From this day forth: and in health
Dempsey and Dave had been undercover for almost a week in Liverpool, following a small firearms supply chain. It linked back to The Bronx in New York and forward to London via Ireland and Liverpool. Dempsey provided the perfect spoil for the American end and Dave was taking a major undercover role as the Londoner for the first time.
It was around 6.00pm Sunday evening when Harry and Spikings arrived on the train from London. They walked into the hotel bar and scanned the room for Dave and Dempsey.
"Hey looks like Makepeace has come as well" Dave casually observed as he waved to attract their attention.
Dempsey looked up and initial delight lit his face. He took a deep breath and pushed every urge in his body back down; in an effort to keep under control he remained seated, leaving Dave to stand and greet them. And as a second line of defence he let his frustration about the whole visit rise instead.
"I thought just you were coming to check on Dave and me" Dempsey addressed Spikings gruffly; he really had seen no point to this exercise that he took to be 100% checking up on him. If Spikings wanted him to train Dave he should leave him to do it thought Dempsey.
"I decided that Sergeant Makepeace could offer a demonstration on team working in the field" Spikings looked mildly pleased with himself
As much as he was delighted to see Harry Dempsey objected to Spikings' interfering and assuming he could impose outside constraints or suggestions.
"And pray explain to me how a woman fits into this man's world?"
"Ingenuity Dempsey, have you lost it?" Spikings was not going to suffer Dempsey
"The reason Harry stayed back and Dave came was that there was no obvious role here" Dempsey sulked and Harry turned back and started walking to the door
"Wait" Dempsey stood as he yelled out, his grief was supposed to be against Spikings not Harry
"For what? To be insulted? I can get the next train back" This was the last thing she needed. Despite her initial caution about coming up to Liverpool she had wanted to see Dempsey in person and clear up what she assumed had been misunderstandings on both parts. But maybe they weren't misunderstandings, maybe some things had changed and she had missed the signs; was the problem work or home related? She had no idea.
"You'll do no such thing girl" Spikings grabbed hold of her "I'm the one in charge here and you'll stay.
"Team work demands co-operation Sir" Harry looked only at Spikings
"Exactly my point" Spikings looked obtusely at Dempsey, this didn't make sense
"Look if I'm not wanted I'll just go" Makepeace was cold in her attitude trying desperately to hide her disappointment.
"I never said you weren't wanted" There was something of desperation in Dempsey's voice that stopped Harry, but it was mixed in with agitated tones
"Funny that's just what I heard" she countered, now fixing her eyes on him
"There's this role and there's…" Dempsey stared back at her
Harry looked expectantly and Dempsey tried to open his eyes and say something purely by raising his eyebrows.
Harry shrugged her shoulders "What?" she glared at him
The whole of the surroundings, clientele and even Dave and Spikings faded into the recesses of consciousness, the atmosphere bristled
"Bloody hell Harry: There's two diametrically opposite scenarios in my head, I'm trying to explain one with words and one…"
"Well neither of you are explaining yourselves at the moment Dempsey" the distain provoked rage:
"I am not schizo" Dempsey stood and yelled at the same time
"AND I'M NOT A BLOODY MIND READER" The whole scenario widened and engulfed the past two weeks as Makepeace raised her voice above his
"WELL I AIN'T SO CLEVER WITH WORDS"
"YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE CLEVER, JUST USE THEM TO SAY STUFF DEMPSEY"
"WHAT LIKE YOU?" Dempsey accused her
Harry felt the raw nerve being hit and she turned a moment to hide the pain searing through her. She could hear herself a week ago shouting at Dempsey "GO TO BLOODY LIVERPOOL, IT'S ALL TOO OBVIOUS THAT YOU DON'T HAVE A HEART, JUST A HEAD AND THICK ONE AT THAT" She had been so wrong, the nursing staff had told her how they could set their clocks by his phone calls to check on the progress and well being of Freddy.
Anger and frustration at herself and at him still simmered "Maybe you should get both Dempsey's to do the team work Sir" she spoke with her back to everyone.
"I thought I just said I wasn't schizo" Dempsey was speaking in his low flat voice which she knew was a front hiding an explosion of frustration. Damn she knew him so well – sometimes – she corrected herself.
"Why don't you say something that I can hear then?" she turned back and her voice was pleading mercifully.
He read the hurt and the pain and regret ran around his body and made his fingers tingle. He tried so hard to think before he spoke, Harry waited and the onlookers tried to continue where they had left off.
Still the two of them were linked in a force field that pushed the presence of anyone else so far out of consciousness "I care, I care so much… I always thought actions spoke louder than words" he implored.
"Sometimes they can be mis-read just like words" as the blaze dissipated out of the argument Harry responded with her own confession
"and sometimes false assumptions are made or the wrong words said…"
"Hey Harry could be your wife" Dave was so excited at his idea he just jumped in where fools would fear to tread and breaking the invisible bubble brought everyone back into the same presence. Spikings was relieved it provided the exit needed from what he suspected was an argument that had more than the one level Dave was hearing.