on the gravel path, both coughing violently as the clouds of black smoke escaped from the broken basement window. Brandon got up and threw her his phone.
‘Phone the fire Brigade,’ he said.
‘Who’s that?’ she said sombrely, staring at the prone body of a man lying on the gravel.
‘That’s our attacker.’
‘You killed him!’
‘I had to,’ he said simply, ‘It was him or us. You phone the fire brigade, I’m going to find Agnes.’
India watched him disappear into the darkness before returning her gaze to the dead man.
----
Ten minutes later Brandon returned with Agnes. She was wrapped in her housecoat and carried her dog under one arm.
‘Agnes, thank God your okay,’ said India.
‘The rest of the house is unaffected,’ said Brandon, ‘It seems it was a Molotov thrown through the kitchen window.’
‘Molotov?’
‘Petrol bomb,’ he explained, ‘As long as the fire brigade are on the way we should be able to save the building. Kitchen and study have probably had it but the walls are solid stone and over three feet thick.’
‘What about him?’ she said pointing at the body.
‘He’ll be dealt with,’ he answered, ‘There are people on the way.’
‘What people?’
‘Enough talking,’ interrupted Agnes, ‘You had better get out of here.’
India shot a look at Brandon.
‘Why?’ she asked.
‘You have to tell her Brandon,’ said Agnes after a pause, ‘She’s part of this now, tell her everything.’
‘Tell me what?’ asked India, her voice rising, ‘For Christ’s sake Brandon what the fuck is going on?’
Brandon grabbed her arm.
‘Okay,’ he said, ‘I admit I haven’t levelled with you India, but it was for your own safety I promise.’
‘Well it hasn’t fucking worked has it?’ she shouted, ‘I’ve never been in so much danger. Just tell me what’s happening.’
‘I will, I promise, but not now, there’s no time. We have to get out of here before the police arrive.’
India crossed her arms in a gesture of defiance.
‘Not until you tell me who you are?’ she said.
‘India!’ he shouted, ‘Come on we have to go.’
She stared at him without moving. Brandon stared back at her, each as stubborn as each other.
‘SAS!’ said Agnes suddenly, breaking the deadlock, His name is Brandon and he is a serving SAS intelligence officer. There, it’s out. Now, both of you get out of here before it’s too late.’
‘Happy now?’ he asked
‘Not really,’ answered India, ‘I still want to know what this is all about.’
‘And you will.’
‘No more secrets.’
‘None, I will tell you everything I know.’
‘When?’
‘On the plane.’
‘What plane, where are we going?’
‘Samothrace,’ he said before adding ‘Wherever that is.’
‘Samothrace, but how? You haven’t had time to get any tickets.
‘Leave that to Agnes, now, let’s get out of here, please!’
India looked between both Brandon and Agnes and took a step forward towards Brandon. Before he could react she slapped him across the face.
‘You lie to me one more time Brandon Walker, or whatever your name is and I will walk away from this and make a beeline for the Sunday tabloids, I swear.’
‘No more lies,’ he confirmed, rubbing his cheek. ‘I will tell you everything on the plane.’
‘Okay then,’ she said eventually, ‘What are we waiting for?’
Agnes threw Brandon the keys to the land rover and watched them race across the drive to the garage.
‘Can you stop in an overnight Tesco’s on the way?’ asked India as soon as they were in the car.
‘Tesco’s?’ he asked as he gunned the engine, ‘Why?’
‘I left my suitcase in that house,’ she said, ‘If you think I am going all the way to the Med in the clothes I am standing in you’ve got another thing coming.’
‘Oh right,’ he said,’ I’m sure we can pick up a little something on the way.’
‘Don’t get cocky Brandon,’ she said, ‘This is just for starters. When we get to the
‘Phone the fire Brigade,’ he said.
‘Who’s that?’ she said sombrely, staring at the prone body of a man lying on the gravel.
‘That’s our attacker.’
‘You killed him!’
‘I had to,’ he said simply, ‘It was him or us. You phone the fire brigade, I’m going to find Agnes.’
India watched him disappear into the darkness before returning her gaze to the dead man.
----
Ten minutes later Brandon returned with Agnes. She was wrapped in her housecoat and carried her dog under one arm.
‘Agnes, thank God your okay,’ said India.
‘The rest of the house is unaffected,’ said Brandon, ‘It seems it was a Molotov thrown through the kitchen window.’
‘Molotov?’
‘Petrol bomb,’ he explained, ‘As long as the fire brigade are on the way we should be able to save the building. Kitchen and study have probably had it but the walls are solid stone and over three feet thick.’
‘What about him?’ she said pointing at the body.
‘He’ll be dealt with,’ he answered, ‘There are people on the way.’
‘What people?’
‘Enough talking,’ interrupted Agnes, ‘You had better get out of here.’
India shot a look at Brandon.
‘Why?’ she asked.
‘You have to tell her Brandon,’ said Agnes after a pause, ‘She’s part of this now, tell her everything.’
‘Tell me what?’ asked India, her voice rising, ‘For Christ’s sake Brandon what the fuck is going on?’
Brandon grabbed her arm.
‘Okay,’ he said, ‘I admit I haven’t levelled with you India, but it was for your own safety I promise.’
‘Well it hasn’t fucking worked has it?’ she shouted, ‘I’ve never been in so much danger. Just tell me what’s happening.’
‘I will, I promise, but not now, there’s no time. We have to get out of here before the police arrive.’
India crossed her arms in a gesture of defiance.
‘Not until you tell me who you are?’ she said.
‘India!’ he shouted, ‘Come on we have to go.’
She stared at him without moving. Brandon stared back at her, each as stubborn as each other.
‘SAS!’ said Agnes suddenly, breaking the deadlock, His name is Brandon and he is a serving SAS intelligence officer. There, it’s out. Now, both of you get out of here before it’s too late.’
‘Happy now?’ he asked
‘Not really,’ answered India, ‘I still want to know what this is all about.’
‘And you will.’
‘No more secrets.’
‘None, I will tell you everything I know.’
‘When?’
‘On the plane.’
‘What plane, where are we going?’
‘Samothrace,’ he said before adding ‘Wherever that is.’
‘Samothrace, but how? You haven’t had time to get any tickets.
‘Leave that to Agnes, now, let’s get out of here, please!’
India looked between both Brandon and Agnes and took a step forward towards Brandon. Before he could react she slapped him across the face.
‘You lie to me one more time Brandon Walker, or whatever your name is and I will walk away from this and make a beeline for the Sunday tabloids, I swear.’
‘No more lies,’ he confirmed, rubbing his cheek. ‘I will tell you everything on the plane.’
‘Okay then,’ she said eventually, ‘What are we waiting for?’
Agnes threw Brandon the keys to the land rover and watched them race across the drive to the garage.
‘Can you stop in an overnight Tesco’s on the way?’ asked India as soon as they were in the car.
‘Tesco’s?’ he asked as he gunned the engine, ‘Why?’
‘I left my suitcase in that house,’ she said, ‘If you think I am going all the way to the Med in the clothes I am standing in you’ve got another thing coming.’
‘Oh right,’ he said,’ I’m sure we can pick up a little something on the way.’
‘Don’t get cocky Brandon,’ she said, ‘This is just for starters. When we get to the
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