and ducked into the car for another magazine from the glovebox.

“You’re doing great Hyomin! Be right back!” Sunny said. She slammed another magazine into the gun and popped back out of the sunroof. Hyomin could have sworn she heard Sunny mutter ‘this was a bad idea’ but she couldn’t tell from the wind blowing through the car. Her tiny hands pointed out forward towards the front car and squeezed off ten rounds into the back of the front vehicle. Sunny quickly came back down and slid into the driver seat and regain the wheel.

“Get back up here and put your belt on!” Sunny ordered. Hyomin quickly crawled over the center console and got into the chair and put her seatbelt on. “Are you okay? Did you get hit? Any cuts? Bruises?”

“I’m fine, I’m fine... I’m okay... I think... How would I know if I’m not okay?!” Hyomin asked. Sunny turned to look at Hyomin.

“I think you would know...” Sunny answered and speed off to the next turn leaving the barricade damaged and straggling in the road. “You’re okay. Let’s see about getting you home safe, I think you’ve had enough fun for tonight huh?”

Hyomin darted her eyes to Sunny; how could she even use the word ‘fun’ in this situation? Sunny asked if Hyomin could reload the gun for her because Sunny wanted to keep two hands on the wheel with the slight snow falling. Hyomin was even more floored to be asked such a question; she didn’t even know where to begin.

“Button, there is a button on the grip, press it real hard and the magazine will fall out,” Sunny explained while her eyes constantly shifted from the road to the mirrors. “Take a full one, and just push it really hard into the slot. Push it all the way in, it will click and be flush and then just hit the lever on the left side above the trigger.”

Hyomin performed the steps and was able to reload the gun but didn’t know how to hand over the gun; she knew last time she gave Sunny the gun it was incorrect so she just placed the gun into the cupholder. They were breaking in closer to the city and Hyomin had to direct Sunny to where the dorm was, except Hyomin didn’t know the address only the directions. Sunny asked for the general location and said they would walk in because Sunny didn’t want to bring the car all damaged inside the gates of the complex; a beat-up Lexus is pretty memorable, two girls walking into the building is more passable as a forgettable occurrence.

Sunny found a parking lot a block away and squeezed in between some large trucks, in hopes of concealing the car a bit. She grabbed the gun and stuffed it into the pocket of her jacket and escorted Hyomin out of the car and towards the building.

“You didn’t have to walk me in,” Hyomin stated.

“I just want to make sure you get back safe. They could have been ninja and followed us. You can never be too sure, I’m not going down as the one who got T-ara’s Hyomin kidnapped, hurt or killed,” Sunny replied.

“So it’s like that huh?”

“I’m a fan, I’d be devastated if I was responsible for something bad happening to you, I can’t allow that. I told you that you’re one of my favorite idols,” Sunny explained and grabbed onto Hyomin’s arm to sell the appearance of just two normal girls trying to get home to bystanders.

“That’s sweet of you... I think?” Hyomin responded as she got both of them past the security guard and into the gates. “You don’t have to walk me inside though.”

“No, I insist. I said you’ll be safe and you’re not safe until you’re in your dorm,” Sunny said firmly.

“I think I’ll be okay...”

“No, till I see you walk through your door,” Sunny said. The two took the elevator up and walked to the dorm’s door. “Is this it?”

“Yup, this is it...I’m sorry I can’t let you in you know...” Hyomin replied.

“Oh no, I totally understand. Listen, Hyomin. I’m really sorry about today. I know you wanted to just have fun and relax but instead you were almost killed because of me, so again I’m really sorry,” Sunny said sincerely.

“I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t scary... It was very different, but thank you for dinner and for getting me home safely,” Hyomin said.

“You’re welcome, it was my pleasure,” Sunny said with a slightly forced smile. “Have a good night?”

“Goodnight.”

“Hyomin... I know it seems improper to ask...” Sunny hesitantly said just as Hyomin’s hand touched the door handle. Hyomin turned to Sunny and awaited the question. “You can say no and I’d understand, but could I by any chance get your autograph?”

Hyomin was caught off guard; even after all the events of the night Sunny could manage to finish the night off as a fangirl asking for an autograph. Hyomin smirked at Sunny’s bashfulness and shamelessness.

