by David Archer
“I was thinking,” Jenny said when they were finished eating, “that it might be a good idea for me to be there before Newsom arrives. What do you think, Noah?”
“I don’t have a problem with it,” Noah said. “Of course, that just allows more time for something to go wrong. And there’s always the possibility that he won’t show up.”
“In which case,” Jenny said with a grin, “we can go track his ass down. That almost sounds like more fun, anyway.”
“I suspect he’ll be there,” Noah said. “I just like to look at all possibilities. Realistically, you being there before him could put you in a position to better observe the way he acts. That could tell us a lot about whether he really is the man in charge.”
“Then,” Neil said, “I think Marco and I should be there even before Jenny. That way, if anything does go wrong, we’ll be there to try to pull her out of it.”
Noah looked at him. “I’m okay with that,” he said, “but I want Marco in charge. You listen to him, because it’s too easy for you to become emotional where Jenny is concerned.”
“I know, I know,” Neil said, nodding. “I’ll let him run the show, no problem. What about you and Sarah?”
“If we’re going to stagger out our appearances, then she and I should come in last. I don’t see any reason to make it obvious that we are together, and by that I mean all of us. You and Marco should look like buddies, Sarah and I should look like a couple. Jenny is supposed to be Victoria, who was a loner. Those are the impressions we need to give.”
“Yeah, I agree,” Jenny said. “I’ll be ignoring all of you, unless some kind of trouble goes down. Right?”
“Right,” Noah said. “The idea is for you to be as alone as possible, even with us watching out for you. Newsom shouldn’t have any idea you have backup.”
“And it’s only nine thirty.” Sarah looked around the table. “What do we do for the next eight hours or so?”
“Well, our cover is tourists,” Noah said. “I suppose we could go to the beach.”
“Now, that could be fun,” Jenny said. “And I just bought a new bikini.”
Sarah grinned. “My dad brought me here when I was twelve. We went out to South Beach, and it was absolutely awesome. I have never felt the waves and the water like that anywhere else in the world.”
“This sounds like a pretty good plan to me,” Marco said. “Catch a little sun, play in the waves for a bit and just relax before all the crap hits the fan.”
There was a small line at the elevator, but it was only a few moments before they were up in their rooms and getting changed. Within twenty minutes, they were in their individual cars, headed for South Beach and a few hours of plain old rest and recreation.
* * * * *
“Where did he go?”
Sarah was standing waist deep in the water, her hair and body glistening in the sunshine. Noah had been right beside her a second before, but she had turned to look over at Neil and Jenny, and when she turned back he was gone.
She spun around twice, looking for him, and suddenly he popped up right behind her. He wrapped his arms around her, and she squealed in surprise but then spun around and threw her arms around his neck.
“We should do things like this more often,” she said. “I think this is the most relaxed I’ve ever seen you.”
“I’m feeling pretty mellow,” Noah said with a grin. “At least I don’t feel like somebody is about to open fire on us.”
“No worries on that score,” Marco said from a few feet away. “I’ve been watching, and there’s absolutely nobody paying any attention to us except a few of the older men staring at the girls.”
“That’s understandable,” Noah said. “It feels good to be able to let my guard down.”
The five of them weren’t avoiding each other. Noah had decided that if anyone were to ask how they knew each other, they would mention running into each other at the nightclub the evening before. It was a simple explanation, but those were usually the best. Especially if one is prevaricating.
At lunchtime, they wandered across to a place called Wet Willie’s, the typical Florida eatery with frozen drinks and mostly American cuisine. Since there were hours to go before the meeting with Newsom, Noah allowed them each to have a drink.
Sarah and Jenny each went for a frozen margarita, but the men stuck to bottled beer. They ordered burgers and fries, and enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere of the place. When they were finished eating, they went back to the beach and simply relaxed on the beach towels, laying out in the sun and soaking up the rays.
“Mmm,” Sarah said. “If Feeney Manor had a beach like this, you’d probably never get me to leave the place. I’d be in absolute heaven, I swear.”
“I’ve heard there are even better beaches,” Noah said. “Some of the islands in the Caribbean are famous for their white sand beaches, clear blue water. Maybe we could get a cottage on one of them, someplace to get away to now and then.”
“Are we rich? I know they pay us pretty well, but I’m not too sure about being rich enough for a hideaway on an island.”
“We could all pitch in,” Neil said.
“It’s not like we really need to worry about money,” Noah said. “I’ve come to the conclusion that the organization loses probably half a billion dollars every year in different expenditures that never quite make it in the books. It wouldn’t be hard to make the system work for us.”
Neil chuckled. “You know, now that you mention it,” he said, “I could probably get away with buying a nice little estate on Jamaica or one of the other islands without ever leaving a paper trail. There are an awful lot of accounts the organization has that never get audited.”
“That might be similar to what I had in mind,” Noah said. “What about you, Marco? Are you in?”
