Part of this post is "continued" from Instagram, so it is FREE for everyone.

Some posts and sections of some posts are reserved for Supporters. AGI Stories content almost always appears on Patreon first, ahead of all other platforms. You get it first!

AUNT JUDY

Laylana made it to the gathering area of Away 2 before Mason, so she decided to just wait for him before starting lunch. It would be one of the last lunches there before the Deep Secret team deployed to Panama.

In the months to come, the team would have a new member—Aunt Judy. According to the IRS, Aunt Judy was officially Judith Diane Wilson, aunt to one of Eva’s new aliases, Lydia Elaine Wilson. Aunt Judy was a retired kindergarten teacher who kept a residence in Nashville, but traveled the U.S. in a motor home checking in on relatives via a Gmail account: “judyafterlife” + some number…

In reality Aunt Judy was a small group of agents working for Deputy Assistant Director Cal Davis, one of whom was stationed in the Panama Embassy. Aunt Judy’s job would be to create legal documents for crossing the various borders as needed for future operations. She’d work closely with Eva to see that the team could get to where it was supposed to be—and more importantly, perhaps—could get back to Panama when the mission was over.

The team’s time in Southeast Texas had passed quickly and, as May neared passing the baton to June, Laylana felt like it had been time well spent. Many operation details had been worked out, and things were in place to move forward. She could look back on the weeks in the ever-hotter Texas days noting both highs and lows.

The rest of this chapter is exclusive to Patreon.

Among the highs, as far as Laylana was concerned, was banter that evolved between Ryan and Owen. Perhaps, she thought, it was better framed as schtick.

The fact that the Away 2 facility was a concrete block building constructed literally inside a barn was the soil of their creativity. Little by little, the two marksmen developed more and more elaborate devices that all led up to one of them calling out the other for leaving a door open.

At first, their antics were simple, but the passing of days led to more and more complex set-ups. The latest played out like a highly rehearsed slapstick comedy with ducking, dodging, and near-misses until at last—it was Owen’s turn—the punch line was delivered.

“Ryan, you left the door open again! Do you think you live in a barn!”

It had taken Laylana seeing about four of their early versions before she knew they were planning them. Though she thought they were clever and fun, Demitri found them to be fodder for weeping and gnashing of teeth—and much eye-rolling. Laylana had not figured out if his reaction was a rehearsed part of the bit or not, but it definitely added to the moments.

The crowded space inside the actual bunker—which, for all practical purposes, was what Away 2 was—was one of the lows. But for Laylana, it was not the lowest.

With the Spectrum mission over, the team’s status had changed. Once again, Mason and Laylana, both, officially worked for the CIA. On paper, once again, Mason was her direct upline.

While they agreed that their relationship was more important than an organizational chart, they felt the pressure of ethics enough that movement between them stalled. It definitely didn’t go backwards, but they were not sure how to move forward.

“Lay,” Mason said, “I want to marry you. Let’s get settled in Panama and see if Aunt Judy can talk to Davis. Clear the air and get a move-forward…”

How that could happen, neither of them knew. Their legal identities would never be in Panama and none of their CIA training had included anything about how aliases could marry each other.

Gavin didn’t seem to think that was a problem. “Marriages existed between husbands and wives long before passports were a thing. I’d say even before reading and writing was a thing.”

When Gavin and Natalie had faced the same issue, both of their legal identities being officially deceased, they had gone to a village in Northwest Africa and found a missionary who would perform a ceremony sans paperwork. It was a religious wedding with no government strings attached.

Gavin shrugged and shook his head. “A marriage is meant to be between a man, a woman, and God. The marriage license just brings the state and country into it.”

Support AGI with:• one-time contribution through TipTopJar.• one-time contribution through Throne.• Patreon Membership.

All characters in this story are fictional characters, their images generated with AI for AGI Stories. They do not represent any real person, nor is their appearance based on any real human.Help AGI-Stories grow… If you’re enjoying the stories, please tell others. Word of mouth referrals and your endorsements are the best way for things here to grow!

Message to Paying Supporters:

Thank you for helping support AGI Stories.

I always consider you—the paid members—when deciding how content is shared.

I believe that most of you who help with the costs do so because you want to support the production process and show encouragement. I’m honored and truly grateful.

At the time of this post (not counting hardware or internet costs), expenses run just over $100 per month—so every supporter truly makes a difference.

Nevertheless, I share a lot of content free to all. I believe you understand why. Stories about giving back and helping shouldn’t be exclusive, and key moments need to be accessible for anyone following the stories.

My hope is that sharing a few exclusive photos and small portions of some posts with you serves as a simple expression of gratitude.

With that in mind, again, thank you very much.

~AGI Original Stories & AI Images