“The contents of Sir Malcolm’s safe, I take it, Sir?”
“Yes, exactly.”
“Are they any use, Sir?”
“It looks like we have found something that could be useful. I don’t think it was all in vain, Josh.”
“That is something, I suppose, Sir?”
“Let’s hope so. How many of you are travelling to Devon?”
“That’s the other thing; we need your help with, Alice, Sir. We want her to travel with us, so can you arrange for her clearance too, Sir?”
“That will be trickier, Josh, but leave it with me and I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thank you, Sir. With Alice, there will be five of us travelling.”
“Understood, Josh. I will come back to you as soon as I can so sit tight, okay?”
“Yes, Sir, I will wait for your call. Thank you, Sir.”
“Thank me when it’s done. I’ll speak to you either way soon.”
“Until then, Sir.”
Winters hangs up and puts the phone back into his pocket. He is confident that arranging a car for them won’t be a problem but getting clearance for Alice to go with them might be difficult. Colonel Reed made the deal with Andy for Josh to leave if he took the mission, but there was no deal made for Alice. She is still enlisted, and the Colonel will expect her back on duty, he won’t lose an able-bodied fighting soldier without good reason. Winters will either have to give the Colonel a reason to give her clearance or he will have to do some creative, possibly underhanded paperwork. Winters will have to give it some thought.
“Sir, Colonel Reed has agreed to stick with the time frame for you to make your report to him,” Winters tell Major Rees as he returns to the conference room.
“Well done, Lieutenant,” Rees answers, back in his chair with his head buried in another file.
“That’s in twenty minutes, Sir.”
“Yes, I am aware of that, Lieutenant.”
Sam has moved positions and is sitting in the chair Winters was occupying. She is studying files laid out on the table in front of her. It seems Winters has been demoted.
“Pull up another chair, Lieutenant, I am sure we can find something for you to make use of your time with,” Rees says, pointing to a gap on the far side of him, away from the analyst, Sam.
Does he think he needs to keep us apart? Winters thinks as he moves around to retrieve a chair.
Josh turns back to the others, letting his phone drop in his hand down to his side.
He knew Alice coming with them could be a major issue and he can’t help but look straight at her.
“I guess I’m not coming then, by the look on your face?” Alice presumes, looking straight back at him.
“No Josh, Alice has to come with us,” Emily pipes up, the first words she has uttered in some time.
“Hold on, everybody,” Josh says. “I didn’t say she wasn’t coming. Lieutenant Winters is going to try and get her clearance, but he isn’t sure he will be able to. He is going to let us know as soon as he can. It could be a while until we know though.”
“He had better say yes,” Emily protests.
“We will have to wait and see, Emily, so cross your fingers,” Alice says. “What else did he say?”
“He thought to go to Devon was a good idea and he is sure he will be able to get us a car; he just needs a bit of time.”
“Anything else?” Alice prompts.
“He thinks they may have found some info relating to the virus, but they are still checking.”
“So, it looks like we are still hanging around here for the time being?” Catherine asks.
“I’m afraid so. It looks like we either hang around here or go back up to the First-Class Lounge,” Josh says.
“It’s better down here than being cooped up, up there,” Catherine states.
“Yes, I don’t like it up there,” says Emily.
“Okay, we wait for more news here then,” Josh confirms as he takes a seat next to his sister, wondering how they will pass the time.
Winters glances at his watch. Five minutes until Colonel Reed is expecting the Major’s report. More data and information about the virus have come to light in the fifteen minutes or so since he took his place in the naughty seat next to Major Rees, and more data is still emerging.
He has spent the last five minutes looking at some of the relevant data that have been discovered, trying to keep his mind busy and off Sam, who he can’t really see from where he is anyway. Winters has to admit that he doesn’t really understand what he is looking at. Science was not his strong suit at school and the complex scientific formulae and such contained in the files is like reading German. He recognises some words and phrases but piecing it together to understand the whole meaning is another matter. Winters places the file back in its place on the table.
“Are you ready, Sir? We had better go,” Winters asks Major Rees.
“Yes, Lieutenant,” Rees answers as he gets up. “Ready, Sam?”
“Sir,” Winters says. “I am not sure the Colonel will appreciate any newcomers at this stage.”
“I need Sam to handle the files and assist me. Unless you think you have a good enough understanding of the data to assist, Lieutenant?”
“I’m afraid I don’t, Sir.”
“Well, that settles it then. Sam?”
“I’m ready, Major,” Sam says, gathering the files together.
Major Rees addresses the remaining staff before he leaves. He tells them to stick to their tasks and double-checks they know where to put new related information if it needs further investigation.
He then leads Sam out of the conference room and to his meeting with Colonel Reed in the command room only a short distance away. Lieutenant Winters follows, retrieves his satchel and brings up the rear.
Chapter 8
Corporal Harris has his hands wrapped around a nice warm mug. He lifts it to his lips now and
