Lakhimpur, India – Present Day

A jerk in the truck roused John and he inhaled sharply, taking a moment to orient himself. Anna swayed across from him, her head resting on a sack of what John thought might be grain from the way her head indented it. A screech of the brakes woke her up and she took her own minute to reorient herself. As the truck ground to a halt, Anna leaned toward John with her mouth open so he could reset her gag before the canvas on the back of the truck lifted.

"Arrived." Vera grinned at them as John grabbed his things and Anna to get them off the back of the truck. "Welcome to Nepal."

John stretched before putting his hand on Anna's arm. "Where do you want me to take her?"

"To a nice, quiet part of the bush and put a bullet between her eyes." The wide-eyed fear Anna exuded gave Vera a cackle. Once it subsided, leading John to loosen the hold of his fingers on Anna's arm, Vera sighed, "But since we can't have nice things, I want her to bunk with you for now."

"With me?"

"Unless you want her with Green." Vera nodded toward the cab of the truck. "I think he's still smarting from earlier and he'd love to take it out on LMB here."

John set his jaw, a twitch in a muscle in his cheek the only indicator he gave of his thoughts on that suggestion. "Which tent then?"

Vera pointed, "That one. I don't want her too near anyone else or she'll spook them when you get her screaming again. But I also don't want her running away if she manages to give you the slip."

"Even if she did, where would she have to run?" John gestured with his free hand at the area around their campsite. "We've got miles of trackless nothing out here and no roads but the one we just made for ourselves."

"All true. But, be that as it may," Vera eyed Anna up and down. "I don't trust resourceful people."

"Resourceful?"

"She got herself out to the middle of nowhere India in the first place." Vera shrugged, "And for as big of an idiot and I think our LMB is, she's the type who gets by on the skin of her teeth. The kind of person who has just enough luck and common sense to make it work in her favor."

Vera leaned toward Anna, "Just nod if that's about the size of you." Anna flicked her eyes toward John but nodded at Vera. The other woman snorted and directed her words at John. "See? She may be stupid but at least she's self-aware."

"Much good it'll do her out here."

"Maybe it'll bring out a merciful side of me and I might consider sparing her." Anna risked a second to look hopeful and Vera snorted. "Don't get your hopes up. And Bates?"

John raised his eyebrows on response, pausing as he shifted to get them to their assigned tent. Vera pointed at Anna, "Don't get too attached to her."

"Because you'll put a bullet in her?"

Vera nodded, "Remember, she's like a hunting dog. Good for a purpose but, when she no longer serves the need, we put her down."

"I won't forget." John pivoted toward their tent and tugged on Anna's arm. "Time to get settled in our new digs."

The only piece of furniture in the tent was the cot and John helped Anna onto before stowing his gun bag and kit under it. Flicking out his knife, he cut through the plastic ties on Anna's wrists and stepped back as she removed the gag and rubbed at her skin. He nodded at the red marks, "Sorry about those."

"They'll fade." Anna let out a breath, "A bit like me if we can't find a way out of this mess."

John only hummed his response and paced the wooden floor of the tent a moment before he turned back to Anna. "Why are you here?"

"Is that a rhetorical question?"

"You're a secretary to the PM, working in his office, and he sends you here?" John shook his head, "That's like me asking my Gran to go out and fight the Taliban."

"Older women tend to me good spies because no one suspects them."

"Like no one suspects the Spanish Inquisition, I know." John pointed at Anna. "But you, out of all the people working at Downing Street, get sent to the bush to track down Desert Eagle. Why?"

Anna took a breath, held it, and then released slowly before speaking. "Because it's all a ruse."

"Excuse me?"

"My being a personal secretary." Anna shrugged at John's confusion. "I'm… I work with MI5. I'm a trained interrogator and… Well…"

"You're a spy hunter." Anna nodded at John's comment and he snorted a laugh. "You've got to be kidding me."

"I'm not." Anna opened her arms, as if putting herself on display. "I was assigned to take the empty post of secretary in the PM's office because, like you, I'm good with deep cover investigations. Unlike yourself, mine are usually internal investigations in offices with HR titles."

