Part 2 – Why wasn't I told?

George Cowley was doing what he was best at: barking out orders and directing operations. They were in the middle of a protection run. Fairly routine by CI5 standards, but made all the more difficult by the scarcity of personnel at his disposal. One on sick leave, one on leave and one absent without leave.

Bodie! He wished to God he could silence the voice that kept shouting out the man's name to him during every waking moment. At first he had been angry. Like Doyle he had been granted leave but in his case it had been two days, not two weeks. Then when he did not report for duty, protocol required that an agent track him down but no sign of the man had been found. Not at his home, his gym, his usual haunts. The neighbours had not seen him. There was no message. His car had been parked outside as normal and looked untouched.

They had checked the hospitals. Airline passenger lists were double checked. They had placed a bulletin with Scotland Yard and Interpol.

Nothing.

Now George Cowley was a very worried man. The way he saw it one of two things had happened. Bodie had disappeared of his own volition, or he hadn't. Cowley did not know which of those two options he preferred. The one that proved that he had been wrong about Bodie all along? Or the one where Bodie was being interrogated for information relating to National Security?

All the evidence (or lack of it) pointed towards the former and Bodie leaving his CI5 life behind and skilfully disappearing. His head told him that very soon he would have to be declared as absent without leave and a warrant for his arrest posted. His instincts however told a different story. And one thing George Cowley did well, was listen to his gut. He would delay as long as possible until all avenues had been exhausted and they were left with no choice.

And he knew just the man to explore those avenues. He would be making his way over from Heathrow with Murphy now. No stone would be left unturned until he had found his partner.

In the meantime, he reviewed the duty roster and reallocated three agents to cover the Ambassador's protection assignment. It would leave them light on the Hudson observation meaning that instead of three shifts there would be two. But there was nothing else for it. Defence of the country did not stop because one agent went missing, and they had work to do.

-o0o-

Murphy's long legs could barely keep up with Doyles as he raced down the corridor to Cowley's office and barged in without knocking. He tried to hold him back but Doyle was having none of it.

Cowley scowled at the interruption as he and his secretary pored over a duty roster, then quickly his features relaxed as he recognised Doyle and then dismissed Betty with a nod.

Ray was clearly agitated and could not stand still while Murphy stood at the door, a picture of calm as ever. The journey over from the airport had been fraught as Doyle's mood had swung between incredulity, anger, disbelief and worry. At times he pumped him with questions. What had the search at Bodie's flat revealed? Where was the car? Where was his passport? Signs of struggle? Then he fumed in silence. Then he would lapse into repeated curses and swearing. Over and over again the same two words would repeat themselves.

Two weeks.

He hadn't tried to contact anyone?

Two weeks.

Had anyone tried his own message service?

Two weeks.

Why did no-one contact him in Barbados? He would have come back.

Cowley regarded him coolly for a moment as he paced up and down. In spite of his agitated state, Cowley had to admit to himself that the man looked the better for his vacation. And he was glad that he had decided not to recall 4:5 from his holiday, knowing that he would have run the risk of spiralling the man down into a nervous breakdown. Dr Ross had indicated as such. His behaviour prior to his leave all pointed towards a burnt out state and it had been quite clear that3:7 had borne the brunt of it all. Could it even be possible that his recent difficulties with his partner had played a part in his disappearance? So he decided that 6:2 would search for Bodie in the meantime while Doyle got some much needed down time. Besides he had been banking that Bodie would have turned up long before then.

He hoped that Doyle would understand the logic, but prepared himself to deal with the inevitable outburst that was coming. He did not have to wait long.

"I want to know why I wasn't told about this before now!"