And Zina found she couldn’t agree more.
Epilogue
Trent stood to attention in front of Robb’s desk, Zina at his side.
He could sense the tension radiating off her as Robb, his head bent and not looking at either of them, read over the official report they had submitted about everything that had happened over the past couple of weeks: Zina’s decision to steal the eggs and escape from Hargreaves, her decision to contact Trent, why Trent had chosen to go on the run with her… and then everything that had happened afterwards, from the pursuit across the desert to the fight in the abandoned mineshaft, to the discovery of the egg that Hargreaves had spent so much money and time trying to find.
Trent strained his eyes in their sockets, trying to get a glimpse of Zina’s expression and maybe give her a quick wink to reassure her that everything was going to be okay… but for one thing, Zina was a consummate professional and she didn’t so much as glance his way, and for another, Trent wasn’t completely sure that everythingwasgoing to be okay.
Robb had stuck his neck outa lotfor them already – sending Hector, Rhys and Euan to track them down instead of just reporting Trent missing right away, and then allowing Trent and Zina the opportunity of giving their side of the story to him in writing, rather than just throwing them into a disciplinary hearing… or worse.
Trent knew Robb’s word held a lot of sway, but he wasn’t omnipotent. And he’d have to be convinced it was worth his while to defend them.
And unfortunately, I don’t really know what exactly goes on in the mind of Robb…
Finally, after what seemed like a deeply uncomfortable eternity, Robb raised his head from the final page of Trent and Zina’s report, sighing and sitting back in his chair. He looked away, out at the sunlight glittering over the harbor.
“And you swear every word of this report is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?” he asked eventually, not turning to look at them.
“Yes, sir,” Trent said instantly. “That’s all of it – I promise. Everything just as it happened.”
Robb nodded, before finally turning to look at them. “Well, your separately written reportsdotally – but it has to be said that you certainly had enough time to come up with a good story to tell and make sure you had all the details straight. Isn’t that right?”
“That’s true sir, but it’s not what happened,” Zina said firmly. “I swear on my life everything in that report is the complete truth. You have to admit if I wanted to spin you a story that’d get me out of trouble, that report isn’t exactly what I’d write.”
“True,” Robb admitted, and Trent knew Zina had a point. Whatever the reason, she’d still gone against her own agency’s clear instructions when she’d stolen the eggs and made a break for it. It had been a decision made for moral reasons – but in their line of work, they were often expected to do as they were told, no matter how much they personally might have disagreed with it.
“And regardless of what you might have done, the end result was good,” Robb went on, tapping his fingers against the report. “The egg was recovered. Several dangerous Hargreaves operatives were taken out of commission. And you brought back the eggs you took unharmed… well, in a manner of speaking, I suppose.”
Trent nodded. “You can’t get two baby dragons and a baby basilisk without breaking a few eggs.”
Robb gave him a withering look, and Trent decided it’d probably be for the best if he kept his mouth shut for now.
“But the last egg – the one you found in the mine – still hasn’t hatched?” Robb asked.
“No, sir.” Zina shook her head. “The others didn’t hatch all at once, and Hargreaves had them for a while. Not to mention how long they must have sat around, seemingly dormant, before that. I guess they only hatch when they feel ready – I don’t think there’s much we can do to speed it up.”
“No, it seems not,” Robb agreed. “But that’s not important, I suppose. The important thing is they’re no longer in Hargreaves’s hands. And for that, both of you are to be commended.”
Trent blinked, sucking in a quick breath and hoping he was understanding Robb correctly. “Commended, sir?”
“Don’t get any ideas,” Robb said sternly. “You’re not about to get a medal for anything you did – it’d be for the best if this stayed as low-key as possible. I’ll still have to explain you running off on your own and try to put a positive spin on it. But if I can get my bosses to focus on the ends, rather than the means, I think I can keep you out of anymajortrouble. But you’re walking a pretty fine line, both of you.”
“Yes, sir,” both Trent and Zina said at the same time.
Robb grimaced, shaking his head. “And next time, Trent – trytellingme things. I gave you every chance. Do you really think I’m such an ogre?”
“Not anogre, sir,” Trent said, shaking his head. “More like…”
But try as he might, he couldn’t really come up with some kind of fantasy creature that Robb might find it flattering to be compared to. Thankfully, Robb didn’t actually seem to care about whatever he might’ve been about to say. He turned his eyes to Zina.
“Now, Ms. Alden. It seems you’re an accomplished hacker, with extensive experience in digital espionage, and you spent several months working undercover at Hargreaves without being detected – your cover was only blown because you chose to blow it yourself.”
Zina nodded. “That’s right.”
“Hm. It’s a pity your agency seems to have washed its hands of you – whatever your skills might be and whatever reasons you had, I’m not sure they’re going to offer you your job back at this stage.”
Beside him, Zina shook her head. “I doubt it.”
