Mission Implausible

Daria sat on the foot of her hotel bed, talking into the cell phone. As she spoke, her eyes kept straying to the connecting door to Jane's room. The door was solid, and there was another door behind it, so Jane was unlikely to overhear her conversation, but she kept her voice low just to be sure.

"...and the last item in the packet is a handwritten note, do you want me to fax that back to you? It appears to be in code, but it's only one sentence."

"What does it say?" Ms. Li's voice on the phone was tinny, distorted by the small speaker, but her urgency came across clearly.

"The bear will hunt the eagle by moonlight."

"Oh, damn. That's not code; it's an allusion. The Russians are going to kill the President. Moonlight, hmm. When's the next full moon?"

"How the hell should I know? You're the one with the room full of computers!" Daria said, her voice rising with a note of panic.

"Calm down. We've received the warning in time; we'll handle this." Daria could hear muffled conversation in the background, then: "Oh GOD DAMN!" Daria jerked the phone away from her ear. Ms. Li's voice continued an unbroken string of epithets longer than she would have believed possible. When she finally ran out of breath, Daria lifted the phone to her ear again.

"Bad news?"

"Tomorrow is the full moon. That has to be it, and there's not enough time to insert any of our people into the President's security. I can't even learn his itinerary on that short a notice. We'll have to warn the Secret Service, and they'll just cancel whatever he's scheduled to do, and the assassin will try again later. Damn. So close."

"Angela, I know where the President is going to be tomorrow night. The school trip is attending a Presidential reception at the Kennedy Center. Jodie can probably get me in there."

"Perfect, then we're all set."

"All set!" Daria shrieked into the phone, then glanced at the door and lowered her voice. "You want me to prevent someone I've never seen from killing the President sometime tomorrow night! We don't even know how they're planning to do it! Maybe they'll just blow the whole building up!"

"Control yourself, Daria. Treat this as just another assignment with an unexpected development. If you were back here, what would you tell the field agent?"

"I'd tell them they were about to be responsible for the death of the leader of the free world," Daria replied, bitterly, "it's a distinction few other agents can claim."

"Now, now. Despair won't get you anywhere. Security will be very tight. They can't bring a bomb large enough to be useful anywhere near the President. The agent whose report you picked up is part of a terrorist cell backed by Russian extremists. Their past assassinations have all involved close-up use of handguns or poison. I think it's safe to say they won't be blowing anyone up."

"Sure, it's safe for you to say that, you're in Lawndale."

"And you're the agent on the scene. You're going to have to do this."

Daria sighed. "I know."

"Fine. I'll see if there are any other agents I can pull in, but the others I have in the area are all specialists. They can follow a plan, but they're not very flexible on their own. Even if I can put a team together, you're going to be the team leader. Keep the phone on. If you can't answer it when I call, get away as soon as possible and call me back. Good luck, Daria, and good hunting."

Daria hung up the phone, and placed it in the inside pocket of her jacket. The she shrugged off the jacket, revealing a shoulder holster. Removing the holster, she unloaded the handgun it contained, returned it to the holster, and placed both in her pack. Finally she pulled her jacket back on.

"Damn, I'm glad to get that off for the evening. I hate guns. I'm not cut out to be a field agent. I wish I were back home writing a Melody Powers story, instead of living one. I'm going to screw up, and somebody's going to die. Not somebody, the freakin' President. Oh, God, how did I get myself into this? And why am I asking myself when I already know the answer?"

She jumped, as a knock on the door interrupted her. She quickly placed the packet of papers she'd been reading to Ms. Li into her backpack, and dropped it beside the bed. Then she rose and walked over to the connecting door to let Jane in.

"Hey, amiga, ready for dinner?"

"Hey Jane, yeah, I'm starved. I hope Jodie was able to get a table away from Kevin and Brittany."

"Now you're trying to ruin my appetite."

Jane tossed the comment over her shoulder as she headed for the door. Daria followed, shaking her head.

The two exited the elevator, and walked across the lobby looking for Jodie. There was no sign of Kevin or Brittany, although a janitor was mopping up water near the fountain from Kevin's plunge earlier. Finally, they saw Jodie at a table half-concealed behind a potted palm.

