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Angel's babe
Author of 28 Stories |
Disclaimer: If I owned MI-5, I wouldn't have taken it off of A&E. I only own Jamie, the rest are the creations of Kudos productions
Summary: See Chapter #1
Author's notes: 1. One review makes the difference; it broke the writer's block
2. "" Dialogue, '' Thoughts
3. C.O.S.: Change Of Scenery
Italics mean a email
Fallen: Chapter #15
Jamie sighed, as she threw her pencil across her office in complete frustration. Ottawa had just let her know, that the Prime Minister had cut back the security personnel that she was supposed to use, and she had spent the morning going over diagrams trying to decide how to best cover all the entrances to the banquet hall. No matter what she did, there was always at least one entrance uncovered; and she knew she couldn't be in there because she had to oversee it all. 'I'll have to divide myself in half I guess.' She thought to herself.
To add to her frustration, her mind kept drifting back to the events of the previous couple of days; the meeting at Harry's house, and the interrogation of Christine Dale. She didn't regret what she said to Harry, because it was the truth; Tom was her friend- he helped her make the adjustment when she started working for 'Five,' and he'd rapidly become a friend after that- all three of them had, and the hopeless romantic in her wanted the love between Tom and Ellie to conquer all.
The interrogation went as expected. Jamie and Danny questioned Dale and she stonewalled them. But as she left, Jamie felt there was something Christine wanted to share; that she was going to tell them something about the recorded conversation, but she'd clammed shut- unwilling to tell them. It wasn't an overt sign that she was cracking, but something that was far subtler. Danny obviously never picked it up; he would've said something to her about it. Jamie shook her head, and again tried to focus on the task at hand, but it wasn't happening. There was something about Christine Dale that tugged at the back of her mind, some unasked question waiting to be answered. Someone knocking at her door interrupted Jamie's thoughts.
"Danielle, I thought I told you I wasn't to be disturbed." Her anger showed in her tone. The door opened in response, and Jamie smiled as Harry took a seat on one side of her desk.
"You were angry with me the other day," Jamie stated.
"I was angry; you'd co-opted the help of my two senior officers, in the cover-up of a third's disappearance. That third officer had shot me; I felt at the time I had every right to be angry. But the more I thought about it, you did the only thing you could do. You operated on your gut instincts, and trusted a friend, and I can't fault you for that." Harry explained. Jamie didn't bother to hide her relief at his explanation, smiling for the first time in a long time.
Harry looked speculatively at the blueprint in front of her wondering what she was doing.
"Ottawa, in its infinite wisdom has decided at the last minute to take two officers out of the group they're lending me. That leaves me scrambling to re-arrange officers. I've tried every combination I can think of, but it still leaves two entrances uncovered." She indicated the places in question.
"My own officers are stretched to the limit- you've already got five of them; anymore would leave us short-staffed and as the host, that's unacceptable. I heard about the stunt Jools Siviter pulled on you, and I think I can twist his arm into letting me use a couple officers; but that still leaves you two short. You can't use Tom, and you have to be running the operation, but you can do that from inside. We'll have to call Zoe, to run communications from off-site." Harry suggested.
Jamie heavily sighed; she'd been trying to solve the problem all morning and had come to the inevitable conclusion that she would have to be in the room. She smiled at the offer Harry made to intervene on her behalf with 'Six.'
"That sounds like the idea I've been looking for all morning." Jamie sat back in her seat, looking visibly relaxed. Her mind drifted over the other thing, as she tried to decide how to broach the other subject that had been distracting her. She decided honesty, as always was her best policy.
"I got an untraceable phone call from someone on my cell-phone last night. The voice went on about how the monarchy was out of date, and that republican government was always the way to go. Danny and I using voice technology at Thames House cleared up the recording and found it was Christine Dale. I went to get a coffee and some fresh air for a break, and by sheer luck, I bumped into her. She practically blurted out she had nothing to do with what she called; 'this mess.' I got her back to Thames House, and with Danny we interrogated her. She recognized Danny as somebody that worked with Tom, and completely shut down. So I played her the taped conversation; she still stonewalled, explaining her whereabouts; the gym, then home, then a coffee. But there were cracks- it was obvious to me that there was something she wanted to tell me. Anyway, Danny managed to plant a tracing device on her coat. Harry my gut tells me there's more to it, but I can't figure out what" Jamie explained. Harry appeared thoughtful for a few moments before answering:
"Your theory that you brought up at my house is starting to see fruit. Tom, and Christine were involved, as I'm sure you know by now; Joyce had his family destroyed by a mistake of Tom's- using his daughter on an op. The only common motivation as we conjectured is revenge; so supposing that theory is completely correct; maybe the answer is that she was about to break, and tell you why. You're an unknown quantity to her; a second equally powerful woman, and that scared her and fear is a very powerful motivator."
