Sun Catcher - Book Two

by Giselle Fox

  “I think they’re going to follow us,” Cate said.

  “Just keep driving.”

  Cate pulled out onto the street and then sped off.

  “Okay, they’re not moving,” Cate said, her eyes glued to the rearview mirror. “Wait ... one just pulled out.”

  “Keep going,” Lexi said. “Now, turn here.”

  Cate turned onto a narrow street.

  “Now left and then right again.”

  “How do you know this?” Cate asked. She glanced behind her and could see that Lexi had a tablet in her hand.

  “Next right then straight.”

  Cate followed the instructions while watching behind them.

  I don’t see them,” Cate said.

  “Okay, let’s switch.”

  “You want me to pull over?”

  “No, I’m going to drop your seat back then I want you to slide into the passenger seat.”

  Cate glanced back at Lexi. “Who’s going to drive?”

  “I will, don’t worry.”

  Cate shook her head. “Okay, I’m moving.” She shifted her body over just as Lexi crawled into the front seat. “Okay, I never thought that would actually work.”

  “I’ve done it a few times,” Lexi grinned. “Buckle up.”

  Cate clipped herself in and Lexi sped off. She hung on as Lexi zig-zagged through the narrow streets and then back out a main road.

  “Let’s get back on the highway,” Lexi said.

  Cate kept watch all around them but the black cars were nowhere.

  “I really wish you would have stayed in the car,” Lexi said. She looked over at Cate, her jaw was clenched.

  “I’m sorry. I wanted to warn you that they were out there.”

  Lexi’s eyes grew softer. She reached across the seat and patted Cate’s leg. “I saw them.”

  “Where did you go? I went in there and I couldn’t see you anywhere. And how did you get back to the car?”

  “I went out the bathroom window,” Cate said and then made a face. “Let me tell you, that room was nasty.”

  “I saw your package. It was on the rack behind the counter.”

  “I saw it too.”

  “Who were those men?”

  “Customs, maybe?”

  “They looked serious.”

  “Customs guys are pretty serious.”

  “So what happens now?”

  Lexi thought about that a minute. “I’ll have to pick it up after hours.”

  Cate rolled that over in her brain a moment. “You mean, you’re going to break in?”

  “I doubt I’ll have to break anything. I fixed the lock on the bathroom window.”

  Cate shook her head. “You were gone for less than ten minutes and you snuck away and escaped out the bathroom window and back to the car without anyone seeing you, AND you rigged the lock on the window?”

  Lexi looked at her and nodded.

  “You are good,” said Cate. “Shit! Now they know who I am.”

  Lexi nodded again.

  “I shouldn’t have gotten out of the car.”

  “It’s okay. You didn’t know. It’s my fault.”

  Cate sat back in her seat and stared out the window. “Where are we driving to?”

  “Back to Malaga.”

  “What happens in Malaga?”

  “I have a plan.”

  ***

  Cate watched with grim fascination as Lexi loaded sleek titanium tools into tiny compartments strapped around her wrists. The small tools: lock picking devices, screwdrivers, thin surgical blades, and a few thin electronic gadgets, were hidden so well inside the sleeves that Cate would never have known they were there. “You can’t even tell there’s anything in there, it’s amazing.”

  Lexi kept on with what she was doing. She appeared to be in another zone - less talkative, less relaxed, and more focused.

  Inside other hidden compartments within Lexi’s “purse” were small but powerful lights, a pair of night vision goggles, a series of tiny mirrors, a telescopic pole, and a vial of pepper spray. None of it seemed like much but in Lexi’s hands, anything was possible.

  “Should I meet you somewhere?” Cate asked.

  “I’ll come to you,” Lexi answered. “What are your plans?”

  “I was thinking of trying out the flamenco bar just down the street. I read about it on Travelocity. It sounds good.” Cate realized how odd that sounded; she was planning to take in the sights while Lexi planned to break and enter.

  “Perfect,” Lexi said. “I shouldn’t be more than two hours.”

