Book 11: Tammy Interludes     "Ch-Changes"   Part 5 (of 5)

Friday 20th October 2017

Tammy delayed the house-warming until a few outstanding issues had been sorted out and everyone was available. Of course not everything was finished and, as the month crawled forward, the weather deteriorated until a full storm had hit on the Thursday eve. Tammy had two concerns, she was due to fly out on the Friday morning and would her mother join the party in inclement weather?

The atmosphere after Tammy's announcement had been awkward. Richard hadn't shown surprise, he'd clearly been expecting something, but Joan had reservations and suspicions. Her problem was that Suzie had refused to move to Scotland with the rest of that family and had taken full independence at sixteen, in spite of her father's threats. In that case, Joan had been told that she was to blame, so she was afraid for herself as much as for her step daughter.

Tammy wouldn't allow the weather to upset her plans, her promises, and shortly after nine thirty she was sat in the cockpit of her EPIC G-KTFL - Katie - waiting for clearance from the tower at Wick. The wind was dropping, but the tower kept telling her to stand by. Finally, at ten o'clock, she took off North East into the wind. It was a rocky climb and she had to keep climbing past ten thousand feet before she could turn South. She continued to climb, settling out at thirty thousand feet, before she checked in with NATS at Prestwick. Tammy confirmed her destination was North Weald in Essex, just South of Stansted Airport and within touching range of the UK's biggest carpark, the M25.

The advantage of North Weald was it was a smaller, much less busy, airfield but with excellent facilities. It was cheaper for Tammy to land there than any of the main 'London' airports and her father had negotiated hanger space as and when needed. Finally, the family owned a house barely ten minutes drive from the airfield gate.

Whilst that was all useful, Tammy wasn't heading to that house, not at first.

She landed just after one, the weather was causing problems right across the country now, and Katie bounced as she touched down after being buffeted on final approach. She'd been told that her lighter Czechsport wouldn't have been permitted to land under the current conditions, but this time it had suited her to bring the Epic.

After securing her plane she grabbed her overnight bag and walked to the gate where a minibus was waiting.

"Good afternoon, Miss Smart?"

"Hi. Sorry for the delay."

"Apparently it's the weather, Miss. Sit back and we'll be there as soon as is safely possible."

Tammy knew the driver was pursuit and evasion trained so didn't doubt his driving skills. Even so, she used one of the available seatbelts and buckled up, adjusting the strap for maximum restraint.

Half an hour later, they turned off the main road and down a lane before reaching a farm gate. Tammy had been this way before, although it had been a while. It wasn't long before they dived underground and came to a stop in a subterranean cavern.

"I believe you know your way, Miss."

"I do, thanks."

She used her Security Service ID to open the lift door then rode up two floors to the ground level, exiting near the housekeeper's office. Tammy handed her bag to one of the staff then made her way into the conservatory.

"Tammy!"

She regretted arranging to meet the girl at this location. It wasn't public, in any sense, but there were still a dozen people around that area and one or two of them knew who she was. So much for low profile, again?

To say Maisie was overjoyed would be an understatement of the first order and the attention that garnered wasn't great. Tammy spotted John Smith out of the corner of her eye and nodded towards the library, John beckoned her.

"Come on Maisie, library, now!"

"You know this building?"

The girl complied but Tammy seriously wondered if this was the right idea, she wasn't alone, especially when Maisie took Tammy's right hand for the short walk.

"Miss Smart, you clearly have a problem and I suggest it's one of your own making?"

"I hate to say so, but yes."

"In which case, Maisie here is a risk, but only where you're concerned."

"What do you mean?"

"Fix this infatuation one way or another and we have a potential intelligence assistant."

"Is that your opinion?"

"No, Mrs Young happens to agree, as do the assessors here."

"So what are the options?"

"Given what Miss Staines has already learned, we could go through a complicated process to create a new identity and relocate her, ensuring that she has no connection to her former life,"

"Or?"