"And that's what you were doing?"

Anna nodded again. "My superiors, at least those the PM could trust, were contacted about a leak in his office. Specifically leaks regarding his efforts to combat drug traffickers. I was brought in, under the cover of being a secretary, to do low-key psychological evaluations on his direct staff before branching out."

"But you got sent here?"

"My area of expertise, before I handled psychological evaluations and interrogations, was the Indian Subcontinent. Specifically it's use as a byway for drug trafficking and for…"

"Sex trafficking?"

"I'm sure you're aware of the raging business of taking Nepali girls to India to traffic them for sex."

"Only as much as Vera's told me about hoping to get her cut of that business and expand it." John dropped into a crouch. "Which explains why we went to Nepal."

"You said there was a chance for that."

"I did." John rubbed the back of his head and let it hang down. "Bugger."

"My thoughts exactly." Anna leaned forward as John brought his head up. "What's the plan then?"

"You've already laid the seeds of suspicion that've got Vera giving everyone the side-eye here in camp." John stood. "Now we give her a few more truths and garnish them with some lies so she'll buy the biggest one."

"And what truths are those?"

"You'll tell her about your cover, about your expertise, and then garnish the location where Green grabbed you as a place you were supposed to wait for a retrieval but that the details were hazy."

"The kind of details that might explain being hauled into a truck and carted off like baggage?"

"Yeah." John pursed his lips a moment, "How long do you reckon it took you to get to camp?"

"Maybe an hour."

John's forehead furrowed a moment before he spoke again, "How many details could you give about the kinds of equipment you thought your contact would have? Anything damning as far as evidence goes?"

"The SAT phone, for one." Anna chewed the inside of her cheek. "Maybe something that shows him as working behind the scenes."

"Something like a box of blank bullets?"

Anna narrowed her eyes and then nodded slowly. "That could work. I could mention something about arranged hits that were made into productions."

"Perfect." John dug into his bag and removed a SAT phone. "Then I've got to make a call about something."

"About what?"

"About making some dead people walk again." John shrugged, "If my handler can make live people look dead then maybe we can make some of the people Green killed look like they're still alive."

"It's a start."

"Yes it is." John quickly typed on the phone. "And hopefully how we both stay alive through this mess."

London, England – 1815

"Good morning." John looked up from his paper and smiled as Anna entered the room. "I do hope I'm not disturbing you."

"Not at all. Please." John motioned to the chair next to him and Anna took it. She let out a little gasp of surprise when a footman quickly put a plate in front of her and another offered her options for breakfast. "I thought you'd take breakfast in your room after last night."

"I was dead on my feet after greeting all those people." Anna shook her head at another possible plate and took up her fork. "But it would seem a shame to waste this dining room for breakfast."

"I'm glad you didn't."

"So am I."

They were silent a moment, staring at one another, until Anna's eyes flicked toward the footmen watching them from the corner of the room. John ducked his head as the flush of heat went to his cheeks. He noted Anna's small smile at his actions and a similar blush of red over her cheeks. A blush he wanted to kiss.

"Right." John lowered his paper and hurried to clear his throat, making a show of putting himself in order as Anna busied herself with her food. "It gives me the chance to speak about a few things."

"Oh?" Anna's fork paused halfway to her mouth. "Anything in particular?"

"Our honeymoon." A flash of fear went through Anna's eyes and John noted the tightening of her shoulders at the words. "I thought we might kills two birds with one stone."

"Which stone?"

"The one where you learn more about my business and, by extension, your father's." John folded his paper away and reached for a folio next to his plate. Opening it, John turned the top page to allow Anna to see it better. "This is a map of my manufacturing plants in the north and along the coast. These are the ones I now own, thanks to your stepfather's sale."

"And you want to visit all of them?"

"Most of them, if we can. And," John guided his finger to a location near York. "I can show you the estate."

"The estate?"

"Bleakbriar House." John selected another page from the folio and showed Anna a charcoal rendering. "As my wife you're now the lady of house."

"That's a rather intimidating thought."

