p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"John had a problem, well, technically he had two in the form of two folders sitting quietly in the top right hand corner of his tablet. The problem should be what was in the two folders. The second of which he was pleased about finding, even if he wasn't sure how to properly handle the information yet. It was good news, most probably, but not pressing and could easily be shelved until later. But the first…/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"Why had he even gone looking for it in the first place?/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"He sighed. He knew why. /span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"Spite./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"Bitterness./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"Hurt feelings and not a small dose of anger. Anger which, in the small hours of the morning, he'd fuelled into his cyber hunt purely so he could shove the information in his brothers face and prove he didn't know Jasmine as well as he thought despite their -/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"John cut off his train of thought and consciously uncurled his fist. This wasn't like him. He never, ever, argued with his brothers over girls. Hell, if he was honest with himself he didn't even have that kind of relationship with Jasmine and yet the idea that she and Virgil had done /spanspan class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleItalicBody; font-style: italic; font-size: 17.41px;"that /spanspan class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"and that she'd chosen his brother over him…/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"He thought he'd let it go, that he'd burned out his feelings in high orbit and then scorched the rest away in reentry. Virgil wasn't helping himself though, he was doing that /spanspan class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleItalicBody; font-style: italic; font-size: 17.41px;"thing/spanspan class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;" he does when he's in - urgh, John didn't even want to think the word. But it was obvious though and there's no way anyone in the family could have missed it, not even their once again absent father. /span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"Virgil was happy. Annoyingly, exceedingly, gratingly happy. He played annoying little happy tunes on the piano and spent time gazing into the middle distance like some damn melodramatic tv actor. He was also so damn helpful. Scott needed a hand with a calibration? Happy to! Grandma wanted help hanging the washing? Not a problem! Gordon needed someone to time his laps? (Literally the most boring job John could imagine and one a computer could easily do) But good ole Virgil was happy to lend a hand. And John? What did John want? It didn't matter because Virgil was so busy being helpful and bringing John extra drinks or lowering the lights because of his post gravity headache that he didn't realise that what John wanted was for him to shut the good mood off and damn well leave him alone! So it was Virgil's own fault really, when John finally snapped./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Will you give it a god damn rest!" He'd ended up shouting as Virgil launched into yet another jaunty little rag on the piano. What was this now three? Four? Wasn't one enough?/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Sorry, John" Virgil had said stopping playing immediately. "I didn't realise your head was still bad. Would you like me to get some more tablets?"/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""No."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""How about a drink then? I can make some tea."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""No."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""It's fine" Virgil waved him off as he rose from the piano stool. "I was about to get some coffee anyway. It's no trouble."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""I said no, Virgil! Would it kill you to listen for once?" /span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"John recognised now that he was being an ass but at the time he was just done with it all. His brother was in danger, someone wanted to abduct and torture him and his other brothers were going into the line of fire to stop that from happening and no one was listening to him! To compound it all what was Virgil doing? Screwing the undercover agent, that's what! How dare he compromise her in that way when John had waited? He knew the timing wasn't right and, after talking with her, he also knew she was using their conversations to learn how to be a more successful human. She'd said she didn't have friends and hadn't the first clue how to make them. He knew she was using their friendship but he wanted to let her, he wanted to help her. But he also knew what she was. Virgil didn't. If he had he never would have…/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Woah, easy John" Virgil had said his eyes narrowing in annoyance. "I'll leave you alone."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""About damn time" John had muttered. At least he'd meant to. It's possible he'd shouted it./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Excuse me?" Virgil had the nerve to pretend he didn't know what was going on and it only wound John up further. /span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"The kicker had been their father ordering Virgil to make contact with Jasmine and John having to concede - out loud anyway - that he was the better choice for doing so. In what world was Virgil a better choice than John? Communications was John's speciality - well, one of them - he'd even taken a third phd in it just so he'd be more useful to International Rescue, but, once again, he'd been shoved to the side in favour of a brother./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Nothing" he'd said in an attempt to keep the peace. After all, who actually cared if he was pissed off?/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Really?" Virgil sounded aggressively sceptical to John. "No, come on John, out with it."