Chapter Text
She's always hated playing the secretary or PA as a cover. The work is generally soul destroyingly dull and it usually comes with a side order of ego massaging for the boss at the very least. Assuming, of course, there aren't other things that they think it's your job to massage! Root shudders a little at the memory of a previous job, before pushing it away and covering the accompanying frown with a somewhat feral grin. After all, she did get her own back on that particular Southern gentleman before the job was done.
But, since one can never be too careful - someone can always wander by at just the wrong moment, after all - she schools her face to generic blandness before turning back to the demanding task of organising her boss's ever changing calendar.
There are, however, a number of advantages to the role, which is why she still does it. After all, no one ever seems to question why a PA needs such detailed information about all the random things she goes hunting for, especially in government offices. Here in the office of Special Council, it's been particularly easy to obtain the files she's wanted. In fact, the personnel files for the two troublesome agents of an off books assassination team that her current boss is trying to have terminated for their unfortunate curiosity appeared on her desk without her even having to ask.
And what an exciting read they've made. Especially Agent Shaw's file.
Even through the descriptions that litter the file are dry as dust (and annoyingly thoroughly redacted), the things that the woman is listed as having done… why it's more than enough to make Root a little jealous of the ISA's resources and almost giddy in anticipation of a meeting!
Thankfully, the other thing that doesn't seem to attract much notice in a government office, is sudden demands for paperwork to be delivered ASAP, or preferably before. Which means she has just enough time to discover that Veronica Sinclair is a desk bound geek at the CIA, who's never been in the field since she finished her mandatory training, before heading out to impersonate her.
In fact, the woman is so completely green that Root is able to overpower her and get everything she needs from her without even needing to use her tazer.
Some people are so disappointing!
***
Much later, after a long detour to make sure she wasn't followed, Root finally slips back into the apartment that she's currently 'borrowing'. Amazingly, despite the rude interruption and subsequent necessary security precautions, there's still a vestige of the grin tugging at the corners of her lips from her little chat with the delightful Agent Shaw. She almost doesn't care that the other woman didn't, and probably couldn't, provide a useful lead in her search, just for the absolute joy it was to meet her. It's so rare for people to actually live up to her expectations, and Sam Shaw may actually have been the first person to exceed them.
One of the things I left out of my file… I kinda enjoy this sort of thing.
The agent's breathy delivery of that line echoes in her head as she takes care of the mundane aspects of life: eating, bathing, cleaning her weapons and charging her tazer. She's pretty sure that 'using your feminine wiles' is a required course for female ISA agents, especially the ones who look like Shaw. Still, from where she was kneeling between the smaller woman's thighs, she was more than close enough to see something that looked a great deal like genuine arousal in Shaw's eyes as she held that hot iron to her face. She can only wonder what might have happened if Wilson's men hadn't been so boorish as to pick that moment to turn up.
It would have been a shame to have to ruin such a nice face, though, she thinks as she gets into bed. (Another downside to being a PA is having to keep regular hours like every other wage slave.) Especially when there are so many better things that could be done with it!
Her subconscious is already beginning to provide her with some very interesting options as she drifts into sleep.