The first light of dawn filtered into the room through the thin curtains and warmed the skin of Alex's cheek. She parted her heavy eyelids and blinked in the sudden brightness. Aware of a gentle tapping from somewhere behind her, she rolled onto her back and lifted her head.

"Morning." John shot her a quick smile and then turned his attention back to the laptop. He was just as he had been when she had given in to tiredness and gone to bed, perched in a small chair and bent over the screen, the computer resting on his knees.

Alex frowned in concern, "You been up all night?"

John shrugged.

Alex groaned and slowly sat up, yawning wearily. She edged across the bed and leaned over to place a kiss on his cheek. Turning to peer at the screen, she saw a familiar file displayed and her heart sank. "Give it a rest for a while." She suggested carefully, "Come to bed."

John lifted his head and nodded towards the window. "It's almost morning. I need to go check out some new leads."

Alex sighed.

John turned back to her. "He's here, Al. I can't miss this chance." He glanced back at the file. "I need to head into the city and follow up on these contacts."

"And the spook?"

John searched her worried face. "It'll be safer in the daylight, more open, less places for him to hide."

"Or you."

John closed the laptop and turned to face her fully. "It'll be okay. We'll be fine."

"Hmm … I guess …" She moved back from him and climbed from the bed. "I guess I'd better get ready then." Grabbing her clothes, she dressed quickly and headed for the door. "I'll go see what this place does for breakfast."

John nodded in agreement and picked the laptop back up.

Alex stepped outside and shivered in the slight chill of the misty morning air. Pulling her jacket tighter round herself, she jogged along the passageway past the other rooms and across the small car park. The motel complex was quiet and she frowned as she peered in through the window of the small roadside café, trying to see if it was open.

Her answer came in the form of a short but stocky lady who was suddenly at the glass front door and unbolting the latches. She beckoned Alex inside and smiled merrily up at her, babbling away in something that sounded sort of German mixed with Italian – if that was possible. John had taught her some key words in the local dialect but the woman was speaking so fast that she had no hope and she simply smiled a reply.

Alex followed her over to the counter and pointed to the fresh looking pastries. "And coffee?" She managed, searching her memory for the right words. "(Please.)"

The woman nodded and set to filling a small pot with coffee grounds. She held up her first finger, pointing it towards the ceiling, and shrugged her shoulders.

"Two." Alex corrected and held up two fingers.

The woman smiled and fetched another pot.

"Um … back to room …?" Alex asked, pointing out towards the car park and smiling an apology, wishing she were as fluent as John seemed.

The woman looked in the direction Alex indicated and nodded in apparent understanding, pulling two large polystyrene cups from a cupboard under the counter and a paper bag from another.

Alex delved into her pocket and pulled out what she hoped was the correct amount of cash. She placed it on the counter and smiled in relief as the woman nodded her thanks. It was probably way more than she needed but it was of little concern; tipping well would make up for her lack of communication. And there seemed to be no limit to John's road trip fund.

He had said something about transferring money across the world through an untraceable account trail and had then deposited various amounts against the balance of the many cards they had set up. One for each different guise. In another time perhaps it might have seemed quite an adventure.

Alex grabbed the breakfast supplies and thanked the woman – or thought she had. The woman then hurried round the counter and seemed to ask her something important. Alex paused, totally lost.

The woman repeated the jumble of guttural words and then smiled, pointing at her own wedding ring and then nodding at Alex.

"I …" Alex shrugged, "I'm sorry, I don't understand."

The woman pointed outside urgently, tapped the bag Alex held and then touched the ring on Alex's finger. She repeated what she had said more slowly and smiled up at Alex.

"Okay …" Alex nodded in confusion, "(Thank you). I guess …"

The woman laughed and ushered Alex out of the café, waving as she headed back inside.

Alex shook her head in bewilderment and was chuckling to herself as she arrived back at the motel room. She saw John look up in interest and he quickly put the laptop down. He stood and hurried over to help her with the coffee.

"Okay, crazy but sweet owner lady is weird."

John smiled, "Oh?"

Alex explained the strange, one-sided conversation and shrugged her shoulders. "I didn't get a word of it!"

John laughed and took the bag from her. He peered inside and murmured in approval as he smelt the sweet pastries. Reaching inside, he pulled one out and then frowned as he saw the napkin that he had caught between his fingers. Sitting down on the end of the bed, he put the pastry on his knee and opened the napkin, his frown deepening as he read the untidy scribble.

"What's that?" Alex gasped, putting her coffee down and hurrying to his side.

John shook his head, "I can't quite … it looks like '9' and then something …" He turned the napkin around, trying to decipher the words. "Shit."

"Hey?"

"It says Room 9. Asking for you."

Alex sat down on the bed and stared at the napkin in confused fear.

"I asked her to keep a look out," John explained, "Said we were meeting friends out here and that we'd lost track of each other."

Alex looked up at him. "Ted the spook?"

