It Takes a Thief

by Liz Wolfe

  “They’re all wired into the security system and I don’t know where the controls are to deactivate it. Besides, we don’t know how long the cleaning staff is here.”

  “So we just have to wait until they leave?”

  “Or until the Institute opens tomorrow.” Zoe flashed her penlight around. “Might as well find something comfortable to rest on.”

  “It’s cold in here. Think that fire will warm the air any?”

  “That’s just sick.”

  “What?”

  “Wanting someone else’s misfortune to provide your comfort.”

  “You’re one to talk,” Drake said.

  “Over there.” Zoe pointed with her light. “Furniture pads.” She walked around the old furniture and stacks of files. “There’s a lot of them. We can make a bed.” She pulled one off the stack and laid it on the floor, then added several more. When she thought it was thick enough, she rolled one up and placed it at one end of the pallet for a pillow, then threw another one on top to cover up with.

  “You’re quite the little domestic goddess, aren’t you?”

  Zoe ignored the jab. “Might as well get comfortable. The cops and firemen will be there for hours.” She lay down, pulled the pad up to cover her shoulder, and rested her head on the rolled pillow. The pad covering her was thick but did little to keep her warm. Within minutes she was shivering and wishing she’d worn a heavier sweater.

  Drake’s arm moved across her midriff and she was pulled firmly back to rest against the warmth of his chest and legs. “You never told me what you said to Ethan.”

  “Why are you working for the Order?”

  “I’m not.”

  “It sure looks that way.”

  “Like I said, appearances can be deceiving.” Zoe rolled over to look at him in the dim light. “I told Ethan that I hadn’t heard from you. Now, tell me something that’ll assure me I wasn’t stupid to lie to him.”

  Drake shifted when Zoe laid her head on his arm. “Why not? By the time this is all over, my CIA career will be in the toilet. If I’m still alive.”

  Zoe waited silently, sensing that any interruption might make him change his mind about talking.

  “When I was captured by the Order, Hank

  Robertson interrogated me. He was my commanding officer when I was in the Marines. The leader of my Force Recon team. Special Forces teams like the SEALS, Rangers, and Force Recon are different from regular military groups. We have to rely totally on each other. It creates a bond of loyalty.”

  “So, even though he was working with the Order, you felt an obligation to him?”

  “It was more than loyalty. We’re taught that you never leave a man behind.”

  “Alive or dead?”

  “Either way. I guess I thought I could get him away from the Order. It seemed like he’d been brainwashed by them or something. So, I agreed to work for them and never told the CIA.”

  “Ethan is going to have a hard time with that.”

  “No kidding. But I never would have done anything to compromise the CIA. I just felt that I had to take a shot at getting Hank out.”

  “Why didn’t you just tell Ethan and let him send someone in for Hank?”

  “I figured the CIA’s concern was shutting down the Order. Rescuing someone who appeared to be working with them wouldn’t be a top priority for them.”

  “That’s what Logan said about his uncle.”

  “So, he really is there to rescue his uncle?” Drake chuckled. “At least he had the good sense to resign from the NSA first.”

  “You never found a way to get Hank out?”

  “No. In my last conversation with Hank, he told me that after we return with the lens, they want me to kill you. That was right after I watched him put a bullet in the forehead of a man who was tied to a chair.”

  Zoe shot up off the pallet. “You’re going to kill me?”

  Drake reached up and pulled her back down. “Will you lie down? You’re letting all the heat out.”

  She sheepishly lay down again and pulled the furniture pad over her. Of course, he wasn’t going to kill her. If he intended to, he wouldn’t have told her, would he?

  Zoe shivered. “What are you going to do now?”

  “Now?”

  “Now that you can’t rescue Hank Robertson?”

  After a moment of silence, Drake sighed. “I’m going back. I’d really like to find out exactly what they’re up to. And maybe if I can, that will keep Ethan from charging me with treason.”

  “You think Ethan would do that?”

  “He should. What I did was wrong. And stupid.”

