by Fritz Galt
“And there was no Friday night.”
“My birthday did not happen. I am still twenty-four.”
He put his hands on the young woman’s shoulders. “Listen, you have a decision to make.” It felt like he was proposing to her all over again. “Either we go back in that cave and look for Jade and Earl, or we hightail it back to Beijing.”
“Hightail?”
He tapped his watch. “We have just enough time to get married before six o’clock.”
She looked back at the cave, then at the airplane.
“I can’t promise you paradise on earth,” he said. “But I can promise you some good times ahead.”
She moved up to him and dug her hand in his pocket.
That was a new one. Kinda kinky, but he played along. Only a herd of sheep was there to watch.
He cocked an eyebrow at her, and she twisted her lips into a smile.
Then, just as abruptly as she attacked his pants, she removed her hand and stepped back.
“Huh?”
She showed him her fingers. Her engagement ring was back in place.
“Oh.” On second thought, “Oh!”
She threw her arms around him. Her lips pressed against his and lingered there. Marriage was definitely back on the table.
He felt the short strands of her hair at the back of her neck and pulled her closer. She reciprocated with a moan, and the rest of the world seemed to melt away.
“Let’s make our tails high!” Then she turned and pulled him toward the airplane.
He did not resist, the wind at his back and her shapely form in his sights.
There was no stopping them now.
Epilogue
Marriage license in hand, May and Brad breathed a huge sigh of relief. They found a revolving restaurant overlooking Beijing and waited for friends to arrive.
First came President Qian, who was full of questions such as where the missing VIPs were. May told Qian that it was better if she didn’t tell him, and he had a sneaking suspicion why. She further informed him of his grandson’s death. He took the news well, considering Liang was his only heir.
Next they were joined by Mr. and Mrs. Skitowsky. Earl and Jade had arrived at Shangri-la after May and Brad had already come and gone, therefore their plane wasn’t sitting on the ground next to the Citation X when May and Brad emerged from the cave. The Skitowskys hugged the bride and groom and then got down to some serious drinking.
Late to arrive for the celebration were Igor Sullivan and a foxy gal named Linda. Brad was about to offer her the seat next to him when he realized that she was with his dad. Igor and Linda were excited about a promising new assignment together declassifying old documents at the CIA.
When President Qian showed Brad and May the Interpol Red Notice, they turned to Sullivan for support. He explained that the arrest warrant was issued by mistake, so Qian ripped it up and showered the room with the confetti.
Within a week, the French began rebuilding the Eiffel Tower. Its top was restored so well that it is impossible to tell it was ever damaged.
May received an invitation from President Qian to participate in a mission to the moon. She accepted and began training immediately.
Dr. Yu remained on leave. The research that waited on his desk fell to Brad. Included among the scientist’s scattered papers was a proposal for first-hand study of the cultural anthropology of space travel.
Meet the Authors
Fritz Galt and Steve Donaldson
Fritz Galt has lived in many parts of the world, including Cuba, Switzerland, Yugoslavia, Taiwan, India, China, Belgium and Mongolia. He lives with his family in Washington, DC. If you enjoy Brad West Spy Thrillers, then you might enjoy his Mick Pierce Spy Thrillers and his other International Mysteries and International Thrillers. For an in-depth look at Galt’s works, visit Fritz Galt’s Amazon author page.
Steve Donaldson lives with his family in Taos, New Mexico. He and Fritz met as English majors at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. Steve trained at Barnum and Bailey’s Clown College and worked as an entertainer at Disneyworld’s Epcot Center. He currently serves as a multimedia producer for IPC Video.
Also by Fritz Galt
Mick Pierce Spy Thrillers
Double Cross
Thunder in Formosa
Geneva Seduction
Fatal Sting
Brad West Spy Thrillers
Destiny of the Dragon
Mind Control
The Shangri-la Code
International Thrillers
The Trap
China Gate
The Accidental Assassin
Patient Zero
Comoros Moon (short stories)
International Crime Thrillers
The Maltese Cross
The Canton Connection
Chasing the Tiger
Other Novels
Summerville
Lost Cutlass
Stay in touch with Fritz Galt
See him on Amazon
See him on Facebook
Leave a Message
Visit his Website
View his Trailers
See him on Goodreads