  Two hours sounded like forever but there was nothing to be done about it. Cate took a deep breath and let it out slowly in an attempt to release the tension in her belly. “I think I’m more nervous than you are.”

  Lexi took a step closer and reached for her hand. “Have a glass of wine, watch the dancers, eat some tapas. I’ll be back before you know it.”

  Cate felt herself weaken. “How will I know if something happens to you?”

  “Nothing is going to happen. I left the window open.”

  “What if they noticed? What if it’s locked and they have security?”

  “I’m an expert in that field, remember?”

  Cate regarded Lexi. Everything about her was different, yet again. The clothes she wore were chic and black. Her eyes were heavily blackened with mascara. Another compartment within Lexi’s bag held a balaclava that would conceal her face completely when the time came.

  “Do you have gloves? What about fingerprints?” Cate asked.

  Lexi held up her hands. “Yes, I have gloves. I also have fake prints.”

  “Fake fingerprints?”

  Lexi nodded.

  “Wow.” Cate knew the average petty thief probably didn’t have those. “How many times have you done something like this?”

  “More times than I can remember,” Lexi whispered as she brought her lips close to Cate’s cheek. “You look beautiful. Make sure no one tries to pick you up.”

  “Hah!” Cate laughed. It echoed sharply in the silence of their room. “What if they have dogs?”

  “No problem,” Lexi said casually. “Dogs love me.”

  “Do Spanish guard dogs love you?”

  Lexi grinned. “I have treats.”

  Cate sat down on the edge of the bed and sighed.

  “Hey,” Lexi said. “I would take you for a drink first, but I really would like to get this over with.”

  “No, I’m fine. I’m just ...” a worried girlfriend, Cate thought to herself.

  “I’m going to leave first,” Lexi said. “You wait here for ten minutes and then go. Unless you’d prefer to stay here tonight instead.”

  “I’ll make myself sick if I stay here,” Cate said.

  Lexi smiled gently. “Then I’m off. I’ll be back soon. Have fun.”

  “Good luck,” Cate said. She watched her walk to the door. Lexi looked back over her shoulder and gave a little wave before closing it behind her.

  Cate flopped back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. “Holy sweet mother of fuck.”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Cate collected herself and went into the bathroom. She checked her makeup, fluffed her hair, put on some more lipstick and then grabbed her room key. Within minutes, she was out in the street among a crowd of other tourists and locals. Cate felt calmed a little by the normalcy of everything. The previous three days with Lexi had all been surreal. She pushed away the nerves that reared up in her belly again and any thoughts of Lexi getting caught.

  The flamenco bar was only a few blocks away from their hotel. When she arrived, the dancers and musicians were setting up inside. Patrons spilled out into the streets. The food smelled good. A glass of wine began to call her name.

  She sat at a table with some other tourists. They shifted their chairs and welcomed her in. When the music started, she focused on the rhythm and the powerful grace of the dancers. The driving rhythm blocked out her thoughts until they were inter
rupted by a familiar voice.

  “Did you enjoy the market?”

  Cate whirled around. She tried to make her expression more of annoyance and less of horror. Sitting beside her was the man in the dark suit.

  “Excuse me?” Cate said and then remembered the excuse she’d given when she’d practically walked into him outside the warehouse. “Right. No, I never found it.”

  “No, of course not. There are no markets anywhere near that building or in that part of town. You really were there to pick up a package, were you not?”

  Cate wasn’t sure how to answer. She sat back in her chair and tried to look un-phased by the question. She watched the performers instead. His eyes were on her. Eventually, she turned to him and looked at him squarely.

  “Who are you and why have you followed me here?”

  He smiled and then reached into the breast pocket of his jacket. He pulled out a wallet and plucked a card from inside. He smiled again as he handed it to her.

  Cate took it and read the name out loud. “Agent Orlando Marquez, Border Management Task Force, INTERPOL.”

  He nodded. “Now you know who I am. Just as I know who you are.”

  “Mind if I keep this?” Cate asked.

