by AK Leigh
Carrie frowned. ‘Sorry.’
‘It’s okay.’ She waved a hand when she spotted Carrie and Lizzie exchange a sympathetic look. ‘Can we get back on topic now, please. We have our lists. How about we take a couple of days, see who we can cross off then meet up again to discuss our findings?’
Carrie answered, ‘Sounds good. When is everyone available?’
Lizzie said, ‘I can do Thursday morning, but I have to be done by twelve so I can get to my summer session classes at the university.’
Carrie nodded. ‘That works for me.’
‘Me too. I’ll see you both then.’
After her sisters left, a thought occurred to Nina. Tomorrow night she had another training session. Meaning she would see Andrei again. She would need to be amicable. Until she had some of the answers she wanted.
Why did you really move to Australia? Why are you competing for Australia? Are you a terrorist? What did you mean when you said you weren’t a good man?
She sighed, pondering ways to hide the ambivalence she felt towards him as she reached for her list of suspects. Might as well do something that would be both useful to the case and keep her mind occupied in the meantime.
She focused on her top five motives: sexual (including crimes of passion and affairs), emotional (specifically revenge and/or jealousy), financial, criminal involvement (to cover it up or expand), and control/power issues.
From what she and her sisters had briefly discussed, the likely motivation was either emotional or power related. Political attacks commonly fell into either of those two categories. That made it easier to narrow the list down.
She drew in a breath. ‘Okay, first competitor. Karl Petrovic. Let’s see what your secrets are …’
For now, Andrei’s would have to wait.
* * *
Andrei tried to keep his attention on the mission informant he’d managed to track down as they stood beside a tree in an out of the way park, but it kept slipping. To Nina, and how beautiful her tear-filled eyes had looked …
He forced the image and memory away.
You’re not doing this again.
Now that he had two missions to complete—find where the smuggled Russian weapons were coming in and narrow down possible suspects of the Winter Olympics terrorist threat—his brain needed to be one hundred per cent focused.
He cleared his throat, leaned against the tree, and asked, ‘So there was another load of weapons that reached Cairns this past week?’
‘That’s right.’
‘Where was it tracked from?’
The man shot him a look, then said, ‘Hey buddy, this information could get me killed …’
Andrei sighed, knowing where this going. They were never worried about their lives, though they tried to make it seem that way. It was always about the money.
Reaching into his back jean’s pocket, he pulled out a white envelope he’d brought with him in case of this instance. He held it up, but out of the man’s reach, and said, ‘Two grand for the location and all the other information...’ He caught the man’s excited gaze and added in a stern voice, ‘But there will be no more. Do you understand?’
He’d already been paid five grand for his services.
‘I understand.’ The man’s eyeballs were practically popping out with eagerness to get his hands on the envelope.
Andrei kept it out of his reach and repeated, ‘Where was it tracked from?’
‘Darwin.’
Andrei frowned. ‘Darwin?’
‘That’s what I said.’
‘That can’t be right.’
It was too obvious.
‘I don’t know what to tell you. My sources say Darwin.’
But it didn’t make sense. Why would the smugglers use a major port city? They were notoriously hard to get items through. Was it an ego thing? To prove they could do it? Or …
He asked the question that entered his mind, ‘Do they have a contact on the inside?’
‘That I don’t know, but it makes sense.’
Andrei exhaled, feeling lighter than he had in months. They finally had something solid to go on.
‘Where is it headed to from here?’
‘My sources couldn’t tell me that.’
One more thought popped into his mind, ‘Do the cops know about the shipment?’
‘We believe so.’
He handed the envelope over. ‘Thank you.’
The informant clutched it between his hands like it was the only kernel of corn left on a drought-ravaged farm. ‘No. Thank you.’
‘Let me know the instant you hear anything about the other issue we spoke about too …’ Andrei had mentioned the basics of the Olympic threat to the man earlier, ‘But keep it as quiet as you can, will you?’
The last thing he and his bosses needed to deal with was mass hysteria.
‘I know.’
Andrei watched the man leave, then sat down at the base of the tree. They’d been alone the entire time—he’d checked—and he was grateful for the solitude. It was these moments on his missions that he enjoyed.
His thoughts went over the new information.
They now knew for sure the stolen weapons were coming into Australia via Darwin, onto Cairns, and from there to an unknown location. The FSB wouldn’t be happy that he hadn’t managed to secure a final destination. But they knew where to send more agents now and that was no small matter.
As he sat, staring out at the green surrounding him, his intuition kept nagging at him.
Darwin seemed too obvious to him. In all his missions, the only people who had ever used a port city for their illegal activities were those who managed fake businesses related to the port.
The intel he’d gathered so far suggested no such connection.
Something else was going on … and it made him feel uneasy. Even more so because he couldn’t put his finger on it. But he would. He always did. Which is why, despite their obvious distaste towards him, the FSB kept putting him out on missions.
