Chapter 21

Bill looked at his watch. ‘She’s late,’ he said.

He and Laura were sitting together on the black leather sofa at Bill’s Nottingham-based apartment. It was the first time he’d invited Laura to his home—his and Isla’s home—and he watched her closely as she looked around her, discreetly trying to figure him out. The apartment was more Isla than him, from the miniature chandeliers over the dining table to the replica oil paintings that hung on the wall next to the crimson-velvet chairs. Bill had been happy to let Isla decorate the place the way she’d wanted to. He found it strange to have someone sitting beside him there; he idly wondered what Isla would have made of him bringing a female colleague into their home.

‘She’ll call. You’ve no patience, Bill,’ Laura said.

Bill shrugged. ‘What did you do with your second chip?’ he asked, keeping his eyes trained on the Light Box.

‘I put it somewhere safe.’

‘Yeah, but where?’

Laura’s silence piqued Bill’s curiosity. He glanced at her sideways; she looked uncomfortable. ‘Oh, come on—spit it out,’ he said.

‘I’d rather not. You’ll only laugh at me.’

Bill coughed and tried to look serious. ‘I promise I won’t.’

‘Remember I told you about my mother’s cat Princess?’

‘The big fat Persian thing?’ He turned to look at her, trying to keep a straight face.

Laura became flustered. ‘I was under pressure. I couldn’t think of anywhere else to put it.’

Bill’s shoulders began to shake, but he couldn’t contain his laughter for long and it came out in snorts.

‘Well, I didn’t hear any suggestions from you!’ Laura said defensively.

Bill wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. ‘I haven’t laughed this hard since … I don’t know when.’

‘It’ll work just fine,’ she said with more assurance.

‘I’m picturing their faces when they clock you jumping across roof tops, and hanging around the back of restaurants looking for scraps.’ Bill couldn’t stop smiling.

‘Well, maybe it won’t make any difference—according to you, they already know what we’re really up to.’ Laura sat back in the sofa.

Bill’s smile faded. ‘I’m only guessing—it’s a fair assumption that they do. There’s still time to put the chip somewhere else, if you want.’

Laura shook her head. ‘Let’s keep this simple. Everything else is too complicated right now.’

A silence lingered between them before Bill spoke again. ‘How did the cat respond when you violated her?’ He was smiling again.

Laura scowled briefly at him. ‘No different to when I put her gel mask on before she goes outside. She scratched my arm to bits when I made the incision, and did her best to avoid me when I checked on her this morning. She won’t trust me again any time soon, but I got the job done.’

‘Where’s the cat now?

‘Sprawled across Fionnuala’s bed and not likely to move unless the food runs out.’

Bill nodded.

‘Why are you asking?’

‘No reason. Just killing time I guess.’ He turned his attention back to the Light Box in front of them. ‘Bit lazy, is it?’

‘You could say that. They say people pick pets that reflect their personality. In Fionnuala’s case, it’s sloth. Although, if the cat gets a whiff of any type of food out in the corridor, she’s clawing at the front door day and night until I let her out.’

‘Fat, too?—the cat I mean.’

‘Like a sack of stones. You’d put your back out trying to lift her. But she can move quickly enough when she wants to. I followed her once. She sits by the main door and purrs quietly until someone opens it for her. Then she’s gone! Fionnuala loves that cat—got a bit worried when I started cutting her.’

‘Aye, that must have gone down well,’ Bill said. ‘What did you tell her you were doing?’

‘Giving it a vitamin boost. She bought it, even though I’ve never done that to the cat before.’

‘That’s one trusting mother you have.’

‘Not trusting—just not bothered with details,’ said Laura, shrugging. ‘What time did Jenny say she was going to call?’

‘Thirty minutes ago,’ Bill said. He interlocked his fingers and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his legs.

‘Where is she?’

‘I’ve no idea. She just said she had a few things she needed to sort out before we talked properly. Shit! What if she’s changed her mind? I should’ve got her to sign something.’

‘She wouldn’t have signed it, you know that. Jenny’s done with people telling her what to do. Let’s not panic just yet. We still have time.’

Bill stood up and paced up and down in front of the sofa. ‘But there’s no plan without her. We’ll have no chance of getting to Exilon 5, and your time off work will be for nothing.’

‘Come sit beside me, Bill,’ Laura said firmly.

He kept pacing. She patted the seat beside her.

‘I can’t,’ he said.

‘Please. She’ll call when she’s ready. She knows there’s a deadline. We still have time.’

Reluctantly, Bill sat back down and rubbed his eyes. He leaned back into the sofa and crossed one leg over the other; then he uncrossed them again.

‘What’s up with you?’ Laura frowned.

‘Sorry, I can’t help it. I need to be doing something. It’s killing me, just sitting here like this.’

‘Okay then, let’s chat to pass the time.’

Bill raised one eyebrow and looked at her. ‘About what?’

Laura shrugged. ‘I don’t know.’

There was a few moments silence.

‘How’s your mother doing after her fall?’ Bill asked.

‘Fine,’ Laura replied. He waited for her to elaborate. ‘I mean she’s on the mend, I suppose.’

‘You two don’t get on?’

‘We get on fine. It’s just … she’s so dependent on me for everything. Sometimes I don’t have any room to breathe.’