"We take what we have."

"Does that mean I can live with you, Tammy?"

"I'm not certain Mr Smith would agree?"

"I wouldn't under normal circumstances. However, Miss Smart, several other agencies are concerned about your workload and, what doesn't make sense, is that you're still on a sabbatical from us. So what is all this work?"

"University, my business, and the occasional weekend training with the army, air force or navy plus a couple of weeks off-grid. Oh, I should also include the ad-hoc request for photos or other intel. Plus I'm teaching Macbeth once a week."

"I hope he appreciates it."

Maisie looked confused. "Off-grid?"

"Miss Smart, we have an opportunity here to put an agent in place, in plain sight, with freedom to go anywhere. She can take over some of your intel gathering tasks and maybe report occasionally on your other activities."

"Err, if you don't mind, no!"

"In general terms, Miss Smart, we are already aware of the agreement."

"An agreement of mutual privacy. If you need to be aware, you will be. That goes both ways. British business, their business. Everybody gets along and shares the rewards."

"We understand that you are moving into new premises?"

"How do you know that?"

"Please Miss Smart, we are an 'intelligence' agency? In this case your step sister was interviewed in case she had pertinent information about your circumstances, and she told us about the new premises."

"Joan ...."

"So the proposal is that Maisie becomes, to all intents and purposes, your housekeeper and that you manage her training for now. Once you're satisfied, and we concur, then Miss Staines can return here for further formal tuition."

"And her role with the agency?"

"In training, not operational yet. We'll review in three months, just after the new year."

"So not my guest?"

"No, a placement. You'll be compensated."

"I see."

"Please do not misunderstand me, Miss Smart. You are being tested as much as Miss Staines. If there's a breach then you will be held accountable. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Now, Miss Smart, you have an appointment with one of the medical staff. And Miss Staines you have an appointment with the security team."

It was two hours later and Tammy hadn't been offered lunch but was finally sat with a coffee and a slice of walnut cake. Maisie was drinking a soft drink and had finally calmed down.

"Did you get a physical, Maisie?"

"Yes, a day or so after I arrived. They wouldn't let me use the pool or the gym before I gave them blood and wee."

"Okay." Tammy recalled a session she'd just endured with one of the house shrinks, although there hadn't seemed to be a purpose.

"I'm sorry Miss Smart, but you don't appear to get stressed and one of my colleagues last year recorded your demeanour as nonchalant."

"I spent nearly ten years in a boarding school, there was absolutely no point getting stressed, or showing it."

"So you base your life on your schooling?"

"No, but I do use my past experiences to get me through any task or problem. When I've failed, I've used that experience to improve myself, to fix the problem."

"Do you fail often?"

Tammy looked the shrink in the eye. "By others' design, of course."

"I see, your failures are due to someone else's wishes?"

"Are you trying to agitate me?"

"Not at all."

"Then I respectively suggest you don't try."

"Perish the thought."

"I think this session is over."

Tammy had given a slight smirk as she exited that room. She knew from the body language that the woman wasn't appreciating Tammy's replies.

She put her empty coffee cup down. "Time to go, Maisie, but first a wee."

----------

They were dropped at Enfield Town London Overground station at four in the afternoon and Tammy wasn't overly happy as she'd hoped they would have been away at least an hour earlier. Their first train, as far as Hackney Downs wasn't too bad but the second train to Stratford was filling up as the POETS traffic increased. At Stratford they had to negotiate the busy underpass to a packed platform 6 and wait for an Epping service.

"How do you know your way, Tammy?"

"I've done it a few times."

The first train in was to Loughton and a large number on the platform boarded that service, Tammy had to hold Maisie back, or she would have been swept on board by the crowd, Hundreds were now spilling onto the platform every minute. The next service was to Hainault and the third was to Epping. The wait had only been six minutes but Tammy had felt overly vulnerable with the inexperienced girl.

