Just then, Suzette came into the library. “How’s Blake doing?” I asked, feeling a little guilty that I hadn’t gone to see him yet.
“Doing better. I think he’s out of the woods.”
“Good. I’d like to see him.”
“I’m sure he’d like that. But first, breakfast is ready.” We followed her into the dining room, finding the table set for three and the cook setting a platter of eggs, bacon, and hash browns on the table. The toast was already on a plate, along with fresh fruit, and a couple of containers of yogurt.
“Wow, this looks amazing,” I said. “This is really great of you. I hope we’re not putting you out too much.”
“Oh posh,” she said. “I was getting bored, so I’m grateful for the company. I have to admit that this is quite the adventure for a retired spy like me.” She was thinking it wasn’t exactly true that she was retired, but we didn’t need to know that.
“So were you MI6? Like James Bond?” I asked.
She chuckled. “You might say that. I started out with MI5, that’s Internal British Intelligence, but with my marriage and subsequent move to Paris, I moved into MI6. I must say, it isn’t as romantic as the movies make it out to be. But I’ve had my share of intrigue, and met both Blake and Gabriel in the process. It’s good to be retired though, at least for now.”
She took a sip of coffee before continuing. “Blake told me a bit about you, Shelby, but nothing about Ramos, now why is that?”
“Uh...” I glanced at Ramos.
“I’m a bodyguard,” he answered with a shrug, thinking that it was best to keep it simple for now. “Not much more to that.”
“Uh-huh,” she said. “Well... from what I’ve seen, you’ve certainly earned your pay on this trip.”
This time he smiled. “Always the way when I’m with Shelby. But there are a few perks, like your offer to take the Vincent Black Shadow for a spin. We were talking about the building Shelby needs to find, and I thought it might be helpful to see them for real. The right perspective could make all the difference. What do you think?”
“That’s brilliant,” she said, thinking Ramos was one smooth operator. “Seeing them as opposed to looking at them in a picture makes a lot of sense. You still think there’s something to that?”
“Yes,” I answered. “I’d like to follow up, just in case.”
“Then it’s settled.”
***
An hour later, I sat behind Ramos on the smoothest motorcycle ride I’d ever had. This bike purred, and Ramos was in biker’s heaven. Lucky for us, the temperature outside wasn’t too cold. The sun warming our backs took off the chill.
Besides wearing our leather motorcycle jackets, Suzette had found a couple of helmets and leather gloves. She even gave me a scarf for my neck and chin in case I got cold. I picked up that she was a little jealous of me, but hoped she could get a ride from Ramos later.
Ramos had glanced at a map to get the gist of where we needed to go, but left it behind, thinking that this was one of those times when it was okay to get lost. That was music to my ears, and excitement sent chills down my spine. I was in Paris! On a motorcycle behind Ramos! Could it get any better?
Thoughts of what I’d put my poor husband through threatened to dampen my spirit, but right now, he was sound asleep, so I might as well enjoy myself. Plus, if Chris came, I was sure we’d have a great time too, especially without all the worry about a bomb going off.
We rode down several streets until I was thoroughly turned around, but enjoying every minute of it. Then we turned onto Winston Churchill Avenue and rode past two beautiful buildings, the Petit-Palais, and the Grand-Palais. Neither were the building I was looking for, but I admired them just the same.
We continued down that avenue and across the Pont Alexander III Bridge again. The large building at the end of this lane had a beautiful, golden dome with lots of cannons around the grounds. From there, we turned toward the Eiffel Tower and the buildings at the end of the Champ De Mars.
Nothing popped out at me, so we rode past the Louvre and the Tuileries Gardens, then over to the Paris Opera house and around in that area. Then we continued on, crossing over a bridge to Ile de la Cite and Notre-Dame. From there we rode to Ile St Louis, then along the Quai until coming to the Latin Quarter of the city.
So far, we had spent over an hour on the bike, and had only scratched the surface of sights in this amazing city. I realized it was probably a little crazy to think I’d actually find the building I was looking for.