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""You've been been up in my face for months now, just leave me the hell alone!"/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""I think all that time on Five has addled your brain. You've been alone for months, you've only been home a short time, how have I been up in your face?"/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"John stood and stalked over to his younger brother./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""I never get a damn break. You always want to know something. Am I okay? Can you get me anything? How's she doing? It's constant with you!"/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""How's she doing?" With the clarity of hindsight John now knew it was the non sequitur that had thrown Virgil but at the time he was so damn angry he'd jumped on the cause of the problem./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Yes! You had one small mission with her and now it's all you ask me about. Is she okay? Have I spoken to her?" John poked Virgil in the chest with each question. "You know damn well I have. Communication is my job, Virgil, mine not yours!"/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""For someone who's job it is to communicate you're doing a piss poor job" Virgil had ground out, batting John's hand away. "Why don't you tell me what's really going on John? Though I'm starting to get a good idea."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Are you? I doubt that" he'd scoffed. "You're not even thinking straight so I seriously doubt you see what's 'going on'."He'd even supplied air quotes for the last bit./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Well than, my genius older brother, why don't you enlighten me?" Again, if John hadn't been entirely enveloped in the red mist he would have known to cool it off at that point. Unfortunately when John's temper blew it went of violently and all over the place./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""You don't even know her!" he'd all but shouted. "You have some fanciful idea of who she is based on what exactly? A few days in London and a few days in the Cotswolds. I have spent months, /spanspan class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleItalicBody; font-style: italic; font-size: 17.41px;"months Virgil, /spanspan class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"talking to her. I know things that'd make your blood freeze but no, you just come blundering in all kind eyes and reassuring smile and suddenly you're all over each other with no thought about the mission or how that would affect things!"/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""On my God, are you jealous?" Virgil had been aghast at the very idea that John might have feelings - at least that's what John had thought at the time./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Jealous of what, exactly?" he'd scoffed. "The fact she'd used you for a bit of light stress relief? I don't think so."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""If you think that all it was you're mistaken" Virgil said eyes narrowing. /span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Oh really? You think there was more to it than just prematch nerves? She's a biomech, Virgil, and she's been doing things like this her entire life. You think it was more than a coping strategy?"/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Which is it John? Huh? Are you pissed because us spending a night together compromised her or because it didn't and it wasn't with you?"/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Fuck you, Virgil."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""No I've had enough of this, you've been tetchy ever since you came down and I'm sick of it!" Virgil was properly angry now but John didn't care. "Let me get this straight. You're pissed at me because she likes me more than you? Because you've been speaking to her on the phone for months you know her better than I do? Well let me ask you this; if she felt anything for you do you think she'd have come on to me?"/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Possibly. She'd know an easy mark when she saw one."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"It was the wrong thing to say and, even as full of adrenalin as he was, John would have had no hope of blocking the right hook coming his way. Fortunately Scott was there to catch and deflect it. He used Virgil's own momentum to push him away, sending the bigger man stumbling for balance./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""That's enough!" he roared, eyes darting between the pair of them./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""She's not your Jasmine, John. She never will be!" And John suddenly found himself on the floor being pinned down by an irate older brother. He didn't know how he got there, he didn't remember moving but he sure as hell wasn't staying there and had tried in vain to fight his way free./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Take a walk Virgil" Scott ordered glancing at the idiot behind him./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Yeah, whatever" Virgil turned on his heel and stalked out, where he went John didn't know or care./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""You're out of line, John" Scott said, not letting him up./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""I'm out of line? He said-"/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""I don't care what he said, you're not twelve! You've been acting like an ass towards him all day. Was what he did clever? No, but it's done and you have been fine about it for weeks then all of a sudden you're not. What changed?"/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Get off me!" /span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Not till you tell me what's going on in that head of yours. We both know if I let you up you'll vanish and do something stupid."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Great, so I can't even be trusted to look after myself now?"/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""That's not what I said."