Lakhimpur, India – Present Day

"What's the verdict?" John pivoted to face Vera as he zipped his tent closed. She nodded toward the interior. "What'd she say?"

"It's…" John made a furtive expression, almost sighing with relief when Vera followed it. "It's not good."

"I assumed that when Green dragged her raggedy ass into my camp." Vera crossed her arms over her chest. "Exactly how much trouble is little Miss Blonde?"

"About as much trouble as a mole in this operation is."

Vera stared at him, "And she just told you that?"

"No." John kept his face blank, "I asked very nicely and she, just as nicely, told me where I could get stuffed."

"Then why are you telling me there's a mole in my operation?"

"Because when I finally helped her realize the gravity of this situation she told me that there's a mole she's been in contact with and she was hoping to meet them in person."

Vera snorted, "That's government for you. Never ones to just leave well enough alone."

"Fair." John raised his hand, to rub at the back of his neck, but stopped himself short. Instead he curled his fingers into a fist and shoved it into his trouser pocket. "But that does leave us in an interesting position."

"How so?"

"Because, on the one hand, she could be lying through her teeth at me hoping that if she helps out we don't shoot her and leave her for the local wildlife." John chewed the inside of his cheek a moment, "On the other hand, I'm curious how Green found her snooping up her in the first place."

"It's always about Green with you, isn't it?"

"Call me paranoid if you want-"

"I will."

"But I believe," John persisted, "That is Little Miss Blonde in there is telling the truth about a mole then you've got some problems ahead."

Vera sucked the insides of her cheeks a moment before nodding at John. "You do also realize, if you believe her story about a mole, that you'd be one of the first ones I'd go over with a fine-toothed comb yeah?"

"I'm not stupid."

"Good for me." Vera eyed John and then looked at her watch. "You've got another few hours if you want to give her the run around."

"To see if she's telling the truth?"

"To see if she'll tell us anything." Vera scoffed, waving her hand as if to bat away John's question. "What is 'truth' anymore anyway? A bunch of snowflakes demanding acceptance for increasingly weird fetishes and hoping that by 'speaking their truth' we'll all learn to accept fecked up notions like pedophilia and bestiality as normal things."

"Oddly specific."

"It's on my mind." Vera dug into her pocket for a cigarette and lit it. "Been listening to too much BBC out here."

"Well," John shrugged, "If it makes you feel any better, she doesn't strike me as a crusader up here to convert us to a liberal agenda."

"That's not what I'm worried about." Vera took a drag of her cig before blowing a stream of smoke toward the sky. "I'm worried that the signal Green picked up and followed right to Little Miss Blonde represents something bigger."

"Bigger than a mole?"

"A mole is easy." Vera waved off that question just as deftly. "A mole is a person I can shoot. Or stab or strangle or suffocate and use as an example for any who might be tempted, however stupidly, to follow in similar footsteps."

"Why would anyone come all the way out here to be that dumb?"

"I could ask you that question." Vera held her cig between her fingers, using it to point at John. "You're out here and you're the type of person I could see some enterprising agency on the other side of the world using as an agent of my demise."

"I'm not that subtle."

"You are attractive."

"I'm more of an acquired taste." John grazed his teeth along the inside of his cheek. "But I'm flattered you think I'd be the type of person someone would use as a honey-trap. It breaks from the norm, anyway."

"You underestimate your appeal John."

"I think I know myself well enough to know it would absolute bollocks for someone to send me into your operation as a mole. But," John shrugged, "I did offer you my Netflix password and the key to my closet with any skeletons you want to find in there."

"You're not worried I'd find something?"

"I can't be worried about a guarantee." John kept his face steady as Vera's body stiffened. "There are literal cemeteries were my skeletons lie and I'll tell you the GPS locations of each of them… If you want to investigate."

Vera took another drag on her cig, held it a second, and then released the smoke in a sputtering laugh. "I knew I liked you."

"That's good because you're one of the only ones who does these days."

"It's because you make yourself so fecking unlikable." Vera took a final drag before flicking her cig to the ground and grinding out the remains of it. "But I've got a soft spot for prickly pricks like you to rub against."

"To soften my rough edges?"

"To make them sharper, dumbass." Vera shook her head. "You're not the brightest I've ever recruited but you are the straightest arrow and that lends a bit of dependability seriously lacking in the usual circles of recruitment."

"I'll take the dregs of a compliment I found in that comment." John sighed, biting at his lip a second before speaking again. "I've got a question, about something she said in there."

"LMB?" John frowned and Vera shook her head, "Like I said, not the brightest. What did 'Little Miss Blonde' say?"

"She said she was using a sat phone for contact and she thinks someone tracked her signal and that's how Green found her."

"It's what he told me." Vera frowned, "Why's that matter?"