“The Luxembourg Gardens aren’t too far from here,” Ramos said at a stoplight. “We could take a break and walk through them if you’d like.”
“I’d like that,” I agreed, knowing my leg muscles needed to stretch out after sitting for so long.
We drove for at least ten minutes, and I was beginning to think that Ramos didn’t know what he was talking about. Then we found a little side street called Rue de Vaugirard, set with cobbled stones and tall buildings on either side.
Continuing along the road, I spotted an arched driveway with several French flags. Just beyond this point, the street widened. The larger opening revealed the street entrance to the Luxembourg Palace, with a columned arch and large, wooden double doors with ornate molding at the top and French flags on either side.
My breath caught. This was it. I’d forgotten about the flags, but seeing them brought it all back. As we continued down the street, the building ended, and a large iron fence took its place, showing trees and lawn with wide open spaces on the other side. Now it made sense. I never would have guessed the building I’d just seen was part of the Luxembourg Palace. Not from that view.
I was just about to tell Ramos to stop when he pulled over into a parking area just for motorcycles and vespa-type scooters. “That’s it,” I told him, as we got off the bike. “That entrance we just passed back there was the building we’ve been looking for.”
“You’re sure?” he asked. “Do we need to go back?”
“Yeah, I’d like that, but... if the building is part of the Luxembourg Palace, then that’s the target.”
Ramos nodded. “And that’s why you didn’t recognize it.”
“Exactly. So what do we do now?”
“We’re here. Why don’t we go inside the grounds and take a look around.”
“Okay,” I agreed. “Um... are you sure it’s safe to leave this bike here? I mean, it’s pretty valuable, right?”
“It’ll be fine,” Ramos said, his brows drawn together. “It locks, and I have the key. No one’s going to steal it.”
“Oh, okay, good.”
He smiled, then shook his head and put the keys in his pocket. “Let’s go.”
We crossed the road to an entrance in the gate and onto the grounds. Within a few steps, the view opened up to reveal acres of lawn, flowers, trees, statuary and an oval-shaped pond. The Luxembourg Palace stood on one end, with the beautiful grounds stretching out before it.
At the pond, children played with little sailboats which they prodded along with special sticks. People sat in chairs watching, and the sunshine brought a festive air to the park. It was a beautiful place, and thoughts of a bomb going off here made me a little sick to my stomach.
“I’m going to call Gabriel and see if they found it,” I told Ramos. I put the call through, and it rang several times before he finally picked up.
“Oui?” he said.
“Gabriel, it’s Shelby. Did you find it?”
“It was not here. We did find the tunnel, and there were signs to indicate that they were there, but I believe we must have alerted them, and they fled back into the catacombs. I have many men searching the tunnels, but we have lost them for now.”
I heaved a sigh. “That’s not good. Do you remember what I told you about Cypher and his plan B?”
“Oui,” he said.
“Well, I think I know where he’s going to put the bomb. I recognized the building in his mind as the street entrance to the Luxembourg Pala
ce. Does that make any sense to you?”
He inhaled sharply. “It makes perfect sense. Tonight, there’s a reception for all of the United Nations delegates and the representatives for the Council on Climate Change. It’s being held at the Luxembourg Palace.”
“Tonight? Oh crap.”
“Oui. I must set a trap and catch him this time. I don’t want him to slip through my fingers and plant the bomb somewhere else before we can get to it. This will require special planning and must be kept secret. Can I count on you to help?”
“Yes. Of course. Whatever you need,” I answered.
“Good. It means you might need to come to the reception, but I need to devise a plan first. I’ll call you back.”
“All right,” I agreed. We said our goodbyes and disconnected.
“What’s going on?” Ramos asked.
I explained about the reception for the conference tonight at the palace. “That’s why the palace is a target.” I caught his gaze. “Gabriel wants my help tonight, probably at the reception. I told him I’d do whatever he needed.”
