CHAPTER 3

EV

Six Months Later...

I awoke in the middle of the night. Not unusual these last few months, but I could be grateful this time that it wasn't from any sort of nightmares, and merely awoke to the sound of car horns on the street below. My eyes opening with a slight ache, and adjusting to the absence of light while trying to see through it. How long had I been asleep? I could still hear the occasional swish of tires, and the now more prominent talk from the sidewalks. So much had changed since November the 5th... people no longer sat back, allowing life to pass by them unnoticed... and it made me smile.

I turned my head to the side to glance at the window. Still raining I thought absently, sighing softly and sliding my legs from the bed to sit up on its edge. My toes touched the floor and I pulled them back with a jolt. "Bloody cold..." as I leaned, eyeing for my slippers and sliding my feet into them with a lazy push.

I stood then, making my way across the flat to the kitchen, encountering a slight grumble from my midsection as I opened up the fridge door. Coffee and brisket in the run of a day wasn't enough apparently... and I stared at the contents of my fridge. Cheese... a sack of bread... milk...and heaps upon heaps of take out containers that if I opened them, I would surely retch. I just shook my head and shut the door, and turned to the cupboard, instead opting for a tube of crackers. They would do well enough...

Turning against the counter, I tugged at the wrapper edges and my phone rang. So rare an occasion, it made me jump and I had to wait until I heard the second ring before I tossed the crackers to the kitchen table and went to find the phone. A toss of a couch cushion and I gave myself a mental "ah ha!" and brought the handset to my ear with a quick push of a button.

"Hello?" and the familiar voice of Chief Inspector Finch chimed through the line in response.

"Good evening Ms. Hammond. You sound a bit sleepy; I trust I didn't wake you?"

I smiles a little at that…

"Inspector, how often must I ask you to call me Evey...and no... I was in fact just grabbing a bite to eat…"

The Inspector, after finding me in the tunnels on the fifth, had become as close a friend as I could manage, and called occasionally to inquire about my health and well being.

"As often as I've told you to call me John I'd wager.."

I just gave a bit of a laugh..

"What can I do for you... John?"

"Well, seeing as you're eating, I won't keep you long, but I do have some news that I thought you'd want to hear right away."

I was moving back to the kitchen now, looking at that tube of crackers and grabbed a blanket from the back of a chair on the way. I brought myself down into a kitchen chair with a curious sound into the phone. "Oh?"

"Yes, well, I know you've been very interested in the Old Ben clean up..."

I froze. My hand clutching at the blanket that now rested on my knees. Both of us knew why I was interested... and out of pure reaction I nodded... having to remind myself a second later that I was on a phone.

"Have you found him...?" I had meant to keep as well away from that question as possible, but it came out so suddenly...unable to keep the crack from my voice from entering at the last second. The chief knew my feelings...and he didn't seem surprised at the question.

After parliament was destroyed, and the full weight of what had happened began to settle…I knew they would find him...or...what remained of him. No one knew he'd be there...only me...and the Inspector. England was still a buzz about code name V...many still talked about him as though he were still out there...still waiting in the shadows to harm those would would harm them... and he was the reason why these people stood up and stopped being afraid. Oh some still were... but then their mates would chime in with "V's out there...so what are you worried about chum?"

The inspector cleared his throat, bringing me back, as if I'd ever really left, to the conversation...

"We've excavated the upper debris, and we found the remains of the train...but there's been nothing else found Evey..."

I closed my eyes, hearing nothing past the word "train", and I suddenly felt like crying again...but Finch's voice intruded so the impulse couldn't finish itself..

"There's nothing there Evey... nothing." his voice sounded almost confused and I couldn't understand it...brow furrowing...

Nothing. What the hell did he mean nothing? "What do you mean Inspector?"

He cleared his voice again.. "In this situation…based on where he was placed in the train... well.. I expected to find evidence of him...well... blown to bits."

At my gasp he hurried, "I'm sorry for the visual, but there's nothing. Nothing to indicate that he was on that train, except a lot of burnt up roses..."

I couldn't talk for a moment... my head was spinning. Not on the train... the words repeating again and again in my head until eventually I just nodded to myself...my voice distant on the line...

"Thank you for calling Inspector... I...need some time..." and as he responded... I wasn't hearing him... I vaguely remember him telling me to call if I needed anything...my unresponsive nod, once again to a phone...and my thumb slid to the disconnect, ending the call.

I looked across my flat...to the wall on the other side...and then the phone dropped to the floor from my hand, my movements so rushed I almost forgot to put on my shoes.

"So help me..." said a voice in my head... yanking open the door while still trying to pull on my coat and walking out, letting it drift closed with a bit of a slam behind me. I walked as fast as I could, hailing the first cab I could find...and sat in the back seat, staring out the window...headed towards a place I had tried for months to forget…