The Old Enemy by Henry Porter (read with me .TXT) 📕

won’t cut any ice and we’ll need to take a sample if we get her in the room, but that of course is impossible. But I have another idea, which I’ll tell you about when I see you. By the way, you need to start thinking about talking to Reid. Maybe tomorrow evening.’

They ended the call and she walked the corridors of the hospital, nodding to the three members of Zillah’s security team and two new faces at the nurses’ station. They seemed better disposed to her since her disagreement with the supervisor. She tried then gave up trying to plan the conversation with Reid and went to the area by the vending machines and called him.

‘Marty, I felt our last meeting went badly and I wanted to apologise.’

‘Oh, that’s quite all right, my dear. You’re under a lot of stress.’

‘I have some news and wanted to deliver it personally, but I guess you’re out of town.’

‘I’m not far away. In Virginia.’

‘But I don’t want to ruin your weekend. Maybe it should wait until next week.’

‘What’s this about?’

‘Denis.’

‘Not bad news, I hope.’

‘On the contrary, things are good. But it’s something that I can only speak to you about in person.’

‘Maybe I can drop by the hospital tomorrow afternoon.’

‘At what time?’

‘Say four.’

‘I’ll see you then.’

She hung up then became aware of Angel signalling to her with a frantic smile. ‘What is it?’

‘Mr Hisami is communicating.’

They tore back to the room. Denis’s eyes were turned to the speaking chair. She was horrified. He looked paler and the flesh on his cheeks sagged, as though his body had suddenly resigned itself to paralysis. ‘One blink for yes, two for no – right, Mr Hisami?’

A slow blink followed.

She sat down and took Denis’s hand. ‘Oh, Hash, I can’t tell you how relieved I am.’

Blink.

She kissed him, something that she hadn’t done since the attack because of the risk of contamination. Angel said he would be down the hall and left.

‘Do you know what happened to you? Why you’re here?’

Blink, then two blinks. He knew something, but not all. She repeated everything she’d told him before, holding his hand and looking into his eyes. Occasionally, he blinked when he already knew something; he used the double blink if he wanted explanation and enlargement. Because she had moved him and either she or Angel had been with him all that time, she felt there was no risk of being bugged, which she’d half suspected in the other room. Even so, she spoke quietly about her trip through the Balkans, seeing the farm where he had rescued her, Samson and Naji, then the race through the Baltic States with Naji stealing a car and bursting through the Estonian border. His eyes watched her without blinking. He was taking it all in. Sometimes his pupils dilated and she wondered if this was love for her or the realisation of his imprisonment.

She had spared him the details about the killing of Robert Harland on the same day as his appearance in Congress, but she told him now and described the funeral and the encounter with Herr Frick. ‘And we know everything, Hash,’ she said. ‘What you and Bobby have pulled together is so impressive.’ He blinked. She told him about the attack on Tulliver and Angel bringing the computer on the train. ‘We’ll talk about that later maybe,’ she said. ‘Jim will be okay, but he’s going to be out of action for a while so I’ll have to handle things. I hope you’re good with that.’ Blink. ‘There’s a lot of business stuff I have to go through with you.’ Two blinks. ‘Does that mean you want to do the business stuff now?’ Two blinks.

‘I don’t want to tire you with all these questions.’ Two blinks. ‘Shall I go on?’ Blink. ‘Would you like a freshener for your mouth?’ Blink. ‘And some water?’ Blink. ‘Can you drink through a straw?’ Blink. She pressed the call button. The nurse came and Anastasia told her to phone Dr Carrew and bring water and freshener. She turned to her husband. ‘Would you like a shave? I know you hate the feeling of stubble.’ Blink.

A razor, brush and soap were found and Anastasia set about the task expertly, for, in the last days of her domineering, faithless father, she had shaved and washed him, though she had no love whatsoever for him. She asked the nurse, who looked on admiringly, if she could soak a small towel in hot water so she could press it to Denis’s skin. When she’d finished, she stepped back and smoothed his hair forward. ‘You look more yourself now. Open wide,’ she said, tickling his chin. ‘Come on, Hash. I know you can open your mouth.’ But he couldn’t, so she opened it for him and swabbed his gums and the inside of his cheeks then sprayed a little breath freshener on to his tongue. ‘Better?’ Blink.

She sat down and smiled at him. His eyes watered. Tears ran down his cheeks. She kissed him and dried his cheeks with a tissue then held his hand. ‘We’re going to survive this somehow,’ she said. ‘You’re going to get better and we’ll have that holiday in Jordan that you promised me.’ Two blinks. ‘We have to be positive, Hash. We have to be!’ Two blinks and his eyes moved away. It was a little while before they closed and, for the first time since her return, she saw him sleep.

She waited for half an hour then went out into the corridor and phoned Samson to tell him that Denis was communicating but he had changed drastically in the last twelve hours. ‘I think he just wants to die,’ she said in a whisper. ‘He’s given up.’

‘What do the doctors say?’

‘Dr Carrew is coming. He’s got people to dinner, but says he’ll come by when they’ve gone.’

‘I’m sorry to ask this, but is there any way you can find out the code to enter into the calculator?’

‘He’s asleep. And he can