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On turning back into the house, she caught sight of their paper, tucked under a shrub at the side of their drive – unusual for her to see it before Jack came home. For the first time in years she’d get to read it, crease-free and new.
Hurrying in with her find, and for reasons she’d rather forget, she set the coffee machine away, always primed for the next cup. She lived on the stuff, drumming her fingers on the counter, waiting for it to finish.
Curiosity won regarding the paper, spreading those crisp sheets out in front of her, barely reading the headlines when her cell phone vibrated on the work-top.
Who the hell…
She left it there, trying to ignore it, hoping they’d give up and annoy someone else. It droned on and on, like a wasp trapped in a tin – irritating and distracting her from reading. Watching it gravitate towards the edge compelled her to snatch it up, before it joined the others that had died a death, hitting the quarry-tiled floor. Now left with it buzzing in her hand, she swore at herself for even bothering, vowing nothing would stop her plans for the day. Everyone knew to leave her alone, for at least the first twenty-four hours, for her usual trip to the beauty parlour and then the gym. Three weeks in the sun played hell with her skin – had done, most of her life. She tried to envisage who was calling, knowing Jack left hours ago for his meeting, so it wouldn’t be him. She tentatively clicked the answer button and said in a caustic tone, “If you’re selling something, you’re wasting your damn time.” Before her finger reached the button to hang up, she heard a faint voice yelling her name. She slammed it against her head again…Jesus, that hurt...snapping into it, “What?”
“Before you shout, honey, it’s me.”
Knowing Jack only ever phoned if there was trouble, she half-heartedly asked, “Go on – what’s wrong?”
“Harvey, Alli Burgess and three others are being flown there, now – landing in three hours.”
She’d wanted to hear those words for so long, shelving her plans in an instant – this was too important to miss.
“When does the car arrive, Jack?”
“Hate to say this – anytime now.”
She looked down at her clothes: Christ, I’m stuck in this lot…
“I won’t be dressed up – you take me as I am.”
The doorbell had cut through her words. “They’re here,” she told him. “Are you going?”
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She heard his laugh at the words she’d used. “Not missing th…” he said, ending the call before his last word was complete.
The line went dead.
She understood how busy he was and brushed it off, not wanting a row – he’d have to catch a flight or was already on one.
She picked up her purse, threw her phone in, made sure she had sunglasses and stopped at the bathroom to pick up essentials – grabbing a lightweight jacket from the hallstand, she headed for the door.
The driver smiled at her shocking-pink running garb and said, “Morning, Ma’am.”
“Morning.” She didn’t feel like explaining, pushing her sunglasses over her eyes to follow him down the drive.
Once she was settled in the back of the limo, she was glad he wasn’t one of those talkative drivers, on her journey to wherever they were flying her from, giving her time to muse over the London trip they’d had to attend, last summer. Both invited, because the buck stopped with her, as regards nursing in their forces, and hubby, a four star General, seconded to the Pentagon.
Alli Burgess, a human/vampire hybrid, worked in a murder squad with her hybrid husband. The hybrids were flown by helicopter to the barracks at Horse Guard’s Parade, where they did a Q&A to a mass of onlookers, before attending a banquet in their honour, thrown by the PM and all his entourage – thereafter, she did a demonstration, using venom, at one of the major hospitals. Venom healed scarring and bomb blast injuries in humans, cutting the time they could wear prosthesis, by months. Being totally pain free they could re-join their units – a must in wartime and both countries allies in the war on terrorism.
She was so impressed with the young couple that day; she thought of them often and would have liked to have kept in touch; understanding it could never happen – security being the way it was. Still, she looked forward to seeing them again, even in the restricted area they were taking her to.
She’d never told Jack, but being introduced to the Prime Minister, paled into insignificance against meeting them. She’d heard on the grapevine, forces in UK used venom much more than they had. Perhaps, after today, they’d have a different opinion, although what they proposed was more extreme than they’d watched – infinitely more.
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