by Wendy Rosnau
“Wait!” Polax jumped up. “Adolf, stop him. Where’s Q, Odell? What does she have to say about all of this? I want to hear her tell me she wants out.”
“I’ll have her give you a call.” Then Bjorn left. He was whistling as he headed for the elevator.
Ten days later Bjorn delivered the kill-file to Merrick’s office. Lev Polax was there to witness the delivery. Everything had been attended to, and to prove it he handed Bjorn a picture of a beautiful two-story beach house in the Azores.
“Satisfied?”
“If it’s the one she picked, then I’m satisfied.”
“It is. I gave her three choices. I don’t like agreeing with you, Odell. You really do have a way of irritating the hell out of me, but after talking to Q I’m convinced that this is the best for all concerned. This mission has changed her, and I don’t feel it would benefit Quest to retain her services any longer.”
“Nicely put, Polax, but you sucked her dry and you know it. You expected too much, too often. And she gave it over and over again. You owe her more than a damn beach house.”
“Don’t push it, Odell.”
Merrick cleared his throat. “There’s one more thing, Bjorn.”
He looked at his commander. “And that is?”
“We did get information on Kimball and it’s not good. In fact it’s damn upsetting. We believe Mace Kimball was working for the Chameleon at the time you shot him at After Shock.”
“You mean working for his organization? The Chameleon’s dead.”
Polax said, “I learned that both Kimball and Moor were planted at Quest. Since Moor is still alive we were able to convince him to talk. He’s claiming that the Chameleon is alive and well.”
“That’s impossible. He’s in the lab morgue.”
“I’ll remind you that we don’t have a confirmation on that body yet,” Merrick said. “I’ll keep you posted. Polax, do you have anything else you would like to discuss before we wrap this meeting up?”
Polax was fiddling with his watch. Bjorn suspected it was some new invention he was trying out. The Quest commander cleared his throat. “Actually, there is. When I talked to Nadja I forgot to ask about the phone. Do you know if she still has it?”
“The phone?”
“Yes, I gave her a special phone. A state-of-the-art invention of mine. I would like it returned. It was a prototype.”
“Oh, that phone.” Bjorn grinned. “Those explosives were ingenious, Polax. Remember in my report I said we blew up the helicopter?”
“Yes.”
“That’s how we did it, with the phone. Nadja set the timer, and tossed the phone to Holic’s pilot.”
“You mean the phone is…”
“History.”
Polax looked sick. “A million dollars up in smoke,” he muttered.
“But for a good cause, Polax. We recovered the kill-file.”
Merrick said, “I’ve seen to your request for six months off. I know you plan to go out to Montana and see Jacy. Any plans after that?”
Bjorn shrugged. “Not anything concrete.”
Merrick grinned. “Washington’s chilly this time of year. I know how much you hate cold weather. Maybe you should find a friendly beach and warm up those old bones of yours.”
Nadja was afraid that Alzbet was going to miss Austria’s snow-capped mountains, but her daughter had never seen the ocean before, or a white sandy beach. Needless to say, when she saw both, she fell in love.
It was too good to be true, Nadja thought, and daily she had to pinch herself. She was free and sharing her daughter’s life. Polax had truly become her white knight. His idea to retire her had been the perfect answer, although she worried about the KGB calling or sending someone to her door.
But she wasn’t going to think about that now. She’d gotten a clean bill of health from Velich on her leg and she was good for another year.
They had moved into the beach house a month ago, and had settled in quickly. Being a mother to Alzbet was wonderful, and she cherished every day. Maybe it was because she’d been so afraid she would never have any days at all that she valued every minute.
The house was large and airy, with windows facing the ocean. There was a balcony off one of the bedrooms upstairs and she’d taken it for herself. She’d viewed a number of sunrises from the intimate place.
Had cried privately there. But she wouldn’t let anyone see how her heart was breaking. There were so many blessings to be thankful for. Mady was beginning to smile again after weeks of tears, even though she knew that Prisca was never far from her sister’s mind. As yet there had been no word on Prisca.
Nadja stood when she saw him and walked to the railing on the veranda. She wore a simple blue skirt, white tank top and slip-on sandals. When he was close enough to see her, she waved and he waved back.
Ruger was now working at a small church on the island and he came by almost every day. He often shared dinner with them, and he had been such a help to Mady.
He’d told her that it was Bjorn who was responsible for his rescue from the Italian prison. He hadn’t talked about it much, but she knew he would in time.