"Hey, Jodie, nice hiding place," Daria said, walking up to the table.

"Yeah, I managed to avoid the dynamic duo, but it took forever for a waiter to notice me back here. Our sodas just arrived. The waiter will be back in a couple of minutes to take our order. The night menu's not very extensive, but it does have a few things that count as meals." She handed menus to the two as they sat down.

"You mentioned that you were going to a reception at the Kennedy Center tomorrow night, didn't you?" Daria asked, as she glanced through the menu.

"Yeah, us and about twenty other Model Congresses. They've reserved the entire roof level for the evening. It's quite the gala: catered dinner, dancing, and the President giving a speech on The Future Politicians of America." You could hear the capitals as Jodie spoke. "You wouldn't believe the headache I had getting tickets at the last minute for the football team and the cheerleaders Ms. Li stuck me with. Hey, do you two want to come? I've got extra tickets now, and it would be nice to have someone to talk to in addition to Mack."

"Not in a million years," said Jane.

"I think I'd like that," said Daria.

"Okay, I knew you wouldn't accept...WHAT?" Jodie practically screamed the last word.

Jane, too, seemed amazed, turning an incredulous look on her friend.

"Daria, are you feeling okay? You hate things like this."

"I know. It's just that I've never been to a Presidential reception. It sounds like it might be interesting."

"Right. Interesting. A bunch of kids being lectured by politicians, eating plastic food, and dancing to music that was old before we were born. I can think of lots of words I'd use, but that isn't one of them. But hell, if you're going, I might as well come too. Sign me up, Jodie."

"Sure." Jodie looked doubtfully at the two, clearly surprised her offer had been accepted. "Um, there's just one problem. It's formal. Did either of you bring evening gowns?"

Jane, halfway through a sip of her soda, snorted and began to choke. Daria pounded her on the back a couple of times until she began to breathe normally.

"You okay? I thought I was going to need to practice the Heimlich on someone other than Quinn this time."

"Yeah. I'm fine. Jodie, neither of us even own an evening gown, nor can we afford to buy them. Maybe this isn't such a great idea."

Daria interrupted. "Actually, Jane, I've got Mom's gold card. We can get some tomorrow, and she'll probably think it was one of Quinn's shopping trips."

Jane looked at her friend, mixing disbelief and bewilderment in one gaze.

"Daria, I know you've been acting weird these last few weeks, but are you seriously suggesting we go clothes shopping so we can attend a formal reception? I'd suggest that you've been replaced with an alien impostor, but even aliens could do a more credible impersonation of Daria Morgendorffer than you're doing."

Daria gazed back at her, irritated. She didn't want to go to the stupid reception, what she wanted was to be far away, but it was her responsibility. "Look Jane, nobody's forcing you to go. I'm going, but you're welcome to do something else."

"No way. Someone has to keep an eye on you. Besides, if you're going to wear an evening gown, I'm going to be there to capture it on film, even if I have to wear one too."

Daria smiled. Having Jane with her was going to complicate matters, but she'd deal with the complications; it was good to know she wasn't going to be alone. Jodie didn't count, even though she was a friend, because she couldn't understand how it felt to be one of the unpopular people at a social function. That was something Daria and Jane shared. Jodie was always busy organizing such functions, never one of the people standing aside waiting in vain for someone who wouldn't ignore them.

"Thanks, Jane, I appreciate it," Daria said.

"Well, don't go all maudlin on me. This is already too weird for words, and I'm not sure I could cope with that. Uh, is your pocket vibrating, or are you just happy to see me?"

Daria frowned, confused, and then realized that the cell phone in her pocket was ringing silently. She pulled it out, and thumbed the "end" button to hang up.

"Damn. Mom and her electric leash. I've got to go call her. Can you order me a burger with everything and a side of fries when the waiter shows up?"

"Sure," Jodie said. "Say 'hi' to your Mom for me."

"Yeah." Daria rose, and walked away, looking for a quiet place to make her call.

Jodie turned to Jane after Daria was out of earshot. "I thought my parents were control freaks, but they don't make me carry a phone so they can keep in touch."

"Yeah, Helen's really something. But when did the Morgendorffers get a second phone? I can't imagine her lending hers to Daria for the weekend."

