Anna and John got off the lift, heading toward her office, when Phyllis rushed toward her with Joseph on her heels. A hand on John's arm stopped them in the corridor so the four of them formed an odd circle. Phyllis thrust a piece of paper toward Anna as she spoke.

"I think Mrs. Bartlett was murdered."

"The body pulled from the river would seem to indicate that's highly likely." Anna looked over the paper, scowling and turning back to Phyllis. "When'd you get this?"

"With this morning's post." Phyllis held up a flashdrive. "This came with it."

"Has-"

"I took the liberty of having Mr. Bates's friends take a good, hard look at it already and it's clean." Joseph cringed, "Unlike the last one."

"And what's on it?"

"If what she says in the letter is legitimate then it's the information she denied us the first time." Phyllis worried the flashdrive between her fingers. "She apologizes in the letter for lying to us."

"She also said they paid her before turning to threats." Anna handed the letter over to John. "I'm not sure they were satisfied with her silence either way since they tortured her before dropping her body in the river."

"Do we know exactly-" Phyllis blanched but Anna put a hand on her shoulder.

"We'll not worry about that. Whatever Mary and Tom find, we'll work with it and move on." Anna turned to Joseph, "I need you to look through this information and leave no stone unturned in it, understand?"

"Crystal clear." Joseph paused, "What'll you two do?"

"Mr. Bates still has a court date today and we're going to prep for that." Anna pointed toward her office. "Anything you find, send it to me as soon as we've verified it."

"What if it takes cash or a closer look?"

"You've got the reins on this Baxley." Anna stopped herself, blinking and then facing Phyllis and Joseph. "I'm so sorry. I just mashed your names and-"

"I actually kind of like the sound of that." Joseph preened a moment, twitching his head a bit as he did. "Makes us sound like we're in a crime drama or something. Like a partnership or-"

"We understand ma'am and we'll get right on it." Phyllis grabbed Joseph's sleeve and tugged him back toward her office, the flashdrive secure in her grip.

Anna opened the door to her office, letting John in before her, and closed it to lock before jumping back at the sight of a man on one of the sofas. "Charles! I told you to use the door."

"I did." He pointed at it. "You were occupied this morning so I couldn't reach you on your phone."

"There are other ways to tell me by phone." Anna dragged it out of her pocket, unlocking it to check. "You never left me a message."

"You never know who's listening when you leave messages."

"You're the one listening."

"Ah, Mr. Bates I presume." Charles extended a hand, "Charles Blake, old friend of Anna's here."

"I know a spook when I see one."

Charles paused, turning to Anna, "You did get that little gaffe fixed yes?"

"The only microphone in this office activates when I want it to and, so far, all it's picked up are sex noises."

"Daring."

"Deserved." Anna took a sofa and motioned both men down. "Why are you here Charles? We're doing prep work for John's trial."

"Does that start today?" Charles sat, tugging on his trousers a bit to give himself more slack at the knee. "It wasn't in all the papers and, you know me, I despise media coverage from a screen."

"Remind you too much of your fulltime job?"

Charles opened his mouth as if to speak but only gave a chuckle. "Mr. Bates, for someone who's worked on the shadowy edge of the law for as long as you have, I'd think you'd have a bit more respect for the kind of work I do."

"And what is that, exactly?"

"I'm the last defense of the Empire."

"I'm a little bothered you're still calling it 'The Empire'." Anna raised her hand, looking between the two men. "And that's not really why we're here, is it?"

"No." Charles cleared his throat. "I did a bit of research into your mystery men and I think I found something that might turn your heads a bit."

"But not help the case?"

"Considering the fact I'm even suggesting telling you any of what you're about to learn could land me in a dark hole for a long time, no." Charles swallowed, "The Evergreen group was one of ours."

Anna blinked and turned to John. "Did you ever-"

"We never worked with them." John pointed at Charles. "Black Mountain was supposed to be the only contract firm-"

"And you are." Charles shook his head, "It was before my time but someone once had the bright idea of starting their own little hit squad. People they could send out, like the SOE agents, and let nothing get traced back to them. People who answered those calls late at night and sent out similar calls. The kind of agents not subject to scrutiny, oversight, or political agenda."

"How'd that work out for them?"