“Only if I can bring Renée,” Marco replied. “I think she’s finally got me where she wants me, which is ready to pop that big question.” He’d been laying on his back with his eyes closed, but he opened one eye and looked over at Sarah. “You guys started something, and it seems to be spreading throughout the entire outfit. I heard a few days ago that Elaine Jefferson is planning to marry Jim Marino.” Elaine was the daughter of Donald Jefferson, the Deputy Director, and had once been the great love of Moose Conway, whom Marco had replaced when he was killed in action.
“Jim is getting married?” Jenny asked. “That jerk, he didn’t send me an invitation.”
“Oh, all I said was Elaine is planning to marry him,” Marco said. “I’m not sure Jim even knows about it yet.”
Sarah and Jenny laughed together, and even Neil joined in. Jim Marino had been Jenny’s intelligence man when she had run her own team and they had all worked with him at one time or another. That team had been reassigned once Jenny became a permanent member of Team Camelot.
The relaxation and easy banter continued for a few more hours, and then they gathered up everything and went back to the hotel. It was only about three thirty, but Noah wanted plenty of time to let the ocean lethargy fade away. They showered to wash off the saltwater, then met in the hotel restaurant at five for an early dinner. They would be drinking, although very little, and they didn’t want to do any drinking on an empty stomach.
“Okay, dinner is over,” Noah said. “Time to get this show on the road. Neil, Marco, you guys go ahead. We’ll give you a half-hour head start, and then Jenny will come and make her own entrance. Keep a watch over her, but don’t make contact with her unless it’s absolutely necessary. Sarah and I will arrive shortly after she does. Jenny, don’t make any contact with Newsom until we are all in place. Everybody got your comm system on?”
Inside his head, he heard four replies. Silently he asked, “Noah to Jenny, what about your contacts?”
“They’re in my purse,” she sent back the same way. “I don’t want to put them in until I have to, because they come on as soon as I take them out of the case. I figure we should save those for times when I have to be out of sight,
right?”
“That’s good thinking. Okay, let’s do this.” He spoke aloud again. “Okay, guys, we’ll see you in just a little while.”
Neil squeezed Jenny’s hand under the table, and then he and Marco got up and left. Noah and the two girls remained at the table, sipping coffee and trying to look like regular tourists. Sarah and Jenny were talking to each other, and Noah was wearing the slightly bored face of the odd man out.
* * * * *
It was close to seven by the time Noah and Sarah arrived at the club, and they spotted Jenny instantly, sitting alone at the bar. Neil and Marco were not too far away, sitting at a table against the wall. They had the chairs turned so that their backs were to the wall, making sure that no one could get behind them. The position was pretty secure, and Noah whispered his approval.
“Noah to Neil and Marco, good positioning. Have you spotted Newsom yet?”
“Marco to Noah, he’s here. I saw him come in just a few minutes ago, and I think he’s on the other side of the dance floor from where we’re sitting. I can’t see him at the moment, but there are a half-dozen booths and tables over there.”
“Noah to Marco, that would make sense. He’s at least somewhat concealed over there, so he probably feels safer. Sarah and I will move to that side of the room.”
He took Sarah’s hand and led her across the bar, past the dance floors and to the slightly more private area behind it. He spotted Newsom, sitting at a table with two other men and a woman, and was relieved to see that the only empty table was very close to Newsom’s. He pulled Sarah along with him and held out a chair for her, and she kissed his cheek before sitting down.
“You are such a gentleman,” she said.
She had spoken just loudly enough to be overheard, and Newsom glanced over. He looked her up and down once, then turned his attention to Noah. His calculating eyes took in Noah’s size and obvious physical power, and then he turned his attention back to the people at his table.
The barmaid came to take their orders, and then Noah and Sarah leaned close to one another. They spoke softly, mostly romantic little comments that were designed to make listeners feel like they were intruding, but they slipped into silent mode when they had something important to say.
“Sarah to Jenny, Newsom is here and with three other people. There’s a woman and two men. They seem to be deep in conversation, and it doesn’t look like anything frivolous.”
“Jenny to Sarah, okay. You guys tell me when you want me to make my move.”
“Noah to Marco. Why don’t you and Neil find some dance partners and get on the floor? Make your way to this side of it, so that we can see you clearly and you can see what’s happening over here.”
“Marco to Noah, we’ll see what we can do. Shouldn’t be hard, there’s plenty of women in the joint.”
It only took a few moments for both of the men to find ladies who were willing to dance, and then they were on the floor. Marco was dancing with a heavyset brunette, and Neil had found a girl almost as tall as himself. They maneuvered themselves close to where Newsom’s table was situated, but not close enough to overhear his conversation.
“Sarah to Noah,” Noah heard. “I wish we could hear what they were talking about. I wonder if those people are part of PRA.”
“Noah to Sarah, no way to tell. Noah to Jenny, you can move in now, whenever you’re ready.”
“Jenny to Noah,” came the reply. “Buddy, I was born ready. Coming that way.”
She appeared only a few seconds later, and walked directly to Newsom’s table. He and his guests looked up at her, and Newsom himself broke into a smile.
“Can I help you?” Jenny had turned up the sensitivity on her implant to its maximum setting, so Noah and the others could hear him clearly, but with the echo they had become accustomed to.
“I think it’s the other way around,” she said. “I believe you invited me to this party. My name is Victoria.”
