Chapter 12: A Femme Fatale on a Mission
While Feral and Aras settled into their quarters, an unhappy and angry female was making some plans of her own.
'I can't believe that fool botched the job.' She hissed mentally as she headed toward her office within the huge complex. She was normally out in the field but was forced to wait until a certain world incident made up its mind whether it was going to explode into a major problem or remain an administrative headache, wrangled over by its presently divided government.
Waiting was always part of the spy game so while one mission was being monitored another could be dealt with. In her case, though, the mission could go fubar in a matter of moments so she was being kept on stand by at headquarters until the problem made its direction plain.
The trim, well built and muscular, she-kat had a desk full of reports to do as many of the agents did. They were kept on the go so much their paperwork tended to fall behind. She sighed in disgust as she sat down behind her desk and picked up the first of many reports on cases she'd closed but the paperwork needed to be completed.
Unfortunately, her present temper prevented her from really focusing on her work. She leaned back and tapped a pencil on the edge of the desk while her mind worked furiously. 'It was such an easy set up and still he managed to mess it up. His excuse was the pregnant tom had reacted too quickly, saving himself, even though there had been no way he could have guessed he'd been targeted. Yeah, right!' She snorted in derision.
With that damn tom out of the way, she could have finally pressed Aras to be hers. She'd been a spy nearly as long as the golden tom and she'd felt time slipping away from her. She loved her job but it was beginning to lose its glamor and the allure of having a family was becoming more insistent.
She cruised the field of prospects and had finally settled on the exotic golden tom. She'd been furious to learn, quite by accident, that Aras had already set his sights on an hermaphrodite male in a seriously beleaguered city. It had taken some intense digging and keeping her interest secret before she learned why this tom was so important to Aras.
Apparently, Aras had attended a security academy when he was very young and this was where he'd met the tom. Something important happened there, but for reasons she couldn't discover, the golden tom hadn't done anything with the tom until nearly two decades had past then suddenly he made the tom his mate and filed a Declaration of Mating. He left again and only returning sporadically over a five year period until this year when he demanded release from his duties. The reason...his mate was pregnant and he wanted to be with him permanently.
This information had boggled her mind. Aras was well known as a careful spy who planned everything he did which was why he was still alive after all these years. But it still amazed her to find he had done the same thing when wooing his mate-to-be. Years of careful planning had succeeded in gaining him the object of his desire. She didn't doubt he had planned the pregnancy because her research of her rival had shown the tom to be very much duty bound and very unlikely to want to be tied down with a kitten.
So far Aras had attained everything she had desired for her own life and that had made her furious. The fact he had taken a male soured in her mouth. Everyone had thought of him as an excellent seducer of she-kats though she had known him to do males when the mission required it. It had never occurred to her that he might actually prefer a male. Though if she'd allowed herself to really think about it, she would have realized that someone who liked both males and females might be really turned on about a Kat who just happened to be both.
It didn't matter! She had set her sights on making him her mate and no weird male of both sexes was going to take him away from her. She needed a new plan.
Meanwhile, two scientists on the staff of A.G.P.A. were being given some personal instructions by Saberforth.
"You want us to spy on one of our own?" Dandy asked in shocked surprise. He was a small built calico with wild blue hair and equally loud clothing. A shocking blue silky shirt paired with a brilliant yellow pair of blousey pants. His pixie-like face hid a mind like a steel trap.
"Yes and very discreetly!" Saberforth said firmly.
"Uh, yes sir, but gee it just seems so wrong." Dandy's earnest face scrunched up unhappily.
Saberforth sighed as he studied his two whiz kittens. They were the smartest pair of scientists and the youngest Kats in the command. They were capable of digging up information from even the tiniest clue. That's why he knew they would be the best at locating their renegade spy.
"I know, Dandy but unfortunately, whoever this is knows Aras' personal life a little too well and the attack was meant to kill not maim his mate. It has to be personal and within house. None of his enemies made any attempt on Feral despite Aras' seeing the tom for over two decades. Also, even if one of his enemies had been so inclined records indicate none of the usual suspects were anywhere near Aras." Saberforth said gravely.
"Hmm, sounds like someone might be lusting for our handsome agent and was pissed to learn he was out of the mating pool. Rather a petty attitude if you ask me. Makes for a long list too!" Gerett mused, speaking up for the first time. He was a ginger colored tom with brilliant copper hair done in a mohawk. His clothes were just as flamboyant as Dandy's even though he was the quieter of the two.
Saberforth hid a smile behind his grim face. 'Oh yes, very bright they are and I'm so glad I grabbed them first before one of those think tanks got them.' He thought with a hint of pride. Aloud he said, "I think you could be very right there. He was rather popular with the she-kats and even the most professional of them was taken with him. Don't overlook the males though."
Both of the young Kats nodded solemnly. He could already see the wheels turning in their heads.
"Unless there are anymore questions, you're dismissed. Remember no one must know what you're doing and don't allow your regular work to fall behind, reduces suspicion that way." He warned them. "Also, any information you uncover will be brought to my attention personally. No memos or written documentation is to be generated and strictest care must be used when you discuss this case between yourselves...secrecy is extremely important here."
"Understood, sir." Dandy said brightly. Gerett nodded and the two of them left his office for their lab in the bowels of the complex.
Sighing, Saberforth drew one of the many files on his desk to him and began to work again. His two spies would ferret out the culprit in due time he was certain.
