24. Typhon

24

TYPHON

I 'd wanted to remain in Brighton with Eliza after my return from Italy, but two days later, I was forced to visit the command center in Shere. I needed to pull Hornet from the coalition's investigation to handle something for Unit 23. Given he "reported" to Oleander and, ultimately, I supposed, to Nemesis, I knew I'd need to handle his departure personally.

From what Kima had said, things were worse when she returned to the compound than they'd been when I "rescued" her a few days prior.

When I arrived, tension at the command center was as bad as Kima had said. The lack of progress on the AMPS investigation appeared to weigh heavily on everyone, but on Oleander especially. When I approached her about Hornet being temporarily reassigned, her response was that she'd never wanted him there, in the first place. The man was standing beside me when she said it. After he walked away, I thought about confronting her, but decided it wouldn't be worth it.

"Pass the news of Hornet's departure on to Nemesis," I said on my way out, glad I'd dodged a bullet, as they say, by not needing to meet with the coalition's commander.

I was almost to my usual parking spot near Kima's cabin when I heard someone approaching. I glanced over my shoulder and saw Saint stalking toward me. I took a deep breath, stopped walking, and faced him.

"What do you want?" I asked.

Only when he kept coming at me did I realize his intent. He took a swing, but I blocked it.

"What's your fucking problem, Saint?"

"I thought Eliza was above manipulation, but that you've managed to do it, makes you no better than her parents."

While he came at me again, I hadn't thrown a punch of my own, and thus far, he still hadn't managed to land one.

"I told you to stay away from Eliza or I'd kill you."

I looked him in the eye but, in the distance, saw Hornet come out of the main residence and head our way.

"I'm cautioning you about your threats, St. Thomas. I let it go when your wife was in hospital. I'll not continue to do so."

"Or what? You'll kill me?"

"I said nothing of the kind?—"

"If you don't stay away from my cousin, your life will not be the only one in danger."

He turned and went in the direction of the main residence, not acknowledging Hornet when the two passed.

"What the fuck was that about, Typhon?" Kima said from behind me. Now, Saint's threat made more sense. She must've come out, and when he saw her, he realized he'd stumbled on a vulnerability.

Her connection to Jekyll had been concealed, and I doubted there was a way for him to unearth that information. However, it was possible he'd put it together. I'd gotten sloppy with how much time I spent with her. Not only that, but by introducing her to El.

"Was that Saint?" Hornet asked.

"Affirmative." I turned to Kima. "As to what went down, I'll brief you both later. For now, keep your distance."

They both acknowledged my directive.

As soon as I was off the estate, I drove into Shere, pulled into a parking area, and sent a secure message to Hornet through Unit 23's portal, explaining what went down and letting him know I wanted him to remain on the compound for the time being.

Next, I sent a message to Kima, reminding her to keep her distance should Saint reappear.

Finally, I placed a call to Reaper, who I knew was in charge of monitoring security feeds. "I need a favor," I began.

"Roger that, sir," he said after I'd explained what I was looking for.

Once finished, I got on the highway, headed to Brighton. I had an hour's drive to think through how I wanted to handle Saint's threats and who I wanted to know about them.

I couldn't simply disregard the altercation. He'd not only gotten physical, but he'd threatened my life and perhaps Kima's. At the very least, I had to bring it to Z's attention. As far as I knew, Saint's proposed role with the coalition was as a special advisor, still employed by MI6, which meant his chain of command would remain the same.

When I reached Brighton, I found El in her studio. Mike was with her, and the two were head-to-head at the drawing table. The kiln was on, and there was music playing.

"Good afternoon," I hollered over the noise.

Their heads popped up, and while El walked over to greet me, it looked as though Mike had covered something with a cloth before I had the chance to see it.

I thought about our agreement to always believe the other had the best of intentions in what we said and did. Rather than ask what the two were hiding, I kissed her.

"It's a surprise," she whispered.

Her smile before she returned to the station where Mike waited washed away the anxiety of my encounter with Saint, and in its wake, I was able to see things clearer. Something had to have triggered him. While merely seeing me could incite his ire, the degree of his anger was disproportionate.

If all he'd done was approach and threaten me and no one else, I probably would've shrugged it off. As soon as he threw the first punch, the dynamic had changed.

There was an outside chance Saint anticipated I'd tell Eliza what had happened, thus putting her in a position of choosing sides. If this were a chess match, he'd be foolish to think that I, his opponent, would make a move so rash. While I'd never liked him, and eventually grew to hate him, I never believed him to be stupid. Careless at best, a double agent at worst.

