Assassin Games (Tarnished Heroes)

by Bristol, Sidney

  Carol paced the small lodge.

  Two steps.

  Turn.

  Two more steps.

  Repeat.

  Despite the slight chill, she couldn’t remain under the blankets. She needed to move. To think.

  Andy had left while she was still half asleep. He’d said something about foraging for more food. She didn’t know if that meant he had other caches out there, or if he was going hunter-gatherer style.

  The wind still whistled around the lodge, reminding her of how flimsy their hideaway was.

  She’d thought she’d been trapped with Andy before, now she was wholly dependent on him for survival. At the cabin she could have lasted until the roads cleared, dug the vehicle out, and left, should anything have happened to Andy. Now, she didn’t know where she was, where civilization lay, or what to do if Andy got hurt, or didn’t come back, or what to do without him.

  This whole situation was so far outside of what she was prepared to deal with. She’d handpicked her job on the basis that she wasn’t cut out for fieldwork, and now here she was on the verge of drowning. She liked being able to sit back, study the situation, make decisions with lots of facts.

  That was no longer an option, and it was beginning to freak her out.

  At the cabin she’d still had some illusion of her habitual ways. There’d been files. Work to do. Things she could accomplish.

  Out here she was useless. Dead weight.

  She’d made the program. Andy didn’t technically need her now.

  What if he was abandoning her now that she’d finished the algorithm?

  Carol stopped and stared at the stove, her throat closing up.

  It would make escape easier.

  No.

  That was completely ridiculous.

  Andy didn’t operate like that.

  What did she know?

  Carol closed her eyes and scrubbed her hands over her face.

  There were bad people in the Company.

  Andy had swooped in to save her from those people, from taking the fall for something she hadn’t done.

  In the process, he might have also made her persona non grata with the CIA. Unlike previous whistleblowers, she wasn’t looking to alert anyone about anything, but her knowledge would be valuable to other markets.

  Andy… She wished he were there. That she could talk out these ideas with him.

  She trusted him, stupid as it may be. She’d trusted him before the kiss, before sex, and she’d resented the fact that despite everything, he’d still earned a bit of her trust. A tiny foothold, but it was enough. She wouldn’t doubt him.

  They’d had sex.

  Carol wrapped her arms around herself and shivered.

  She hadn’t allowed herself to think about that since waking up, but the memory, the very real fact, had circled her mind.

  Andy was not a safe lover. He wasn’t the flowers, dinner, and forever kind of man. Yes, parts of Mark were Andy, but not the parts she could live with. Learn to love. Make a life with.

  What’d happened between them was natural. Normal even. But it couldn’t grow into more. All they’d ever have were a few moments of pleasure, and that was it. A man with Andy’s life didn’t get to settle down or make safe choices, and Carol wasn’t built for this world. He had enemies; anyone attached to Andy would always be a target. Which meant, when this was over, they’d go their separate ways.

  She pressed her hand to her chest.

  The idea of losing Andy…hurt.

  She blew out a breath.

  This attachment was born out of need. Nothing more. Nothing less. He was a good man, and these were extreme times. That was it.

  She sat on the edge of the bed and stared at the floor.

  Her old life really was gone.

  She was a practical woman. Kidding herself that it would all turn out okay when she’d left the country with classified documents was stupid. Carol didn’t make a practice of fooling herself into believing everything would work out in the end. She’d made a study of history. Things often ended in disaster for those who most deserved a happy ending.

  That was why she needed to start thinking about what came next, not the soreness of her body or the memory of Andy’s touch. Soon enough they’d have to part ways, and when that happened she needed to be ready.

  Carol closed her eyes.

  Who did she know?

  Oh, she had plenty of connections thanks to the constant stream of exchange students, but who owed her? Who was just shady enough to help her out?

  She’d need a new ID.

  Money.

  Something would have to be done with her hair or face.

  Contacts would help.

  Facial recognition, that was going to be the hard one to fool.

  Plastic surgery?

  She hated the idea, but in practice even small adjustments to her bone structure would throw off the programs that identified people.

  Two people came to mind immediately, but both were above reproach. No, who did she know that skirted the line? Who liked to get in trouble?

  Nate Wickham.

  Carol had always chuckled at the aptly named man. But then again her mother had raised her reading the classics. Not everyone was a Jane Austen fan or enjoyed Pride and Prejudice.

  He’d survived three months of his intended nine-month stay. Because Carol had let him cheat off her. In memory, she’d only ever allowed two people to do that. One because their grasp of English never reached proficient, and Nate because…well, because she’d known something was going on and his way of dealing with it was to party, get drunk, and create problems.

  The last time she’d touched base with Nate he’d been trying to get back into the US but couldn’t. His visa was denied for reasons she hadn’t been able to figure out. Her security clearance wasn’t that high. Which meant Nate might be the perfect person to help her. But first she’d have to find out where he was.

  Where to go once she had a new life arranged?

  Andy had picked Switzerland for good reason, but she couldn’t stay here.

