Out of the Shadows (Akira and Deane Thriller Series Book 1) by Tim Jopling Page B

Olsen, who looked away and
walked down a path which would lead to Al Khuwair
Street.
    At the bottom
of the side road, Olsen took a long look at the surrounding area.
Not far in the distance, the UK Embassy could be seen, its Union
Jack flag flying proudly in the distance. The US Embassy, Oman
museum and a hotel could also be seen in the same street. Olsen
looked to his left and eyed up several cramped looking flats built
closely together. A glimmer of sunlight caught his attention from
the roof of the third flat along. With a deep breath, he approached
it and walked through the empty front door, placing his bag on a
chair near the stairs. At the top of the stairwell, he climbed a
ladder and stepped onto the roof of the dusty looking flat. Olsen
could feel his hands shaking, together with his heart beating
rapidly as he saw who was ahead of him.
    Near the roof’s
edge, 42-year-old Thomas Deane was knelt down and scanning the area
near the UK Embassy. Deane was tanned, slightly taller than Olsen
and with a far more muscular build. His black hair, with a tinge of
grey at the temples, rustled in the gentle wind, his cream coloured
shirt showing no signs of perspiration. He continued to look
through the binoculars without giving any indication of his
partner’s presence. ‘I was wondering when you’d get
here.’
    Olsen wiped the sweat from his
brow and sighed as quietly as he could. ‘Is that all you have to
say to me?’
    Deane continued looking through
the binoculars and said nothing.
    Olsen could
feel the vibe from his partner and knew him so well. It was obvious
he didn’t want to talk, but then Deane never wanted to talk about
anything other than work. He was a driven man, almost obsessed. ‘I
read everything there is to know about Operation ESPY. I know the
truth.’
    Deane finally lowered the
binoculars and turned around. His dark blue eyes inspected his
partner of eight years carefully. ‘It must be obvious then, as to
why we never told you.’
    Olsen had
expected his temper to be boiling away but instead just felt
vulnerable and let down. ‘Who’s we?’
    ‘Your mother
and I discussed it and, with you showing an interest in joining
MI6, we felt it best to tell you our version of the truth.’ Deane
stepped closer and put more emphasis on his words. ‘I wanted you to
work with me in the future and if you had known I’d been with your
father, you would never have let that happen. You shouldn’t blame
your mother over this, it was my suggestion.’
    Olsen stepped
back and raised his hands, feeling the full brunt of his emotions
for the first time. ‘Do you have any idea what it felt like to read
that operation file? To find out the truth that way? You should
have trusted me!’
    Deane lowered his gaze for only
a moment but then made eye contact again. ‘I won’t disagree. I
should have told you, but the longer we worked together, the harder
it became. I never wanted you to find out like that. Never. Our
relationship has never been like others, we don’t always need
words.’
    Olsen raised
his eyes to the sky as he snapped back. ‘Your excuse, not
mine.’
    An awkward silence lingered
between them for several seconds until Deane spoke again. ‘This is
hard for both of us. We still have a job to do. The British Royal
party will be leaving the Sultan’s palace soon. Get yourself ready.
The visit to the harbour in Matrah will be within the hour. We’ll
both be accompanying them.’ He gave the binoculars to his partner
and climbed down the ladder to the flat below.
    Olsen shook his
head and realised for the first time how hopeless his mentor was
when it came to anything personal. With a casual air, he looked
through the binoculars and surveyed the surrounding area. As he
heard his partner climb down the ladder behind him, Olsen studied
the UK Embassy, the nearby market, and the beautiful sky above. He
was just about to look away when he caught sight of a road name.
Olsen’s heart sank when he saw which one