His lips turned down, and he let out a breath. “Then I’m coming with you.”
I sighed, then threw my arms around him. “Thanks Ramos. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
He huffed out a breath. “Probably get killed.” I knew he was right. His arms tightened around me and, with a sigh of resignation, he pulled away. “Let’s go. We’ll head back as soon as he calls, but I want to drive around the city some more while we’ve got the bike.”
“Sounds good to me,” I agreed, trying to push away the feeling that this might be the last fun thing I ever did in my life. It was hard since that thought passed through Ramos’ mind too. “Hey... don’t worry,” I said, wanting to reassure him. “We’ll live another day, right?”
“Always,” he said.
***
We arrived back at Suzette’s place a couple of hours later. Gabriel still hadn’t called me back, so I was glad we’d spent the time sight-seeing. Still, I dreaded the night to come. After parking the bike, we hurried into the mansion. I didn’t know if Gabriel had told Suzette anything, but I thought she needed to know.
We found her in Blake’s room, laughing about old times. Blake sat up in bed, looking lots better than he did the day before. “Shelby. It’s good to see you. Suzette said she let you and Ramos take the Shadow. That’s pretty amazing if you ask me. I don’t think she’d ever let me take it out for a spin.”
Suzette was thinking, you’re not Ramos, and I burst out laughing because I was thinking that exact same thing. “Yeah,” I said, recovering my composure. “It was awesome.”
“So what’s going on?” Blake asked. “Suzette told me that you helped interrogate the terrorists they caught, and you discovered where they planned to plant the bomb. Have you heard from Gabriel?”
“Yes, haven’t you?” I directed this to Suzette. She was thinking she’d called him, but he’d only told her he’d call her back.
“What’s going on?” she asked, suddenly serious.
I explained that Cypher got away from them without planting the bomb. “But we know what his plan B is, because we found the building I saw in my premonitions.”
This drew a startled gasp from Suzette, then her face drained of color to hear it was the Luxembourg Palace, and there was a reception there tonight for the delegates. “Gabriel is coming up with a plan to catch Cypher tonight, and he wants me to help him.”
Blake shook his head. “No, it’s too dangerous.”
“Normally, I’d agree,” Suzette said, glancing at Blake. “But she might see something that no one else will. With her premonitions, she might be our best chance at stopping Cypher and the bomb.”
“Suzette’s right,” I agreed. “But let’s see what kind of plan Gabriel comes up with first.”
Blake glanced at Ramos. “You’ll go with her?”
“Of course,” he answered.
“I will too,” Suzette said.
Blake let out a breath. “I’m sorry I dragged you into this, Shelby. I never thought it would turn out this way.”
“Yeah, I get it. But just so you know, this is the last time I’m helping you, okay?”
“Sure, kid,” he smiled. “We’re even.”
“Ha. Not hardly. I think you owe me now, and I won’t let you forget it either.”
“Fine,” he agreed, thinking he’d already figured that out and was working on it.
The doorbell rang before I could pick up more. Suzette hoped the person at the door was Gabriel, since he was one of the few people who knew her gate combination. Still, she felt for the gun at her waist under her sweater just to be safe. “I’ll be right back,” she said.
Ramos and I followed her to the hall where we watched her open the door. Sure enough, Gabriel stood there with his head down and shoulders hunched. She beckoned him inside, and he looked even more haggard than he did this morning, with dark circles under his eyes and his hair sticking up in a few places. He glanced down the hallway and started toward us.
“You didn’t sleep at all last night, did you?” Suzette asked him.
“No. There was no time. That is one of the reasons I am here. I have been ordered to sleep for two hours, but then I must go back. I thought I would fill you in first, and then rest here. Is this possible?”
“Of course,” she answered. “Come into Blake’s room and tell us your plan.”
“Merci,” he said, joining us inside. He glanced at Blake and nodded. “You look better, my friend.”
