Same Time Next Year
Disclaimer: I don't own The New Avengers, nor the characters of Mike Gambit, Purdey, and John Steed. Sadly. They're the property of The Avengers (Film and TV) Enterprises. This story is for entertainment purposes only. No copyright infringement intended
Timeline: Ninth in a series. Takes place in November, 1977, a few months after the conclusion of the series in the Canadian episodes. It is strongly recommended, but not essential, that you go back and read the previous stories in the arc: Lost Boys, Anew, Aftermath, Dance With Me, The Anniversary, Merry Christmas, Mr. Gambit, Brazil, Life on Mars, and 'Til Death.
For more information about the series, please see my profile.
One visit to Battersea's local Royal Mail outpost later, Purdey was back in the car with Sara, and the two women retraced their steps, returning the car to the alley from whence it came. Sara's unnamed friend was still at his post in the back room, munching a sandwich and perusing a paperback as though whiling away a lazy Sunday afternoon without a care in the world.
When they re-emerged from the restaurant, Purdey was relieved to see that their tail was still where they'd left it. All told, they'd been gone a little over an hour, hopefully a believable amount of time to have had an intense conversation as well as a bite to eat. They were followed from the moment they returned to Sara's car, of course, but Purdey no longer cared. The important work was finished.
Sara dropped her off back at the Ministry, encouraging Purdey to call her if she needed anything else. Purdey was grateful for the other woman's help, but thought she could handle things on her own from now on. The fewer people involved as her plan unfolded, the better. Still, it was nice to know there were allies around if they were needed. She took her own car to Gambit's flat to pick up a few things, then drove back, feeling more optimistic than she had in days.
She strode back into the Ministry with an overnight bag in hand packed full of clothes and other things that Gambit could use to make himself more presentable. As she carried her precious cargo through security, into the lift that swept into the Ministry's bowels, and down the seemingly-unending corridor, her resolve was so strong that there was no question in her mind that Gambit would get to use it.
Gambit was still ensconced in the interrogation room when she returned, staring off into the middle distance, stony-faced. Larry was still in the anteroom, talking angrily into the phone mounted on the wall, with Steed looking on impassively. Purdey approached the senior agent, and asked in hushed tones, "What's going on?"
"Larry's attempting to find someone who will grant him an exhumation order," Steed informed, emphasising the word 'attempting.' "It's not going terribly well so far. I suspect Miss Lynley's people are stonewalling him."
Purdey smirked in satisfaction, just as Larry rang off. He caught sight of her smug expression and his already-sour mood only declined further. "I don't know what you're smiling about. The longer it takes us to get into that grave, the worse it is for Gambit."
Purdey squared her shoulders. "As a matter of fact, I think Gambit's fortunes are looking up. In fact, I know. Just as I know that you're going to quit trying for an exhumation order."
Larry's expression turned sceptical. "Am I? And why would I do that?"
"Because I have the papers," Purdey said simply, and relished the astonished expression as it washed across Larry's face. "Or rather, I don't have them, but I can get them. And they're not in Gambit's grandmother's grave."
Larry's disbelief increased exponentially. "How did you…? No, never mind. I know you won't tell me. But if you know what's good for Gambit, you'll hand them over."
"I have a different idea," Purdey said calmly, setting the overnight bag on the anteroom's table. "I want you to get Gambit out of that interrogation room, and let him change into some fresh clothes."
"And why should I do that?"
"Because if you do, I'll get him to help you catch Vanessa Thyme," Purdey said matter-of-factly, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "He knows how to contact her. She must be worth something to you."
Larry didn't answer, but Purdey could see the calculations flickering behind his eyes that she knew would tell him that collaring Thyme would be coup. "In exchange for what?" he said finally, unwilling to signal his interest just yet.
"Quit investigating Gambit," Purdey declared, arms crossed defiantly. "Stop this ridiculous line of inquiry that we all know is nothing more than your personal vendetta. Steed and I have evidence that proves that everything you've got on Gambit is either false or misconstrued. The only thing we can't explain away is the fact that he hid the papers. And I don't want him to suffer any consequences for that."