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"It was though, as far as John was concerned. His father didn't trust him to know where the line was, didn't trust him to convey possibly the most important message to their agent. Their agent who didn't trust him enough to let her guard down around him./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Get off me Scott. I can look after myself and I can do my damn job no matter what you or anyone else thinks." He managed to twist around so that Scott had no choice but to let him go or break his arm. Jasmine - Oracle - /spanspan class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleItalicBody; font-style: italic; font-size: 17.41px;"their agent, /spanspan class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"would have just broken it, John was sure about that. He pushed himself up off the floor and went to his room, ignoring Scott as he called for him to stop./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"Virgil thought he knew her so well but it was John who spent the real time getting to know her. It was John who'd been carefully wording reports to make her seem more human than she was. It was John who waited up, night after night, for her to report in and then, when it really counted he'd been shown just what all his hard work was for. His father had trusted Virgil more than him to deliver one of the most important messages of all. Well, he'd show them all. A biomechanoid might not be what the world thought it was but Jasmine wasn't who Virgil thought she was either, and he was going to prove it./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"The blind rage had prompted an all nighter fulled only by energy drinks and single mindedness. Something he hadn't done since his college days. Getting into the GDF system was easy - he'd put back doors there years before IR, purely because he could. They'd come in handy since, providing him satellite images and telemetry and occasionally giving him a heads up for incoming GDF vessels - it was always a good idea to get the Birds' out of range if at all possible. Now he'd plundered them ruthlessly, overturning secrets best kept hidden and disregarding them in his search. /span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"Only that search had led to the folder. /span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"He couldn't bring himself to open it. /span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"Once he had it, he was doused with the cold clarity of what he'd done, what he'd been willing to do, all in the name of a bruised ego and a point to prove. As penance he'd complied folder two, and it's presence as it sat serenely next to folder one was almost a balm for his anger. Almost./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"[Thunderbird Five, who is Tanusha?] John jumped in his seat spilling the last of whatever he'd been drinking into his lap. He must have heard wrong./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"[Say again, Oracle?] /span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"[Who is Tanusha?] Just like that the bottom dropped out of John's world. His sister meant everything to him, in his mind there was no difference between her and one of his brothers. How did Oracle know her name? Was she there? She should be in training with the GDF. All this and more ran through John's head in a micro second and he did what he did best; he assessed and determined the best course of action. In this case, provide information./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"[Tanusha is Kyrano's daughter. She's lives on the island with us. How do you know that name?]/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"[Turns out I've been telling you about her for weeks, only I thought her name was Aoife. I'll give a full report later.]/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"John couldn't believe it. Jasmine had been reporting about the young girl, as she'd said. Detailing her attempts at an extraction and her efforts to keep her safe. The girl hadn't sounded anything like Kayo. She'd been timid and prone to tears, unable or unwilling to take risks even if it might result in her freedom. Jasmine - no damn it /spanspan class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleItalicBody; font-style: italic; font-size: 17.41px;"Oracle - /spanspan class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"had been completely exasperated by her and most recently had given the impression that having to look after her was a nuisance. John needed to see his father, this was the sort of message best delivered in person./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"The folders forgotten he shoved the tablet under his arm and stood, grimacing as the wet material of his trousers clung to his leg. He brushed at it and harrumphed in frustration as he tore the soggy clothing off and dug out something fresh. He could hardly go to his father looking like he'd wet himself. A quick flash of inspiration had him drag a comb through his hair. He hadn't bothered with it much since landing so no one would really notice if it was a bit out of place, but there were limits. He probably looked like he hadn't slept but then he usually looked like that so he ignored it. Grabbing his tablet once again he hurried through the house, only slowing as he passed the kitchen and caught a snatch of Scott and Virgil's conversation./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""It's not about Jasmine" Scott was saying./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""The hell it isn't!"/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Come on Virgil, you know John. When has he ever gotten himself all of shape over a girl?"/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleItalicBody; font-style: italic; font-size: 17.41px;"That's right /spanspan class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"John thought darkly. /spanspan class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleItalicBody; font-style: italic; font-size: 17.41px;"God forbid I should have feelings of my own./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""I suppose" Virgil didn't sound confident./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Think Virgil, what's the one thing John takes pride in more than anything else?"