Having his hands tied behind his back made getting out of the van awkward, but Bodie managed and kept his footing. He was then shoved around the side of the vehicle.

"Known better, sir," he said in response to Cowley's question, but his eyes sought those of his partner. Ray was controlled, and to anyone watching, he appeared alert and ready for action. That much was true, but Bodie knew the suppressed anger that was also under that façade. Feeling responsible, he is. Ray'll be blaming himself for this, and he'll know this load around me neck is explosives. Woe to those at fault, they'd be made to pay. Bodie could almost feel sorry for them.

Ray Doyle watched as his partner was pulled from the van. The sight of the bruised face only served to increase his anger. That pack round his neck, explosives, has to be. My fault. Blew our cover, didn't I? And now they've got Bodie.

"He had better be up to it," Cowley said.

"He'll be up to it!" Bodie, be ready, Ray silently commanded.

From his vantagepoint, Bodie studied the two; CI5's director and top agent. They had something planned, of that Bodie was sure. And he knew that all he had to do was be prepared to act when the time came.

In the next instant something by the plane exploded.

With trained instinctive reaction, Bodie moved. Catching the group leader by surprise, he felled Werner, first with a kick to dislodge the gun, then by using his head as a bettering ram, Bodie sent the German to the ground. Then he was off and running, his only thought to get the explosives away from everyone, away from Ray and Cowley before someone set them off.

In the confusion Ray got off a couple of shots, but his eyes were searching out his partner. He's running away! "Bodie! Damn you, Bodie."

Ray was off chasing down his partner. Bodie yelling for him to get away only made Doyle run faster. He caught up with his partner and threw him to the ground, then ripped the straps from the struggling body. Up and whirling around for momentum, Doyle let fly the pack of explosives then flung himself down next to Bodie. The explosion deafened them both for several seconds as falling debris pelted them. The instant he felt it safe to move Ray whipped out his knife and freed his partner. Then, ears still ringing, both were up and racing back to the center of the action.

The area now swarmed with CI5 agents. Except for the mop-up, it was over.

Cowley turned to the two, but did not speak. Instead, he studied them taking in what was so evident on both their faces.

"Monday," he finally said. "I'll see you both on Monday. And check him over." Cowley motioned toward Bodie. "Make sure he doesn't need to be in hospital."

Doyle nodded, then taking Bodie's elbow, guided him in the direction of the car. Before letting him get in, Ray gave his partner a thorough going over. He found no wounds.

"I'm okay, Ray, just got knocked about a bit."

Ray said nothing, just opened the passenger door and watched as Bodie lowered himself into the car.

First one slamming car door, then the other reverberated in Bodie's ears. The sounds of a racing engine and squealing tires followed. Bodie decided that for now, silence was the better part of valor. He reclined the seat, leaned back and closed his eyes. He wanted to relax, but could not. Now that the action was over, it hit him. The full impact of what might have been closed over him. The vision of his body parts scattered all over the runway filled his mind. Would he have felt any pain, he wondered. Luck had been on their side again. Skill and training were required and had been used, but without luck.... How slim was the line on which their lives hung... and when might lady luck decide to desert them?

Bodie began to tremble. Eyes squeezed shut, he went rigid trying to control. He did not want Ray to see this. The motion of the car stopped and there was a hand on his shoulder, kneading heavily. Bodie opened his eyes to find green fire staring back at him. Ray opened his mouth trying to speak, but not words came.

Ray at a loss for words? Seeing his partner so shaken Bodie's own fear lessened. What's happened to him? Bodie had been half expecting Ray to let go at him, give him hell for running away from help instead of towards it. He could have dealt with a dressing down, used it to diffuse his own hyper state of mind, but this silence, this he did not know how to handle. Bodie wanted to reassure his partner, but found that he could not speak either.

Ray's eyes closed and a painful groan escaped his lips. It was to Bodie's ears the cry of a wounded animal. Ray sat motionless for several seconds and Bodie could only stare.

When Ray's eyes finally opened the fire in them still blazed, but still he could not speak. Giving up with a frustrated shrug, Ray started the car and turned his attention to driving.

Christ! What's happening to me? So Bodie ran from me, to protect me. It's not the first time he's done it and if things had been reversed, I'd have done the same thing. And Bodie would have come after me. So what's that say about us? That we're partners, no it's more then that, it says we're important to each other. Is that bad? No. No! We need that caring to keep us human. If we don't care about something, love someone, then hate takes over and becomes our primary emotion. That's when we become useless to Cowley, CI5, and useless to ourselves and society as human beings.

It's just one more instance of how much the job requires of us and how willing we are to give without consciously thinking about what we're doing. That's the training part. Did a good job on us, they did. Bodie took off without a thought of the consequence to himself. And when I saw him running away from me.... My insides turned to jelly. If I didn't get to him in time.... Why didn't' he run towards me? Very funny, Doyle. You know Bodie wouldn't do that, but he'd expect you to if the situation were reversed.

Was beginning to like her, that Christina; even felt sorry for her. Then she nearly lost Bodie his life. Was almost glad she was going to have a chance to get away. Then I saw Bodie.... She was just some terrorist whose heart for terror was gone. Trade her for Bodie any day.

Feeling rough road under him, Bodie opened his eyes. Where was Ray going? He had missed the turn off to London. By accident? Not Ray. Never. Bodie felt the car accelerate faster and faster and realized what was happening. Ray needed to run this out of his system. He needed to find a country road and let go to challenge his concentration and skill and not allow room for thought or anything else. That was all right with Bodie.

