CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE
By eleven o’clock, the hotel bar was nearly empty and Mary was nodding off at the table. With a mixture of alcohol and emotional trauma, she felt exhausted enough to return to her room and sleep the next several hours away. Tomorrow, she would head back to London, before returning to New Zealand and her career.
It was absurd to mourn something of such little substance. It wasn’t as if a stable relationship had ended. What she had shared with Dylan Tyler was more of a dysfunctional interdependence, based on carnal desires and ambition. She didn’t need that anymore, or him for that matter.
Only two nights before, she had stood before the heads of Intelligence from four other nations and delivered a speech on the absolute necessity of mass data collection, to counteract terrorist threats. Her peers had competed for her attention. They had been awed by her knowledge of satellite and communication technology. How dare he discard her as if she was no-one.
She just didn’t understand why all other men seemed to pale in comparison to him. What was it about Dylan that stripped her of all her strengths and bared her soul? And why on earth did Tammy bother her so much?
It was impossible to hate her, knowing what she had been through. It was doing her head in. Tammy needed to be shown that she could overcome her past and live a normal, healthy life. That’s what made women strong, being the conquerors instead of the victims. That was never going to happen by staying with Dylan.
Why would any self-respecting woman want to be treated like a child? Tammy needed to wake up to herself, act her age and face her responsibilities, like everyone else in the world. So what, if she had never felt love in her childhood. That was the reality for millions of women around the world, many who then went on to spend their whole lives with abusive men, though it didn’t have to be like that. Why should Tammy be any different? With the right counselling, she could lead a normal life, and the people who had mistreated her could face their crimes.
“We all have to face up to our crimes, sooner or later.” She sat up, realising that she had spoken out loud. Looking around, there was no-one to hear her, but the receptionist from the front desk was approaching her.
“Miss Whittaker, I just got a call from a man who wouldn’t give his name. He said that if you wanted to talk, he will be at the Pont Neuf in the next half hour. That’s a bridge…”
“I know what the Pont Neuf is,” Mary interrupted, already getting up. “That’s wonderful. Thank you.”
“Would you like me to get you a taxi?”
“No, it’s not that far. I’ll walk, but thank you.”
Mary hurried out into the night, feeling overwhelmed and unprepared for what she was about to do. Summer had begun early and the air was still warm, refreshing her from the effects of the alcohol. Even in this foreign city, it reminded her of that night, seeing Master for the first time. She had never felt more alive.
As was her habit, Mary began to voice her thoughts aloud, imagining Dylan walking beside her. “I’m doing this for your own good. We all have to face up to our crimes, and I was right to do what I did, because that’s what needed to done, just as this needs to be done. Everything has to be made right.”
She stopped and her face grew angry. “You didn’t even let me talk. If you had, you might have wanted to know we’ve got a Russian sleeper agent trying to infiltrate our government and he used Tammy to do that. Well, I know someone who wants to know, and tonight my debt will finally be paid.”
Laughter pulled her from her thoughts. She looked about to see a group of young girls passing by her, looking at her and giggling. They were all young and pretty, dressed to the nines for the nightlife. They were talking in French, but she knew what they were saying. She walked on, and her thoughts continued silently. I had to make it right, and yes, Tammy will suffer but why should she always be with you? Why couldn’t it have been me?
“Mary.”
She was startled hearing her name called from the bridge and she hurried on, not realising she had come this far. Wiping at some tears, she smiled at the man approaching and glaring at her.
“I’m so glad you decided to come after all. I know you said you didn’t want to talk to me, but you’ll want to hear what I have to say. I know now how I can make it right.”