The longer I thought about it, the more evident it became that something else was at play.

Not wanting to spoil her surprise, I called out to El to let her know I'd be at the house.

"I won't be much longer," she responded.

We'd decided the fourth level would be the best place for me to set up an office, so I went straight there. I'd just closed the door behind me when I received a message from Kima, saying Poseidon had decided to return to Malta and she was traveling with him.

I responded, asking when they were leaving.

Zero nine hundred tomorrow , she replied.

Rather than wait, I rang Poseidon, hoping I'd catch him on his own. "There's a matter I'd like to discuss with you if you have time."

"I can spare a few minutes."

"It won't take that long."

I'd expected his initial attitude to be as cold as it was. However, as soon as I told him I'd received word of an unconfirmed threat against Delfino, he engaged, agreeing to not just keep an eye out but to assign someone to her detail. Without my saying it, he knew whoever it was should be good enough that Kima wouldn't pick up on the surveillance.

The next message I sent was to Z, asking if we could schedule a video chat. He initiated one immediately.

"Thanks for responding so quickly," I said.

"You caught me at a good time."

"There's a situation with Saint."

Z rested against his chair and sighed. "What's happened?"

I recounted the incident, how Saint had gotten physical, along with the first threat he'd made.

"Good Lord, Typhon. Is he not aware of the thin line he already walks?"

I nodded. "What troubles me more is his second threat. He added, ‘If you don't stay away from my cousin, your life will not be the only one in danger.' When he stalked away, I realized Kima was standing a few paces behind me."

"There's surveillance on the entire estate. This will all be in the footage."

"I have it."

Z's eyes scrunched. "What do you mean?"

"Reaper isolated the incident, edited what was there, and gave me the footage."

"Typhon, you cannot go above the head of the coalition commander."

"It's already done, Z."

He leveled a gaze at me. "Tell me what you're thinking."

"His degree of anger makes no sense. Something has to have triggered the attack."

"He doesn't want you involved with his cousin."

I nodded. "I can accept that. I can also understand him threatening to kill me. But Kima? Even if he wasn't referring to her specifically, he said my life wouldn't be the only one in danger."

"I see your point."

"There was one other thing. He said he believed Eliza to be above manipulation but that I'd managed to do it, meaning I was no better than her parents."

Z's expression turned to disgust. "Nigel Fox should no longer hold the office of foreign secretary. It was as a favor to Saint that he still does. I agreed to bury the man's misdeeds, ultimately for Eliza's sake. To be honest, I'd bury it all again except I'd insist on the bastard's resignation." He steepled his fingers. "Knowing what went on today, I wouldn't feel right about formally reinstating Saint at MI6, nor can I recommend Nemesis add him to the coalition's UK task force."

"Can you hold off on your decision?"

He thought it over. "Until he acts again?"

"I'm prepared if he approaches me. Kima is on her way to Malta with Poseidon. Before you ask, I briefed him on what happened. He's aware of a potential threat against her and is acting accordingly."

"Who else knows about this?"

"Hornet and Reaper. I went to Shere to let Oleander and Nemesis know the former was needed for a Unit 23 mission, but I have decided I want him to stick around the command center for now."

Z smirked. "Now I understand how you managed to get the footage. Neither Nem nor Ares would be pleased if they found out Reaper was reporting to you over them."

"I'd gladly take him off their hands."

He chuckled, then sobered. "What about Eliza?"

"Saint is trying to protect her from me. Or at least, that's what he's saying. I don't believe he'd hurt her."

"Understood." He shook his head. "I wish I knew what was in that bloody report. What's continued to bother me is, if Saint was responsible for the deaths of the operatives and assets, he would've faced disciplinary action far beyond removal from MI6."

"Agreed. Like me, you've had eleven years to think about it. You must've theorized about what it said."

"Whoever the mole was, internal affairs didn't want it getting out," said Z.

"Which means you don't believe the deaths were due to Saint's negligence."

Z studied me. "What about you?"

"Ask yourself this—why does Saint want to return to SIS, even if it is under the auspice of joining the coalition?"

"Because he wants to get his hands on that report as much as we do," he replied.

"Again, I agree. On the other hand, maybe he was the mole and has been lying low for over ten years. He believes the heat is off and is now back to gather more intelligence."

"Either scenario seems a stretch, Ty."

I nodded. "So, what's a third possibility?"

Before Z could respond, I saw via the home's security cameras that El was on her way inside.

"Let's revisit this in a few days. Eliza has just arrived."

"Copy that," Z responded before cutting the video feed.