/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""His work."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"John had to admit his brothers were right there, as he lingered outside the kitchen./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Right. He's been her contact since the very start, almost a year ago now. Yet, she talk to you. Really talks, not work or anything. Even dad can see it, that's why he had you make contact this time."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""That was John's suggestion!"/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""And no one countered him."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Because no one questions John!" Virgil sounded exasperated. "John is the smart one, if he says something we all think he's right!"/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Everyone except dad."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"The word hit John like a fist to the gut. It wasn't his imagination, Scott also thought dad didn't trust him, not when it came down to it./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Dads like that with all of us" Virgil countered. "It all part of his 'pushing us to be the best we can' bull crap."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""John has never seen it that way and you know it and, let be honest, dad is harder on him than he is on any of us."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""You must be kidding!"/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""I'm not and you know it, stop blustering for a moment and think. John always was the best in school so he got fast tracked, then he /spanspan class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleItalicBody; font-style: italic; font-size: 17.41px;"had/spanspan class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;" to be if he wanted dad to notice him. Dad came to my games, your concerts and Gordon's swim meets sometimes but what did he ever do for John other than look at his report card?"/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"John couldn't breathe. Scott wasn't right. That wasn't the reason John pushed himself so hard, so far. Was it? John did those things for himself, not to win approval, right?/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Shit" was all Virgil had to say. Not especially enlightening./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"John darted past the open door and didn't stop until he reached his father's office. The door was closed, as per usual, so John settled in to wait. Unfortunately that gave John plenty of time to think and the second his brain was clear it returned immediately to the innocuous folder he'd liberated./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"He shouldn't have it./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"He didn't want to read it./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"He would delete it./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"He could do that now./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; min-height: 22.5px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"Yet he didn't./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"Why had he even gone looking for it in the first place?/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"He sighed. He knew why. /span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"Spite./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"Bitterness./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"Hurt feelings and not a small dose of anger. Anger which, in the small hours of the morning, he'd fuelled into his cyber hunt purely so he could shove the information in his brothers face and prove he didn't know Jasmine as well as he thought despite their -/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"John cut off his train of thought and consciously uncurled his fist. This wasn't like him. He never, ever, argued with his brothers over girls. Hell, if he was honest with himself he didn't even have that kind of relationship with Jasmine and yet the idea that she and Virgil had done /spanspan class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleItalicBody; font-style: italic; font-size: 17.41px;"that /spanspan class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"and that she'd chosen his brother over him…/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"He thought he'd let it go, that he'd burned out his feelings in high orbit and then scorched the rest away in reentry. Virgil wasn't helping himself though, he was doing that /spanspan class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleItalicBody; font-style: italic; font-size: 17.41px;"thing/spanspan class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;" he does when he's in - urgh, John didn't even want to think the word. But it was obvious though and there's no way anyone in the family could have missed it, not even their once again absent father. /span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"Virgil was happy. Annoyingly, exceedingly, gratingly happy. He played annoying little happy tunes on the piano and spent time gazing into the middle distance like some damn melodramatic tv actor. He was also so damn helpful. Scott needed a hand with a calibration? Happy to! Grandma wanted help hanging the washing? Not a problem! Gordon needed someone to time his laps? (Literally the most boring job John could imagine and one a computer could easily do) But good ole Virgil was happy to lend a hand. And John? What did John want? It didn't matter because Virgil was so busy being helpful and bringing John extra drinks or lowering the lights because of his post gravity headache that he didn't realise that what John wanted was for him to shut the good mood off and damn well leave him alone! So it was Virgil's own fault really, when John finally snapped./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Will you give it a god damn rest!" He'd ended up shouting as Virgil launched into yet another jaunty little rag on the piano. What was this now three? Four? Wasn't one enough?