A Royal Spy

"It seemed to me that you had not. After every one of your 'royal visits' there was some sort of security leak. I just assumed that you were dabbling until you were fit again. I was beginning to miss our schemes."

"Coincidence." I snorted.

"Once or twice maybe. But not this often. And you are too good to retire permanently." Stardust lit a cigarette and blew smoke toward me.

I sighed to myself. At least he hadn't discovered princess Emma's involvement. She was in the clear. Without warning Stardust shot me in the foot. I collapsed to the ground, dropping the machine pistol as I did so.

"I don't want you running off again." Stardust said. "After all, we have so much to talk about."

"I'll never give in to you, you bastard." I said through clenched teeth.

"We will see." He smirked. "Pick him up." He said airily to some soldiers who had finally turned up. "Take him to the control tower."

I was half-dragged, half-carried to the open space in front of the tower where Stardust's forces had been regrouping. They were laughing and chattering as if they had beaten off an army. I smiled to myself, standing on my good foot, knowing that they had scattered in panic from one brave young woman. Stardust saw the smile and came over to me.

"I don't like the look of that. What are you up too?" He demanded.

"Nothing, sorry." I grinned insanely; a grin that slipped when I heard the helicopter returning.

A searchlight beam raked over us, blinding us, illuminating stardust and his men. A mechanical voice boomed out.

"I am authorised to give you all the chance to run away." It said, followed by a short burst of heavy machine gun fire.

The troops scattered, terrified by the noise, the light, and the prospect of being shot from the air. However Stardust grabbed me, holding a pistol to my head.

"What is happening?" He snarled in my ear.

"Actually, I have no idea. They were supposed to leave without me." I smirked at his discomfort.

The chopper set down, the searchlight still on us. A slim figure stepped into the beam.

"You okay lover?" The figure called in the female voice I had come to know so well over the past year.

"Lover?" Stardust inquired.

"Codename." I lied. "I've been better sweetness." I called back. "Why are you back here? The pilot was supposed to take you straight out."

"I persuaded her otherwise." Came the smug answer. "Now you, Starburst or whatever, release him or I'll put a bullet between your eyes." Emma demanded.

"In the dark? I really doubt that." Stardust was in disbelief that someone who didn't play to his rules was undoing his carefully crafted plan.

"Wanna bet?" I asked. He was unnerved I could tell.

"Yes!"

"You'll lose."

"So will you Agent Alpha."

"I'll risk it. I've seen her shoot."

He threw back his head to laugh. Emma fired. I jerked away. He fired. The last thing I heard as blackness engulfed me was Emma's anguished cry of 'NO!'.

***

EPILOGUE

After three weeks in hospital I was being discharged. I had already made what I expected to be my last reports as an agent and as Princess Emma's personal bodyguard. I had become to well know as an agent and my charge had been put into extreme peril on my last escort duty. I'd also heard that HQ weren't too impressed with me posting them the stolen micro-drives, despite them arriving before either Emma or I had returned. I was moodily waiting outside the hospital for the lift I had been told was coming for me and wondering if I'd get one more chance to see the princess. Apparently she had spent two days at my bedside in the ships sick bay waiting for me to regain consciousness before she had been airlifted home. I wanted the opportunity to apologise and also to thank her for coming back for me.

To say I was surprised when an Aston Martin DB9 screeched to a halt in front of me and a grinning Emma jumped out of the drivers seat was an understatement.

"Hi there! Like the wheels?" She laughed.

I stood dumbstruck for several seconds until I found my voice.

"YOU'RE my lift?" I finally asked.

"Yep!"

"And you're on your own?"

"Two for two. My temporary bodyguard was supposed to be here, but I gave him the slip easily. Your training."

"Why have you given your bodyguard the slip?"

"Because I wanted to talk to you alone, and he doesn't have a very high clearance. In any case, I can look after myself these days." Emma grinned again.

"I would beg to differ, and I can't agree with your reasoning, But I am glad to see you, your highness." I stepped forward and put my arms around her. We hugged for a while and then she surprised me again by kissing me.

"Get in the car." She smiled. "There is something I want to ask you."

My curiosity piqued, I did as I was told and Emma pulled away as if she was starting some sort of race. After a couple of minutes of hairy driving I asked what was up and she slowed to a more sedate pace.

"Okay, here it is. During my debriefing it was obvious that you and I, but particularly you, couldn't operate as agents any more, but the original idea still held good. So they asked me to set up a new department, Royal Intelligence, or RI. I have a number of relatives who would be interested in taking my role as a spy. I want you to train them and their handlers."

"You're serious?" I was incredulous.

"I am."

"And both agencies are okay with me being part of this?"

"I reminded them that you are one of the best. I said it would be up to you, but I wanted you on my team." She was deadly serious.

"Then I'm in princess. I was wondering what a washed up spy could do next." I smiled for the first time since Stardust had grazed my temple with his dying shot.

"Good." Emma laughed. "Because there is part of our last foray together that I want to recreate." A smirk crossed her face. "On a daily basis."

"Oh yes." I said mildly, but guessing what she meant.

"Or nightly if that suits you better." Her grin was so wide now I thought the top of her head would come off.

"Am I right in assuming that this activity has nothing at all to do with breaking and entering, stealing cars, or off-road driving?" I asked innocently.

"Damn right!" She giggled.

"Sounds like the sort of job I was looking for." I grinned. "When do I start?"