Chapter One

Hey watch it!' Keira shouted as someone bumped into her causing her to spill her coffee down her top.

What was with people now days? Did they not know the word excuse me any more?

Not bothering to go back to her office and change she carried on walking down the corridor to one of MI5's briefing rooms discarding the now empty paper cup into a bin. Who'd have thought it huh? Keira Jacob's the little skinny bag of bones making it to the top of M15 and finally being allowed to go under cover. Contrary to popular belief, no she hadn't had a partner who had mysteriously been killed or been dragged into the force by her 'cop' father or any other movie plot for that matter. She was just a 22 year old, London girl who at the tender age of ten had realised that in fact girls could save the day and that being a policeman didn't necessarily mean looking like one off of a tourists postcard.

Admittedly, she'd had to work off her butt to get here, but who didn't? No one could say she'd got it easy as the met wasn't exactly women friendly which meant that she'd had to work twice as hard. Two years on the street doing local work, a year in special detective squad with army training and here she was. Ready and waiting to take the criminal world by storm!

Knocking on the wooden door with ' sergeant martin slade' engraved she took a deep breath and entered.

Sergeant Slade wasn't your typical Sergeant. He was the type of man you might see in a pub somewhere, looking half drunk, until something was said and he'd snap out of it and be next to you with in seconds. Getting old, he loved to annoy Keira by using his dry wit and although he denied it to anyone who asked, he hated to have a women in his squad. So far , Keira hadn't and wasn't going to give Slade a chance to kick her off the team. He could do whatever he liked but short of Keira messing up big time and disgracing the whole of MI5, he was stuck with her.

'Ahh Jacob's we were just talking about you!' Slade said eyeing her from across the large wooden table were he sat. Scanning quickly around the room she saw that she was the last one in the room. All six chairs were filled apart from one and Keira glanced across at Matt, one of her colleges from training school ,as she moved across to the empty chair.

Hearing the door open, Keira turned to see a large shape push past her and into the chair were she was heading.

'Hi, everyone sorry I'm late, bit of trouble with the parking' the intruder said flashing a pearly white smile towards Slade. 'Have you already started?'

Keira was in shock. The cheek of him! Waltzing in like he owned the joint, did he not have any manners?.

'No problem . Keira? Mind moving? Your holding everyone up!' Slade sighed frustrated before handing out large black folders which she assumed held the case notes.

Catching a fleeting smile of Matt, Keira positioned herself against a wall so she could better see who the thief was who had taken her seat with out so much of a word and given Slade the opportunity to humiliate her. Aware that Slade was talking, she tried to take a quick glance before concentrating more on what was being said. He was ok looking she guessed. Brown hair, about six foot two give or take an inch and with that ' Bad boy' attitude. She'd dealt enough with his kind coming up through the ranks to know how to handle him and she didn't think he posed that much of a threat, unless he was really that arrogant all the time.

'We've been monitoring this area for quite some time now and we've decided that the only way to solve it and get enough information to do a raid on the Brent's is to get an insider in' Slade's voice babbled and Keira thumbed her way through the case notes.

Ahh the Brent's. London's favourite posh socialites. Old money and old values, the Brent's had been under M15's spotlight for quite some time. Nothing concrete to go on but they seemed to be making to much money and living the high life just a little to much for their liking. The M15's calculations had shown the due to Mr. Brent's ( the deceased) gambling and love of the race course that the family should have by now declared bankruptcy ,when in fact they had more wealth than ever. Unless they'd invented a tree which grew money as leaves, something was defiantly up.

'So I think that just about sums it all up, undercover agents and we'll have them in no time!' Slade's voice continued causing Keira to raise her head at the word 'undercover'. Now this was what she was here for. The Guns, the chase, the risk of life for queen and country.

Catching a glimpse of the new man looking her up and down she decided to screw the formalities and stare straight back. A little taken aback at her reaction he didn't seem at all concerned , nor catch the fact that she was sending him a look that normally caused the whole of the male population to shut up and want to crawl into a hole a die. He continued to stare until the rest of the people in the room began to rise from the seats and head towards the door.

'See you at lunch?' Matt asked brushing past her elbow

'Yeah sure, just make sure we can go some decent place this time with real food! Who wants a cardboard sandwich for five pound when I can get some pie and mash down the road for three fifty!' she finished elbowing him in the ribs.

