Part 4
The Iranian Embassy was a large and ornate building. Almost every room had a regal feel to it, and the people around were equally as posh. Adam and Dani were escorted into the largest room there, where everyone appeared to be waiting. The floor was a shiny oak, so shiny in fact that it almost reflected the room, but in a slightly warped way. At one end of the room was a gold fireplace, and above it, a mantelpiece, on which rested a large clock and several lamps. The walls were a soft cream, and hung with many paintings and displays. Dani looked around in interest: the Embassy was far grander than she had ever imagined. She glanced beside her at Adam, who looked totally nonplussed by their surroundings.
"Doesn't all this impress you?" she asked him as they made their way through the crowd.
"What, the Embassy?" He shrugged non-committally. "I've seen it all before."
"If you've seen it all before, then would you mind telling me how this evening is going to go?"
"Sure. First, we'll mill around here for a while, chatting to people; expect strangers to come up and talk to you, it happens all the time. Then we'll be called into another room where they'll be food and we'll all talk a bit more. The evening will end with some kind of presentation from someone, and then we can go as and when you feel like it." He turned to smile at her.
Dani paused. "You really are quite the expert then."
"You could say that. Would you like a glass of champagne?" Adam picked two champagne flutes off the tray of a nearby waiter and handed her one. "Here's to your first op."
The evening passed well enough, Adam kept by Dani's side for the most part of it, striking up conversation with several of the diplomat's wives as to entertain them. In the middle of the conversation, Adam's mobile rang, and he quickly excused himself.
"Harry?"
"Adam, please tell me you're still at the Embassy."
"Yes, I am, why?" Adam worried at the note of unburied panic in Harry's voice.
"Malcolm's just found out that there's going to be an assassination attempt on the Iranian Presidents' life. You have to stop it now."
"Well that's going to be rather tricky as I have absolutely no idea who I'm looking for."
"You're going to have to try, Adam." With that, Harry hung up, and Adam grabbed Dani by the arm, hurriedly telling her what had just happened as he searched the crowd for the Iranian President.
"Sir," Adam said as he reached him. "I'm afraid you're in grave danger, and you must come with me at once."
"Why, what is wrong?" He asked worriedly.
"There's a risk that there could be an attempt on your life. Please, come this way." Adam escorted him away, just as a man burst through the crowd towards them. Adam instantly tackled him to the floor upon seeing the gun in his hand and knocked him unconscious. He handed Dani the gun which he had just picked up off the floor. Dani looked down at it in her hands. Sure, she had held one before, even fired one in training, but this was totally different. In handing Dani the gun, Adam had rendered himself unarmed, relying solely on his combat skills and quick thinking as a form of protection.
The Iranian President was standing, terrified behind Adam. Dani stood to the left, trembling as the congregation of people panicked and left the room. The assassin lay prostrate on the floor by Adam's feet. As the crowd evacuated the building under Adam and the Foreign Secretary's orders, Dani started to relax. It's over. It's done.
Suddenly, something from the back corner of the room caught her eye: another man was creeping towards the President, unseen by Adam.
"Behind you!" she shouted desperately at him. Adam instantly turned on his heel and grabbed the man. He struggled to overpower him, grappling for his already-loaded gun, ready for the kill shot. Two assassins. Dani edged closer to the President, trying to usher him out of the room.
"Where do you think you're going?" the man shouted, breaking away from Adam and pointing his gun directly at his head. Dani froze. "Take one more step and I will kill him." He was English. Why was an English man trying to kill the Iranian President?
Dani raised her gun to his level. Her hands were shaking violently, and she fought to control them. Adam tried to move, but the man rested his finger on the trigger.
There's no way out. I have to do it… I can't. I can't do it. I can't pull the trigger.
Dani's gaze fell to Adam, who nodded at her very minutely. She saw in his eyes what she had to do. She summoned up all of her courage and pulled the trigger.
The man crumpled to the floor, blood oozing out of the wound in his chest. Dani's hands went limp, and the gun dropped to the floor, just as Harry and Ros arrived. Adam moved to embrace Dani, whilst informing Harry what had happened. "Two assassins, one dead, the other unconscious. The President is unharmed."
Harry nodded then moved over to the President whilst Ros dealt with the two men, along with the paramedics that had just arrived.
Adam lead Dani away from the chaos and to a bathroom. They had barely made it through the door before Dani's legs gave out from underneath her. He lowered her gently to the floor and helped her take off her shoes as hot tears cascaded down her cheeks, causing her makeup to run. Her skin paled suddenly and she lurched forward, rushing for the nearest toilet; Adam held her hair away from her face until she finished being violently sick. When she had, the tears came again, and she sank helplessly to the floor. Adam instinctively pulled her into his arms and let her cry into his shoulder. After several minutes, he gently spoke. "Stand up."
She shook her head. "I can't."
"You can. You have to." He stood up, pulling her with him. "You need to look in the mirror."
"Why?"
"Because if you can look yourself in the eye, then you'll be okay." He lead her to the mirror above the sink.
Slowly, Dani looked up. She took in her appearance: her hair was damp with sweat, her pale and clammy skin, eyes red from the tears. She stared herself in the eyes. I'm going to be okay. Turning on the cold tap, she bent down and splashed her face with the icy water, before turning back to face Adam.
"Come on, I'll take you home," he said.
