DOUBLE TAKE

Chapter 13

Callen arrived home an hour later after his run. With sweat dripping off his body, he headed straight upstairs to the shower. As he stripped his soaked clothes from off him, he turned the taps on in the shower. The run had made him feel better than he had earlier in the morning, the exercise had cleared his mind from the tension that had overtaken him from the stress of worry over Nell. He tested the water, and stepped in under the running stream of warm water to relax his muscles and clean his body. He heard his phone beep, once he had turned the taps off and dried himself with the towel, he walked over to the bedside table and picked up his phone.

'I'm at the mission for a few hours, c u later, love Nell.'

He smiled when he read the text, glad she was somewhere safe for a while. 'Glad you're there and safe. I miss you. See you later. Love G.'

LAX

Hetty pulled her Jag up by Arrivals at LAX, and found Michel waiting for her. He smiled as he saw her step out of her car, he walked over to greet her with a hug and kiss on the cheeks.

"Bonjour Anouk, il est si bon de vous voir après tout ces années." (Hello Anouk, it's so good to see you after all these years.)

"Bonjour Michel. Il a été trop long. Vous regardez bien. Allait-il comment votre vol?" (Hello Michel. It has been too long. You look well. How was your flight?)

"Aah Anouk, vous rougeoyez comme d'habitude. Je vais bien, merci mon cher. Mon vol n'était pas trop mauvais, merci de demander." (Aah Anouk, you're glowing as usual. I am well, thank you my dear. My flight was not too bad, thank you for asking.)

Hetty opened her trunk to allow Michel to place his luggage inside, before they sat inside the car. Michel looked at the woman beside him, and wondered what was so important for him to fly over five and a half thousand miles for.

"Anouk. Il était si important pour que je vole quel est-ce qu'ici ? Est-ce que tout est correct ? Êtes-vous dans une certaine sorte de problème?" (Anouk. What was so important for me to fly here? Is everything okay? Are you in some sort of trouble?)

Hetty shook her head. "Michel, vous étiez toujours le pessimiste. Et une âme aimable. Attendons jusqu'à ce que nous arrivions quelque part privé pour parler." (Michel, you were always the worrier. And a kind soul. Let's wait till we arrive somewhere private to talk.)

Michel nodded.

"Va-t-il comment votre anglais de nos jours?" (How's your English these days?) she asked him.

"Very good, I hope." He smiled at the petite woman beside him. He knew there was a lot more to Anouk than one saw with their eyes. She had always been a mystery to him, and she continued to amaze him as he watched her now. "How has life been treating you, these last forty years? Wow, has it really been that long since we saw each other?" He was shocked when he realised it. "It seems like yesterday." He smiled at his companion.

Hetty also had a smile on her face from the fond memories of that summer in Paris with Michel. "Sometimes it does, Michel, yet so much has happened since then, it almost feels like a lifetime ago." She pulled into a driveway surrounded by maples, full of lush green leaves, providing shade over the driveway. At the end of the driveway stood a Tudor style home, which he instantly knew was her home (well one of the many homes she spread her time in, ensuring her true identity wasn't found out).

Michel stepped out of the Jag, and followed Anouk into the house. She turned the kettle on and prepared some tea, ready to be placed in the pot once the kettle had boiled. "Would you like some tea, Michel?"

"I would love some, thank you, Anouk." Michel sat on the chair by a large window looking out at the beautiful garden outside. "Your fingers must be very green, Anouk. Your garden is beautiful."