"You'll perform splendidly, I've no doubt." John smiled, "You're the Lady Reerbourne now. Duchess of North Rambling."

"Do I have to say that when I introduce myself?"

"No." John shook his head, "But you will have to get used to people addressing you as 'Your Grace'."

"I barely managed that last night."

John paused, "How are you… after last night?"

Anna's eyes flicked to the footmen in the corners of the room again. "Well enough. It was… It was as lovely as I'd ever imagined."

"I'm glad." John went to cover Anna's hand, paused, flexed his fingers, and finally laid his hand over hers. "I'd… I'd want you to be alright."

"Thank you." Anna shifted her hand under his to hold his fingers with hers. "It was very kind of you."

"Think nothing of it." John kissed the back of Anna's hand before releasing it. "I… I'd want us to be comfortable. Before our honeymoon."

"Me as well." Anna eyed the map. "Especially since, I assume, we'll be sharing many beds in public houses between here and any of these plants."

"As well as Bleakbriar." John nodded, "But I'll have my valet arrange those details as we travel."

"When do we depart?"

"I'd say in a few days." John shifted in his seat. "It gives us time to… Get used to one another before we go."

"Yes," Anna's lips moved as if she wanted to smile and hold back a laugh at the same time. "It would be good practice for us to… Get used to one another."

"Especially sleeping in the same bed as someone else." John coughed, "My mother, when I was young, used to say that I kicked something terrible in my sleep."

"I think you've grown out of that." Anna patted John's hand. "But the bed was rather large and I think the ones we'll have in the public houses will be smaller."

"Indeed." John cleared his throat, "If, in that case, you'd like to have separate rooms I'd make arrangements for it."

"That won't be necessary." Anna left her hand on John's.

"That's settled then."

"It is."

John smiled at her and cleared his throat again before pushing the folio toward her. "This information's for you. It's mostly introductory details on the running of the plants and the possible expansions. Expenses and possible investments are also included, although not in much detail."

"Wouldn't want it getting into the wrong hands?" Anna moved her hand from his to take the folio and give the contents a cursory glance.

"Indeed." John took a breath, paused, and then spoke. "If you'd like, I've a few meetings arranged with morning. I've a… I find it a comfortable chair but we could find you another if you prefer and-"

"What?"

"I'm sorry," John gave a little laugh, "I'm getting ahead of myself."

"You rather are." Anna matched his laugh and John started again.

"If you'd like, I would enjoy your presence in a few meetings I've planned for this morning. And over the coming days. It would give you more information and, possibly, offer you a clearer perspective on the running of this business outside the papers in that folio."

"The written word can only convey so much."

"And yet, when it can convey much, the depth of it is astonishing."

"It is."

John lost himself in Anna's eyes a moment before he lowered his voice to whisper. "Mrs. Bates… Anna… May I… Would you…"

Anna put her hand back over John's and squeezed. "Would I what, John?"

"Would you mind if I courted you?"

"Courted me?"

John nodded, "We didn't have much of a chance at a courtship when we were engaged and I'd like to remedy that now."

"We'll be short of a chaperone or two. And," Anna lowered her voice dramatically, "We'll be sharing a bed."

"I can keep myself a gentleman and observe your honor."

"That is very noble of you." Anna's hand loosened on his. "And yes, I do believe I'd enjoy being courted by you."

"Then might I ask you for two things?"

"That would depend on the requests."

"First, that we take breakfast together here."

Anna smiled, "That one is easily 'yes'. The light in this room is perfect."

"I agree."

"The first of many things I hope we agree on." Anna's fingers grazed the back of John's hand. "And what is the second thing?"

"Would you, before my… Our… Yes, our first meeting this morning, take a turn in the gardens with me?" John shifted in his seat. "They're not as impressive as those at Bleakbriar but my mother took great pains to make them their own world here and she often took refuge in her bowers."

"I think I'd like that." Anna released John's hand and finished with her plate. "A morning constitutional to get the blood going."

"Exactly." John stood and offered Anna his hand. "If you'd like."

"I would."

