Keeping Thyme (Thyme Trilogy)

by TJ Hamilton

“He’s Joe Tench, Mia. Don’t tell me you actually believed his act? Come on, sis, I thought you were smarter than that?” My brother scoffs at me.

  Yes, I did fall for his act, and fell in love with him. How could I be so stupid? Maybe Tench is freeing the girls when they get here? No! That’s definitely blind love talking. I shake my head and shake the feelings I have for Tench, who has never been honest with me. Did I really fall in love with him, or the idea of being happy?

  “One last thing while I’m on such a roll with bad news. I don’t think you should be taking Flossy over to Tench’s.”

  I frown. “What’s wrong?” I know there’s something wrong.

  “She’s too old, sis. She just won’t handle the move. The vet got called up here twice when we were away. She had two seizures. They think there’s a clot somewhere in her brain. They don’t know how long she’s got.”

  This last piece of bad news is the showstopper and I finally succumb to sadness and fall to my knees and sob. Flossy, as faithful as always, comes to rub around my legs. I pick her up and cry into her soft grey fur. This morning everything was perfect; my life felt happy again. Now my mum’s dead, my cat’s dying and my fiancé is still the evil criminal that he always was. Now I’m nothing but a fool.

  “Mia.” Liz comes to put her hand on my shoulder, “We’ve got to get down to the wharf. The shipment is coming in this afternoon. You’ve come this far; it’s time to finish the job. This is your opportunity to take Tench down.”

  I look up at Liz. How can I do that now when I’m so broken inside?

  “You were trained to do this Mi. Your moment has come. Tench is bringing young Russian girls into your country and selling them as sex slaves. You can’t stand by and just watch this happen? It goes against everything you’ve believed in. I know who you are Mia, and a life with Tench is not you.” Simon gives a triumphant speech.

  Liz weighs in on Simon’s persuasion. “You can do this, Mia.”

  I nod back. Yes I can do this.

  “Let’s go do this, then I can come back to Flossy. Where I should’ve been all along.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  I’m dressed in a black flight suit, just like Simon and Liz. Mrs Oktar was right; this is the colour of mourning, and today I am in all kinds of grieving. We sit in the back of a van facing each other in two rows. The rest of the agency’s tactical intercept team is assisting us, and led by my brother.

  The van rocks and rattles as we wind our way down to the water’s edge. A rifle rests on my lap, but I’d rather be using a pistol.

  My pistol is strapped to my leg. It’s not my old pistol; that’s in Russia somewhere. But this one should do the job. The Kevlar vest around my torso feels restrictive and heavy, and the webbing with spare magazines around my waist feels uncomfortable. I pull my gloves on and eye my empty ring finger as it disappears inside.

  Simon looks deep in thought as he goes over all the notes for the job. I feel nothing inside me anymore. There’s nothing. It’s all just a big, black hole.

  The trip out to the wharf feels like its in slow motion until we finally come to a stop. Show time.

  Everything I’ve done in the past year has led to this point. The hours spent with Tench were all to reach this outcome, and now I’m here I don’t know how to feel about it. Liz switches on the monitor, showing varying viewpoints around the wharf. She turns the sound up and zooms in on Tench and Toni walking across to Miss Stephanie, her bodyguard Ben, and another man who I recognise, but can’t recall how I know him.

  “Hello, Miss Stephanie. It’s always a pleasure seeing you. Denza, have you checked over the cargo?”

  That’s how I know him. It’s the brothel owner who Sally was last with the night she was murdered.

  Denza nods. “There aren’t any dead ones this time.”

  Miss Stephanie smiles at this news. “Good. We can’t afford to lose any like last time. My clients are paying top dollar for these girls; they expect them to arrive with a heartbeat.”

  Tench looks around him in alarm. “Can you keep this talk to a minimum, thanks?”

  “I thought you said you got rid of the informant within your organisation.” Miss Stephanie sounds unimpressed.

  “Yes, I have. That person is no longer an issue. But I don’t want you to get complacent.”