Larry snorted in disbelief. "He's been hiding these documents for four years. He went on the run to avoid arrest. We still haven't independently confirmed that he wasn't collaborating with Thyme. And you want me to let him go without so much as a slap on the wrist?"
"He only went on the run because he knew you'd lock him up without giving him a chance to prove his innocence!" Purdey countered. "Look, Steed and I can provide you with conclusive proof that he was otherwise engaged during all those times he was unaccounted for. And Sara Lynley also has evidence that those tickets and bank accounts were fake. And O'Hara is the least reliable witness in the world. There isn't a shred of evidence that indicates that Gambit was working with Thyme, and if you'd given him a chance to prove it, we could have all saved ourselves a lot of time and effort. But you didn't, so we had to do your job and investigate him properly, and now your grand conspiracy theory against Gambit is in tatters."
"What about his most recent movements?" Larry cut in, unwilling to go down without a fight. "He's been doing a lot of things off the radar lately that I'll bet even Lynley couldn't explain away."
"No, but I can," Purdey said curtly, taking a modicum of pleasure in the surprise that flashed in Larry's eyes. "He was with me on all those occasions. I think I'd remember if he suddenly wandered off to contact Vanessa Thyme."
Larry scowled. "You're sure you know what you're talking about? Because given the times we're investigating, you'd have to be with him at all hours. That could be very compromising for you. People might draw the wrong conclusions."
"I don't think they will," Purdey said flatly, "since Gambit and I are…romantically involved."
"Purdey…" The warning came from Steed, but Purdey waved him quiet. She already knew the risks she was taking, but she didn't care. Let them sack her. Her job wasn't going to make her happy, not with Gambit dead or in a prison cell rather than at her side.
"I'm only telling you this because I want you to know how serious I am about Gambit's well-being, not because it's any of your business. I can be more detailed if you like, but I hope you're more of a gentleman than to ask," she went on. She was past the point of being insulted or outraged by the idea of being asked outré questions. If they wanted her to get graphic, they'd be the ones doing the blushing, not her.
Larry wasn't blushing, but his expression was sour, and not just because Purdey had suddenly punched a large hole in the case against Gambit. She knew Larry fancied her, had always seen Gambit as a rival for her affections. Purdey had fancied Larry too, once upon a time, in a casual sort of way. She found it amusing and flattering when men flirted with her, even if she didn't let them get as close as they would have liked. And flirting with someone else was always guaranteed to wind Gambit up, which had always been one of her favourite past-times, one she hadn't quite given up since they got together—getting a rise out of Gambit continued to be entertaining, even if she had no intention of taking anyone else up on their offers. Larry used to be a prime candidate for winding Gambit up, but after this fiasco Purdey was finished playing games with the man. Except for this game, which was proving rather fun in and of itself, despite the circumstances. "How long has this been going on?" Larry asked finally.
"Two months or so," Purdey replied, with practised nonchalance, and knew she didn't imagine Larry's slight wince. "And before you ask, I was the one who initiated it, not him."
Larry shook his head in disappointment. "Purdey, I thought you were smarter than that. You jeopardised your entire career by getting involved with him, even before this whole mess. He's probably been manipulating you for his own ends."
Purdey looked unimpressed. "I'm not sure Gambit would claim to be very good at manipulation. It did take him almost two years to persuade me to go to bed with him, after all."
That was salt in the wound for Larry, and Purdey momentarily wondered if she'd overplayed her hand. If she had, she would do Gambit no good at all. But Larry was a professional. He knew that it wouldn't do him much good in the eyes of the department if he lost out on something as valuable as the papers because of petty jealousy. After a moment, he pulled himself together and regarded Purdey with a little more equanimity. "You want Gambit to get off scot-free in exchange for catching Vanessa Thyme, is that it?"
"That is what I said," Purdey confirmed, impatience edging into her voice.
"And I suppose you'd also like to be excused for helping him conceal important documents from the proper authorities?" Larry added knowingly, fixing her with an incisive look that told Purdey whatever feelings he had for her wouldn't help her this time.
Purdey chose to keep her tone light rather than engage blow for blow. "If it's not too much trouble."
