Chiara had spent the past five months searching for employment to have for a cover in her day to day routine working for I.C.A.  She was only one of several agents Andrew and Emma had within the agency.  The International Contract Agency as it was known to those within the organization, and within the last year alone, Chiara had noticed at least sixteen recruits around here and there at the beginning, yet the number had dwindled to only seven agents.  She wasn't foolish enough to inquire into the whereabouts of the rest because there wasn't really a way out to go back to a normal life, and leave this life behind completely.

Finding that steady job that allowed someone to up and take off for days at a moment's notice proved more difficult than one would think.  Even if she worked part time somewhere, Chiara still never knew with much advance timing of how long she'd be gone, when she'd have to just up and go fly somewhere.  It looked more and more like she was going to have to occupy herself with hobbies moreso than employment in between assignments.  

That afternoon she was doing an intense workout, mainly to keep in great physical shape, but she quite enjoyed the interactions with the trainers on site.  Chiara was gaining more agility and skill as she progressed over the years.  The trainers never went easy on any recruits or agents while practising drills.  She threw a right jab, then another, then switched out with a quick left, much to Jack's dismay.  He caught her left hook on his chin, stumbled backwards a couple steps just as a voice called out.

"Chiara!"

Naturally she turned in the direction from which the familiar voice had called then found herself staring up at the ceiling as she lay sprawled on her back on the mat.  Chiara could hear Emma's chuckle and soft reprimand for losing her focus as well as Jack's smug comment of victory.

"Jack why don't you just shut the hell up alright?"

Chiara scrambled back to her feet, hit Jack in the shoulder with a quick jab then ventured off quickly out of his range of retaliation.  Her brown eyes glanced up to where Emma stood waiting for her.  She went upstairs then down the walkway, stopping only a few feet away from her boss. She used the towel to wipe her face a bit then draped the towel over one shoulder.

"A little warning would be nice Emma, especially if you're gonna interrupt my training session."

Before Emma could get the words from her lips, Chiara raised a hand to silence her.

"Yes yes. I know.  Always be prepared for anything.  You and Jack need to find a new mantra."

Chiara whipped the towel from her shoulder then playfully hurled it through the air towards Emma's leg.  An arched eyebrow was all the reply she was going to receive.

"Okay. What were ya looking for me for?  New assignment??"

Every time a new assignment came up, her mind would breifly flashback to when Andrew had spoken to her once she returned to the ICA compound the next day.  It had been a few months since Chiara had been on assignment, but she wasn't a rookie anymore having handled several assignments by now. Her first solo mission was a big success, and had earned her praise from Emma, and even Andrew himself stopped by the training compound to congratulate her on the success.  She remembered how he inadvertantly claimed responsibility which made her chuckle.

"Chiara you did quite well, and keep it up you'll get the bulk of assignments, coming up to be our #1 star."

"Must be all that expert tutelage I've acquired from working with Emma."

Andrew had taken a somewhat serious look then spouted off.

"And who do you think trained Emma?  That's right.  Me."

With that he had wandered off to speak to a couple other recruits, and Emma had heard every word.  The two had shared a laugh over his behavior. 

It was almost as if Emma was thinking the same thing by the smile on her face at the present moment, but she continued on with her talk.

"Easy Chiara.  You're gonna have to work on the enthusiasm a bit.  Not sure we can have such a cheerful assassin in our midst."

With a soft laugh shared between the two, the moment passed when Emma lost her smile.  She jerked her head slightly indicating they should take a walk.

"I do indeed have an assignment for you.  This is gonna be a little longer, and deep cover operation.  The target is Miriam Drayton.  She runs a secret brothel, training young ladies to use their bodies to gain power positions, down to including sexual favours of all kinds.  Working girls and strippers working to make a living is one thing.  These women who use their bodies to get to the top or ride alongside someone in power are what give women a bad name period.  They deface and shame themselves and all women really.  It puts all of us in a bad light, where men begin to expect and assume any and all women are willing to give up their bodies for whatever they wanna achieve."

Emma paused in her speech, knowing she got a little heated and displayed angered tones at times, but it was a bit personal to her.

"I've worked to get where I've gotten, so it devalues all the efforts I put in, and every other woman out there who put in effort instead of selling their bodies for positions.  It's disgraceful to say the least."

"I understand and completely agree Emma, so what is the assignment exactly.  You said there would be a longer time frame?"

"Yes.  You need to infiltrate the brothel through the strip club front they are using.  Work your way inside the organization until you meet Miriam herself.  Your assigment is permanent retirement."

"Look I've been waiting here for over half an hour already.  When is Ms. Drayton going to be free for the appointment?"