  The informant? Liz looks up just when I realise that he was talking about me. He knows about me? How? Why didn’t he kill me if he knew I was a spy?

  The five people on the monitor walk between the rows and rows of shipping containers stacked three high. As they move between tall structures, we lose them off the screen.

  “Okay, it’s time to move in,” Simon orders.

  At once we pull the black ski-masks over our heads and fit the helmets down. I slide the ski goggles over my eyes and make sure my earpiece is in my ear properly, then reach around to the back of my vest and turn on my radio. Simon speaks into his mic.

  “Team Alpha. You’ll move to the western exit. Team Bravo, we’re blocking off the northern end. The dogs will be waiting behind us if there are any runners. We need to capture the POIs without any rounds. All rounds shot in this will be classified as an unauthorised discharge. Understood?”

  “Yes, sir.” All the voices in the van respond.

  Simon pulls his mask down and covers the mic for a moment.

  “Mia. The boss is monitoring everything, so don’t do anything stupid, okay?”

  I roll my eyes at him and shake my head.

  “Voices to a minimum. Hand signals only. Alpha, move into position.”

  A group of five agents move out of the van. Simon looks back at us and nods once. We follow him around to the northern end of the site and crouch down. Simon points to me, and the agent beside me, then points to the small gap in between two of the containers. I nod and we both move into position.

  We wait for his signal. I can see Tench from here. My heart pounds inside my ears. Fury courses through my veins. I raise my rifle up that little bit higher and put Tench in my sights. I could easily take a shot and kill him from here. Looking at him makes me furious. How many girls has he bought into the country, and I was oblivious to it all. Sally would’ve hated the idea. Sally! She knew about this and wanted to warn me. I want him dead for every inch of pain I have felt because of him, but that would be too easy for him. I want him to rot with a beating heart, so I lower my firearm again. The boss’s voice comes through the earpiece.

  “I want Bravo to move in once the container is opened. Alpha take position once the POIs are in custody.”

  I crouch down and watch Tench. Denza unlocks the four padlocks on the doors and lifts the bolt up. I close my eyes and take a breath. I am trained to do this. I can do it. I hear the high-pitched screech of the doors swinging open and I open my eyes and take off towards Tench. My brother comes up on my flank and yells, “GET ON THE GROUND NOW.”

  Toni’s eyeing my brother and I see him reaching into his jacket. I fire a round straight into his chest and he flies backwards. Ben is the next to react and he also reaches into his jacket. I fire another shot, and I see a bright flash come from my brother’s direction. Three left. None of them move. Tench stares straight at me.

  “I know that’s you, Miranda,” he says in a low tone.

  My breathing intensifies and the sweat builds up, trying to cool my body that just wants to burst into flames.

  Miss Stephanie’s eyes widen and her mouth drops. I hold my gun up and line them both up. I point it at Miss Stephanie first.

  “Miranda, what have you done?” Her voice trembles, but still manages to sound defiant. “You stupid, stupid girl.” She shakes her head.

  “Shut up, bitch,” I scream.

  “Mia, don’t do it,” my brother calls out to the right of me.

  I unclip my helmet and throw it to the ground, and rip the ski-mask off.

  “I want you to see the person you have both shaped me to become. You have done this. Now I want to watch as you’re both e
xtinguished from my existence forever.” I raise my gun up again and hold Tench in my sights.

  Tench smiles, just like his cousin Dima did.

  “MIA!” I hear Simon yell.

  I inhale and hold my breath as I squeeze the trigger.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  I slide between the covers of my bed and cradle Flossy in my arms. Tears silently fall down my cheeks. There is nowhere else I’d rather be. Flossy softly purrs, but I can feel her humming is not the strength that it used to be. I know I’m losing my friend.

  “Thank you for waiting until I came home,” I sob into her.

  How can I lose so much in one day?

  I feel her breathing quicken. She looks up at me with her sharp green eyes. She stares into me and I can feel her talking to me, telling me she loves me.