“No I’m not going to give you an autograph... but I tell you what, give me your phone... I’m giving you my number and I want you to call me sometime and make up for the events that happened today and maybe you can get that autograph,” Hyomin answered punching her number into Sunny’s phone. She sent a text to her own phone so she would have Sunny’s number and handed the phone back to Sunny with a smile. “So, call... and maybe... just maybe... have a good night Sunny.”

Hyomin opened the door and slid into her dorm leaving Sunny standing in the hallway confused.

“What? Make up for tonight? What was wrong with tonight?” Sunny asked out loud to herself shaking her head and walked back towards the elevator.

****************************************************************

“Alright, good job kid,” Jessica said.

“Kid?! I’m not that much younger than you!” Bora replied.

“Well I am older and I am the only with actual experience doing this stuff... so yeah... I think if I want to call you ‘kid’, I can. Besides I haven’t turned you in yet right?”

“That’s entrapment...”

“No sweetie, that’s just me being so nice to you. Alright we got everything let’s go,” Jessica said. The two had finished making copies and placed the original ink cartridge back into the copier. They made several copies of documents and expertly placed everything back where they found it.

“How do you know this will work?” Bora asked.

“This isn’t my first time kid, besides how many times to I have to explain to you... nothing hurts these people more than information getting to people they don’t want,” Jessica started. “Are you sure you’re a spy?”

“I’m not a spy, I’m an agent...”

“Government operative, whatever... same difference.”

“You know it’s not.”

“I know, let’s go. Get in the car.”

Jessica and Bora returned to the safehouse and began processing the photos through the printers and worked to put copies into new file folders. Unknown to the public, but spy-work in reality was a lot (a lot) of tedious work. Lots of filing, reading, organizing and waiting. Bora was busy printing photos and Jessica went through the files and sorted them into folders, matching client records together and making tiny notes in a notebook. It was obvious that Jessica had plenty of experience doing this sort of work, while Bora was set with simple tasks of just the photos and re-drawing the room on paper. Hours had passed before they heard a car come up the driveway and pushed through the garage door.

“What the F**k!!!!” Jessica yelled out when she spotted the condition of the car. “Sunny, that car is a rental!!! What the hell happened??!?!?!”

“I’m sorry! Jasmine guys came out and after me and they came hot. It couldn’t’ be helped...” Sunny explained.

“Seriously?! Sunny?! I’m going to have to send this to the shop to get it fixed so they never find out... I’m so glad we put fake tags on the car before you used it... the repairs are coming out of your pocket! Anything else you need to share?”

“No... um... well I’m out of bullets...”

“Load your own... I’m charging you for those too... Is she safe?” Jessica inquired, referring to Hyomin.

“Yeah, she got home safe... Jasmine might have caught onto her too... I don’t know...”

“I want to beat the crap out of you right now... so bad... you have no idea...”

“... Sorry? How was the break-in?” Sunny asked innocently.

“We got a lot of good stuff, I’m sure we’ll turn up something, I mean we have a lot of client files, finances... geez Sunny are you okay? I’m surprised you got through without a scratch...” Bora said. Sunny took off the layers of her clothes down to her t-shirt. She turned to show a small blood stains on her side. “Well almost without a scratch...”

“So now there is blood, we have to get rid of those clothes, go rinse off and clean yourself right now... I’ll get someone to fix you up. Bora wipe down the car,” Jessica ordered. She went into the corner to make a call on her cellphone. Bora went through the car with a shop-vac to pick up items and then a cleaning solution to remove any biological traces.

*************************

“You lost them again?” Siwon asked. There was noticeable disappointment and frustration in his voice.

“Sorry sir, she got the better of us. It won’t happen again.”

“It better not... I understand that I told you I want her dead but take more caution. This public outburst of trying to kill her on site? Discharging firearms in public? I’m the one who has to clean this up... I wouldn’t mind if we get her alive and make her suffer a bit...”

“Understood, we’ll be more careful next time.”

“Who was the other female?” Siwon asked.

“We don’t know, the windows were tinted and she hid pretty well. We only know she had dark, medium to long hair...”

“That is helpful how? I can go to any girls’ high school and nearly all of them would match that description. I’m starting to believe that one little girl is too much for you to handle,” Siwon commented. “Do you at least have anything useful?”