  Non-extradition countries were a top pick, but they weren’t her only options. Besides, most of them weren’t places she’d want to live for very long and her chances of surviving on her own were slim.

  The key then was, what countries would oppose an extradition request? Russia and China were both large, wealthy countries that wouldn’t want to be pushed around by America, not in these current times. After Snowden’s asylum in Russia was extended, Russia was the last place Carol wanted to end up. Besides, she didn’t know enough about the culture, what she’d do to support herself, how to blend into the country.

  China, then.

  She was fluent in Mandarin. She could navigate the social currents. She’d stick out as a blonde American woman, but that could be altered a little. Hair dye. A nose job. Something to her chin. She’d become someone new after a few thousand dollars. Her knowledge of economics would provide her with a new life. In the private sector.

  Carol didn’t like it.

  Not one bit.

  But at least she’d get to go on living.

  That was worth it, wasn’t it?

  …

  Andy stared at the little lodge, nestled between the trees.

  The southern side of the building was piled high with snow. There was just a bit at the roofline that showed through. He should pull some branches over it, make it that much more difficult to spot from this direction. Not that he expected someone to trek out here and find them. No, this was something to do. An occupation for his body while his mind was stuck on a loop he couldn’t kick it out of.

  He was fucked.

  Last night…

  It couldn’t happen again.

  Ever.

  More of that, and he’d never let Carol go back to her normal life.

  There were facts of Andy’s life that were irrefutable. He was a company man until the end. He owed them a debt of his life. And they could cash that in
whenever they wanted. All of that meant that Andy had to remain on the outside of normal civilian life, always looking in. It was a lonely way to live, but he managed. He’d always done well solo. And then…Carol happened.

  Her quiet grace had likely gone unnoticed by many men. Her unassuming confidence chased those with weaker spines away. She’d flown under the radar, focused on her goals.

  A woman like that…was the kind of woman Andy could appreciate. Want even. But a life with him was no life at all, and he wanted Carol to have more. What he couldn’t have. And that meant keeping his distance, which led to why he’d rolled out of bed a little before dawn to freeze his lust and wrangle his mind.

  His stomach growled at him.

  That was one part of him he couldn’t seem to control.

  He glanced at the now-skinned hares he’d managed to snare. He’d cleaned them and left what they couldn’t use buried far enough from the lodge that they would hopefully not attract any predators. The rest would make a nice stew. He needed to change the bandages on Carol’s arm, see how she was faring. She was likely going stir-crazy without a screen to tap at or space to pace, but this terrain was no place for a late morning stroll. He’d braced the door from the outside earlier. Carol couldn’t get out if she wanted to, which was another reason he’d stuck close.

  Andy circled the lodge and hauled out a couple logs. By now the inside of the structure was warm enough. He wouldn’t want to open the door more than necessary.

  “Carol, it’s me,” he called out.

  He stacked a few more logs by the door, then waited for a count of five.

  He hauled the plank securing the door up and out of place. He nearly got smacked by the door swinging open.

  “Sorry!” Carol blinked at him, the large, puffy coat obscuring part of her face.

  “Help me with the logs, will you?”

  “What’s that?” She eyed the mostly drained carcasses.

  “Lunch and dinner.”

  They got the firewood inside and the door shut. Carol retreated onto the bed, giving him the lodge floor to do the final steps of stripping off the meat and leaving the last bits of offal to dispose of later.

  “What…were they?” Carol had a hand over her nose, brows scrunched up.

  “Rabbits.”

  “I don’t think I wanted to know that.” She leaned back against the wall.

  He got the rest of the meat in the pot. The remnants he tossed into the fire. It wasn’t a pleasant odor, but they had to be disposed of or they’d risk more problems to contend with.

  “Where did you go?” Carol asked.

  “Walked the perimeter. Found the snowmobile. Dragged it closer. It’s dead, but if I got my hands on some gas it might still be useful.”

  “Where are you going to get gas from out here?” Carol chuckled.

  Andy took his time adding boiled water and seasonings to the pot with the rabbit meat.

  Did he tell her the truth? His contacts weren’t all that far away. She could bolt.

  Carol knew their lives were on the line, that their chances were better together than separate.

  “We’re a couple miles off the main road through the mountains. Snowplows will clear it today, and by tonight or tomorrow there will be traffic along the route. Then there’s my contact who I share this place with. A few hours on foot, I could get to them. Get gas.” Andy peered at Carol’s face, watching for a flicker of anger.

  “Oh, well, that’s nice to know.” Her shoulders relaxed. “I was half afraid we were stranded out here with no way back to civilization.”

  A dark thought gnawed at the back of Andy’s mind. What if someone did find them? What if Carol needed to get out on her own?

  “You know how to tell which way is north?” he asked.

  “Not…really. I mean, I know the theory. Look for the North Star…”

  “No. Not here.” Andy shook his head. “Look at the trees. See which way the snow is piled up on their trunks. You want to go the way the snow points. These fronts have been moving north, so the south side of the trunks have more snow. When in doubt, look for which way the trees grow. Head up the mountain.”

  “We’re south of the road?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Why are you telling me this now? Andy, what happened out there?”

