“How are you holding up?” he asked.
“Apart from feeling like I’ve been put through a wringer, the sleep I had was well-needed and rejuvenating.”
“I’ll bet.” Dominic nudged his arm and grinned. “You two finally…?”
Felix knew Brett wouldn’t want everybody knowing about them, but Dominic was a different matter. He had to know because he looked after the king. It might come back and bite them if he didn’t, so Felix took a chance.
“We have, however, we’re not advertising anything right now. With everything that’s going on, we’d be stupid to paint evenbigger targets on our backs.” As far as Felix was concerned, they would be getting a lot better acquainted once all this shit was over and done with.
“I’m happy for you, Felix. I know you’ve wanted this for a while.”
“Thanks, but let’s take it a day at a time, yeah?”
“Understood.” Dominic rose. “I’m glad you’re back. And not just because you are so much better at computers than either me or Sam!”
Felix grinned. “I take it I have some clearing up to do?”
Dominic held his thumb and forefinger an inch apart. “Just a little.”
“I’d better get to it, then.”
“See you later.”
Dominic disappeared, and as much as Felix wanted some normality, he also didn’t care for being alone in Sec HQ, which didn’t actually happen that often. He might have to end up talking to someone about what happened to him because, although he felt fine in himself, he knew he wasn’t the same as before. Nothing bad happened to him, per se; in fact, he was treated fairly hospitably, but kidnapping, even done slightly kindly, was still kidnapping.
He settled in his usual seat, seeing immediately what Dominic meant. He chuckled as he set, first, his workstation to rights, and then the programs they had been using. Maybe he needed to train someone else in what he could do. He wouldn’t be around forever, after all.
His phone disturbed him some time later, and he checked the message.
JASON: Do you fancy getting that coffee now?
Felix brought up the cameras for the surrounding area of the building. Crowds that were six or seven people deep still stoodbetween him and Book Drunk, and his shoulders lowered. There was no way.
FELIX: Sorry, Jason. I won’t get through the protestors. We’ll have to take a rain check.
JASON: No problem, but make sure you message me later. I want regular check-ins right now. You scared the crap out of me when Brett told me you were gone. And Kai wasn’t much better.
FELIX: Will do. At least I’ll try, anyway. Hazard of the job is that I can’t guarantee I’ll have time to message.
He sent the message and then re-read it, holding his breath for a second. The words were so true, and it made him wonder how Maddox could’ve kept his routine for messaging his father when they were busy on rotations or investigating.
“Where is Maddox’s phone?” he mumbled to himself, standing and looking for any evidence bags they had. Nothing. He picked up his phone and dialled Brett.
“Brett Cage.”
“It’s me. Where is Maddox’s phone?”
“The store cupboard. The green box on the second shelf. Why?”
“Something occurred to me while I was messaging Jason. How could Maddox keep his routine of messaging Malcolm every day when we didn’t know if we’d be around or not at that particular time?”
“What are you thinking, Felix?”
He went into the cupboard behind Brett’s desk, where they kept all their toys and essentials, and found what he was looking for. He opened the phone and put in the passcode Felix already knew.
“I’m thinking that either he definitely wasn’t doing his job—and I believe for some of the time, he was—or he had an automatic timer on it.” He flicked through the phone.
“Don’t get your hopes up, Felix. If they have eyes on us, they will have seen us dragging Maddox in.”