  “It’s okay now,” I whisper as she snuggles back into my chest.

  We both drift into a welcomed sleep.

  The morning light shines through my bedroom window. Flossy is still wrapped up in my arms. She feels warm, but she’s gone. I look down at my faithful friend and kiss her furry head.

  “Thank you for rescuing me,” I whisper.

  I didn’t rescue her all those years ago … she rescued me. She gave me a reason to love, and was always someone to come home to. Now I have no one.

  “Mia?” My brother lightly taps on my bedroom door before he comes in.

  He insisted on staying overnight to make sure I was okay. The moment he sees me, he knows what’s happened. He stops still and his shoulders drop, his eyes soften and he sighs.

  “She’s gone,” I whimper.

  He nods and comes over to the bed. He leans over and pats her head gently.

  “Goodbye, Flossy, old mate.” He smiles, “You’re gonna be okay, Mia … It’s all over now.”

  “Am I? Am I going to be okay?”

  “Sure you are. You have a full debriefing at the agency in an hour. Here, let me take Flossy.”

  I close my eyes and let Simon take Flossy away. I don’t want to know where she’s going.

  The elevator doors open to the agency reception. I blow out a long breath. I don’t know what to expect, but I know it’s not going to be good. I disobeyed a direct order not to shoot, and despite it being necessary, I still don’t know what my punishment is going to be.

  The girl at the reception desk dips her head as we pass. I look up at Simon and frown.

  The heavy mahogany door automatically swings open in front of us. A male agent in a dark suit stops, and then turns towards us as we walk in. I close my eyes. Great. This is going to be shit.

  I hear the agent start clapping. My eyes spring open and two others stop what they are doing at a white board, and start applauding me. As Simon and I walk through the agency hall, everyone stops and starts to applaud. I smile and look at Simon. He’s smiling too, and bows his head in a gesture of thanks. Okay, so maybe I’m not in so much trouble?

  We get to the boss’s door and Simon gives me a quick wink before we go in. I chuckle. Simon reminds me again of Nick.

  The boss is already making his way towards the door, probably to check the commotion in the hallway. His eyes catch mine as I enter, he smiles greets me with an outstretched hand to shake. He never wants to shake hands.

  “Congratulations, Agents Thyme and Thyme. You have managed to uncover The Principal’s operation within Russia and we have taken down the main players involved. There were twenty-four emaciated and very scared young girls who are now being fed, and prepared to go home to their families. The authorities in Russia have been notified of the discovery and they are tying up the loose ends on their end. Take a seat, please.”

  I sit down as directed. I should feel elated that all I’ve worked for is complete, but I don’t. Instead, I feel so hollow inside. What do I even do with myself now? I thought the end to this operation would bring with it a feeling of freedom, but I all I feel is emptiness.

  “You’ve done it, Mia.” Simon smiles.

  “We’ve done it.” I turn my gaze to the boss. “I couldn’t have done it without Agent Donohue or my brother, Agent Thyme.” I shoot a glance at my brother. “What about the people I shot?”

  “The critical incident board have gone over all the details. All persons shot were armed. You’re in the clear, Mia.”

  Just like that. I’m cleared.

  “Where to now?” the boss asks.

  “Anywhere. I’ve lost too much in Sydney to stay here.”

  “Very well.” The boss nods. He pulls out a large yellow envelope. “In here is everything you need to get on with your life. You have upheld your part of the agreement, and now I must too.”

  I take the envelope and open it. There is a stack of passports, bankcards and driver’s licences for varying countries in different names. I look up at the commander of the OCT-U agency and smile.

  “Thank you, sir.”

  “It was a pleasure working with you, Thyme.”

  The wind howls past my ears up on the cliff top. I stand next to Simon on the fenced edge of The Gap, a tall cliff-face bluff at Watson’s Bay. The ocean violently crashes against the rocks below, but it looks majestic and peaceful. I look over at Simon and nod.

  “Are you ready?” He smiles.