"About as well as pissing on an electric fence." Charles rubbed his hands over his trousers. "A mission went wrong, all the details are redacted and the files had holes drilled through the drives so there's nothing to assemble there. All I know is when they were left hanging out to dry, someone here cleaned house. Made sure that anyone they'd try to contact couldn't answer and wouldn't so if they spilled anything it'd be bad intel and they'd get hacked to pieces or beheaded for videos."

"But they survived." Anna interrupted this time. "They weren't killed or-"

"From what I've gathered a few of them did the equivalent of chewing off their own foot to escape the trap. They banded together and decided that revenge suited them best and worked their way back here as soldiers of fortune." Charles shuddered, "They fell into some pretty dark holes and I don't think they got out."

"So now we've got highly trained terrorists who were part of a former hit squad ready to do what?" Anna opened her hands to Charles but he only shrugged.

"I tracked their associations with Mr. Carlisle but I think they got tired of being on his leash. I think they snapped and now he's floundering for a way to try and solve the problem."

"And Vera's death?"

Charles shook his head at John, "I haven't been able to track anything like that."

"Mrs. Bartlett left us a message, before she died." Anna pointed over her shoulder, "Maybe she's got the missing piece?"

"It'd have to be pieces and it's more than a few holes in a puzzle Anna. What I'm giving you are crumbs because that's all there's left about this." Charles stood, buttoning his coat. "But I did pull a string or two and I've got two people to testify for John here. About his whereabouts on the night of his wife's death."

"And?" Anna shot up, "What'll they say?"

"They can say he couldn't have been there because he was with them and give a general location but they can't go into other details. National security and all that."

"Is that going to fly?"

"Depends on the judge but," Charles winked at them, "I think I've found a judge who'll make that a tad easier."

"You've fixed the trial?"

"Mr. Bates," Charles put a hand to his chest, "Please don't do me the dishonor of believing I'd, in any way, try and make this anything but the perfect carriage of justice."

"You got us a sympathetic judge." Anna smiled at him.

"But not," Charles pointed between John and Anna, "Fixed the trial. Giving you a fighting chance, Mr. Bates, is all I can do but I'll do that to the fullest of my ability."

"Then I guess I owe you a bit of thanks."

"It's nothing." Charles stopped, turning to Anna, "And you did get my message, yes? Over the phone?"

"Yes and thank you for looking into it for me." Anna faced John, "Charles has arranged a possible new identity for you, should that be necessary."

"I've already got more than a few of those."

"And each and every one of them was turned over to Mr. Carlisle when he took an order to your boss." Charles dug into his pocket, handing over a folded manila envelope. "I do hope that suffices."

John took the folder, handling it carefully, "When'd you do this?"

"I'm sure you remember the conversation in Anna's car?" Charles put his hands in his pockets. "I couldn't do much more for you then but I could do that."

"You just gave us information on Evergreen, that's significant."

"But I couldn't promise that at the time." Charles nodded at the folder. "I could promise that and it's what I gave."

"By your tone I'm guessing this is the end of the line for us." Anna folded her arms over her chest and Charles nodded.

"I'm being transferred to run the field office in Hong Kong."

"Is this because-"

"Whether it is or it isn't, the key is that it doesn't matter." Charles scratched at his cheek before returning his hand to his pocket. "It's more… I think my bosses have grown a bit tired of the fact I'm not exactly toeing company line."

"Then it is my fault." Anna chewed the inside of her cheek as Charles shook his head.

"As much yours as Mary's really."

Anna stepped forward and pulled Charles into a hug. "I'm going to miss you."

"Miss the information I could sneak you, you mean?" He joked and then lowered his voice. "Be careful Anna. Black Mountain's not too different from Evergreen and if-"

"Shhh." Anna pulled back, shaking her head at him. "It's not at all the same, I promise you."

"Then I trust your judgment better than my own." He kissed her cheek. "Take care of yourself Anna. I'll not be there to save your ass should you need it again."

"Advice I'd give you." Anna pushed at his arm. "As I recall, I was the one who saved you."

"Give and take." Charles sidestepped her to shake John's hand. "I'll have you know, Mr. Bates, that Hong Kong is not too far for me to help… should you ever need it."

"And not far enough for you not to track me down should something happen to Anna, you mean?" John shook his hand. "I don't intend for anything to happen to her while I'm around."

"The I leave her in your capable hands." Charles pivoted on his heel toward the door but stopped, facing them again. "Although, she is quite the handful."

"Then it's a good thing I've got big hands."

