partner from the Northern Ireland undercover detachment. She was beautiful and in many ways a perfect match for him.They had worked together for over a year and gotten to know each other well, though not intimately.What made Melissa special was that she knew the world of military intelligence and understood its influences on Stratton, since it affected her in the same way. They were very much alike, and in the world of undercover operations it made sense to be with your own kind. There was no need for their professional lives to be hidden from each other; they could discuss practically everything, and they did not have to put up a wall of secrecy when suddenly one of them had to leave on a job. He thought about calling the number, his finger hovering over the button, but stopped himself. It would not have been cool, not right now, and he would not have known what to say to her anyway. Despite genuinely missing her and often wondering if anything might have come from their relationship, he also knew his wanting to call was symptomatic of a desire for female company, a friend and confidante he could hold closely and be affectionate towards. Melissa could fill those criteria, if she was still available, but this was not the time or place.
Movement suddenly caught his eye. Staff in uniform, immigration or customs officers, were milling about, a good sign that the plane he was waiting for, and the only one scheduled to arrive for the next six hours, had landed.
There was also activity in the baggage hall and Stratton’s expectations began to look justified. The conveyor belt started up and then a few seconds later died with a terrible crunching sound. Stratton looked through the windows to the taxi rank outside where just two cabs were waiting. As he turned back to face the doorway from the customs hall, Gabriel walked through it.
Stratton got to his feet, put his hands in the pockets of his old leather jacket and waited for Gabriel to find him, which was not going to be difficult in the empty hall.
Gabriel spotted him and as he closed in, Stratton saw he was wearing a slight smile.
‘Stratton. How you doing?’ he asked, as if they were friends.
‘Fine thanks,’ he said, surprised by Gabriel’s joviality. ‘How’s your head?’ he asked.
‘I think it was more shock than injury,’ Gabriel said. ‘I’m not used to getting knocked on the head.’
Stratton could see the scab-covered bump clearly.
‘You have all your baggage?’ Stratton asked, looking at the one bag he was carrying.
‘I’m set,’ Gabriel said. ‘So,’ he continued, still wearing his smile. ‘Where are we off to?’
Stratton had a sudden flashback to the first time they set off together. ‘Don’t get mad but I really don’t have a clue,’ Stratton answered. ‘Do you mean accommodation? That won’t be a problem. There’s plenty of room this time of year.’
‘No,’ Gabriel said, his smile fading. ‘I mean, where do we go?’
‘Why would I know? I don’t even know what we’re doing here.’
Gabriel’s smile was gone.
‘Why don’t you tell me why we’re here,’ Stratton said, trying to keep it together before it all fell apart.
Gabriel nodded, controlling his annoyance. He had vowed to act more like a partner this time, and, anyway, it was clear that this was going to be as much about them versus their bosses as it was looking for the mysterious demon. ‘I had another image while in Turkey,’ he said.
‘I gathered that much,’ Stratton said. His doubts about Gabriel went up and down like a big dipper. At this moment they were very high.
‘I saw medieval walls and buildings, Knights . . . crusaders I suppose, and they were on a Mediterranean island.’
‘Why Rhodes?’ Stratton asked. ‘There must be hundreds of islands with medieval buildings. European knights were all over the Med.’
‘I saw thousands of homes crammed around a horseshoe harbour. Our people came up with this place. Apparently Rhodes’ old city is medieval, densely packed with buildings and has a horseshoe harbour.’
Stratton was beginning to feel trapped on this assignment. ‘The man you see, the one who hit you in the wood, is he here too?’ he asked.
‘If this is the right place,’ he said.
‘Have you actually seen him?’
‘I’ve never seen him,’ Gabriel said pressing one hand to his forehead with the other held up, stopping the conversation.‘Stratton, I want to apologise to you.This last week I’ve had time think, and I, well, I realised what a difficult position