The Guardian

by ROBBIE CHEUVRONT

  “Nothing … as long as you don’t mind looking like a schoolteacher.”

  “I am a schoolteacher.”

  “Yes, but you also look like one—which is the problem.” “How is that a problem?”

  “Well, I thought missionary schoolteachers were supposed to be adventurous.” “We are.”

  “Well, Indiana Jones, you don’t look that adventurous with your black dress pants, red button-down Gap shirt, and Steve Madden loafers.” She motioned with her hand to the clothes he currently had on, and then she folded her arms and waited for a reply.

  “I’m going to go take a shower now,” he said, laughing. “I’ll see you in fifteen.” He backed out of the hallway and into the bedroom he was going to be sleeping in. Still staring at Anna, he nodded with a smart-aleck grin and said, “Buh-bye!”

  Anna laughed as she heard the click of Jason’s door when it shut. She walked into her own bedroom and shut the door. She opened her bag and got a fresh change of clothes. She was going to need to go shopping for herself pretty soon. She was almost out of clean things to wear. Good thing she noticed a washing machine and dryer downstairs. Maybe she could throw a load of clothes in tomorrow before she and Jason went shopping.

  She opened the bag that held the scroll and pulled out the box. She lifted the lid and stared down into its contents. Yep. Still there. She left it open as she headed for the shower. She hoped Jason really was good at riddles. Guess she would soon find out.

  She was just turning on the water in her shower when she heard the faint ringing of the satellite phone in her purse. She hurried out of the bathroom, grabbed it, and pushed the SEND button.

  “Hello?” she said.

  “Hey, Anna. It’s Hale. Just making sure you and Jason got settled in.”

  “Yeah. We’re good. I was just getting ready to get cleaned up. We’re going to spend the evening trying to figure out what’s going on with this whole thing. Jason’s in the shower right now.”

  “How are you two getting along?”

  “I like him, Hale. He’s very sweet. I mean, how many people do you know that would risk their life, like he did, for someone they don’t even know?”

  “He’s been chosen for this, Anna. Just like you have been.”

  “Yeah, I guess so. It’s just hard to comprehend. You know?”

  “It’ll get easier. God will give you a peace about all of this. Soon it will be like you’ve been doing this for years.”

  “It already feels like it.”

  Hale laughed. “Don’t worry, Anna. This will all calm down. It’s not always like this.”

  “Well, just as long as I know you’ve got my back, I think I can handle it.”

  “Don’t worry, we do. Your team is already in place. They’ve had you since we left the airport. They’re pretty sure no one’s following you. You should be safe, but don’t be careless. As you well know, things can change pretty quickly around here.”

  “Yeah, I know.”

  “All right. You two have a good evening. I’ll see you in the morning. I will be bringing the team leader over to meet you. He wants to brief you on how they will be working.”

  “That sounds fine, Hale. Just not too early. I think I want to sleep in. I’m pretty exhausted.”

  “I know, kiddo. How’s about eleven?”

  “That’ll be good. It’ll give us time to get up and eat a good breakfast. We’re going to have a busy day tomorrow.” “Oh yeah? What’s on the agenda?” “Shopping, dude! Shopping!” “Great town for it.”

  “Yeah, I know. Besides, Jason doesn’t have anything but the clothes on his back.”

  “Did you check the closets? I think there’s some stuff in there. That reminds me. How do you like the place?”

  “Are you kidding me? It’s amazing! Did you know there’s a Van Gogh hanging over the fireplace?”

  “Your grandpa bought it a few years ago. He said it reminded him of you. Said Van Gogh was your favorite artist.”

  Anna was genuinely surprised. “How did he know that?”

  “He knew a lot of things about you, Anna. He loved you more than you’ll ever know.”

  Anna let the statement hang there for a minute. Once again, she felt cheated out of a life she never knew she had. “Thank you, Hale. Thank you for everything today.”

  “Just doing my job. I’ll see you tomorrow. Okay?”

