by L. T. Ryan
Bear nodded and the linebacker and his partner led the way out of Bryant Park. The other two men kept their distance, but Bear felt them at his back like they were practically walking on his heels. Bear let a few people pass in front of him, but he didn’t bother trying to break off. He couldn’t leave Maria, and he wasn’t sure if she’d follow him if he took off running.
Better to just see this through.
The linebacker led the group across the street and to the corner café. He and his partner kept walking for a few paces, then stopped to lean against the wall, watching as people came and went, none the wiser.
Bear got the hint. He opened the door to the café and motioned for Maria to walk through first. If something was going to happen to them, it would be outside the coffee shop. He paused in the doorway and looked back for the other two men who had been trailing them, but they’d disappeared. He had a feeling they weren’t far.
The café was tight and full of people. The chatter was loud and competed with the clinking of spoons inside thick ceramic mugs. It smelled like fresh brew and bread. Bear inhaled it. He could use something to eat. Probably some coffee, too.
But his thoughts were cut short when Maria groaned. Bear looked down at her, then followed her gaze to a table in the back. There was no mistaking Sadie’s coy smile. Bear stifled a groan of his own.
A heavyset woman with messy hair and what Bear supposed was a permanent scowl stopped in front of him. “Two?”
He blinked at the question. “I’m sorry?”
Her scowl deepened. “Table for two?”
“No.” Bear pointed at the table in the back. “Meeting a friend.”
The woman looked over her shoulder. “Coffee?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Two,” Maria added, then started moving toward Sadie. Bear followed. Under her breath, she asked, “Friend?”
“More or less.” He didn’t hold anything against Sadie for putting him in the middle of the Thorne business. Figured he would’ve found himself there one way or another, regardless.
“She’s a pain in the ass,” Maria muttered.
“Didn’t you just say you trusted her?”
Maria held up her index finger like she was giving a lecture. “Just because you trust someone doesn’t mean they’re not a pain in the ass.”
He grinned as he thought of Jack. “True.”
Bear reached the table first and smiled down at Sadie. “Wasn’t expecting to see you again so soon.”
Sadie forced a laugh, sending ripples through the coffee in the mug held in her hand. “Me neither. Was kind of hoping I could leave you alone for a while.” Her smile faded. “I’m sorry about the escort.”
“Were all four guys necessary?” Bear asked. “And all this business about my employer?”
“Can’t be too careful these days,” Sadie said.
Bear shrugged. “I get it.”
“Appreciate that.” Sadie paused while the scowling waitress brought him and Maria a pair of coffee cups and filled them to the brim. Once she left without asking if they needed anything else, Sadie continued. “Why’d you take the long way home, Bear?”
“Can’t a guy take a vacation?”
“We both know that’s not what you were doing.”
He didn’t deny it. After Sadie had let Bear out of her sights, he could’ve gone straight home. Instead, he flew to London and started putting out feelers. Thorne asking if he’d talked to Jack lately made Bear want to go on the offensive. Jack had disappeared before, but nothing like this.
No one knew where he was.
No. One.
Jack and Bear had known each other for long enough that they had several contingency plans in place. Bear didn’t know all of Jack’s hideouts, but he knew most of them. He knew who Jack would go to if he needed help. He knew where he would leave him messages if he could.
But there was nothing to find. It was like Jack had just slipped out of existence.
That meant one of two things. Either Noble had needed to go deep underground, or someone else had gotten to him first. Neither situation sat well with Bear.
“I was looking for Jack,” he said. There was no point in hiding the truth. Sadie already knew the answer. “No leads.”
Sadie took a long sip of her coffee, but Bear still saw the way her lips turned downward. He didn’t know what was going on between them, whether they were just friends or something more, but he knew they cared about each other. She’d help him if she could.
She set her cup on the table. “I haven’t heard anything either. And that’s not why I asked you here today.”
“Why am I getting the feeling I’m not going to like what comes next?” Bear sat up, realizing he’d been conned. He looked over at Maria and waited for her to make eye contact. “Were you in on this?”
“Not intentionally,” Sadie said as Maria’s cheeks reddened. “We planted the idea in her head hoping she’d reach out to you.”
Maria threw her hands out. “Because telling me to get in contact with Bear would’ve been too easy, right?”
“We have to be careful.” Sadie kept her eyes on Bear. “I don’t know what’s going on here, Bear. That makes me uncomfortable.”
“Well I’m here now.” He leaned back and drained his mug. “Fill me in.”
4
Bear landed at Heathrow just after 7 a.m. local time. He stifled a yawn, and stretched as soon as he was off the plane. He felt hungover thanks to the pill cocktail he took to ease his anxiety prior to taking off. It hadn’t exactly been an easy rest, but he’d at least slept for the majority of the eight hours it took to get to London. It didn’t hurt that Sadie had sprung for business class.
As he made his way to customs, he replayed their conversation in his head. What she had told him lined up with what little information Maria had shared. A few agents had gone missing in the London area, presumably because Maria had unintentionally given them bad intel.