"A very good thing." Charles opened the door, leaving the office, and Anna took his seat on the sofa as she watched him walk down the corridor to the lifts.

"Why do I have the vaguely depressing impression that I'll never see him again?"

"He's a spook, they've got nine lives."

"I think he wasted all of his on me." Anna patted the seat next to her. "We've got other things to discuss now."

"Like the trial?"

"In a moment." Anna swung her legs over him as he got comfortable. "I was wondering if you'd be willing to demonstrate how you plan on handling me with your rather large hands."

"Because you intend to seduce me on the sofa of your office?"

"I did wear a skirt today." Anna put her hands on his shoulders to leverage herself to the table running along the back of the sofa. Her hand fumbled there a moment before she found the button that dropped the shades on the glass of her office. "And I do find myself remarkably easy to seduce with you around."

"Especially when I'm saying things about having large hands to use?" John's hands moved over her thighs, pushing her skirt higher and higher with each motion. "Could that be the reason?"

"It's definitely one of them." Anna held his face in her hands. "We will take care of each other, won't we?"

"I'm here for you however," John dipped his head under her jaw, kissing there as his hands snuck under her skirt. "Wherever," She held tightly to the back of his neck and rolled her hips against his when his fingers worked under the edge of her knickers. "And Wherever."

"Right here, right now, and as quickly as possible."

"My pleasure."

His fingers pulled her knickers to the side so he could enter her. She scrunched her eyes closed at the sensation, a slight bite to it until her body responded to his attentions, and then rolled her hips into his hand. John's other hand held at her hip and pulled her skirt further and further up her legs so she could spread around him better.

Anna hummed, her fingers spearing into John's hair as he continued kissing along her throat, and adjusted to send John's fingers deeper inside her. A tip of his head brought their lips together and Anna sank into the kiss, holding him close to her as she dragged her tongue along his bottom lip. The vibration of his response, a growling from the back of his throat, rolled through Anna and she pressed further to open his lips for her exploration.

A slight motion under Anna almost distracted her from their kiss but John's thumb flicking her clit broke their kiss completely. She bit her lip to keep herself crying out as John continued to stroke his fingers inside her to find the place that kept her quivering like an exposed nerve. And when he played his hand at both locations simultaneously, Anna buried her head in his shoulder and bit down to keep from screaming.

It took a bit more than a shuffle and adjustment to expose him as their kisses and seeking distracted them from their intentions. But John's bare ass soon rested on the cushions and Anna shoved his trousers and boxers down his legs so she would not catch her legs in them and knock her head against his. They only paused long enough to grin at one another before John's hand at Anna's hip dragged her down onto him.

With her skirt bunched up at her waist, Anna frowned at the slight impediment between them. John caught her expression and bucked his hips into hers to make her groan. She tried to scowl but his fingers took to her buttons and slowly pried them open to expose her chest to him.

"You look a little perturbed, Ms. Smith." He bent his head forward, rolling his hips into hers so Anna's head went back. "Might I do something to help that?"

"That depends." Anna leaned toward him as his mouth moved from her neck to her freshly revealed torso. "What do you have planned?"

"You'll like it." His fingers flicked open the front clasp on her bra and Anna dug her nails into the back of his skull as he took her breast in his mouth.

Each sucking motion that left red marks over her skin timed perfectly with his thrusts into her. Every time he nipped at her skin his hips ground into hers. And whenever he kissed toward her nipples his fingers teased at her clit.

Anna gyrated with him, her knees giving her the leverage she needed to rock and bounce when John urged her or ride the long, slow strokes he steadily replaced with faster, short ones. The ones that had them panting together between kisses Anna forced on him to gain back with his pleasure in returning them. She twisted closer to him, trying to match his attentions to her lower body with her mouth on his but what gave his eyes the frantic look was when her hand joined his between them. A flick of her fingers slipped over him and John's eyes scrunched shut so tightly the skin around his sockets went white.

They broke together a second later, Anna moving her hair to the side to take John's lips in another deep kiss she only broke when colors dotted her vision. Her fingers tried to arrange his hair back in place but it stuck up in odd places now. Places she recognized as where her hands indented to hold onto him more tightly.

"I think I've rather mussed you." Anna patted at his locks but John caught her hand, kissing the inside of her wrist. "Sorry about that."

"I'm not." He traced his finger up her breastbone, flirting near her breasts again. "I think I rather like this look on you."