  “It was a mistake. But your heart was in the right place. Besides, the CIA doesn’t really need to know, do they?”

  “Don’t they?”

  “I don’t see why. You didn’t give the Order any information; you didn’t do anything wrong. Actually, you just went in undercover without exactly clearing it first.”

  “I’m not sure the CIA would see it that way. Besides, I have to come clean about it. It’s the right thing to do.”

  “Must be a guy thing.”

  “What about you? What’s your next move?”

  “When Ethan has my father and Matteo at the safe house, he’ll call me. Then I’ll join them.”

  “What if he doesn’t get Matteo out?”

  “Then I’ll use the lens as a bargaining chip to force them to release him.”

  “I hope your father’s as good as you think he is.”

  January 15, Prague, Germany

  Zoe opened the door to her hotel room, unfastened her fanny pack, and dropped it on the chair. All she wanted was a hot shower and to sleep in a real bed. But first, she had to check the messages on the cell phone she’d purchased when they first arrived in Prague. God willing, there would be one from Ethan telling her that her father and brother were safely ensconcedwith her mother. Then she could walk away from the Order. She stopped in front of the dresser and frowned at her appearance. Her hair stuck up at odd angles, and the skin on her face seemed to sag under the weight of her fatigue.

  She punched in the number for her voice mail, keyed in her code, and listened. No messages. It was already ten thirty. Her father should have gotten Matteo out of the mansion by three that morning. Zoe pressed the speed dial number for Ethan.

  “Ethan Calder.”

  “Ethan, it’s Zoe.”

  “I was about to call you.”

  Zoe almost cried with relief. “They’re safe?”

  “I’m sorry, Zoe. But they never showed up.”

  She couldn’t speak. She could hardly breathe.

  “I’ve still got someone there. But it’s been a long time.”

  “Yeah, I know. Dad had planned to go in around two. He should have been out of there in an hour.”

  “Zoe, I think it’s time for you to come in.”

  “Not yet. I need to know if Matteo is still there. If they caught my father.”

  “But they have no further use for you. They won’t hesitate to get rid of you, Matteo, and your father.”

  “I have the lens to bargain with.”

  “I don’t like it, Zoe. It’s too risky.”

  “Well, everything is risky, Ethan. I’m not leaving my brother or my father there for them to dispose of. I’ll let you know what happens.” She flipped her phone closed and sank down on the bed. Tears stung her eyes as she considered what might have happened to her father. She never should have asked him to do it. A knock at her door interrupted her thoughts.

  “Come in,” she called.

  “Hey, I’m starving.” Drake closed the door behind him. “What’s wrong?”

  “My father never showed up with Matteo. Ethan has someone posted at the rendezvous point, but …”

  “I see. So, what are you going to do now?”

  “Go back. See if Matteo’s still there. Hell, for all I know, they might have both of them now.” Zoe got up and paced across the room.

  “And y
ou think you’ll offer them the lens in return for your brother and father?” Drake shook his head. “It’ll never work.”

  “Why not? They have to have the lens.”

  “Yeah, they do. And they’ll take it from you.” He held up a hand to forestall her next comment. “And if you think you’ll hide it until they release them, think again. These people are masters at torture.”

  “I have to try.”

  “I have a better idea. We go back and turn over the lens, just like they expect us to.”

  “How is that going to help?”

  “If you’ll listen for a minute, I’ll tell you.”

  Zoe crossed her arms and waited.

  “We should have a little time while they verify that we have the correct lens. We can use that time to find Matteo—and your father, if he’s there.”

  “You’ll help me?”

  “Of course, I’ll help you. Probably, your father just couldn’t handle the job. He might have realized that and left, or he might have gotten in over his head and been caught.”

  “You don’t think they’ve already killed them, do you?”

  “No. They’ll keep them alive until they’re sure they don’t need you anymore.”

  Zoe turned toward the window and pulled the drapes aside. Prague was covered in several inches of snow and there was more drifting down. She almost wished it would cause their flight back to Florence to be cancelled. But that wouldn’t change anything.

