Sam made small talk as Lyn navigated the busy London roads. She turned north to drive up the A10 instead of heading east out of town. At least this way she would be moving, even if slowly. It was better than waiting for the gridlock of a friday night A12 to clear.

"Do you drive much?" she asked Sam.

"Me? Nah. Only when I have to for work. I'd rather take a back seat, you know?"

"Well in that case thank you for offering earlier."

"You're welcome. I'm glad you said no. London roads are horrible, aren't they?"

"Sometimes," she admitted.

"How come you don't take the tube?"

"Sometimes I do. It depends on the day I'm going to have. Sometimes things catch me by surprise though."

"That's an understatement."

"What's going to happen about your friend?"

Sam looked away and studied the traffic as he answered.

"I spoke to his wife. I wish I could have been able to tell her in person, but things like...this, have to be reported to base asap. I wanted to be the on to tell her before the official wheels started turning."

"Were you..very close?"

"We've been all over the world together. I would have been his best man if I wasn't working at the time."

"You couldn't get time off?"

"It's not that sort of job."

"Is it classified? I bet it's classified!" said Lyn, trying to lighten the mood and horribly worried she had misjudged the moment.

"Are you making fun of me?"

"A little bit. Is that ok?"

"I guess so."

"You can make fun of me when you drive later."

"Don't worry, I've been looking through your CD collection."

"Don't judge me!"

"I don't need to. This is self incriminating. Whole Again by Atomic Kitten? Who are they?"

Lyn snatched the CD from his hand and threw it into the back seat so he couldn't reach it.

"If you don't know who they are then how do you know it's incriminating."

"By the way you just reacted."

"Well, if you must know, right now I am listening to an audiobook, not music, so there!"

"What book?"

"You like to read?"

"Sure. I always read on the train when we come to London. it's one of the things I like most about the trip."

"It's the thing you like most?"

"One of them, yeah. So what are you reading, or listening to?"

"A thriller, about religious extremists and ancient artifacts."

"Like Indiana Jones?"

"Sort of, but the main character is a woman."

"You're halfway there then."

"What do you mean?"

"You dealt with the religious extremist today already. All you need now is some kind of ancient rock or cup or something, right?"

"I don't think my life is going to turn out like that. And if it does, I don't want it. What happened today is far more scary than anything I've read about or seen in a film."

"I know what you mean. Nothing beats real life for the sick and twisted."

Lyn glanced sideways at him.

"You must have seen some things, being in the army. Is that anything like the films?"

"Nothing like it. Guns don't sound like that, cars don't blow up like that and no-one rushes into a fight if they can help it. We're not James Bond."

"What about Jason Bourne? I like him."

"Sorry. Do you want me to give him your number if I see him. Just in case?"

"Do you have my number?"

"No."

"I'd better give it to you first, then. Just in case."