"Thoroughly shagged?" Anna pulled back just enough to make a show of looking him over. "I rather like the look on your too."

"Good." John's arm wrapped around Anna's back and flipped them sideways so she stretched the length of the sofa. "Because I want to see it again."

"And how'll you manage that?"

"You speed up my recovery period." John moved against her and Anna tugged her bottom lip with her teeth to stop herself crying out as he slid along her again. "Although, I should probably ask…"

"I'm up to date on all my medications." Anna grinned at him, her vision a little hazy. "Don't think I haven't noticed our blatant disregard for this like protection."

"If you're taking something then," John shifted, dragging himself out to run along her seam. "It's enough for me."

"Good, because I don't care how good you are, there's no way you're pulling out in time." Anna notched her leg over his hip, pulling him toward her. "And I don't have a spare change of clothes before your trial."

"I've already wrinkled your skirt."

"That'll be under the robes." Anna bucked her hips to meet the drive of his until they rutted against one another. "Only I'll know."

"And me."

"I should hope so." Anna dug her knee into the back of the sofa to spread wider and pull him closer. "You're the one mussing me."

"It's a mutual thing." John kissed her, one of his hands holding at her hips to try and control his motions. "It's a good look for you."

"Not one I want to share with the world." Anna dragged her fingers over the back of his shirt as his head bent to take charge of caring for her breasts again. "Holy hell!"

The stick and screech of their bodies moving over the leather of the sofas sounded like discordant notes in Anna's ears. She tried to bury the sounds in the repetition of their bodies meeting and the wet suck of their motions. It was not enough and so she ran her hand between their bodies to work over herself. The position ran her fingers over him as well and John stuttered a moment before sucking more fiercely at one of Anna's breasts.

She broke with a flutter of her fingers over her clit and the strangling cling of her vaginal walls around him. John bucked and shunted a few more times before he came. Their bodies vibrated and twitched with the last of their energies before settling on the sofa. A careful maneuver in and of itself as John worked to not crush Anna into the cushions and she tried to disentangle herself from around him.

When she managed to reverse the pretzel shape she took, Anna lay back on the cushions. Her chest rose and fell in an attempt to fill her starved lungs and she forced a shaking hand through her hair to try and contain the mess there now. All it did was catch her fingers and she shook them free before snorting.

"What?"

"We do this far too much to be healthy."

"Physically it's actually quite healthy." John dragged a hand over his face and then back into his hair. "It helps with weight loss, heart health, blood flow, and-"

"And increases your libido apparently." Anna pushed a hand behind her to sit up, her legs laying over his on the sofa and her shirt still gaping while her bra hung off her shoulders. "But that's not what I meant."

"I'm guessing you're talking emotionally, not physically?"

Anna nodded, "We do this instead of building any kind of relationship."

"This isn't a relationship?" John ducked her glare. "No, I know what you mean. Sorry for making light of it."

"I don't blame you." Anna put both arms behind her to tip her head back, "Shagging has always been easier than actually investing in a relationship."

"Depends on who you were shagging." John shrugged, "You're the best ones I've ever had and it's a lot easier to work with you than a great many people I've tried it with before."

"I hope we're not about to compare numbers."

"No," John shook his head. "I'm not interested in who's come before and, although it might be hard to admit, if there is someone after then there's not much I can do about that."

"That's the thing." Anna scooted forward, holding her arms around her knees to put her eyes on the same level as John. "I enjoy sex with you and, at the moment, I can't say I'd want there to be anyone after you."

"I'll turn you lesbian?"

"You've spoiled me for anyone else." Anna swatted at him, "With as great as it's been and as much as I like the sex we have, and trust me I like it, I-"

"I guessed you liked it based on the noises you make when you come."

Anna raised a warning finger, "That's not the point."

"You're worried that it's not enough." John grew serious, "And you're right, it's not."

"For now, maybe, but long term…?" Anna shook her head. "Even for as healthy as it makes us, you and I both know that there's nothing more guaranteed than the idea that we'll all die."

"Momento Mori?"

"Exactly." Anna sucked the inside of her cheek. "I don't know if you want a long-term thing or whatever but-"

"But you want one?"

"At this point I wouldn't mind entertaining the idea."

"I wouldn't mind it either." John let his head loll back on the sofa. "Even given the fact that less than four months ago I was sitting in a cell, accused of killing my wife, and I can't say I'm the most put-together person."

