''You're not buying this are you?'' Sara remarked. It wasn't really a question - she'd seen that abstracted look on Leonard's face before.
He turned away from the window where he'd been gazing in the direction that Evelyn had taken as she left.
''Old friend or not'' and he was annoyed, remembering how closely they'd worked together at one time. ''She's keeping something from us at the least, if not actually lying to us.''
Sara hoped it wasn't the latter - but A.R.G.U.S. under Ulrickssen was not what it had been in Lyla's day. It was even worse.
''What are you thinking of doing?''
''Just taking a look, for the moment. We do still have some breach devices?''
''My secret stash? Yes, I did find a place to hide them from the kids. Are you going alone?''
''More or less.''
Which meant, no. She sighed, not being too happy that he had continued to have contact with some one who had once made a serious attempt to kill him. Even if they had made their peace with each other since then.
She followed him through into the bedroom and watched as he lifted a rectangular box down from the top shelf, then used his thumbprint Id to open it. It was over a year since he'd last had the Cold Gun out and he turned it over in his hands for a moment, examining it.
''Still good.''
But she could tell that it felt heavier that it once had, when he strapped the holster in place. Just as her combat skills are not what they were. I'm not even sure where my staffs are - I think Laura and Lisa were using them for sparring practice a while ago, she reflected.
He grinned when he saw where she hidden the breach devices. Or rather how she'd hidden them.
''A gift from Nora'' she said, unnecessarily. ''I put my thumbprint there -and it turns into a safe.''
''You know you just told that to a burglar'' he had come up behind her., hands on her shoulders.
She turned towards him and they exchanged a long kiss.
''Go'' she said finally, giving him a small - reluctant - nudged him towards the door. ''I'll tell the kids you've gone hunting.'' Which was true in a way.
X
First stop was a rocky cove on a section of the mainland coast, about twenty miles from the island. He'd misjudged the tide slightly and swore when he stepped through the breach into about a foot of water.
Wet footed, he trudged up above the waterline, found a rock to sit on while he emptied his boots. Then it was a scramble up the rocky incline to reach the entrance to a narrow cleft between the cliffs. Ten minutes of foot-squelching ascent brought him to the western edge of the grass plains. A faint path wound between the long grass steams and he could see the Knoll, three or four miles away. Checking that the Cold Gun was ready to draw - although the Knoll's inhabitants kept most of the larger predators away from the area - he set out.
They knew he was coming of course - he heard soft birdcalls that were not birdcalls. There were subtle noises - shiftings among the surrounding grasses. They knew who he was of course - and who he'd come to see - o the watchers were probably youngsters training as hunters. Probably.
He was half-way to the Knoll, when there was a more purposeful movement in the grass behind him. Reflexively, his hand dropped to the Cold Gun and he had half-drawn it, when a familiar, slightly reproachful, voice came from behind him.
''Now, is that any way to greet an old friend?''
He turned, letting the gun slide back into its holster.
''You tell me'' he drawled, then. ''Hello, Mick.''