"Where are we going?"

"Somewhere for the night."

"Oh, I thought we were going home?"

"I'd rather not fly in the dark given the weather conditions."

By the time they exited Epping Underground Station it was coming up for half past five. Tammy led the girl through a few suburban streets until they reached a house. Tammy unlocked the front door and punched the alarm code. She dropped her overnight bag.

"Leave your bag in the hall."

A moment later the door was locked shut and they continued walking along the deserted streets. Maisie now took Tammy's hand as they continued towards the centre of Epping, although their destination became increasingly obvious.

"The pub?"

"Yes, let's eat here."

"Oh, am I allowed a beer?"

"If you want to?"

"Dad said it was bad for me and I didn't like drinking with the boys in camp."

"Look, let's get a table first, there's Suzie."

They placed their orders at the bar and their drinks were brought over. Tammy decided to stay clean, sober, although Suzie already had a cider and ordered a refill.

"I heard your assistant walked out?"

"Old news Suzie, and a misunderstanding."

"So how did you bribe her to come back?"

"I had the hair stylist phone her, she was the one who stirred it, her and Joanne."

"Just like that?"

"Yes, sis, it was just a misunderstanding."

Of course, if Tammy had actually terminated Joey's employment then that would have left the girl without any income and without a means to pay her rent. That fit of pique would have been a bigger problem for the seventeen year old than for Tammy.

"Maisie, do you have a boyfriend?"

"No, why would I want one?" She grabbed Tammy's hand and tried to pull it up. Tammy resisted and Suzie was bemused. "So what is Maisie going to do?"

"She's going to look after my house."

"Eh? Why was my unit involved then?"

"Oh please, Suzie, catch up!"

"Err, assistant?"

"Training."

Maisie was trying to follow the conversation. "You're sisters?"

"Yes, step sisters."

"Oh, so who do you work for?"

"Do you remember what John Smith told you, Maisie?"

"He said a lot, hmmm, something like 'listen more than' ...... oh."

"Good, here comes the food."

----

The girls walked back to the house just after eight, the pub had started getting noisy and Tammy hadn't wanted Maisie shouting something inappropriate, plus she was convinced Suzie was being asked to report on them.

Two guest rooms had been made up, Tammy checked with Maisie, finding her in the midst of changing into nightwear.

"I'll come back in a minute."

"No, wait, I'll be done in a sec."

Tammy took a look at the clothes Maisie had taken out of her bag.

"New stuff?"

"Yes, the Army sent me my final pay so I went into Truro and some place called Trago Mills with Heather. I didn't think I'd ever be buying summery wear in October. There's loads more but Heather said she'd send it up to you."

"But it wasn't until today that I knew you would be coming back to Thurso."

"Oh, didn't you want me?"

"It's not like that Maisie, the agency could well have relocated you and barred you from having contact with me."

"But I love you, and I told them!" She flopped onto the bed and curled herself up, sobbing.

Suzie chose that moment to arrive in the doorway.

"You do have a problem, sis, and please don't ask me about relationships."

"Thanks, but I don't know if there is a fix for this?"

"There is, but you might not like it?"

"I didn't think you was offering advice?"

"I won't, but it's clear you need to have something explained to you?"

"Such as?"

"She's nuts over you. You weren't told but I had to call mum for her impression and the signs were there on the first day. Then I had a call from Heather asking about the pair of you and I told her it was just a matter of time."

"But ....?"

"You've tried boys? How many?"

"Two."

"Girls?"

"No, before ... I really wasn't into sex or relationships."

"I suppose it's difficult in a boys school, unless ...?"

"Quite."

"So, Tammy, what's the harm?"

"I'm frightened to hurt Maisie, I'm doing my best to protect her."

"And she'll be living under your roof?"

"As a housekeeper."

Suzie laughed. "John Smith might have bought that, but not me!"

The sobbing had stopped and Maisie was now listening to the sisters.

