Just Myka and our mystery guest (who I imagine everyone has guessed the identity of by now) in this chapter.
Chapter Eight
It had taken a lot of work to convince Stan, May and Jacques that young Tom might have had contact with the very thing that could help them all out of their prison. For all their knowledge, experience and insistence that they hadn't yet given up, they were very sceptical about the agents proposal to find and talk to this mysterious girl.
Still, Myka trusted her instincts and even if this girl didn't turn out to be who Myka thought she was, the brunette was still confident that the child would be able to help them.
She had decided that she'd better make this journey on her own. Tom had wanted to join her, but as the girl wouldn't remember him anyway, Myka decided that the extra body would just appear too intimidating. Besides, she had a feeling that she'd seen his playmate before, during the first few hours of her arrival in Limbo and wanted to see if she could entice the eight year old out again simply with her presence.
She arrived at the lake some time later and took a slow lap, absorbing the pleasant scenery and calm waters. Whatever entity was controlling this place, it had taken the trouble to gild the cage they were in. Perversely, this realisation made Myka more desperate to escape.
Once she'd strolled the entire perimeter, the agent found herself a springy spot of grass to sit on, with a good view of the trees where she thought she'd first noticed the girl.
As her vigil began, Myka let her thoughts drift. She reflected on her family. The book her father had written because he could never find the right way to tell her that he loved her and was proud of her; her mother's warm presence when she was ill as a child; the rare rainy days when she and her sister, Tracy, had called a truce long enough to make each other smile.
She reflected on Sam; the months of chastising herself for indulging in her attraction not only to a married man but a colleague; the first time they'd dated when he and his wife were officially separated; their first kiss; the first time they'd made love; saying goodbye the morning of that fateful day he'd been shot. She no longer felt guilty for what had happened or even missed him as a lover anymore, but she knew that she would always feel sorrow for the loss of a kind and wonderful friend.
The reason for her change of heart came in the form of the magnetic HG Wells. Myka felt like a moth to the flame when she thought of her ex-lover and sometimes friend. It didn't seem to matter how often her wings were singed by the fire that smouldered between them, she would keep going back for more. Despite the battle she'd fought to rid her thoughts of the raven-haired beauty, Myka knew that if Helena ever made the decision to pursue her again, she would inevitably give in. Perhaps one day she would decide that the pleasure she felt in the Victorian's arms was not worth the heartache that usually followed, but until that moment, Agent Bering knew that she was a willing victim.
It was impossible to tell how much time was passing. Myka continued to digest the predicament she was in, searching her eidetic memory for clues from past assignments and unresolved cases. Nothing she had read correlated with what she'd experienced so far; the memories of Helena had been a pleasant distraction and she could admit now that she hadn't wanted to stop the mental intrusions.
The logical conclusion was that the artefact had the ability to tap into a person's psyche and lure them in with one's heartfelt dreams and wishes. Myka had been resolved of the fact that Helena had chosen a future without her but apparently, in the depths of her heart, she'd never let go of her need to be with HG. Memories were all she had left of the ex-agent.
Thinking about the Victorian brought Myka's thoughts back to the girl she was hoping to meet. She was trying to reserve her conclusions regarding the mysterious child's identity but the information she'd gathered so far bore such a strong resemblance to Helena's daughter that Myka struggled to keep her excitement at bay. She was already imagining what she would say to HG if they managed to escape this prison. Was there some desperate hope there that the inventor would fall into her arms in gratitude? Agent Bering refused to indulge such an outrageous thought but it lingered nevertheless.
Her thoughts had come full circle by the time she finally spotted movement in the trees. She had decided that she would stay put on this occasion to appear unthreatening and it took all of her energy to quell the impatience that swirled inside her mind.
She felt an inquisitive gaze on her and looked up to find a familiar face watching from a distance. Myka tried not to show the astonishment or excitement she felt as she saw the face from a locket staring back at her. With a friendly smile tugging at her mouth, she waved across the lake and then went back to contemplating the water.
'Play it smart, Myka,' she thought to herself. Her peripheral vision captured the shortening distance as Christina crept closer and finally came to stand close by. Chancing a look, the agent lifted her head and smiled gently at the young girl. "Hello," she greeted warmly.
