Page 37 of Skin In the Game (The BlackWater)

“We cleared it. All your past contracts are clear.” He replied and she nodded. Normally their contracts had a clause that specifically stated that you had to take a year’s administrative leave if you were switching from one agency to another. The idea being that in that time you’d lose your edge, lose your contacts, essentially become worthless.

She flicked through the papers, quickly scanning it but essentially it was the same as Homewell’s had been, the usual NDAs, insurance, next of kin and she paused at the last one raising an eyebrow.

“Not seen that one before eh?” Brandon asked smirking.

“No.” Maddie replied.

“Take your time.” He said and she swallowed opening the form and reading through the Official Secrets Act. Fuck me, she thought, this was really happening, this was really big shit now. She signed it and put the pen down.

“Come on then, we’ve got a briefing set in an hour to bring you up to speed.” Brandon said holding the door for her.

She followed him back out of the room and along the corridor, up the stairs, through a locked door and into a new room, noting that this one had no windows either. The only daylight was artificial.

She looked around at the few other faces all sat at the desks and she wondered if any of them had been there, in her apartment, rifling through her things.

“Everyone this is Maddie. Maddie this is Douglas, Jamie, and Becky. Alongside them, yourself, Cole, and me no one else knows what the Omega Project is, what it’s for, any details, not even the name. All our other agents we use don’t know anything beyond the brief we give them with each individual task. This is a need to know operation and no one outside this room needs to know anything.”

Maddie frowned slightly.

“What it means is we limit the knowledge, limit the intelligence and if there are leaks we can then narrow down the suspect pool very easily.” Brandon explained.

She nodded then. That made sense.

“This is your desk. We’ve given you clearance already. Douglas is going to go through the high level project but after he’ll sit down and we’ll work our way through everything.” He said.

She nodded again and then realised that all she seemed to be doing was nodding. Fuck Maddie, come on, this isn’t even that big a deal yet, she thought.

Brandon left her to it and she walked over to her new desk and sat down glancing at her new team around her.

“Coffee?” Becky asked and she smiled.

“I would love one.” She said.

“Come on, I’ll show you the way, we have a private kitchen just for this team and trust me you need it working here.”

Maddie laughed and followed her feeling like already she was going to get on with this girl even if she didn’t get on with anyone else. They even dressed similar.

“The first day is always the worst.” Becky said as they walked into the dark kitchen and the lights flickered on automatically around them.

“Do you ever get used to it, the no windows?” Maddie asked.

“Yeah eventually. It messes with your head for a while though. I swear some days I’d leave this place feeling like I’d been here for days when it’d only been a few hours.”

Maddie laughed.

“Sorry about the way we treated you by the way.” Becky said.

“What do you mean?” Maddie asked.

“At the beginning. We didn’t know your involvement and we had to assume the worst.”

“No worries. I would have done the same if I were in your shoes.” Maddie said.

“Do you know why they picked you?” Becky asked.

“No. I can’t figure it out.” Maddie shrugged.

“Well let’s hope we do.”

She smiled and took the mug that Becky was passing her. She could smell the coffee already and she was half tempted to take a gulp even though she knew it would burn the roof of her mouth off.

They walked into the Briefing Room across from their office and Maddie sat beside Becky, waiting, wondering when the show was going to start.

“Right listen up everyone.” Brandon said as he walked back in. “We need to get Maddie up to speed and fast. Douglas is going through top line, if he misses anything feel free to jump in anyone, and Maddie, if you have any questions just shout.”

She nodded as Douglas turned on the giant screen against the wall they all faced.

In front of them flashed the words Omega Project and Maddie took a deep breath readying herself for whatever the hell she was about to find out.

Douglas took his time explaining, starting high level about the missile system, about how revolutionary it was compared with current technology, the satellite that it would eventually connect too, and why exactly it had been designed so that if it all went tits up the countries involved could absolve their hands off it.

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