Time Sensitive Target

Part 24 - Mutual Understanding

"So what are you going to do?" Sonny drummed the blunt tips of his fingers against the table with force. Jase continued his attentive investigation of a spider's web spun against the window in front of him, watching the tiny ribbons of silk shimmer in the setting sun. He had waited deliberately, stretching out the day to extend Paige's exhaustion and- though he wasn't proud of it, to delay the inevitable. 

"I'm going to make sure it is authentic," Jase growled quietly. 

"She has to fear you," Sonny stated, knowing Jase could and would do the job, and also knowing he would never forgive himself for it. 

"Yes," Jase closed his eyes briefly, the two hours rest he'd managed over the last thirty something hours starting to catch up with him. 

"Can you do it?" Sonny finally asked.

"Either I do it properly, scare the shit out of her, hurt her... or they'll come for her. You know what those guys are like, they love it. They'll get a real kick out of her. It's better this way," Jase said vacantly, his voice a soft echo.

"Good. You heard the SAS are out? A matter of hours." 

"I did. 2300," Jase glanced at his watch, only three hours to go.

"That's why you're stalling?"

"As soon as they leave I'm her only hope. She still thinks Anthony and Robert can protect her, when they're out of the way it should make things easier." 

"How are you going to do it?" Sonny dry swallowed, not realising all moisture from his mouth had suddenly evaporated. 

Jase was quiet for a long time, the silence prickling at the back of his neck in anticipation. 

"Hyocine Pentothal," he replied eventually. Sonny began to formulate his protest and opened his mouth in response, but he couldn't argue his case. Jase glared at his right hand man, daring him to contest the decision. "You know she still isn't in a fit state for the standard techniques. They're for long game, for one. And she's already been exposed to most of them, she may be desensitised or overly sensitised and it'll render her useless. Plus HP is the safest method, strictly speaking." 

Sonny nodded slowly, sliding his tongue over the front of his teeth as he often did when he was deep in conflicted thought. 

"Ok," was all he could offer in response. 

                                                                                          *

Ant adjusted the dial on his radio to halt the wailing frequency noise, turning it three notches until the signal resumed again. Three hours, that was all that remained.

"-receiving?" The radio crackled. 

"Receiving JHQ," Ant responded impatiently.

"This is a secure transmission Alpha1, over." 

"We are T-3 hours, what is our position with our national? Over," 

"You have a direct order to stand down," the radio crackled as Ant felt dread wash over him. "I'm sorry Alpha1." Ant wanted to hurtle the black box across the ground, but what would be the point? "Alpha1 do you copy?" 

"Copy, roger that." 

Stand down. How could he do that? Ant glanced Rob's outline heading for the door, no doubt to find him and figure out their next move. He finished his hurried conversation and switched his receiver to a different frequency by the time his second in command reached him.