Bodie shifter about, but there was no getting really comfortable in the front seat of an Escort. He tried to sleep, but the tense body next to him would not allow for that. This really got to Ray and when he gets his voice back I am gonna hear about it. Bitch me gout good and proper he will, and all the time knowing full well he'd have done the same thing. Know him well, I do. I even know what's going on under those curls right now. He's trying to convince himself that it's all right to care about something, about me. Has trouble accepting raw emotions, our Ray does. He needs to study them and analyze them until he can pair them up next to their reasons for existence. He had to have the sets all matched up nice and proper, only then will he be able to relax. So we'll drive along like a couple of crazies until sunshine here gets it all straight in his head. And in the end, he'll figure out that it's all right for us to care about each other. Damn necessary, in fact. Without it we become CI5 robots.

That's the difference between us, and the reason the Cow teamed us. Ray can put his faith in an ideal. I can't. I've seen too much of Africa for that. People murder other people for an ideal each truly believing their cause is the true one. Bodie couldn't make up his mind who was the worst, the true believers or those admitting they were only there for the power and money. Either way, it was not for him. I'll find a good man like Cowley and stick to him. He knows it too. 's why he teamed me and Ray. Knows that Ray will question and I won't. Uses it to build a good team. Bodie would take even money that a close investigation of the other units would turn up the same types of pairings. A crafty old sod is George Cowley.

Bodie glanced at Ray. Auburn curls were plastered to his forehead and his eyes were hidden behind sunglasses. He's a good partner, the best, Bodie evaluated, but knew that Ray was much more then that. He was the most important person in Bodie's life. The ex-merc could admit that now, and feel that the reverse was true. But a few weeks ago he wasn't sure. He had, in fact, thought that his feelings and friendship meant next to nothing to his partner. It had been a black time for Bodie; everything seemed to be coming apart and nothing made sense. He had just learned that Billy was dead. That left Bodie the only one from the old group still alive. Alive, but alone. Telling himself that theirs were high risk jobs did not help. There seemed to be more to it. When would his number be up? And who wold give a damn? He'd found out who in the form of Cowley's dressing down and Ray's tongue-lashing. Now he knew how much Ray cared; felt goo, that. It was important; a person needed to know that someone cared if you lived or died. Must be a sing that I'm getting old, Bodie decided. It's not enough to live for myself anymore. Want something more. Without that caring life becomes just so many empty hours to fill. It's not a problem getting through the work days, the job provides its own particular high, but after, the let down is worse if there's o one to share it with. And the time when your mood is in the cellar, that's one of the nice things about being with Ray. Don't have to put on. Not like being with most people. If you don't talk, they rag until you confess to something or blow up. Most people are just not comfortable with silence, always want you talkin'. Like now, Ray and me, just riding, alone with our thoughts, yet sensing the other nearby. He'll workout what's bothering him, and then we'll stop for a pint or three and the world will right itself again. Wish Ray wouldn't take on so though. Was just another close call. Of course, when it happens the other way round, then it's my middle that on fire.

Feeling relaxed now, Bodie shifter his frame in the too-small seat and tried to get comfortable. A little sleep and when he awoke Ray would be ready for some beef, bitters and birds.

With a jerk of his head, Bodie snapped awake. The car clock glowed 6:30 p.m. It had been almost three hours and still they sped along the roadway. Ray must really not want to go home. Me? I don't care. Home's where Ray is not some cold empty flat.

Leaning back in the seat gave Bodie a vantage point. He could watch Ray unnoticed. After a few minutes his eyes adjusted to the dark clear night and a near full moon lighted their way.

"Pull over," Bodie said when he saw Ray trembling. "Pull over, I'll drive. Ray, do you hear me?"

Ray's hands were knuckle white from clutching the steering wheel.

"Ray, I'll drive."

Ray's head nodded assent as the car slowed to a stop in the middle of a narrow road. Bodie got out and went round while Ray crawled over the seat.

Bodie could hear Ray's teeth chattering and glanced over to see Ray was still shaking.

"Cold?" Bodie asked.

Bodie could feel the soundless reply. One hand on the steering wheel, he reached back and began feeling for the coverlet that lay in the back seat somewhere. Ray's arm brushed has and the blanket was hauled into the front seat.

"Settle down, Sunshine, little kip'll do you good."

Bodie's deliberate light tone of voice did not match his mood. He wanted to say more to Ray, to reassure him that everything would be all right. But in that instant Bodie found himself strangely unsure both of words and motive. And he instructively knew that the last thing either of them needed was empty words.

Ray wasn't asleep, Bodie could tell by the quick, uneven breathing, but that's what Ray needed, quiet and rest.

Within an hour Bodie found what he was searching for, a country inn.

"Ray, I got us a room. Come on." Bodie opened the car door and waited as Ray pulled himself out, then stood looking around as if he were on alien ground. His eyes questioned, but he did not speak.

Bodie felt a hand on his arm. It was dark now, a cloud having passed in front of the moon and he couldn't see his partner's face. But he didn't have to. He knew the sadness and confusion he would find in those green depths.

"Almost lost you." Ray's words were barely audible, nothing more than a horse whisper. "I almost lost you, Bodie. Got to feeling sorry for that bird and... forgot what was important."

Those were all the words Ray could manage. His mouth kept working for a few more seconds, but no more words would come.

"It's all right, Sunshine, I understand."

Bodie had only registered for one room and knew that Ray would understand why. What they both needed this night was to be able to sense the presence of another human being nearby. What they needed this night was not to be alone as they were so many nights in their lives. This was part of watching each other's back. This was keeping the soul alive.

-- THE END --