"As far as I know, only Xavier. That's how I found out. I was listening to Victor talking to him one night and he was describing a drug deal that had gone bad. He said he wanted to get back to the vault so he could enter the details in his diary while they were still fresh in his mind."
"Why the trash bags?" Natalie asked, finally sitting down next to Oliver.
"I thought we could put them in the lake until it was safe to move them."
"No," Oliver said quietly. "Let me think for a minute."
"Can you make it a quick minute?" Andy said anxiously. "I'm worried someone else will show up."
"Aren't there are only two boats?" Natalie asked.
"Oh, yeah," Andy said sheepishly. "That tells you how edgy I am."
"Right!" Oliver abruptly exclaimed. "Natalie, go back to the house and find Freddy and Gus. Get them into Victor's study and text me as soon as you're there. They'll see the artifact and they'll be ecstatic, but they'll also have to deal with the scene. Prolong it as much as you can."
"Andy, you're a genius," Natalie said. "Oliver told me how you drugged everyone."
"It was no big deal. Probably the easiest part of this whole nightmare."
"Natalie. Pay attention."
"Sorry. I'll get Freddie and Gus into the study and stall them, then what?"
"When they finish tell them about Xavier. Take them up to his room and go through what happened in painstaking detail. While you're doing that, Andy and I will get the books out of here and into the Rover."
"But the Rover's down the street," she protested. "Can you get to it, bring it back and finish loading it in time?"
"I'll summon it. The gate will be closed so—"
"Summon the Rover?" Natalie interrupted. "What does that mean?"
"It will start up and drive itself to me."
"You've got to be kidding."
"That technology has been around a while," Andy remarked. "Oliver, will we take the bags out to the gate?"
"Let me think about this. I'll take what I can while you stay by the boat. Shit happens sometimes, but no-one from The Force or MI5 will arrive until I ask them to. I texted Thomas on my way over here and brought him up to speed, but I'll contact him again now and give him a reason to hold back the cavalry."
"Andy, how did you know Oliver was trustworthy?" Natalie asked thoughtfully as Oliver began texting Thomas. "If Oleg's people are everywhere, how did you know Oliver wasn't one of them?"
"I uh, I know why he left MI5."
"Excuse me?" Oliver said, putting his phone away and staring at Andy. "How is that possible? The paperwork simply says personal reasons."
"I saw that, but I kept digging."
"Why?"
"Initially it was because Natalie cared about you and I was curious, then I became hopeful. I've been constantly searching for a safe way to get away from Oleg and his world. I know my skill has value, but I couldn't just pick up the phone and call the intelligence services and say, hi, I'm Andy. I can help you, but first you need to rescue me from the clutches of Oleg Brovko."
"You poor thing," Natalie murmured. "How did you survive?"
"By staying afraid," he said with a heavy sigh. "It works, believe me."
"What did your digging uncover?" Oliver pressed.
"Sorry. I digressed. Your last mission involved government corruption. You began to learn things beyond what you already knew. Really bad things How am I doing?"
"Close. Go on."
"This is conjecture, but it's obvious to me when took your findings to your boss he told you to back off. You left because it was too much to stomach. I assume that's when The Force contacted you. When you arrived in Vegas I knew you had integrity. I also knew you were there to get Natalie away from Victor and I wanted to help you. I was hoping I might be able to help myself in the process."
"Why didn't you just tell us all this?" Natalie asked. "Wouldn't it have made things easier?"
"I couldn't risk it, Oleg's spies are everywhere, but I also had to work things out as they happened. He needed to believe certain ideas were his, and I had to find a way to help Taylor escape from the house in Vegas because I had to show my loyalty. I've been walking a tightrope without a net, but it was a walk I had to take."
"Can I ask you one more thing? It struck me as odd that you didn't want to contact your mother, and you seemed so cavalier about leaving her behind. I know it's none of my business, but is there that much hatred between you? I understand what she did, kicking you out like that was—"
"She didn't," Andy said, cutting her off. "Our separation was nothing like that. Oleg created that story. Somehow he heard about my talent and he just showed up at our apartment one day. I knew who he was, but he painted an amazing picture of what he could do for us if I joined his company. My mother said no, and he suddenly changed. It was terrifying. He pulled out a huge wad of bills with one hand, and a gun with the other. He told her to take the cash and let me leave or he'd shoot us both."
"Oh, my God!"
"Andy, I hope you don't mind me asking, but where was your father?"
"My father passed away when I was very young. All I know is that it was some kind of accident. My mother would get very agitated when I would ask her about it so it's still a mystery to me. Anyway, after I left Oleg wouldn't let me have any contact with her. I did manage it from time to time, but it was very difficult," he said grimly "I miss her so much. The first thing I want to do when this is over is contact her, and I must find a way to see her."
"But I thought Victor brought you on board because he's your mother's brother."
"My mother despises Victor. They don't speak, they haven't for years."
"Then how did you end up with him?"