  “Please do,” he said.

  Cate slid it into her back pocket and sat back in her chair.

  “Are you enjoying your stay in Spain so far, Miss Westwood?”

  He’d been telling the truth. He knew exactly who she was. She nodded. “Yes, it’s been fine so far.”

  “And how about your friend, Miss Montevega? How is she enjoying Spain?”

  “Fine. Except …,” Cate had to think fast. “She’s not feeling well.”

  “How inconvenient. Where is she now?”

  “Resting.”

  “I see,” the Agent said. “Is that why she didn’t pick up her package today?”

  “It came on very sudden. You know how it is with travel sometimes.”

  He stared back at her. “Yes, you did seem to be in quite a hurry.”

  “Is there anything else I can help you with, Agent Marquez?”

  “Please, call me Orlando,” he said casually. “You seem agitated. Is there something wrong?”

  Cate shook her head. “No, why would there be?”

  “You tell me. You’ve come a long way from Chicago. You left Barcelona two days early to drive a long distance to Malaga. And now here you are, sitting all by yourself. Do you like flamenco?”

  “Love it,” Cate said.

  The agent took off his jacket and draped it on the back of his chair.

  “You’re staying,” Cate said flatly.

  “Of course.” He looked at her and smiled. “Relax, Cate. I’m just here for some fun, same as you.” He eyed her a moment and then waved his hand at the waitress. “Tinto con limón,” he called.

  There was nothing she could do. Lexi wasn’t expected back anytime soon and Cate really didn’t want to risk being followed somewhere else. The only thing to do was stay where she was. She sat stiffly in her chair as the pitcher of sweetened wine arrived. She thought of Lexi and staying sharp. She thought of the mess she had unwittingly fallen into.

  Agent Marquez eyed her and then leaned close to her ear. “Are you feeling alright?” His tone had changed. It may have been the sweetened wine, which Cate was doing her best to sip slowly.

  “I’m fine,” she said and tried to smile. She looked up into his eyes. They were brown and sunken between a crooked smile and a genuinely concerned brow. Cate didn’t know what to make of him. If the package had simply been randomly flagged as Lexi had said, perhaps there was nothing to worry about. She smiled again and allowed a little warmth to shine through. The agent’s smile brightened.

  “You were right,” she said as she began to feel more confident. “This is fun.” She offered him a refill on his disappearing glass. “More?”

  He nodded and caught the spoon when it pitched forward in the jug.

  “Here,” he said. “Like this.” He placed his hand gently on the back of hers and hooked onto the spoon with his thumb to keep the lemon and ice from tumbling into the glass.

  “I knew there was something I was missing,” Cate said. She smiled at him again.

  “And now yours,” he said. He took the jug from her and filled her glass.

  “Thank you,” Cate said. Okay, what the hell are you doing? She asked herself. Was flirting with the INTERPOL agent really the best decision? She had no idea, but every time she smiled at him, he seemed to relax a little more. Pretty soon, his tumbler was empty.

  After another refill, he was fully immersed in the music. He called out and clapped along with the other patrons. At one point, he even sang. Cate wondered if Agent Marquez was trying to impress her. She decided to accept this advantage since it was the only one she had.

  “Are there any flamenco bars in Chicago?” he asked as he came close to her ear again.

  “Yes,” Cate said. “But nothing like this.”

  “I have been to Chicago,” he said.

  Cate did her best to appear fascinated. “Really? When?”

  The agent lifted his chin slightly. “When I was young, I went with my parents to visit my Uncle. He drove us around. I thought it was dirty and strange but, as I say, I was young.”

  “It’s not Spain.”

  “I do believe that there is a special place for each of us in this world. I am lucky - Spain is that place for me. It is perfect even in its imperfections. I love it all.”

  Cate grinned at him. “So … why INTERPOL?”

  “Because I like to catch bad guys,” he said and then laughed. But then his eyes narrowed. “And sometimes even ... bad girls.”

  “Is that right,” Cate said trying to sound coy rather than terrified.