Chiara glanced yet again to the gold watch with a diamond border design.  She was posing as a representative for her company who was interested in partaking as one of Miriam's clientele.  It had been six weeks since she had received the assignment, and taken all that time to set up the background information as well as arranged meetings with the key players that would get her up to meet Miriam herself.  The young lady behind the desk put her hands up in response indicating she wasn't entirely sure herself of Miriam's arrival.

"She is still in a brief meeting Ma'am.  I've alerted her of your arrival already."

Chiara walked back to the glass window that overlooked the club downstairs, giving full access to the stages where those young girls performed. She did notice a door on her way upstairs that was marked 'PRIVATE', and came to the conclusion that's what led to the backrooms where the sinister acts took place.  This place wasn't like the I.C.A. in any regards of training people.  Miriam was brainwashing young girls to use their bodies as tools to gain power, gain favor, and blackmail those in higher positions.

Miriam would send out employed girls to hunt out on the streets for other potential workers.  Girls with zero ties to family, those who were struggling and would easily become dependent and grateful for being rescued, and be fooled into thinking that's all they could do with their lives. It unnerved Chiara to the core discovering the ploys and tactics Miriam used.  Someone cleared their throat snagging Chiara's attention away from the scene below to face her target.

A woman of impeccable attire and attitude, yet Chiara wasn't fooled by the appearances of this woman in front of her.  Miriam extended a hand in greeting as she smiled politely, taking a couple steps in Chiara's direction.  She repricoated Miriam's greeting gesture.  Waving a hand at the open doorway, she invited Chiara into her office.

"Come on in."

Once they were seated, Miriam leaned back in her seat behind the desk then clasped her hands together as she began addressing Chiara with a slight hint of curiosity in her voice.

"So I'm hearing you are interested in speaking with me.  What can I do for you Miss Byrne?  May I call you Celeste?"

Chiara nodded with a slight smile having given this woman a fake name and background, which she knows has already been checked into via her sources.

"Yes of course.  Well my employers are interested in the services you provide, and I've heard nothing but good things about you.  You know how to get things done, and we are looking for an experienced escort, so to speak, that can assist us in gaining the information we need.  We need someone to get close without being suspected, etc.  Your small but successful organization here is just the in we are needing."

Miriam held a somewhat reserved expression, but then eased into a relaxed one before speaking.

"Well you certainly seem to be in the right circles Celeste because that type of information is very secretive."

Miriam took a couple minutes as she glanced over a few pieces of paper on her desk then began strumming her fingers on the papers.  She flicked her eyes up to catch Chiara's gaze once more, curled her lips in a slight pucker then relaxed as she seemingly felt comfortable in whatever decision she had come up with just then.

"Are you free tonight?  I have a small gathering planned here this evening around 10 p.m. You can think of it as a meet and greet if you choose. Get a feel for whichever of the ladies will best be suited for your employer, as well as see how they do interact with other clients."

Chiara nodded with a small smile.

"Sounds good.  I'll be here then.  Thank you for taking the meeting.  I look forward to this evening."

She glanced to the time, seeing she had plenty of time to get things organized, so things go smoothly that night.  Chiara took leave from the office to get on with the plans for her assignment.

Chiara decided to wear a black Chanel suit for this evening.  It was meant to be a professional meeting in her mindset, so she dressed to fit the image she wished to portray.  It wasn't as if she were about to go dancing all into the night, so she kept things toned down and always with business in mind.  She arrived to the club a few minutes before 10 p.m.  The man at the door look disinterested in his chosen profession, and most likely figured he couldn't get anything else, so might as well use his size and muscles for something.  

As she approached him, he glanced up again in her direction.  He held a small clipboard in his hands then spoke with a monotone voice laced with a gruffness.

"Name Miss?"

"Celeste Byrne."

He flipped through the papers on the clipboard, tapped a finger to the list of names then nodded.  He removed the rope that was blocking the doorway, allowing her to enter inside.  As Chiara passed through the hallway leading into the main part of the club, she noticed a couple other bouncers stationed around the club at the doorways.  Making her way to the one bouncer who guarded the private area, Chiara waited as he too looked at a clipboard.  She scoffed softly.

"C'mon.  The man outside wouldn't have let me in here if I wasn't on the list."

His snort indicated she was gonna have to be patient while he looked on the paper with a slowness that grated on her nerves.

"Name...?"

"Celeste Byrne."

"Yeah okay.  You can go on through."

Chiara resisted rolling her eyes at the absurdity of this man, but she was a lady and a professional business woman as well.  She always conducted herself with the proper demeanor, despite wanting to smack the smug look off this jerk's face.  Once past him, she opened the door to the private area.  A hallway led to several doorways, but Chiara noticed one door near the end of the hallway had two men standing guard. Apparently Miriam felt the need for all this protection, but this didn't deter Chiara in the slightest.