"Tammy, just kiss her!"

 
Saturday 21st October 2017
 

Suzie had a week off and had planned to visit Thurso and Tammy's London trip had saved her a fare. The three girls had flown into Wick just before midday and Tammy drove them across to Dunbankin' for lunch, where her car was now going to be left in the paddock most of the time.

The former school van was parked out the front and did duty ferrying Tammy's belongings, plus Maisie's things, down to the new house. It didn't yet have a name but that wasn't seen as a concern. With Suzie acting as courier, Joan and Angela were emptying the wardrobes whilst Tammy and Maisie were receiving the belongings. although Maisie was mostly concerned with setting up her own stuff.

In the midst of that a Tesco food delivery arrived, although the driver had opted to call at the unattended shop door and was about to drive away when Tammy leaned out of a window to stop them. Richard had just arrived so he took command of that when the various doors were unlocked.

Tammy half expected to see Joey, but wasn't certain if she'd gone back to her mother's for the weekend as that relationship was slowly improving. The divorce was back underway and Tammy suspected the judge wouldn't wait for Cooper's input before granting the Nisi. The Absolute would take longer but was now within reach, she had a feeling that Joey's solicitor would seek reparations as part of the settlement.

Richard started work on storing and preparing the food although Zara was due soon to assist, once she'd finished helping at Dunbankin'. She'd get Sunday and Monday off as a result.

Richard had been to the house once during the previous week but had been kept out of the basement and the office as Tammy had the electrician both locations putting extra lighting up and apparently there was a safety hazard.

Finally, by Five, the whole Smart family was on the premises and Maisie met Angela for the first time. Tammy did a grand reveal for the basement, which now had a wooden floor, adjustable mood lighting, a great sound system, a drop screen and a mural.

"Who is that?"

Richard pointed at the nude sunning herself on the beach scene.

"That's Kate, she painted it. It's a pretty good self portrait but I think she knocked a couple of years off."

There was now a dining table in the basement but it was pushed to one side and would be loaded with the buffet, whilst the six chairs were placed against the walls. Rather than a sofa there were six beanbags around the room that could be moved around to suit needs. They were all different pastel shades and Kate had suggested they could be the rocks on Tammy's beach, the right lighting would help the illusion.

It wasn't Joan's taste but Angela seemed to like it. Suzie had seen photos the night before but appreciated what Tammy had done. "I didn't think you had style, sis."

They'd left Zara in the kitchen, but Tammy now took Maisie back up there and suggested she help with the food prep.

"But I'm a guest!"

"You're a host!"

Tammy gave Richard a key for the rear door, but warned him that an alarm system was going in and that the CCTV would be monitored remotely.

"So is this a home or an office?"

"A home, with an office and a shop window."

"I see. Can I now see what you've done upstairs?"

The females in the building had already done that without asking so Tammy walked her father through the completed upper floors.

"So Maisie's on the top floor with your office?"

The store room was now confirmed as the guest room. "Yes, as that gives me more space on the middle floor."

"Personally I would have gone for a darker wood? Won't it mark?"

"When the guys built the bed they told me that all of the wood had been varnished twice but they varnished the completed bed that day. I couldn't touch it for two days but it'll survive knocks."

"What's your real role with Maisie?"

Tammy had suspected that was the real reason for the private tour, she took him into the office and they sat at a low table. Tammy knew this would save Krystel having to ask the same question.

"It's a training placement for the security service. She'll get an allowance from them for fifty percent of her time and I make up the other fifty percent by employing her as my housekeeper."

"So if anyone asks, she's a housekeeper?"

"Yes, no fibbing."

"What about her security service role?"

"Training, not operational. In three months, if she passes this phase of training, she'll go back to London for special training. Right now she has a no fault opportunity to walk away."

"And if she stays?"

"She has a career ahead of her."

"Where does that leave you?"

"Once she's off training ll probably go back on my sabbatical."

