VANGUARD(69)

“Never, if I have my way about it.”

The Rev looked at her in surprise. “Anjali, please. I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but take it up with Michael privately.”

“Sorry.” Anjali looked at him with contempt. “You can see her briefly when she awakens, but she remains in quarantine for the next sixteen hours.” They glared at each other for a moment.

“Okay,” said Will into the tension. “So, do you want to tell us how you managed to come back out of the Commandant’s office in one piece? Because frankly, we’d already divided up your stuff and started arguing about who would get your parking spot.” The small joke helped ease the atmosphere in the room a bit. Even Anjali looked a little less frightening, although Michael noticed she didn’t smile.

He walked them through his meeting with Commandant, leaving out no detail. The Rev and Will looked awed, but Anjali’s eyes still burned with fury. Michael shifted in his chair. He wanted to be out of here and with Sophie.

“Do you think the Commandant will do any digging on you, possibly determine that you’re not actually a member of this mission?” asked the Rev.

“Not only possible but likely,” he said. “That said, I do not think he will determine that I am the refugee patient who has allegedly died. For my own safety, however, I will be returning to the US as soon as Dr. Shah clears me to travel.” She looked like she would sign the papers and shove him into a plane on the spot. “Unless she would prefer to put me on a plane to America before determining whether I too have contracted dysentery.”

The Rev nodded in agreement. “I’m sending Sophie home with you for her own safety. The two of you can go back together once you’re both able to travel.” Anjali looked like she would explode. “In the meantime, you’ve done us a great service, Michael. In addition to saving yourself from returning to Parnaas, you’ve secured greater cooperation between us and the Commandant for the foreseeable future, as well as better protection for the refugees. Well done.” To his great surprise, the Rev shook his hand.

“Any idea what we’re going to do with Sergei and Sevastian?” asked Anjali. “They have to go back to the Commandant.”

“Sophie has something specific planned for them,” said Will. “She ran an idea past me that sounded viable before she went to Kaliningrad. I’m sure she’ll tell us more when she’s able.”

“Another fun day on the front lines.” The Rev got to his feet. “Anyone else for a late dinner?”

“I need a word with Dr. Nariovsky-Trent, then I’ll join you,” said Anjali ominously.





-





Michael followed Anjali out of the room and down the hall. She stopped in front of a doorway and ushered him in. He’d never been in this room before, but as soon as he entered, he knew it was Sophie’s. The room smelled faintly of her. On the bedside table, he could see a framed picture of the two of them from their GYL year. All those years ago.

He pulled himself out of his reverie and turned to Anjali. Her unexpected punch hit him so hard that he was knocked back a couple of steps. He cupped his hand over his nose as blood began to drip out.

“That’s for violating my best friend’s trust.” She let him stumble around until he found a tissue to stop the bleeding.

He wiggled the bridge of his nose to see if it was broken. He didn’t think so, but it hurt like hell. “I apologize,” he said nasally. “There was no excuse for what I did. I am very, very sorry.”

“Tell that to the review board after I file the complaint against you for professional misconduct.”

He closed his eyes. Anjali was within her rights to make a formal complaint. Administering narcotic drugs for no medical reason was a serious offense. He could lose his career over it.

“I want to see Sophie,” he said. “Do whatever you want – report me, arrest me, punch me again. Just let me see her.”

“You’ll see her when she wakes up if she’s willing to see you.” The rage in Anjali’s expression suddenly turned into such bewilderment that he could barely stand it. “How could you? Couldn’t you have simply told her what you planned to do?”

“She would not have allowed it. I had to get to the Commandant before the press conference, and we both know she would have resisted the idea. I did not have two or three hours to spend fighting with her.”