"She probably got a two-for-one deal, they're pretty common. There has to be some explanation, she's got the phone after all."

"Yeah. There just seem to be quite a few things needing an explanation lately, and no explanations to be found." Jane said, gazing intently at the blank wall, as if an explanation should be found there. "There's something suspicious about all this."

"You worry too much, Jane. This is Daria, after all. I can't imagine her being involved in anything suspicious, can you?"

"No, I can't, and that's what's bothering me. What could possibly make her behave like this? Attending a formal reception, for crying out loud. This whole independent study thing that leaves her no time to even hang out during the day, and that has her completely wrung out every evening. Those weekend trips she's been making. Something odd's going on, but what?"

"Well, when you say it like that, it does sound strange. But if she doesn't want to tell us, that's her business."

"I know. I just wish she'd trust me."

Jane sighed, and turned her attention to the menu. Jodie looked at her sympathetically, but had nothing to add.

The following afternoon Jodie and Jane stood in the waiting area of the dressmakers shop, outside the door to the fitting room. Around them, expensive gowns were displayed on mannequins, lit by discreet spotlights. Minimalist wooden furniture, lightly upholstered, was scattered about the room, seemingly at random. The floor and trim on the walls was of a light colored wood, which provided a discreet contrast to the white walls. A few full-length mirrors were tucked away in corners, for the use of customers. Scattered plants lent a fresh tang to the air, which otherwise smelled of cloth and wood. The overall effect was simple and elegant, and expensive.

"Jane, don't you think we should have tried to talk Daria into going someplace else?" Jodie asked, not for the first time, fidgeting slightly.

"Relax, Jodie, her mother recommended this place, and it's her card we're charging."

"Well, that's what Daria said, but are you sure her mother meant this shop? I've done some clothes shopping in the city, and I've never been to a place that looked as expensive as this. There are no prices on any of the displays. That's always a bad sign."

They were interrupted by the sound of a door opening, as Daria entered from the fitting room, wearing an ankle-length green gown. The gown was slit up to the knee on one side, allowing her to walk easily, and showed her slender figure to advantage. Jane and Jodie looked at her, momentarily speechless. Jane was the first to regain her voice.

"Daria, you're... you're..."

"Dressed?"

"...female!"

"Gee, thanks, Jane, I hadn't known you had doubts." Daria responded, unable to suppress a grin.

"No, I mean, you look like someone in one of Quinn's magazines."

"Yeah, Daria, the last time I saw you in a dress was for your cousin's wedding. This one looks a lot nicer." Jodie added.

"That's the benefit of buying custom from a competent dressmaker, rather than off-the-rack fitted by small-town bridal shop. Now it's your turn, Jane."

"I don't want to know how much these cost, do I?"

"I don't either, but Mom said it was okay to charge them both to her card, so don't sweat it."

Jane walked back into the fitting room, as Daria turned to examine herself in one of the mirrors.

"I do look pretty good, don't I?" She said over her shoulder to Jodie.

"Careful, Daria, you keep this up and we'll have trouble telling you from your sister," Jodie smiled as she spoke.

Daria glanced at her, with a smirk on her face. "Heh, you can't get my goat that easily. Unlike my sister, I can appreciate the outside, without believing it defines the inside."

"Is she really that shallow?"

"Seriously, no, but she does a very convincing impression. It's very irritating."

A quiet bell chimed, as the door to the shop opened and two young men entered. Michael Jordan MacKenzie, Mack to his friends, Captain of the Lawndale High football team, and Jodie's boyfriend, entered first. Another man, a stranger to both Jodie and Daria, followed him. The two were a study in contrasts: where Mack was dark skinned, and had black hair, the stranger had light blond hair and the fair skin of a Scandinavian. He was also nearly as short as Daria, with the wiry build of a long-distance runner. Mack, who was nearly six-foot tall, towered over him.

"Mack, you're early. Jane's still being fitted." Jodie said.

"Where's Daria?"

Daria turned from the mirror to look at him, faintly amused. "I'm standing right in front of you."

Mack, caught off guard, gaped at Daria. "Wow. What happened to you?"

"Clothing. I hear it's very popular this season among the in crowd."