As she walked down the hallway, Chiara reached a hand into both pockets of her jacket.  It appeared as a relaxing gesture on her part, but she was making sure the vial was still sealed.  She rolled the bottle in her hand slowly then removed her hands from both pockets.  Reaching the designated room for the evening, the two guards there didn't give her much fuss thankfully.  She entered into the room with a cautious pace.

"Celeste! Welcome.  Come in and make yourself at home if you please."

Right away Miriam had spotted her, smiled and practically tugged Chiara on inside towards the crowds of people already there enjoying themselves.  She began taking Chiara around the room introducing her to the key players there that evening.  Astonished by a few of the faces she had recognized, Chiara nodded politely playing her part.  The layout of the private room was similar to a hotel suite in a way, with a spacious sitting area, other private rooms attached to the main area.  She assumed those were for the onsight endeavours some of the clients used to 'sample' the business Miriam provided.

These clients that were present at the club were just as bad as Miriam herself because they were capitalizing on the fact these young ladies, girls even, were being used by Miriam; using them to seduce people in power to keep them in favor with whatever agenda she wanted for herself. She used the girls to perform all kinds of acts to be used as blackmail purposes against these power players, and used them to gain advantages for herself with money and business dealings.

Chiara held her tongue when one of the clients began getting a bit rough with one of the ladies.  It made her wonder to what extent Miriam needed such connections if her workers were treated this way.  There was zero respect given.  These ladies were seen as property and a means to an end.  It was in no way similar to how Chiara used her wiles and charms to get things done.  She wasn't using anyone, hurting anyone other than the people who caused the harm in the first place.  

Like when she secured the necessary information and items for this assignment.  She had gained trust and used her skills to infiltrate Miriam's organization.  Met with the right people, put herself in the right limelight of attention, and did so for several weeks before she was successful in that meeting earlier.  It took time to establish her fake background, connections and whatnot.  It all played out very well though.  Being from out of town, and an entirely different state helped too.  Here she was an unknown except by the information she wanted them to know.

While she was getting established with her ruse, Chiara had been making subtle inquiries on acquiring the item she intended to take care of Miriam with, something nice, swift, easy and with little fuss.  The I.C.A. had connections all over the country, and it didn't take much effort for her to find a local black market dealer that got their hands on the vial of strychnine, with the right amount of potency the liquid needed to have its desired effect.

Chiara kept an even pace around the room, stopping to socialize when the occasion needed, since her cover was moreso as an observer, etc. It gave her ample opportunity to take in her surroundings, plot out exactly how to slip the poison into Miriam's drink later on in the evening, after people began staggering off into the night going to their respective homes.  Once the crowd had dwindled to a few bodies hanging about, Chiara had made her move to speak to Miriam about business.  Finding Miriam relaxing in one of the chairs talking to one of the last lingering ladies, Chiara came over to stand near the pair.

"Miriam I have to say the evening was interesting, and I learned a few things.  Gained a better insight of how things work under you."

She paused then glanced around slowly as if a thought just occurred to her.  Chiara turned back to Miriam, slightly arching an eyebrow in question as she spoke.

"Would it be possible to have a drink, so we can discuss a few things before I take my leave?  Just the two of us that is?"

Miriam nodded then spoke to the young girl beside her telling her she can go for the evening.  Miriam turned back towards Chiara as the girl was standing up gathering her belongings.

"Absolutely we can.  I am curious to what your thoughts are.  What would you like to drink?"

She made a move to get up from the chair, but Chiara insisted she fetch the drinks then suggested a simple glass of wine.  Nodding in reply, Miriam leaned back into the chair as she began speaking about the various clientele that had joined them that evening.  Asking Chiara's opinions and thoughts on a few of them.

While Miriam rambled on with questions, Chiara had her back to the sitting area as she made the appearances of pouring the wine into the glasses.  She quickly retrieved the vial of strychnine from her jacket pocket, poured the liquid into the left glass of wine.  She gently swirled the glass around allowing the two liquids to blend and mesh together disguising the poison.  Chiara carried the glasses over towards Miriam, offering the glass in her left hand then took a seat nearby.  She waited until Miriam began drinking the wine to speak.

"Well the way you handle business, achieving your goals through various means had my employers interested.  Now being a witness to the inside workings of it all, I can report back with details.  This is very good wine."

Miriam smiled seemingly under the impression Chiara was happy with the turnout at the gathering then nodded in agreement in regards to the wine which had her taking another long sip.  Miriam began to get restless in her seat after several minutes.

