He’d shifted before leaving the armoury. He’d needed the delay to get his emotions under control after Amelia left. He’d long ago figured out that his blending into the background needed focus, and he had been anything but focused for a bit after that…..discussion and with Olivia roaming the base, he really couldn’t afford to be seen entering the cells they had strengthened after taking over Tempest Point. He walked down to the lowest level before turning right and then down another half level where he placed his palm on the control pad.

“Palm Print Confirmed.” The automated voice still sounded like Apex’s alto tones, regardless of the the freedoms Titan had conferred. “DNA scan commencing” and a needle stabbed into the palm, extracting a bit of blood, similar to an old diabetes check.

“DNA Confirmed. Voice Print required.”

Brett paused, “Brett Oliver Anderson, 0511200307182000.”

“Confirmed. Processing.”

After thirty seconds, the door slid open and he stepped in. He waited for the door to shut and then stated, “Disengage.”

The electric sheen disengaged, allowing him to hear the voice he had grown to hate. “About fucking time, bloke.”

“Sit down,” he said as he himselt sat.

“Or what?” asked the prisoner. Brett just looked at him. “Alright, alright. Don’t be such a tosser.”

As the prisoner sat down, “Ya’ know, ya’ bloody wristy, its been quite the vacation down here. Three meals a day, from the hottie with the red hair, just makes my day. Keeps my mind off the fact that you are out there banging my wife……or, well, your former fiance…….daughter’s mother? Right fine sheila she’s been all these years, proving her loyalty and, well, don’t mean to draw you a picture.”

“I’m not really here to talk about that. She made a choice fourteen years ago and, well, I was gone a lot after that.”

“Jesus, you are a bloody wanker, you were gone a lot because of that choice. Christ, even armchair analysts could fucking figure that out, you bloody moron.”

“How about we talk about why the project interfered all those years ago. I wasn’t part of the program for years after that. How did they pick me…How did they pick my family?

“Man, you really are a bogan, aren’t you? It’s not an act. We already talked about this when your psycho brother beat the teeth out of me. Genetics. I don’t know any more than that.

“So your only job was to seduce my wife and steal my family before it even really began? In the hope that would make me focus on becoming a better soldier.”

“Guess they weren’t wrong, mate, guess they weren’t wrong.”

“Who wasn’t wrong?”

“English I guess, or I suppose one of his pet scientists. Who knows.”

“Yea, but they surely gave you some information for target selection. Not like they are going to go after every bloke who enlists.”

“I told you, it was you, specifically you. All they said was you’d been selected due to genetics.”

“When?

“When what?”

“When was I selected?”

An exasperated, but in some ways amused, Dryce replied, “Seriously, your a dogged wanker. I don’t know. Before they gave me the mission.”

“When did they give you the mission.”

“Can I get lunch soon?” He sighed at the glare. “Fine, we were watching for a few months after you met, just light surveillance. The engagement caught them by surprise, I’ll tell you that. That’s when I joined the fray. They inserted me into her unit. Easy. You know, a shoulder to cry on or something to suck on to ease the misery,” and he laughed. “Man, I saw the reports. They kept me informed of the surveillance on you. You both had it so bad…..never recovered either, hiding it from yourselves. Any idiot can see it.”

Brett justed stared at him, before asking in a monotone voice, “So, you were ordered to marry her to keep track of me.”

“No, not really. I was ordered to distract her, convince her that it was better to let you go, that you wouldn’t hang around. Course, after she figured out the pregnancy yea, that was funny. I mean, you should have seen the way some of the NCOs treated her after we started banging. I mean, me too, but who the fuck cares. I wasn’t betraying nobody. She got all the shit jobs. The marriage and stuff, that was just gravy I guess. Special benefits. We also serve who fuck the wife and change the diapers.”

“Then why hang around?”

“Had to make sure she didn’t come back to you, tell you about the kid. Plus I’m a charming guy, and well, she’s always been a sweet lay. Not that you’d know I guess, but always willing to try the really kinky stuff. Said you were kind of vanilla. Plus, you know, genetics. Tie a bond to the kid.”

“Fine,” growled Brett. “Let’s talk Black Web……..”