"I'm just curious what Green was doing with a sat phone signal tracker in the first place." John shrugged, "It's not exactly standard equipment on any of the ops you've sent me on."

"Aw," Vera pouted, "Feeling like I don't share the toys with you?"

"I'm just curious if there are other expansion packs I need if I hope to level up in this business." John risked a hint of a smirk. "If this is my pension I'd like to know how high I've got to climb and over who to get to the top of the industry before I die of old age."

"I don't think 'old age' is a large contributor to the deaths in this business." Vera sighed, "And, if you're so desperate to know why Green's got toys you don't, I didn't give out a sat phone signal tracker."

"Then why'd he have one?"

"I don't have a sodding clue and I don't sodding care." Vera shook her head, "Sometimes I worry about your obsession with him."

"I would too if he didn't grind my nerves and set my teeth on edge." John risked lowering his voice and stepping toward Vera. "I don't know what you said to him earlier to make him white as a sheet, but if I learned anything from being a sniper it was to never ignore the tingle at the back of your neck. And he gives me near apoplectic paralysis."

"Then you've got to thicken your skin Bates." Vera's jaw stayed firm but John noted the flicker of doubt in her eyes. "Like I said earlier, he's been here longer and I trust him more than you."

"You do?"

"I do." Vera put a hand on John's cheek, patting him. "I like you John and I wouldn't mind testing you for a round or two in a nice hotel room, or even on a camp cot, but I won't hesitate to put a bullet in your brain pan if I think, for longer than a second, you're here to undermine my work."

"Must be why you like me." John smiled back at her, "Because you know I'll do the same to anyone who gets in the way of the work I do here."

Vera patted his cheek and moved away, "See if you can break LMB and then we'll talk some more."

"Right." John watched her walk away before muttering to himself. "Shit."

He reentered his tent and tried to smile at Anna as she looked up from her cross-legged position on his cot. "She doesn't quite believe me yet."

"Funny, I was thinking we couldn't get anymore screwed."

John only slumped onto his stool. "The seed is planted but…"

"We've only got…" Anna checked her watch, "Four hours to water it so she takes me with you all and starts looking everywhere but right here for the people she wants to shoot with an itchy trigger finger?"

"That about sums it up." John sighed, "It's not hopeless but it's-"

"Pretty fecking helpless." Anna rocked a second on the cot before pausing. "Where are you trying to point her finger?"

"Green."

"The prick who got me?" John nodded, "Why?"

"Other than him being a massive dick?"

"That's enough to not like someone but it's a little hard to understand getting someone killed because you don't like them."

"He trussed you up like a steer."

"And threatened some other very unpleasant things to me as well but that's why I'd line him up for a firing squad." Anna adjusted to look at John. "Why would you want him in the line of fire?"

"He's not a good person."

"Yeah, I got that." Anna sighed and shook her head. "Are you this good of a dancer outside the hot zone?"

"What?"

"You keep, purposefully, dancing around my questions."

"I guess I've gotten good at deflecting."

"I'll say."

John managed a little snort, "I know the kind of person Green is. He's… not quite the level of psychopath where he'll kill for the fun of it but he's not far off. He enjoys hurting people, holding power over them, and relishes the kind of fear he can inspire. And I've…" John squirmed, "I've had to endure it long enough that if I have to see him do something heinous one more time I might just wrap my hands around his neck and squeeze until his auburn head pops right off."

"So you want Vera to kill him instead of us because it'll be one less dangerous man in the world?"

John nodded and held up a finger. "And because I think he's a dick."

"Duly noted." Anna spared John a smile before clicking her teeth together. "We could spin that."

"How?"

"I've got contact dates and times. Give me enough of them to align with missions of Green's and we could cast enough doubt on him to at least make him a viable suspect."

"That could work."

"And, if Vera's as paranoid as you say, she'll take the one-percent chance as absolute certainty and move on it with enough time for us to escape."

"Not 'us', you." John held up a hand to stop Anna's inevitable argument. "Whatever you're going to say, save your breath. My job here's not done."

"But you're possibly compromised."

"Been there, done that, and I got the tee shirt before I made it back to my base with the scars to tell about it." John stood. "I'm here with orders and they're not filled yet. When they are I can leave but not before."

"You're a stubborn bastard aren't you?"

"And an asshole." John extended his hand to Anna, "Time to 'interrogate' you again, if you're up for it."

"Let's see how good of an actor I really am." Anna took his hand to stand. "I went to acting school when I was younger, did you know?"

"Really?"

"Yeah, got a scholarship from my council and everything." Anna took a deep breath, "Ready."

"Go for it."

With that order, she let out a scream.

London, England – 1815

He kept his hands clasped firmly behind his back as he walked one step behind her. Her head titled toward the ceiling, taking in the paintings and the architecture before she pivoted on her heel to face him. "It's a beautiful church."

"But not the one you want for the wedding?"