What made the whole situation more interesting, and the reason why Bear had decided to hop on yet another plane, was that these agents had been Sadie’s operatives. They were in London to aid MI5 in terrorism control in the city and had appeared to have been used in an unsanctioned operation. The whole deal had Thorne written all over it, and while it wasn’t much to go on, it was the only lead Bear had on Jack’s possible location.
But it was a thin thread. Thorne wasn’t going to talk, they all knew that, and there was no evidence that what had gone down in London was in any way connected to Jack. Then again, it was clearly something Thorne was trying to do under the radar. Both Bear and Sadie figured if it didn’t lead to Jack, it would at least help bury Thorne that much deeper.
So Bear slid through customs without a hitch thanks to the documents Sadie had provided him. He trusted she had his best interests in mind, and even if she didn’t, he trusted she was a good agent. At least this time she had met him face-to-face prior to dragging him into another situation. He had to respect that.
She’d tried to apologize again, but he’d waved her off. Having Thorne locked up had made it all worth it, not to mention they now knew something was going on with Jack. Bear couldn’t help wondering how long it would’ve taken him to realize Noble was missing if Thorne hadn’t tipped them off.
His second biggest question—after where the hell was Jack?—was why Thorne had said anything at all. The guy clearly didn’t have all his marbles, even if he was a brilliant spy. Bear couldn’t believe Thorne had tipped them off to help, which meant it was a trap. Or, worse yet, it was playing right into a bigger scheme he couldn’t even see yet.
Bear shook the feeling and walked up to the rental car counter and got the cheapest car he could find. Part of him wanted to check out the more expensive rides, but he knew if he saw them, he wouldn’t be able to resist. Sadie was footing the bill for this little trip, after all. But he needed to blend in, and a well-used and moderately priced vehicle would do the trick. He’d tried to tell this to Noble time
and again, but Jack enjoyed the Audi lineup way too much.
Car keys in hand, Bear walked out through the door and into the English air. It was nearing the end of April, which meant the weather could go either way. Today, it was a little cloudy, but relatively warm. It had just rained, and the moisture clung to his skin. Still, it felt refreshing compared to the stuffy seat he’d crossed the Atlantic in.
He didn’t linger before getting his vehicle and heading away from the airport. He was only five minutes out when Sadie called. Right on time. So far they were off to a smooth start, but he knew better than to bank on this being an easy job.
He sat the phone on his lap and put it on speaker and answered.
Sadie’s voice came through loud and clear. “How was the flight?”
“Pretty terrible from what I remember of it.”
Sadie chuckled. “You need to get over the flying thing, Bear.”
“Yeah, yeah. I’ll get over it when I’m dead.”
“Let’s hope that’s a long time from now.” The sound of papers being shuffled in the background filled the silence. “Everything else going smoothly?”
“Yep. Just wanted to thank you for setting me up in this nice BMW. I’m not used to traveling in style.”
“Hilarious. We both know you’re not that stupid.”
“Yeah, but sometimes I wish I was.” Bear looked out over the hood of his little Hyundai and frowned. “They never seem to make cars big enough for me.”
“One of these days, Bear. One of these days.”
“But not today.”
“Not today.” Sadie paused. “I have a contact for you.”
Bear straightened up as best he could in the tiny vehicle. “I’m all ears.”
“He’s a little flighty, so make sure you’ve got some cash on you.”
“Are you sure he’s even going to show then?”
“He’ll be there. He’s reliable. He just gets spooked easily.”
“Great.” Bear changed lanes and checked his mirrors. It seemed like an average day. For now. “It’s not like people tend to get spooked around me, or anything.”
“He knows to look for you. Not by name, just general description. He’ll meet you at a restaurant. Just grab something at the bar and wait. He’ll approach you.”
“What kind of information does he have?”
“He said he could fill you in about the comings and goings of the agents before they disappeared.”
Bear gripped the wheel tighter. “Any reason why he didn’t just pass that information on to you?”
“Like I said, he’s a little paranoid. He only works face-to-face, and I’m not going to be there for another day or so. I’ve got a lot of paperwork to deal with first.”
“Maybe it’s a trap.”
Sadie didn’t respond right away. “Possibly, but I doubt it. This guy’s helped me out before. I trust him.”
Bear checked his mirrors again before answering. He could already feel the paranoia settling in. “Thorne’s smart...”
“We both know that. But this is the best I have for now, Bear. I’ll keep digging.” She shuffled some papers again. “I’ll text you the address.”
“Copy that.”
Bear drew in a deep breath and slowly let it out. He liked being able to travel as much as he did—slip in and out of crowds unnoticed. He liked the freedom of working just outside the lines of society. It was exciting. Better yet, it was liberating.
But paranoia constantly threatened to steal those feelings away. He had been looking forward to not having to look over his shoulder for a couple of months. He was smart, he knew that, but Thorne had already proven he was typically one step ahead of them.
And Bear couldn’t shake the feeling this was one of those times.
5
Against his better judgment, Bear made his way into a restaurant named Cataldi’s. Searing steak overwhelmed his senses. He fought against his knotting stomach to take in the rest of the place. It was all rough-sawn hardwood floors, seasoned by age and use. The lights were slightly dimmed, but still bright enough so aging eyes could read the menu without anyone complaining loudly for the other customers to hear. It felt like a family establishment, decorated haphazardly but with plenty of love.
