No - the team needs a break

Val explained that they wouldn't be able to take the case at the moment. Kay tried to get her attention but Val was already escorting Mr Green to the lift, her mind already on what clothes she would try on first

The man was clearly angry but he didn't try and change anyone's mind. He just took the lift down and went home.

As she returned to the desk Val finally caught Kay's eye and said "What? We deserve a break don't we?"

"Val it's not that simple," said Kay, "Once the word gets out that we turned down work for no good reason people will be less likely to hire us."

Kay's words proved prophetic. Wealthy people talk to each other and within the month the word was out in the country clubs, mansions and penthouses that VIP weren't interested in work. The operating costs on the VIP operation were always high and without a steady stream of income they had to start cutting corners.

Once they moved out of the penthouse to a cheaper area of town they were even less likely to get the business they needed to keep going. There were a few small cases but nobody with enough money to get them back to the top.

Johnny and Niki were the first to go. They got an offer to look after a wealthy Asian business man who had heard that Johnny might be available. But it was a full time gig so they handed in their notice and promised to keep in touch. Tasha was next, she got a call from a mysterious agent to do something and within 12 hours she was gone. Not even Kay could trace where she had gone. Maxine had always been a friend so Val was surprised when she left before Kay or Quick. But Maxine got an offer to join a clothing company and she had no real reason to stay. Quick followed shortly thereafter. A friend of his was starting a boxing agency and Quick joined him as head coach. Kay stayed as long as she could, never really getting over her crush on Val. But eventually the NSA made an offer she couldn't refuse and she was gone.

In the end Val accepted an offer from an aging rock band in their 40s to help out with their security. They weren't under threat but all three members of the band had had a crush on her. Even that only lasted a few months. Once all three members and their loyal roadies had had her they weren't hugely interested in keeping her around. Particularly not after she started showing.

Within two years of turning down Mr Green's job offer Val was running a hot dog stand on her own, trying to get alimony payments out of a touring rock group.

The End