  “Nothing. Just being prepared is all.”

  “Okay.”

  “I need to check your bandages. Did you take the antibiotics when you woke up?”

  “I did.” Carol scooted to the edge of the bed and worked her injured arm out of the sleeve. “I did some thinking while you were gone. About what I do next.”

  “You go home. You go back to your life.” Andy peered at her arm while rubbing the disinfectant gel into his palms.

  “Andy, that’s not going to be possible. Let’s be practical. If these people cover my ass for a while, great, but there’s no getting around the fact that I’ve lost classified documents. I left the country with them. We’ve broken so many rules and laws…I won’t be tried. I’ll be thrown in a deep, dark hole for the rest of my life. I wanted to believe for a while it might work out, but…let’s be honest, please?”

  “Stop inviting problems. We’ve got enough on our own.”

  “All I’m saying is, I need to be prepared to not go home. Ever.” Carol stared at him, her brown eyes so serious and stubborn.

  She might be right, he was willing to give her that, but nothing was certain.

  “How’s the arm feeling?” He pressed the back of his fingers to the skin surrounding the wound. It was cool to the touch, no fever, redness or puss.

  “Sore, but all things considered, good.” Carol shifted her arm.

  He kept his gaze on the Steri-Strips and not the glimpse of her lacy bra.

  “There was an exchange student we had. He owes me favors. He’s…the kind of person who could likely get me a passport. New name.” Carol swallowed and the color leached out of her face.

  “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there. You’re good.” He helped her tug the shirt back down, for his sanity.

  “Andy. I need you to be practical, not hopeful.”

  “Practical. We’re alive. We’ve got food cooking. You’re healing. We don’t have a bullet between us. We’re one bad storm away from dying out here. I am being practical.”

  “How long are we staying here?”

  “How long does the algorithm need before we check it?”

  “The first run will be the longest. It…could take days. But how are we going to check it? We don’t have a computer anymore.”

  “We’ll get one. I uploaded it, let’s say yesterday morning. It’s had twenty-four hours to run.”

  “It likely needs another day or two to return real results. After that, the CIA might flag it or it could continue to run. How do you plan on getting the results back anyway?”

  “The results will be dumped down onto one of my servers.”

  “You changed my code.” Carol frowned.

  “No, I added to it. Wherever you hardcoded it to return to, it’ll still deliver there. But a copy will be sent to me. I wanted to ensure that if things go badly, we had access to the data. So we’d know who is trying to kill you.”

  “Wouldn’t it also be smart to set me up with a new identity during that time?”

  “Doing so means leaving the nest. We’re protected by nature, the remoteness of where we’re at, we’re invisible. Even satellites can’t penetrate this much dense growth. If locals spot the smoke, they’ll assume someone is using the hunting lodge. This is a long ways to trek just to see who’s around. Once we set foot on the road we have to assume we’ve been made. We have to be prepared to run, because they will find us and they will be throwing everything they can into killing us. They won’t care who they take down doing it, either. So you have to ask yourself, are you willing to risk your life, mine, and whoever happens to be around us when they send a drone to strike?”

  “N-no…” Carol’s eyes
were wide.

  “Then we stay put until we know it’s time to move.” He hated scaring her, but she didn’t fully understand just how dangerous this was. Here, they were safe. For a bit. Not long, but for a while. And they should take advantage of it for as long as possible. Because when they left, all hell would break loose.

  …

  Georgia swallowed the hiss of pain. Smothering her burns in snow had prevented worse from happening. It still hurt like a bitch.

  “We’re up,” Tate announced.

  “Fucking finally.”

  It’d taken them most of the day to hack into the Swiss road cameras, set up a few of their own, and put in the request to get a satellite aimed their way.

  If Carol—or Andy—so much as breathed on the side of the road, they’d know.

  The only problem was, what if they were already gone?

  The higher-ups hadn’t been able to tell them what Carol and Andy were up to. Without that knowledge, they would always be one step behind. Unless they began thinking like Andy. A sociopath. Shouldn’t be too difficult.

  “I found three places we will want to keep an eye on.” Tate turned his tablet screen toward her. “Here and here are remote mountain residences. It’d be easy to knock out the people living there and hide out. Third place is this mountain diner. Looks like the owners live in a cabin out back.”

  “No,” Georgia said.

  “You have better ideas?”

  “Have you worked with Andy before?”

  “Not closely, no.”

  “He has this…code. It’s what makes him a pain in the ass. He won’t go after people’s homes. Think about barns. Places he could hole up without displacing anyone. He’d be more likely to pose as a stranded motorist and rent a room rather than hurt someone.”

  “Fuck, now I want to kill him on principle.” Tate shook his head.

  “Get in line.”

  Georgia would get that honor.

  “We should go to that diner. This long out there, they’d want food, and the parking lot would allow for their pick of vehicles.” She studied the map. “You’ll go inside, I’ll stay outside, keep an eye on the cars and the video feeds.”

  They had no way of knowing where Andy was, but so long as they cast a wide net, they’d hit on him soon.