  Anna hung up the phone, tossed it on the bed, and headed for the shower. This had been the longest day of her life. And as the thick streams of hot water pounded on her shoulders, she felt the tension of the day start to wash away. She wrapped her arms around herself and leaned against the wall. She began to slide down the side of the wall as she thought about everything that had happened today. Her emotions got the better of her, once again, and she let the tears come. She tasted the salt from the tears as the hot water washed them down her face. She cried for a few minutes before she finally stood back up. She placed her hands against the wall and hung her head under the spray to let the hot water massage her neck.

  She couldn’t remember ever praying by herself. But right now, for the first time, she was about to. She lifted her head up out of the stream of the shower head and closed her eyes.

  She told God that she was scared. She told Him that she was willing to take this task that He’d given her. She promised to try to do the best she could with it. And all she asked was that He give her a peace about it. Give her a confidence that she could do it.

  As she reached to turn off the water, she felt a heavy, slow wind sweep through the shower. Except it wasn’t cold. It was very warm. And it swirled around her for several seconds. Then, just as suddenly as it came, it was gone. And so was the anxiety. And so was the fear. Anna felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

  She thought about Father Vin and smiled. She was genuinely happy that he was no longer stuck here on this earth. And she knew, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that she was the rightful keeper of the scroll. She was filled with a burning desire to solve its mystery. She had been given exactly what she’d asked for.

  In a split second, God had answered her prayer. She was a little freaked out at what had just happened, but she had to admit, it was what she asked for. She just didn’t expect something to literally sweep through and take all of her anxiety away. “Wow,” she said, looking around the room. “That was pretty cool!”

  CHAPTER 35

  Paris, France

  The evening had settled nicely in the city of romance. Couples strolled the avenues and parks. The lights of the Eiffel Tower could be seen in the distance. The temperature was pleasant for this time of year. And the assassin named Jonathan sat watching it all, nursing his vodka tonic.

  Never one to drink regularly—given his job, he needed to stay sharp—he sat in the smoky bar trying to kill the incessant pain that throbbed in his wounded leg. He had found a few painkillers at the doctor’s house in Pau, but they had lasted him only a few hours. And he couldn’t just walk into a drugstore and pick some up without a prescription. So this was the next best thing. Vodka. Cheap vodka at that.

  He had left the doctor’s house as quickly as he could, taking care not to be noticed. He called his contact and had the plane waiting for him. He hurried to the airport and climbed aboard the private jet. Without knowing exactly where the girl was headed, he decided to get to the nearest major city he could. Paris.

  He did this for three reasons. One, he was vaguely familiar with the city. Two, it was a good place to be—more or less centrally located in Europe—once he found out where the girl had gone. That is, unless she took off halfway around the world.

  And three, Remy lived here. He’d have a place to crash. And in the morning, he could get to someone he trusted to take a better look at his leg. As for Dr. Henri Rhette, well, he wouldn’t be seeing any more patients. Ever. He would have to remember to give Dieter a call and thank him for the reference. That would probably be an interesting call.

  It was g
etting late, and Jonathan decided to pay for his drink and leave. He threw a few dollars on the bar counter and nodded to the bartender. The bartender didn’t even ask if Jonathan wanted any change as he walked over and pocketed the bills.

  He stood and walked out the front door and across the street to a pay phone. His cell phone battery was about dead, and he needed to save it. He was expecting an important call at any minute. He stepped inside, pulled the glass door shut, retrieved a few coins from his pocket, threw them in the slot, and punched in a number. The phone rang four times before anyone answered.

  “Hello?”

  “Remy, it’s Jonathan.” “Hey, good-looking. What are you doing?” “I’m in town and need a place to crash. Can you put me up for the night?”

  The female voice on the other end of the line drew in a long breath then let it out. “I suppose so. You’re not on the run or anything, are you?”

  “No. Just a little banged up. I’m going to need to see someone tomorrow. Your brother still in business?”

  “Yes, but it’ll cost you.”

  “How much? I don’t have a lot on me right now.” “How bad is it?”