He checked the time on his watch and rose. If he took too long before getting back to his handler, and he had no decent explanation for it, he would be reprimanded. It would be good to get back and have another look over the list anyway. He’d managed to cut a decent chunk of suspects off the previous night, but it was still a long, involved process. If he was to get the top five to the FSB before the start of the Olympics, he had to work faster.
Reaching his hire car, he hopped inside and started the engine. The gnawing feeling that something was off grew as he drove.
Chapter 10
She just had to treat this like any other job. Be nice to him long enough to find out what you need to know. She repeated the mantra to herself as she entered the training centre the following evening. It was going to be her first night-time session. There was always something magical about skiing at night, even with the bright lights beaming down.
She stepped into the room that housed a winter wonderland in the middle of tropical Cairns. The LED lights added a synthetic sparkle to the snow, somehow managing to make the experience seem even more magical.
She chuckled at her sudden flight of fancy then scanned the room.
It only took her a couple of seconds to spot Andrei. He was lying on his belly, clad in the matching Australian Winter Olympic team snowsuit to the one she wore. A long-range rifle was clutched against his shoulder, to lessen throwback and steady the shot. He was aiming at a target a few metres away.
She inhaled.
Nina, you can do this.
Wasn’t the first time she’d had to get information from someone she held mixed opinions about.
She stopped a decent stride-length behind him, watching. He liked his space when he was shooting. At least, he had. She cursed to herself for knowing that … then again when her focus darted to the still-toned arse he had. She glanced away and waited for him to take the shot. Except he didn’t. He paused. Lowered the gun and turned his head.
His face bright
ened when he spotted her. Lowering the rifle, he twisted round until he was in a seated position. ‘I thought I felt someone behind me.’
‘Oh, was I too close? I tried to give you enough room.’
He smiled—in a way that told her he’d picked up she’d remembered his space rule—as he assured her, ‘You did. Thank you.’
She nodded, ‘Good.’
They remained silent for a moment.
Then Andrei stood and said, ‘Is there something I can help you with?’
‘Oh … yes, actually. I’ve had a think about your apology and what you said about us being civil to each other.’
‘Okay?’ His eyes crinkled in the corners, showing he had missed the point.
‘I agree that if we are going to be on the same team, we should try to be nice.’
‘That’s great, Nina. Thank you.’
In the ensuing silence, his gaze lingered on her face, focusing on various parts in turn. It was almost as though he were comparing it to past memories. The action sent a warm, delicious feeling from her chest to her pelvis. It was one she’d felt with him before …
Before she could think too much about it, Andrei’s eyes zoomed in on hers. That was when she realised he was standing so close she could see the black of his pupils. She was certain she saw them dilate.
I caused that.
She knew her own eyes must be looking similar.
The next second, it felt like a lightning bolt hit her on the top of her head and shot down to the tips of her toes.
Before she could control it, she blurted, ‘Why are you competing for Australia?’
Damn. That wasn’t exactly covert. She hadn’t meant to come out with it like that. Whatever had just happened had discombobulated her. The words had come out by themselves. Her plan to develop a friendly rapport and work up to the questions was now out the window. She frowned, disappointed with herself. She’d never have behaved like that with any other suspect.
But Andrei wasn’t any other suspect, was he? She’d never had complete control over herself with him. I told Carrie I was too close to this!
He looked at the ground, confirming her suspicion was correct.
‘I knew it! It’s got nothing to do with the Russian ban, does it?’
He glanced up, ‘Nina, please …’ He peered around then looked back at her and said, ‘This isn’t the time, or place, to be discussing that.’
The familiar words struck her, heating a combination of frustration and anger. She lashed out, ‘I should have expected that non-answer from you.’
Recollections of all the times in the past she’d tried to get him to open up and tell her what he was hiding. All the lies and mistrust. The heartbreak she’d ended up enduring as a result. That was why she’d avoided him. That was why she hadn’t wanted to see him again. That was why she’d needed—still needed—a survival plan when it came to him.
I can’t do this again.
No matter if her job required it or not.
She spun to get away from him. One of her sisters was going to have to take over and get the information from him. She couldn’t. All she knew as she marched away was that she had to move. If she’d stayed any longer … she didn’t want to think about it. She forced Andrei from her mind and made her way to the opposite side of the slope. They could be friendly, but never again could they be friends.
* * *
Once again, the urge to go after her filled him. He almost gave in. It took every ounce of control he’d ever possessed to stay rooted to the spot. He couldn’t do this with her again. If she was angry at him, it would mean she’d stay out of his way, which is precisely what his handler wanted. That obligation was fulfilled.
He frowned as he remembered something. Coach Trusseau had ordered him to fix things. Nina had agreed to be civil. Technically, that was all that was needed. It wasn’t the best repair job he’d ever done in his life, but it would do.
He’d adhered to everybody’s desires. Now it was time to focus on his own.
He’d done all he could for the weapons case. Other agents had been sent to follow it up. The medal and the terrorist were his concerns now.