"I can't claim that either." Anna turned her head to check the time. "We have to go or we'll be late and that won't look good."

"We didn't even prepare for trial."

"We'll have to do it on the way." Anna reached to the coffee table and yanked tissues from the box, cleaning over herself as best she could before resetting her knickers and pulling her skirt down. "It'll have to do."

"Do you have the wig too or just the robe?"

"I've got the whole getup." Anna winked at him, kicking the tissues into his lap. "Come on. We've got to get going."

"Do you think Ms. Baxter and Mr. Moseley got anything off that drive?"

"Not that we'll have time to enter into evidence before we appear today." Anna ducked into the loo right off her office and checked herself over, fixing her hair and makeup before wiping herself down with a few of the wet wipes. "Whatever they find they'll need to verify for us before we can use it. I won't have anything stabbing me in the back if I enter it in as evidence."

"Solid approach." John's voice carried over the office as Anna finished and exited the loo. "What about the witnesses that Mr. Blake promised?"

"Who do you think he got?"

"I know there are a number of them who'd volunteer but only a few could actually swear under oath to have seen me that night without perjuring themselves." John redid his tie and grabbed for his jacket. "But it all depends on what they can actually say under oath."

"National security must be such a drag."

"It is when you're on this side of it." John chuckled, "I finally feel a touch of sympathy for all those poor constables and officers we trod over getting our work down."

"The little ants you never noticed before?"

"More like the people in lines at banks." John checked himself over, "Am I ready for this?"

"Considering you showed up to enter your plea in a leather jacket, this judge'll be far more impressed you actually managed a sport coat." Anna dusted at his lapel. "Next time I need to plan your suit better."

"You didn't mind it when you helped it wrinkle past my knees."

"I didn't feel like knocking our heads together if I tripped up in it while trying to shag you senseless." Anna teased, grabbing her things. "The key, with the trial, is not to hide from the problems you and your wife were having. They'll be used as motive and you need to own each and every one of them."

"Because otherwise I look like I'm hiding something."

"People with obvious problems are usually those trying to either solve them or get away from them. People who murder their spouses are usually at the end of their rope."

"Then it's a good thing I've got a long rope."

Anna stopped, shaking her head, "I wouldn't use that line."

"Alright, I won't." John trailed her to the lifts, "What else?"

"Once we know who the witnesses are, you give me three things I need to know about them and three key questions to ask. That'll help me shape my line of inquiry once I finish with whatever the prosecution inevitably uncovered."

"If Mr. Blake only got them to agree today then-"

"Then we have to assume that our… antagonists have been tracking this the whole time and they knew before we did." Anna entered the lift, looking up at the ceiling. "I never did buy the foil."

"For the hats?"

"Now that I know we've got an organization of disillusioned former operatives of the British government with a vested interest in you, I'd say I should've thought a little more carefully about my headgear."

"What'd Mr. Blake have to say about it when he whispered in your ear?"

Anna caught John's expression out of the corner of her eye. "He warned me about you. Said you've got the potential to be just as dangerous as our repellant friends."

"It's not what you're made up of, it's what you're made of." John clasped his hands in front of him as Anna twisted to face him. "Doesn't matter if it's cut from the same cloth, a tie is not a handkerchief."

"What makes you different?"

"I wasn't founded in secret." John's lips quirked toward a smile. "My mother was a very religious woman and she always loved the passages of the Bible that mentioned God never worked in darkness."

"You operate in the black, John."

"But I don't work in darkness, there's a difference." John clacked his teeth together, "It's different when you're borderline rogue assassins that someone kept on a fraying leash. Our organization is military contracted but we've got strict codes and guidelines. That kind of behavior wouldn't fly at Black Mountain."

"But for… them?"

"They were the people everyone wanted to pretend they didn't know and then worked hard to forget." John's eyes flashed a moment as they exited the lift. "They're the things that go bump in the night."

"And you?"

John leaned on the top of Anna's car. "In the words of John Hurt, 'We're the things that bump back' and I intend on roasting out every single one of those nightmares and either putting them in jail or in the ground."

"Then let's keep you out of the former and far from the latter." Anna popped the locks on her car and got in. "To the first."

"And then we worry about the second?"

"I'm sincerely hoping I never have to worry over the second." Anna put her hand on his headrest to look out the back window as she reversed. "I'm not good at picking out burial plots."