'Ok, ok I get the picture relax!' Matt answered turning his brown haired head to make sure they weren't being watched. When he saw the new guy and Slade talking he turned his head back.

'What with wonder boy over there?' he asked 'Since when has Slade not screamed at someone when they've come in late for a meeting?'

'And I'm supposed to know? I got her later than you and was so busy trying to figure out what the hell he was doing here that I didn't even to manage to listen to the brief properly!'

'Chill Keira! I think someone needs to sort out their bent up aggression!' Matt answered trying to avoid Keira elbowing him again.

'Keira can you and DC Williams stop flirting and get over here now! Women in the force today!' Slade's voice shouted from over in the corner.

Gritting her teeth and wishing to hell and back again that Slade could catch a rare disease and drop down dead right now, she waved goodbye to Matt and made her way over to were the two men were standing. Flirting! her! She was just talking to a colleague . No one else got the low comments Slade gave her and she had a feeling he'd been saving them up all week.

'Sir' she muttered making eye contact with the stranger.

'Keira this is Crofts, Crofts Keira' Slade answered sitting back into his chair.

She knew what he was doing. If he thought that by not giving her the respect of calling her DC Jacob's the he had another thing coming. She wasn't going to bite, no she was going to be cool and calm. Ten more minutes, twenty tops, and she would be out in the field , ready to shine and show the met what she could really do.

'Keira Jacob's pleased to meet you' She said reaching out to shake his hand.

'Had a little accident today Jacob's?' Croft answered giving a smirk.

Accident? What accident? Looking down she spotted the offending coffee mark down her top. Maybe she should have changed but she'd only have been more late and then Slade would have moaned even more ( Was that even possible?)

' All in a days work. Some of us don't have the money for expensive designer shirts' She threw back looking at his cream top which must have cost at least a weeks worth of her wages.

It still didn't manage to wipe the smirk from his face.

'Sit down Keira and stop trying to start a argument! What will your knew partner think of you?' Slade answered waiting for the penny to drop in Keira's head.

Partner? She had a partner in this operation? Thats was all she needed , and it was Croft! Slade had really done it this time, how was she going to deal with being together with him all day? Keira had a philosophy that took her through life. If you could sit through a three course meal with someone then you could get along with them. Take Slade, she didn't think she'd get through the ordering, while with Matt she could even manage to sit and have Coffee afterwards. Croft however, gave her the feeling that she might not even be able to make it into the restaurant ,let alone to dessert.

Sensing both men eye her to see what her reaction would be she decided to sit down and relax. They could throw whatever they liked at her and she could handle it. This was her chance, she had to not blow it.

'Your plane leaves tomorrow to Scotland and you'll be going undercover as lovers soon to be married' Slade said.

Handle anything apart from that throw.

'Sir with all due respect here..' Keira started only to be shut down by Slade.

'Keira listen for once please! Let me give you your cover and then we or rather you, can argue with me till the cows come home'

Glancing to her left she saw Croft wasn't disturbed by the thought as going under cover at all. This meant either two things, one he already knew it was going to happen or two he just didn't care.

'You'll be going in as Keira Berkeley and Jamie McCarthy , a couple who are engaged and just doing a trip around London before your wedding in two months time. Your way in is that Jamie McCarthy here, is going to be doing ' business' for his father Paul McCarthy who owns London's biggest Hotel chain. I want you to get close to the Brent's, If there’s a party that there at, I want you there understood?' Slade finished handing out yet another Black folder. 'The rest of the information is in the packets, your history together , where you meet that kind of romantic mush. The flight’s at nine tomorrow although I've arranged for you to stay at a hotel suite tonight so that you wouldn't arouse any suspicion coming to the airport.'

'Sir?' Croft piped up from the corner 'Does Paul McCarthy know about this operation? Does he even have a son?'

Good point Keira thought, hey just because she didn't like this guy didn't mean she couldn't admit when he had a good idea. It would be just their luck to end up on the socialite pages of the papers and to have Paul McCarthy issue a report saying that he didn't have a clue what everyone was talking about.

'Its all in the file! And yes he knows!' Slade shouted glancing at his watch. 'Now if there’s no more questions Keira get down to wardrobe and me and you need to have a talk' he said addressing Croft.

Hang on! What was she not involved in this anymore? Not a part of it enough to be filled in on the conversation?.

