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operation was a perfect ten.
One more off the list.

'What's got into you?' asked Gill.
The sentence was delivered in the same tone Matt had heard Gill use at the Dandelion nursery school in Puerto Banus where she worked every morning. Strict, insistent and determined: it worked on the three-year-olds, and it worked on Matt as well.
'You've been skulking in your kennel all day.'
A glass of Nestlé iced tea was sitting in front of him on the terrace of the Last Trumpet, but Matt had hardly touched it. The heatwave that had covered northern Europe over the past two weeks seemed finally to have hit southern Spain. The storms of the night had now blown through to the African coastline, leaving the skies completely clear. It was now almost noon, and the sun was starting to hit its peak. Sweat was forming on his brow, but it wasn't the weather that was responsible.
'I'm in trouble.'
He watched as her eyes sank. He'd seen that look before. A sudden resignation came over her, followed by a flash of anger. 'What is it?'
She sat down opposite him, her hands folded together, and her right index finger playing nervously with the single diamond placed at the centre of her gold engagement ring.
'What is it, Matt?' she repeated, her tone more insistent now.
'It's the Firm,' Matt answered. 'They want me to do a job.'
'No, Matt. You're through with all of that. We agreed.'
Matt paused. How should I tell her? He turned the question over in his mind, remaining silent, examining it from every angle. She's entitled to know the truth: he'd never believed in keeping any secrets from Gill, and anyway she'd always seen through him. But Abbott had threatened her with arrest. And there was no doubting his retaliation would be swift and vicious. The Firm didn't like being turned down.
I can't burden her with that. And whatever happens, my first duty is to protect her.
'It was that man in the bar last night,' persisted Gill. 'The one in the white suit.'
'His name's Guy Abbott. He's an officer with the Firm.'
'What does he want with you?'
'There's a job that needs doing. They reckon I'm the right man for it.'
'You're through with that, Matt,' repeated Gill. 'We agreed. No more missions. We're getting married, maybe having kids.' She paused, a trace of moisture already visible in her eyes. 'Making a life together.'
She's not going to like this.
'I know,' Matt started, his voice steely and grave. 'But there are debts, and now they're getting called in. One job, then he says the slate will be clean.'
Gill shook her head. 'No. We have plenty of money. We don't need them. Tell them to go screw themselves.'
'I already did.' Matt reached out to take Gill's hand. She drew it away. 'They've frozen all my accounts. We're broke.'
'They can't do that,' snapped Gill.
'They can, and they have.'
Gill turned away. 'We don't need the money. We're making money on the restaurant, I have my salary from Dandelion. We don't need to finish the house, it doesn't matter.' She turned to look at him again. The moisture in her eyes had turned into a tear now. 'We can sleep on the beach. So long as we have each other, that's what counts.'
I have to tell her, Matt decided. There's no way she'll accept anything but the truth.
'It's not just the money. That's the carrot. I do the job and I get our money back.'
'What's the stick?'
'They'll press charges,' said Matt. 'For murder.'
Gill paused. With her left hand she reached up to wipe away the tear trickling down the side of her cheek. 'It wasn't murder. Fight it. You have to prove your innocence.' She leant forward. 'We can't live like this. There'll be this job, then another one, and another one. You'll be working for the bloody SAS for ever. Until they slam the lid down on your coffin, drape a Union Jack over it, and give me a medal to pin up on the wall. I won't do it, Matt. We fight them here and now.'
'Don't be ridiculous,' snapped Matt. He could feel the temper rising within him, a snarling knot of anger that started in his stomach