Thanks for all your reviews, and welcome to my new readers, I hope you enjoy. I know there hasn't been much of Alec or James at the moment, but I promise, they're coming soon. Honest. Promise.
Two and a half hours later Jack Wade, ex CIA agent, and now in a role that he didn't like to divulge to just anyone, finally caught up with Ashleigh Kain.
She'd made good distance in the time since that she had left the base, having sauntered out with a jaunty wave to the guards on the gate. Determination had driven her on, and she'd managed to cover several miles in the time she had been on the road.
She heard the car coming up behind, and immediately squared her shoulders, waiting for the confrontation. She half expected Wade to wrestle her into the vehicle and drag her back to the base, ready to throw her on the first plane back to England. Well, she wasn't going without a fight, and he was going to have to be ready for that.
Sweat was sticking her t-shirt to her back, she felt hot, flushed and dirty, she had been stomping along a road which was nothing more than a dusty track since before dawn and she was thoroughly fed up.
The 4x4, a dusty, navy blue jeep, with cracked headlights, and a lovely dent in the front bumper drew level with her. There was the hiss of an electric window, but she still refused to turn her head.
'Stubborn little hellcat, aren't ya?' Wade commented, keeping level with her pace.
'You have no idea,' Ashleigh snarled back through gritted teeth.
'So how long do you intend to keep on hiking?' Wade asked, one eye on the road ahead, the other on the young woman, noticing again the stubborn set of her jaw. He'd waited in his office for her to come back. It had taken him an hour for him to realise that she wasn't. He could be as stubborn as her. A further hour to question every guard on duty, and half an hour to get the jeep and head out onto the road.
'As long as it takes,' Ashleigh panted, her mouth dry and beginning to feel slightly furry.
Women, Wade thought, rolling his eyes. Once their mind was set, that was it, no changing it. He'd learnt it the hard way, through five wives, three sisters, and an overbearing mother. You didn't argue with them, you merely stepped back, and let them be, if you knew what was good for you.
This might just be one of those occasions. He sighed, tilted his cap back on his head, and uttered the words he knew he would regret.
'Get in.'
'What?' Ashleigh glanced at him in confusion.
'The jeep. Get in. I'll drive you.'
'Why?' her brown eyes narrowed in suspicion and he noticed the petulant set of her brow. His second wife had had the same look, the same furrow would appear whenever he had been in trouble. He knew an answer of some sort was required and quickly.
'Because I want to know what you know about Goldeneye. Because I have a sudden urge to drive the three hours to Havana. Because my mother would never allow me to let a slip of a girl walk for days when I could offer her a ride.'
'Your mother?' Ashleigh looked dubious. She stopped walking and glanced around. The track stretched for miles ahead, roughly following an abandoned railway track. It wasn't a pleasant thought. 'Well, if your mother insists.'
They were silent for what seemed like hours. Ashleigh bit her lip, anxiously. Wade was an anomaly to her, brutish, brash, larger than life, and yet she suspected that he was far sharper than the image he liked to portray. She also realised that he had a knowledge of Goldeneye and therefore, of Alec. And that frightened her. Now she had to make a decision. Wade was in a position to help her, perhaps give her directions on where to go next, but how much information could she divulge to him? And would he listen if she tried to explain, or would he just pull a gun on her and drag her back to the base?
She stretched, trying to find a comfortable position in the jeep. She drew her knees up, resting her feet on the battered dashboard in front of her, the dusty footprints there telling it that it wouldn't be the first time that the dash had been subjected to this treatment.
'There's soda and stuff in the glove box,' Wade gestured towards it, and Ashleigh opened it. Cautiously, she opened one bottle and passed it to Wade, before opening the other for herself.
'So how well do you know James?' she asked finally.
'Spent some time with him in Russia, then supported him out here. Nice guy, wandering eye though.'
'That's James,' Ashleigh said distractedly.
'You one of his?' Wade asked bluntly.
'One of his what?' Ashleigh raised her eyebrows.
'Girlfriend?' he scrutinised her and then offered a revised opinion. 'Daughter?'
'Close enough,' Ashleigh shrugged. 'He was friends with my father. He sort of looks out for me. When he feels like it.'
'He ever tell you what happened out here?'
'Partly. Someone else gave me a few more details, but he isn't very keen when it comes to talking about it.'
'Tell me why you're here,' Wade said, and this time, it was an invitation, not an order.
'I'm sure you've guessed by now that it wasn't for a holiday. Sorry, 'vacation',' she smiled.
'Never mind the language barrier, just get on with the story, before I decide that you're better off walking after all.'
Ashleigh stared out of the window, debating how to say the words that were forming in her mind. She rejected one sentence after another and finally she shrugged. 'I'm searching for someone.'
'Gee, that's the first time I heard that one. You going to tell me who?'
My daughter. My husband. Ashleigh wondered which avenue to take.
'I'm a British agent, Wade. Secret Service, MI6. Same agency as James Bond. I was ordered by my superiors here to track down someone,' the last word sounded feeble even to Ashleigh.
'Go on.'
'That's it.'
'Really? End of story? You're searching for 'someone'. Now, this might sound strange to you, but have you ever thought that I could help you?'