"That sounds plausible, now how do we go about proving it?" Jamie continued.
"In my experience, fear of the unknown is the most common factor that makes people break." Harry replied.
"Fear of the unknown… Tom. I was going to use him to flush out Joyce instead; he's just as big as Dale. Besides, I don't know that he's physically strong enough to withstand this type of activity." Jamie continued.
"Stubbornness trumps physical readiness any time with Quinn." Harry smiled.
"You'll need me to come with you. Even though the location isn't exactly secret anymore, the outward appearance of security should be maintained." Jamie informed him.
"That was a real break in protocol for Siviter, I plan on having a chat with him about it." Harry said.
"Thank you Harry." Jamie was grateful, and picked up her coat and they left.
"Danielle, hold all my calls; I'm running an errand with Mr. Pearce." Jamie called over her shoulder.
Ellie shivered as she, and Tom took their daily walk around the grounds. He'd been healing quickly, eager to get back to work; but she'd managed to convince to take it a little easier for her sake to avoid ripping his stitches, and getting an infection. She smiled, as she felt his arm go around her waist, he'd done that every time she shivered during the walks, and it was so comfortable, like she belonged there. They still hadn't had that talk to decide where the relationship was headed next, but she had a feeling when they finally did, she would take him back with open arms. Ellie sighed contentedly:
"This feels so.." she reached for the proper word to describe what she was feeling.
"Normal." He supplied, and then continued: "Like we're just a normal couple out for a walk, and I'm not an undead spook on the run, trying to clear my name and you're not a woman dealing with the sudden shock that I am not dead?"
She chuckled: "You make it sound like our lives are this bad cross between a sci-fi, and a spy movie." The pair were silent as they turned a corner, and decided to head back towards the house. They were silent until they came back to the screen door, where Ellie broke it:
"This would make a great Bed and Breakfast, the grounds are gorgeous, it's got a few rooms to spare, ample room if we wanted to build some stables and have some horses. The train station isn't that far, and it's a very nice village." It was his to smile:
"A restaurant in London, a B&B here, and a five-year old to raise with boundless energy. It would certainly keep you on your toes."
"I would want some help." She stated, looking seriously at him. It was no casual remark said in conversation; its meaning was more profound than that, and they both knew it.
"You'd have more than my help, you know that." He replied, as she stood up on tiptoe to kiss him. He started, as he picked up the sound of constant knocking on the door. He devilishly smiled: "Hold that thought." He strode to the door, and peered out, seeing only Jamie he opened it. He was shocked to see she had brought a friend along: Harry. Harry pushed his way past Tom, and led the way into a living room and took a seat on the couch.
The only thing Tom regretted more than lying to Ellie, was shooting Harry. His actions that day were unavoidable; the set-up was so well-crafted that everyone believed the worst of him; that he would betray his country, and everything he fought for and believed in. He remembered in detail the looks of pain on Danny, and Zoe, as they attempted to talk him into giving up his weapon and going quietly; and heard the sadness in Harry's voice as he pleaded that Tom turn himself over. In the end, he felt backed into a corner; knowing he was innocent- but had to escape in order to prove it; so he shot Harry. He was greatly relieved to witness that it appeared to only be a flesh wound, and that his boss would be back to his usual self once more.
"I could have you arrested, charged with assault with a weapon, two charges as an accomplice in the beatings of Danny Hunter and Zoe Renyolds, and last and perhaps most serious; high treason carrying with it the penalty of death. But, your very good friend Ms. McDonald, whose judgment I value as much as my own officers has convinced me otherwise; she has convinced me that you were in fact set-up. In order to prove it though, we need your help; we need you together with Ms. McDonald to meet up with Christine Dale, and find out what she knows. If you participate in this, I am prepared to drop the charge of assault with the weapon, and vouch for you at any trial." Harry tersely explained.
