12 Minutes (#2 in Military series)

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

MI5

Sat towards the back of Operations, Samantha could comfortably lean back in her chair and regard the man she had come to see with relative ease.

Stood beside a floor-to-ceiling screen which was replaying a thirty-second clip from some drone footage over southern Afghanistan, Michael Truro looked to be in his element. He was tall with the physique of a competitive swimmer and ash blonde curls combed back to expose a very symmetrical face.

At only thirty years old, he was one of the youngest men to be in command of Operations.

Once he had watched the footage for the fifth time, Michael became aware of the girl stood beside him.

Samantha could only see the back of her head so she couldn't see what she said to Michael, but she could guess.

"There is someone here to see you." The girl would say.

"Who?" Michael would reply in his quick tone of voice that said he did not wish to be disturbed.

"She said her name was Samantha McAndrew?" The girl took a small step backwards.

"Samantha?"

She did not have to guess that part because the moment he heard her name he spun to look at the girl, probably trying to see if she was telling the truth or someone was having him on, and she saw the way his lips formed her name.

The girl, with a small nod of her head, pointed directly at Samantha in the back room.

Samantha waved back at him. As he walked down the aisle between the desks towards her, Sam could not help but notice that he seemed a lot older than the last time she had seen him.

Her fingers were drumming against her knee as he opened the door to his office and slipped inside.

"Sam," Michael acknowledged her as he walked around his desk.

"Michael."

"What are you doing here Sam?" Michael placed a few papers face down on his desk before he looked at her.

She forgot how hard and opaque his eyes could be. She could almost see herself reflected in them.

"Maybe I just fancied saying hi. Ever think of that?" Sam shrugged, slightly offended that he thought she was on the scrounge.

She was, but she didn't like that to be his first thought when he saw her.

"If I recall, we stopped saying hi to each other a short time after we finished training." Michael recalled.

"Well, a hello is long overdue then, wouldn't you think?"

Michael laughed and she saw his shoulders relax, "I always liked you Sam. You were a good agent."

"'Were?'" Samantha frowned at him.

"You know what I mean. Now, what is it you really want?"

"Okay, I surrender."

"I thought you might."

"You were on General Ridgeway's protection decal when he was over here for that conference, right?"

Michael rolled his eyes gruesomely, "I needed the overtime but I won't be doing that again anytime soon."

"Why not?" Samantha's interest was piqued, "What did the General do?"