“Lexus IS350, we have the plate numbers but they came back as being registered to the Swedish consulate. We checked the inventory and they don’t have any IS350s in their fleet. We believe the plates are fakes, forged into the system at the Sweds.”

“How is that even possible?! Sunny and Bora are junior level operatives; they do not have the access or powers to complete such a task. It’s not something they would have learned yet... they have help from somewhere… Hmm… I want a team to start keeping tabs on the two Kims, Taeyeon and Hyoyeon. It won’t be long before your foul-ups lead them this way. Find out who owns that Lexus.”

“We’ll get on it.”

Siwon proceeded out of the ‘English School’ and got into his car to make a call to his boss. “She got away again... Sorry sir, I can clean up the mess... I will more tactful in the future... I understand... Choi? Choi Seunghyun? I don’t think I need his help... yes sir. I understand,” he hung up with slight disappointment that another agent would be sent to assist in the task.

****************************

Sunny came back down into the garage after showering, wearing just shorts and had a towel wrapped around her upper body.

“Urgh, you’re even getting blood on the towel...” Jessica said with discontent.

“So are you two really friends?” Bora asked, still confused if Jessica was being facetious or not.

“Best of, we spend nights braiding each other’s hair and talking about all the idols I’ve conquered,” Jessica replied with obvious sarcasm.

“See, now I know you’re just f**king with me,” Bora responded and placed herself back into the files.

“Hey, can I get some help with this?” Sunny asked regarding to her wound. A bullet or maybe glass had caught Sunny during the chase, most likely when she was pushing Hyomin down to the floor. Adrenaline has a way of dulling out pains until much later but now she felt the sting. From her military training she was capable of stitching herself, but the wound’s location was just off her back enough to let her see it in the mirror but unable to move her hands to run the needle. A knock at the side door got everyone alert but Jessica.

“Put the guns down guys, I’m expecting company,” Jessica explained calmly and moved to the door. “Sunny, go put something to cover your s please, we’re going to have a guest.”

Sunny went upstairs to find a bra to slip on and moved down to find Tiffany standing in their little workspace.

“Hello Sunny... so Jess why am I here again? This place is scary and out in the middle of like the ghetto... I thought I was going to get kidnapped and ...seriously,” Tiffany said.

“You’re packing heat... plus why would they want you?... anyways I need you to stitch up Sunny,” Jessica replied, teasing at Tiffany.

“What? You could have done that yourself!” Tiffany reasoned.

“Well I’m mad at her right now! Sunny wrecked the rental car, so I don’t feel like treating her injuries. So you do it...” Jessica responded with a slightly raised voice that added a hint of a whine. Tiffany pointed at Bora suggesting Bora could have done it. “They’re not taught how to, not at her level anyways...”

“Okay, fine. I’ll do it! Got a kit?” Tiffany said, with almost a slight cheer. Jessica pointed to a cabinet that was full of hospital-grade medical supplies; everything from bandages, sutures, IVs to a defibrillator. “Nice stuff Jess, which hospital did you steal all this stuff from...”

“Har Har... you know where this stuff came from...” Jessica answered. The equipment came an ‘excess orders’ meant for the military hospital that somehow found their way to Jessica’s safehouse. Sunny propped up on the table and waited for Tiffany to get to work. Tiffany pulled on some medical gloves and pulled a stool up.

“Get rid of the towel please,” Tiffany ordered softly. Sunny pulled off the towel and showed her back to the American; she took two aspirins and waited. “This is definitely a first for me...”

“What?!? You never done this before?!” Sunny asked nearly screaming as she turned to face Tiffany who already had the suture threaded through the hooked needle.

“Well I mean I practiced a bunch of times on oranges before... Sunny... I’ve got this... want me to close your gash or not?” Tiffany came back at Sunny. Sunny caved in and allowed Tiffany to make the first stick.

“This better be good or there will be trouble,” Sunny made her empty threat. Jessica just sat back sipping her cup of tea and smiled.