  It would only delay the inevitable.

  January 15, Florence, Italy

  Zoe walked into Weisbaum’s office without knockingand placed the case containing the crystal lens on his desk.

  “Well, this is certainly a surprise.” Weisbaum opened the case, lifted the cloth from the lens, then closed it again. “I’m not sure how you managed to pry your brother from us while you were procuring the lens, but I’m very impressed.”

  Zoe’s knees almost buckled at the news that her father had managed to get Matteo out. Her relief was quickly overshadowed with concern for where they might be now. She had no idea how to find them. And she still needed to escape.

  “I told you, I’m the best.”

  “Yes, and that appears to be the case. But I’m surprised that you came back at all, since we no longer have your mother and brother.”

  “That’s because I agreed to do a job for you. And I keep my word. If that’s all, I’d like to get some rest now.”

  “Certainly, but first you need to accompany Drake. He’ll explain everything.” Weisbaum opened the leather portfolio on his desk. “Mr. Robertson is waiting for you on the lower level.” He drew out a stack of papers and began reading them.

  Drake closed his hand on Zoe’s upper arm and turned her toward the door. Zoe jerked her arm out of his grasp and glared at him, just in case Weisbaum was watching. Drake opened the door and followed her

  out, closing it behind them.

  “Now what?” Zoe whispered.

  “Now we get the hell out of here.” Drake turned toward the entryway.

  “There you are,” Robertson called from the doorway at the end of the hall. “Going somewhere?”

  Drake turned and smiled, taking his trench coat off. “Just getting rid of my coat.”

  Zoe noticed the bulge in Robertson’s pocket and decided that running for the front door would be a mistake. Drake grasped her arm again and hauled her down the hallway.

  Robertson stepped aside to let them pass, then followed them down the stairs. He keyed in a code at the door and led them into another hallway with four doors, each with its own keypad. He walked to the door at the far end, entered a code, and opened the door.

  The room was large and mostly bare. A folding table and two chairs stood against one wall, a scarred wooden desk and chair against the opposite. There was a drain in the center of the tile floor, and Zoe shuddered when she considered what they would need a drain for.

  Robertson pulled a gun from his pocket, handed it to Drake, and pushed Zoe to the center of the room. “Take care of it.”

  Drake hefted the gun in his hand and looked at

  Robertson. “Still using the Colt .45? You know the Marines are going to the Sig Sauer P226 now.”

  Robertson grinned and shrugged. “Yeah, I heard. It’s a good gun, but ugly as hell. I’ll stick to my Colt. You still partial to that Glock?”

  Zoe looked from Robertson to Drake. The camaraderie between the men was unmistakable. They spoke as if they were still buddies together in the Marines. She remembered what Drake had said about the bond that developed between the men on a Force Recon team and wondered if he’d been trying to tell her something. Like, maybe that bond was deeper and more important to him than anything else. God, she hoped that wasn’t the case.

  “Hey, I love my Glock. But I never had a problem with this one, either. It’s a nice, solid piece.”

  Fear soured her stomach. She tamped the panic down even as Drake lifted his arm and aimed the gun at her, but she couldn’t stop herself from squeezing her eyes closed. Her last visual was Drake’s hand wavering slightly, then she heard the sharp report of the gun as it fired.

  Zoe was so stunned, she couldn’t even scream. Her eyes flew open. Drake’s features were etched with sadness, the gun still in his hand, now hanging limply at his side. She followed his gaze to Robertson’s body. He lay sprawled on the floor, a bullet hole in hisforehead, a pool of blood seeping from the back of his head. She shook so hard she could barely move.

  “Let’s get out of here before they wonder why he isn’t upstairs to tell them you’ve been disposed of.” Drake turned and pulled the door open. Zoe ran up the stairs with Drake close behind. They ran down the hall and out the French doors to the courtyard where Logan was sitting on a bench.