"So, what about the pair of you, are you an item?"

"Good question, I guess, but I don't know for sure. Certain people are concerned about that aspect and whether my judgement is affected as a result."

Her phone pinged.

RAMAIR CIC:
Confirmed.

"Your mum will ask the same question."

"I know but she can check with Suzie, as she's spent a lot of hours with us over the last 2 days."

"She already did."

"What's her problem? That I might be in a relationship, or that I might be in a relationship with a girl?"

 
Sunday 22nd October 2017
 

Tammy woke in her new bed the following morning for the first time, finding the back of another head next to her. A decision had been made late the previous evening and Tammy now had to decide if it was the right choice.

"Come on, I need a coffee!"

"Sod orf!"

"We have work to do."

"It's Sunday."

"That didn't bother you in the Army."

Maisie rotated herself so she was facing Tammy and poked her tongue out. "I'm not in the army now!"

Tammy laughed. "Really?"

"Yes, I was discharged!"

"No, Corporal Staines was discharged."

"That's what I meant."

"What if Sergeant Staines was still in the Army?"

"No, I'm done."

Tammy reached over to her bedside cabinet and pulled out two lanyards, dangling one just out of Maisie's reach. "Then you won't need this!"

"Gimmee!"

Fifteen minutes later the pair were in dressing gowns in the kitchen drinking coffee.

"So what did you do?"

"If you're my assistant, then some of my work takes me onto bases, right?"

"Well, yeah, 'cos that's where I met ya."

"It would be silly if you couldn't be there?"

"But how did you do that?"

"I asked the right people. That's all. There's a few courses that you'll need that aren't available outside of military bases."

"Won't I get arrested and charged if I go into camp?"

"No, that's dealt with."

"Oh, okay. Whatever happened to that Captain?"

"I don't know and maybe we'll never know."

"He did seem a bit weird. Do you think you can tell me about everything else you do?"

"Not yet, and it's not up to me." Tammy stared at the nearest camera. "How do you fancy a swim this morning?"

"When does the pool open?"

"1030."

"Run first?"

"Sure."

The girls got into running gear over swimming costumes, it wasn't the most comfortable approach but it would save time later. They packed towels and clean undies into small sports backpacks, then set off. Once out on the street they kept left until they reached Thurso station but turned left into Lovers Lane and continued down to Janet St.

They turned left again as far as the right hander that led to the footbridge over the River Thurso. Once on the Western bank of the river, the path took them to the Leisure Centre but they went past it, past the print shop and the rear of Tescos, as far as the A9 before turning back across the river. They looped back to their starting position after fifteen minutes.

"Once more?"

They actually completed three loops before actually going into the leisure centre. Tammy then realised there was a monthly membership option and that joint, family, membership was cheaper than two individual memberships. Maisie asked the staff member how the joint membership worked.

"If you're married, engaged or live together."

"Well, Tammy, what about it?"

"Yeah, seems appropriate?"

"Does that mean we're going to be engaged?"

Tammy completed the paperwork and paid the first month with her card, although subsequent months would be taken from her account automatically. The assistant handed them their cards.

"Congratulations."

Once in the changing room, Tammy wondered what she'd just done. Fortunately there were enough women and sub-teenage girls there that Maisie's self-control had kicked in. Once in the water they simply swam lengths, it wasn't exciting but Tammy needed to get back into shape.

Back in street clothes Tammy suggested they did another loop before heading home, a little voice was telling her that if it didn't hurt she hadn't done enough.

"You're kidding, Tammy?"

"No!"

This run was at an easier pace.

"I made some enquiries about your course at Catterick."

"I didn't need much to finish it, but I understand the local university has a similar course?"

"It seems someone didn't pass on all of your completed modules to the relevant office, so you ended up doing some modules twice."

"That was odd, but in the Army you don't ask 'why'?"

"Well, it looks like you did enough, and you qualified."

