Chapter 28

A/N: 6 months. Oh dear. Sorry to keep you guys waiting! Hope you enjoy this and please review :) If not, thanks for reading anyway hehe.


Lab 1, HIVE

"So we're in agreement, then?" Otto asked.

Alex shook his head vehemently. "It's not going to work – "

"Alex! Wake up!" Otto shook Alex by the shoulders before he could say anything else. "You are sleepwalking! How many times do I have to tell you before you WAKE UP?"

"What? But I'm – "

"Singing in the rain like you were on a field of dandelions. I know. My ears have been suffering from it for the past 10 minutes. Now be a good boy and let us walk back to our rooms. I've had enough experimenting anyway."

And so Otto dragged Alex back to the room, while Alex finally realized that he never had a say in the escape plan anyway.


Prime Minister's Secret Office, London

"Explain to me why we had to meet here, of all places, Alan," the PM said wearily, rubbing his hand over his face.

"It's the only location I know of for this matter, Sir," Blunt replied, well aware that there were secret cameras recording everything in the room, and so would be able to save him in court even if, especially if, the whole thing went awry.

"And explain to me why he had to be here, then," referring to Tomkins, the minister of defense beside him.

"He gives good advice, which I need now," Blunt said, almost shuddering. He doesn't need advice from him. The only reason Tomkins was there was because he was an important witness if ever they landed in court.

"And this matter was?" The PM prompted. "Don't tell me you're going to come here and say you're giving me a surprise party for my birthday, in which case I have more important matters to attend to –"

"Code Tango, Sir."

The PM jumped a little at Blunt's, well, bluntness.

Blunt assumed that meant he could go on.

"It appears we have a delicate situation at hand, Sir. A former agent of MI6's has sent a distress signal, and he seems to be at the hands of two successful hackers trying to compromise our database. However, we, ahem, my source found that Mrs. Jones seemed to have ignored this distress signal and we believe that it is for nefarious purposes."

"And you want to implement Code Tango."

"My source, yes."

"You do know you'd have to identify your source for this to work, right?"

"Not unless this goes haywire, Sir." Blunt didn't want to name Smithers not because he was trying to protect him. Far from it. Unless the plan went south, Blunt didn't want Smithers to get any unnecessary attention. Smithers was a gem, but gems were meant to be locked safely in safes, not worn on rings to be flaunted.

"That's what the rules say, Blunt, but I don't see how I can approve Code Tango without knowing the full details of this."

Both Blunt and the PM stared at each other, refusing to back down.

A shy voice spoke up. "Uh – If I may interrupt – " the glares from the two other people in the room told him he mayn't, but Tomkins continued anyway. "What is Code Tango?"

Blunt sighed in frustration. He'd clearly picked the wrong person to be a witness. "Code Tango. In light of mostly speculative but substantial proof, the PM charges the current head of MI6 with treason. The previous head of MI6 – "

"Which would be you," Tomkins clarified.

"Which would be me," Blunt repeated, clearly annoyed at being interrupted, "will be reinstated, until someone can prove without a doubt that either the previous head had committed treason, or that the source was incorrect in his accusations of treason. If the former, then the proper disciplinary actions for treason would be carried out. If the latter, then the source would be charged with treason. Until then, the source may remain anonymous."

"Excellent recitation of the Code Tango requirements, Blunt. But I need more information than 'ignored the distress signal' to accuse my head of MI6 of treason! What you are suggesting has many political implications – I'm sure you know that. You also know the implications on yourself, and your source."

If they are different people at all, Tomkins wondered.

Blunt explained all that his "source" had found and assured the Prime Minister of the validity of his source and the information.

Finally the Prime Minister agreed. "But it is your source's head on the line, not mine," the PM reminded Blunt.

"I agree. And I must insist that it is my source and my source alone that shall have to bear the repercussions if this fails. Do I have your consent to this, Mr. Prime Minister?"

"And if your source publicly accuses you of treason as well?"

"Then I shall retire safely to my home in the Alps and never set foot in London again."