Espionage as fiction.

Epilogue

April Sixteenth

Birds sang their sweet song in the spring sunshine and flowers formed a yellow carpet in Central Park as Alex Henn sealed the envelope. He ran his hand over the thin crack running through the sturdy office table and sighed. There were so many memories, but seemed so distant he wondered if they had ever happened, or at least the way he remembered them.

�� He looked around the office and at the large empty table. Only six months before that table had been surrounded by laughing, arguing agents. The air around them always electrically charged with wonder and hope. He looked up at the flashing lights of the communicator panel and tried to remember the day that had changed so many young lives.

�� There had been many medals for heroism that day, but far too many deaths and injures. The joy of winning numbed by the names on the notice board. Sukoloff and Woods were posted missing and most who had been there, believed what they were told, some did not. Edwards had been one of these, ranting his fury on all leaders, until finally, he had come to Henn and resigned.

�� He told how he could no longer work for an organisation who lied and killed their own. Everything had been covered over with lies even if the deaths had been an accident. Henn had smiled and reread the report he had received about Edwards and his faithfulness to Sukoloff. He handed him a blue badge and explained about SEPIA, about the hopes they had for them, both then and now.

�� Some of those hopes remained, Woods arrived back on the eleventh of November totally exhausted. His injuries kept him under Dr Taylor�s and Gross�s care for several weeks, but when he was able, he told of the last few minutes with Sukoloff.

�� As Veto was called, he reached out and grabbed Sukoloff�s wrist. The explosion sent them straight into darkness and as Woods had been weakened in the fight, he could not hold him for long. As he felt his grip loosening and reluctantly let go, Sukoloff turned to him, smiled and called back to him, �Lead my team, Paul. Keep the Sepias!� Then he had gone.

�� Woods managed to pull back to the outer limits and called for help. Even though he was a sixty year old spirit, it had taken all his remaining strength to stay put until he had been heard. The pull towards the light grew stronger by the day and he knew Sukoloff could never fight against it. One hour of reliving your death is too much for young spirits, never mind a week.

�� Once back Woods refused to take Sukoloff�s number, but he promised to lead the team should it be necessary and try to find and help other Class Ones. Woods returned to Kenya, once again alone.

�� Philip Galloway was back in London, a very different man to the one that had left. He was quieter and more respectful of those higher ranking than himself, but what had pleased Henn, was how the young man wore his blue badge, with extreme pride.

�� His father was proving a Godsend in the code breaking section and was now an official member of PIA. Alment, Roper and Tanen were back in training school, soon they would become agents in the field and a new generation of PIA would arrive.

�� Henn pressed his fingers to his temples and sighed, it would be good to retire, to leave this vast complex and take up golf. The last few months had been a strain with paper work upon paper work and it would be for the best if a younger man took over.

�� He smiled as his hand brushed against his badge, they had all learnt so much, Sukoloff�s SEPIA team. Dwire was back in London, together with Proctor and Galloway searching every branch of England�s PIA, trying to find, either more Class Ones, or one of King�s Changers. Electronic devices had been set up at every entrance, measuring magnetic disturbances and temperature changes. Woods informed them that Changers were almost impossible to find and were almost like sleepers in the spy world, they themselves did not know until the call came. When it did, then they would become KIJAC. All that was known was that at the moment Sukoloff had been shot he had been standing on New York�s exit plate. Jodie Galloway had not only witnessed Sukoloff�s soul being thrown back to earth but others escaping from Hell. Nobody knew if like Sukoloff these too had managed to remain earthbound.

�� A Class One had been found, much to his anger, but he was not one of the Changers. It had taken Woods two weeks to stop him chasing Gross about for telling his secret. MacHilt had to be persuaded to join the team and told that Gross had not divulged his secret. Even then, he stalked the corridors of London and New York in D Mode, zapping everyone who wore a blue badge.