****Stitches hurt. There’s no other way to put it. It’s not debilitating ‘hurts like hell’ type of pain, but it is painful. A needle goes through your skin (all of it if the wound is really deep).These days, they have a type of medical ‘super glue’ that can close a wound together as well, that’s not really painful.. just really weird feeling. Medical staples are usually used on the head, or well dead bodies... The suture wraps through the whole tissue and pulls it shut and holds it there. The trick is to not over-pull the sutures, that could damage tissue and affect the healing.****

“There all done. How do you feel?” Tiffany asked. She stepped back to look at her work and was thoroughly pleased. “Pretty good for my first time.”

“Good job Tiff. I think she could use an IV, Bora why don’t you give her one?” Jessica asked, but her tone indicated it wasn’t a request.

“She doesn’t need one though, it was a clean wound. A little graze that cut her open... she doesn’t need it...” Bora tried to reason but Jessica gave her a glare with darting eyes that commanded Bora to pull out an IV start kit.

“I don’t need one... I can do it myself if I needed to, you know that,” Sunny protested.

“Bora, give her the IV,” Jessica said once more. She knew full well that Sunny’s military training made her experienced in giving IVs but Bora was only trained in the combat casualty care but never really practiced it. “She needs the practice Sunny, if this is how it’s going to be she should get used to providing medical care...”

“I said I was sorry about the car!” Sunny slightly yelled. “You are surprisingly difficult...”

“Yeah, she’s really popular at work as you can imagine,” Tiffany added while cleaning up. Sunny chuckle in response to Tiffany’s jab at Jessica’s character; Jessica was definitely different. Bora prepped Sunny’s left arm with alcohol and iodine and tied the tourniquet. Bora gave Sunny a nervous smile and pulled the needle out of the sterile packing. Bora took several deep breathes to get herself ready to stick her friend. Tiffany noticed Bora’s hesitation and nervous preparation. “Bora are you okay? If you can’t do it, I can.”

Bora shook her head indicating that she should do it. Jessica was right; she could use the practice. It was ironic how she had learned so much more about field work and tips and tricks while being blacklisted than as an actual junior agent. It angered her a bit thinking about it; NIS held back so much from her while male junior agents went off and got assignments, sent to training schools and other activities that completed the requirements to become full-fledged agents and operatives; even those that came in after her. Fingers snapping brought her back to reality. That’s right; she had to stick Sunny a trained medic who would know if she made a mistake.

“I’ll guide you through this...” Sunny offered with a smile noticing Bora’s slight struggle. Bora nodded and wiped the sweat that had snuck onto her forehead. Bora had the right grip on the needle; palm down and holding the flash chamber with just the thumb and pointer finger. “You’re going to do fine, it’s easy. Bevel up and come in at about 20-30 degrees.”

Bora rubbed the spot on Sunny’s arm and then pulled down the skin to make it taut and moved the needle in at an angle. She pushed into the skin and nearly instantly blood filled the flash chamber. Sunny complimented Bora on the stick and she continued each step flawlessly; lay down the needle, push in the catheter, pull out needle, tape over. The hard part was over and all she had to do was connect the tubing and the feed would start.

****Intravenous therapy. Better known as just ‘IV’ is a fairly common treatment. Scientifically it’s rather simple; you’re putting in something to help sustain the body until it can create its own stuff to replace what was lost. IV solutions come in various flavors and if you’re wondering, yes it does matter which one you use. Hextend has replaced regular saline and ringer’s solution for battlefield treatment, especially those with severe injuries like missing limb. Hextend is great on blood lose, burns, surgery, etc since it handles to replace blood plasma; it’s so effective that one 500mL bag is almost functionally equal to 3 1000mL bags of ringers. Lactated Ringers and .9% NaCl, or normal saline are more of your common hospital IV solutions for the ‘normal stuff’. Both are used for dehydration, except ringer’s has electrolytes. Ringer’s and saline has a lot of extra added shots of flavor with them as well, just depending on your treatment. The fluid is naturally cooler than your body, usually at room temperature and so when the fluid starts its flow you can feel the slight chill traveling through your veins. It’s not like the chills down your spine type but you know it’s there. It can be weird or just creepy, depending how you are. I personally like the sensation. The fluids somehow relaxes you a bit and makes you feel pretty chilled and good, which is part of the re-hydrating effect. There is one drawback though, later you will have to urinate a lot.****

“Give her a small bag of saline, and like half a CC of antibiotics... the light stuff,” Jessica said without looking up from the files in her hands. Tiffany got nosy and asked what Jessica was up to. “Helping twiddle dee and twiddle dum with a human trafficking sting or something...”