She almost cringed as she shook her head. "It should be. By all accounts it's perfect and lovely and ready to be filled with people but…"

"But it's not what you want."

"No." She sighed, "Not that I can say much about the whole affair."

"And why not?"

"I've no experience with weddings." Anna grimaced, "Or marriage, if we're being truthful."

"I'd prefer we always be truthful with one another." John straightened. "I believe honesty to, truly, be the best policy."

"Then we'll make it our policy." Anna gave him a little smile. "That being said, I find myself hopeless about all this."

"As do I and I've had both a wedding and a marriage before." John's face clouded a moment. "Hence why all of our churches are Anglican and not Catholic."

"I'm not sure they'd allow me to marry you in a Catholic church even if I was your first marriage given I'm not Catholic." Anna gave a sad smile, "But I don't think it's the church, necessarily, that is the problem."

"Then what do you think the issue is?"

"Since we're being honest," Anna gave a half-shrug. "At the end of the day, as romantic and naïve as it sounds, I always thought it was more important to have the right man than the right wedding. The rest of it, once you've found the right person, is really just frills."

"That's not naïve." He took a breath, "I rather find it a lovely thought myself."

"You do?"

"Of course." He tilted his head back to take in the ceiling of the structure. "The decorations can be distraction, in the end, and a great many poor decisions are made when someone believes they're choosing the right moment or the right place instead of the right person."

"Is that what you would say about your first marriage?"

"It is what I would say about a great many things and yes, my first marriage would be one of those things."

"I wouldn't want to rush a decision of such importance because the invitations were being sent out and the cakes were made to order for a day." Anna's jaw firmed. "I'd want to be sure."

"As would I." John paused, glancing at Anna before he winced, "I hope you've not thought that way about our arrangement… All things considered."

"Which way?"

"That we're rushing into a very important decision without considering…"

"The ramifications, consequences, or appearance?"

"Any of those things." John bit the inside of his cheek. "Do you?"

Anna winced as she looked at him, "Would you think less of me if I had?"

"No." He bowed his head to her. "It would seem true to who you are, Ms. Smith, and nothing less."

"I thought I asked that you call me 'Anna', now that we're formally engaged."

"The informal to formal part of our engagement took all of twenty minutes of conversation so forgive me if I forget." He ducked his head toward her again, "But I do remember."

"And yet?"

"And yet, Ms. Smith, it would seem inappropriate to address you as 'Anna' in public." He offered her his arm. "I am one for deportment and comportment."

"I suspect you are. But, John," He could hardly suppress the shiver that ran through him as she said his name and almost sighed in gratitude that Anna had yet to thread her arm through his and therefore feel the evidence of his reaction. "We're touring churches for the express purpose of getting married. If anything it would be appropriate now, of all times, to address me by my Christian name."

"Then forgive me, Anna," John noted, or flattered himself to believe for a. second, a slightly shiver through her when he used her name. "I will attempt to amend my behavior for the future."

"Are you always so formal?"

"Part of the breeding, unfortunately." Anna shook her head at that. "What?"

"I didn't say anything."

"Your motion implied something." John halted them just outside the doors to the church. "What is it?"

"It's…" Anna waved a hand at the church above them. "It's about all of this."

"The wedding planning?"

"The scale of it." Anna nodded toward the interior of the church. "I'm from small family of limited means. Even when my father ran our business he did everything he could to keep a tight rein on us and his funds. My life has been frugality almost to the point of penny-pinching. And that was before my stepfather forced us into a position to do it for necessity."

"And you find all of this ostentatious?"

"I do. And…" Anna's jaw almost wobbled a moment. "And I'm not afraid to admit that it frightens me. All of this show and wealth and… And I don't know if I'm the right choice for what must lie ahead for us."

John frowned, "What, exactly, do you think must lie ahead?"

"For a start the fact that I'm going to be a Duchess." Anna took a deep breath, "And I'm not sure I'm the right choice for such a position."

"Why would you think that?"

"I'm not bred for it." Anna looked down at herself, her fingers pinching at the dress bearing the faint suggestion of faded pattern and mended seams. "I am not made to be a lady, John."

"You are a lady to me." John put a hand over hers, holding it gently but firmly as he looked her directly in the eye. "And I've never met a finer one."

"You can't possibly say that."

"Why not?"

"Because you barely know me."

"That's not true." John guided Anna into the small cemetery that bordered the church and found a quiet bench where he motioned for them to sit. "It… Since our policy is honesty and truth, I owe you that now."

"Is this where you tell me you're still married?"

"No." John shook his head, "Regardless of the best efforts of doctors and one priest, death truly did part my wife and I."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

"I took no offense." John smiled at Anna and took her hand again, holding it just as gently as he did before. "And I do need to be honest with you."

"You're making me nervous."

"Forgive me." John took a breath, "But the truth of the matter is that I took advantage of your stepfather's situation to get close to you, nothing more."