The stranger laughed, attracting Jodie and Daria's attention.

"You haven't introduced us, Mack," Jodie said.

"Oh, right. This is Alex; he's the quarterback for Midland Falls. But unlike our QB, he's actually here because he's also in his school's model congress. Alex, this is Jodie, and our friend Daria."

"Charmed ladies," Alex said, with a faint accent, "Mack's mentioned you, Jodie," he turned to Daria, "but he failed to mention your lovely friend."

Daria looked back, amused by the unfamiliar attention her new clothes were drawing, but not exactly impressed. "I don't think you'd be saying that if I weren't wearing this expensive bait."

"It's not the bait that matters, it's the hook in it," Alex said, with a grin.

"I resemble that remark." Daria turned to Mack. "Are you sure you didn't tell him about me?"

"Nope. He figured you out all on his own. So, how long do we have to wait for Jane?"

"If they take as long with her as they did with Daria, it's going to be another half hour." Jodie said.

"I think Alex and I are going to head back to the hotel, then. We can get in a workout at the hotel fitness club. See you later?"

Jodie hugged Mack. "All right, go have your fun, but you better be cleaned up and in your tux by six, or you're a dead man. I am NOT going to spend the evening with Kevin and Brittany without your support."

Mack laughed, "Jodie, you know I wouldn't abandon you to a fate worse than death."

"It'll be your funeral if you do." She said, in an ominous tone.

Mack hugged her again, then he turned to Alex and gestured towards the door. Alex nodded to the two young women.

"Goodbye ladies, it was a pleasure meeting both of you. Especially you and your barbed wit, Daria."

"My wit and I enjoyed meeting you, as well."

The two young men turned and left, leaving Jodie and Daria together, looking after then.

"So, Daria, are you interested in him?"

Daria snapped her eyes towards Jodie. "I have a boyf... whatever. Remember?"

"I remember, but I wasn't certain if you did. You sure looked interested."

"He is... interesting, but I'm not that fickle."

"Okay. So, are you going to wear that dress all day?"

"I could. It's surprisingly comfortable. But it's a little on the formal side for tourism, don't you think?" She said, with a wistful tone.

Jodie laughed. "Oh, if I only had a video camera."

"You're beginning to sound like Jane, and I don't mean that in a nice way."

Daria turned, and headed back to the fitting room to change, followed by Jodie's laugh.

That evening, Daria and Jane, accompanied by Jodie and Mack, faced each other across the spacious back of a limousine. Mack was wearing a tux, while the other three wore gowns. Jane in red, and Jodie in peach. Daria smoothed the green fabric of her gown absently as she looked out the window with a distracted air. The rough texture of the heavy silk gave her something to occupy her senses, distracting her from thinking about the problem ahead, or the gulf that had grown between her and Jane.

Mack broke the silence. "That was pretty slick, Jodie, convincing Kevin and Brittany to ride in one of the other limos so they'd get there first for a good seat. I thought we were going to be stuck with them for the whole trip."

"Yeah, well we're still going to be stuck with them at our table. The seating assignments were all done in advance, and I couldn't change them."

The limo turned into the drive, and pulled up in front of the building. A uniformed attendant hurried over and opened the car door. Jodie and Mack exited first, followed by Jane. As Daria climbed out, uncertain in her unfamiliar shoes, her purse swung forward and hit Jane in the back.

"Ouch! Dammit, what do you have in that thing, a brick?" Jane protested, as she rubbed her back.

"Sorry Jane, just my wallet, cell phone and a book in case I get bored," Daria said, omitting to mention the two-way radio she'd picked up earlier in the day from another agent, the earpiece and microphone for which were now built into her glasses and a string of faux pearls she wore around her neck.

"That's some heavy reading. What is it, War and Peace?"

"You're a laugh a minute Jane."

They were directed down a spacious hallway with a thirty-foot ceiling. From the walls hung the flags of what appeared to be every country in the world. At the elevator they had to wait, as a line of guests was slowly processed through a temporary security checkpoint supervised by a small group of Marines in dress uniforms. Daria wasn't worried; her non-metallic gun was strapped to her leg. She'd move it to the purse later, once she was inside the security perimeter.