Newsom nodded. “I suspected that was you, when I saw you sitting at the bar. There was just something about you that made me think you might be capable of the sort of things that you do. Please, have a seat.”
Jenny slid into a chair at the table, and Newsom pointed at the man to his left. “Please allow me to introduce my associates. This is John Roderick. The man beside him is William Baines, and the lady is Marissa Beauchamp. They are, shall we say, my advisors. It is actually Mr. Roderick who suggested we contact you.”
“All right,” Jenny said. “And what is it you wanted to speak with me about?”
“Why, your specialty, of course. It’s no secret in the international community what you do, or that you are one of the best available. We have a few situations that could require your touch, and we hope to convince you to make yourself available for our needs.”
Jenny leaned back in her chair and looked at him, then let her eyes rove over the other three for a moment. When she brought them back to Newsom, she gave him a shark tooth smile.
“And just what kind of jobs did you have in mind? Can you give me the specifics?”
“Well, only one, at the moment. We have a particular gentleman who is causing us some problems, and would like him to be dissuaded from further complications of our goals.”
Jenny waited silently for a moment, then raised her eyebrows. “Specifics, I asked for?”
Roderick cleared his throat. “His name is Randall Whitcomb, and he is the Chief Constable of the Ministry of Defense Police in the United Kingdom. We need him to be eliminated because his successor, who has already been named, will be more amenable to our operations in the U.K.”
“That’s ironic,” Jenny said. “I dealt with one of his deputies just last year. I take it the PRA is planning some actions in the U.K.?”
Newsom grinned. “I wasn’t aware that you knew who we were,” he said. “However, I suppose I should not be surprised. You have a reputation for learning just about anything you want to know. So, you will take the assignment?”
“Possibly,” Jenny said. “There is the small matter of the fee. For someone like this, it’s not going to be cheap. I’m thinking three hundred thousand U.S. dollars, and I would want half of it in advance.”
Newsom hesitated for only a second. “That is agreeable,” he said. “If you have a secure account we can transfer the money into, we can take care of it today.”
Jenny winked at him. “In a hurry, are we?”
“Unfortunately, that is the case. We need his successor installed within the next three weeks, because we have an operation that Mr. Whitcomb is likely to interfere with. His successor, James Bradley, is considerably more willing to cooperate with us, especially when it’s of great benefit to him personally.”
“Noah to Neil,” Noah broadcast. “Do we have an account she can use?”
“Neil to Jenny,” they heard. “Bank Duquesnes in the Cayman Islands. When you’re ready, I’ll send the source code and account numbers.”
Jenny smiled at Newsom. “I use Bank Duquesnes in the Caymans. Are you ready for the account numbers?”
Newsom pulled out a small tablet computer and tapped on its screen for a moment. “Yes, go ahead,” he said.
Neil recited a string of numbers, and Jenny repeated them perfectly. Those at the table were left with the impression that she had memorized the numbers.
Newsom tapped on his tablet again, and then nodded. He turned it around so that she could see the screen, and showed her that a transfer of one hundred and fifty thousand United States dollars had been made to that account.
“Of course,” Jenny said, “I’ll confirm it before I actually take action. I’ll also need a way to contact you when the job is done.”
“Naturally,” Newsom said. He reached into a pocket again, and produced a business card. “My special number’s on the back, including a satellite phone that can reach me anywhere in the world. You can call me at any time.”
“And I’m likely to,” Jenny said with a grin. “As long as the money is there
, you can consider the job done by the middle of next week. Will that be soon enough?”
“That, my dear,” Newsom said, “will be ideal. And afterward, if you would be willing, we will have more such works for you. We seem to have other nuisances that are lining up for the opportunity to be eliminated.”
Jenny glanced at the other three, then looked at Newsom again. “I’m interested,” she said. “There could be some benefit in having steady work for a while.”
“Then I hope to hear from you very soon.”
Jenny scooted her chair back and started to rise.
“Must you leave so soon?”
“Yes,” Jenny said. “I don’t like to put my work off. If I’m going to England, I want to make preparations immediately. Mr. Whitcomb may turn out to be a difficult job, so with the time to do it on schedule I need to get started on those preparations. Don’t worry, you’ll hear from me next week.”
Baines suddenly looked like he was going to object, but Noah caught the look on his face.
“Noah to team,” he said, “converge on Jenny.” He stood quickly and took Sarah’s hand, and the two of them stepped over beside Jenny as she stared Baines down.
“You didn’t think,” she said, as Marco and Neil abandoned their dance partners and came to stand beside her, “that I would come in without backup, did you? Mr. Baines, I don’t know why you want to keep me here, but that’s enough to make me consider whether you should be removed from the world gene pool. Is there something you’d like to say?”
“Well—I—I was merely hoping that we could discuss some further opportunities.”
“Don’t you think you ought to wait until you see how I handle this one? Don’t worry, boys, I’ll be in touch.”
She turned and walked away, and Noah signaled the rest to follow. As they walked away, Noah said softly, “Noah to team. Jenny, you drive away first. Marco, you and Neil will follow at a distance. Sarah and I will bring up the rear. Nobody follows us.”