Tom kept his face blank; Harry vouching for him, would quite possibly mean he could get off with nothing more than a formal reprimand, and pay docked for the days he was 'missing.' It meant that he could go back to work; resume his life without missing more than a few weeks pay. It should be what he wanted; shouldn't it? That he could go on being Tom Quinn, master of identities, and all things spy-related- the second officer of MI-5 anti-terrorism branch being groomed to take over for Harry Pearce.
He'd be set for life if he followed that course; the problem was he didn't know if he wanted all of that anymore. Over the last week, he and Ellie had found each other again; their relationship solidifying to the point that, if Tom were totally honest with himself; he was unsure whether he could risk his life for his job without constantly thinking of what kind of danger he was putting Ellie, and Maisie in. And he knew that in order to continue to be good at his job he had to be able to do it without distractions.
"It's a deal, now what?" Tom asked.
"Now, we wait until after nightfall, and I take you, and we make our way to Christine Dale's flat. If she's not there we wait until she shows up. I'm counting on having the element of surprise in this." Jamie answered.
"Why am I doing this with you, and not Danny?" Tom questioned.
"I discovered that she feels threatened by me; she's a strong, well-trained, very talented intelligence officer, and I'm a strong, charming, well-trained talented intelligence officer; it's only natural." Jamie chuckled.
Tom smiled in response: "Even if you had to say all of that yourself. But seriously; you're right, that's something we can use."
Tom sobered up, as he turned to Harry:
"I'm sorry for shooting you Harry. I regret that, just as much as I regret lying to Ellie. There's nothing else I can say accept that. Please accept my apologies."
Harry shrugged him off:
"Never mind that now; let's focus on the task at hand. There will be plenty of time to worry about the other issues later."
"What about Ellie?" Tom asked.
"She can either stay here by herself, or come with us and she can go home to Maisie. The location of this place isn't exactly a secret anymore thanks to you." Jamie gently teased.
"I think I'll come with you and see my daughter. She'll have likely grown a foot, and be running poor Zoe off her feet." Ellie answered for herself.
"We should go pack." Tom suggested, and rose taking Ellie's hand they went upstairs.
"Is that what you want?" Ellie asked him in hushed tones, as soon as they entered her bedroom. He said nothing, closing the door and sitting down on the side of the bed, while she moved to fold her clothes, and heave out her suitcase to pack.
"I don't know. I know that going back to work at 'Five' would set me up for life with a stable career; I know that I am good at my job. I also know, that life at Thames House destroys people's lives; their relationships, everything when you leave the service is the polar opposite of when you enter it. And I've come to realize that that's not what I want for us; what I want is the stable life; a home, a steady job, a couple kids. I don't want you to have to sit at home and wait for somebody to call you and tell you that I've died while on a mission on foreign soil. I don't want you to have to worry about providing for Maisie, or any other children if I died in the course of my duty. I also know that the job, as challenging as it is exacts a high mental price; I've seen others who didn't know where the job stopped, and the individual began, and I've always said that if I ever reached that point I would quit." Tom answered.
"Don't worry about us. The service looked after us by allowing us to stay in your house, and Danny and Zoe both checked up on us, so I have every faith that they'll look after us if the unthinkable does happen. I like having you in a safer environment; not having to risk your life everyday; you really have no idea what that was like, having to mourn someone you love like that. To think that it might happen one day happen for real is quite hard to fathom right now. I realize though, that your job is a very large part of who Tom Quinn is; and without that you wouldn't be the man I fell in love with. My big concern is if you give up your job, do it for yourself, not just for Maisie and I." Ellie continued the discussion.
Tom grabbed her around the waist, and brought her into his lap, and kissed her.
"You're amazing, you know that?" He complimented her.
"I know, but it's nice to hear it every once and a while." She replied. She moved and zipped up her suitcase.
Tom stifled a yawn; the only thing about his wounds, was that he would tire easily if he tried to do too much.
"What are we going to tell Ms. Maisie?" He asked.
"We'll just tell her that it was a case of mistaken identity. You only had to go away for a while, and now you're back to stay. To be honest, she won't really care, she'll just be happy you're alive." Ellie smiled.
"Sounds like a good enough explanation for her." Tom agreed.