Larry sucked air through his teeth in an expression of uncertainty. "I'm not sure that'll fly, Purdey. The two of you getting a free pass after extreme dereliction of duty, misleading your colleagues, and fraternising on top of it all—all that brushed aside in exchange for the arrest of one dangerous free agent? I don't think McKay'll buy it."
"Vanessa Thyme is rather more than a troublesome freelancer," Steed pointed out, diving into the fray after observing it silently from sidelines. "There are more than a dozen governments who want her dead or alive, if you'll forgive the cliché. And you must admit that Purdey and Gambit have a rather long and impressive service record behind them. It would be the Ministry's loss if they were dismissed for what, in our line of work, are some comparatively minor sins."
Purdey smiled at Steed's endorsement, knew the senior agent was applying pressure in the way only he could manage—subtly, reasonably, with a quiet, but very real, threat behind it.
"Maybe so," Larry countered, unmoved even by Steed. Purdey knew his case against Gambit as the mastermind behind a long-running conspiracy to undermine their department had been reduced to rubble. But there was still the inescapable fact that Gambit had been in dereliction of duty for some time now, ever since he'd decided to hang onto the papers, along with the inconvenient fact that he had gone on the run just when he was about to be taken into custody. There was very little Purdey or even Steed could do to counter that if the top brass decided that Gambit should be made an example of, except execute some clever utilitarian calculus that proved Gambit to be much more useful out fighting baddies than locked away or struck off. Larry was going to make that calculation as difficult as he possibly could, especially if he added Purdey's own, lesser crimes of aiding and abetting to the mix. "But that's still thin porridge to compensate for treason."
Purdey's eyes flashed in outrage. "Treason! He only hid the papers. He didn't sell them on to the other side."
"But he held them despite a direct order," Larry shot back. "What's to stop him from deciding to ignore other orders if he decides he doesn't like them? What sort of agent does that make him?"
"The kind that doesn't blindly do as he's told whatever the consequences. You know as well as I do that in the field things aren't always black and white." Steed was stern now. His seniority was going to be hard to beat on the 'accused of treason' front. Steed had broken the rules more times than anyone could count. If the department had always taken Larry's hard line, Steed would have been locked up dozens of times over, but no one could deny it was his willingness to break the rules that made him such a good agent, one who had saved the country more times than anyone could count, with a few undocumented occasions on the side for good measure.
"That may be true, but I think you ought to add some spice to the pot." Larry met Purdey's eyes. "Give me Thyme and the papers and I'll help you persuade the top brass that it's a good deal."
So there it was. Purdey cursed internally. She'd hoped to keep the papers out of the bargain, in keeping with Gambit's wishes. But she could feel Larry wasn't going to budge, not on this. Still, she had to try. "Gambit will never agree to that."
"Gambit's not making the deal. You are. Or do I have that wrong?" Larry's face creased in a sneer. "You are still capable of making decisions without his input, aren't you?"
The words stuck in her craw, just as Purdey knew they were meant to. That didn't make them more bearable, or less true. She'd chosen to act without talking to Gambit, partly by necessity, but partly because she wanted to ensure Gambit's safety; he was liable to forfeit it for the greater good if given the choice himself. Now she was faced with that same choice—Gambit's freedom, or his principles. Larry would make sure she couldn't have both, and there was no way around that.
Or was there?
"I want to talk to McKay," she declared. "We'll see what he thinks is fair."
Larry looked annoyingly confident. "After you."
A quarter of an hour later, despite persuasive arguments from both Purdey and Steed, they had their answer, and it was in Larry's favour. As Purdey handed over the overnight bag to be taken to Gambit, she knew the stakes that she'd put up for this deal, both personal and professional, were high. She only hoped they weren't going to end higher than either her or Gambit could afford.
vvv
Gambit was sitting on a decidedly unglamourous cot in an equally utilitarian cell. It was a step up from the interrogation room, but it was still hardly the Ritz. Gambit had to admit that the clean clothes—his own clothes—made a difference, as did the opportunity to have a proper shower and shave, two luxuries he'd been denied during his time on the run. Sadly, the cuffs on his wrists were a sobering reminder that he wasn't out of the woods yet.