"I was in Paris working in one of Oleg's construction companies. He came in one day and told me I was leaving to spy on my uncle. Just like that! Then he coached me through a conversation on the phone with Victor. I had a receiver in my ear, and whatever Victor said to me, Oleg gave me the response. He manipulated Victor into hiring me with that cover story about my mother kicking me out."
"I can't even imagine it," Natalie muttered.
"And you don't want to," he murmured. "Oliver, do you think I'll be able to reach out to my mother soon?"
"Tonight! You can ring her tonight, and you're staying at Buckland Manor."
"Really? I'll be able to do that tonight?"
"Absolutely. Tomorrow we'll talk through all of this, but no-one will know anything about those diaries until I decide how to play this out, but I want you involved. You deserve to be a part of this. I was thinking we may not want to expose everything all at once. There may be a better way to use the information."
"I totally agree. Whatever we do will create its own momentum. When Oleg goes down many others will go with him, and it will be the same with each person that follows."
Rising to her feet, Natalie walked over to Andy and hugged him.
"How did you find the courage to do all this?"
"You, Natalie."
"Me?"
"No-one has ever treated me as kindly as you did," he said softly as they broke apart. "You made me feel like a human being, like I matter, and not because I can do stuff other people can't, but because of who I am. For the first time in my life I dared to believe in something more, something better. I knew you were with Victor against your will and I wanted to help you, I just didn't know how. Then Oliver showed up. Regardless of what you'd told me, I knew he hadn't broken his promise."
"Because?"
"Because your heart wouldn't let you love a man who would treat you badly, and Oliver's not a man who would break his word."
"Of all the things you've said and done," Oliver said solemnly, standing up and walking over to them, "that is the most profound, and it says a great deal about you."
"Uh, thanks, but can we move these journals now?"
"Absolutely. Natalie, I'll walk you down to the boat and we can take some of the bags with us."
"If Natalie and I take two each, and you take three, that's all of them," Andy declared.
"Good thinking, but that's no surprise. You do that better than anyone."
Carrying the precious cargo they made their way down to the dock, but as they began walking towards the boats, Natalie paused and put down her bags.
"Oliver, can I have a quick word?"
"Sure. I'll be right with you, Andy. Wait for me before you load."
"Will do."
"I know this probably isn't the time," she said hesitantly, "but I have to ask."
"Obviously it's something that can't wait. Go ahead."
"What's going to happen to Andy? You can protect him from the authorities, right?"
"Hey, you don't have to worry about that. The organization will take him under their wing. I'll make sure of it."
"Thank you. I had to be sure. Now I have to ask you one more thing. Can we get away for a few days when the dust has settled?"
"Natalie, I told you we would. We have a date at a certain cabin, or did you forget?"
"No, I didn't forget."
"Then…?"
"In your life things happen. In a week you could be off on another mission. I know I'll be your partner, but a mission isn't the cabin."
"What do you want me to say?"
"I want you to promise me we'll go, and I want a specific date. It's the only way I know nothing will get in the way."
"My goodness," he said with a grin. "I promise I will take you to that cabin for seven days, and we'll leave the day after this mission has been officially closed. How's that?"
"Perfect."
"And I also promise, when we get back to Buckland Manor tonight, I'm going to tease you mercilessly for a very long time."
EPILOGUE
Though the international authorities tried to keep the arrests of Oleg Brovko and Victor Pichenko under wraps, word quickly leaked into the criminal underworld. Its nefarious Kings tried frantically to cover their tracks, but their underlings, convinced they'd be sacrificed, began to turn against their bosses. One such person was Rocket.
After witnessing Oleg's inhuman treatment of Spider, and horrified the Russian gangster would have done the same to Spider's wife had they caught her, he walked into Scotland Yard. In exchange for immunity and being placed into witness protection, he offered to provide details of Oleg's massive drug network. The investigators quickly realized the information he could give them would lead down many paths. The men Oleg had embedded in the force, either disappeared or joined the revolt.
But his narcotics trafficking was only one branch of Oleg's very large tree. His villainous empire was complex and global. It would take years to unravel, and determined to keep him alive the authorities incarcerated him in a secret location, one Oliver knew wasn't particularly pleasant.
Victor's vault revealed severals sets of fingerprints. Forgers and highly respected art dealers were caught in the net, and as they talked to save their own skins the net widened. Victor's international criminal enterprise was crumbling, but so was he. Locked away in solitary confinement, he mourned Xavier and the loss of his precious collection. Without the opportunity to arrange the slow release of his journals, he was sure his life's work would be stolen and destroyed. Filled with despair, he faked a seizure. The day after he'd been admitted to the infirmary, a nurse found him out of his shackles lying dead on the floor. Though it was determined he'd died from ingesting an entire bottle of OxyContin, how he escaped his manacles remained a mystery.
Taylor Manning was linked to both men, but her prints weren't found in the vault, and in spite of the best efforts of law enforcement in both the USA and England, she couldn't be directly connected to any criminal activity. With the help of a crafty lawyer, no charges were brought and she returned to her home in New York. When Oliver heard she was being pursued by the intelligences agencies, he wasn't the least surprised.
