his agony. Sometimes, when
she remembers what a smug, smarmy bastard he
was, she wishes he could have just a little part of
his memory back. But hey, you couldn't win them
all, and her clear thinking had got her a better
job.
I don't need any more than this, Jack,' she
squeezes his knee. I really don't.' He leans forward
and kisses her gently on the cheek. 'One day you
will, Suzie Costello. One day we all need something
more than this.'
He sounds so sad and she wonders if he's as
damaged as she is underneath all that easy charm
and the bright smile. She almost asks, and then
decides against it.
'Shall we go back to work?' she says. I'm sure I
can smell Weevil.'
He laughs suddenly and she can't help but join
in. She loves this. She really does.
Logged out of Commander Jackson's computer, Suzie sat back in her chair, surprised to find how much she was trembling. They hadn't cared about her. They'd bloody killed her. How could reading about them have affected her so much? It was a good thing that they were all gone. Torchwood on her tail was something she really didn't need; she had a history of coming off badly against her erstwhile colleagues. Still, she thought, taking a deep breath and steadying her nerves, sometimes you couldn't fight the memories - the good as well as the bad. Gunshots echoed in her memory. Her shooting Jack. Jack shooting her. Her shooting herself. She could safely say that things hadn't ended well for her and Torchwood - they'd turned out to be a family that hated her as much as her own one had.
She smiled. She'd had the last laugh with her father and she was having it again with Torchwood.
Jack and Gwen were on the run and the others were dead and here was she, once again back from the dead. She checked her watch. The Commander would be back at any moment and she needed some fresh air. Time to have a little dig around for any new files on herself - she'd destroyed all the early ones but there was bound to be a new one with basic information after her last visit - and then to fetch lunch like a good little girl.
Chapter Eighteen
'Both hairs come from the same person,' Cutler said, trying to keep his focus on Commander Jackson rather than his gorgeous new assistant.
And she was gorgeous, there was no denying that.
She had eyes you could drown in and they were focused on him. Was it his imagination or did she feel the same sudden rush of chemistry that he did?
'So, you've found the killer?'
'Not exactly.' Cutler shook his head, turning his attention back to her boss. 'You may have to do that. When our forensics people ran the DNA through the system all they got back was that the result was classified. Even the commissioner couldn't get a result when he tried this morning.
Whoever this is, it looks more like one of yours than a civilian.'
'Well, that would fit in with the missing suit,'
the woman cut in. She was well spoken with no hint of an obvious accent. She smiled and Cutler was sure there was a slight tease in it. 'To be honest, did you expect anything different? I'm sure ever since the Department declared an interest, you've been pretty sure that any evidence would lead you here.' She held out a slim hand. 'I'm Sue Costa, by the way. The Commander's new liaison. I look somewhat less obvious than a soldier, we hope.'
'Tom Cutler. And yes, you do.' Somewhere in the background noise, Cutler was aware that the Commander was apologising for not introducing them and saying something about not being used to having an assistant that wasn't an invisible corporal or squaddie, but he wasn't listening. Sue Costa's hand was smooth and her skin cool, and it looked like if he licked it, she would taste of honey made from some exotic pollen. His heart thumped as they looked at each other. There was something about, her - something that drew him in, just-like the site drew him in. Something scratched momentarily against the inside of his skull, something dark and troubling. She squeezed
she remembers what a smug, smarmy bastard he
was, she wishes he could have just a little part of
his memory back. But hey, you couldn't win them
all, and her clear thinking had got her a better
job.
I don't need any more than this, Jack,' she
squeezes his knee. I really don't.' He leans forward
and kisses her gently on the cheek. 'One day you
will, Suzie Costello. One day we all need something
more than this.'
He sounds so sad and she wonders if he's as
damaged as she is underneath all that easy charm
and the bright smile. She almost asks, and then
decides against it.
'Shall we go back to work?' she says. I'm sure I
can smell Weevil.'
He laughs suddenly and she can't help but join
in. She loves this. She really does.
Logged out of Commander Jackson's computer, Suzie sat back in her chair, surprised to find how much she was trembling. They hadn't cared about her. They'd bloody killed her. How could reading about them have affected her so much? It was a good thing that they were all gone. Torchwood on her tail was something she really didn't need; she had a history of coming off badly against her erstwhile colleagues. Still, she thought, taking a deep breath and steadying her nerves, sometimes you couldn't fight the memories - the good as well as the bad. Gunshots echoed in her memory. Her shooting Jack. Jack shooting her. Her shooting herself. She could safely say that things hadn't ended well for her and Torchwood - they'd turned out to be a family that hated her as much as her own one had.
She smiled. She'd had the last laugh with her father and she was having it again with Torchwood.
Jack and Gwen were on the run and the others were dead and here was she, once again back from the dead. She checked her watch. The Commander would be back at any moment and she needed some fresh air. Time to have a little dig around for any new files on herself - she'd destroyed all the early ones but there was bound to be a new one with basic information after her last visit - and then to fetch lunch like a good little girl.
Chapter Eighteen
'Both hairs come from the same person,' Cutler said, trying to keep his focus on Commander Jackson rather than his gorgeous new assistant.
And she was gorgeous, there was no denying that.
She had eyes you could drown in and they were focused on him. Was it his imagination or did she feel the same sudden rush of chemistry that he did?
'So, you've found the killer?'
'Not exactly.' Cutler shook his head, turning his attention back to her boss. 'You may have to do that. When our forensics people ran the DNA through the system all they got back was that the result was classified. Even the commissioner couldn't get a result when he tried this morning.
Whoever this is, it looks more like one of yours than a civilian.'
'Well, that would fit in with the missing suit,'
the woman cut in. She was well spoken with no hint of an obvious accent. She smiled and Cutler was sure there was a slight tease in it. 'To be honest, did you expect anything different? I'm sure ever since the Department declared an interest, you've been pretty sure that any evidence would lead you here.' She held out a slim hand. 'I'm Sue Costa, by the way. The Commander's new liaison. I look somewhat less obvious than a soldier, we hope.'
'Tom Cutler. And yes, you do.' Somewhere in the background noise, Cutler was aware that the Commander was apologising for not introducing them and saying something about not being used to having an assistant that wasn't an invisible corporal or squaddie, but he wasn't listening. Sue Costa's hand was smooth and her skin cool, and it looked like if he licked it, she would taste of honey made from some exotic pollen. His heart thumped as they looked at each other. There was something about, her - something that drew him in, just-like the site drew him in. Something scratched momentarily against the inside of his skull, something dark and troubling. She squeezed
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