MISGUIDED

[]

Introduction:

"Something is wrong." Jim Phelps paced back and forth before his men in the comfort of his spacious apartment. He lifted his hands to express himself, a lighted cigarette between the fingers of one hand and a sheet of paper in the other. "I received this report from our man in the Belkholt office. She is not reporting in."

Willy looked from Jim to the other two men in the room then back to their leader, "Cinnamon? Do they think she was found out?" he asked.

"We're not entirely sure what is going on." Phelps tossed the paper on his coffee table in front of Rollin Hand who was sitting on the sofa. He watched as the dapper agent, their master of disguise, picked it up and studied the report. "Two weeks ago she reported in to Glouster. He said she told him all was well but she had concerns. One of the diplomats, a Dr. Kwik, had eyed her - initially as a conquest - but then told her he felt they had met somewhere before. Cinnamon couldn't place him but she worried that he might have been someone she had come into contact with during one of our early missions."

Barney Collier's brow furrowed and he breathed heavily out. This sort of thing was always a concern for the IMF but, so far, they had managed to dodge being recognized by a recipient of one of their previous deceptions. "They don't think she's dead, do they?"

"No." It was Rollin who spoke, "According to this report she has been seen with Andre Knoll, her target, at parties and there are pictures to prove she is well." Rollin shrugged, appearing visibly relieved. "Obviously she is being closely watched."

Willy nodded, "And hasn't been able to report in. It's the only explanation."

Rollin placed the report on the coffee table. "I always felt she shouldn't have been left alone. One of us should have gone in with her to …"

"What?" Phelps suddenly asked, looking closely at Rollin. "To watch over her? We were needed here. All four if us."

It was a complicated mission, taking place in both the United States and in Belkholt, an Eastern European country friendly to the west but, as a few noted, easily influenced by the east. Cinnamon was playing the part of a Janine Razzman, an ambassador's personal assistant working in the American Embassy. She was to make it abundantly clear to Knoll that she could be bribed for information, with possible romance on the side. All the while, Cinnamon would be recording conversations between Knoll and his aide, Warden."

"We were getting good information for a while." Phelps said, "But suddenly it stopped coming. However, Cinnamon is continuing to be seen with Knoll. The Secretary, as you can imagine, is concerned."

"We need to get her out then?" Willy asked.

"The problem is Cinnamon isn't receptive to coming back."

Rollin and the others now looked at Phelps, unsure of his meaning.

"We have two minor agents who have fed Cinnamon coded worded signals, basically asking her what the difficulty might be or if she needs assistance. She's ignoring them; not telling them anything one way or the other. They said it's almost as if she is purposely ignoring them or doesn't understand their signals."

"Could Knoll be drugging her?" Willy asked.

"They say she seems lucid but uncommunicative."

"Maybe that's a signal in itself." Barney suggested.

"The Secretary is not convinced. She is a good enough agent to know that she must keep in touch with us in some way. She's been given opportunity but isn't following through. They're worried …." Phelps hesitated.

"What Jim?" Willy asked.

"Some officials are afraid she might have turned traitor."

"What?" Barney suddenly appeared appalled, "That is ridiculous."

"You and I know it but even the Secretary has people to report to. They've decided, if this keeps up, something might have to be done." Phelps looked at his team, at their silent but grave faces. They all knew what that meant. If Cinnamon Carter was thought to be a defector they might be obligated to do something drastic about it.

"Rollin has known her longer than any of us." Barney said, "She would never do such a thing, would she?"

"No." Hand stated, quietly but firmly. "She is completely trustworthy."

Jim Phelps stared at his Master of Disguise for a moment. He had always suspected there was a little more between Rollin and Cinnamon than a good working relationship. They labored together in and about the IMF a few years before he had become their leader. There had been rumors, mostly from operatives Cinnamon dismissed as suitors, about a possible one time love affair between the two agents. Jim dismissed the gossip. Besides, if it were true he did not want to know about it. Any relationship they might have had was their own business. "We've been given a week to prove Cinnamon is not a turncoat. But it cannot interfere with her current mission. We still need all the info Knoll can give us."

"What do you suggest, Jim?" Rollin asked.

"Rollin, you need to go in there and find out what is going on. We'll give you a cover, a diplomat of some kind." Phelps looked briefly out the glass door to his balcony. It looked like it might rain. "I would do it myself but I need to make contact with Glouster. He's asking for my personal help on this one."

"I'll report directly to the Embassy then?" Rollin asked, "They will understand?"

"We can't tell them everything but they will have an idea of what is going on." Phelps looked at Barney and Willy, "We will keep you two in the background." He told them, "Honestly, you are going to be in the dark until we hear from Rollin."

Hand stood, "When do I leave?"

"Soon." Phelps said. He then added, "I can't emphasize enough how dangerous this is, Rollin." he hesitated, "If we find out that Cinnamon has turned traitor …"

"Jim …" Rollin started.

"You need to understand something, Rollin." He spoke firmly, also to Barney and Willy. "We all need to get this right in our heads. If the unlikely happens we will have no choice but to eliminate the problem."

"Jim, are you saying what I think you're saying?" Barney asked.

"Yes." Phelps regretfully looked from Willy and Barney to Rollin Hand, "If Cinnamon does prove to be a traitor … Rollin, you will have to kill her."

[]

END OF INTRODUCTION.

Hi everyone. Got n idea for a new Mission: Impossible fiction while watching an old movie. Hope you enjoy this one. Have a feeling poor Miss Carter will be in for a bad time - and hopefully her fellow agents will get her out of it. Becky.