Karen looked horrified. ‘You can’t do that! I’ll get her escorted off the base.’
I looked at her, suddenly tired of the restrictions, of the narrow focus of my life. ‘Do that and I’ll go with her. And I won’t come back.’
She stopped herself from saying what plainly jumped into her mind (oh yes, I thought, just you try to have me stopped!), then turned abruptly and marched out.
I dealt with the rest of the patients myself – nothing too serious, the usual nerve damage cases and some with nervous disorders. The last case of the day was unusual; a woman who had gone blind as a result of old psychological trauma. I reactivated her optic nerves for an instant cure, much to the shock of her sister who had accompanied her. Their joyous noise brought Sophie out of the kitchenette, clutching a mug of tea. She watched with interest as they danced out of the door.
‘They were in my hotel. Was she really blind?’
‘Yep. Nothing physically wrong, she had just wanted to stop seeing.’
‘I overheard what you said to that officious nurse. Thanks.’
‘Nothing personal. I’m just tired of having every detail of my life organised for me. You came along at the right moment to take advantage.’
She grinned. ‘That’s a good starting point – let’s build on that!’ She pulled a Filofax out of her handbag and turned to some note pages, then rummaged for a pen. ‘Got to do this the old-fashioned way, I’m afraid. I’d never have got a recorder past the guards. First of all, where does “Cade” come from? It’s an unusual name.’
I smiled. ‘That’s an easy one. It was my natural mother’s surname, and my adoptive parents decided to keep it when they christened me. Peculiar to Lincolnshire, I believe.’
She nodded and scribbled. ‘Next…’ she said.
It was long past dark by the time she had finished. We had spent much time discussing what had happened to me, going through the options which were always in the back of my mind, tormenting me at quiet moments. What was I? The result of some bizarre experiment? If so, by whom – or what?
I had carefully omitted all mention of my involvement with security and the attempts on my life, explaining away my move to the military base as a result of an intelligence warning that unspecified groups were planning to kill me. True enough – and they were plenty of them to choose from if their internet publicity was to be believed. Otherwise, I had willingly answered her questions about my humdrum life.
‘Why do you do it?’ She asked. ‘With your talents, you could be a millionaire, living in luxury on a yacht in Monte Carlo or something, dominating the jet-set. Instead, you’re cooped up here as if you’re a prisoner.’
I shrugged. ‘You’ve just seen why. There’s no greater buzz than turning pain and misery into happiness. I can’t think of anything else I’d rather do. Fancy food and drinks are useless to me, and since my accident, I’ve found everything else superficial. And while my security is at risk, it’s better for myself and my patients that I should stay in a secure environment.’
She spread her arms wide in incomprehension. ‘You could travel round the world, curing people. You’d have a hero’s welcome wherever you went.’
I laughed. ‘Not quite. An awful lot of people would like to see me dead. And it’s more efficient for the patients to come and see me.’
‘There’s a big appeal going on in the USA to bring you over there for a visit.’
‘No thanks. Too many religious nutters after my scalp, for a start. And while I could deal with them, the lawyers are a different matter. As far as I can judge from scanning the websites, a fair slice of the population consists either of lawyers, or of people who want to hire lawyers to sue me. They don’t always seem to know what for, but they’re sure they’ll think of something.’
Sophie’s infectious grin flashed across her face and I suddenly realised that I was beginning to like her – a lot.
I looked out of the window at the darkness outside. The hotel bus had long since gone, and nothing was moving. The military had obviously decided it was best to leave me alone for the time being.
‘You seem to be stuck here, unless you fancy a walk of several miles along country roads.’
That saucy grin again. ‘Boy oh boy, when did you first use that one? It was old before I was born!’
I laughed freely, a sudden release of tension. Suddenly, I wanted to keep this young woman with me for as long as possible. I realised that I had been completely starved of any sort of normal human contact, and she was like a lush oasis in an arid, barren desert.
‘There’s a spare room upstairs. You can have my bedclothes – I never use them.’
She slipped out of her chair and walked slowly towards me, swaying her hips slightly, a mischievous smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. ‘That’s no way to treat a lady.’
‘What lady?’
She was suddenly pressed against me, arms around my neck. ‘You started something with me,’ she said softly, ‘and I’ve been waiting for months for you to finish it.’
My mind was filled with the sight and smell and feel of her, and the enveloping warmth of her mind. I picked her up, and headed for the stairs.
I woke unusually late, puzzled for an instant until I sensed the mind next to mind, still deep in sleep. I turned and looked down at Sophie, sprawled across the bed, auburn hair tumbled over her face. I thought of the night, slowly savouring the memory. It had been the first time for me since my accident, the first time I had made love with the powerful intensity of mental contact and feedback, always knowing what she wanted, gradually stimulating her, my mind saturated with her intense pleasure. Only total exhaustion had eventually stopped us and dropped us into sleep.
I slid off the bed and walked over to the window. The pale blue of an early summer dawn, the eastern sky striated with clouds. Behind me, I sensed her wake. I turned and looked at her as she drowsily sat up. She looked back at me, her mischievous smile gradually spreading across her face.
‘Well sir, you’ve test-driven the new model, what do you think of her?’
I considered that for a moment. ‘Smart styling and great performance, but what about reliability?’
‘Comes with a lifetime guarantee.’
‘Great. What about servicing?’
‘Ah, this model needs that every day.’ She laughed and held out her arms.
Much later, we lay entangled together, spent and breathless. ‘This is not good.’ I mumbled. ‘I have no energy at all left for patients today.’
I felt her chuckle. ‘You’re forgetting – it’s Sunday. Your one and only day off, right?’
I raised my head and grinned blearily at her. ‘Right.’ I said, and reached for her again.
4
When we finally went downstairs, I was somehow not surprised to see Richards sitting in the waiting room, sipping a cup of tea. He smiled wryly as we appeared.
‘You must be Miss Reynolds I presume. May I be the first to offer congratulations?’
Sophie curtsied ironically. ‘Thank you, kind sir. And you are?’
‘My name is Richards. From the Home Office.’
Sophie took a shot in the dark. ‘You wouldn’t happen to be the well-dressed gentleman seen with Cade by Tower Bridge, would you?’
Richards looked thoughtfully at her. ‘I am prepared to answer various questions, but only if you first sign this.’ He pushed a piece of paper at her. I could see that it was headed “Official Secrets Act.”
She glanced at it. ‘But if I sign that, I won’t be able to write anything about it.’
‘I’m afraid that rather goes with the territory. You have to decide, now, whether you are in or out. If you are in, you will learn what is going on but will only be able to write that which I first approve. You will also be the first to know when any news is released. If you stay out, you will learn nothing from me, and should you discover anything your editor may still be required not to publish in the interests of national security.’