PART TEN – PROJECT: CONQUEST

Michael was surprised. No, surprised wasn't the right word for it. It would have been far more fitting to say he was shocked beyond belief. He and Constance had been sitting on their couch together listening to Michael's father tell them the whole unbelievable story. The same horrifying enemy who had tried to kill all of them less than a year ago was now here begging for their help, even begging them to kill her if that help was refused.

Constance had urged James on, while Michael simply sat there in stunned disbelief as he tried to take it all in. Michael finally spoke when James reached the details of the stolen baby. "Oh, my God." He said in a hushed tone. "Project Conquest."

His partner looked at him and nodded somberly. "Has to be." She agreed.

Meowth looked at them, not understanding. "Project Conquest? What's dat?"

Constance took a deep breath. "About- what was it Michael? 3, 4 months ago?"

Michael nodded. "About that."

"About three or four months ago," Constance continued, "a call came through the Red ranks for volunteers. Some high-level mission called Project Conquest."

"What was it about?" James asked.

"Nasty stuff." Constance replied gravely. "Details weren't given in the general call, but the quick summary made mention of-" Constance paused. The Red Rocket took another deep breath to steady herself. "acquiring a baby to raise as the perfect soldier. A child molded from birth with Team doctrine and trained to be the most efficient, most ruthless agent they could be."

James was aghast. "Constance and I passed it up. It was just too ugly for us." Michael said. "We never really gave it much thought after that."

"It had all seemed strange from the start." Constance added. "I mean, raising a child from birth for that purpose… and the fact that it couldn't be just any baby, but a specific baby chosen for this mission…"

"Giovanni didn't have any intangibles about that mission. He knew exactly who that baby was gonna be, and how to get it. He had an inside track from phase one!" James said, shocked by the cold, calculating evil of his employer more now than ever before.

"Yeah." Meowth muttered. "Mikey, what else happened with dat project?"

Michael shrugged. "Nothing else came up about it except for little rumors here and there. It was all very high-level, very hushed up."

Constance nodded. "Even Laura didn't say much. Really unlike her, actually." She mused.

"Who?" James asked.

"Laura Cummings. She's a Red who volunteered." Constance explained. "Normally, you can't get that girl to shut up when it comes to her missions. It takes a lot to get her to be quiet, but she's done it."

"Think dis Laura might talk now?" Meowth asked.

"Maybe, but she's not stupid." Constance said. "She certainly wouldn't tell just anybody."

"But she might tell you." Michael said cautiously.

"Michael Morgan, don't you dare go there." Constance said in a warning tone.

James and Meowth looked at Michael. "Constance and Laura don't get along very well." He explained. "Laura seems to think she's her best friend."

"And she ain't?" Meowth asked.

"That nut job can't take a hint to get lost." Constance growled.

"Constance…" James said hesitantly. "We need any information we can get. Can you call Laura and talk to her?"

Constance sighed heavily. "You know I will. Michael has your expressions, and I can't say no to him, either." She said with a small grin.

Laura was just wrapping a towel around her wet hair when the phone rang. She hurried out of the bathroom and to the phone. "Agent Cummings." She said professionally.

In the apartment, James, Meowth, and Michael watched with mild amusement as Constance cringed as if she had just bitten into a lemon. "Laura! It's Constance!" the Red said in a saccharine-sweet voice.

Laura broke into a wide grin. "Connie! How are you?" Laura said in a happy, bubbly tone far detached from the commanding voice she had used when ordering Annie to breathe from the mask in the operating room at the hospital.

"Oh, you know… the usual…. Could be better, could be worse… Hey, listen Laura, I got the funniest thing for you." Constance said cheerfully. "You know, Michael and I were just talking, and we realized we hadn't heard anything more about that whole Project Conquest deal in forever. Remember that thing?"

"Remember it? Girl, I was in it!" Cummings replied happily.

Constance feigned surprise. "You were? Well, hell, girl, I didn't know that. So what was that whole deal about, anyway?"

Laura sighed. "C'mon, Connie, that shit was top secret."

"Mmm." Constance said in a disappointed tone. "Well, I underst-"

"Aw, hell, I gotta tell you this, though." Laura interrupted. "You'd never guess whose baby that was that we got. You'd never guess in a million years!" Laura sounded like a kid on a massive sugar rush.

Constance rolled her eyes. "So whose baby was it, Laura?"

"Guess!" Laura said excitedly.

The groan was barely audible over the phone. "Faye Valentine's." she said dully.

"Who?" Laura asked.

"Never mind. Whose baby was it?" Constance asked again, praying for patience.

"You know, Mikey would get a kick outta this! It was the baby of that crazy Red who was always after his father, Annie Masterson!"

"Masterson?" Constance said in a fake surprised tone. "No kidding?"

"Oh, yeah, Con! Not only that, but guess which Red personally laid that psycho bitch out flat?" Laura bubbled.

"Who?"

"Me!"

"You?"

"Well, me and Sweet Lady Morphine." Laura laughed.

"And Masterson never knew, huh?" Constance asked.

"Not a bit. Top Red, my ass. I wonder if that freak was ever on top." Laura said dismissively.

"So what happened with the baby?" Constance asked, trying to sound casual.

"Domino has it. She's raising it on her own." Laura replied.

"Really. Domino herself, huh? This thing really did go straight to the top, didn't it?" Constance said as she motioned to Michael.

"Constance! I need some help back here!" Michael called in an urgent tone.

"Hey, Laura, I gotta run. Michael needs me."

"No prob, Connie! Hey, listen, we gotta get together sometime next week! Have a girl's night out! We could cut and party!" Laura said excitedly.

Constance rolled her eyes to the ceiling again. Right. "Yeah, we'll have to hook up sometime. I gotta go, ok?"

"Sure, Cons! Talk to ya later, Chica!" The Red hung up the phone, thought about the call for a minute, then picked up the receiver and dialed a number. Agent Cummings held her breath as the phone on the other end rang once, and was answered.

"Yes?"

"Sir, this is Red Agent Cummings. I just got a call from another agent asking about Project Conquest, and I am reporting that call as ordered." Laura said dutifully.

Giovanni's hand tightened on his receiver. "Who contacted you?" he asked tensely.

"Red Rocket Constance Conway." Cummings replied in a voice devoid of emotion.

"Michael Morgan's partner?" Giovanni asked, pondering the unexpected answer. "Well, what a turn of events." He had already received the reports of the two assassins he had sent to kill Annie, as well as a hurried report from Cassidy and Butch Crandall. Could Masterson be trying to force Morgan's family to help her? It seemed unlikely, given the way she hated that fool James, but still…

"Sir?" Laura asked, confused by the silence.

"Thank you for your report, Agent Cummings." Giovanni said curtly as he hung up the phone. Certain steps would now have to be taken to ensure the security of Project Conquest… Steps that were far too important to be entrusted to a stupid grunt or even an assassin…

CHAPTER ELEVEN: CHERISH