  I nod again and open the urn with Flossy’s ashes. At the same time, Simon opens the one containing what’s left of our mother and he slowly tips it. The wispy grey dust inside is quickly picked up by a gust of wind and carried out into the endless sky over the rolling ocean. The particles of Flossy join the windswept dance and discolour the sky where she flies. The dust becomes harder to see as it spreads further and further apart over the ocean. And just like that, they’re gone forever.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  “Are you sure you won’t come with me now?” I say to a tearful Charlie as we stand at the gates to the international airport.

  “I’ll come the moment you’ve decided where you’re settling in. Plus, I’ve got to organise a wedding.” He winks.

  I beam brightly at Simon and Liz as they stand arm in arm.

  “There’s not much to organise. We’re getting married on the Amalfi Coast with two people present.” Liz laughs.

  “Oh, don’t burst my bubble, Liz. You don’t know Italy like I do. There’s plenty to organise,” Charlie teases.

  I hold my brother tight. “I’m going to miss you so much.” The tears roll down my cheeks.

  “We’ll see you in a few months at our wedding.” He sniffs.

  “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” I look around at all three of them and pick my backpack up, swinging it over my shoulder.

  “As if you fit all your couture in there. That barely covers your shoes.”

  I shake my head. “I don’t need it anymore. Labels mean nothing where I’m going.”

  The overhead sound system calls out for a Miss Sally Smythe to make her way to gate number eleven for immediate departure.

  “That’s me. Better go.” I hug them all one more time. “I love you all so much.”

  “Love you, sis.”

  “Love you, Mia.”

  “Who you kidding? I’d turn for you, I love you that much.” Charlie adds the final giggle.

  I race through the gates and wave frantically as I disappear from my family left behind.

  I blow out a breath of air as the plane lifts off the ground. I look down and Australia becomes a sea of tiny lights. I don’t know when I’ll see my country again, if ever.

  “Can I get you something to drink, ma’am?” the stewardess asks.

  “Pina colada?” I joke.

  “I’ll see what I can organise.” She winks.

  First class has its perks. I settle back into the huge armchair and open up Great Expectations. I read the first three sentences. I could close the book and continue reading it verbatim. There are parallels I can draw from the words, but the book is not about me anymore. I need to write my own story now, and live my own life.

  I am fr
ee. I can be anyone, and go anywhere I want. Tench is gone, and I can move on from it all.

  I search through my Louis Vuitton make-up bag and find the letter I was given before I left. I was told to open it when I was ready, and right now I’m not ready. Next to it is the Shadow of Love necklace and matching ring. I know some investors in Europe who will pay a pretty dollar for the set. Along with the millions I have accumulated in bank accounts around the world, I will be set-up enough that I never have to worry about money ever again. I can taste my freedom now.

  I change out of my first-class pyjamas and wait anxiously for the plane to land. I had to visit Ibiza first. I’ve wanted to come here for a long time. Nick and I fictitiously met here as our cover with Charlie, so in some ways I feel closer to him by coming to the island. We land with a swift bump and I prepare to get off the plane. I have no baggage checked in so I swing the last of what I have over my shoulder and slide my Ray-Ban aviators over my eyes to shield them from the Mediterranean sun.

  The moment I step off the plane, I know I was meant to be here. The warmth in the air feels welcoming, and I stand for a moment and tilt my head to the light blue sky and thank the universe for allowing me to get through it all.

  I close my eyes and listen to the tourists finding taxis, the kids laughing and the people screaming in delight at seeing one another again. This is what life is about.

  “Do you need a lift, Miss?”

  I can’t breathe. My heart wants to bounce out of my chest. I don’t want to open my eyes. I shake my head and shake his voice from my delusional mind …

  I listen again. It’s gone. I peek out of one eye and snap it shut.

  It looks like him. It can’t be. I saw him dead. I felt him. I kissed him. He was dead.

  My eyes spring open. Nick leans against an old Porsche convertible from the sixties that looks like it’s seen better days. His skin looks darker and his hair looks lighter, but his eyes are just as piercing.