The door opened and Purdey walked in. Gambit could tell immediately that she was on the warpath, determined and angry and all the more powerful for it. Her eyes were blazing and her chin was turned up defiantly. The click of her heels on the concrete floor bounced ominously off the walls. Gambit thought she looked magnificent.
Purdey's eyes met his and softened almost instantly, and she gifted him with one of those small, secretive smiles that were her stock and trade. It instantly made him feel better—just seeing her was a balm for his soul. Gambit got to his feet, unsure of whether or not they'd let him touch her, but determined to try. He reached out a hand, and it was at that moment that Purdey's gaze fell to his chained wrists. The fire returned to her eyes almost instantly.
"Why is he still wearing those?" she called through the small, barred window in the door to the guard posted outside, and Gambit heard some mumbled explanation in response. Purdey was clearly unimpressed by what she heard. "Well take them off. Gambit's capable of a lot of things, but karate chopping his way out of a concrete room isn't one of them."
There were more murmured conversations outside, but eventually the guard came in and unlocked the cuffs without making eye contact. "Thanks," Gambit told him, barely managing to keep the amusement out of his voice. He wasn't exactly sure what had happened since Sara left, but clearly Purdey was in charge, and that was all to the good.
Purdey watched the guard depart the cell with her hands on her hips, waited until he closed the door behind him before she made her move. Then suddenly she was in his arms, hands on either side of his face, lips meeting his in a passionate kiss. Gambit kissed back, relieved, grateful, amazed, but above all happy to have this one moment with her. Heaven knew how many more they'd get. All the same, when he broke away, his expression was puzzled. "You know we're being watched. I thought you didn't want anyone to know about us?"
Purdey's hands dropped to his shoulders. "They know now," she said simply. "I had to tell them. I needed them to understand how much I cared about you, and how serious I was about keeping you safe. But it works in our favour."
Gambit's hands rested comfortably on her waist. He could feel the softness there, but also the muscles underneath, the strength. Soft but strong. That was Purdey in a nutshell. He felt better just holding her, and if they didn't need to hide anything, he wasn't going to deny himself. "What do you mean?"
"I made a deal."
Gambit cocked his head with slight trepidation. "What kind of deal?"
"I have the papers," Purdey confided. "Not on me. But I can get them. I told them you could use them to bring Vanessa Thyme out into the open. You can contact her, can't you? Get her to come to a rendezvous for an exchange?" Purdey knew that he could—he'd told her as much before he'd been captured. But the Ministry only had her word for it, and she knew they needed to put on a performance to convince the people that were watching them if that their plan would work.
"Yes." Gambit's answer was reluctant, his face getting grimmer by the moment. He was following the script, though she wasn't entirely certain if his reaction was performance or reality just yet. "But I'm not giving them to her. All I've been trying to do since I got out of Africa is keep them away from people like her."
"You're not going to give them to her," Purdey vowed, stroking his cheek to reassure him. "We're going to use them as bait so the Ministry can bring her in. Then you never have to worry about her again."
"There's more," Gambit murmured, searching her face, really worried now. "I can tell."
Purdey bit her lip. This was the tricky part of the script she'd written in her head for how this needed to go, and she wasn't entirely sure if Gambit would be able to read between the lines, or like what he saw there if he did. "They've agreed to not come after you if you do this. Sara and Steed and I have already explained away most of the irregularities that they've been using to build a case against you." She smiled a little crookedly. "I've explained that a few of them are me."
Gambit grinned in spite of himself and the anxiety that was bubbling beneath the surface. "You've always been my favourite irregularity."
Purdey smiled back, rested a hand gently against his chest, took strength from the heart she felt beating there. "There's no case, not anymore. And they've agreed not to discipline you for hiding the papers. You can stay on at the Ministry."
"What about you?"
"I'll be all right," Purdey assured quickly. The last thing she needed was Gambit thinking that it was a choice between him and her. He'd never agree to anything if she wasn't going to come out of the whole mess unscathed. She'd negotiated her own unimpeachability for his sake more than her own. "We both will. You just have to help them catch Vanessa."
