get Harry into the lair. He must somehow be made to climb into the 'unexplored'
heights of the Cairngorms, along with B.J. Which was why she'd needed him fit, and why she must now train him ...
In early July Harry woke up one morning to find B.J. gone from his bed. It was a Wednesday; she'd recently been a litle neglectful of work in the wine bar; he found her note in the kitchen, where she'd thoughtfully laid out the makings of his breakfast: Harry -
What with your home-maintenance drive, your cycling, and all your fit-making activities, you are almost a new man. I want you to give serious thought to what we talked about - that holiday in the Highlands? It will be different, something for me, really. But something I would like to share with you. Surely you can afford a few days, before you start searching again? After all, I don't know that if you're successful, it won't be the end of us. Do I?
All Love - B.J.
The conversation she mentioned sprang immediately to mind (though he couldn't remember where or when they had had it). A holiday, yes, in the Highlands. B.J. liked to hunt, climb, live off the land: healthy exercise, for body and mind both. And she had suggested that he might like to go with her, live rough for a long weekend, make love under the moon and stars. Especially the moon ... or was that last one of Harry's inspirations?
It inspired him to go, anyway. Thus it was his decision to go, if only to please her. So he thought.
The Wamphyri have long believed that wherever possible the destiny of men should be in their own hands: that whatever they enter into, it should be of their own free wil. But no harm on occasion to offer a litle encouragement along the way ...
Later he rang her and they set a date: a month from now, in August. Meanwhile, they'd practise at least once a week in some good spots in the Trossachs, just a few hours out of Edinburgh. B.J. knew a lot of good rock climbs that would be ideal for an enthusiastic amateur. Wel, maybe so, but the Necroscope didn't intend to be that much of an amateur.
Also, she'd only asked him to put off his search for a while; which to his mind didn't include his planned operation to fund that search. And in any case, it was something that would only take a day or two, depending
on circumstances yet to be encountered in Sicily. Since he was seeing her only once or twice in any week, it was something he could fit in in between dates.
As for his preparations: they were simplicity itself. The Necroscope made a jump to an Army Ordnance Depot in the south of England, entered in the dead of night via the Mobius Continuum, and equipped himself with a lot of devastating weaponry. He could have gone to Darcy Clarke for his supplies but wanted to avoid implicating E-Branch in anything he did. This wasn't simply because Darcy had asked him to, but mainly because he'd quit the Branch and couldn't afford any more favours. He'd managed to keep himself out of debt so far, and liked it that way. Even if they found Brenda for him they would only be balancing the books on what he had done for them.
The Necroscope was scrupulously fair-minded. At the ammo depot, he knew the squad on duty would catch hel; they'd be in it up to their necks. So before geting out with his heavy-duty loot he deliberately tripped an alarm. Let the M.O.D. and Military Police try to figure out how it had been done. That's what they were paid for. Doubtless they'd blame the IRA.
Next (and most obvious and easiest), he obtained a recent map of Sicily, and more especialy of the mountainous Madonie. Then, the next right, riding the Mobius Continuum to the Mediterranean in a series of cautious exploratory jumps, he checked flight ETAs at the sleepy airport in Catania, and synchronized his watch to local time.
Finaly he used the toilets in the reception area, secured his stall's door on the inside, made doubly sure of his co-ordinates and returned home.
And when he'd very carefuly packed his suitcase, then he was ready ...
An hour later, at 9:30 that same night, he 'phoned B.J. to tell her he'd be away for a day or two.
'Looking for Brenda?' She seemed anxious, maybe