Part 14 of 18

The Loch

The three men make landfall under cover of drifting mist. Richard pushes Angus a bit too aggressively over the low wall then scrambles up to join them at the base of a stone tower. Richard watches in fascination as Johnny dons the exo-skeleton and disappears up the sheer stone wall. He is just turning back to ask Angus a question when Johnny suddenly catapults out of the tower, soars overhead, and lands with a subdued 'ga-loop' into the waters behind them.

Angus leaps to his feet but Richard is already over the wall and down into the raft, calling back, "You keep an eye on things. I'll fish Johnny out!" He paddles like a madman out to where the widening ripples are dying down. He casts about. There is no sign of Johnny.

Belatedly, Richard realizes that the exo-skeleton must weigh a lot. Johnny will have sunk like a stone. He gulps and sits back in terror. Johnny is going to a watery grave unless… I'm going to have to go into the water! I'm going to have to dive down! Even if I find Johnny in the peat-black waters, will I be able to raise him up again? No matter! It has to be attempted!

Richard is just stripping off his jacket when a small sound is heard off the prow of the raft, a soft 'ploop' noise. He looks up to see a small ring of ripples. "Johnny?" he calls. No answer. Did a fish just jump? Another 'ploop' sounds from the other side of the raft. This time Richard is quick enough to see something grey and slender duck down under the water. He has the uncanny sensation of being watched and a familiar 'thinking it over' sensation settles down all around him along with an equally familiar deep heavy silence. He stills and waits.

The second ring of ripples is broken by something rising out of the loch. At first, Richard is frozen in dread but then sees it is Johnny, unconscious and quite blue in the face. He lunges forward and catches at Johnny's harness and begins to haul him aboard. As he does, he sees Johnny is resting atop a slightly rounded grey surface that is rock steady in the water.

Idly, a thought crosses his mind, to be that steady in this body of water that back must belong to something monstrous and heavy and very very strong. As he eases Johnny over the gunnel, he feels and hears a surreptitious puff of air right behind his left shoulder. He doesn't turn around. "I'm not going to look so you can stop watching me… but thank you again," he says to the still air. He has Johnny in the bottom of the raft now and is doing CPR as best he can.

Johnny jerks, spits out a fountain of water, takes in a racking breath and starts to pink up. He opens his eyes, sees Richard and smiles, then his eyes travel over Richard's shoulder and his smile dies. "Richard, my boy…" he breathes through chattering teeth, eyes widening.

Richard puts his jacket around him, "I know. I'm not looking. Are you all right?"

Johnny looks down at himself then back up to whatever is hovering over Richard's shoulder, "With help like this, I jolly well am!" His eyes shift to Richard's, "Let's get back to Angus. I'm sure Mr. Clever-Clogs has got another plan up his sleeve to get us back into the castle." His eyes shift back, "Thank you, whatever you are. I'll be more careful in future."

Richard hears another puff of air. Can air sound sarcastic? There is one last 'ploop' then silence. When he dares to look, there are only ripples once more. I wonder if it registers on the sub's radar, he wonders? Maybe I'll get Angus to ask the Captain. I'm sure the Captain would welcome another one-on-one with him. Richard smiles evilly then chastises himself, Johnny must be rubbing off on me, he thinks, and that can't be good!

With Johnny's help, they paddle back to shore where Angus does indeed have a clever plan to get them into the castle. A clever plan that involves the wearing of skirts!

La Kaz

"Nevvie? What is that? A place, a thing, or a name?" No amount of Googling brings up the word… although there is an alternative suggestion that makes everyone laugh uproariously.

Dwayne wipes an eye, "Ah, man, I can't wait for the Chief to return so's I can poke him about a spellin' mistake! Him! He'll never live it down!"

Fidel smiles, "And you'll make sure of that, won't you? Come on, Dwayne! The man is allowed one mistake, surely? He's probably dodging bullets and…" He stops at the look on his DI's face and back-tracks hastily, "Did I say bullets? No, I meant… bullies. Yes, bullies… other spies, you know? Just a Freudian slip… spies… bullies… bullets… that's all!"

Camille nods and gives the man kudos for trying but it is a long time before she manages to fall asleep that night. Even with six children in the bed it still feels so empty.

END – part 14