"I did!"

"Yes."

Maisie threw herself at Tammy. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Hey, calm down! All I did was make the enquiries. It'll be a little while before you get the award."

"But I'll be able to teach PE!"

"Don't you need a teaching qualification to teach, but you could be a personal trainer?"

The pair made it in through the door twenty minutes later and both dropped their soaked kit by the washing machine before going up to the main bathroom to shower.

An hour later they were getting lunch.

"Tammy, did we agree earlier?"

"I don't know, did we?"

"We did, didn't we?"

"We may have done, Maisie!"

"oooooohhhhhhhh, are we engaged or not?"

"Good question!"

"In that case, Tammy Smart, will you marry me?"

 
Wednesday 25th October 2017
 

There was knocking at the back door and Tammy grabbed her gown before going down to see what the fuss was at seven thirty.

"Yasmin?"

"Yes, open the door and get the kettle on!"

"What are you doing here?"

"Err, no 'how are you'?"

"Well ....."

"I spent last night in a hotel in Wick just so I could get to you at a decent time before my next appointment."

"Okay, thanks, but I don't know why you're here?"

"Didn't you put a requisition in, an urgent one?"

"No."

"Have you spoken to anyone in the agency recently?"

"I was in AA House on Friday and I saw John Smith."

"Ah, perhaps he hit the panic button?"

Maisie chose that moment to appear, just wearing shorty PJs.

"Oh, hi?"

Tammy covered the introductions. "Maisie could you put the kettle on please, Yasmin prefers a fruit tea and you should find some in the cupboard. I'll have a coffee.

"Did you want to go up to the office, Yasmin?"

"I have some packages in my car, could you lend me a hand?"

Tammy checked that she was decent then walked down to where Yasmin had left her hire car. Between them they managed all the boxes.

"What first?"

"Well, I have a phone for you."

"But you took mine away?"

"That's right, it was on a commercial premises and you were on a sabbatical."

"So what's changed?"

"I'm told that you're training and Maisie is the trainee."

"Oh."

"Let's get the phone upstairs then we'll patch it into your router. It'll need a little while to synchronise with the network."

That took twenty minutes.

"Do you have a safe for the emergency encryption update? This is for when the auto update fails."

"Err, yes. Can I put it away later?"

"I need to check the safe is compliant."

Tammy hadn't wanted Maisie to know about the safe but Yasmin's intervention had put pay to that. They relocated to the basement whilst Tammy opened the side panel then opened the safe.

"Ah, a five lever combination. When was the last time you changed it?"

"Never, I don't have a change key."

"Would you like me to do it whilst I'm here?"

"You could just leave me the change key?"

"I only have one with me and I'll need that later, but I'll send you one. Let's see, what combination shall we enter?"

"Your date of birth?" Tammy held her finger to her lips.

"Ah, okay."

Yasmin completed that job and went up to the kitchen to prepare for the next.

"I didn't know there was a safe?"

"You haven't been here for 5 days yet!"

"But ....."

"No, sorry, but there are things you really would be best not to know."

"Not until we're married?"

Tammy heard a call from upstairs. "Coming!"

"Okay, Tammy, I have a perimeter alarm set for you, I see you already have a comprehensive camera system?"

"Yes."

"Okay. My system includes entryphones and I suggest you put one on the shop door as well as the rear door, but we can restrict the hours it sounds. You'll still get a visual alert on your phone and on the alarm monitors though. Can you get some clothes on as this might take a while?"

"Sure."

Tammy went down a floor and into her dressing room. Her secure combination box, containing her weapons and restricted equipment, was now bolted into the floor of one of the wardrobes. Tammy still had to decide whether Maisie could ever have access to that box, although the girl knew it was there. She hadn't been able to change the combination since it had been delivered but no-one else knew what it was.

