PART THREE - PLANS FOR THE PAWN

The sun shone brightly through the blinds on the window in Severin's bedroom, and hit Annie's face. Her face wrinkled as she opened her eyes and squinted. Had last night been a dream? Almost panicking, she looked beside her, and found Severin fast asleep next to her. A smile crept across her face. For the first time in years, it was not her usual evil, malicious smile. Instead, it was a genuine smile of happiness, of contentedness, of joy. She was loved. Annie leaned over to Severin and kissed him gently on the cheek. Severin slowly blinked his eyes open.

Masterson was here. Just as he had planned. Severin smiled at her with love in his eyes as well, a love of control and power. Silently, his mind flashed back to the records and files he had researched. They had all led to the same conclusion: Annie Masterson is nobody's fool, and will never be used or controlled by anyone but herself. Hah! Severin had done what the rest of the world had been unable to do… there was no reason to believe he couldn't pull off the rest of his master plan.

"Good morning, Annie." Severin said in a fake dreamy voice.

"Good morning, Severin." Annie replied in a voice far detached from her usual cold manner.

Severin smiled at her, seeing her laying there as nobody had ever seen her before, naked, submissive, his pawn, his fool. "Ready for your comeback to the Team? For payback? For vengeance?"

Annie smiled, the darkness returning to her face. "Never more ready." She replied.

Severin sat up in the bed. "Then let's begin planning." He said as he began to stand up.

Annie smirked and sat up. With a quiet yell, she threw herself onto Severin's back and pulled him down. "Not yet. We have all day to plan their demise. For now… well, I have some catching up to do. 26 years alone is a long time." She cradled Severin in her arms, holding his body close to hers, and sighed happily. Oh, how she longed to tell Severin how much this meant to her! To have someone care about her, and not just about her accomplishments as an agent… It was what she had always wanted.

Severin watched as Annie fell asleep again, and sighed to himself. The plan could not possibly have been proceeding any better at all. Soon, all that he was enduring would pay off, and the final reward would be his… He looked at Annie, curled like a baby in his arms. And only mine, he thought silently as he smirked at the helpless agent.

Hours later, Annie was sitting beside Severin on his couch, as they reviewed the files he had stolen and copied about Jessie, James, and Michael. The papers were spread out on the small coffee table, and he was reviewing each one as he told Annie the particulars of the files.

"Now, Michael has a dormitory apartment in the Red wing of Headquarters that he shares with his partner, Constance." Severin explained. "He probably would've gotten an apartment of his own like me by now if he hadn't been soaked dry helping Jessie and James pay the Boss off so he wouldn't sic the assassins on Katastrophe." Severin finished this last point with a barely hidden smile.

Annie looked concerned. "We'll never be able to get him right out of Headquarters. There'll be witnesses everywhere."

Severin grinned. "We won't have to. Michael will come to us."

Annie blinked. "Why should he do that?"

"Because Jessie and James no longer live in their old dormitory at Headquarters. Michael is such a sentimental fool that he pooled his pay for months and bought them a cottage on the edge of the city. All we have to do is attack them there, and Michael will come for them like a pathetic little pup!"

Annie smiled wickedly. "It's perfect! We can get them tonight and they'll all be dead by morning!" She looked at Severin with love. Here was everything she had ever wanted- her opening to complete her revenge, her chance to redeem and heal herself, and- the most unexpected part of all- a lover to hold her hand in celebration when she stood victorious over the bloody corpses of Jessie, James, and Michael Morgan.

Severin looked at his watch. "It's only a few hours to dusk. Night will be the perfect chance to grab them."

"When should we strike?" Annie asked.

Severin rose from the couch and walked to the kitchen, where he opened the fridge and chose a big chilled bottle. He then produced two crystal goblets from a cabinet and poured the contents into the glasses. As he waked back to the couch, Severin said, "From what I understand, Jessie and James only do light, gym-based work for the Team anymore, and their day ends at 6 or 7 P.M.. Evidently, they're always in bed by 11 or 12. If we really want to take them by surprise, the best time to hit their cottage would be one or two in the morning. Wake them up in bed. They'll never see it coming!" Severin handed Annie her glass of wine.

Annie nodded and accepted her glass. "Then that's what we'll do. To payback!" she said as she raised her glass.

"To vengeance!" Severin replied, raising his own glass.

"To the future… our future." Annie said, and took her drink.

Severin smiled darkly. "My future, anyway." He said under his breath as he took a drink.

Annie set her glass down and smiled. By dawn, James Morgan- and everything about him- would be just a bad memory. Then- her life restored, her spirit intact, the she would return in triumph to the Team with Severin by her side. With that thought embedded in her mind, she sighed happily and leaned into him.

The Vendetta Part Four: Midnight Terror