Page 14 of Drift

Gray gave a rough sigh. “None needed. You heard about the promotion before I did. And Shaun has no kids anyway.”

Jan shook his head. “But that doesn’t mean Jill, my boss, wasn’t thinking of you.”

Gray tried so hard not to react. “Smart lady, this Jill. And shedoeshave kids.”

“You checked?” Jan tapped him in the ribs. “I’m being serious. Convince me this isn’t keeping you happy and on Brennan’s side, along with Jack.”

Gray kissed at his cheek. “Yeah, of course, this is about keeping me and Jack content—”

Jan went to pull away, the usual softness to his brown eyes lost to the spark of bad blood that finally found the surface.

“But…” Gray hardened his tone because Jan was still missing the point. “It’s also about you, Ben, Chris, and Monique, their skills, stresses, strains, loves and losses. Which means every thought that went into your offer, the same care and thought went into Ben, Chris’s and Monique’s. Tomorrow?” He stroked at Jan’s jaw. “Tomorrow is the deciding factor: your skill against theirs, nothing else. That’s something the MC won’t bend for.” He offered the softest smile. “You? You’re still stood behind the red rope at the art gallery.” He kissed where his thumb had brushed on Jan’s jaw. “Have faith in your ability. Just show them that same faith when it comes to them knowing who should be where and when in their ranks. I’ll play no part in the outcome.” He didn’t lie there. He’d never take anyone into counterterrorism who didn’t earn it. The MC worked the same way, especially as it dealt with staff from MI5 and 6, the army, and Metropolitan police…. Even if Jan failed tomorrow, there would be other opportunities. He more than had the skill even if Chris tried to bully Jan into thinking otherwise. And as for the cullers….

Jan dipped his head for a moment, then found Gray’s look again. “So the offer is honest? I’m good enough, even despite knowing about my father and the money I laundered?”

Ah. This was really getting at Jan’s core: talk on the money his father had laundered. How Jan laundered it back into his family to look after himself and his mother and sisters once his father had been sent to prison. Jan had known poverty to the point of malnutrition as a boy, to the point of searching in black bin bags for scraps of food. All that had resulted in Jan’s mother running into Martin, and much later… Jack. “Knowing everything, they gave you the offer.”

Jan blew out a shaky breath. “What about the FRC? Do I need to tell them?”

“Those who need to know, know.” Gray dipped his head a little, searching Jan’s eyes. “As for the FRC: unlike your father, there was no arrest with you, no trial, no conviction. Just your conscience and the funds you’re paying back.” Gray would have buried it all, including any payments that touched Jan’s name, but this was all about Jan. His conscience, never Gray’s. “They can’t judge on a conviction that never was.”

Jan frowned, then rested his head against Gray’s. “Should I be straight with them, though? I mean, would you employ someone for MI5 accounts if they’d done what I had?”

“Never about the cologne, just the man and the choices behind it.”

Jan gave such a heavy sigh. “I doubt they’d see it that way. But… just do me one thing, yeah?”

“Hm?” Gray liked him in close.

“Leave Chris alone. The last thing any accountant needs is a culler breathing down his neck as he does inventory of the stationary cupboard.”

Gray snorted softly. “I like bigger playrooms, sharper… tools of the trade.” He thought it over. “Russian style for anyone stupid enough to give you grief.” He thought it over a little more. “Maybe it’s time for a walk-through of the accounts department ten minutes before the FRC sit down tomorrow, get some fear cells spiking before this… Chris goes in.”

Jan levelled a warning finger his way, and Gray laughed softly, then checked his tie in the mirror. Jan had done a good job.

“Speaking of aggressive play in business….” Jan eased back against the unit and folded his arms. “You heard nothing yet on Nottingham business since you disbanded their training two years ago?”

Gray slipped his suit jacket on. Jan tried so hard not to mention the cullers directly. “Pack order,” he said quietly. “The silence from their end is ensuring it. I’ll get an employment review call eventually like everyone else has, and it will either be stay or go.”

“Jesus, after everything that’s happened, I never once thought that it would be her death that would impact everyone at such a classified level, that it could mean a full disbanding of Nottingham business with the crowning of a new Monarch.” Jan fell into quiet. “It’s also because of you… sacking the other two men in Nottingham as well, though, right?”

“Yeah,” Gray said quietly. Theother two cullers had ended up with bone dust scattered to the wind after he’d taken them out inthe cellar Light had based himself at. No… sacks needed. “That as well.” He put Jan’s cologne away.

“And that doesn’t bother you? After everything that’s been done, you potentially lose head… directorship of the Nottingham branch?”

Gray straightened his collar and glanced at him. “Why would it? You can take the title, you can’t take away the natural-born skill and… instinct. UK streets are mine. They know that. Employment beyond Nottingham is always on offer, as Light’s finding out with Cal and MI6. In the end, it will either result in yes or no, stay or go,” he said flatly. One Head of State was too ill to address him prior to death, the other? He’d have his own plans.

“So the delay over talking to you?”

Gray looked over at him. “Forced calm through negative reinforcement.”

Jan widened his eyes, went to say something, failed. Just for a moment. “Denyingthe dog the itch to bite just to let him know they still hold the leash.”

Gray shrugged. “Perhaps.” A smile. “Most likely.”

Jan gave a rough sigh and wiped a hand over his face before checking his watch. “Yeah,” he said as he pushed off the unit, “fuck to everything outside of those doors.” Jan narrowed his eyes Gray’s way. “Maybe I should pay them a visit? Get their bones rattling before they talk to you? Slip Jack in… let him run riot with the artwork stuffed under his coveralls, hit them in the pocket where it would really hurt?”

Gray laughed softly. There was no mention of Light in with all that defence, but that was okay. That… bite of Jan’s? That one that said fuck to it all and pulled in every one close…?

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