�� Gross explained that he knew about Angus MacHilt�s death, fifteen years previous. As a young man he, simple because he thought the spy business exciting, had joined the reforming KIJAC. He soon realised his mistake and hated everything they stood for. When asked to torture a young man he refused and the torture was turned on him. He had died in agony from slow electrocution, but because of his deep anger and very volatile Scottish nature, became a Class One. Somehow, he survived until he met Gross and then joined PIA to try and stop organisations like KIJAC. The method of his death gave him a particular talent, that of small lightning bolts. Gross and the other members soon learnt that even a very small bolt in the rear quarters was particularly painful.

�� Tretow and Bayfield had also become ghost hunters, both refusing to believe Sukoloff had gone. They searched every corner of New York with similar equipment to that of Dwire. They turned up nothing apart from a variety of bruises from irate subway riders when the equipment malfunctioned and gave everyone a low temperature reading.

�� As Tretow had never regained his Telepathy powers, Bayfield practised alone. Sometimes Klyne or Henn would answer, if they were in range, but the hoped for answer never came.

�� Henn sighed and let his hand fall to a faded letter. It had been written by Sukoloff on that dreadful day and since then, had never left Henn�s person. He slowly opened it and read, remembering as he did.

�� Hi there. Hope you don�t read this, because if you do, I will be gone. Never mind, it was good whilst it lasted, wasn�t it? We made quite a good team, you and I. Did I ever say thank you? I doubt it, old friend. Well thanks; for your friendship; for the times you saved my life and for being you. We were the best, Alex. I haven�t much time and what I am about to ask stretches that friendship to the limit. For once I am begging for help, please help. There are so many things left undone and unsaid. I think, I thought I had for ever, don�t we all? My car and chess set are yours. My estates in Russia, the Vladivostoc apartment is yours, the ones in Moscow are for Jodie, advise her to sell. It�s far to cold for her there.

�� Now that favour, arrange a proxy wedding. I just didn�t have enough time, but she must be my wife, our child must be a Sukoloff. Only you can do this. I have to go now, please watch over those I love and take care, Alex. Take care, of you and PIA.

Vacily Sukoloff

�� Henn tightly closed his eyes, he had done everything Sukoloff had asked. Jodie was officially a Sukoloff, although it had been the saddest wedding ever. She refused to sell the house in Moscow and had moved there in March with Maria for company and Dr Taylor in case he was needed.

�� He pressed his fingers to his temples again and whispered, �How can I take care of Pia, little friend? I�m getting old and tired. Sorry, Vacily, but the young must take over. The stress has been too much. Tomorrow I retire.�

�� He smiled now as he looked at a photo. Taken by the security cameras during a training alert, it showed two young men caught in full action, one dark and proud, the other fair and sombre, but this wasn�t yesterday�s picture, it was today�s. He looked up as Steele walked proudly in. He was tomorrow�s leader. In twenty years time, maybe as little as ten, Steele would be sat at this table, ordering young men to spy and fight. Would Tzavros still be running? Would he have learnt to say, �Take care.� Henn smiled, he doubted it somehow.

�� Tzavros sauntered in soon after with his usual nod and gazed from the window across New York. There was a longing in his eyes which neither Steele nor Henn would be told what for.

�� Henn looked at him closely and enquired, �Zav? Are you alright?� Then smiled as the Russian swung around, his hands never leaving his pockets, his eyes flashing in disapproval. �Of course I�m alright, aren�t I always?�

�� Alex, what about you, are you alright?� inquired Steele.

�� Only thinking, that�s all. I�ve had a good life, Peter, with more excitement than most. It�s just that sometimes I wonder about the last months. Did it happen or did we all dream it? Woods said, time is immaterial. That eventually time and all within it meets, life is a continuous loop. I wish I knew. At times, Vacily seems as if he�s so close, watching and helping us. Like when the first snow fell in January. Then it�s as if he never was.�

�� He existed, Alex. What was it Woods said about him?�

�He was the rarest of all Class Ones. One that turns the air sweet and because of it causes laughter and mischief.�

�He certainly did that, he turned the whole of Pia pixilated and we are still suffering withdrawal systems. None of us has an excuse to play, Zav hasn�t got any excuse for high-wire walking or whisky making. You and I haven�t got the excuse to get angry, or to try to outdo them. Bayfield has got no excuses if he makes a wrong turn, because he misheard left when it was right. We were a special team and I know, one day, we will be again.�

�� Henn nodded and gave a slight moan and Steele placed his hand to his shoulder, �I hope you saw the Doctor, Alex? You did, didn�t you? Damn you, man!... Sorry, Sir, but you�ve had that headache for a week now, get it checked.�

�� It�s old age. So, I�m handing that in today,� he said pointing to the sealed envelope. �I�m yesterday�s chief from the old Pia. It�s time to leave.�

�� Steele gasped and Tzavros swung around shouting, �You can�t, you just can�t retire. What about Sepia? How they can be part of Pia if you�re not here? How could you give up on him! He�ll be back!�

�� When the team is needed, they will be called. Part of Pia or not, the team will survive. I will never give up hope of Vacily returning, but we must be realistic.�

�� Tzavros, as usual, showed nothing, apart from a distinctive colour change to his amber eyes and a faint snort. As Alan Klyne walked in with another set of reports, Henn yelled out in pain and Steele shouted orders, �Klyne, get the doctor!�

�� Klyne could only stand frozen with fear showing on his face as Henn managed a crooked smile, �I hate to admit defeat, but I think you�re right. It�s getting worse by the minute, one of my remaining brain cells is pounding drums, while the other has the disco speaker on full.�

�� Feed back?� shouted Klyne as he leapt across the room. �Alex, have you got feed back? Oh Lord, send.�

�� To whom do I send? God? What do I say? Please stop my headache? I think he�s got better things to do!�

�� Klyne was dancing up and down yelling, �Don�t you understand?� Then he rushed forward and pushed the intercom switch, shouting, �Sepia meeting. Interpreters come to the main office... All Sepias... Your leader is calling!�

�� Before he had even finished talking, Bayfield staggered in supported by Tretow moaning, �Make him stop! Please!... Make him stop.�

�� Henn squinted up at Bayfield and snorted at the large fluffy pink earmuffs that adorned his head. �I hope you didn�t walk through the corridors like that?�

�� Stop! Make him stop,� he said ignoring Henn�s question. Then Tretow dropped to his knees letting out a howl as he did, �Oh, no! What a time to get your hearing back. Alex! It�s Vacily!... Just a minute and I�ll try to send. I�ll get him to lower the pitch.�

�� As everyone looked on, Tretow sent, then sat and spoke, �Whoops! We have a very savage Russian on the line, crickey is he savage. Calm it, Vacily... Ouch! I said calm it, all we are getting is noise and terrible headaches. Okay, that�s a little better.�

�� What�s he saying, Tret. All I�m getting is static,� asked Bayfield.

�� Right, he says, �Alex, come in, Alex. Speak me. Gent, listen to me, the stupid woman... Alex, talk to me. Stupid woman broke my ribs with her damn stick. Alex, will you answer, been calling you all week and what you do? Stick head in sand so not to hear me? Might as well talk to myself. I am... Where I am? Don�t know... Somewhere. I walked over bridge, she chased me... Nasty! I tried again, showed her teeth at me, nasty piece of work... What called? Sarah. Hit me, so hit her back, they say never do you fight in this place... So... I took bridge to bits. Hah! They say never fighting, but they chased me away with loud shouting words... She catch me up and stick hitting with again... So, put her in the river... I hurt! She much bigger than me, bigger than you... Said I was wicked and couldn�t come in, but other place was locked! Anyway! How she get in? I know! Hit everyone and tortured them horrible and they have to let her in. My eye black and nose bleed, horrid person.��

�� Tretow continued trying to interrupt as George Galloway sobbed with laughter and Woods came out of the washroom with a growling MacHilt at his side. Henn was frowning and smiling at the same time, Galloway, in between snorts, explained. �I think Vacily has finally met his match, Sarah! I think it sounds like my sister. She was much older than I and helped me to raise Jodie and Philip. They loved her dearly, but, she was a right tyrant, both Philip and I frequently had our ears pined back, believe me, that�s very painful indeed.�

�� Tretow continued to interpret. �I thought I sneaky, best sneaky person Pia every have. Sneak across bridge, after I made to mend it, guess what did? As I go sneak, she sneak up behind, grab me by ears and pin them back, put me in water... Who let her in? large Kijac weapon. So take bridge bits again and run like clappers and hide up tree.�

�� Everyone was laughing so much, all of them had to sit down and Galloway choked as he spoke, �Oh the poor boy, he�s seen some horrors in his life, but never an aunt Sarah.�

�� Bayfield could only continue with, �Make him shut up!�

�� I�m trying,� snorted Tretow, �he just won�t stop. Here he goes again! �She told them where I was... Made me fix bridge again, then she say, I still alive and can�t come in... Silly old bat, if I alive wouldn�t be up there in first place. I told her that, so she hit me in groin... Bet she never married, if was, wouldn�t do that, hurts. She said, serve right and said, if came back she�d cut off things... Wicked old bat!... Who laugh? Someone, I heard you? Let me guess?... Alex, you can me hear can�t you? You wait till you die, I not catch you, let Sarah get you... Tried to catch her to bring back for present for you and her bite me, not nice... Heaven not nice, not allowed to catch fish; not allowed to shoot deer; not allowed to swim; not allowed...��

�� Henn, still with his hands on his ears, stood and shouted loudly, �Sukoloff! Shut up!�

�� He�s stopped,� gasped Tretow. �No, he�s back! �Don�t shout! Whisker, hurt my ears. Stop yell at me, they threw me out... Said, was nothing but trouble and they don�t want, said...��

�� Angus MacHilt growled loudly, as Woods disappeared. �Och, shut up you, wee ghostee. Shut up or you�ll get more than a stick in the groin. T�will be a wee bolt oh lightning I gives you if I lays my hands on you.� Everyone ducked as a demonstration bolt set fire to Henn�s resignation letter and many other papers on the table. These in turn, set of the fire alarms and sent the base into an immediate, Phase A alert.

�� As soon as Woods returned and Henn had calmed everyone down, he sighed. �Over four months of peace, pure bliss. He�s back and everyone has turned pixie.� Then he smiled as he saw a twinkle in Tzavros�s eye, and added, �It�s good, it feels good.�

�� We know where he is and we�re off to get him back. According to one of our ancient spirits, Vacily got as far as the final bridge. Once over that, well, that�s Heaven and no earth-bound being comes back from there. It must remain secret. Vacily has been banned from ever going in because he dismantled the bridge, more than once, causing queues of people. He removed tail feathers from several birds to make himself a head-dress. Then, with others, formed a war-party in an effort to scalp Sarah. With a bow and arrow, he hunted deer, and Sarah. He caught fish from the river and cooked them in the middle of the bridge, setting fire to it. He dug escape tunnels right back to the first layer. That�s the one that�s always so peaceful, the place where you are met before you begin you�re final journey. They were met alright, by the Sukoloff Indian tribe and several assorted animals. They thought they�d gone to the other place.

�� So, Alex. I�m going to collect Heaven�s only reject. Before I bring it here... Angus don�t keep blowing smoke rings, you�ll like him. Before I bring him here, he has a job to do. See you in a couple of days.�

�� Alex? Will you ask, or will I?� said Steele chuckling loudly.

�� Ask what, Peter?�

�� To see his behind, that must be where it is...�

�What?�

�The reject stamp.� This was met by laughter and one large tut.

