He stared at the drop of blood, lost in the glossy deep red of it. It was so pretty in the light, much prettier than at night. Then it was too black a...d deep. Like deep wells that were waiting to suck him in or like the shadows that used to chase him in the attic. He stuck the finger in his mouth and sucked on his own blood. Then he put the knife in the bag.He'd spent the day running their errands. He'd answered phones, heard so many crackpots who thought that they knew him, knew his Purpose.. Australian rat-packs were very popular amongst the Afghan locals. He had collected them from the teams he had been based with. He had planned to sell them for local currency to pay for his stay-over before he had been due to fly home in a week.The rations were tossed out when close to the expiry date but everyone knew the bloody things lasted for years, as the food was tinned, dehydrated or in sealed packets. Gazza could last a month or more and only need to find water. He wasn’t a great lover. I finished showering and toweled off a little then stood naked in front of a fan in the middle of my small apartment living room. My windows were wide open and the curtains were drawn back as I stood in the window semi playing with myself as I watched people walking just outside my second story window on a very nice autumn day.I found a pair of jeans with holes in the knees and started cutting away the crotch area. I removed the zipper section and all the pockets.... leaving just the button. Soon they were seated in a cosy circle, and Alf hissed, “Drinking with Lords. I’m going up in the world.”They toasted the new proposal and Sir Oswald made it only partly a joke when he toasted, “To the Brandling Stables.” There was general laughter, and more champagne was poured..After a short while Becky excused herself, and as she stood Jack saw her bend and whisper something to Alf. He had no idea what could be so secretive and why it should take so long. But he soon found out.Minutes passed.