Chapter Ten: Separate Ways

Natasha walked blindly along the street, feeling an overwhelming mixture of emotions. She couldn't go into work today, despite that being her original plan upon leaving the pink Rolls Royce. Not when she felt like this. Occasionally, she gave a nervous glance over her shoulder. She hoped that nobody she knew had seen her being taken. They would ask questions as to why she hadn't turned up for work, but she would be able to feign some sort of illness. Even though that would probably mean being subject to another examination, since she wasn't supposed to get ill. She'd never even had a headache in her life, although somehow she knew what it felt like. Despite the fear for her welfare, Natasha couldn't help but be pleased that she had discovered more about him than he had about her. Jeff. She could finally put a name to the face. She had been married to him. Or rather, Lucy had been married to him. Lucy…Natasha wasn't her, yet she was. She knew she was…had been someone else. Yet she wasn't supposed to know this. She wasn't supposed to have any inclination to find out about the past, much less actually know about events that her previous existence had been through. She thought of Jeff again. Although she had been harsh in her words in order to protect herself, she had not wanted to hurt him. Something inside her had been telling her that it was all wrong, that she should be embracing him instead of pushing him away. It couldn't happen though. Especially since Jeff had been accompanied by that blonde English woman. She seemed to be someone who liked snooping around in places that she shouldn't. Who did she think she was? Some sort of secret agent? Though given that she had injected her with some kind of drug, it might not be too far from the truth.

Natasha drew in a nervous breath. Perhaps the blonde lady had known more than she had let on. Maybe someone had got wind of the project, and this lady had been sent to investigate further. If that was the case, those in charge ought to know about it. But if she mentioned it, it would lead to the discovery that she had been with Jeff. And despite giving them the information, they wouldn't hesitate to deal with her, even if she denied all knowledge of Jeff, they wouldn't be prepared to take the risk. Perhaps the best thing for her to do would be to try and lay low for a while. Hopefully that way she would avoid the blonde lady and her bizarre pink Rolls Royce. She would also avoid running into Jeff again. Then they would both be spared some pain.

Moving in the opposite direction to Natasha was Jeff. He was also deep in thought. All the hopes of the past few days or so had come crashing down within the space of a few minutes. He had always known since the start of this affair that it was a long shot that Lucy could somehow be alive, but everything had pointed to that being true. He had believed that Natasha was Lucy, right up to when she had woken up from the drug that Penelope had given her. The way that she had rejected him so strongly, after seemingly recognising him, had been an immense blow. She had spoken with a harsh, full, American accent, instead of Lucy's soft transatlantic tones, and that had added to the rapidly opening chasm between them as they had sat in the back of the Rolls Royce. When he had to explain things to her, it all suddenly seemed so silly, and he had further lost heart. He had looked into her eyes, expecting to see Lucy's soul trapped within, and instead had seen a stranger.

"You're a fool, Jeff," he muttered gruffly to himself. "A stupid old man who has one foot stuck in the past." He trudged along, trying to think ahead to when he returned to Tracy Island. Scott would no doubt be relieved to see him back home, as would the rest of his family, even though they believed that he was enjoying himself on a short break. Well, he'd better start work on a happy façade, else four of his five sons would start questioning what had happened to him on his vacation to make him so miserable. He passed by a newspaper stand, and glanced idly at the different titles on display.

"International Rescue saves 100s!" screamed the headline of one of the more tabloid offerings. Jeff managed a wry smile. It was an exaggeration by the paper, but his boys did no doubt save many lives yesterday when they received a call to assist in the aftermath of an earthquake in Turkey.

All by themselves.

The smile faded from his lips. He hadn't been there to guide them, yet they had coped just fine, just as they had done on previous rare occasions when he had left them, usually due to business commitments.

Without him.

