Free Solomon's Keepers by J.H. Kavanagh

programme. He never explained what it was. He was too scared it would frighten her away or enrage her. He wasn’t sure of anything any more except wanting to keep on seeing her. Her three month job became indefinite. At some point she would go back to Spain and he would be assigned away. How long could that be put off? Sometimes, jokingly, they would talk about absconding together. But in reality he was committed and she was too.
    Their last time he had arrived late in the evening. They had eaten a meal she’d prepared and gone to bed. In the early morning they lay together in silence. He hated having to go. Each morning seemed to foreshadow the inevitable separation. She didn’t speak when he got up; there was nothing to say. As he moved she pulled the duvet back and he knew she was awake.
    There were new vehicles outside when he crept back to base. Something wasn’t right.
    Tyler called them to order at breakfast. All he said was ‘Grab yourself a good breakfast and be nice to our guests. Looks like you’re out of here.’
    Next thing a pretty woman called Danvers is collecting their mobile phones. She speaks with a southern drawl that Rees had only ever heard in the movies and she says that they won’t be getting them back. ‘This operation is moving up a gear,’ she says. ‘Y’all might want to think about any urgent messages you need us to send on your behalf because we are moving out in one hour and we are not coming back.’
    And now here she is again, right by his bed. He recognises the blush complexion and tidy blonde hair and he immediately wonders if it’s more bad news. Danvers looks uncomfortable sitting there and strangely out of context. Instead of the uniform he remembers, she’s wearing a suede coat, striped shirt and jeans and sits in the chair, too low down, by his side.
    ‘Hello, Rees.’
    ‘Danvers? Day off?’
    She smiles. ‘I wish. How you doing? Good to see you in one piece – looks like you’re holding together okay, considering.’
    ‘Mmm’
    ‘Successful, I hear. But nearly got yourself killed by the sound of things.’
    ‘I couldn’t claim the credit. I’m just glad we’re warming up on the easy stuff.’
    ‘Yes, well I heard about the SNAFU part too. I’m just glad you’re, you know, okay. We’ll have you up and out in no time at all. Brodzky doesn’t want to let go, still treats the Belvoir team as though they were his students, which I suppose they are really. I’m supposed to smooth feathers. But it shouldn’t be long. Anyway, how are you feeling?’
    He has to think about that and so she presses on. ‘You know, it’s been a week. You’ve been under sedation and they’ve already done quite a bit of work.’
    She smiles and waits to see his reaction, her eyes ranging over his face, picking up clues.
    ‘You didn’t really come all this way on my account, did you?’
    ‘She shrugs. ‘Couldn’t have you all on your own, could we? And I need to be here several times a year anyway. We have quite a lot to accomplish, a lot of changes coming at this facility. I’ve been here a few days. So don’t let it go to your head.’ She looks around her. ‘You take it easy.’ She gives the long smile and the sing song voice fades away.
     
    Brodzky comes around in the mornings every day and he always wants to talk. He usually doesn’t get to know his charges and says this is a special opportunity. He asks about family, tells Rees he doesn’t have kids, noses a bit and tells him some of his regrets. His wistful tone seems to be going somewhere but Rees isn’t sure how to take it. After a couple of those chats he starts to respond in kind. He has to tell someone about Eva.
    ‘I left someone behind, a girlfriend. Well, more than that. I wasn’t supposed to be seeing anyone, I know that. But the shortlisting looked like it would go on forever and all the politics and nobody knowing anything. I know you’re not responsible but the whole isolation thing just seemed