"She's coming back, sir."

"Good."

"Should we inform Section III, sir?"

"No, I will do that myself."

"You are telling them, aren't you sir?"

"What-"

"Of course I am."

Ackerson smiled at the invaluable doctor that no-one knew existed. His look was anything but comforting.

"Of course. Sir."

Three months of intensive care and reconditioning restored Linda to peak health. She was declared dead, and shipped off to do dirty work for certain members of ONI section III. The doctor was found dead in a gutter two days later, the police did not initiate a follow-up investigation.