Jeff looked back at the newspaper, and for the first time since he had started International Rescue, felt as if he were standing on the other side. It all suddenly seemed so distant. Like going to the moon did, ever since he had retired from being an astronaut. Like sharing a bed did, ever since Lucy had gone from his life. His sons were saving lives, and here he was chasing shadows of the past, like an idiot. Whoever that woman was, she hadn't been Lucy, and as far as he was concerned now, never had been. It didn't matter that Penny was now somehow convinced that there was some sort of bigger mystery, Jeff wanted nothing more to do with it. He continued on his journey of solitude, wrapped up in himself. He arrived back at the hotel, but instead of going to his room to make the call to Scott, he decided that there was no rush. He wasn't in the mood for Scott asking questions. Jeff turned away from the elevator, and instead made his way to the bar.

"A double scotch, please. The best you have."

Penelope looked at a small device in her hand and smiled to herself as she read the reading on it. Though Natasha may not have wanted their protection, she was going to get it. Penelope was determined that the russet-haired woman was not going to disappear again, either into a crowd or permanently, due to other means. She had attached a tiny bug onto Natasha whilst she had been drugged. It was the latest in a long line of technology that Brains had given her. If Brains was right, then the bug should not be detected or dislodged. Penelope had sat in FAB1, giving Natasha a chance to feel as if she had put some distance between herself and her would-be captors. After a few minutes, she had opened up the receiver, and discovered that Natasha was still moving away from them, apparently not showing any indication of going to work. Penelope had suspected that she probably wouldn't want to go there, at least, for today. She then decided that Natasha had had enough of a headstart, and instructed Parker to drive on. For about two hours, Natasha seemed to take a random path around the centre of New York, then the readings indicated that she was moving at speed, making Penelope assume that she had taken some form of transport. They followed the signal out of the main city and into a residential area, where the signal slowed down and then became static. Pleased, Penelope asked Parker to park the Rolls up out of sight. On foot, they had covered the last few hundred yards to the apartment building that the signal indicated Natasha was in. It was here that they now stood. Penelope pressed a couple of buttons on the receiver, so that the reading was further calibrated.

"Third floor, left hand side of the building, about half way along," she said.

"I 'ope that it's haccurate," Parker replied.

"I have every faith in the skills that Brains has," Penelope said. "Now, we need somewhere where you can keep an eye on the building."

"Hi should think that if we can get hon to the roof of that building next door, it should offer us a suitable viewpoint," Parker said. Penelope looked up at the building.

"Yes, I should think that it will do," she said. "Have you got everything?"

"Of course, Milady," Parker replied.

"Good. You get up onto the roof, and I shall go inside and attach the listening device to her apartment door. I'm guessing that she won't be out for a while," Penelope said.

"Very good, Ma'am," Parker said. They separated, Penelope using the tracking device to pinpoint the exact apartment that Natasha occupied, and Parker making his way onto the roof of the neighbouring building. Carefully, Penelope attached the listening device to one of the numbers on Natasha's front door. Any sound, and it could alert Natasha. The job done, she stole away down the passageway and back outside the building. She pressed the hidden button on her bracelet.

"Are you there, Parker?" she asked.

"Yes, Milady," he replied, after a couple of seconds.

"How does it look?"

"Quite good. I have an hexcellent view of the road from here."

"Are you picking up the device I installed on her front door?"

"I'm just sorting that out now, Ma'am." There was a pause as Parker made some adjustments. "Yes, I'm getting a clear signal."

"Good. Well, I will leave you to it for the moment. I must get back to Jeff."

"I hope that he 'asn't taken this morning's events too hard."

"I hope so too, Parker. That's why I must find him," Penelope said. "Now, contact me as soon as you suspect anything suspicious."

"I will do, Milady. I should think that hi'm prepared for any trouble," Parker replied, confidently.

"Take care," Penelope told him, and then made her way back to where her Rolls Royce was parked. She took a careful look around her surroundings. There was nothing suspicious to be seen. Satisfied, Penelope pressed the button that was the ignition for her car, and prepared to drive back towards the centre of New York.