'Not this time.'
'You sure about that?'
'How high is your security clearance, Wade?'
'Probably higher than yours, sweetheart.'
Ashleigh laughed, but there was a bitter edge to it. 'You wouldn't believe me even if I told you.'
Wade sighed. He was not a complex man, he liked things out in the open, a strange viewpoint to have in his line of work. 'Try me,' he growled.
'Fine,' Ashleigh snapped. 'I'm looking for Alec Trevelyan. That's why I was at the Goldeneye facility and that was why myself and my colleague were diving down to this dish.'
'Trevelyan? Are you on some sort of weird pilgrimage or something? The guy has been dead for years.' Wade looked at her curiously, careful to keep his features perfectly neutral.
'Are you sure about that?' Ashleigh asked bluntly, and was gratified to see a blush of high colour appear on Wade's face. 'Didn't think so,' she said softly.
'How do you know about him?' Wade spluttered.
'I'll come to that later. All I want to know now is where the hell is he?'
'He ain't in Cuba, I know that.'
'I know he is. Seems the Brits know more than you in this case. Do you keep records of every person travelling in and out of the island? Particularly the ones who come through the illegal channels?' Ashleigh flushed angrily.
'He ain't in Cuba, honey, and believe me, I would know. And what hell business do you have with him anyway? He isn't the kind of man little girls should be chasing after.'
'I'm not a little girl, Wade. And I'm not chasing after him.'
'Seems to me that you are. And for the life of me I can't figure out why you'd want to.'
'Shall we start at the beginning, Wade?' Ashleigh asked, fighting to stay calm. 'I'm not questioning your authority on this island, but I do know Trevelyan, contrary to what you may think, and I know that it wouldn't be difficult for him to arrive here unannounced.'
Wade took a deep breath too, and nodded. 'The beginning. Right. Shoot.'
'My daughter has been kidnapped, Wade. I have a five year old daughter who a matter of weeks ago was taken from our home. I have received assistance in searching for her from my organisation, along with a not so subtle hint that there may be the involvement of a man who is seriously involved in the arms trade. It was one of his weapons, or rather one that he stole, that was involved in the assassination of Jacques Le Frenicet in Paris a few days ago. I'm sure news of that has filtered over here by now. I was there, Wade, I saw the entire thing happen.'
'What does this have to do with Cuba? And Goldeneye?'
'I'll come to that. This arms dealer is a man called Le Loup. Have you heard of him?'
'The Wolf? Yeah, I heard of him. But he's been quiet for the last ten years, not a peep heard out of him. I figured he died, or went underground.'
'He has links with Trevelyan. And I think if I find Trevelyan, then I might just find out where Le Loup is.'
Wade was silent for a few moments, concentrating on the road ahead of him. 'Le Loup isn't in Cuba. My guess is he's holed up somewhere in Europe. The KGB weren't too fond of him, and when the USSR broke down, he probably fled before someone could take out a revenge hit on him. The US weren't about to welcome him with open arms either, not when he'd taken so much of our new technology. In fact, as far as I am aware, and believe me when I say that I am aware of very many things, he has never set foot on this island.'
'Shit!' Ashleigh swore, slamming the palm of her hand against the edge of the dashboard. Frustration threatened to overwhelm her once more, as she saw yet another lead vanish in front of her.
'Hey, watch the vehicle,' Wade drawled. He glanced over thoughtfully at her. 'I can't help you with Le Loup, and I certainly can't help you with Trevelyan, in fact, I'm not even supposed to acknowledge the fact that he is alive, I know absolutely sweet F.A about that one, sugar, but if its an arms dealer you're after, then you've come to the right place.'
'But not the one I'm looking for, right?'
'Maybe not, but the way I see it, information could be more valuable to you right now. The guy you're looking for is based in Havana. And if there's anything going down, he's going to know about it. We've been trying to get our hands on him for years, but we can't pin anything on him. Not yet anyway.'
'Can't you just make something up? I thought that's what the Americans did best?' Ashleigh mocked lightly.
'I happen to like you, girl, don't make me change my mind.'
Ashleigh grinned. She felt a genuine affinity for Wade, and now he was giving her an opportunity. She felt the thrill of the chase stir her blood again, she was on the scent once more.
'So,' Wade asked as casually as he could. 'Trevelyan. How come you know he's alive? How come you've followed him to Cuba?'
The grin faded. Ashleigh looked at Wade, and knew that if she wanted him as an ally, then she'd have to share the truth. 'I think he's involved somehow in my daughter's kidnapping.'
'How come?'
'I lied to you when I told you my name was Ashleigh Kain. It's my maiden name. My name is Ashleigh Trevelyan.' She placed special emphasis on the three syllables of her surname.
Wade stared at her. Ashleigh wondered if she should reach for the steering wheel, but decided to break the silence instead.
'Alec Trevelyan is my husband, Wade. I think he knows what has happened to our daughter.' Ashleigh looked at Jack Wade steadily. 'Now, do you have a problem with that, or do I need to start walking again?'
For once in his life, Jack Wade couldn't think of an answer. He merely nodded dumbly, settled his cap more firmly on his sweating head, and decided to concentrate very hard on the road ahead.