Having unpacked their suitcases and cleaned up, Aras escorted Ulysses through the huge complex as they headed for the commissary. Some areas were off limits to his mate but there were enough for him to visit that showed him just how big this agency's complex was.
They went through labs, recreation areas, commissary (where the food was excellent), botanical gardens that provided them with fresh air and food, transport area, and, his favorite, the weapons lab. They spent a bit of time there as Feral got to see some fantastic and nearly science fiction type of weaponry.
Their last stop was the huge training and workout area. It held an indoor obstacle course, work gym, pool, spas, and steam rooms. The training area had boxing, martial arts, and many other forms of fighting including street fighting. They went to the firing range and shot a few rounds before getting dinner and returning to their room for some much needed rest for Feral.
When they woke up later, Feral had been left a message on Aras's comm unit that medical wished to see him before he retired for the night. Sighing in disgust, he followed Aras to the medical wing.
It took up a whole two floors. One floor was all the medical procedures, the second floor was the psych ward and hospital recovery rooms.
Feral was quickly escorted to an exam room and made to strip. Growling irritably, he did as ordered and put on a surprisingly larger gown that actually closed in back then sat on the exam table.
A lean, gray furred, tom with white hair and mustache, strode in some five minutes later.
"Ahh, Aras...you are looking well." He said warmly.
Aras smiled. This was his favorite physician, even though medical was his least favorite area to be in.
"Dr. Snow, good to see you. This is my mate Ulysses Feral."
"A pleasure to meet the one who succeeded in making Aras settle down, sir." Snow said shaking Feral's paw.
Feral felt a little more comfortable. The Kat was warm and friendly and it was obvious Aras trusted him too.
"So why was I called in here." He asked.
"Ahh, well being pregnant and having to stay here, it was important that I have a current picture of your health. I've already e-mailed for your records from Dr. Langer so all I need is to see for myself since I will be handling your care while you are here." Snow explained.
Feral sighed but nodded his understanding and got ready to be poked and prodded again.
Aras just patted his shoulder comfortingly as Feral lay down on the table.
Elsewhere in the complex, the she-kat spy was surreptitiously checking to see where Aras was supposed to be tomorrow.
'Hmm, so our boss has delegated him to train raw recruits and his mate is to keep him company. That might work in my favor...' She mused to herself.
In the lower level of the complex a pair of sharp eyes spotted an anomaly in the computer traffic. They had already picked up the trail of someone though the person's identity was still unknown but it confirmed their boss' suspicions...it was someone within their agency.
Now all they had to do was pin the individual down. They got busy.
Back on the medical wing, Feral was gratefully pulling his clothes back on after more than two hours of probing, poking, and an ultrasound.
Dr. Snow smiled when they walked into his office once Feral was dressed. They sat in front of his desk and waited.
"Well, so far you are doing well despite doing something truly unusual. I know you've been completely briefed on what to expect and the difficulties you face being pregnant. I concur with Dr. Langer that getting away from your stressful job would help you continue the pregnancy more easily and he was correct. Your test results shows everything is very well with the kitten and your own health. So what I need you to do now is see my receptionist and set up a regular schedule of visits. You need to see me at least every week. Do you have any questions for me?" He asked.
"No. Glad to hear everything is going well. Thank you, Dr. Snow." Feral said politely. Aras shook his head as well.
"Excellent. Then I wish you both a good day. Light exercise will be good for you Ulysses. Nothing strenuous." Snow warned before seeing them out.
Sighing, Feral was glad to be done as they finished with the receptionist and went back to their quarters.
Aras thought some soft music and a rub down with an essential oil would help relax Ulysses for bed.
"Strip down love...no clothes...I'm going to give you a treat." He said warmly, leaning close to give Ulysses a kiss.
"Hmm...are you going to tell me what you've got planned?" His mate asked as he made for the bedroom and began to strip.
"Nope." Aras smirked as he disappeared into the bathroom.
Feral shrugged his shoulders and hung his clothes up. Though he wasn't too happy about being mewed up in this big complex the benefits weren't too bad. He stretched and laid down on his side since his belly was already protruding significantly.
Moments later, Aras strode briskly from the bathroom carrying a small towel and a bottle of something. He climbed onto the bed until he was on his knees beside his mate. He laid down his burdens beside him then pulled two of their pillows over.
"Here love," He said as he positioned the pillows under his mate's chest and groin area. "I want you to roll over onto the pillows so I can do your back."
Feral complied and settled on top of the pillows, his belly now hanging between them, comfortably.
Aras carefully straddled his mate's legs and reached up to begin rubbing some essential oils into his mate's fur. He couldn't push as hard as he liked because of his awkward position but he did his best and Uly's groan told him it was enough.
Soft music filled the air as Aras gave his mate a very thorough rub down. Feral was drowsing by the time Aras finished his front. Smiling tenderly down at his nearly asleep mate, he leaned down and kissed Ulysses deeply.
The dark tom moaned and returned the kiss sleepily. Letting the kiss end naturally, Aras moved back and coaxed his mate to move to his side again. Remaining on his back was not recommended so Feral sighed in annoyance as he rolled heavily to his side once more and allowed Aras to place the pillows where they would help him be supported.
Settled once more, Aras reached down for the blankets and pulled them up to cover them. He slipped down to lay behind his mate, placing an arm around the expanding waist. He missed making love to his mate more frequently but the safety of their kitten was primary so he had to settle for the very occasional and very careful love making they were allowed. Sighing he allowed him to be lulled into sleep by his mate's regular deep breathing.