  “Not bad. I stitched it up myself. I just want to make sure no infection is going to set in. I’m in the middle of something big, and I need to be operational.”

  “Okay. Probably a couple hundred.”

  “That I can do. See you in about twenty minutes.”

  “You need a ride?”

  “No. I’ll take a cab.”

  “Okay.”

  The line went dead. Jonathan stepped out of the phone booth and hailed the first cab that came by.

  He thought about the woman he was going to see. Remy. She was someone he hadn’t been in contact with in more than two years. Like him, she was also a professional. A very good one. But with a different style. She was a gorgeous, fiery redhead with a temper that would rival that of Genghis Khan. She was one of the best. Jonathan had worked with her on several assignments.

  When they worked together, it was always a prominent male target. Remy would play the role of the seductress, drawing her prey into the lion’s den. With her looks and charm, she usually had the target eating out of the palm of her hand and promising her the world within two to three days. That would set up the shot. Jonathan would use her to get the target into place. It was always a good thing, because it put him in total control of where the hit would take place. And they had pulled off countless assassinations.

  He hadn’t seen or heard from Remy in a while. Last he heard, she was getting out of the business. Too many nightmares. She had enough money to last her a lifetime, and she just wanted to settle down on a tropical beach somewhere. He was actually surprised when she answered the phone. He figured she would’ve been long gone by now.

  At the warehouse-looking apartment, he waited for the driver to pull away before he walked over to the big, garagelike door. A small camera mounted in the corner of the doorway hummed as it moved to point directly at him. It stayed there for a few seconds before he heard the buzzing of the lock. He pulled the lever on the door and slid it open, but not before reaching inside his jacket and pulling out his 9mm and chambering a round. After the good Dr. Rhette, better to be safe than sorry.

  He stepped inside and pulled the heavy door shut. He heard the click as the lock slid back in place. A single bulb hung from a wire in the ceiling, illuminating a long, narrow hallway. He followed it until he came to a solid steel door. As he was about to push the black buzzer that was mounted on the wall, the door opened. Remy stood there, a .357 Magnum pointed directly at his head.

  “Nice to see you too, Remy.”

  “Let’s have it,” she said. She stood with her free arm extended, palm up, and wiggling her fingers. “Have what?”

  “The 9 mill. Habits are hard to break, Jonathan. And you have a bad one of standing on one’s doorstep holding one behind your back.”

  “That’s a lot of ‘ones.’” He laughed.

  She didn’t. “Now, unless your arm has been grotesquely disfigured in the last two years and is permanently stuck that way, I suggest you take it from behind your back, slowly, and hand me the piece.”

  Jonathan smiled a big, toothy smile. “Remy, that’s why I love you. You always know just how to talk to a guy.” Slowly he pulled his arm out from behind his back and let the 9mm dangle from his trigger finger. He extended his arm and handed her the gun.

  “Thank you,” she said, palming the weapon. “Come on in.” She turned and walked inside, leaving Jonathan to follow. “So what brings you to my neck of the woods?”

  “Actually,” he said, “I was kind of surprised you even answered the phone. I thought you were headed to Tahiti or something.”

  “I am. Next month.”

  “Why the wait?”

  “Had to tie up a few loose ends.”

  “For two years? Come on. You can tell me. You were waiting for me to come back and run away with you. Tell the truth.” He gave her a sly grin.

  “Jonathan, if you and I were the last two people on this earth, one of us would kill the other. And it would probably be me. Killing you. Now, why are you here?”

  Jonathan walked over and sat down on the sofa. He propped his leg up on the coffee table and pointed at it. “I just had to give myself a bullet-ectomy. I sewed it up myself, but I need your brother to look at it and make sure everything’s all right. I think it’ll be fine, but I want to make sure.”

  “And why did you have to remove a bullet from your own leg? Getting sloppy?”

  “Something like that. And I wasn’t supposed to be doing it myself. Dieter set me up with a cutter that apparently didn’t like me.”