Concerned for Andy's safety, The Force placed him in a guest cottage at the same country estate where Natalie and Oliver had said their goodbyes two years before. His mother, Marta, was flown in to join him, and was offered the opportunity to begin a new life in Britain with her son. Overjoyed she accepted, but they would have to remain on the estate until Victor and Oleg's cohorts no longer posed a threat.
It was soon after Marta's arrival that Andy learned the truth about his father's death. Marta tearfully told him Victor had been using subpar materials on an apartment building, and Andy's father, the foreman for the project, had threatened to go to the authorities if Victor didn't make things right. Victor had no qualms about telling Marta that he'd killed her husband, and had threatened her life and her child's if she ever dared speak of it.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
It was almost a month after the dramatic events at Victor's manor before the mission was officially declared successfully completed and the file was closed. Oliver and Natalie had just finished dinner when Oliver received the anticipated phone call.
"Congratulations," Father exclaimed. "You did a splendid job. I assume Natalie is with you."
"Yes, Father, she's right here."
"Please place me on speaker. Hello, Natalie?"
"Hello, Father."
"I congratulated Oliver, now I must congratulation you."
"Thank you."
"The Force would love to have you. Oliver has made it clear you're to be his partner, and I have no reservations. Obviously the two of you make an excellent team."
"That's wonderful news."
"Of course you must undergo our training. It's eight weeks and is quite intensive. You'll be staying at our facility in the country where Andy and his mother are living."
"That's a busy place."
"Indeed. It's our hub. Today is Thursday. Tomorrow you'll be receiving a list of things you'll need to bring with you. If you're missing anything let Thomas know and he'll have it for you when you get here. A car will pick you up on Monday morning at 9 a.m."
"Uh, I, uh, we…" she stammered, looking frantically at Oliver.
"Is that a problem, Natalie?"
"I'm afraid it is a bit," Oliver replied. "I made a promise, and if she's required to show up on Monday that promise will be broken."
"We can't have that!" Father exclaimed. "Ah, yes, I seem to remember approving a request you put through to have our cabin in the French Alps for seven days. That wouldn't have anything to do with this, would it?"
"It does, Father."
"Let me know when you get back and have a wonderful time. You both deserve it."
"Thank you so much," Natalie said gratefully. "I just hope there aren't any vengeful assassins around to interrupt us."
"I think most vengeful assassins are busy these days, trying to prove they're not."
"Father, before you go," she said hesitantly, "can you tell me what was on the microdot?"
"I can, and I'm sure it's been on your mind. It was a formula for a type of paint."
"Paint?"
"Imagine being able to place a gun, a kilo of heroin, a bomb, anything at all, into a suitcase, or a purse, any container, and make it undetectable by sniffer dogs or imaging. Think about that for a minute."
"You're saying it made things invisible?"
"Not exactly. If you opened the suitcase you'd see it. I have no idea how it worked, but that was the power it held. It would have taken terrorism into another realm. I can't even imagine the devastation."
"That is truly horrifying. What happened to the person who invented it?"
"We know he died, though we don't know if it was by foul play or natural causes, but we have every reason to believe the microdot was the only source for the formula."
"Thank goodness for that."
"Indeed. Now I must go."
"Thanks again, Father," Oliver said. "I'll be in touch when we return."
"Goodbye, you two. Safe travels."
"I'm so excited," Natalie exclaimed. "I can't wait to be in that cabin again."
"That's not the
only place I'm taking you."
"Really? Where else are we going?"
"It's a surprise? It's also a mission."
"A mission?"
"My mission for you. You'll find out."
"Do you promise?"
"Absolutely."
Three Days Later
With Natalie naked, blindfolded, and bent over pillows, Oliver draped the flogger's thick leather tongues across her upturned bottom. At any moment he would lift them up, then let them fly back down to kiss her skin with their hot, heavy sting. Six lashes had already been delivered. There were six more to come. It was sublime torture, and he was taking his time, fingering her pussy between each strike.
"Number seven," he said softly. "Are you sure you want it?"
"Yes, please, Sir."
"Hold your breath."
She sucked in the air, and as thudding pain coursed through her one more time, she let out a howl, but she also squeezed her thighs together.
"Why does it feel so fucking good?"
He didn't reply, but his fingers returned to her sex, and urgently massaging her clit he brought her to the verge of her orgasm for the umpteenth time.
"Sir, please, please," she whimpered. "I need to come."
"But you have five left."
She moaned and wriggled, knowing he wouldn't continue until she settled, and finally sinking back into the pillows she waited for the question.
"Number eight. Are you sure you want it?"
"Yes, please, Sir."
The hot tongues landed again, his teasing torment returned, and the delicious torture continued until the twelfth had been delivered. Her backside was on fire, her pussy was soaked, and she felt like melted butter. When she sensed him climb behind her and touch his cock against her slick wetness, she softly moaned her gratitude.
"I'm going to take you somewhere," he crooned, leaning over her to whisper in her ear. "A place you've never been."
"Why are you talking about it now?" she whimpered. "Please, Sir, please let me come."
"You're going to come, my love, like you've never come before."
SPY: His Mission. His Orders. His Promise. Page 19