by DV Berkom
Lou was waiting for them in the same conference room where Leine and he had argued before she’d gone off the grid.
“Where’s Jinn?” Leine asked as soon as they entered the room. She and Jack each took a chair on opposite sides of the table, across from where Lou was sitting.
“She’ll be here shortly,” Lou replied. “She’s finishing up some paperwork.”
“I take it she agreed?” Leine had insisted that if Jinn didn’t approve of any part of the plan they’d devised, that they would need to work out something else.
Lou nodded. “She’s a bright kid. You should keep in touch, see how she’s getting along.”
“I plan to.”
Jack leaned forward, his elbows on the table. “Just wanted to let you know, I’m going to steal this woman away from SHEN.” He gave Lou a lopsided grin. “Professional courtesy, you know.”
“Thanks for the heads-up.” Lou glanced at Leine. “God knows if she makes up her mind to do something, I sure couldn’t stop her.”
Leine rolled her eyes. “Stop talking about me like I’m not in the room. Like I already told Jack, I’m not built to babysit billionaires.”
The relieved look on Lou’s face was almost comical.
“You think I’m staying with SHEN,” Leine said.
Lou shrugged. “I hope so. Last time we spoke, your intentions weren’t clear.”
“Yeah. About that. We need to talk—”
At that moment, the door to the conference room banged open and Jinn walked into the room. She looked rested and was wearing new clothes SHEN had purchased for her the day before. Her eyes lit up when she saw Leine. She ran to the former assassin and threw her arms around her, careful to avoid her injured arm.
“You came to say goodbye.”
Leine hugged her back. “Well, of course, silly. I wouldn’t leave without seeing you.” A part of her was sad to see the kid go, but she was glad for the new adventure that lay ahead of her.
“They gave me pictures of my new family.” Jinn reached into her pocket and pulled out a photograph, which she showed to Leine. The man and woman, both somewhere in their mid-thirties, were smiling and happy. A young girl about Jinn’s age and a younger boy looked directly at the camera. Both had big grins on their faces.
Leine studied them and liked what she saw. She handed back the photo. “They have kind eyes.”
Jinn nodded. She didn’t say anything.
“What’s wrong?” Leine asked.
The kid took in a long breath and let it go. “I want to come with you.”
“Aw, kid.” Leine reached out and pulled her closer. “We already talked about that. Much as I’d like to, there’s no way they’ll let me take you home. Not with my job.”
“Don’t I get to choose?”
Leine nodded. “Of course. Look. If you don’t like this family, we’ll keep looking until you’re happy.” She glanced at Lou. “Right, Lou?”
“Right.” Lou nodded encouragingly. “We want you to be sure about this.”
“Is it because you won’t be living in France?” Leine asked. “I’m sorry about that, but there wasn’t anyone available. We tried.”
The kid waved her comment away. “They live in London. I’ve always wanted to see Big Ben. And, they told me on the phone they like to travel.” She turned to Leine, her eyes wide with panic. “Will I ever see you again? You’ll come for a visit, won’t you?”
“Of course I will.”
Relief washed over the young girl’s face. She gave Leine a tiny smile. “Did Lou tell you about Ahmed and his sister?”
“No.” Leine glanced at Lou. “What about them?”
Lou started to say something but Jinn interrupted him.
“I want to tell her.”
With a smile, Lou motioned for her to continue.
“They’re getting a family too.” She grew more serious. “Although they’ll be living in Morocco.”
“I guess his belief in your genie powers was right.”
Jinn nodded. “I forgot I’d promised to grant him a wish. He reminded me when we spoke this morning.”
The receptionist for the Paris office stuck her head in the door. “Time to go, Jinn.”
Jinn turned to Leine and touched her hand. “Here. I want you to have this. To remember me.” She placed her mother’s necklace in her palm. She glanced shyly at Leine to gauge her reaction.
“Oh, Jinn. This isn’t necessary. I’d never forget you.”
“But I want you to have it.” The kid leaned closer. “For when you’re scared,” she whispered.
Leine closed her fingers around it and held it to her heart. “I’ll cherish it. Thank you.” The two embraced for a long moment. Clearing her throat, Jinn stood and started to leave.
She stopped at the door and turned back. “Will you check our message board sometimes?”
“You know I will.”
Smiling, Jinn nodded and walked out the door and into her new life.
Leine stuffed the sadness she felt with the kid’s leaving into a tiny compartment in her mind and turned to Lou and Jack. “Any news of Kadeem Hakim?” she asked, getting back to business. She wanted to wrap things up and get out of Paris. Claustrophobia was setting in and she was feeling antsy. And she still had one loose end to tie.
La Pointe.
Lou nodded. “He’s awake and talking. They brought him out of the medically induced coma two days ago. He’s given statements to the CIA and Interpol, identifying Blanche La Pointe as the woman who kidnapped the children and plotted to use them as mules for the bombs. Coupled with your testimony, Interpol believes they have more than enough to issue a red notice.” A red notice was Interpol’s equivalent of an international arrest warrant.