They moved through the house and out into the back garden. John inhaled the brisk air and turned to Anna. "If it's too cold then we can-"

"It'll be a short walk." Anna threaded her arm through John's and led him into the garden. "And it'll give them something to talk about while we're gone."

John cringed, "Do you think we overplayed our hand in there?"

"That depends on what version of you your staff knows."

"A version that's a bit more sure of himself." John shook his head, "But that's not my worry."

"Then what is?" Anna pulled them to a stop under winding ivy.

"My worry is what they might think of you. What they might say to others and…" John bit the inside of his cheek. "I want you to feel comfortable here. To feel comfortable in your role. I don't want this to be difficult for you."

Anna raised her hand, drew back, and then committed to a motion that put her hand on his cheek. Her lips brushed his other cheek for a moment and she drew back. "That is, without doubt, the sweetest thing you've said all morning."

"Truly?"

"Truly." Anna smiled at him, "And while I am… overwhelmed by how much you've already done for me, we both must admit to ourselves that this won't be easy. Not for me and the role I have now nor for us as we try to navigate this together."

"I guess not."

"However," Anna set them moving again, keeping their pace slow. "If we do it together, I think we'll find the struggle a bit more manageable."

John put his hand over Anna's where it rested on his arm. "Then we'll do it together or not at all."

"Agreed." Anna shivered, "But, perhaps, after we finish this walk and get inside where it's not quite so cold."

"As the Duchess commands." John turned them in place and headed back to the house. "Perhaps a coat next time."

"That sounds like a good idea."

Lakhimpur, India – Present Day

Anna winced at John's expression, "Is it bad?"

"Bad enough." John ground his teeth. "But not unmanageable."

"How impossible is it?"

"It's difficult, not impossible." John flexed his jaw again. "How confident are you in your ability to survive in the bush?"

"How far do I need to go?"

"About five miles?"

Anna shrugged, "I'll do what I have to so I survive."

"Then here's how you need to play it," John sighed, "We're going to get you in Vera's bad books so deep she'll give me the gun to shoot you. I'll drag you out to the bush and give you Green's SAT phone. You'll take that, with the number you'll need to memorize now, and use it to contact my handler. He'll pick you up."

"What about you?"

"Well, if a little help you'll render while drawing a big red X on yourself, I'll slip the box of blanks and my SAT phone in Green's things." John tilted his shoulders like they were a see-saw. "Hopefully it's enough to get him the full weight of her wrath and I can use that as a stepladder to what comes next."

"Which is?"

"The complete dismantle of Vera's operation." John swallowed, "Are you ready for this? It's no brakes from the moment we step out of that tent."

Anna nodded, steeling herself while John still noted a tremor in her hands. "It's now or never."

John put his hand over hers, for a second, and gave a nod of his own. "There aren't any 'bananas' from here on out."

"There don't need to be." Anna met his gaze. "I trust you."

At that John put Anna's hands in the plastic zip cuffs and tightened them enough to look effective before slipping a small flip knife in the lining of her trousers. Anna stayed still as he worked and then opened her mouth for the gag he tied tight enough to look real but loose enough not to strain her jaw when he maneuvered it between her teeth. With a nod after John's raised eyebrows at his work, he grabbed her arm and all but threw Anna out of the tent.

She stumbled but John was behind Anna quickly enough to stop her landing on her face. Doing his best to coordinate his steps, John made a show of dragging Anna through the camp to attract as much attention as he through safe. And it proved effective enough to have Vera dismissing the woman sitting at the side of a fire with her as John approached.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" Vera reclined back in her camp chair. "I thought you'd be hours yet working her for the rest of the information."

"None of it matters after what she told me." John forced Anna to sit on a log. "Apparently she's been communicating with someone in this camp to arrange drop sites for information."

Vera perked up, her body on alert as it tightened like a spring. "What?"

"She told me that when Green grabbed her, she was there for a meeting with her mole from our group." John hissed it out, inflecting his voice to attempt to sound as if he did not want anyone else to hear while he hoped those about them started shifting with appropriate nerves. "It was supposed to be a big information drop."