/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Sorry, John" Virgil had said stopping playing immediately. "I didn't realise your head was still bad. Would you like me to get some more tablets?"/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""No."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""How about a drink then? I can make some tea."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""No."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""It's fine" Virgil waved him off as he rose from the piano stool. "I was about to get some coffee anyway. It's no trouble."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""I said no, Virgil! Would it kill you to listen for once?" /span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"John recognised now that he was being an ass but at the time he was just done with it all. His brother was in danger, someone wanted to abduct and torture him and his other brothers were going into the line of fire to stop that from happening and no one was listening to him! To compound it all what was Virgil doing? Screwing the undercover agent, that's what! How dare he compromise her in that way when John had waited? He knew the timing wasn't right and, after talking with her, he also knew she was using their conversations to learn how to be a more successful human. She'd said she didn't have friends and hadn't the first clue how to make them. He knew she was using their friendship but he wanted to let her, he wanted to help her. But he also knew what she was. Virgil didn't. If he had he never would have…/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Woah, easy John" Virgil had said his eyes narrowing in annoyance. "I'll leave you alone."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""About damn time" John had muttered. At least he'd meant to. It's possible he'd shouted it./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Excuse me?" Virgil had the nerve to pretend he didn't know what was going on and it only wound John up further. /span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"The kicker had been their father ordering Virgil to make contact with Jasmine and John having to concede - out loud anyway - that he was the better choice for doing so. In what world was Virgil a better choice than John? Communications was John's speciality - well, one of them - he'd even taken a third phd in it just so he'd be more useful to International Rescue, but, once again, he'd been shoved to the side in favour of a brother./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Nothing" he'd said in an attempt to keep the peace. After all, who actually cared if he was pissed off?/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Really?" Virgil sounded aggressively sceptical to John. "No, come on John, out with it."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""You've been been up in my face for months now, just leave me the hell alone!"/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""I think all that time on Five has addled your brain. You've been alone for months, you've only been home a short time, how have I been up in your face?"/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"John stood and stalked over to his younger brother./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""I never get a damn break. You always want to know something. Am I okay? Can you get me anything? How's she doing? It's constant with you!"/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""How's she doing?" With the clarity of hindsight John now knew it was the non sequitur that had thrown Virgil but at the time he was so damn angry he'd jumped on the cause of the problem./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Yes! You had one small mission with her and now it's all you ask me about. Is she okay? Have I spoken to her?" John poked Virgil in the chest with each question. "You know damn well I have. Communication is my job, Virgil, mine not yours!"/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""For someone who's job it is to communicate you're doing a piss poor job" Virgil had ground out, batting John's hand away. "Why don't you tell me what's really going on John? Though I'm starting to get a good idea."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Are you? I doubt that" he'd scoffed. "You're not even thinking straight so I seriously doubt you see what's 'going on'."He'd even supplied air quotes for the last bit./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Well than, my genius older brother, why don't you enlighten me?" Again, if John hadn't been entirely enveloped in the red mist he would have known to cool it off at that point. Unfortunately when John's temper blew it went of violently and all over the place./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""You don't even know her!" he'd all but shouted. "You have some fanciful idea of who she is based on what exactly? A few days in London and a few days in the Cotswolds. I have spent months, /spanspan class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleItalicBody; font-style: italic; font-size: 17.41px;"months Virgil, /spanspan class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"talking to her. I know things that'd make your blood freeze but no, you just come blundering in all kind eyes and reassuring smile and suddenly you're all over each other with no thought about the mission or how that would affect things!"/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""On my God, are you jealous?" Virgil had been aghast at the very idea that John might have feelings - at least that's what John had thought at the time./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Jealous of what, exactly?" he'd scoffed. "The fact she'd used you for a bit of light stress relief? I don't think so."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""If you think that all it was you're mistaken" Virgil said eyes narrowing. /span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Oh really? You think there was more to it than just prematch nerves? She's a biomech, Virgil, and she's been doing things like this her entire life. You think it was more than a coping strategy?"