"Maybe." John shrugged, "Or someone else."

"Crap." Alex groaned, "What do we do now?"

John smiled suddenly and picked up his pastry. "Finish breakfast and then go and knock on room 9, I guess."

Alex stared at him in horror, "What? Just go on over and say 'howdy'?"

"Sure."

"You're as barking as strange owner lady." Alex sighed. "But I guess there's a chance we'll get points for sheer cheekiness."

John shrugged, "We'll take guns. And you can do your expert creeping/scouting thing that you so love."

"Ooh," Alex enthused, "Do I get to kick another door down?"

John laughed and shot her a bemused quirk of one eyebrow.

Alex grinned and tucked into her breakfast. "Eww. Strong coffee. Bleurgh!"

John sniffed at his drink, "Not really."

"Just needs more sugar." Alex rooted around inside the paper bag to grab a handful of sachets. She emptied four into her coffee and then noticed John grinning in amusement. She laughed and shrugged slightly, sipping at her drink and mumbling a satisfied sigh. "Oh yeah … sugar and caffeine. Give it a mo' to kick in and then the mystery guest in room 9 won't know what's hit him!"

XXXXX

Judging from the cars in the parking lot, there were very few other guests around; it was too far from the nearest train station and only the wide trucking route passed the complex. It was just what they had hoped for: secluded and safe. Or so it had seemed.

And so now they held their breath and were trembling in cautious anticipation, moving carefully along the back wall of the motel. Their formation had caused more than a little contention at first but John had soon relented; Alex's training and experience meant she led and he followed, both of them alert and careful.

Alex frowned and paused before one of the waist-high window ledges. She signalled for John to back off a little and put her ear towards the edge of the wall. With a nod, she then stepped past the window and peered within the room as she did.

John watched Alex in interest and saw her shake her head. She stood ready on the opposite side from him, gun poised in her hands and eyes fixed on the scene inside the room. He stepped forward and tried the window, smiling as it slid open easily.

Through the open window they could now hear the sound of the shower and Alex kept her gaze fixed on the partly open bathroom door as she climbed inside the room. She crouched low under the window for a moment, scanning the room.

"Sloppy."

Alex's heart was in her throat and she closed her eyes as she felt the cool barrel pressed into the skin of her cheek. She dropped her weapon and raised her hands in a gesture of surrender.

"I heard you coming a bloody mile off!" The voice chuckled.

Alex spun and gasped in delight. "Henry!" She leapt to her feet and threw her arms around his neck, laughing in merry relief.

"Good to see you, too." Henry agreed, hugging her warmly.

Alex held on to him for a long moment, feeling the onset of sudden tears. She sighed loudly and stepped back from him, shaking her head in wonder.

Henry smiled down at her fondly and then glanced behind her, his smile faltering. "John." He offered quietly.

John had climbed inside and frowned at Henry in confusion.

Alex saw the disappointment in John's eyes and her heart sank. She span back to her uncle and shook her head. "Why are you here?"

"I just had to find you, Alex." Henry replied, his face troubled, "After you stopped calling I thought the worst and … well …" He glanced at John, anger flashing briefly in his eyes.

"We're fine!" Alex offered, placing her hand on his chest, "John thought it would be safer not to contact you."

"Really." Henry frowned.

"We were getting close and I couldn't take the chance." John suggested evenly.

"No? And just who the hell do you think you are? What gives you the right to put Alex in danger like that?"

"Hey!" Alex retorted, glancing between the two quickly angering men. "Stop this! You found us now. No harm done."

Henry laughed suddenly, "That's just my point. It was so bloody easy for me to find you!" He glared at John and then turned back to Alex. "And I'm not the only one."

Alex nodded, "Yeah … we've got a spook friend lurking in the shadows."

"Spook?" Henry's frown deepened.

"That's what he said." John scowled.

Henry considered this for a moment and then shook his head slowly. "I don't believe this … it was against my better judgement to help you – and this is precisely why!"

"What is?" John grated.

"You are in way over your head, young man."

"Now, wait just a damned minute - "

"John!" Alex spun at him and glared a warning. She turned back to Henry and was afraid to ask him to explain.

"After your last transmission, I did some checking up on your theories and you do not want to get mixed up with these blokes."

"Why?" Alex ventured.

Henry sighed and wandered over to the bed. "Just … trust me …"

"Oh, that's rich!" John spat angrily, "And why the hell should we? I mean, just when exactly did you get here and why didn't you make yourself known?"

Henry looked up at John and shook his head slowly. "Because I could not chance blowing my cover." He looked to Alex, "I really can't be seen out here."

"Why?"

"Because three years ago I was deep inside the very organisation you are tracking down." Henry closed his eyes, "I was part of a SOCA mission to infiltrate one of the biggest cells this side of the Black Sea."

"Cells?" Alex gasped and stared at him in horror. "You mean …?"

Henry nodded sadly.

John groaned and hung his head. "Great … terrorists."

Tbc …