Not Nina.
He squashed the remnants of the impulse to dash after her to the pit of his stomach, then swallowed so it couldn’t come back up.
They were teammates. That was all. He had little to do with the others. There was no reason the same couldn’t apply to her. He would do what was necessary to maintain harmony for the team; he would keep his head down; he would do what he could to satisfy both Marcel and the FSB.
But no more than that.
He would keep Nina at a distance. It could remain civil and completely platonic …
His heart wouldn’t let him get away with that.
If it’s purely platonic, explain what happened to you with Nina just now?
He scowled as the memory returned.
He’d been scanning Nina’s face, his brain filling with recollections of touching each of the contours, when he’d noticed her eyes dilate. Intuition told him his had been just as dilated.
That conclusion had caused an oddly familiar sensation. One he’d forgotten about until now. It had been like a bolt of electricity shooting through his body.
He shook his head.
This type of thinking will lead to trouble.
He had to treat her like any other new competitor—
Wait …
New competitor.
The thought lodged in his brain. She’d asked him why he was competing, but why was she suddenly competing? He’d expected her to, but when she hadn’t been announced with all the others, he’d assumed his bosses had been right. Yet here she was.
This was not common.
Was more going on here than she’d admitted?
She could have been keeping her entrance a secret because of the media scrutiny she and her sisters often received.
He pondered that explanation for a moment. His gut cramped, telling him that wasn’t it. Or at least it wasn’t the full story.
Why was she competing?
Another possibility washed over him. She could be here for one of the same reasons he was. The terrorist.
Was she undercover, searching for a suspect? It made sense. Nina was a police officer and she and her sisters investigated crimes. The corner of his eye twitched with well-honed instinct. He was onto something, he was sure of it, and he intended to find out if his hunch was right. He pulled out his phone to make a call.
Chapter 11
Nina was gasping for breath by the time she’d finished the full circuit. She bent at the waist, resting her hands on her knees, to help catch her breath. Feeling refreshed, she stepped down to the hardwood floor and perched herself on one of the long benches. As she removed her skis, a mental replay of her circuit made her grin. She’d done reasonably well for someone who hadn’t been in full-time training for four years.
The first training session had left her breathless halfway through the course. Now she’d made it to the three-quarter mark without having to ‘push through the wall’.
She was getting fitter and faster.
It surprised her how quickly she’d gotten back into the groove. The rifle had felt at home clasped between her hands and settled into the groove of her shoulder; her shooting had been about ninety per cent accurate thanks to her regular police shooting requirements, and the skis had been like an extension of her legs. Exactly the way it had always felt.
There was work to be done though. Her times were still too slow. Would four days of training per week be enough to make her entry realistic?
As if he’d sensed her thought, Coach Trusseau approached, and said, ‘Your times need work.’
‘I know.’
‘I don’t think you’re going to be up to speed with only four days of training each week.’
She nodded, ‘I was just thinking the same thing.’
‘Bon. You can start coming every day.’
‘What? W
ait, no, I—’
‘Nina, I watched you at the previous two Olympics.’
‘You did?’
He nodded, ‘From what I saw, you can win a gold medal, if you work for it. What I’ve witnessed this week might get you a fourth place.’
She nodded. He was right. And being kind in his comment about fourth place. She’d be lucky if she placed in the top seventy … and there were roughly that many competing. That was fine for her undercover assignment—winning had not been a condition—but it didn’t sit right with her. In fact, it wasn’t anywhere near right. If she was going to compete, she needed to give it her all, like she always did.
Suddenly, the urge to win a gold medal for her country came back as overpoweringly as it had been the previous two times. She was going to do this. And she was coming back with a gold!
Determined, she replied in Marcel’s native tongue, ‘I will work as hard as a slave.’
He laughed, and said in English, ‘That won’t be necessary. But I think it will do you good to start training every day, like the rest of the team.’
She baulked. ‘Every day?’
That means she would have to deal with Andrei every day.
‘Oui. Can you do it?’
Of course she could physically do it. She wanted to do it. It was the only way to achieve her long-ago relinquished dream of winning gold. But … what about Andrei? Could she mentally and emotionally do it?
Voices, ‘ghosts of her sisters’ past’, blared in her ears: ‘Are you going to let that jerk ruin things for you?’ ‘Go out there and forget him, dammit.’ Carrie had always been tougher on her about Andrei than Lizzie. The thing was she knew they were right. They would have been the same words she’d said to them.
You’re stronger now, Nina. Also she had the survival plan, and her sisters for support. Everything would be okay.
She gave a reluctant nod. ‘I can do it.’
A wide smile appeared on Marcel’s face, ‘Fantastique. You can start from tomorrow afternoon.’
She shook her head, ‘Sorry, no. I have to get permission for the leave from my boss, and my sisters and I have some plans we can’t get out of.’
He gave her a frustrated look. ‘Miss Farris—’