12

The bell above the door was a delicate chime that always transported Jack back in time, standing in the store where he had purchased his first suit on this planet. Gods knows how many years ago … almost two hundred? Kingsmen had been around forever

"Ah. Hello there Captain" a voice said with soft chocolate warmth and Jack turned to smile at the old man with a shock of white hair and the walk of a much younger man than his obviously advanced years.

"Hello Berty me old china" Jack said happily and the man rolled his eyes.

"Captain … for the ten billionth time … it's Albert. Lords preserve us, I've been telling you that for nigh on eighty bloody years, still you piss me off straight away."

"Can't help it. You look like a young Berty Bum to me" Jack winked and the man huffed, then suddenly stooped, scuttling behind the counter as the door pinged again. In walked a gentleman with a minder, the minder's shoulders filling the doorway of the store. The man turned to him and motioned to a chair.

"Albert" the man said softly.

"Viscount" Albert replied with level calm "You are an hour late."

"I know…I know. Do not scold. I was stuck on a phone call with a dear great-cousin. You know how it goes, I just need a new grey suit for the Ascot blather." the Viscount smiled, then headed for one of the doors to the left.

Once the door had closed Jack turned to Albert "Same one each time?"

"He likes that one. The chair has arms." Albert shrugged "What are you after today Captain?"

"Something the Hoodlum Clan are pedaling perhaps? A toaster in the … bluish metal range" Jack said, watching Albert's face and the bland look told him he was on the wrong track somehow.

"We do not have that here I am afraid" Albert shrugged "Perhaps you need to try the Cardiff store. They seem to have more that type of thing. If the hoodlums are involved definitely try them, they are connected. They use the Hoodlum like junkyard dogs. "

"Cardiff store… what?"

"Captain. The Kingsmen are global. We have … branches all over the world. The Cardiff store has been around longer than your outfit has, that's for sure." Albert said calmly "You should know that. Try there, the old man might let you in … he's a bit peculiar but apparently you like that in a man."

Jack laughed as he looked over at the minder who was staring at Jack like he was wearing a feathered headdress or something.

Jack blinked.

The man blinked.

A door opened for the back and a young man pushed through the beaded curtain and as he brushed past Jack the unmistakable black frames on his pert nose had Jack swinging to look at him with surprise "Eggsy?"

The young man didn't break his stride and made no indication that he had even heard Jack before he was gone.

Was it him? Or another one dressed exactly the same? Like some suit of armor? Damn, he could never work out these weird cats.

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It had taken Jack the better part of an hour, driving around the back streets of Cardiff to find the little red door sitting in amongst the others, the small brass plaque on the front with 'Kingsmen' on it finally found when Jack went down this particular street a third time.

He parked and took a deep breath, now sure that fucking Eggsy had been the one following them, bugging them and he had the item. Had to. Little punk probably sold it to the Kingsmen or something, little punk. He hoped Albert checked the boy's pockets each time he left the store.

The door swung open and an old man in a wheelchair glared at Jack like he was about to enter the store to fart. Jack gaped "Ivan?"

"Fucksake" the old man spluttered "where the hell did you come from. Look at you, not aged a day. How the hell do you do it?"

"Awwww, Ivan, don't be like that!" Jack grinned, stepping into the store and seeing that it was exactly the same set up as the London store, only better hidden. He looked around and breathed in that chocolate/coffee/sandalwood smell he loved so much. How the hell they had managed to move it to this store as well was beyond him.

"What do you want!" the old man motored over to his small desk "You never come here."

"Didn't know there WAS a here" Jack replied.

"You don't remember? That New Years Eve we came back here and … well. It was a lifetime ago I guess" the old man sighed.

"NO! That was here? Really? Bellbottoms. I love bellbottoms. Love bottoms really" Jack smiled, "Ivan … I lost something I was trying to catch. Think a little Hoodlum shit nicked off with it and sold it on to your brand. I really need it. It's sort of a part of a set of things and if it gets into the wrong hands…"

"Already gone" Ivan said evenly "And my great-nephew is not a Hoodlum. He might hang with them at times but that's as far as he goes. He is a good egg. They are rather convenient to keep around actually. We do them a solid now and then like pay lawyer's fees or clean up a mess before the Heddlu smell it out and in return they do things for us."

"I really needed that" Jack was alarmed now "Who … who did you give it to?"

"Someone who knew where it needed to go" came the bland reply and Jack knew from experience that he would never see it again. So damned close.

A young assistant appeared from behind the beaded curtain, a boy who looked like he needed to be at school instead of in a suit that was perfectly cut, eyes coolly taking him in "Mister Pendragon? Everything OK?"

"Yes Melvin. Captain Harkness was just leaving"

Jack nodded and bowed slightly to his old friend and walked to the door, pausing as he heard his name spoken, "and Jack? Please stop calling me Ivan. I keep telling you … it's Ifan. Ifan Icarus Pendragon."

Jack stepped down onto the street and stood for a good five minutes as he tried to work out why everything inside was zinging like the first time he had woken after the Darlek death.

What the hell?

Jack hated being so far down the rabbit hole like this that the shadows hid things.

He had no idea what to think really.