The wardrobe's design meant there was one long hanging rail that went around the room, blocking the window. The doors, however, opened in pairs to give easy access, making it look like separate closets. She stripped, put clean undies on then pulled a jumpsuit off a hanger. Everything else could wait.

Tammy had intended taking Maisie over to Wick for lunch and a wander around the shops, including maybe jewellers, but it was approaching twelve when Yasmin decided the alarm system was, finally, working.

"There's no permanent remote access so we can't check on your visitors unless you want us to, in which case just connect the network cable."

"Okay."

"Is the CCTV monitored remotely?"

"Yes."

"Who?"

"A very deranged lot."

"What?"

"The other night I parked up and dropped my keys, bent down to get them and smacked my head on the wing-mirror. Naturally I let a few choice words fly. I get inside and there is a loop of that playing on the monitor with text added. 'Whack A Mole'. It played for almost ten minutes."

"Ah, okay. I think that is all I should know. Please tell me you can disable it in your office if you're working up there?"

"I'll check!"

 
Sunday 29th October 2017
 

Tammy checked her phone again.

"This is the place."

Tammy found it strange that Krystel had sent a set of GPS coordinates in a text with a simple message.

"Reno Protocols now in place. Code 05-30-17"

Having a day of revision, she took her CzechSport up for hours. The coordinates took her to 'London Airport' as it was locally known. It was actually the Eday Airport on the Orkney Island, Eday. Tammy knew there were no vehicles to rent, so she brought her bicycle. It took only a few minutes to reassemble it and she was off. On the Northern side of the island was a rundown farmstead and she turned off. At the end of the lane she found the actual house in disrepair. The coordinates informed her to continue further toward the water. There Tammy saw a large boathouse. It looked recently remodelled and the door had a high-grade key-pad lock. She entered the six digit code and heard the lock click.

"Right." Tammy said and entered. "WOW!"

Inside was a cabin-cruiser similar to the one Carl taught her in. It was held just above the water by eight heavy-duty straps. Wire ropes hung down from winches affixed to the steel beams of the ceiling. The hull of the boat was black, instead of white like the one she learned in. A knock against it revealed why. It had a metal hull, not composite. Carefully she climbed aboard and looked around. In a cabinet she found a water-tight lockbox with a six digit combination lock. She entered the same digits as the door and it unlocked. Inside were the packets containing all the documents and other items she had been shown before. Also a note of instructions.

The main set of documents were to be kept in the cockpit lock-box of the Epic. The second set of documents were to remain in the lock-box on the boat. The third set were to be kept in her bail-out bag. The instructions also informed her the boat had been converted to hold enough fuel to take her to Norway. Essentially it was a fuel tank with twin engines. That explained the different hull.

"Well, I have to believe it now. They did exactly what they promised! Though; there is ONE problem." Tammy sighed. "How the hell am I supposed to get two great bags of stuff here, without a car?"

At that moment her phone rang with the different ringtone.

Tammy unlocked the sub-screen and answered. "Smart, here."

"Standby." The strange female voice stated then the line went quiet a moment.

"Afternoon Tamara." The gruff voice of Dannigan came on.

Tammy answered. "Good morning to you, Sir."

"Now that you are aware your Reno Protocols are in place, everything is to satisfaction?"

"Absolutely, Sir. I only need to take a motorbike course."

"Tamara are you familiar with the term Tradecraft?" Dannigan asked.

Tammy replied. "Yes, Sir. It's the skills and knowledge that make a spy a spy."

"Basically, yes. There is also a vocabulary. Here is a term you may not have heard before. Kites."

Tammy thought then answered. "No sir. That is one I don't know."

"A Kite is an Asset the is sent off all on their own. Should something go wrong, the string is cut. Get the idea?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

"A kite has no exit-strategy prepared for them. Still with me?"

Tammy now understood. "Yes, sir. I never had that before. Reno Protocols. You are telling me I am not your Kite."

