Cinnabar Isl.

One morning during the next week Giovanni received a phone call. I was attempting to negotiate with the photocopier at the time, so the interruption wasn't much appreciated.

"We'll talk later," I eyed the photocopier before I turned and hurried for my desk to beat the phone to its fourth ring. "Giovanni's office, how can I help you?"

The conversation was voice only and the number belonged to an unknown cell phone.

"This is Dr. Fuji. I wish to speak with Giovanni please," a slow and calculated voice sounded on the other end.

The name wasn't familiar to me. "Can I ask what it's regarding."

"It's regarding his latest project. Need to know only." The voice began to sound irritated. "It's imperative that I speak with him right away."

"One moment." I placed the call on hold and paged Giovanni before sending it through.

My job done, I went back to my negotiations with the photocopier. Unfortunately they weren't going well in my favour. Generally my patience is good, but on this particular morning, it was wearing thin very quickly. "Now listen here! If you won't work for me, you leave me with no choice but to go down stairs and use your cousin in the lab! You don't want to make me do that, I don't like walking down steps in these heels."

It was then that I became aware of a shadow standing over me. Jumping about six feet, I reeled on the spot, staggered in my heels and fell backwards into the copier. I found myself face to face with a somewhat amused Giovanni who patiently stood behind me.

"Do you always talk to the office equipment like that?"

Visibly flustered, I straightened and pulled a string of hair behind my ear. "Only the ones that don't listen."

He nodded slowly and moved along to the point of his intrusion. "There is a situation on Cinnabar Island that requires my immediate attention. Go home and pack for two days. The helicopter leaves in an hour."

I'd only been to Cinnabar Island once before, and that was on the cruise I'd taken before going to work for Giovanni. My sister, on the other hand, visited it frequently on vacation with her husband. This time, it was strictly business. Not that it really mattered anyway. It was the middle of winter; somewhat chilly and very wet. So the view from the helicopter was severely hampered by the low cloud cover.

Giovanni and I sat across from each other, our knees almost touching beneath a small table piled high with paperwork and a laptop. Giovanni was on the phone, snarling at whoever was unlucky enough to be on the receiving end while his Persian lay partly draped across the seat beside me and partly across my lap. Persian watched me with loving eyes as I made a point of scratching him in his favourite place behind his ears. Though my concentration was focused on the fact that the vein in Giovanni's neck was beginning to show and the tone of his voice was rising at a rapid rate, until eventually and just moments before exploding point, he pressed the button on his phone and disconnected the conversation. He was furious, his knuckles turning white as he squeezed the phone in his hand.

I quickly extended hand and like a mother does to a child, expectantly signalled for him to give me the phone. His eyebrow twitched and mine rose in response. Finally heaving a sigh, he caved and released the warped phone into my possession and flopped back into his seat.

"What's the situation, Giovanni?" I gently placed the cracked cell phone on the table.

Giovanni's jaw clenched. "An important package of mine was flagged and seized at customs."

I glimpsed the paperwork on the table showing charts of DNA strands and photos of some sort of fossil.

"This doesn't have anything to do with cloning experiments does it?"

Giovanni threw me a look of distaste. "I know of your feelings toward such things, but this is a very important investment, Delia," he growled.

I knew not to push the subject; especially given his foul frame of mind. But for something to be flagged at customs meant it had to contain organic components. And the only reason why something like that would find its way to Cinnabar Island in the first place was if it was en route to the research lab. Only special 'research' permits allowed for the transfer of organic materials onto the island, which I was sure Giovanni wouldn't have overlooked.

"What do you think the issue is?"

"Politics," he spat. "I've got something the Government wants. Once the Cinnabar Lab confirms the finding, the fossil is scheduled to be shipped directly to my lab on New Island. Their insistence on holding up the process is costing me time and money."

I allowed Giovanni to deliberate in silence and focused my efforts on Persian who didn't seem to mind the extra attention. Before long the helicopter panned to the right and the rooftop of a building came into view. We landed on a large helipad only to be greeted by the staff of what I assumed was a luxury hotel. I waited for Giovanni to disembark before clearing the table of its contents and falling into step behind him and his Persian. A host met us at the rooftop door, greeting us with a wide smile and directing us to the elevator which took us down to the presidential suite.

Admittedly, I'd never seen the presidential suite of… well anything really. I was yet to realise the name of the hotel but it was nothing short of amazing. Royal reds and golds lined the walls and the carpet, making me almost feel regal as we walked the halls in silence. The Presidential suite, which Giovanni would occupy for the duration of his stay, took up the entire top floor of the hotel and contained among the most magnificent living quarters I'd ever seen, a private office and even its own conference room for meetings.

I followed Giovanni and his little escort into the office which, while being smaller than his office back at the gym or HQ, contained a perfectly crafted hardwood desk, a sitting area, a big TV and a fully stocked liquor cabinet – which Giovanni took full advantage of. While he poured himself a drink, his attendants went to work in unpacking his travel case and I set up his computer and other important documents on his desk.

Giovanni spared no time in grabbing the phone and arranging a board meeting with Dr. Fuji and the top members of his 'so called' research team. And while I set up Persian's basket and filled his food bowl, I couldn't help but overhear the mention of a conspiracy that had rocked some sort of expedition to the Amazon. There was a traitor in their midst - someone who worked undercover for the Government. Naturally, Giovanni was very intent on rooting out this impostor.

"Do you have the paperwork for the customs office?" too absorbed in my duties, I barely noticed that Giovanni was no longer on the phone.

He gave me an expectant glance and I quickly went about searching his desk for said documents. I found a folder and scanned its contents, finding Giovanni's appeal to the custom's office to release his fossil sample to him on the basis that he did have the correct licensing arrangements in place.

"Right here, Giovanni."

"Good." He checked his watch and frowned. "The office is closed now. I need you to take them down first thing tomorrow morning."

"Yes, Sir," I nodded and neatly tucked the folder under my arm. "Is there anything else you needed me to do, Giovanni?"

"No, that's all Delia. The board members should be here shortly. The evening is yours."

"I'll see you tomorrow," I smiled and he briefly returned the favour as I took my leave.

My room was only the next floor down and while it wasn't nearly as huge or luxurious as Giovanni's suite, it was still very classy. I had a beautiful view of the ocean and the sun that started its journey toward the horizon. A big, queen sized bed offered me much needed rest but I resisted its tempting call and went to work on unpacking and hanging my clothes. The last thing I needed was to turn up to work in the morning with creased business attire. It just looked unprofessional. Unfortunately, it was also around about then that I realised I'd once again forgotten to bring a change of underwear!

"Oh, Legendaries!" I cursed out loud. "Not again!"

This was going to complicate things. It left me with no choice. I had to head into town and purchase myself some new underwear. I really didn't feel like going out, especially as I watched the dark rain clouds billowing on the horizon. It was going to be a wet night. Exhaling air through my nostrils, I moaned and grabbed for my coat. If I was quick, perhaps I would avoid the rain.