The Rather Less Than Secret Agent's Ball, Part 7

The Rather Less than Secret Agent's Ball

Series 3 : The Saint and Danger : Episode 2

Simon Templar calmly gazed across the gently rolling hills as the Morgan travelled along the motorway at high speed. A slight turn of the elderly face was hardly noticeable as his eyes gazed into the side view mirror.

"We're not being followed.", the voice was calm.

"No I didn't think so," Dangerfield Loveridge's voice tinged with worry, "maybe they thought they didn't need to."

"I'm sure we're safe no one would expect us to be North of the M25, myself least of all.", the Saint gave a slight grin.

"All will become apparent, just a little whim of mine."

"You we're always a bit on the secretive side even as one of my students."

"Surely considering the school that was one of my plus points." Now Dangerfield was grinning.

"Yes, you all had your little idiosyncrasies." the smiling, wrinkled face of Simon Templar turned to face Dangerfield, "some more than others."

"We were a bit of a mixed bunch. I've never asked you, how did it all happen, I mean the school and how did you get to teach, you weren't exactly a big fan of the government, if I remember correctly."

"That was pretty much why they required me, after that it was just a matter of negotiating the price, after all expertise like mine doesn't come cheap." Templar's hands grasp his ebony cane, "Some young ministry bod came up with the idea, met him once, can't really remember his name - Appleton, maybe, something like that - realised that the army agents were a bit too regimented not really flexible enough to cope with what they knew was just around the corner. They hand picked a few people some military men with a bit of an edge, a few amateurs with interesting areas of expertise and gave them to me, quite simple really." The Saint had a distant look in his eye, as if events of the past were flashing in front of him, "You were a bit of a mixed bunch but that was really the point, it was the opposite of what might have otherwise happened, your own personalities brought to the fore to give you an edge over those whose actions may be more predictable."

"Thinking back it amazes me how we all took it in our stride, how little we questioned anything or anyone." A slight frown crossed Dangerfield's face.

"Except for John Drake of course." A smirk appeared on Simon Templar's slightly sagging jaw, reflected in Loveridge's more sturdy features, "Obviously except for John, I don't think I ever saw him relax once at the school."

"A normal regime wouldn't have got anything out of John at all, just tried to break the unbreakable rather than pointing him in the right direction and letting him use his unique abilities.", the Saint suddenly grimaced, "what they did to him after that was stupid and particularly pointless, they just didn't understand that you were all different from the others."

Dangerfield's voice suddenly heightened, "So what did happen when John disappeared? I know it's quite a few years ago now so I'm sure it can be divulged?" but as Dangerfield turned his head to question further but only saw an elderly man asleep in the passenger seat.

"Perhaps some other time." Dangerfield Loveridge turns his gaze intently on the motorway ahead and gently increases the pressure on the accelerator, to which the Morgan responds with eager glee.

An afternoon gloom of low lying cloud overlays the Manchester metropolis as the Morgan zips smartly along the Cheshire plain on the final leg of it's journey.

"We're almost there, time to wake up Mr Templar." Dangerfield thinks of giving his dozing passenger a nudge, but decides against it, as the Saint gives a slight murmur and begins to awake.

"Thank God for that, I'm not sure why we're here anyway." the Saint give a slight shiver as he wakes.

"My my, who's fallen out of the wrong side of his passenger seat." Dangerfield's jest falls on unappreciative ears and receives a mildly annoyed stare from the Saint, "as for why we're here, it's because I don't trust our usual resources, but I do trust my contact here." Dangerfield slows the Morgan and pulls into the car park of a large brick building similar to many of it's neighbours.

Loveridge and Templar enter into a small reception area where an amiable elderly woman behind the desk presses a small button under the desk and waves the pair of retired spies through with a knowing wink towards Dangerfield, "Your niece is in the main lab Mr Loveridge."

"Thank you Penny, I know the way." Loveridge gave the woman a courteous smile and pushed through the double doors into a large warehouse full of assorted machinery and chemical equipment. Dangerfield makes his way across the warehouse towards a large electron microscope which is under examination by a young woman and an elderly man.

"Hello Caroline." Dangerfield's words cause the dark haired bespectacled woman to turn and face the two men, giving Dangerfield a quick hug, "Uncle Trix, it's been ages since I've seen you, how are you? what are you doing all the way up here?"

"Yes it has been a while, I'm fine, and as for why I'm here, well as you will probably be thinking I need a favour, but first let me introduce an old friend and teacher of mine, this is Simon.", Dangerfield gently brings Caroline in front of Templar and they shake hands in a perfunctory manner.

"Nice to meet you Simon," Caroline turns to speak to her uncle, "so what favour do you and the world need desperately now.", Caroline's sentence trails off as a realisation creeps slowly but surely into her brain. When Caroline turns back to face the Saint her glasses now reside in her lab coat pocket, "Oh I'm so sorry Mr Templar I didn't recognise you at first", she says, having now grabbed Simon Templar's free hand in both of hers, "I've been a fan of yours for many years Mr Templar, it's such a pleasure to meet you."

"Ah yes Caroline Loveridge, fan club member 881006, if I remember correctly, didn't realise you were related to Dangerfield here ."

"Mr Templar how did you know my number, sorry I shouldn't ask, it's probably a secret, I just can't believe I'm actually meeting the Saint." Caroline's enthusiasm obvious to all even though she has now let go of Simon Templar's hand.

"Caroline, it's no secret I know all my club members' numbers, especially as yours is just before James Bond's." The Saint gives a slight grin, "Sorry, just a little joke. It's a delight to meet you, perhaps you can help us with our little problem."

"Anything for you Mr Templar, what can I do to help ?"

Dangerfield passes a plastic bag containing the bottle to his great niece, "We're reasonably sure this is poisoned , and wondered if you could give us more information?"

"That shouldn't be too much of a problem," Caroline hands the bag over to the still waiting elderly scientist, "Stratton, can you do a standard toxins test on this?" she then turns to Simon Templar, "Please Mr Templar will you join me in my office for a coffee while we wait, I'd love to hear all about this latest adventure."

Caroline Loveridge takes the elderly Saint by the arm and walks slowly across the lab floor as Dangerfield Loveridge follows a couple of paces behind chuckling to himself.

To be continued...