"Correct. These measures are a one-way ticket. If they have to be used, there's no going back. This you also need to understand; the deal made to bring you in, I could only pull off once. You were just part of it. Other aspects took place as well. I had leverage and worked it for all I could. There are no bonuses. Everything that could be done, has been. I can't negotiate more. Is that understood?" Dannigan said pointedly.

Tammy did not have to think very hard on the implication. If she had to run, she would eventually be forgotten. Provided she never went back. Her escape plans were only for herself, nobody else.

"Yes, Sir. I fully understand. I do appreciate the lengths you've gone to for me. I can deal with just me if it came to it."

"Implying, a concern that your step-sister may pay a price?"

"No offence, but yes."

Dannigan responded immediately. "Don't be. Addington knows you have an exit. He doesn't know details, but he does know at least one measure would be in place. He's not an idiot and a bit of my reputation reached him. He has also been made aware that collateral will bring repercussions. Staines wasn't in the picture then, but it'll be assumed she is included. I'll put it bluntly. If you are burned and use a Reno, you won't make a priority list. In short, they won't pursue you if you get away, but if you get their attention; it's your ass. Clear?"

"Absolutely. Thank you for that as well." Tammy said, relieved that Suzie and Maisie wouldn't suffer fallout.

"You're welcome. That'll be all for now, Thistle Maiden." Dannigan said then added. "Your new place looks good. Enjoy the gift."

The call disconnected.

"Gift? What gift?" Tammy wondered aloud.

 
Tuesday 31st October 2017
 

Tammy arrived home from the university, having cycled there, finding the van missing and the building fully alarmed. She let herself in then tapped the code into a panel. Tammy grabbed a drink then headed up to the office, there was a note on the desk.

"Heather called 1030, Sophia XIX arriving Inverness at 1300. Took your camera bag. Back later xxx"

Tammy called Heather.

"I've just got home, Maisie's gone off on your errand."

"Silly girl, I told her it wasn't important."

"It's gone one so she'll be already there. She doesn't have a secure mobile or any field training. Didn't you tell her to wait?"

"Not as such."

"Oh, Heather!"

"Hang on, the first pics are coming in .... it's either a different crew or it's a different boat. These are better than your photos, no offence Tammy."

"I know that harbour, she can be right under the road bridge, barely fifty metres from any vessel, it's a good spot."

"A couple more photos, it's definitely a different vessel. There's something on the deck.....it's an ROV."

"ROV?"

"Remotely operated vehicle. Used for examining underwater pipelines and cables."

"Could they be legitimate, Heather? I wonder if they have a contract to inspect pipes or cables across the North Sea?"

"Possibly, but those scheduled jobs tend to start in April, not September. We'd know if there was an emergency, and this isn't it."

"Oh."

"Look, I'm sorry that Maisie has gone off because of me, but the photos are great, they're the best we have and it'll give the analysts something to chew over."

"Yeah."

"Oh, congratulations by the way."

"How did you know?"

"We have sources!"

Tammy was worried, Maisie didn't have the training to get out of trouble, to know what her rights were (or weren't) and the fall-out could end the training arrangement. She was feeling sorry for herself when the shop buzzer sounded.

Outside she found a courier.

"Tried to deliver yesterday, apologies." He handed over a package and Tammy signed his pad.

Back in the kitchen Tammy carefully unwrapped the package, revealing a decorated box. She eased the lid off to find a set of six crystal wine goblets and champagne flutes etched with a thistle motif.

A card said "May every toast be joyous, Uncle Paul"

"He does care." Tammy thought out loud. "Does this mean it's official, today? I guess we need to tell a few folk, how do I explain this to her father? And do I need to tell Maisie about my past?"

----

Tammy returns in a new story 'Final Interlude' soon!

 
 

The first Kindle publication of the Tammy series is a combined novel of Tom's Fireworks and Tamara's Debut. It's available from Amazon (UK) , Amazon (US), Amazon (CA) & Amazon (AU) .