'Sir? If me and Croft are partners surly I deserve to stay here as well?' she said defensively.

'Relax Jacob, I won't hide anything from you!' Croft piped up seeing the look of hatred cover her face as quickly as it got there.

'But sir..' Keira trailed off at the look from both the men. 'I'll be down in wardrobe reading up on my file' she sighed making her way towards the door not without giving Croft a cheesy smile.

She’d keep him guessing, she could be a crazed psycho or a sweet innocent girl. He wouldn't know which and if she could help it ,she'd keep as far away from him and do the job she was here to do. She imagined the look on Slade's face when he realised that she managed to keep her cool and still solve the case. She was imagining it all the way until she got to wardrobe when she was given her first outfit for tomorrow. Now she was imaging how many ways she could kill Slade in the little scrap of what was supposed to be a 'classy red dress'.

'Are you sure you want to take this on Croft?' Slade murmured as Keira left the room.

'Why not? Its not everyday I get a death stare and a cheesy smile from the same girl in less than half hour' He answered imagining Keira's smile.

Maybe working on this trip wasn't going to be that bad at all. Yeah she had a temper, and yes she looked like she wasn't going to like the character who she was supposed to be playing, but she’d get over it.

A women undercover cop partnering with Jamie Croft! The boys back home would never believe it, they'd even made bets with each other on how many women police officers would have an warrant on his arrest by the time he'd finished the police academy. At twenty four , Jamie was M15's most talented officer. He'd been spotted in the police academy and after four years special training had been on enough secret missions to fill a 'guide to being James bond' Book ( including the bonus section on how to handle the women)

Thankfully no one apart from a couple of people at the top really knew he was. When he'd first got called into the operation Jamie had been surprised. Didn't they know he was a east end kid who had never meet let alone mixed with people of the class they were trying to infiltrate? At first he'd assumed it was a set-up, he was used to guns, car chases, bombs anything but long term undercover work. Was it a kind of test? To see if he could deal with different types of work? Something had to be wrong. With his experience you didn't just get called in to see how a rich family was making even more money, it was child's play and the sergeant in front of him knew it. Then why did he keep asking him if he was sure he wanted to take this job? Jamie was higher than him, although he didn't look it in his dark faded jeans and white top but the man in front must have known.

'What’s with Jacob's?' he asked making sure his tone was neutral. From watching the display earlier he'd picked up on the fact there was tension between them and wanted to know what was going on.

'Keira? That girls the biggest pain in my backside! How in hell she managed to get this far I'll never know, if it wasn't for her excellent results I'd have chucked her out long ago. She's got a temperament like my ex wife, always answers back to you and never listens. Its a miracle she ever gets the job done with all the flirting she does with the other colleges'

Flirting? From what he'd seen she'd been sorting out lunch and the man she was with seemed to be hanging on her every word. If anything she didn't seem to notice, let alone encourage it.

'Just be careful with that one ok? Its her first undercover mission and she's already got a big head, God knows what I'll do with her if she gets any more arrogant!’

Smiling Jamie got up from his seat and headed towards the door.

'I'm going to the hotel right?' He asked.

'Yeah the Clariate west end. All you luggage is already there, room 22 you'll find Keira in the lobby downstairs or in the Limo' He answered , the back of his head buried in a filing cabinet.

'Good luck!' Jamie heard before he opened the door and headed to the elevator. Once inside Jamie wondered what Scotland was like. He'd never been there, maybe it was time to try some haggis and parade around in a tartan skirt.

'Hold the lift!' a familiar female voice shouted.

'Oi! oi!' Jamie whistled as he saw a long pair of legs entered the lift. Long tanned legs, a short red dress which clung to the curves of the women , smooth toned arms covers in masses of brown straight hair....

'Oi oi yourself!' The voice answered back.

Hang on he knew that voice , he'd heard it only minutes before.

'Keira?' he asked amazed at the transformation that had taken place moments before. Who'd have thought that she'd be able to look that good! At first glance in the office he'd have said she was pretty but now ....she had Va Va voom... Her face, brown puppy dogs eyes, and that mouth! Jesus he wouldn't mind being engaged to this beauty for a few weeks.

'Put your jaw back up and stop looking at my legs! You’ve got a bloody pair to! Honestly men!' she shouted pressing the down button.

But then there was that gob of hers......