He looked up and noticed Jamie standing in the doorway:
"We should get going back, if you want to stop at the house on our way." She said.
Tom took a deep breath: "Yeah, I'm as ready as I'll ever be."
Ellie took the key card out of her pocket, and slid it into the slot; then looked back at Tom before opening the door. She went in, leaving the door slightly ajar and was greeted by Maisie's hugs.
"I've missed you." Ellie greeted her daughter, as she sat down on the sofa next to her. Hearing voices, Zoe came into the living room, and took a chair opposite the mother-daughter pair.
"I hope she wasn't too much of a handful for you Zoe." Ellie acknowledged.
"No, actually; I had fun." Zoe answered.
"Zoe loves chocolate as much as I do." Maisie supplied.
"Now I find that hard to believe." Ellie told her daughter, playfully flicking her nose.
"I should probably go and pack; and leave you guys to it." Zoe said, and left the room.
"You don't need to leave on my account." Tom told her, as he noticed her retreating upstairs. Tom was greeted by Maisie's hugs; he scooped her up and sat her down on the couch, and sunk down next to her. He leaned his head in close to hers,
"Can you keep a secret?" He asked her. She nodded, knowing by his tone he was serious.
"People thought I was somebody else. I only had to go away for a while."
"You mean you didn't go to heaven?" She asked.
"No. I came back to heaven." Tom looked meaningfully over at Ellie.
"Tom, we should get going now." Jamie called to him from the doorway.
"I'll be out in a few minutes." Tom answered, and pushed himself up.
"I can't leave it like this with her." Tom stated to Ellie.
Tom slouched against the doorway, and observed the scene in front of him. There were clothes strewn everywhere, and two suitcases sitting open on top of the bed, one of them nearly full. Zoe was on her knees on the side of the bed, trying to push the top of it down so it would close. She finally gave up, and threw more clothes out on the bed in frustration; it was then she noticed him and sunk down on the floor, with her back up against the bed. Tom followed suit, gingerly seating himself beside him, his legs stretched out in front of him.
"You always over-pack." Tom stated, as a casual way of beginning a conversation.
"Yeah, well it never hurts to be prepared." Zoe replied, nervously studying her hands. They were both quiet.
"How are you feeling?" Zoe politely asked.
"I'm doing much better thank you. The wound is healing nicely, but it's still a little sore." Tom answered. They were quiet again.
"I was the last one you know; I was the last one to turn. I believed in you, right until the end, right until the phone call. I knew you would never betray us like that, you would never betray your country, your duty. I repeated to everyone who would listen, that you weren't the one that planned the assassination; that there had to be another person who was setting you up.
And then, you shot Harry that day, and you walked into the sea. We all thought you were dead Tom; we all mourned for you. But it turns out you just ran; ran without staying to face what you'd wrought; failed to take responsibility for your actions. You know full-well that Harry would have fought for you, if you'd come quietly that day- he would have gotten you the best lawyers, the best of everything; and Danny and I would have been there to support you every day.
And now, I don't know what to think. You're here, in flesh-and-blood and I know I should be grateful for it; but I really have to admit, I'm having a little trouble conjuring that emotion. Because, while you were gone- while Harry was off, Danny and I had to deal with the fallout of your actions. We had to deal with internal investigations, the constant questions as to whether all of us were in fact fit to do our jobs; we're still dealing with it all. And here you are, probably with a chance at getting your life back in the same condition it was when you left it." Zoe bitterly said her piece.
"There wasn't a single moment when I was away, that I felt I wasn't betraying you, and everybody else that ever had faith in me. But it was the only way I saw of proving my innocence and I had to do it. I know I failed you, and disappointed all of you, and there isn't anything I can do to make that okay; and that's something I have to live with.
I don't really know if I want the job anymore. It exacts a terrible price on you after a while Zoe; it's nearly impossible to have a life outside Thames House. And without that, I'm coming to understand that your humanity suffers; and you become the job- that's the point at which you either find someone you can be yourself with, or leave Thames House." Tom replied.