/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Which is it John? Huh? Are you pissed because us spending a night together compromised her or because it didn't and it wasn't with you?"/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Fuck you, Virgil."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""No I've had enough of this, you've been tetchy ever since you came down and I'm sick of it!" Virgil was properly angry now but John didn't care. "Let me get this straight. You're pissed at me because she likes me more than you? Because you've been speaking to her on the phone for months you know her better than I do? Well let me ask you this; if she felt anything for you do you think she'd have come on to me?"/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Possibly. She'd know an easy mark when she saw one."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"It was the wrong thing to say and, even as full of adrenalin as he was, John would have had no hope of blocking the right hook coming his way. Fortunately Scott was there to catch and deflect it. He used Virgil's own momentum to push him away, sending the bigger man stumbling for balance./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""That's enough!" he roared, eyes darting between the pair of them./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""She's not your Jasmine, John. She never will be!" And John suddenly found himself on the floor being pinned down by an irate older brother. He didn't know how he got there, he didn't remember moving but he sure as hell wasn't staying there and had tried in vain to fight his way free./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Take a walk Virgil" Scott ordered glancing at the idiot behind him./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Yeah, whatever" Virgil turned on his heel and stalked out, where he went John didn't know or care./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""You're out of line, John" Scott said, not letting him up./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""I'm out of line? He said-"/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""I don't care what he said, you're not twelve! You've been acting like an ass towards him all day. Was what he did clever? No, but it's done and you have been fine about it for weeks then all of a sudden you're not. What changed?"/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Get off me!" /span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Not till you tell me what's going on in that head of yours. We both know if I let you up you'll vanish and do something stupid."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Great, so I can't even be trusted to look after myself now?"/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""That's not what I said."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"It was though, as far as John was concerned. His father didn't trust him to know where the line was, didn't trust him to convey possibly the most important message to their agent. Their agent who didn't trust him enough to let her guard down around him./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Get off me Scott. I can look after myself and I can do my damn job no matter what you or anyone else thinks." He managed to twist around so that Scott had no choice but to let him go or break his arm. Jasmine - Oracle - /spanspan class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleItalicBody; font-style: italic; font-size: 17.41px;"their agent, /spanspan class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"would have just broken it, John was sure about that. He pushed himself up off the floor and went to his room, ignoring Scott as he called for him to stop./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"Virgil thought he knew her so well but it was John who spent the real time getting to know her. It was John who'd been carefully wording reports to make her seem more human than she was. It was John who waited up, night after night, for her to report in and then, when it really counted he'd been shown just what all his hard work was for. His father had trusted Virgil more than him to deliver one of the most important messages of all. Well, he'd show them all. A biomechanoid might not be what the world thought it was but Jasmine wasn't who Virgil thought she was either, and he was going to prove it./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"The blind rage had prompted an all nighter fulled only by energy drinks and single mindedness. Something he hadn't done since his college days. Getting into the GDF system was easy - he'd put back doors there years before IR, purely because he could. They'd come in handy since, providing him satellite images and telemetry and occasionally giving him a heads up for incoming GDF vessels - it was always a good idea to get the Birds' out of range if at all possible. Now he'd plundered them ruthlessly, overturning secrets best kept hidden and disregarding them in his search. /span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"Only that search had led to the folder. /span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"He couldn't bring himself to open it. /span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"Once he had it, he was doused with the cold clarity of what he'd done, what he'd been willing to do, all in the name of a bruised ego and a point to prove. As penance he'd complied folder two, and it's presence as it sat serenely next to folder one was almost a balm for his anger. Almost./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"[Thunderbird Five, who is Tanusha?] John jumped in his seat spilling the last of whatever he'd been drinking into his lap. He must have heard wrong./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"[Say again, Oracle?] /span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"[Who is Tanusha?] Just like that the bottom dropped out of John's world. His sister meant everything to him, in his mind there was no difference between her and one of his brothers. How did Oracle know her name? Was she there? She should be in training with the GDF. All this and more ran through John's head in a micro second and he did what he did best; he assessed and determined the best course of action. In this case, provide information./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"[Tanusha is Kyrano's daughter. She's lives on the island with us. How do you know that name?]