�Mr Tzavros! This requisition form! Why exactly do you need fifty feet of copper pipe and one large copper boiler?�

�� Can�t thinks at moment, Sir!�

�� Not for a still is it?�

�� Can�t remember at moment, Sir.�

�� Good, permission denied. Mr Klyne, did you or did you not, place hidden fans in the floor of reception?�

�Wouldn�t have thought so, Sir.�

�Fans that mysteriously turned on the instant Mr MacHilt walked over them sending my lady staff running as his kilt blew up? No? Not sitting down today?�

�� Not that tired, Sir.�

�� Only minor lightning burns I hope? Mr MacHilt, did you put Mr Edwards on the roof and leave him there all day? I don�t care if he did say you had gorgeous knees, don�t do it again, or for that matter, keep zapping the Sepia�s, half of them can�t sit down. Mr Bayfield, what have you to say on the matter concerning our Sweden base chief?�

�� Bayfield blinked slightly, but didn�t look up as he said, �Clear off.� Gasps echoed around the office and Henn continued regardless, �I see, don�t ever pounce on my leaders and stick a thermometer in their mouths. That is not... Did you say clear off?�

�� Sniggers now from the non Sepias as Bayfield repeated the words, �Clear off...� then he stood and shouted, �Oh heck, it�s him! Message is... �Incoming, give permission to land. Is you lot deaf, clear off... Incoming, give ground clearance... Come on, man, da or niet.�

�� Non Sepias out,� said Henn calmly, then once the office was cleared he shouted, �You lot, clear the office of breakables then duck!�

�� Everyone hit the floor with hands over ears as they awaited the yowling. Instead, he appeared one foot from the top of the table. He hovered for a moment then with his back to them and head down, he slowly landed. He looked every bit the Cossack dressed in big black boots, over long black coat and furry black hat. As his feet touched the table he crouched and Henn chuckled, any minute there was going to be a display of Russian dancing. But no, very slowly he sat, then still looking down, got off the table and turned around.

�� He was huddled up with his arms folded across his chest, snow was melting on his hat and dripping down his face. Henn frowned and called his name, but no answer came.

�� Vacily, what�s wrong?�

�� He half looked up, then quickly down. Henn walked over to him and placed his hand to his shoulder, �How about a hello, Alex, Sukoloff reporting for duty. Vacily! What�s happened to you?� Henn had jumped back as Sukoloff looked up. His face still bruised from either Aunt Sarah or the fight with the monster, but this was not the problem. Henn looked closely into his face, the face he had known for years, at the clear blue eyes, eyes that were filled with tears and a lip which trembled.

�� Vacily, my friend, what happened out there?�

�� Slowly Sukoloff moved his right hand and let the coat fall slightly. Keeping his left arm across his chest, he raised it and Henn gasped, �Oh Lord, Vacily! Oh Lord!�

�� Steele jumped at the crack that was in Henn�s voice.

�What�s wrong, Alex?�

�Henn just turned and looked at him, speech impossible, tears filling his eyes. Then he turned back to Sukoloff, reached out and touched a silky blond curl that showed under a snow white hat. He stared into the large, unblinking, clear blue eyes which sparkled like mountain pools.

�� An Angel, a real live angel! He�s caught an angel!�

�� Bayfield ran forward, then exclaimed in his usual way, �Wow! Oh he has, look!�

�� As everyone looked at the small bundle, Henn suddenly gasped, �Oh no, Vacily, this isn�t yours? Is it?�

�� Without looking up, he nodded, as everyone cheered. Questions came thick and fast and Henn made an announcement over the intercom that caused the office to fill to overflow.

�� I am pleased to announce the safe arrival of... Angela Sukoloff. She will be known as Angel.�

�� Sukoloff was beginning to recover slightly and a grin was starting to appear, the most egotistic grin that Henn had ever seen. But the grin vanished as he saw Tzavros with his hands raised, heading towards the little bundle who was now in the arms of Trixie.

�� Don�t you touch, no tests. She�s normal. She�s human. She�s Russian. Leave well alone... She�s mine, Zav!... She�s mine.�

�� Once the office had been cleared, Sukoloff took off with his precious passenger and not even a paper rustled. Five minutes later, Tretow informed them he had landed and that it was snowing.

�� Henn proudly turned around and addressed Steele. �Check mate to him. Heaven�s only reject he might be, but he has earth�s only Angel, and she is stamped, Sukoloff.�

Now it's the end of book one.