Zoe was silent as she appraised him and realized that he'd changed. This was not the same Tom Quinn who walked into the sea. It wasn't someone who was calm under pressure; who could instantly take charge. That Tom Quinn had cracked, and in his place was somebody uncertain, and fragile. The cracks Zoe saw, were nearly too deep to repair; it was then in a flash of realization that she realized that what he was working on now, was likely to be the last mission he ever perform as a part of MI-5. She gave him a shaky smile, which he returned. She kept eye contact with him, and in an instant the cracks she saw were gone. He reached behind him, with his good arm, and pulled himself up, gingerly walking out the door:
"I'll ask Ellie to come and help you in here." He said from the doorway
"That would be nice. Thank you. Tom: She's a good person for you." Zoe replied. Tom smiled again, and headed downstairs. Jamie had come and waited patiently inside the door.
"Let's go." Tom acknowledged her, and they went out the door.
"Tom." Ellie called to him, Tom turned back,
"Be careful." Tom gave her a small wave, and climbed into the car.
The trio was silent as they drove to a park, less than a block away from Christine Dale's flat. They got out, and after some rummaging, Jamie found a black bag and pulled out a set of three walkie-talkies, with microphones, and ear pieces, which, she handed one to each man before putting one on herself.
"The audio for these is heard on channel two," she instructed, switching her handset to the proper channel.
"Give Christine and I, a 2 minute head-start before entering the park. There's a bench in the middle of the park; we'll meet you there." Jamie explained the idea, passing binoculars to Harry. The two men watched as their friend disappeared out of sight.
Christine Dale wished the knocking would stop. She had a pounding headache, and had been napping all afternoon, and still hadn't gotten rid of it. And now, the knocking wouldn't stop. She finally pushed herself off the couch, and made her way slowly across to the door and opened it. It revealed the last person she wanted to see, Jamie MacDonald. She looked at the other woman, and crossed her arms over her chest in a defensive position:
"What do you want?" She asked her tone laced with hostility.
"I'd like to ask you a few more questions. You can come out here, and we can do this outside in t he fresh air, or I can come in there." Jamie responded, careful to keep her voice conciliatory.
Christine glanced behind her, at the tip her place was in: empty alcohol bottles, and papers strewn everywhere.
"I'll come out, just give me a tick to get a coat." She answered, and grabbed her coat out of the closet, carefully checking to be sure she had a weapon in the pocket. She knew Jamie to be an impressive woman from her dossier, and didn't want to be caught unaware. Jamie waited in silence as she locked the door, and they left the building. They walked back up to the park, neither saying much and Jamie led the way down the pathway.
"You should know, nobody from the gym was able to confirm your whereabouts the other night." Jamie informed her, Christine was careful to show no response on her face.
"So where were you exactly on the night in question? At home? At the office? At that coffee shop where I found you all night?" Jamie continued questioning. Christine was silent.
"Want to know what I think? I think you knew too much about was going on with MI5 that night when I found you in that coffee shop. I think that by the time Danny and I finished questioning you- you were ready to crack just like right now. You're ready to crack on me aren't you Ms. Dale, ready to give up, how you knew about what's going on inside 'Five', and why you placed that call to my cell-phone." Jamie theorized.
Christine allowed her C.I.A. training to take over, and stared straight ahead, saying nothing. They continued walking, and Christine spotted a bench, and remarked:
"I think I need to sit down for a moment."
Jamie hung back by the bushes, and watched from a distance, as the other woman approached the bench, and quietly sat down next to the man reading the newspaper. She put her head in her hands; it was obvious that Jamie had gotten to her; she appeared shaken.
The man with the newspaper put it down and shifted so he could see his neighbour and asked:
"Do you mind telling me, what is it you're involved in?"
Christine knew the voice without a doubt to be Tom's, but also thought that was impossible; Tom was supposed to be dead. The man slightly shifted his sunglasses down, so Christine could tell what colour his eyes were- an unmistakable sky-blue. It was Tom, very much alive. Jamie proceeded along the path from her hiding place and paused by the bench.
"Thanks for your help Agent MacDonald, it is much appreciated." Tom dismissed her. Jamie smiled in response, and Christine looked at her pleadingly:
"He won't kill you Ms. Dale, I can pretty much guarantee that. You see, fairly soon, you'll be a much sought-after person. I just thought I'd give Tom here, a shot at you first." Jamie explained, as she turned around and walked away.
Author's note: There are a couple of British terms in the above chapter. The word tip is used to mean: mess, and tick, as in: I'll be out in a tick; means a second.
Thanks for reading,
-A.B.