Finally, it was her turn. She placed her purse on the belt feeding the x-ray machine and stepped through the metal detector. On the far side, she handed the invitation Jodie had given her to one of the soldiers when asked. After verifying her invitation against a list, he pulled her aside to check her purse; the radio must have looked suspicious on the scanner. Examining the contents he came across her ID folder, and opened it. His eyes widened slightly, as he compared the photo to her face.

"Sorry to bother you Ms...." he began.

"Morgendorffer, Daria Morgendorffer," she said, pointedly. "I understand. You can never have too much security at an event like this, can you?"

He nodded, understanding the implied "Don't blow my cover." And returned the ID folder to her purse.

"Very true. I hope your evening holds nothing to mar your enjoyment of the reception."

"I certainly hope so as well, thank you, Major Stewart." She said, reading the name off his uniform, as she took the purse back from him.

As they waited for an elevator, Jane turned to Daria.

"I suppose that little bit of comedy is something else you can't discuss?" she asked, in a dejected voice.

Daria looked at Jodie and Mack, far enough aside that they were out of earshot. She looked over at her friend, and made a decision. "Jane, if I tell you what's going on, you can't tell anyone, ever," she said, softly.

Jane perked up. "You'll tell me?"

"I may need some help tonight, and I certainly don't need to be distracted by trying to avoid you. Promise? Not even Trent can know what happens tonight."

"Is it legal?" Jane asked, in a concerned tone.

"Yes."

"Very well, spill. I promise it will go to my grave with me."

"Bad choice of words," Daria said, "Here, look at this, and whatever you do, don't laugh." She handed her ID card folder to Jane.

Jane opened it, looked very closely, and then closed it and handed it back. "You're kidding, right? This is a joke, and you picked that up in a novelty store when you disappeared today?"

"You don't know how much I wish that were true right now."

"You're too young to be an FBI agent."

"I'm not one, but they cooperate with us, and no, I can't tell you who 'us' is."

"So, what are we doing here, Melody?"

"Jane, be serious, and don't do anything that would give me away. We're here because terrorists are going to try to kill the President tonight, and I'm supposed to stop them."

"Oh." Jane was silent for a few seconds. "Okay, I asked for this. Who, and how, and what do we have to do?"

"I don't know."

"Which don't you know?"

"All of the above. This is a real mess. I need to be alert for something, I don't know what, and stop it when it happens. There are several other agents scattered around the center tonight who are also watching, and will tip me off if they see anything. Just keep your eyes open for suspicious behavior, and let me know if you see anything odd."

"This is crazy, why don't we just warn the President?"

"Because if we do, the assassin will just try again the next time he comes out in public, and we won't necessarily have advance warning. It was a miracle we found out about this one in advance."

"So, we use the Chief Executive as bait for his own assassin. That seems a little risky."

"Hey, politicians are used to being sniped at, besides I didn't vote for him."

"You didn't vote for either of them, you turned eighteen after the election."

"Picky, picky, picky. Yeah, it's a stupid plan, but it's the one I'm stuck with."

"It's nice to know Ms. Li's just as bad at being a spymaster as she is at being a principal."

"I never said anything about Ms. Li."

"You didn't need to. I listened at the door the day you started your independent study."

"Oh." Daria considered that, briefly. It helped explain why Jane had been so suspicious. "Angela isn't really that bad, just understaffed and overworked."

"Angela? You and her being on a first name basis has to be the weirdest part of all of this."

"Funny, you wearing an evening gown is the weirdest thing I've ever seen."

Jane's retort, if any, was cut off by Jodie calling out. "Hey, hurry up you two! The elevator's here, and I'm not going to hold it for you."

"Coming!" Jane yelled, then, turning to Daria, "After you, Mata Hari."

"I knew telling you would be a mistake," Daria said, with a smirk. For some reason, she felt more confident of success now than she had before. After all, how many people could there be here? With an extra pair of eyes on the lookout, the chances of seeing something out of place had improved significantly. Her good mood continued as she rode up to the rooftop level.

Then she exited the elevator, and stopped abruptly. A mob of students milled about the hallway, spilling out onto the terraces at either end. There were hundreds of them, maybe close to a thousand. This was going to be more complicated than she'd expected.