At the crib the official was adamant. The card clearly stated 'no solo ops' so with the rest of the squad a no show he would not hand over the details.
I felt cheated and it must have shown.
He was replaced by his superior, who assured me that I would not be held responsible for the cowardice shown by the rest of the squad. That although I could not do the BPN assigned to us she had something much better to prove my loyalty.
She smiled past her blank eyes "Its been waiting for you."The card that slipped into my hand felt heavy and cold, but my heart leapt as I saw the designation:
Platinum.In the transfer to head office my heart was beating so fiercely that I was glad there was no other person in the carriage to hear it. I found myself staring out of the window at the soft central rain. Some how the world seemed to be shining just for me. This was it. Finally I had been recognised and rewarded for my loyalty and hard work. I half contemplated phoning Iona and letting her know just what she was missing out on. But then concluded it would be so much sweeter when she read it in the press.
It was obvious that squad were beneath me now. Associating with them would only hold me back.
I paused on the plaza before the mountain of steps leading up to the black chapter guardians and the main entrance. A memory of my father telling me about a visit he made to head office drifted unbidden into my thought, and suddenly I understood the pride in his voice. He spoke of the pyramid in revered tones he never used in connection to the great dark lament cathedral. In some way, standing there looking up that staircase, it felt like I was coming home.
As I strode up the steps the massive suits of amour didn't even move. It must have been obvious even to them that I was meant to be there.
The issuing officer had a voice like crushed velvet, one that I was sure I had heard coming from behind a mask in the Mass. The briefing bordered on a seduction, especially the way our hands brushed as the card slipped into mine.
Some how the woman at the crib had been right, this was my BPN.It required the retrieval 3 items which head office had a special interest in. Two items that needed to secured safely in the possession of SLA industries personnel, one simply needed to be 'collected'.
The address on the collection point made me suspicious. The images of the items confirmed my thoughts.
IT had 2 brothers. And Mr Slayer himself wanted them in my hands.
Suddenly it all made sense.
Comments to Sue