Ch21

With a snapped summons to the ring Kayo started to wonder why the roles had reversed, surely if anyone should be doing the summoning round here it was her? Still, never keep the Field Commander waiting, but it served to be armed. Quickly she requested Eos download the latest data and communications from operation 'smother hen', then she made the jump to the living room surprised to see that not only blue eyes greeted her. The blue were certainly sporting the most serious expression, the cyan merely raising an eyebrow and miming 'zipping it' behind Scott's back. Data started to stream before her eyes, the boys were on the move, so far no alarm bells. They had reduced speed miles before the radar gun, definitely only good news then, oh shit, a transcript from a recent conversation Scott had with Gordon and Al. Adopting a neutral expression while waiting for whatever shit storm was brewing, she caught John's eye and in one amused glance knew she had back up giving her free reign to break the silence.

"So Scott, you have an emergency?"

"Er nope….Just a little change in plan"

There was no point in pretending he wasn't certain she had all the data at her fingertips so she fought the desire to play dumb "What? You want to monitor their beach vacation; I don't think we need to implement tighter security until the media frenzy. What's really bugging you?" Kayo fought to suppress her smirk as the eyes of her red headed brother twinkled with delight.

"They know I know, how?"

"How do you know, they know that you know." With that John's laugh broke free and she watched Scott head pivot in the direction of the intrusion.

"Instead of hovering in the background you may as well join us."

John moved towards the seats "It may have escaped your attention Scott but I generally hover in the back ground." Enjoying every minute of the uncomfortable demeanour of his brother he continued "So, how do you know, that they know, that you know."

"Alan told me."

Both Kayo and John burst out laughing.

Kayo regained her composure quickly before the cause she was trying to defend became collateral damage because she and John had fanned the flames "Ok the jig is up, so again what's the problem?"

"They were taking the piss."

"Nothing new there then." John added now wondering where the hell this was leading.

Scott smiled "Just your excursion on security detail is no longer required; Parker will have to find a new co-driver Kayo."

"Hang on a minute, a little security for the main event wasn't such a bad idea."

"Spoken with your Head of Security hat on or are you disappointed not to be getting in on the action?"

John started to realise the full extent of the operation behind the latest exit visa signed "You mean you were gonna gatecrash their party."

Kayo shrugged "On orders?"

He turned back to Scott "So your leaving them to it right?"

"Not exactly John, I want IR mission control on the Island, you have Three if needed, Kayo Thunderbird One, sleeping beauty has his usual ride, I'm going stateside."

"You're trusting me with One just so you can give them a bollocking … and for what?"

Scott laughed "Bollocking no, lesson maybe, in three days I'm gonna co-drive with Parker, cocky little shits will find they are not the only ones who know how to have fun or handle a car."

Kayo folded her arms looking to John for support "You'd better not ruin theirs."

John smiled "Don't think he's planning on ruining it K, just showing them how it should be done, Al's unwittingly thrown a gauntlet and big brother here is gonna make him squirm."

"Not so much squirm as eat my dirt." Scott responded smugly.

"Technically speaking, not likely with the staggered start." Kayo grumpily responded now the opportunity for a working speed carnival had disappeared in minutes before her eyes.

John sighed "I'm calling an intervention."

Scott raised an eyebrow "You think we should call them home."

"No, I think we should call Virgil to talk you out of this, Alan will never forgive you."

"Might if he beats us."

"Parker won't throw it and neither will you." Kayo responded looking to John for support, with none immediately forthcoming she left the ring to brief Virgil, determined that between now and the day of the launch party a three pronged attack may talk him out of it and if that got her back on security detail then all the better.

…..

Alan pulled into the dustbowl car park and looked at Gordon, the hotel nestled at its rear did not look remotely like the five star treatment they were going to get in Houston but the Seaside Inn was right on the beach and Gordon had a huge grin on his face. Hell, they only needed a bed and the ocean and his brother certainly didn't look disappointed.

Alan parked her up as close as he could get to the building, turned off the engine and smiled at his navigator "Well we made it, no thanks to you and your we don't need the sat nav from here. Scott going blind on our location is one thing but taking over an hour to find the hotel just a god damn waste of your own time. There can only be a few hours of daylight left and we've got to unpack yet."

Gordon gave him an incredulous look stopping short of laughing in his brothers face "Unpack, you serious, check in, dump bags, beach, hire shop, sniff out the nearest party and roll into bed at stupid o'clock before doing it all over again. Whoever has time to unpack Al, live out of ya bag like a pro."

"A prostitute?"

The stifled laugh burst free "Shit Al, professional surfer!"

Slightly embarrassed at the rebuff and completely aware he was now firmly out of his comfort zone Alan followed Gordon into the hotel. The lobby was clean and functional, service friendly, room adequate; he barely had both feet inside the door when Gordon relieved him of his bag, threw it on the bed and grabbed his arm pulling him the wrong side of the door.

"You serious, coffee Gord, I've just driven ten and a half hours on one thermos I think I deserve at least a coffee."

Gordon ignored the protestation, practically corralling him out of the hotel "Grab you a soda in the surf shop, come on Al only a couple of hours left and I wanna get my feet wet. Besides if you want to find a party you've gotta join the fun."

Alan sat on the wall outside the shop drinking soda watching his animated brother secure the hire of a couple of boards. For a simple purchase he was certainly taking his god damn time, revised, for a simple purchase from a man he was taking his time. No doubt deep in conversation about the tide and the best surf his attention turned from his gesticulating brother to a girl with long auburn hair struggling to kick start her scooter. One look back towards the shop and he determined they were going nowhere soon so he made his way over.

"Hey, want some help."

She smiled "Got a new scooter?"

"Take a look at this one for you if you'd like."

She held out her hand "Connie … and if you wouldn't mind but I've but been ignoring the problem for a couple of days so it's probably given up the ghost."

"I'm Al, and let's just take a look, could be something or nothing."

She shrugged "Definitely not nothing and with my luck probably an expensive something."

Al checked the basics, covertly checking for gas, not wanting to offend the green eyes damsel in distress. Satisfied it wasn't an embarrassing oversight on her behalf he removed the spark plug, found the loose connection and confidently asked her to try it without the kick start.

The kiss delivered to his cheek was certainly a surprise, the invitation to a beach party later that evening an even better one. In doing a good deed for Gordon, karma seemed to be delivered. He decided there and then that Gordon could go to hell if he had other plans, he waved goodbye and promised to meet her there. Quite why is heart was hammering in his chest he wasn't certain but there was a slim chance, if he wasn't mistaken, that he was about to go on his first date.