"Yes indeed the wine is just the perfect touch to end such a wonderful evening.  So.... what did you..... think about....Uhm.."

Chiara sat there as if nothing odd was occurring then leaned forward with feigned concern.

"What seems to be the matter Miriam?  Are you okay?"

Miriam shook her head in confusion then reached a hand to her throat indicating she was having a bit of trouble breathing.  After still struggling to speak an entire sentence, she had an expression that told Chiara she knew what was going on.  Her body began convulsing in the chair, so Chiara scooted closer to the edge of her own seat to reach for Miriam's glass of wine.  She placed both glasses on the table beside her then faced Miriam, and crossed her legs as she spoke.

"The way you treat these girls Miriam...these GIRLS is abominable.  Teaching them how to sell their bodies for Your use, Your gain, and making them think they have no other options in life.  Performing sexual favors, strip teases, photos; where is the limit?  Let me tell you Miriam.  You've reached your limit tonight."

Chiara stood up then from her seat to stand closer to Miriam.  She watched as she struggled for breath, her eyes bulging and pleaing for help as she gasped for air.

"You can't get power by using your body, and you damn sure aren't going to be subjecting these girls to it any further.  You can't get the power on your own? Then you can't tag along with those IN power and get a free ride.  You are making it so men carry on with the mentality that women are only good for using their bodies for pleasuring the men.  You make it so the women who put in hard work in their lives are ignored in their efforts and passed over.  Now it's done.  You're done."

Miriam's hand fell from her throat to her side, laying there sluggish and unmoving as if it now took great effort to move her body.  Her breathing began to decrease rapidly, and the gasping grew louder but slower.  Until the sounds grew too faint to hear.  Miriam's limp body lay sprawled out in the chair as Chiara stood there a moment.  She checked her pulse, finding none then quickly collected her clutch ready to get the hell outta there.  The moment she scurried across the room, reached for the doorknob the had had begun to open. 

One of the two guards stationed outside had poked his head around the door.  He called out for Miriam, but heard no reply as Chiara stayed quietly behind the opened door, pressed against the wall.  She waited for him to pass, closing the door behind him.  He ventured into the sitting area, saw his employer then went to her side.  Chiara knew she had to act fast, otherwise this wouldn't end well.  She moved with haste to get in perfect range, pulled her knife out then hurled it through the air into his back while he was kneeling down checking on Miriam.

He reached a hand over his shoulder in a reflex move in an attempt to grab whatever it was that hit him, but then fell instantly once he lost his balance.  He slumped over down onto the table crashing it to pieces.  Chiara went to retrieve her knife, not wanting to leave her favorite one behind on any assignment, stood over him as he struggled to regain some kind of balance.  Arched her leg placing the heel of her boot against his lower back, pushing his frame further down to the crumbled pieces of the table.  

He tried to roll to his side then reach out for her leg, but Chiara jerked her knee upwards quickly, so it connected with his jawline.  That only disorientated him for a brief moment though, and he struggled to get to his feet.  Before he could get his complete focus on her, Chiara twirled round, swinging her leg connecting with the back of his knee causing him to fall back to the ground hard.  He was a brute of a man, but was still disoriented from being caught offguard repeatedly.  The scuffle continued another couple minutes, ending with one final hard fall to the floor, but he fell face forward onto a broken table leg, straight into his chest.

The noises caused the other guard to open the door just as Chiara was retrieving her knife from the first man.  He came bustling in shouting at her then reached for his gun.  Before he took it from his holder and could aim it at her, Chiara launched her knife towards him.  The blade sliced through his Adam's apple, lodging deep in his throat.  He managed to fire one round haphazardly through the air, clipping the chandelier as he fell backwards to the floor.  

She went over to him, kneeled down briefly to pull her knife from his throat then head to the door.  The gurgling sounds he made didn't deter her as she stepped out the door, closing it behind her.  Chiara quickly made her way down the hallway, with the intention of leaving the club as if she was just one of the last stragglers finally going home.  The urge to take out the one guard that gave her shit before entering the private rooms was greatly tempting, but she needed to get going. 

She was almost to the corner when the guard almost knocked into her.   Another guard was trailing behind him as well, but the rude one had spoken first.  His growl matched his expression. 

"What the fuck is going on?"

"I don't know! Someone came into the room as the party was dying down, and fired shots.  I got outta there as quick as I could to get help."

The guard tore off in a rush down the hall, leaving her free to get away unscathed.  The assignment already had a couple snags in it, so couldn't risk another one or two now by taking him out, so she had let him go.  She was making it out of there with as minimal casulties as possible.  As she drove off in her car, Chiara breathed a sigh of relief handling yet another assignment.