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Decker eventually put his hand on my shoulder.“Look, Z, we want you to be happy.I feel I can speak for Quint and Wren too when I say that’s all that matters to us.”
“In the same way our happiness has been all that’s mattered to you,” Quint added.
“I’ll discuss it with your sister.”
They both nodded.“Do what you want to do, but I can tell you, she’ll agree with us,” my son added.
My thoughts sobered.“Have I seemed that unhappy?”
“You’ve been treading water, Z.Bidin’ your time, as they say.We’ve got this now.Go do you.”
I smiled at Decker’s phraseology.“Go do me?”
He chuckled and nodded.“Get the hell outta our hair is what I’m tryin’ to say.”
I put one hand on each of their shoulders.“I love you, boys.”
“And we love you,” said Quint.
“Ditto,” added Decker.
Thirty days later,I was living in London.I’d hung onto the townhouse where Katherine and I had begun our lives together, but last year, by chance, the couple who’d been leasing it, said they were moving out.Their timing couldn’t have been more serendipitous.
At first, I worried it would be too hard to live there, but given so many years had passed and necessary renovations had been performed, it didn’t feel like the same place.
When I initially contacted Rivet, he invited me to dinner.“This may feel as though it’s coming out of left field, but a position has just opened up that I believe you’d be well-suited for.”
“Go on,” I said.
“Assistant director general of MI5.”
I was stunned.“I’m honored but hardly qualified, Riv.”
“Nonsense.If you hadn’t left all those years ago, I would’ve offered you the position then.”
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been in the game.”
Rivet shook his head.“Intelligence isn’t a game, Z.It’s in your blood.Either you’ve got it or you don’t, and you do.”
“I appreciate your belief in me?—”
“That’s the only job on the table, Z.Take it or leave.”
“I’ll take it.”
After the first year,I was promoted to DG.Five years later, I was named chief of MI6.
14
GEORGE
“Let me run a scenario by you,” said Decker.
“Go on,” said Wren.
I was about to walk away when he asked me to stay.“You’re part of this,” he said, motioning between himself, Quint, Wren, and Darrow.I retook my seat.He called Nemesis and Ares over, as well as Pinch.
Then he walked over to one of the electric boards, cleared the screen, and picked up a stylus.“I’ve heard you say all of this just in the short time I’ve been here.”