/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"[Turns out I've been telling you about her for weeks, only I thought her name was Aoife. I'll give a full report later.]/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"John couldn't believe it. Jasmine had been reporting about the young girl, as she'd said. Detailing her attempts at an extraction and her efforts to keep her safe. The girl hadn't sounded anything like Kayo. She'd been timid and prone to tears, unable or unwilling to take risks even if it might result in her freedom. Jasmine - no damn it /spanspan class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleItalicBody; font-style: italic; font-size: 17.41px;"Oracle - /spanspan class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"had been completely exasperated by her and most recently had given the impression that having to look after her was a nuisance. John needed to see his father, this was the sort of message best delivered in person./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"The folders forgotten he shoved the tablet under his arm and stood, grimacing as the wet material of his trousers clung to his leg. He brushed at it and harrumphed in frustration as he tore the soggy clothing off and dug out something fresh. He could hardly go to his father looking like he'd wet himself. A quick flash of inspiration had him drag a comb through his hair. He hadn't bothered with it much since landing so no one would really notice if it was a bit out of place, but there were limits. He probably looked like he hadn't slept but then he usually looked like that so he ignored it. Grabbing his tablet once again he hurried through the house, only slowing as he passed the kitchen and caught a snatch of Scott and Virgil's conversation./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""It's not about Jasmine" Scott was saying./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""The hell it isn't!"/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Come on Virgil, you know John. When has he ever gotten himself all of shape over a girl?"/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleItalicBody; font-style: italic; font-size: 17.41px;"That's right /spanspan class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"John thought darkly. /spanspan class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleItalicBody; font-style: italic; font-size: 17.41px;"God forbid I should have feelings of my own./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""I suppose" Virgil didn't sound confident./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Think Virgil, what's the one thing John takes pride in more than anything else?"/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""His work."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"John had to admit his brothers were right there, as he lingered outside the kitchen./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Right. He's been her contact since the very start, almost a year ago now. Yet, she talk to you. Really talks, not work or anything. Even dad can see it, that's why he had you make contact this time."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""That was John's suggestion!"/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""And no one countered him."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Because no one questions John!" Virgil sounded exasperated. "John is the smart one, if he says something we all think he's right!"/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Everyone except dad."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"The word hit John like a fist to the gut. It wasn't his imagination, Scott also thought dad didn't trust him, not when it came down to it./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Dads like that with all of us" Virgil countered. "It all part of his 'pushing us to be the best we can' bull crap."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""John has never seen it that way and you know it and, let be honest, dad is harder on him than he is on any of us."/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""You must be kidding!"/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""I'm not and you know it, stop blustering for a moment and think. John always was the best in school so he got fast tracked, then he /spanspan class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleItalicBody; font-style: italic; font-size: 17.41px;"had/spanspan class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;" to be if he wanted dad to notice him. Dad came to my games, your concerts and Gordon's swim meets sometimes but what did he ever do for John other than look at his report card?"/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"John couldn't breathe. Scott wasn't right. That wasn't the reason John pushed himself so hard, so far. Was it? John did those things for himself, not to win approval, right?/span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;""Shit" was all Virgil had to say. Not especially enlightening./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"John darted past the open door and didn't stop until he reached his father's office. The door was closed, as per usual, so John settled in to wait. Unfortunately that gave John plenty of time to think and the second his brain was clear it returned immediately to the innocuous folder he'd liberated./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"He shouldn't have it./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"He didn't want to read it./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"He would delete it./span/p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"He could do that now./span/p
p class="p2" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; min-height: 22.5px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /p
p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.4px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17.41px;"Yet he didn't./span/p