Day Out For A Guardian Angel

Day Out For A Guardian Angel is the eighteenth chapter in the Wombles Eight.

Tara found herself staring at a somewhat spider-infested ceiling. It took her a minute to recall what happened. Once she did, she immediately got up and left for home.

Well, what am I going to do now? Tara thought to herself as she sat by her phone. She jumped as her train of thought was interrupted by it ringing. Instead of answering it, she went out to get some fresh air and figure out what to do next. She was rather surprised when she crashed right into Katrina Purdey riding a very fast large motorbike without any helmet on and still wearing her green soft-material full-body outfit.

Katrina fell straight off of her motorbike. Fortunately, she fell onto a grass verge and just got back up and brushed some dirt off of herself as if everything was fine.

“I’m ever so sorry-“ began Tara. “Don’t be.” Said Katrina. “I wasn’t really looking where I was going. Though I take it you weren’t either. Hang on, aren’t you supposed to be part of that domination plot thing? Why are you apologizing at all?”

“I’m not part of it.” Tara answered distantly. “I was working undercover and I got found out. I’m pretty sure I’ve been fired, given that Katy tried to kill me.”

“Oh, well…” said Katrina. “That’s, um…that’s…that’s, er…very normal nowadays.” She hadn’t really been sure what to say about it, but she’d decided that was the most accurate thing she could think of.

“Isn’t it.” Sighed Tara. “Anyway, I must be on my way. I feel I have some nice warm cocoa waiting for me.”

“I should be on my way too.” Said Katrina, glancing over at her motorbike. It had cracked in two on the extraordinarily hard ground. Tara directed her gaze to where Katrina was looking and said, “I could fix that for you if you like.”

Katrina shrugged. “Sure, if you’ve got the patience and all that.”

“I don’t need patience.” Replied Tara. “I think you’ll find you do.” Answered Katrina, narrowing her deep-blue eyes.

“Katrina Purdey’s motorbike is intact and usable.” Replied Tara. Katrina looked at her very broken motorbike. A second later, without any apparent transition, it was indeed “intact and usable”. Katrina looked back at Tara, who merely said “you’re welcome” and strolled away.

Katrina quickly got back on her motorbike and continued on her way to HQ (this time looking where she was going).

Tara, meanwhile, had gone into a coffee shop and ordered a nice warm cocoa and a cinder toffee tiffin. She watched as a man walked in and sat at her table.

“Why’d you not answer your phone?” he asked as he laid back in his chair and stretched his arms in an absentminded sort of fashion. “I was thinking.” Replied Tara with a suppressed smile. “What were you calling about?”

“Just checking in.” said the man. “Making sure you’re OK and all that. It can’t be easy trying to look like the loyal servant of Katy Perry.”

“Well, you got that right.” Said Tara. “I’m pretty sure I’ve been kicked off the team.” She quickly added, “But I’m fine.” As a look of concern flashed across as his face. The look of concern faded, but didn’t completely disappear. Tara decided she ought to change the subject into something more light-hearted.

“I ran into your aunt on the way here.” She said. “Katrina?” he asked. Tara raised an eyebrow. “Do you have another aunt?”

“No.” he replied with a shrug. “What was she doing?”

“Riding somewhere. On a very expensive motorbike. It seemed rather urgent, but I didn’t ask precisely what it was all about. She’d just start asking me questions too, and hold me up.”

A waitress came to the table and said, “I have a large cocoa and a cinder toffee tiffin for Table 10 here.”

“Thank you.” Said Tara. The waitress laid the tray on the table and retreated elsewhere. Tara drank the cocoa then wrapped the cinder toffee tiffin up in her napkin. She briefly placed it back on the table while she and the man kissed then said, “See you later, Gordon.” And picked up her cake and went back home.