  “Yes, yes. But you’re not a bad girl are you, Cate?”

  “No, I’m about as boring and predictable as you can get.”

  “No!” the agent exclaimed. “You’re beautiful, vivacious, and full of life.”

  The wine had made his accent even stronger. It sounded to Cate as if he’d said fool of life. Given the last 24 hours, she had to agree. Look at me, she thought to herself, my lesbian lover slash hacker thief is currently breaking into a customs facility to retrieve a contraband package containing who-knows-what and I’m sitting in a bar with an INTERPOL agent that knows everything about me.

  “Thank you,” she said as she reached for her glass. She took a long drink of the sparkling wine and swallowed it down with an audible gulp. She vowed never to crave adventure again.

  The bar filled as the night went on. Soon Cate was surrounded on all sides. The air had grown hot and thick with the scent of food, drink, and sweat. Agent Marquez looked like he had no plans to leave. Cate wondered how she would get away. It was late enough that Lexi would soon be back. She scanned the faces around her and suddenly, there Lexi was, standing behind a pillar, watching her. Lexi smiled and tipped her head toward the bathroom.

  “Excuse me, duty calls,” Cate announced. She reached for her purse. Entirely by accident, her hand slipped instead into the pocket of Agent Marquez’s jacket. She felt the outlines of a phone. Without thinking, she palmed it and then stuffed it into the side compartment of her purse. He turned to her suddenly as she leaned closer. “Maybe I’ll order us another pitcher,” she said as she flashed him another smile.

  “Let me,” he said and smiled back. His attention shifted to the waitress.

  Cate rose from her seat and pushed past the chairs beside her. Her heart was racing. What had she done? When she made her way to the back and found the bathroom, it was packed with women. No one paid attention as she slipped into the stall where Lexi was waiting.

  “You’re here!” Cate said in a breathless whisper.

  “What the fuck?” Lexi said and pointed back toward the restaurant.

  “He followed me, right after you left. It’s the guy from the warehouse!”

  “I know. Are you okay?”

 
; “No, I’m totally fucked. He’s INTERPOL and he knows my name!” She was doing her best to keep her voice down but her anxiety was getting the better of her. Even her whisper was shrill.

  Lexi frowned. “INTERPOL?”

  “Here,” Cate said. She pulled the agent’s phone from her purse.

  “What’s that?”

  “His phone.”

  “INTERPOL guy?”

  Cate nodded.

  “You took his phone?!”

  “I pulled it out of his jacket pocket. He was watching the dancers. He didn’t see anything.”

  Lexi stared at the phone in her hand and shook her head. “I … just …”

  “I thought you could find out something from his list of numbers, like who he was calling when we were all at the warehouse. And maybe you could even … hack his email.”

  “You’re unbelievable.”

  Cate looked into her eyes. “Like, in a good way?”

  Lexi pushed her body against the door. “In a really good way.” She brought her lips down. Suddenly Cate was engulfed in a hot, wet kiss. She tried to speak, but the words were smothered. Lexi pushed her knee between her thigh and pulled it upward. Lexi’s hands coiled around her wrists and pushed them above her head against the door. Cate closed her eyes, expecting more … but after a moment of nothing, no more kisses, no more biting, she opened them again. Lexi was grinning back at her.

  “What?” Cate whispered.

  “You,” Lexi said. She leaned back against the stall wall and swung her bag around to the front of her body. She pulled a small black box with a cable from inside.

  “What’s that?” Cate asked.

  Lexi plugged the cable into the phone. “It’ll pull all the data from his SIM card.”

  “You just happened to have one of those in your purse?”

  Lexi looked up at her and frowned. “It’s not a purse.”

  “How long will it take? He might suspect something.”

  Lexi pulled the cable from the phone again. “It’s done.”

  “That’s it! That was fast.”

  “Now the hard part.”

  “Uh oh. What?”

  Lexi looked at her seriously. “You have to go back out there and return his phone.”

  Cate’s mouth dropped. “What if he catches me?”