"But you said you knew my father."

"I did. That wasn't a lie." John swallowed, "We'd had professional dealings in the past and shared membership in two clubs but our relationship was nothing beyond a simple acquaintance. He was a good man and all spoke highly of him but I couldn't give a eulogy for him myself."

Anna nodded, "Then why would you give two figs about my stepfather's situation to get close to me?"

"Because I've loved you since I first saw you in the Crawley's drawing room at Grantham House."

Anna blinked at him, "You…" Her mouth opened in the shape of an 'O'. "That was you? All those… We…."

John nodded, "You weren't out yet and I…" He flexed his jaw. "I was still married and… It's shameful to admit that, as my wife lay dying, I gave my heart away to someone else."

"To me?" Anna drew back slightly and John released her hand. "Why would you do that? I was nothing. Even now I'm…"

"You're not nothing." John responded firmly but remained in place, allowing Anna the distance she put between them. "And I believed that from the moment I heard you speak your mind."

"John…" Anna shook her head slowly but John continued.

"I knew then, even in the midst of the hell that was my former marriage and its subsequent end, that if I could find a reason to live through the scandal and embarrassment then I could do it for even the sliver of a chance that I might have the chance to be with you."

Anna stared at him, the muscles in her cheeks working as lines formed, vanished, and then reformed on her forehead. "But why? Why me?"

"You…" John took a breath, "You were my Persephone."

"Persephone?" Anna blinked, "Why would you…"

"Because I'm Hades and when I saw someone as lovely as you, heard the way you spoke your mind and held your stance, listened to your ideas, and then saw the way you treated others…" John shrugged, almost hopeless. "How could I not be drawn to you?"

"Because I'm not the kind of person who could be…"

"Dragged to Hell?"

"I believe the term is Hades, John." Anna adjusted, sliding the slightest bit closer to him. "But I'm not the right fit for your breeding, to use your words. I'm not the same caliber of person as the Duchess of Reerbourne is supposed to be."

"And you think the last Duchess of Reerbourne was someone who kept up the standards of the title?"

"I heard nothing different."

"Then either the rumors stopped or you chose not to listen to the horrible things people said." John took a breath, "My first wife was not faithful to me and she died as a result of contracting syphilis."

Anna's mouth almost fell open in shock but John continued. "The only benefit in our marriage is that she never share my bed and, therefore, could not pass her affliction to me."

"That is… something." Anna shifted again but did not move her position closer to him. "But it… I believe you've placed me on a false pedestal."

"Why?"

"Because you poured hopes and dreams into a version of me I don't think exists." Anna's fingers twisted on themselves. "And I would hate to disappoint you after all you've done for me."

John took his turn to stare at her. "There would be no recriminations for any perceived failures to meet expectations as I've none."

"But you called me Persephone."

"Because I am Hades." John pointed to himself. "After my wife's death, and even when she spurned our wedding vows, I bore the pariah's mark. I took that and made something of myself with it. Something…"

He sighed, "I don't know if you've noticed, Anna, but I tend to frighten people around me."

"You do have an air about you that tends to stiffen others." Anna relaxed, shifting toward John. "But I wouldn't call you Hades."

"Then I'll not call you Persephone." John took a breath, "And, given the nature our marriage, if there is someone else you want…"

"Someone else I want?" Anna frowned. "What do you mean?"

He swallowed, "To be frank, since we're being honest with one another, I believe I would be a fool to stand in the way of any affair you would desire while we're married."

"I beg your pardon."

"I don't mean to offend you, any more than my admissions already have," John squirmed, "But I'm aware that our marriage isn't exactly what you wanted. Or even what you wanted at all. And given that, I refuse to stand in the way of your happiness. Therefore, if you happen to find happiness with someone else, even if for a night, I would take no offense."

Anna narrowed her eyes before taking a breath. "I told you, John, that we would not consummate our marriage because I believe two people should be in love and, as yet, I can't say that I love you."

"Hence why-"

"Please," Anna held up a hand, "Allow me to finish."

John nodded, "Apologies, I should not've interrupted you."

"No, you shouldn't have." Anna waited but John stayed quiet. "That being said, I intend to stay true to the wedding vows I make you. So there will no more take of affairs or any other men in my life."

She held up her left hand, the ring he bought for her clearly visible. "This is a promise. A promise of a union we'll form the moment we can find a church that I do not feel cowed to stand inside. That promise is one I intend to fufill to the best of my abilities and I expect the same of you. Is that honest enough for you?"

John managed a small smile, "It is perfectly clear."

"Good." Anna adjusted, "Then there'll be no more talk of mistresses or masters or anyone else in this marriage who is not sitting on this bench at this moment. Do I make myself clear?"

"As crystal."

"And one more thing," Anna waited until John met her eyes. "You've never frightened me."