She would have liked to have thanked Bjorn for finding her brother, but he hadn’t come near her since the rescue of Alzbet and the capture of Holic that day in the cabin on Glass Mountain. Once they had located the kill-file in Groffen’s safe, they had gone their separate ways.
“How was your day?” Ruger asked as he came up the steps.
He looked well, his blue eyes bright and his blond hair freshly cut. He wore white pants and a white shirt. He was thin, but his appetite was good. She was determined to put ten pounds on him.
“It was productive. I taught Alzbet to float and breathe underwater today. You know I want her to learn to swim as soon as possible.”
“And what did she teach you today?”
“Patience,” Nadja admitted, smiling. “This business of motherhood is hard work.”
Ruger laughed as he sat in the swing, and patted the empty space beside him. “Where’s Mady?”
“Taking a nap with my daughter. I just wanted to tell you again how grateful—”
“You are that I kept Alzbet,” Ruger said. “Yes, I know. You’ve told me every day since I arrived. Let’s put it to rest now. We’re all here and everything is perfect, isn’t it?”
“Yes, I suppose it is,” she said, then leaned her head on her brother’s shoulder. “Are you staying for dinner?”
“I’m here to make dinner, and to watch over Mady and Alzbet for you, so you can catch your flight.”
“My flight?” She sat up. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Yes, you are. I think it’s time you stopped waiting for him to come to you. Go to him.”
“By him, I suppose you’re talking about Bjorn?”
“Of course. You need to tell him, Nadja.”
“I can’t. If he wanted to find us he would have by now. He’s very resourceful. Polax said my location would be considered classified information, but Bjorn found you within a week. What does that tell you?”
“Are you so sure you know how he feels?”
She didn’t answer.
“Would it matter if I told you he knows where you’re at? That he’s the one responsible for all of this?” Ruger gestured to the house and the ocean.
“What are you saying?”
“It was his idea that you retire. He twisted Polax’s arm. And he insisted that you have a house. I believe he even stipulated that it be someplace warm, with a view of the ocean.”
Nadja stood. “I don’t understand.”
“That’s my point. Maybe it’s time you asked a few questions. You leave in two hours.”
Nadja’s flight to Washington, D.C., was nerve-racking. At times she wished she could turn the plane around and go home. But by the time it landed, she was resigned. She was going to face Bjorn and ask him why he’d arranged for her to have a house and a life with her daughter. Was it to ease his guilt, or
did he really care?
Dressed in jeans and a black leather jacket, and after waiting a long hour and getting the runaround, she entered Merrick’s office. When he looked up from his desk he said, “I was notified that you were in the building. You shouldn’t be here.”
“Maybe not,” Nadja admitted. “I’d like to speak to Bjorn.”
“He’s not here.”
“Is he on a mission?”
“Not exactly.”
“Then where?”
“He asked for some vacation time. I know he went to see Jacy. After that I don’t know.”
“Is it true?”
“Is what true?”
“My brother told me Bjorn made a deal to get me out of Quest. Was it his idea that I retire?”
“I can’t disclose the details of your retirement, Nadja. If you need something clarified, call Lev Polax. I’m sorry but it looks like you’ve made this trip for nothing.” He sat back in his chair, stroked his cropped silver beard.
“Just like that? I fly all this way and you’re going to send me off without anything? Not even Bjorn’s address?”
“If Bjorn wants to get in touch with you, he will.”
“I need to speak to him. There’s something important I need to tell him.”
“He’s been checking in every few days. I can let him know you stopped by.”
At least that was something, Nadja thought. A very small something.
“I think it would be best if you flew straight back home and waited for him to call.”
“Will he?”
“Call?” Merrick stood. “We didn’t discuss you, if that’s what you’re asking. Go home, Nadja. It was Bjorn’s wish that you have one, so enjoy it and your daughter.”
It should have been enough. She would make it enough. She had her daughter, Ruger was safe, and Mady was alive.
It should be enough.
She could keep Bjorn alive in her heart, and he would be with her each day when she looked into her daughter’s eyes.
“It’ll be enough,” she said as she climbed out of the car after her trip back from Washington. She avoided going inside the beach house and opted to head for the veranda to pull herself together. She didn’t want to let Mady or Alzbet see that she’d been crying.
“You’re home.”
She turned to see Mady seated in the rocker. She was sketching the ocean and a sailboat in the distance.
“How did it go?” her sister asked.
“It didn’t. He wasn’t there.”
“Of course not. He can’t be two places at once.”
