Later in the evening, Audrey briskly walked along the corridor like a shadow and stopped outside a room. She recalled the signal they agreed upon, a specific rhythm - a knock followed by a pause before two quick ones. But before she could land the first hit on the metal plate that separated the corridor and Bryan's room, it swung wide open.
"That's fast," Bryan invited Audrey into the room. "Come in and have a seat.
Bryan's preemptive action surprised her. I am sure I had been as silent as a muted mouse, so how did he know I had arrived?
Looking at the stunned Audrey, Bryan pointed to his ear and then to one of her pockets.
Audrey laughed at herself, "Silly me..."
She joined John at the table and laid two transparent Petri dishes on it, "I have done as you asked."
Two types of translucent liquids, one floating on top of the other, filled both containers to the brim. Suspended between the fluids were the Gifts with a metallic pin of similar size glued to their flat ends.
Bryan held both dishes flat on the table with his fingers on the corners, one hand on each. With a twist of his palms, the containers went into a spin or two before coming to rest. The two Gifts within remained unaffected, aligning in the same direction. Satisfied with the result, "Thanks for the great work." Bryan approvingly nodded at her. "I would have done it myself, but I might accidentally fuse with them." Bryan leaned forward, "Here's what I propose we do," his voice almost in a whisper.
Audrey nodded as she listened in closely.
"We should use John's coming Vatican trip to our advantage," Bryan's eyes met hers, "And I will need you to watch over him during his travel."
Audrey was quick to object, "I can't leave you unprotected, Professor."
"Don't worry about me. They already got what they wanted from me, so I should be fine." Bryan explained, "Besides, I need you to bring the new compass and provide us with the direction it gives. Combined with the direction from my end, we can plot two lines that will intercept. That will give us a specific location to the beacon."
Audrey understood Bryan's plan, but she was reluctant to leave him unprotected, "That will work. But I-" She abruptly stopped, making a hand signal to Bryan and John to remain quiet. Someone is lurking outside. She drifted over to the door and slowly placed her hand on the doorknob like a silent shadow. With a sudden twist of the knob, she swung the door open to face a startled person.
It all went quiet for a good twenty seconds. Audrey stood at the door as though time had frozen. With their views blocked, Bryan and John looked at each other in confusion, wondering what had happened.
Unable to hold his curiosity, Bryan approached the door. When he finally caught a glimpse of the mysterious person outside, Bryan too was stunned for a few seconds.
"Jimmy!" Bryan exclaimed, "Is it really you?"
"Yes, Professor. It's me."
The exchange was simple, yet it set the moment in reality for Audrey. She wasn't dreaming. The subtle trembling she forcefully held back spread to her entire body in resonance with the ten-metres tsunami that was initially a calm wave.
She did not move an inch, not because she did not want to; she didn't know how to. For the first time in her life, her heart reigned supreme over her mind. She liked to hug him but also give him a good dressing-down. But most of all, she wanted to thank him for returning. Her visions blurred, but she held back the tides with sheer determination. It isn't a time to cry. She told herself.
In the days of military training, Audrey had been drilled with the mindset that she was a dispensable soldier and should be ready to give her life at a command. In such an environment, she had grown hardened, deeming her life as nothing more than that of a pawn. But having met Jimmy and Bryan, Audrey had come to understand that even someone like her could be treasured as a person by someone else. Through her recent experiences, she had undergone emotional changes that she could not fully comprehend. As hard as she tried, she couldn't keep the gate shut.
Desperately wiping away her tears, she apologised, "I am sorry. I should be happy that you have returned, but these tears..."
"Silly," Jimmy gently reprimanded, "We have both survived the ordeal. So, those are tears of happiness."
Bryan looked at her with compassion, "Life must have been hard on you that you have never experienced such joy worthy of tears..."
Audrey looked at Bryan in surprise, "I... I see..." Finally, she let her emotion go, and tears burst forth like a broken dam as she threw herself into Jimmy. Wrapping her arms around his body, Audrey cried herself out on his shoulder.
Jimmy gently patted the back of her head, tears rolling down his face as he held her. "I'm back. Sorry for making you worry." Jimmy softly whispered into her ear.
*** Thank you for reading. Please feel free to critique my story ***
*** and let me know if you find any error, anything at all ***