“What?!?! Really? I want in...” Tiffany said eagerly. She like many other CIA case officers went through a long pipeline of training and completed, but she was assigned to intelligence and data analysis rather than the field like Jessica or special operations like those who spend time in Middle East. Just like that, Jessica regreted telling Tiffany.

“No, we have it pretty set. I mean you don’t want to be helping two fugitives you know... two internationally wanted fugitives....” Jessica tried to persuade Tiffany to move on from the subject. “Your department is pretty busy; you don’t have time to do this...”

“Jessica, I’m one of like forty people in there, who can all do the same thing I can. Mexico was my first time doing anything outside of an office... besides you need my help on this,” Tiffany said.

“We do?” Sunny and Bora asked in unison. Tiffany nodded.

“She’s bluffing,” Jessica scoffed.

“I know who some of those people are,” Tiffany responded, referring to the names of the clients in the files. The other three remained unconvinced. “It’s my job to know people.”

“So now you want to work and help us with pro bono stuff? I mean you wanted to turn us in not too long ago...” Bora commented.

“But I didn’t, and I came here and helped patch up Sunny,” Tiffany answered.

“I’d say let’s do it. She wants to help, let her help,” Sunny answered. “We could use more friends in the CIA.”

“It’s your party...” Jessica muttered.

“This guy right here,” Tiffany said picking up the file from Jessica’s work space. “Oil man. One of the black sheep from one of the Arab families, but he did enough get himself some land and oil fields to still make it without his family’s riches. Sort of a playboy, he’s been on the watchlist for some time and always come up clean. He’s just a guy who makes money from oil, and apparently... has a thing for young Asian girls.”

“How does that help? We know those sheiks like girls and like to throw money around, just another guy who wants little innocent girls. That’s hardly new information Tiffany, you’re full of crap…”

“I’m serious…” Tiffany said and opened the file. “Okay I was wrong, these girls must not be for him. Kind of cheap… sorry I don’t mean to insult the girls… hmm the finances suggest maybe these girls were gifts or rewards to someone who works under him… but yeah this guy, he has expansions here in Asia. Was this place a little on the shady side?”

“How did you know?” Bora asked. Then she realized she just answered Tiffany’s question and forgot the secrets and tips of intelligence. “Oh right…”

“Figures… if he was treating someone he go with something very local and lower grade in class…”

“Tiffany, not that I don’t appreciate your knowledge but I’m still not sure where you’re going with this…” Sunny chimed in.

“You really are new to the intelligence world huh? Figures you were just a shooter… well you can blackmail using the client list and that might get them to pack up and move… but we take the blackmail to a client this strong… well he’ll eliminate these traffickers for good… they won’t be able to just leave and move and continue getting girls from somewhere else.”

“Oh, that’s perfect… Tiffany you might have be cut out for this stuff after all,” Jessica was surprised and impressed. Tiffany might have the chops to play dirty after all.

“But wait how would work? How do we make the play?” Sunny asked.

“Well for that... You need me as well... Because I can get the contacts going...” Tiffany answered. “Tomorrow at the office, I’ll pull up information and get it to Jessica and I trust you can make things work.”

“I’m not an idiot... I’m brighter than I seem Tiff and you should know this isn’t my first turnaround”, Jessica said a bit annoyed with Tiffany’s comment.

“Just saying...”

“Get going Tiffany, you have a busy day ahead of you. We’ll get things ready here, I’ll call you a cab.” Tiffany bid her farewells and left the safehouse and walked with Jessica out to retrieve her cab. Jessica returned after locking the fence and then the door. “What are you two still doing up? We’ll finish up tomorrow get some sleep. Just not the bed...”

“Why not the bed?”

“Its late and I’m too tired to drive back home so I’m sleeping here and I’m taking the bed,” Jessica replied going up the stairs with the other two following her.

“You can’t do that!”