The young Victorian appeared to deliberate for a few seconds, her head cocked slightly to one side and her dark wavy hair swaying gently in the breeze. Apparently deciding that the adult was friendly, Christina plonked herself down in the grass, her dress billowing like a parachute at the sudden movement. After another moment of intense observation, the young girl straightened her shoulders and held out her hand in greeting.
"Christina Josephine Wells. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." She shook Myka's offered hand with a familiar air of confidence then folded her hands in her lap and tilted her head again, as if she was trying to find the answer to a puzzle. "What's your name?" She asked, her manners faltering a little and reminding the agent that she was still only eight years old.
"Agent Myka Bering, at your service Miss. Wells," the curly-haired brunette made a slight bow which made the child giggle.
"Agent?" Christina questioned when the words registered. "Do you work with Wolly? I heard Mummy calling him that in the library one night. I had gotten up for a glass of water because my throat was awfully parched and Felix had knocked my night-time drink over, so I crept down the stairs, avoiding the noisy boards and they were having a rather heated conversation. Mummy sounded terribly vexed about something; she called him a 'bloody imbecile'." The words tumbled out of the child's mouth as if she'd known Myka her whole life. She had never been a shy girl and some might have even gone so far as to call her precocious, but either way, she had never felt so comfortable with a stranger before.
Myka raised an eyebrow at the story but couldn't help feeling charmed nevertheless. "I'm afraid I don't know Wolly, but I did used to work with your mother." She watched the girl's face light up and felt a pang of sympathy for HG all over again. "I think it's fair to say that Helena and I are friends."
"You are very pretty. Does it take you a long time to curl your hair like that?" She was up on her knees now and examining Myka's features. "Mummy curled my hair once, it took hours and I think she must have singed it a little because it ponged something awful. She said she would invent a machine to curl my hair faster but I think I will leave it like this," she played with a thick lock that fell over her shoulder, as her thoughts appeared to drift. "My mummy is very bright you know? Brighter than some men even. She invents lots of useful machines." She turned suddenly to look around for prying eyes and then whispered to Agent Bering behind her hand. "She is going to try to build a time-machine, like in Uncle Charlie's book, but it's a secret so you cannot tell anyone."
Myka couldn't help but laugh at the absolute sincerity on the young Wells' face. She was thoroughly enjoying the almost one-sided conversation, but she was aware that her time might be limited. Tom had spent years playing with Christina and wasn't remembered by the girl. Myka had no idea when the young Victorian would lose all knowledge of their having met.
"Your mother can do most things she sets her mind to," Agent Bering commented, thinking about the many conundrums they'd faced.
"My mummy must like you very much," Christina assured her.
Myka grinned, thinking of Helena's smug expression. "Yes, she does enjoy being complimented." Before the child could launch into another recital, Myka put on a more serious expression and waited until she had the young Wells' attention. "Christina, do you know where we are?" She tried to phrase her question as simply as possible, not wanting to confuse or worry the girl.
"Mummy left me in Paris with Rosalie and Harold, and my cousins. She sometimes has to travel far for work," she replied, though her voice lacked conviction.
"Do you think we're in Paris then?" Myka pushed gently.
"Well, we must be," Christina reasoned. "Surely?"
Myka nodded slowly. "That would be the logical conclusion, yes. Though I don't think it is entirely the truth." She paused to take in the girl's brows drawn together in thought and put a comforting hand on a cotton wrapped knee before continuing in the same patient tone. "I was in Paris with a friend when I began having waking-dreams... about your mother. Everything was fine for a while and then one day I went out for a walk and ended up here." She gestured to the space around them. "I'm not sure that this is a real place. I think we are in a sort of dream-world."
Christina worried her bottom lip as she moved closer to Myka. "Is that why my mummy isn't here yet?" She asked in a small voice.
"Yes sweetheart, I'm sure that's why your mother isn't here yet." Myka was surprised when the young Wells shuffled over to lean against her. Tentatively, she placed an arm around the girl's shoulder and felt a surprising weight of maternal affection settle in her chest. "Christina, I'm going to do my best to get us out of here, and I have friends in Paris who will be looking for me too. Do you think you can help me out by answering a few questions?"
Dark eyes gazed up at Myka, each brimming with hope. "Is this like an adventure?"
Myka laughed. "Would you like it to be?" She enquired, though she knew the answer even before the girl nodded. "Then yes; it will be an adventure. First, we have to solve a puzzle. I want you to think very carefully," she began slowly. "Can you remember being with your cousins before you arrived here?"