"Was it?" Vera's eyebrow quirked up and she nodded at Anna. "Get that gag out of her mouth. I want to hear this for myself."

John twisted, tugging the gag so it appeared as if he almost yanked Anna's jaw with the motion. She played into it, wincing and reaching up to massage her mouth and jaw with her bound hands. Nudging her with his knee, John jerked his head toward Vera. "You're not deaf so you don't need me to repeat what she said."

Rubbing at her cheek one last time, Anna dropped her hands to her lap. "Like I mentioned in India, I was brought out here to meet without mole."

"You said you didn't know your mole's name."

"And I still don't. But I know it's a 'he' and…" Anna bit at her lip, her eyes darting around before she jumped when Vera kicked at the log.

"Speak or I'll think you don't need a tongue."

"I…" Anna swallowed, "I went to that village for the drop but… I thought it might've turned into something more."

"Something more?"

Anna nodded, "Lately… Our mole… I think he was getting nervous. Chafing a bit and I… I was under the impression the drop was going to be him and not any information."

"And you would've scooped him up?"

"I was under orders to try and convince him back but…" Anna shrugged, "If he wouldn't go back then I needed him to provide the transportation out of there."

"You couldn't bring a car?"

"I was supposed to make as few waves as possible."

"Cocked that right up didn't you?"

Anna ignored Vera's jibe to continue. "So I went to the village, like all the broadcasts lately had indicated, and I waited."

"Did your contact miss the time?"

"No. I…" Anna paused, as if stopping herself, and then jumped when Vera kicked the log again. "I think it… I think I got grabbed."

"You think?"

"I've never met my contact but…" Anna flailed, "He came in a truck and then trussed me up but… It didn't hurt and he told me it was for show and he couldn't get away like he'd thought so he'd bring me back to the camp and then we'd scarper together and if we worked it so he 'interrogated' me then we could-"

"You could what?" Vera's face reddened and the livid expression matched the tightness of her words.

"We could get away to Nepal and… And vanish into the bush." Anna squirmed in her restraints and John forced himself not to look at them but focus on the twitch in Vera's cheek. "It was supposed to be the perfect way to sneak back to civilization and get away from all this."

"So," Vera turned to John, "I'm sure you've got a theory as to who's behind this little… farce."

"As cocked up as it is," John waved a hand in Anna's direction while keeping his focus on Vera. "I don't think she's lying."

"And if she's saying this just to get me to kick Green to the curb?" Vera pointed at John, "It's like your dream come true so you tell me why I shouldn't believe you cooked all this up."

"Simple," John pointed toward Green's tent. "He retrieved her, not me."

Vera pursed her lips and turned back to Anna. "What sort of proof do you have of your gross accusations?"

"I…" Anna stuttered over her words and flinched when Vera lightly smacked her cheek. "I was using a SAT phone to communicate. My contact'll have one too."

"That's it?" Vera snorted, "We've got a number of SAT phones in this camp. They could've used a number of them to jump the signal."

"It's an encrypted line."

"Not a very good one if you got caught."

"They were both encrypted one way with separate encryptions." Anna swallowed, "My signal's unique and so is the signal of the connecting SAT phone. I could tell you which one and-"

"No need." Vera turned to John, "Keep her here for a moment."

She stalked off and John dared not move. He did not even spare Anna a look as the weight of the eyes darting in their direction was akin to being watched at a stoplight. But, almost as soon as she left, Vera returned with Anna's SAT phone in hand. It shook when she displayed it and then hit redial in the little circle they made.

John curled his fingers into his palm and then let out the smallest of held breaths when a ringing came from Green's tent. He emerged a moment later, holding John's SAT phone in his hand. Everyone in the camp froze and Vera all but crushed the SAT phone in her grip before she flung it into the fire.

With a finger jabbed at John, practically foaming at the mouth as she spit in Anna's direction, Vera hissed, "Get rid of her. I don't care how you do it but you get rid of her now and make sure I never see her again."

"Yes ma'am." John lifted Anna and took a pistol from one of the men sitting at the nearest fire. "Consider it done."