“Um.. it is MY safehouse, so yea I think I CAN. Bed my. You guys can take the floor. I have little mats somewhere,” Jessica shot back while changing into some sleepwear. Jessica had her own closet full of clothes all in her size to further demonstrate her ownership of the safehouse as well. “You two should be lucky I let you have a place at all... and Sunny after tonight I don’t think you deserve a bed.”

“I have stitches!”

“Don’t be dramatic! No one likes that. There’s a couch too if you guys want to fight for it,” Jessica said as she eased herself under the blankets of the large air mattress.

“I mean the bed is so big, can’t we all share it?” Bora asked. The air mattress was a queen size and could accommodate all three of them, especially if they slept sideways width wise instead of up/down length-wise.

“What?! No!” Jessica said. Sunny pleaded again with the use of aegyo to which Jessica could not stand. “Fine! Sunny you are a grown woman, don’t you ever do that again!”

Sunny and Bora high-fived and climbed into the bed after Jessica adjusted herself to make room for her two bedmates. They had a bit of work ahead of them and after all, it had been a long night. Especially so for Sunny.

*********************************

“Mom I’m doing fine... Yes I did eat today... No, I didn’t eat fast food,” Taeyeon lied looking at the McDonald’s bag on her table. “I can’t tell you what I do at work mother... If I did I wouldn’t have a job anymore... I have met his girlfriend, she’s very lovely... Mom stop comparing me my brother, we’re two different people... No, good night... I love you too... Argh!”

She loved her mother but still sometimes the phone calls were a bit much. She choose a different life compared to what she spent all her time in school doing. Her family and friends just knew she worked for the government and were told she was in law enforcement; they made the assumption that she was one of those people who investigated bank fraud. She couldn’t tell family what she really did, but more importantly she wouldn’t; the nagging and constant worrying of her family would drive her insane.

“Well mom, I got two sandwiches and you can’t stop me,” Taeyeon said and took a bite into her second sandwich. Her phone went off, again interrupting her late dinner. “Hello? Hyoyeon, what’s up?”

Hyoyeon worked insane hours compared to Taeyeon. Taeyeon worked hard and put a lot into her job, but Hyoyeon was just the strong over-achiever who constantly kept up with work even at home. There had been a strange car chase with some shooting going on but Hyoyeon wasn’t sure if it was related to Sunny and Bora yet. It looks like a case of maybe organized crime or drug war assassination attempt but she would get information on it. Taeyeon offered help but Hyoyeon declined it much to Taeyeon’s relief, she wanted her sleep.

“Alright, I’ll see you in the morning Hyo... Yea goodnight,” Taeyeon said and hung up. Finally she could finish her meal and get to bed. Car chase. Through the streets of Korea with shooting. How does this relate? Does it relate? It might, considering that huge shootout was related. The morning will be a mess of work to do.

**************************

“How was your date with your friend?” Eunjung asked as Hyomin settled into her nightly routine.

“It was... I mean... It was a night to remember,” Hyomin answered. She was unsure of her exact feelings of the night. Dinner was great. Dessert was wonderful... “Oh, she got you guys some cake... It’s in the fridge... I don’t know if it’s still good...”

“This cake is great! Thanks Hyomin!” Boram yelled out from the kitchen.

“I guess it is... Anything else you want to share about the night? You never told me about your time with Jessica either...” Eunjung went on.

“Some other time, I’m pretty tired. Some other time Eunjungie... but nothing special happened,” Hyomin said and moved into her bedroom.

Hyomin laid in her bed and thought about the night. Was it good or was it bad? Dinner was good. She got drive a really nice car for a bit. They got bubble tea, but then people tried to kill them. She got home safe. That makes it good right? It should be a good day, she got to see Sunny again. Jessica was a CIA spy. Sunny was in a similar line of work, but she didn’t specify what she did. Hyomin didn’t know if she should be worried? The girl saved her life, but was also responsible for the other trouble that came along. She turned to ask Jiyeon a question but the younger girl was already snoozing off under her covers.

“So much for your help... You would have loved this story...” Hyomin said and sank back into her pillow and stared up to the ceiling wondering about the day. How come Sunny hadn’t call or text yet? This wasn’t America, there isn’t a 3-day rule. She shouldn’t linger too much on this, their schedules were going to pick up again. Break time is over and it’s back to work. It meant less time for adventures but maybe after tonight she should be glad to tone back the adventures