“What?”
Mady motioned to the man walking along the beach, Alzbet racing around him as he came toward the house.
“He came yesterday afternoon. He was surprised when I told him you weren’t here. He asked where you’d gone.”
“Did you tell him?”
“Yes.”
“Did you tell him anything else?”
“No. I do know that he told Alzbet he’s her father.”
“And?”
“And they’ve been inseparable ever since.”
Nadja heart began to race, and she started through the open door that led back into the living room. “I need to go upstairs.”
“I set out the blue dress. Wear your hair down.”
Nadja stopped and looked back at her sister. “How did you know when I would be home?”
“I called the airport.”
Nadja hurried upstairs and slipped into the blue dress, then brushed out her hair. Ten minutes later she was on her way back down the stairs when she saw him. He was at the railing looking out over the water. She ran her eye down the length of him and then back up to that memorable ass.
She had spent years seducing men and suddenly she was so nervous she could hardly swallow. She glanced around, wondered where Alzbet and Mady were.
He said without turning around, “Mady took Ally and went to Ruger’s house for dinner.” Slowly he faced her. “Hello, Nadja.”
He was so handsome, and she was such a fool for falling in love with him.
“Hello, Bjorn.”
She forced herself to move, crossed the living room and stepped out onto the veranda. She didn’t join him at the railing, but kept her distance.
“So you came to see your daughter. Mady said you told Alzbet you’re her father. I didn’t tell her because you never did express how you wanted to handle that.”
“I appreciate you letting me tell her myself.”
“And how did she take the news?”
He smiled, and it lit up his beautiful blue eyes. “She’s great, you know. She’s tough like her mama. Resilient as hell.”
He stepped away from the railing. He wore jeans and a white shirt. It was open and he looked wonderfully tough and sexy.
“I went to see you,” she said. “Your boss told me you were on vacation. We’ve been here a month, Bjorn. Why didn’t you come to see Alzbet sooner?”
“It took longer than I thought to settle things with the KGB.” He slid his hand inside his back pocket, took out a paper and handed it to her.
“What’s this?”
“Something I thought you should read.”
She took it and read the letter. It was Kovar’s handwriting. It was a request that she be dismissed from service to the KGB.
He’d planned to let her go. Nadja couldn’t believe it.
“He told me he wouldn’t do this, not ever.” She looked up at Bjorn. “Where did you get this?”
“I went back to Groffen. I went through some of Kovar’s personal things. I figured there might be something left behind. That’s when I found the letter. He’d written it recently. He just ran out of time to send it. I figured it was worth a shot, that maybe they’d honor his wishes. Nadja, why are you standing so far away from me?”
“I’m not.”
“Yes, you are.” When he reached for her, she stepped back.
“No, don’t touch me.”
“Listen, I didn’t come here just to see my daughter. I came because—”
“I’m pregnant.”
“What?”
“Okay, we’re pregnant, as in you and me. I didn’t tell you about Alzbet five years ago because I couldn’t. Circumstances being as they were. But now—” Nadja hurried to get through what she had to say “—things are different. I’m no longer in the business, as they say, so… So I’m telling you straight up that I’m going to have your baby…again. So now you know, and if you want to get mad, get mad. If you want to walk out, go. And—”
“If I want to stay?”
“Stay?” Nadja’s heart began to pound faster.
“I have five months’ vacation left before I go back to work. Five months to see if we can make this work.”
“What work?”
“Us.”
“Us? You’re not feeling trapped suddenly, are you? Because if that’s it, I don’t need—”
He moved quickly, swept her up in his arms and locked her curvy body against him. “Me? Is that what you were going to say?”
He kissed her. Kissed her like she’d been dying to be kissed ever since she’d spotted him on the beach.
When he backed off, he whispered, “What if I need you? What if I want you and all of this? What if I took you upstairs right now and showed you how much I’ve missed you? How much I love you?” He kissed her again. “I do love you, Nadja. I think I’ve loved you since the beginning.”
“Since the first touch,” she said. “When you took my hand in the alley in Vienna. I felt it, too.”
This time it was Nadja’s turn to initiate the kiss, and she did it intent on sealing Bjorn’s fate forever. At the end of that kiss and before the next, she said, “Take me upstairs, Bjorn. Show me, touch me, love me, and I will be here in the morning when you wake up and every day after. Welcome home, my love.”
ISBN: 978-1-4268-6702-6
THE SPY WORE RED
Copyright © 2005 by Wendy Rosnau
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