‘People can be like that sometimes. Do you think she’ll ever get a life of her own?’

Laura smiled wryly. ‘Maybe one day, when I finally cut the ties and make her do things for herself. But I think Exilon 5 will be good for her. On Earth, it’s easier for her to stay indoors and never go anywhere.’

‘Do you want some coffee?’ Bill asked. He stood up and walked towards the kitchen.

‘Sure, if you’re having one yourself,’ Laura called after him.

He returned a few minutes later with a couple of steaming mugs. Laura took a sip.

‘Holy crap!’ she yelled, pulling a face. ‘This stuff would strip wallpaper!’

‘Sorry, I like it strong,’ said Bill, taking a large gulp and staring at the Light Box. ‘What do you make of Daphne Gilchrist? She’s your boss, isn’t she?’

Laura put the mug down. ‘What you see is what you get with her. She can be cold, calculating and a little surprising.’

‘Surprising?’

‘Yeah, like when I think she’s going to say “Laura, we know exactly what you’ve been up to”, she smiles and walks on.’

‘Hmmmm.’

While Laura struggled to drink any of her coffee, Bill went back into the kitchen to refill his mug. When he returned, he asked, ‘Do you think Gilchrist was the one watching you through the camera?’

Laura’s eyes narrowed. ‘The thought had crossed my mind, but why would she bother? Normally she takes pleasure in reprimanding people publicly.’

Bill shrugged.

‘You’ve had dealings with her too, haven’t you?’ Laura went on.

‘Well, she was at some debriefings, but only as Deighton’s lackey.’

‘Do you think she’d ever go against Deighton?’

‘I don’t know. She does whatever he asks. I think she’s afraid not to.’

‘I haven’t met him—and I never want to,’ Laura said with conviction.

‘I don’t blame you. I met him once and that was quite enough. Is there any talk about him at ESC?’

‘Just the usual—that he controls the World Government board members, rather than them controlling him. Some who’ve met him have said his emotional reactions are off. Does that make sense?’

Bill nodded. ‘He’s more than just plain old creepy.’ He took several gulps of his coffee and idly tapped his fingernail on the side of the mug.

He noticed Laura nod. ‘That’s what Gilchrist does—taps things with her fingernails.’

‘Does she?’

‘Yeah, when she’s irritated about something.’

‘That’s useful to know.’

He watched Laura pick up her mug of coffee and try another sip. He smiled when her face contorted, as if she was in pain. Her hair was down, tumbling over her shoulders; he liked it when she wore it down. He was surprised by how much he enjoyed her company.

‘You don’t have to finish that, you know,’ he said with a grin.

‘Thank God!’ she said, smirking and slammed the cup down.

Bill started to laugh when suddenly the Light Box sprang into life. The encryption code that he’d given to Jenny flashed up on the screen.

‘It’s her—and about time.’ He connected the call. Jenny’s face came into view. ‘Captain, I was giving up on you.’

‘I needed some time to prepare things at my end,’ Jenny said. ‘Hello, Laura.’

Laura smiled and nodded at her.

‘Before we get down to discussing details, I have one other question for you. I should have asked you when we had dinner the other day, but it didn’t occur to me at the time.’

Bill frowned. ‘Look, Jenny, we don’t have time—’

Laura pinched his leg. ‘Go ahead,’ she butted in.

‘How are you going to get off the planet? Won’t somebody miss you?’

‘We have it covered,’ Bill said.

‘Just tell her about the chips, Bill,’ Laura said, nudging him. ‘We have to trust her.’

Bill shot her an angry look.

‘What chips?’ Jenny said. ‘I’m not doing it unless you tell me. You promised me the truth.’

‘We’re using replicated identity chips to get off Earth,’ Bill reluctantly explained. ‘The Indigene you met gave me some blanks to use if we needed them.’

Jenny rubbed her chin, saying nothing.

‘So can we talk about the details now, Cap—’

‘Not so fast’—she smiled—‘I want to come with you.’

‘I told you already, that’s not possible.’ The last thing he needed was another person to keep an eye on.

‘It’s either that or you find a new pilot. Take it or leave it.’

Laura elbowed Bill. ‘Can’t we give her one of the chips?’ she said quietly. ‘Give her a new identity. We need her.’ Her tone was firm.

Bill’s eyes narrowed. ‘Tell me why you’re so keen to come with us, Captain.’

Jenny let out a long sigh. ‘That man who hijacked my craft all those months ago has haunted me ever since. It’s not fear I feel; it’s pity. His isolation, desolation, was palpable in that cockpit. I could sense his desperation. He was begging for my help and all I did was make it difficult. I’d like the chance to put it right … And I’d like to do what I can to scupper the government and their nasty schemes.’

Bill sighed wearily. ‘You’ll have to come with me to Magadan to get the blank chip uploaded with your new identity, Captain.’

Laura hadn’t thought of that and gave him a sharp look.

‘No problem. When can we leave?’ said Jenny, smiling brightly.

‘Give me twenty-four hours to arrange it,’ Bill said. ‘I’ll call you.’

‘Fantastic! I look forward to working with you both. Oh, and by the way, please call me Jenny.’

She disappeared from the screen, while Bill and Laura slumped back in their seats exhausted.