by Storm Chase
“Yes. We’ll work out details later but essentially it’s business as usual,” Pandora replied.
“Hardly!” David protested with a big grin. “We’re the white hats!”
Pandora looked David over carefully. The look of harassment had disappeared and he looked rather pleased. She suspected that he was thinking that gaining Xavier’s services without having to deal with him was really the best deal he could make.
“He’ll be much more productive in his own environment,” David murmured to himself.
Pandora grinned at having her thoughts confirmed so easily. David would be easy to deal with, she decided. “You know, David, I do want one thing more,” she said.
David’s look of contentment vanished and he looked wary. “What?”
“I need to learn to cook,” Pandora confessed. “I’m fed up with foreign food. I want to learn to make decent fish and chips, steak and kidney pudding and pork pie.”
David laughed. “I’ll get Linda, my wife, to teach you. And if that doesn’t work, we’ll fill up your deep freeze for you, free of charge.”
“Then we have a deal,” Pandora said.
“Great! I’ll report that we’re good to go.”
Seeing David take out his phone and turn away, Xavier took Pandora’s hand. “Is it really okay?” he asked softly. He put his mouth to her ear, “Because if it’s not, I’ve got a back-up plan. It’s not great but I can redirect this plane and -”
Pandora kissed his ear and gave him a quick hug. “I think we’re going to be fine,” she whispered. “But will you be happy working for them?”
Xavier shrugged. “It’s the same work - white hats or black, it makes no difference to me.”
Pandora reflected that she would have been horrified at this statement a year ago but now she just grinned. She looked back at Mac and his men, and then at David. They were tough and efficient but for the first time since she’d been drugged in Sir Harry’s office she felt as if she was among her own people again. The nightmarish world of evil of violence that she had lived in for so long began to recede. Here, perhaps, were friends. At the thought, Pandora’s heart lightened.
David finished his call and turned to her with a smile. “All right. We’ve got a deal.”
“Just like that?” Pandora asked suspiciously.
“You’ve already given us the rest of the Committee so now we don’t have to spend resources tracking them down. It’s what Sig predicted but the rest of us didn’t think you’d be so generous.” David was grinning. “We’re looking forward to a long and lucrative alliance.”
Pandora hesitated and then decided it was time. “If you’re still offering, I’ll have that coffee now, please. Two sugars and a splash of milk.”
Epilogue
Sig squealed and grabbed at Mary, pulling her shrieking into the water. The two of them splashed about, and then began flipping water at Huan who was sitting under an umbrella.
Huan hastily backed away. “Hey, watch it! Don’t you dare trash my Tab!”
“Come into the water!” Sig yelled. “Get some colour on those lilywhite limbs, Huan!”
“Yeah, come on!” Fazim, Wang and Suria, the Herd’s chemistry, biology and virology geniuses, popped up at the lake’s edge, adding to the chorus but Huan was adamant he wasn’t going in.
Pandora looked on and laughed. After years of living in an air-conditioned bunker, Huan still loathed the sun, wind and rain equally. He was only outside because the Nerd Herd insisted on having a picnic lunch in honour of Xavier and Pandora’s visit and the attraction of talking pure maths, logic and computing with the whole group was an irresistible lure.
Xavier climbed out of the water, flicked some droplets at Huan and sat down next to Pandora. “I saw you grin,” he said. “Good news?”
Pandora showed him her phone. “Paco has found us a place in Austria for the winter. It’s in St Anton so you’ll get in plenty of skiing, and there are three spare rooms in case the Nerd Herd want to come and visit.”
“Terrific.” Xavier patted Pandora’s bulging stomach gently. “What about medical care?”
Pandora rolled her eyes. “Xav, Paco has already mapped out hospitals, doctors and midwives. He’s sent me their CVs for goodness sake! Anyone would think he’s the one having this baby. In addition, David has sicked me with a weekly medical ever since he found out I’m pregnant, and the Herd are all over me 24/7, checking to make sure I’m okay. Even Huan’s offering reflexology foot massages!”
Xavier was laughing. “Isn’t that what family are for?”
Pandora watched the Herd redouble their efforts to get Huan into the water. He wasn’t having any of it, but his lean, narrow face was lit with laughter.
“I guess it is,” Pandora sighed happily.
If you enjoyed this book, please leave a rating, a review or better still, recommend it to your friends. Thanks! Storm Chase