"Sure, this way, Chris." Mike led him down to Kiri's office. She wouldn't be around as Jake had asked Jason to close the office until after lunch so that the team wouldn't be spotted, but Mike was interested to see if Chris realised whose office he was in. "I'll leave you in peace. We'll be in the staff lounge room when you're done. It's the blue door at the end of the corridor."

Starks sat behind the desk in the neatly appointed office as he called a charter company to arrange for a jet. He thought it prudent not to use his own company's jet for this particular outing.  Better to get something unmarked.  

He waited on hold for a few moments as the representative checked schedules.  This was a woman's office.  He could tell by the scent of perfume and the bright warm colours that decorated it.  The perfume he recognized as the same scent worn by the woman who'd seen him out last time he was here.  Kiri, that was her name.  Chris smiled briefly at the memory.

When he'd finished his call , he emerged from the office to find Mike Taylor still in the hallway, waiting for him.  "Everything's set,"  he said.  Then, "Does your office smell this good, Taylor?"

"Don't you have a wife who might object to that?" Starks returned his grin.

"That I do, Chris. We've not been married all that long either. I'd only take Kiri away from here if she wanted to do a short exchange. We like our people to see all the other offices. I lost a wonderful girl that way. She went to Sydney for a couple of months and fell in love with the place. Jake told her she could stay as long as she wanted. I don't think Kiri is interested, though. She was recruited in Sydney so knows the office there, but just recently she's made it pretty clear that she's more than happy here in London. I think something, or someone has caught her attention. She's a damned fine operative, so if she's that happy here, I'm not going to drag her off to the Windy City. I'll get her sister to send me some fragrances over for Tori instead."

He headed down the corridor to where voices could be heard. "Well, everyone's waiting to hear what you've managed to acquire for us. Hopefully they haven't eaten all the cookies before we get in there."

He'd gotten home as the sun was going down, still with his mind not made up about what to tell Mackenzie Cameron regarding Nick's situation.  Walking into the den, he'd found Mackenzie sitting on the end of a sofa, poring over the newspapers.  She'd been doing that all week, looking to see what kind of jobs might be available to her in London.

There was not a light on in the room.  She must have begun reading while there was still plenty of daylight.  Chris had gone over to turn on the lamp next to her.  As he bent and switched it on, he'd found his eyes right on the nape of her neck and, suddenly, he'd felt an insane urge to run the tips of his fingers over that soft, pale skin, then follow that with his lips.

That urge startled him so much he'd almost lost his balance jumping back from her.  He was insane.  Nick Cameron's wife?  Chris and his own wife were in the process of a divorce.  She'd moved out of the house only two weeks before.  Still, though, he'd thought to himself, as he forced himself to calm down, they'd really been separated for months as far as sleeping in separate bedrooms.

Maybe it was time for him to go out with someone.  That had to be what was behind that sudden physical attraction to Mackenzie Cameron, his friend's wife.  Just that there hadn't been a woman in his life in awhile.  That had been the point when his thoughts went back to Kiri.  He hadn't thought about asking anyone out until then but, then and there, he promised himself that, as soon as this mission was over and they had Nick back in London, he'd ask Kiri for dinner.

All this went through Chris Starks' mind in that short walk down the hall.  As he reached out to open the office door, he grinned at Mike now.  "Cookies?  Hadn't you best lay off the sweets and keep yourself sharp for what we've got coming?"

"A couple of double chocolate chip never hurt anyone," Mike replied as they both walked into the room.

"Good job I kept the lads away from them then," Jake grinned, offering a plate to Mike and a coffee to Chris. "Don't worry about him, Chris. The sugar rush helps him to concentrate."

"Yeah, it's about the only thing that does," Darren chipped in.

"Okie dokie then, I think it's time we got down to business. Dazza, Davey, let's bring you both up to speed. I was recently put on active status and was put 'on loan' to the British SAS. A quick in and out job. Piece of cake. Unfortunately, it didn't all go to plan. Four of us went out...Hastings and I came back, along with one fatality."

"What about the fourth, Jake?" Davey asked.

"Nick Cameron, team leader. He was taken when Calvert was killed. Seems that the powers that be didn't get the okay for us to go in and take out the target, so they can't set up a rescue for someone who wasn't officially there. Hastings is on post-mission leave. It's the only way his CO could think of arranging for him to come with us. Chris Starks here is ex-SAS and is helping us with initial transport out there. He also speaks the language, so he and I can do the talking to get us through any encounters we may have. We'll be meeting up with Abel, who will have everything we need by the time we get over there."

"When do we head out, Sir?" Hastings asked.

"It's Jake, mate, and when we leave is up to Chris. He's in charge of procuring our transport." Jake turned to Starks. "Any joy with that, Chris?"

Starks was sipping his coffee, but at Jake Mitchell's question he lowered his cup.  "We leave whenever our commanding officer,"  here he stopped with a slight grin at Mike, "says we do.  There's a 727 waiting  whenever we're ready."

At their surprised glances, he looked somewhat embarrassed.  "It's the advantage of having been in the shipping business for so many years.  Simple bartering.  Use of a plane in exchange for some shipping services.  My father taught me long ago how much you can accomplish by using available resources."

"Cool," Jake said, taking his mug to the sink and washing it out. He looked at his watch before continuing. "Everyone be back here at 09:30 hours tomorrow and we'll head out for the flight. We're travelling light, gentlemen. We've all done this before, so we know what we need. Dazza and Davey, I suggest you get your heads down. I know you won't admit it, but I guarantee you're still rooted from the trip. Off you go then, and we'll see you in the morning."

"Chris, could you stay for a bit please?" Mike asked.

"Thanks for arranging the ride so quickly, Chris," Jake said. "It's appreciated."

"Think nothing of it." Starks waved his hand. There was something else on his mind, though, and now he frowned.

"Shouldn't we be leaving right away?  He gave a quick glance at his watch.  "Nick's been in their hands for two days.  If he doesn't manage to escape, they'll keep him alive only as long as they think he might be useful.  Once they find out they'll get nothing out of him--and believe me, they won't--he's a dead man."  Chris was impatient to be off.
 

I want him back as fast as you do, Chris, but my boys need to recharge their batteries from the trip up from Oz. They'll be hyped up tomorrow and won't relax on the flight out. We have a much better chance of a good outcome if the team is fresh. I'm banking on the fact that Nick's captors will be like a cat with a mouse...they'll want to play with him for as long as they can before they kill him. If he's not dead yet, I think we can risk resting my blokes up overnight. We'll get him back, Chris, no worries."