Gambit met her eyes, saw the unspoken caveat, and suddenly looked tired. "In exchange for handing the papers over to the Ministry when this is all finished. Right?"
Purdey's eyes fell to her fashionably high heels and sighed. "I tried to persuade them that catching Vanessa was enough, but they were having none of it." She looked back up, met his gaze levelly, spoke to him as a partner and equal. "I know it's not what you wanted, but you must admit it's a better alternative than them winding up with Thyme. And I won't let you sacrifice yourself for them. I'm your partner and you were out of options, so I took matters into my own hands. This is the best chance for both of us to come out of this unscathed. But I promise that I've taken all your wishes into account. I haven't broken faith with you. It'll work out the way you need it to. You just have to trust me." Her gaze bore into his, willing him to understand every part of the message she was trying to convey, spoken and unspoken. "Do you trust me?"
Much to her relief, Gambit didn't look angry. Not that he lost his temper with her often, but she'd wondered if she might have overplayed her hand by going over his head and making this decision on her own. "You're right," he said finally, slowly, carefully. His penetrating gaze told her that he was searching for and had found the reassurance he needed that she had something more up her sleeve than she was letting on, even if he couldn't yet divine what it was. "I can't do it on my own. Even if I did sacrifice myself, she'd still come for the papers, and probably you too. And I don't want that, definitely not because of me." He reached out and stroked her face, smiled encouragingly. "Let's get this whole sorry business over with so we can get on with our lives." She smiled back, and this time he kissed her. When they parted, he said for the benefit of the ears he knew were listening, "I'll do whatever they want me to." Then to Purdey, "Thank you for saving me, Purdey-girl."
"I wouldn't be a very good partner if I didn't," Purdey pointed out, secretive smile back in place, and she caught the conspiratorial look in his eye just as the cell door opened.
vvv
Purdey didn't know who was more relieved to be out of the cell—her or Gambit—but either way it was all to the good, even if they'd traded it for the Ministry's underground car park, complete with Larry scowling at the pair of them. They'd given Gambit back his gun, something Larry had been decidedly against, but it was difficult to argue against the reasoning that Gambit would be of very little use to anyone if he wound up shot by Thyme because he'd had no weapon to defend himself. That didn't mean Larry liked the idea, or that he was happy Gambit was being allowed to go off on his own.
"Come on, Larry, I know you're not the most imaginative person in the world, but I thought that even you'd be able to see that Thyme isn't going to talk to me if I have a dozen agents on my tail. I have to meet her on my own, unless, of course, you want to blow the whole plan to hell before it even gets started." Gambit was not only frustrated with the man, but now that he was liberated from his cell, he was even more defiant.
"I'm not the one who came up with the bloody plan," Larry shot back, eyes burning angrily. "You'd still be locked up if I had my way."
"No, Purdey came up with the plan, luckily for you. Otherwise we'd have wound up glaring at each other i room until we both died of old age." Gambit looked plaintively at Steed and Purdey. "I'm not going to be saddled with him through this whole thing, am I? Because I think I liked the cell better."
"Now Larry," Steed said reasonably, in his most pleasant, gentlemanly voice. "Gambit does make a rather good point, although perhaps he could have been made it a little less antagonistically."
Gambit, much to Purdey's amusement, looked like a chastened schoolboy who'd been called to the carpet by a favourite teacher. She sometimes forgot that Gambit and Steed's relationship pre-dated her involvement with the team, and on occasion that older acquaintance reasserted itself. Gambit's trust in Steed was unyielding, and that included his confidence in the older man's ability to bring him back into line when he needed it. The reaction clearly met with Steed's satisfaction, because he continued on without comment. "If we want Gambit to arrange a meeting with Ms. Thyme without arousing unnecessary suspicion, we must allow him to do it on his own terms."
"I understand that," Larry snapped in frustration. "What I worry about is whether those terms will give him a prime opportunity to slip the net and be halfway to South America before we've realised what's happened. What's to stop him from doing a runner the minute he leaves? We don't have any insurance."