Bear made his way over to the bar and sat down, cataloging everyone he passed along the way. The dinner rush had ended an hour or two ago. Now the restaurant was just full of stragglers and regulars. There was a family of four in the corner, a few older men at the bar, and one or two young couples sharing a drink along the opposite wall. No one looked like they were there for him.
Rustling behind the bar drew Bear’s attention. He leaned forward and saw a woman rifling through boxes on one of the shelves. She had raven hair that fell to the middle of her back and a lean, athletic frame. She wasn’t someone you’d want to piss off.
After a moment she stopped, put her hands on her knees, and stood up so quickly she almost knocked heads with Bear.
“Can I help you?” she asked, looking him up and down. Her eyes were bright with suspicion.
Something about the woman’s frustration made Bear feel like he was looking in on something private. “Fullers?”
Her face remained immobile. “I don’t work here.”
Before Bear could ask her what she was doing behind the bar, a man stepped out of the back, wiping his hands on a rag.
“They’re back here, Sasha.”
Sasha cast another glance at Bear before walking into the back without another word.
“Be with you in a moment,” the man said.
Bear nodded and watched as the two of them disappeared behind the doors. He noted the encounter with the woman, but didn’t think much of it. He had more important things to worry about.
A minute or two later, the man from the back emerged and Bear asked for his beer again. Once it was placed in front of him, he took a long pull and swept his eyes around the restaurant for a second time. One or two people had swapped out with new customers, but Bear was sure none of them were his contact.
By the time Bear had finished his second beer, he had half a mind to call Sadie and tell her the contact was a no-show. But just as he put his hand in his jacket, someone bathed in cheap aftershave slid onto the stool next to him.
The man held up his hand for the barkeep. “Guinness, please.”
Bear kept silent. He wasn’t about to break the ice between them on the off chance this guy really just wanted a beer while sitting next to a large American man in a mostly empty bar. If the guy was as paranoid as Sadie said he was, Bear wasn’t going to do anything to risk putting him on edge.
The man waited until he had his beer and the bartender returned to the back room. He didn’t turn toward Bear when he asked, “Mr. Logan, I presume?”
His accent was rough, like a mix between the kind of English the Queen would scoff at and something from Eastern Europe. Without looking at him, Bear couldn’t place his ethnicity. Given how paranoid this guy was supposed to be, maybe that was on purpose. Was the accent even real?
Bear tipped his head. “And what should I call you?”
“Mr. Jones is fine.”
“You’re late.”
Mr. Jones took a swig of his beer. “Had to be careful. Didn’t want any unexpected company.”
“Are you expecting some?”
The man shrugged. “The second you’re not expecting it—”
“It shows up,” Bear finished.
Mr. Jones raised his glass. “You got cash for me?”
“You got information for me?”
Bear turned toward Mr. Jones for the first time and studied his face. He was older than Bear had expected. His face was dark and weathered, like he’d worked outside in the sun his whole life. Gray hair fell down to the tops of his ears, and a gray beard covered the majority of his face. Bear had a feeling that if he cut his hair and shaved the beard, he’d look like someone completely different. That was probably the point.
�
�Money first,” Mr. Jones said. “Our mutual contact knows the deal. I figured she’d pass that information on to you.”
“Our mutual contact is more trusting than I am.”
Mr. Jones shrugged and drained the rest of his beer and slid one foot to the floor. “You need the information more than I need the money, friend. It’s up to you.”
Bear gritted his teeth and pulled an envelope from his jacket. He didn’t miss the way Mr. Jones twitched. “I don’t have time for your bullshit.”
Mr. Jones at least had the decency not to look pleased when he won their little standoff. Instead he pocketed the cash and slid a piece of paper toward Bear. “That’s the address where they had been coming and going for weeks.”
Bear peeked at it to make sure it wasn’t blank, and then pocketed it. He didn’t recognize the area.
“Their routine was pretty regular. Too regular, if you ask me.”
“What do you mean?”
“Routine breeds complacency. If anyone wanted to go after them, they’d be easy to find.” Mr. Jones took another sip of his Guinness before he continued. “Out by nine, back by lunch, out again an hour later. They’d return home around dinnertime, or on occasion, they’d come back by midnight. Never later. They ordered a lot of Indian food. And then it all just stopped.”
“When was this?”
“A couple weeks ago. Honestly, I expected someone to come looking for them right away. But no one did. I figured they had moved on until our mutual contact came asking about them.”
“Why were you watching them to begin with?” Bear asked.
Mr. Jones smiled. “I don’t think you need that information, Mr. Logan.”
Bear could tell he was gonna hit a brick wall with this guy. He finished the rest of his drink and threw a couple bills down on the bar. “How do I find you again?”
Mr. Jones’ eyebrows knitted together, but he never lost the sparkle in his eye. “Why would you need to find me again?”
“In case things go sideways.” Bear paused. “Or in case you lied to me.”