“Good.”
Lou looked at her and narrowed his eyes. “You’re planning something, I can tell.”
Jack studied her expression. “How? Looks to me like she’s exhausted and ready for some heavy R&R.”
“By the impassive expression on her face.”
Leine shifted in her seat. She’d never liked being under the microscope. “Jack wins the kewpie doll this time. I wasn’t planning anything. Promise.”
Lou gave her a look that said, yeah, right. “So what did you want to talk about before Jinn came in to say goodbye?”
Leine shifted in her chair again, this time leaning forward. “I’m taking a break.”
“Well, hot damn. Finally.” Lou slapped his hand on the table.
“You misunderstand. I’m really taking a break. From everything.”
Lou arched his eyebrows. It was the only sign that her old friend was surprised. “What are you going to do?”
“Nothing. I need to get my head on straight. I’m this close,” she held her thumb and forefinger together, “to burning out.” The visual of the kill wall on her laptop floated through her mind. Yeah. Not exactly normal behavior for an operative.
At least, not a healthy one.
“How long are you thinking?”
Leine stared into the distance, her eyes unfocused. “That’s unclear. I have no idea how long it will take. The job’s taken its toll. I’ve got to get out. At least for now.”
“Have you discussed this with Santa?” Lou asked.
“Yeah, have you?”
Leine snapped her head around at the familiar voice. Santiago Jensen stood in the doorway, his handsome dark eyes searching hers for an answer.
“Hey,” she said. She pushed her chair back and stood. “Thanks, Lou, for all of your help. And thank you, Jack.” She turned toward the Scotsman. “You and your team made the difference.” Jack inclined his head, acknowledging the compliment.
“Keep SHEN in mind, Leine,” Lou said. “If you decide that you want to come back, you know there’s always a place for you.”
“Thanks, Lou. I’ll keep in touch.” Maybe. She turned to Santa. “Shall we?”
Santa shifted his stance, allowing her to walk past him, and then followed her to the el
evator. Once there, he wrapped his arms around her and they kissed. Leine closed her eyes, reveling in his touch.
“Thanks for being here.” She slid her hands down his back and cupped his fine ass.
He pulled his head back, a smile creasing his lips. “When I didn’t hear from you I called Lou. He said you’d gone off the grid.” He looked deeply into her eyes. “Why didn’t you let me know what was going on?”
“It’s...complicated.” No way would this man, whose job it was to uphold the law, be able to understand her need for justice at any cost. If she told him what she’d done, what she planned to do, he’d be conflicted and would try to tough it out, but eventually he’d leave her and never look back. It was better this way. She’d do it for him—to keep him shielded from the fallout she knew was coming. No one she loved would be safe once La Pointe realized Leine was coming for her. Not Santa, not Lou, not April. Not even SHEN.
April would be fine. She’d understand her mother’s need to hunt La Pointe down, eradicate the bottom-feeding monster that would use innocents in such a heinous act. Maybe, when it was all over, she and Santa could pick up the pieces, try to make a life again.
Maybe.
The next words she said would be the hardest she’d ever spoken.
Santa took a step back. “What’s wrong?”
Leine traced his lips with her finger. Would he wait? She couldn’t ask that of him. He had a life to live. And so did she.
With a long sigh, she took his hand in hers and said, “We need to talk.”
THE END
Author’s note: Thank you for reading DARK RETURN. If you enjoyed reading this installment in the Leine Basso thriller series, please consider leaving a short, honest review at your favorite online retailer and tell your thriller-loving friends about the book. Reviews and word-of-mouth are vital to the success of a novel (and a series), and I appreciate your help spreading the word!
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OTHER BOOKS IN THE Leine Basso thriller series:
Leine Basso Thriller Series:
A Killing Truth (Prequel)
Leine eliminates terrorists for a living. After a routine assassination almost gets her killed, she chalks it up to a fluke. Her lover and fellow assassin, Carlos, has another idea altogether. He thinks their boss is setting them up for a fall. When Carlos goes missing, and a bombing thwarts another mission, Leine suspects the stakes are far higher than she could ever imagine, and wonders if the man in charge might have it in for her after all.
Serial Date
When a former assassin's daughter is abducted, she's drawn into the twisted game of a serial killer who may be a grisly remnant from her past.
Bad Traffick
Dangerous obsessions take center stage when a former assassin and a homicide detective race against the clock to find a missing girl.
The Body Market
Former assassin Leine Basso is called in when a celebration south of the border turns into a nightmare.
Cargo
Haunted by memories of an op gone bad, former assassin Leine Basso travels to Bangkok in search of a missing backpacker. With help from an old contact, she discovers the man responsible for the girl’s disappearance is connected to a violent Hong Kong triad and is the linchpin of an extensive trafficking network—both animal and human.
The Last Deception
Just when Leine Basso thinks she's free from the business of murder and deception, a desperate call from a friend drags her back into the dark world of espionage and arms dealers.