  “What happened?” Logan rose and trotted after them.

  “We have to get out of here and you should come with us,” she said.

  Logan shook his head. “I can’t. My uncle is still here.”

  “Come with us. We can get your uncle out later. They aren’t going to harm him. They need him.”

  “No, I can’t leave him behind. They’re moving everyone out in a couple of days. I’ll never find him again.”

  “Where to?” Drake asked.

  “I’m not sure. Some place in Switzerland is all I’ve heard.”

  “We’ll send someone after you and your uncle.” Drake boosted Zoe to the top of the wall, then climbed up after her.

  They dropped to the ground and Drake took off at a fast clip. Zoe concentrated on keeping up with himas he led her around corners and through alleyways. She ran full-out until a pain in her right side threatened to rip her apart. Bending over, she braced her left hand on her knee, her right hand pressing against the pain in her side. Drake turned and loped back to her.

  “Side stitch?”

  Zoe nodded, gasping for breath, unable to speak. Drake put his hand on her shoulder and pushed her to a standing position, then pulled her hand away from her side. His big hand pushed into her side just under her rib cage, then pressed upward.

  “Just keep breathing.” His hand continued to press into her until she stood up straight. “You’re exhaling when your right foot hits the ground. It pulls on the ligament that attaches your liver to your diaphragm.”

  “Where’d you learn that?”

  “Looked it up on the Internet. Used to happen to me all the time.”

  “It’s gone. Where are we going?”

  “I have a place. It’s not luxurious but it’s private.”

  “Can we take a cab?”

  “No. We don’t want to leave any way to trace our movements. It’s not far and we don’t have to run anymore.”

  “Good. Not running would be good. And I’ll try to remember that left foot thing.” They rounded a corner and a small boy ran toward them.

  “Signore! You have been gone a very long time.” “Ciao, Angelo. Would you like to do me a favor? “Si. Very much so. You pay?” Drake pulled seve
ral bills from his pocket. “I’d like some of that wonderful coffee and a couple of sandwiches. Can you do that?”

  “Si, Signore. Pronto.” Angelo ran around the corner as they approached one of the tiny houses. Drake pulled out a key and unlocked a side door. “Come on. It’s safe here.”

  “What is this place?” Zoe asked. “Signora Romano’s house. I rent a room from her.”

  “What? No fancy hotel?”

  “Dante Russo stays in a fancy hotel. I stay here. It’s clean, it’s quiet, and the people around here know me.

  “They know you?”

  “Well, not really. But I’m here often enough that I’m accepted. Which means none of them tell anyone anything about me.”

  “I’m worried about Logan. I wish he’d come with us.”

  “I wouldn’t waste any time worrying about him. Logan has made his choice.”

  “I don’t think so. I think he’s confused. He’s only seeing one side of the Order.”

  “Then he’s being deliberately blind.” Drake held up a hand to keep Zoe from interrupting him. “Don’t get me wrong. We’ll still try to get him and his uncle out.”

  Zoe figured arguing with him wouldn’t solve anything, and she needed to talk to Ethan. She pulled her cell phone out and punched in the speed dial number.

  “Calder here.”

  “Ethan, it’s Zoe. I just found out that Dad did get Matteo out of the mansion. But I don’t know where they are.” While she listened to Ethan, Angelo showed up with sandwiches wrapped in white butcher’s paper and two paper cups of steaming coffee. Her mouth watered from the smell.

  “Great. Hold on.” Zoe motioned for a pen and paper from Drake, then scribbled the address down that Ethan gave her. “We’ll be there soon.”

  “You told him about me?” Drake asked, handing her the coffee.

  “What?” She laughed. “Oh, just that I was with you. But I have the address of the safe house. And Dad and Matteo are there. Evidently, Matteo ran off after Dad got him out.”

  “He ran off?”

  “I guess with all the drugs in him, Matteo didn’t grasp that Dad was trying to help him, so he took off. Took Dad a while to chase him down and explain the situation.”