time I set eyes on you, when I thought all you could see was Katie Levinson in that stupid tarty skirt.”
He laughed—couldn’t help himself. “Sweetheart, I didn’t even see that skirt!”
“So you say!” They were both laughing now, and crying, all at once. She loved him so much, and this was goodbye.
He was pressing a datapin into her hand. “Here’s the address,” he said. “It’s not far, but—”
“We’ll need to take the long way round.”
He leaned back to look at her. “Ah,” he said. “I see.” He gave her a rueful smile. “I shouldn’t forget how smart you are.”
“When it comes to you and that little girl, I know everything.”
He tapped the datapin she was holding. “There’s more than an address on there, Maria. There’s an explanation. That datapin. It explains everything. I can’t tell you... And please, don’t look, don’t look...” He shook his head. “Someone will contact you, I’m sure about that. They’ll want what’s on the datapin. When they get close, it’ll give you a signal. You’ll know they’re close, and you’ll be able to trust them.” He folded her hand around it. “Keep it safe, sweetheart. It’s cost me...”
...everything. “I promise,” Maria said. “I’ll keep it safe.”
“You’re not going to ask any questions?”
She kissed him, full on the mouth. “I trust you, love. With my life.”
In a halting voice, he said, “I know where the place is, if things go well here...”
She shushed him. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep. We’ll stay as long as we dare, and then we’ll move on.”
“You can’t go home, Maria.” He had started to cry—noiselessly, tears slipping down his face. “You can’t go back.”
“We’ll make do. We’ll cope. Haven’t I always made a home for us, wherever we’ve been sent?”
He pressed her hand. “On the datapin. There’s a number you can contact. But only if things get really desperate. I’ve called in so many favours to get us this far...”
She kissed him gently on the cheek and then turned to Jenny. “Hey, sweetheart! Daddy needs to get some sleep. Let’s go for a walk!”
It was a measure of how bored the little girl must be that she was off the bed in a trice, grabbing her mother’s hand and pulling her towards the door. But it broke Maria’s heart all over again. Kit started to say, “I’ll come and find you—” but she stopped him before he could finish with a finger on her lips. She grabbed one of their still-packed bags, and was out of the door in no time. She looked up and down the long corridor, but there was nobody to be seen. She put the datapin into the handheld, and a series of directions began to unfold. She tugged at the strap of the bag until it was comfortable on her shoulder, then turned Jenny round to face the right way. “Come on, sweetheart. Let’s see what we can find.”
She led her daughter away into the unknown, and she kept a brave face on all the time while the little girl laughed to see all the new strange things in the strange new world crowing all around them. Goodbye, Kit. I love you. I’ll love you for as long as I live, and I’ll never let Jenny forget you.
W ALKER ABANDONED HER reading on her handheld and stretched in her sling. Failt, who had been sitting on the floor next to her, as close as he could get, shifted to accommodate her. She looked down at him, curled up on the floor, staring at Yershov. Yershov was slumped in his sling, eyes closed, drumming his fingers against his chest and muttering profanities under his breath. After Failt had been brought up from the hold, there had been a short but very thorough and professional search of the flight deck and Yershov’s cabin. The alcohol was now under lock and key, as were Yershov’s painkillers, subject to Walker’s control and administration. Yershov shifted slightly, and Failt gave a low growl. Then there were three, thought Walker. And a happy little band they
He laughed—couldn’t help himself. “Sweetheart, I didn’t even see that skirt!”
“So you say!” They were both laughing now, and crying, all at once. She loved him so much, and this was goodbye.
He was pressing a datapin into her hand. “Here’s the address,” he said. “It’s not far, but—”
“We’ll need to take the long way round.”
He leaned back to look at her. “Ah,” he said. “I see.” He gave her a rueful smile. “I shouldn’t forget how smart you are.”
“When it comes to you and that little girl, I know everything.”
He tapped the datapin she was holding. “There’s more than an address on there, Maria. There’s an explanation. That datapin. It explains everything. I can’t tell you... And please, don’t look, don’t look...” He shook his head. “Someone will contact you, I’m sure about that. They’ll want what’s on the datapin. When they get close, it’ll give you a signal. You’ll know they’re close, and you’ll be able to trust them.” He folded her hand around it. “Keep it safe, sweetheart. It’s cost me...”
...everything. “I promise,” Maria said. “I’ll keep it safe.”
“You’re not going to ask any questions?”
She kissed him, full on the mouth. “I trust you, love. With my life.”
In a halting voice, he said, “I know where the place is, if things go well here...”
She shushed him. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep. We’ll stay as long as we dare, and then we’ll move on.”
“You can’t go home, Maria.” He had started to cry—noiselessly, tears slipping down his face. “You can’t go back.”
“We’ll make do. We’ll cope. Haven’t I always made a home for us, wherever we’ve been sent?”
He pressed her hand. “On the datapin. There’s a number you can contact. But only if things get really desperate. I’ve called in so many favours to get us this far...”
She kissed him gently on the cheek and then turned to Jenny. “Hey, sweetheart! Daddy needs to get some sleep. Let’s go for a walk!”
It was a measure of how bored the little girl must be that she was off the bed in a trice, grabbing her mother’s hand and pulling her towards the door. But it broke Maria’s heart all over again. Kit started to say, “I’ll come and find you—” but she stopped him before he could finish with a finger on her lips. She grabbed one of their still-packed bags, and was out of the door in no time. She looked up and down the long corridor, but there was nobody to be seen. She put the datapin into the handheld, and a series of directions began to unfold. She tugged at the strap of the bag until it was comfortable on her shoulder, then turned Jenny round to face the right way. “Come on, sweetheart. Let’s see what we can find.”
She led her daughter away into the unknown, and she kept a brave face on all the time while the little girl laughed to see all the new strange things in the strange new world crowing all around them. Goodbye, Kit. I love you. I’ll love you for as long as I live, and I’ll never let Jenny forget you.
W ALKER ABANDONED HER reading on her handheld and stretched in her sling. Failt, who had been sitting on the floor next to her, as close as he could get, shifted to accommodate her. She looked down at him, curled up on the floor, staring at Yershov. Yershov was slumped in his sling, eyes closed, drumming his fingers against his chest and muttering profanities under his breath. After Failt had been brought up from the hold, there had been a short but very thorough and professional search of the flight deck and Yershov’s cabin. The alcohol was now under lock and key, as were Yershov’s painkillers, subject to Walker’s control and administration. Yershov shifted slightly, and Failt gave a low growl. Then there were three, thought Walker. And a happy little band they
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