It was nearly half five and Miranda was standing on the invisible lift waiting for Kiernan. She'd told her Watcher about the lift's existence with Jack's permission, the Torchwood leader accepting that secrecy would be an utter fallacy with the Watcher following Miranda where ever she went. Kiernan and Miranda used the lift for the occasional covert meeting. When she looked up from checking her fob watch, she saw the sandy haired man walking across the Plass, his head down and his hands in his pockets. Without looking up, he stepped onto the paving stone, disappearing into the perception filter to stand beside her.

"Morning, Mao-Lin," he said, sounding a bit groggy. "Your date looked like it went well."

"What's up, Kiernan?" she asked, wanting to get right down to business. She did her best to forget there was someone following her everywhere and little reminders like that made her uncomfortable.

"I have news," he said slowly. The two had a careful code. If Kiernan had 'information', then he wanted to tell her something about the Game that she might classify as interference. If Kiernan had 'news', then he had something to tell her that involved the Game but not something she would consider interfering.

She nodded at him. "Go ahead."

"Gina de Valicourt is dead," he said gravely.

Miranda sighed. She was familiar with the name. Gina de Valicourt had been nearly four hundred years old. Few immortal women managed to live passed a century and even in this modern era of gender equality, the Game was a man's world. She had never met the immortal woman, knowing her by reputation only.

"When?"

"Last week. Understandably, Robert's inconsolable."

She had only met Gina's husband, Robert, once. She had no idea why Kiernan was passing on this news. Perhaps Kiernan felt she would want to pay her respects? Surely he didn't get her up onto the Plass at this hour to gossip. "Have any formal arrangements been made?"

Kiernan shook his head. "No, Robert never collected her body from the morgue. We buried her in the di Bergamo family crypts in Milan."

After a beheading, the Watchers swooped in before local police had the chance to recognise the crime scene for what it was. Most immortals had no living family to deal with funerals and so made legal arrangements explaining their wishes. She knew it was the Watchers' policy to carry out the defeated's wishes if there was no living person to do so. Such was not the case for Gina de Valicourt who had a living husband. Robert and Gina had been together over three hundred years. She understood the man would be deeply distraught at the loss of his wife but to have the Watchers bury her? Miranda was shocked.

Kiernan's mobile beeped. He checked the text message and sighed. "Robert de Valicourt was killed a few hours ago, just outside of Paris."

Miranda sighed. So much death… "Thanks for letting me know, Kiernan. Go home. Get some sleep."

"I also have information, Mao-Lin."

The pieces started slotting into place within her mind. She had a feeling she knew what 'information' Kiernan had for her. "Is it about who killed Gina and Robert de Valicourt?"

"Yes."

It all made sense to her now. She didn't need Kiernan Davies to tell her who had killed them. Adaf Terfel preferred the heads of women and the list of female immortals wasn't a long one. "It was Adaf Terfel."

"How could you know that? You just found out the de Valicourts were dead!" he said with surprise.

For a researcher, this boy has much to learn about the Game… "Simple maths. Thanks for letting me know, Kiernan."

Hearing the dismissal, Kiernan moved to the edge of the paving stone but stopped before he stepped off. "Be careful, Mao-Lin. I know you think Terfel is a joke but you shouldn't underestimate him. Gina was good."

With that, the young man stepped out onto the Plass, leaving Miranda alone on the paving stone. She took out her PDA and activated the lift. As it descended, she sent up a silent prayer for the souls of Gina and Robert. She noted the Hub was no longer in night mode, as it had been when she'd taken the lift up to the Plass.

When the lift reached the main Hub floor, the smell of coffee drifted over to her from the kitchen. Before she got a chance to head over for a cup, Jack's voice boomed through the cavernous space.

"Will? My office!"

"Give me a minute, Jack," she shouted back. She took a moment to think as she went into the autopsy bay. As she shrugged out of her coat, she hated to admit it but Kiernan was right. She had never met Gina de Valicourt but she knew the woman's skill with a sword was nothing to laugh at. If Terfel had managed to best her, he was a more serious threat than she had originally thought but she decided not to seek out the other immortal.

Adaf Terfel was a name from her past that she didn't like to remember. The immortal man was a cruel sadist, a murderer and a rapist. He was a viscious man that had branded himself onto Miranda's memory. Shortly after she'd returned to Torchwood as its medic and to the city of Cardiff, Kiernan had warned her that Terfel was in the UK. Miranda had had no idea back then or even now whether or not Terfel knew she was in Cardiff but either way it wouldn't matter. She only fought to defend herself and would never seek him out on her own regardless of whatever dark history was between them.

She'd managed to shake off the malaise by the time she'd reached Jack's office. He was sitting behind his desk, flipping through some paperwork.

"Have a seat, Will," he said, gesturing at the chair in front of his desk.

"What's up, Jack?" she asked after she'd settled into the chair.

"The annual briefings are coming up. I need you and Ianto in London next week."

"Those briefings are your responsibility, Jack," Miranda reminded him dryly.

"And I'm delegating them."

Miranda was annoyed. She knew that Jack disliked most of the mundane aspects of being Torchwood's leader but this was getting to be a bit much. Not to mention the fact Jack was blind siding her. A week was scarcely enough time for her and Ianto to prepare.

She scowled at him and said acerbically, "You've already delegated most of the administrative duties to either me or Ianto. Honestly, Jack, how much more are you going to 'delegate'?"

"I'm not good with these politicians, Will," he said.

"Nor the local police… nor UNIT… nor Her Majesty's staff…" she snipped. Gwen liaised with local police and Ianto fielded anything from the Palace. Miranda had been here less than two months before Jack had handed UNIT and the Prime Minister's office to her.

"Am I going to have to make this an order?"

She could tell Jack's patience was wearing a little thin. Her real objection wasn't the meetings themselves. Adaf Terfel's victories over Gina and Robert de Valicourt would have emboldened him and the last thing she needed to do was draw attention to herself by heading into a major city. Terfel wasn't the only reason she wanted to avoid London. In such a huge city, the probability of running into any immortal was greatly increased. But that was the Game.

"You know I don't like big cities, Jack," she said.

"Ianto will be with you. It's only for a few days - UNIT, the Prime Minister and tea with Her Majesty," Jack said simply. "And Will? Now it's an order."