The Spy Who Called Bingo: Part 8

A round man cannot be expected to fit in a square hole right away. He must have time to modify his shape.

Paula had slept through her alarm. The soft repetitive soundings had actually lulled her into a deeper sleep; her exhaustion was complete. It was not until Phoenix arrived and began to cook a small breakfast did Paula awake, and the aromas released her from her reverie. She got ready with out any distinct haste; though she had overslept, it was still early enough.

Gratefully accepting a coffee from Phoenix, Paula collected her thoughts as she looked outside. A very neutral day awaited her, grey but not rainy, cold but not bitter. She saw a red glow out of the corner of her eye, and as she turned, she realized it was her answering machine, tacitly awaiting her patronage. Striding over, she saw not one, but two messages for her. Curious, there had only been 6 hours since she last checked, and that was in the wee hours of the night. No one should have called. She pressed the button down and waited with quiet anticipation.

The first message was from her travel agent. "Paula, it's been over a year since your last vacation. I've got a wonderful package you simply must look into. Warmth, relaxation, and intoxication from both the beauty and the booze! Ring me back when you get the chance."

The second was a bit more confused, it was Patrick, but he seemed to have rung the wrong number. "Phoenix? Hey, it's Patrick here. I know I just called, but I had to specify a time for us to meet. Dan needs to meet up briefly with some co-workers, but we'll be down by the pier café at one if you'd like to meet up."

Speaking for the first time, Paula's voice sounded more subdued than usual. "Phoenix, did you catch that? It was Patrick. I knew he was out and about but... how exciting! So soon to see them again!"

Phoenix turned at this point, and looked at Paula in a somewhat stern manner. She seemed more her old self this morning. "Listen Paula, we've got to meet them. I don't know what's going on, but I just want to get this all sorted so we can continue our little airy-fairy relationships, or so we can get them out of our lives. All this madness is driving me... mad!"

"Oh Phoenix, you're overreacting. Yes, it has been unreal what's happened in these past weeks, but as events unfold, I can't help but feel like we're meant to see them, to be part of something bigger. So fine, let's go to the pier."

Phoenix looked anxious. "We should head out, it's quite a drive down there."

"Phoenix, we've got plenty of time. Why are you so tense this morning?"

"Nothing Paula. It's nothing." Phoenix said the words, but she did not mean them.

It was in fact the opposite of nothing. Phoenix had left Paula's very late the night before, and on the way to her car she had been intercepted by a certain special agent. Drejna, who Phoenix did not especially care for or trust, had coerced her into accepting certain terms of engagement where Dan and Patrick were concerned.

"Wear this tiny microphone, or I'll have no choice but to bring you in on charges of failure to comply with a federal investigation." Drejna said without a hint of emotion.

"Why me, agent Drejna?" Phoenix asked, upset.

"You are more strong-willed than your sister. She would be more likely to... talk. I need your co-operation to keep both her and the gentlemen in check. Thank you."

With that, Drejna had left, and Phoenix had driven off into the night, more than a little angry. How could she meet the men in good conscience? She couldn't get arrested. Phoenix, for the first time in her life, had no idea what to think.

Stay tuned next week, for Part 8 of the all-new series, The Spy Who Called Bingo.

Read previous episodes of The Spy Who Called Bingo:

The Spy Who Called Bingo: Part 1
The Spy Who Called Bingo: Part 2
The Spy Who Called Bingo: Part 3
The Spy Who Called Bingo: Part 4
The Spy Who Called Bingo: Part 5
The Spy Who Called Bingo: Part 6
The Spy Who Called Bingo: Part 7