Gambit paused for a moment, then met Purdey's eyes uncertainly. She could tell what he was thinking, knew he was asking for her consent. It had already occurred to her that this particular situation might arise, and she smiled reassuringly to let him know that it was all right, that she was with him all the way in this caper, whatever it might entail. She saw a little of the tension leave Gambit's shoulders, and he nodded back at her in return, his partner in all ways. This was going to be a team effort in every sense of the word. He turned back to Larry.
"You do have insurance."
Larry looked bemused. "What are you talking about? We don't have the papers."
"No, but you have Purdey." Gambit's jaw was tense, and Purdey could tell the idea of using her as leverage was sticking in his craw, even if she'd okayed it. "That is, if she'll let you have her."
"I will. In a very limited capacity." Purdey's smile was small and secretive and wicked, and the look she shared with Gambit practically set the air between them alight. They lingered just long enough for Larry to shift uncomfortably, before Gambit tore his eyes away with effort.
"You know what's going on between us," he said, with a certain amount of satisfaction. "You know I won't leave her behind to save my own skin. As long as she stays here, with you, I'll have to come back."
Larry shook his head. "You can say that, but there's no way to prove that you mean it. After all the lies you've told…"
"I can kiss her again, if that helps," Gambit said dryly. "Unless you think I'm a good enough actor to fake that kind of chemistry. Or love." Larry was clearly unenthusiastic about the idea of watching Purdey lock lips with his nemesis again, and Gambit's frustration started to mount. "Damn it, Larry, she's my partner! You know as well as anyone what we've done to save each other's skin. I wouldn't have pulled half the stunts I've pulled to save her life over the years if I didn't care about her."
Larry pondered this for a moment, and Purdey knew that, in spite of himself, he was mentally calling up at least half a dozen instances where Gambit had put his life on the line to save hers. He was reluctantly drawing conclusions that he didn't like. "What's to stop you from trying to snatch her away as soon as you've gone and found yourself some cavalry of your own?" he tried, still desperately trying to throw up obstacles.
"You could take me somewhere secret," Purdey suggested. "Set a rendezvous point and collect Gambit there while keeping me somewhere else entirely. You must admit he can't whisk me away if he doesn't know where I am." She met Gambit's eyes, harkening back to one of their many in-jokes. "After all, I'm the psychic one, not him." Gambit grinned back, and Larry looked from one to the other in disgust.
"All right," he agreed sourly. "Purdey comes with me. You have until midnight to set your meeting."
"I'll be delighted to collect Gambit when he's finished," Steed volunteered cheerily, and Larry acquiesced without a fight.
"Fine, I'll let you and Steed set a rendezvous," he said tiredly. "I'm only going to waste more time fighting the three of you."
Purdey grinned triumphantly at Gambit. "I'll see you soon," he promised, levity fading as he braced himself for what was going to be an unpleasant errand.
"I hope so. I don't fancy spending the rest of my life hidden away from the world in a cellar or something," Purdey said lightly, attempting to cheer them all up. She was in professional mode now, and her anxiety over his well-being was papered over with nonchalance. "Think of the damage it'll do to my complexion."
"I'll keep your complexion in mind. Along with the rest of you," Gambit vowed, by way of a parting shot for Larry's benefit, and a last bit of encouragement for Purdey. And then he was gone.
vvv
Gambit strode into the pub without bothering to check for watchers. He didn't think he was being followed, but it didn't matter at this point. All that mattered was delivering his message. He marched straight up to the bar, where Oliver was trying to pry some useful intel out of a rough-looking patron who was a little too worse for wear to be discreet. "Oliver!" Gambit hissed, and the man started violently, spun away from his mark to meet Gambit's piercing gaze. He instantly went into self-defence mode, raising his hands plaintively.
"I told you everything, Mr. Gambit, honest! I just passed on the messages like I was told. No funny business, I swear!"
"Relax, Oliver, I'm here to ask you to pass on another message, not interrogate you about the last one." Gambit rested his hands on the bar, then quickly regretted it when his skin stuck fast to the surface. "I need you to contact Vanessa Thyme again," he explained, pulling his hands away with a sickening sucking sound, disgust written large across his face. "Do you think you can do that on short notice?"
