Page 92 of Crocodile Tears

“Sorry, Yannis… I think I need some air.” He drew away and went up onto the deck to breathe in the cool night air. Yannis joined him.

“Sorry,” Josiah said again.

“There is another boy in your thoughts, yes?” Yannis asked quietly. “I could be him tonight, if you want?”

“No. I mean, that’s nice, but… I’m an all-or-nothing person. If I can’t have what I want, then I’d rather not have anything at all.”

“That sounds boring.”

“I didn’t mean to lead you on,” Josiah apologised awkwardly. “I didn’t know how I felt until just now. I thought it was just a crush.”

“Okay.” Yannis shrugged. “I go to sleep. If you want, just leave. If not, come back to bed.” He pressed a kiss to Josiah’s cheek and went back to his bunk.

Josiah gazed absently at the nearby shore, lost in thought. Yannis was attractive and available, whereas Hunt was out of his league. Yet… he needed some time to process this sudden revelation about his feelings. He wasn’t someone who could switch this kind of thing off.

A sudden movement in the bushes caught his attention, and he watched as a little group of people emerged into the soft glow of the city’s lights. It was impossible to make out their faces, but their movements seemed anxious, their bodies stiff and tense. The only one who was unconcerned was their dog, who was happily taking a drink from the water’s edge.

The man leading the little group called out to a barge nearby, and a tall woman appeared on deck, waving enthusiastically. She jumped ashore and enveloped the man in a warm hug.

They had a little conversation, too far away to hear, and then the man turned to his group and spoke to them. Josiah wondered what he’d said, because there was an emotional response, the group taking it in turns to hug him, some weeping onto his shoulder, others kissing his cheeks over and over.

Finally, he pushed them away, laughing. The group followed the tall woman back to her barge, leaving him behind on the shore. He waved one last time, then turned and looked for the dog, who was distracted in the bushes.

“Here, Hattie!” he called. The dog trotted into place beside him, and the pair of them disappeared from sight.

Josiah’s heart skipped a beat. What had he just seen? Was that Captain Hunt? Who were all those strangers with him? He jumpedonto the raft next to Yannis’s little boat, then picked his way across several vessels until he reached the shore.

He half walked, half ran back to camp. It was quiet when he arrived, the big trucks standing in an eerie semi-circle in the moonlight. Almost the entire company was, on Hunt’s command, at LKG, and wouldn’t be back until noon the next day.

Josiah stopped dead as he heard voices coming from the back of one of the AV trucks and saw a light shining through a crack under the door. He tiptoed over, his hand resting automatically on the knife in his thigh holster, and then stood outside for a moment, his other hand on the door handle, listening.

“Did it go okay, Peter?” a woman’s voice asked.

“Yup. Veneta was waiting as planned. They’re safe now.” That was Hunt, but who the hell was he talking to? Did Hunt have secret orders that he hadn’t shared with his sergeant? Or had he sent the company away tonight because he wasn’t acting on orders? What the hell was he playing at?

There was only one way to find out. Josiah grabbed hold of the door and pulled it open. Inside, Hunt was sitting on an upturned crate with Hattie sleeping at his feet. A woman was sitting opposite him, taking a sip from a glass of wine.

“Sergeant.” Hunt stood up, shielding the woman from view. “You’re back early.”

“Yeah, well, I saw you and Hattie with a group of people by the side of the water back there, and it made me curious.”

“I see.” Hunt nodded thoughtfully.

“And I’m trying to work out if this is some kind of secret mission you didn’t want to tell us about, or if something else is going on here – something illegal.” Josiah’s hand went to his knife again.

Hunt held up his hands. “There’s no need for that. We both know you could easily beat me in a fight, with or without the knife, Joe.”

“Don’t call me that,” Josiah snapped. “And who the hell are you hiding?”

“Nobody for you to be concerned about.”

“Please, Peter; it’s okay.” The woman edged out from behind him.Even in combat trousers and an old shirt, Josiah could see she was beautiful, with long dark hair, large brown eyes, and a willowy figure.

“Aren’t you going to introduce me to your girlfriend?” Josiah asked snidely.

Hunt sighed. “I’m really sorry, Joe. I never wanted to put you in this position.”

“What position?”

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