this is still reality I’m in.
“She’s part of MI37, Arthur,” Felicity says with patience that seems more than a little feigned. “You’re not part of MI6. Your need-to-know is not her need-to-know. If you ever go and join MI6, I’m sure you can find out lots about what they do.”
I shake my head. It throbs back at me. This is reality. It’s just shittier this morning than it usually is.
“All right,” I say, “so you’re an MI6 badass. That about cover it?”
“Well,” Hannah gives me a look that’s as assessing as any I’ve given her. I’m not the only one trying to work out where the land lies. “I’m trained in small arms, rifles, machine guns, a smattering of heavy artillery pieces. I’m proficient in jujitsu, tae kwon do, capoeira, krav maga, and a few other martial arts. I’m also a pretty decent friend to have in a knife fight. I’ve been a field operative in deep cover for three years, and I speak eight languages. Is that enough for you?”
There is a challenge at the end of the sentence. Whether it’s there consciously or not, I’m unsure.
In the end of course, it is impressive. And we do need more hands in the field.
Except…
Except every time we’ve introduced a new element to the mix somebody has died. Often, to be perfectly honest, it’s been Clyde. But others have fallen along the way. And capable though she may be, Hannah Bearings has not seen what we have seen, has not been prepared for what we deal with. There’s throwing someone in at the deep end and there’s tying concrete blocks to their feet and hurling them into the Marianas Trench.
And I could be the person who pays the price for that…
I shut that line of thinking down. I’ve had enough of that. Today is a new day. I hit the reset button. Everything is OK. I shove my hands deep into my pockets.
“Of
course
it’s enough,” Felicity says. “Arthur isn’t challenging you. You’ll just find that this job breeds a certain amount of curiosity.” It’s a smooth recovery.
“Of course,” I manage. “Good to have you on board.”
Hannah Bearings is still weighing me. “Yeah,” she says. “Totally.” Her nod is slight, her smile slighter.
“Now,” Felicity says clapping her hands in a business-like fashion, “I believe Tabitha wanted to talk to us about something she found in the files last night. Arthur, show Hannah to conference room B, would you?”
I hold the door for the newcomer. She slips through. Just as I’m about to follow, Felicity catches my elbow. “That coffee,” she says, “drink it faster.”
CONFERENCE ROOM B
All eyes fall on Hannah as we enter the room. Kayla sits with her back to the white board, feet up on the table, holding a small tub of yogurt, spoon jammed in her mouth. Tabitha and Clyde huddle together at the far end of the table, papers spread out before them, muttering and pointing. They look up, fingers still on the page, tips pressed together.
I buy a second with the last dregs of the coffee then meet the gazes. But Kayla’s mouth is already off and running.
“The feck are you?” she asks Hannah.
“Hannah fucking Bearings,” Hannah replies without missing a beat.
Kayla nods. “All right then.”
I do my best to ignore this preamble. “This is Hannah,” I say to the room, “formerly with MI6 and now a field agent of MI37.” I nod in Kayla’s direction. “That’s Kayla MacDoyle, another of our field agents. She…” I struggle for a job description.
“I feck things up,” Kayla offers. “Professionally.”
Which seems accurate. So I move on, pointing to Clyde. “That’s Clyde Bradley, our magician.” I glance at Hannah to see if that knocks her off her stride, but she just nods.
“Nice one,” she says.
Clyde looks up, leans forward, eyes bright. “Completely charmed to meet you,” he says, “and very excited to have someone new on board. Really looking forward to working with you, which, well I don’t want to put you under any
“She’s part of MI37, Arthur,” Felicity says with patience that seems more than a little feigned. “You’re not part of MI6. Your need-to-know is not her need-to-know. If you ever go and join MI6, I’m sure you can find out lots about what they do.”
I shake my head. It throbs back at me. This is reality. It’s just shittier this morning than it usually is.
“All right,” I say, “so you’re an MI6 badass. That about cover it?”
“Well,” Hannah gives me a look that’s as assessing as any I’ve given her. I’m not the only one trying to work out where the land lies. “I’m trained in small arms, rifles, machine guns, a smattering of heavy artillery pieces. I’m proficient in jujitsu, tae kwon do, capoeira, krav maga, and a few other martial arts. I’m also a pretty decent friend to have in a knife fight. I’ve been a field operative in deep cover for three years, and I speak eight languages. Is that enough for you?”
There is a challenge at the end of the sentence. Whether it’s there consciously or not, I’m unsure.
In the end of course, it is impressive. And we do need more hands in the field.
Except…
Except every time we’ve introduced a new element to the mix somebody has died. Often, to be perfectly honest, it’s been Clyde. But others have fallen along the way. And capable though she may be, Hannah Bearings has not seen what we have seen, has not been prepared for what we deal with. There’s throwing someone in at the deep end and there’s tying concrete blocks to their feet and hurling them into the Marianas Trench.
And I could be the person who pays the price for that…
I shut that line of thinking down. I’ve had enough of that. Today is a new day. I hit the reset button. Everything is OK. I shove my hands deep into my pockets.
“Of
course
it’s enough,” Felicity says. “Arthur isn’t challenging you. You’ll just find that this job breeds a certain amount of curiosity.” It’s a smooth recovery.
“Of course,” I manage. “Good to have you on board.”
Hannah Bearings is still weighing me. “Yeah,” she says. “Totally.” Her nod is slight, her smile slighter.
“Now,” Felicity says clapping her hands in a business-like fashion, “I believe Tabitha wanted to talk to us about something she found in the files last night. Arthur, show Hannah to conference room B, would you?”
I hold the door for the newcomer. She slips through. Just as I’m about to follow, Felicity catches my elbow. “That coffee,” she says, “drink it faster.”
CONFERENCE ROOM B
All eyes fall on Hannah as we enter the room. Kayla sits with her back to the white board, feet up on the table, holding a small tub of yogurt, spoon jammed in her mouth. Tabitha and Clyde huddle together at the far end of the table, papers spread out before them, muttering and pointing. They look up, fingers still on the page, tips pressed together.
I buy a second with the last dregs of the coffee then meet the gazes. But Kayla’s mouth is already off and running.
“The feck are you?” she asks Hannah.
“Hannah fucking Bearings,” Hannah replies without missing a beat.
Kayla nods. “All right then.”
I do my best to ignore this preamble. “This is Hannah,” I say to the room, “formerly with MI6 and now a field agent of MI37.” I nod in Kayla’s direction. “That’s Kayla MacDoyle, another of our field agents. She…” I struggle for a job description.
“I feck things up,” Kayla offers. “Professionally.”
Which seems accurate. So I move on, pointing to Clyde. “That’s Clyde Bradley, our magician.” I glance at Hannah to see if that knocks her off her stride, but she just nods.
“Nice one,” she says.
Clyde looks up, leans forward, eyes bright. “Completely charmed to meet you,” he says, “and very excited to have someone new on board. Really looking forward to working with you, which, well I don’t want to put you under any
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