‘No, it's okay, that was Paul. They'll be joining us soon. Neith took a blow and Paul fought them off.’
‘Paul rescues Neith,’ snorted Clio. ‘Oh boy, will Neith ever be livid.’
The car pulled up in a wide suburban street and drove onto the large private driveway of an expansive detached Victorian townhouse.
Julius sat in the back of the car, reluctant to leave. Ramin seemed like a good egg, whilst Clio appeared rotten to the core. Ramin followed Julius’ expression as she walked to the front door.
‘Trust me mate, she's one of the good guys. Scary as the day is long, but she's on our side. Besides which, she's a pussycat compared to Neith. Now come on. I've got some painkillers for that stomach of yours. Her feet can land quite a blow. She ruptured a man's kidneys once, from the front! Trust me, if she'd wanted to cause you harm, harm she would’ve caused.’
Julius walked into an upmarket holiday let. Everything was beautifully appointed though there wasn't an ounce of character anywhere. A wall of warm air swept out the front door, and he winced at the obvious waste of energy. He was even more surprised when he saw Clio was lighting a fire in the front room.
He stood in the hallway, uncertain what to do next. Clio was studiously ignoring him and Ramin had wandered off towards the back of the house.
‘Come on then,’ Ramin said as he reappeared with a small first-aid box, ‘let’s go and sit down and see what the damage is.’
Ramin walked into the living room and Julius followed.
‘Who were those men in the graveyard and who are you?’ Julius asked. ‘Neith said she was with the police, but none of you act like policemen.’
Clio looked over. ‘Know many policemen, do you?’
‘No, it's just. Well, you're not. Are you?’
Neither answered, and Ramin tapped him on the hand to get his attention. ‘Lift your shirt and let’s see what damage Clio did.’
‘That's got to be a record for you, Ramin.’
‘Knock it off Clio, you kicked him pretty hard. I'm just going to fix it.’
‘Chill. I was joking. Besides which, shouldn't you be running a bath for Neith?’
Ramin sighed dramatically and then winked at Julius. ‘Ignore her. She screwed up the mission. She was in charge of reconnaissance. No way should we have been caught unawares by a second outside team.’ He grinned as Clio attacked a log with the poker with more force than was necessary.
‘Julius here needs medical attention and Neith would be pissed if she thought we had put her needs ahead of his.’
Clio stood up and went upstairs. ‘I'll run the bath then.’ As she climbed the staircase, Julius heard her mutter something about fucking shit flies.
‘Like I said, Ignore her. She's also worried about Neith. It's always a worry when you have to leave a team member behind. Those two have been friends since basic training, and team mates as soon as teams were assigned. They are the longest running partnership in our unit. Come on now, lift your shirt.’
Julius reacted in astonishment as the gel gently warmed his torso and removed all the spasms he had been experiencing. He had been unaware of how hunched over he’d been until he felt his shoulders relax and his body straighten up.
‘What is that? Some sort of weapons-grade analgesic?’
‘Not analgesic. Well partly, but it’s also healing, not just masking. Nifty isn't it? Strictly for missions, but I don't know a single curator that doesn't have a stash at home. Man, it can fix even the worst hangovers.’ He pulled Julius’ top back down. ‘Now what can I get you to drink? Tea, coffee, something stronger?’
With the pain gone, Julius was able to think clearly. ‘I've just come from a fight outside the memorial service of my best friend. I don't want a drink, I want answers.’
#21 Neith – Beta Earth
My head hurt and I felt sick. I became aware that I was sitting in a car with Paul driving. I must have groaned, as he pulled over.
‘Are you going to be sick?’
I thought about it and tried to shake my head, but that was setting off little earthquakes across my vision. Maybe throwing up was a good idea.
‘We’ll be home in a second. I’m so sorry Neith.’
I moved my head slowly to look at Paul. Something in his voice sounded wrong and I was appalled to see tears in his eyes.
‘I’m not dead,’ I protested, trying to make him laugh. We couldn’t be intimate whilst on a mission, but that didn’t mean we stopped caring for each other. I knew Paul was struggling with this mission. His recent failure to spot the car that killed Charles had put a strain on things, but that was work. I didn’t want our work relationship to spoil our personal one.
‘This is all my fault.’ A tear slid down his face, and I suddenly found that I was the one consoling him.
‘I think you’ll find I was the one that didn’t duck in time. Not you. So, what happened after I decided to take a nap?’
Paul wiped the tear away and tried to smile at my weak joke. ‘The fight continued for a bit, but as soon as it dawned on them that Julius was safe in the car, they ran off.’
He held my hand for a bit longer, but I must have groaned again as he gathered his wits. He drove off again, one hand on the wheel, the other not letting go of my hand. I should have reprimanded him — safety and all that — but the car was an automatic. Besides which, just feeling his soft warm skin was immensely soothing. His thumb gently rubbed the back of my hand and I simply focussed on how good that felt.
#22 Julius – Beta Earth
The front door banged open and Neith limped in, her arm around Paul’s shoulder, who was all but carrying her along. All of Ramin’s relaxed