“I think I’ll live,” Blake answered. “Now tell us what’s going on. Shelby filled us in on the reception tonight. Now that you know there’s a threat, what are you going to do?”
“It is still going on as planned,” Gabriel answered. “But with the addition of my people standing in for the dignitaries. Also, the presidents of the countries participating will be ‘late,’ so to speak. They will leave for the palace, in case anyone is watching, but will be taken to an undisclosed location, while we run the operation.
“It is the only way to continue the charade, capture Cypher, and stop the bomb. None of the service people or staff will know what is going on. I hate to do this, but it is necessary to keep anyone associated with Cypher’s group from knowing our plans.
“This is where I need to ask a favor from all of you. I will be in the surveillance room monitoring the operation. Since Shelby is the only one who has seen him, I’m hoping that even if he is in a disguise, she will be able to spot him and alert me. Can you do this?”
“Sure,” I agreed, even though my stomach twisted with apprehension.
“If both Suzette and Ramos are there with you,” he added. “I am confident you will be well protected, but it will also put all of you at risk.”
“If she’s going, I’m going,” Ramos said.
“As am I,” Suzette added. “We’ll need guns and earpieces, just like your people. And they need to know we’re involved as well.”
“Oui, I have already convinced them that you are needed.” He was thinking that not everyone had liked it, but we didn’t need to know that. “Now, while you prepare, I would like to get some rest.”
“Sure,” Suzette agreed. “The room you normally use is available.”
“Merci, ma chère. Please wake me in two hours.”
“Of course. I’ll take you up to your room and make sure you’re settled in.” As they left, she asked if there was anything else he needed, like food or a glass of wine. I picked up his relief to have someone looking after him, which was one of the main reasons he’d come to Suzette in the first place. Their friendship ran deep, and he knew he could count on her, and she felt the same way.
“I wish I was coming with you,” Blake said, drawing me back to the room. His frustration that he was stuck in bed, and too weak to help, came through loud and clear. He glanced at Ramos. “I know Manetto would never forgive me if anything happened to Shelby, so make sure you keep her safe, but.
.. if you can, do us all a favor and catch the bastard. Alive would be nice, but I don’t mind if he’s dead either.”
“Yes sir,” Ramos answered. “I’ll do whatever it takes to end this.”
“Good man,” Blake said, letting out a breath and closing his eyes. “I’m suddenly quite tired. Must be all the pain medication.”
“Get some rest,” I said, patting his arm.
“Come see me when it’s over. I want to know... what happens.”
“Sure thing,” I agreed.
We left his room, shutting the door softly behind us. Ramos was thinking that being involved in an op like this was something right out of a spy movie. Luckily, it wasn’t too different from his regular job. Even better, he looked forward to shooting someone without the worry of getting arrested for it. That was a nice twist he could totally get behind.
“Uh... I need a diet soda,” I said, not wanting to hear more. “How about you?”
Ramos smirked, knowing exactly what I was doing. “Sure. We could get some lunch too, since it’s nearly three in the afternoon.”
“Yeah, sure.” The way my stomach felt, I didn’t think I could eat anything. But maybe I’d change my mind if I saw something that looked good.
In the kitchen, I found a bottle of diet soda in the fridge, and got out a glass with some ice. Ramos found some leftover chicken niciose and got out a plate. “You want some?” he asked me.
“No, you go ahead. I’ll just grab a roll or something.”
We sat at the kitchen table to eat, and I buttered my roll and added a spoonful of strawberry jam. After the first bite, I found my appetite had returned and began to enjoy it.
“I talked to Manetto,” Ramos began. “I have to head back to the states as soon as this is over. We’re still not done with that other matter, and I need to be there. I’ll probably leave tomorrow. You can come with me, if you’d like.”
“Oh yeah? You mean that out-of-town thing you were doing? What’s that all about anyway?”
His brows lifted. “You really want to know?”
“Um... maybe not.” But I picked up that it had something to do with an employee. “Who’s Zack?”
Devious Minds Page 22