Somehow, Oliver's pale face got even paler, and Gambit suddenly realised that the man's jumpiness wasn't due to his presence alone. "I hate to put myself out of work, Mr. Gambit, but you don't need me to pass on a message. She's here."
Gambit felt his blood run cold. He followed Oliver's trembling, outstretched index finger with no small amount of trepidation, unwilling to look once more upon the visage of the woman from his nightmares, but also inexorably drawn to see what was waiting for him.
It was almost anti-climactic in the end. Vanessa was sitting in a secluded booth in the corner, half in shadow, again in her casual pose—legs crossed, one hand toying idly with a glass of something. Gambit nodded in acknowledgement at Oliver, and could tell the man was instantly relieved to be well rid of the need to have anything further to do with them. He strode over to where Vanessa was waiting, keen to get the whole sorry business over with as soon as possible. He slid into the booth across from her, not bothering to check for the heavies he knew must be everywhere, situated around the pub. Gambit didn't think they were needed. Vanessa was perfectly capable of taking care of herself, but he supposed the added muscle was there for his benefit—an intimidation tactic, albeit not a very successful one. Gambit was also quite capable of handling himself if need be, and he somehow doubted Vanessa was planning on killing him then and there.
"You're ready to make a deal, Major," Vanessa predicted, without bothering with the pleasantries.
"What makes you think that?" Gambit asked blithely, determined not to make it easy for her.
"Because your people let you go, after taking such pains to lock you up," Vanessa said simply. "Don't try to deceive me, Major. I've been keeping tabs on you."
"I didn't know you cared," Gambit said sarcastically. "But I'm not surprised. I know you led Purdey and Steed straight to me, and I know you let them rescue me. Did you think I wouldn't figure it out?"
Vanessa sipped her drink unconcernedly, unperturbed at being found out. "I knew you'd work it out eventually, Major. You always were astute."
Gambit's mouth twisted in wry annoyance. "Should I even bother trying to negotiate with you, then, or can you read my mind, too?"
"Just about," Vanessa said flatly. "In all the ways that matter." She set down her glass and leaned forward. "Let me guess. You're here to offer me the papers in exchange for me leaving you and your friends alone, but you've told your people you can use them to help bring me in. Does that sound about right?"
Gambit's grin was wry. "If I told you otherwise, would you believe me?"
"No," Vanessa said sharply. "It doesn't matter, because I'm going to set the terms. You give me the papers, no strings attached, and I'll leave you and your precious Purdey and the rest of your so-called friends alone. I'll set the time and place of the meeting. You'll come alone. If you don't, there will be consequences." She regarded Gambit levelly. "Do you understand me, Major?"
Gambit shook his head. "You know they won't allow that. I'm not setting the terms anymore. They're going to be there whether you like it or not."
"As long as they keep their distance, that shouldn't pose a problem," Vanessa said unconcernedly. "You'll make them agree, if you know what's good for you."
"If I give you the papers and let you escape, I'll have nothing to give to my people," Gambit pointed out. "No leverage. Nothing I can use to protect myself or anyone else from the mess you've landed me in."
"You made this mess, Major," Thyme countered. "It's a situation of your own devising. You could have saved yourself all this trouble if you'd only left those papers where they were. Don't expect any sympathy from me for your foolishness."
"Still," Gambit pressed, unwilling to let the matter lie, "there's not much for me in it, is there?"
"You and your people won't wind up dead at my hands," Vanessa said flatly. "And regardless of what your Ministry has accused you of, I doubt they'll stoop to killing you or any of your co-conspirators. They might even be merciful and let them off the hook. That must be worth something to you." Gambit's jaw tightened angrily, but Vanessa ignored him and continued. "I don't deny that they might lock you up and throw away the key, but you've always been quite happy to play the martyr." She flashed a decidedly malicious smile and held out her hand. "So what do you say, Major? Do we have a deal?"
Gambit grimaced and eyed the hand angrily. "We have a deal," he growled, "but don't expect me to shake your damn hand."