  Remy gave a throaty laugh. “I think it’s Dieter who doesn’t like you.”

  “Yeah. I figured that out about five minutes after I was there. The doctor tried to kill me.”

  “Compliments of Dieter, of course.”

  “Of course.”

  “So what are you into?”

  “Can’t talk about it. But I might have some work for you later down the road. If you’re up to it.” “Who’s the mark?”

  “My current boss. Has a thing for good-looking ladies such as yourself. And personally, I don’t like him very much. He pays well. That’s about it.”

  “Sorry. I’m retired.”

  “Yeah, I figured you’d say that. Anyway, where’s your brother? He coming over tonight?”

  “Nope. Said he didn’t care if you bled out right here in my living room.” She watched as Jonathan rolled his eyes. “But I told him I had a buyer for this place and I didn’t want to have to get the carpets recleaned. So he’ll be here first thing in the morning.”

  “Thanks, Remy. Really. I owe you.”

  “You want to pay me back? After tomorrow, don’t ever try to find me. I’m gone. For good this time.” “Fair enough. Thanks.”

  “Don’t mention it.” She walked down the hall and opened the door to a closet. She pulled out two pillows and a blanket, carried them back to where Jonathan sat, and threw them at him. “Good night. You’re sleeping out here.”

  She turned around, walked back down the hall, walked into her bedroom, and closed the door. Jonathan heard her slide the dead bolt into place.

  He gave a long sigh and fidgeted around with the pillows. He swatted and punched at them until he had them just right. He pulled the blanket up over his head. It wasn’t that late, but he was exhausted. He figured he’d just go ahead and go to sleep. That’s when he felt the vibrating inside his pocket.

  “Hello?” he said, flipping the phone open and pushing the SEND button.

  “She’s in London.”

  “Thank you. I’ll be there tomorrow.” He hung up the phone, smiled, and pulled the covers back up over his head.

  London. Now there was a town he hadn’t been to in a while.

  CHAPTER 36

  London, the Safe House

  Anna got out of the shower with a renewed vigor. She couldn’t
explain what happened to her a few minutes ago, but she knew she wasn’t crazy either. Her whole outlook had changed. She had a confidence about what she was doing here. She knew she would just have to take it one step at a time, and eventually, she and Jason would figure out what her grandpa had spent his life trying to achieve. She was actually excited about it.

  She got dressed, pulled her hair back in a ponytail, brushed her teeth, and hurried downstairs. She found Jason sitting at the desk in the study. He had a pair of black sweatpants and a long-sleeved T-shirt on and was sipping something from a huge coffee mug.

  “Whatcha got there?” she asked.

  “Only some of the finest hot chocolate I think I’ve ever tasted.” “Oh yeah? And where did you find that?” “In the pantry. Would you like some?” “I would, thank you.”

  Jason leaned back in his chair and pointed toward the kitchen.

  “It’s in there. Third shelf down on the left,” he said with a playful smile.

  “Gee, thanks!” Anna rolled her eyes and started for the kitchen.

  Jason stopped her before she took two steps. “Just kidding! Here.” He reached to his left and produced another mug, which he had hidden behind a picture frame. “I heard you coming down the stairs. I made you one.”

  “Thank you,” she said sweetly. “You’re a scholar and a gentleman.” She took the mug from Jason and gave it a taste. “Wow! You weren’t kidding! This is great. What kind is it?”

  “Actually, it’s kind of my own recipe.”

  “You have a recipe for cocoa?”

  “Yep. My mom’s. I just happened to find all of the stuff I needed in there to make it.” “Yeah? Like what?”

  “Like cocoa powder, milk, and my secret ingredient, freshly ground cinnamon.”

  “Cinnamon. No kidding.” It was more a statement than a question.

  “Yup. Cinnamon.”

  “Well, tell your mom I said thanks.”

  “I will, the next time I see her.” He set down his cup and picked up a small notebook that was sitting in front of him. He waved it at Anna and said, “Do you know what this is?”