by S A Ison
“I got us a genuine Geiger counter from an Army Surplus,” he said, grinning.
“Wow, that’s great. Hope it didn’t set you back much?” she said. He appreciated her concern, but could hear the excitement in her voice.
“No, not bad. I didn’t even think about visiting an Army Surplus until I saw it. I damn near wrecked the truck getting there,” he laughed.
“Good grief, don’t do that. That’s really cool, though. I wouldn’t have thought of it. I’m so new to this prepping game, really. Plus, new to the panic I feel when I think about POSEIDON.”
“I know, right? But I think we’ll learn more as we go. I should be there in a couple days. I’ll drive another hour or so, then stop for the night. I’ll let you know when I get close. Hope you have a better night and get some rest. And listen, I want to apologize again for bringing up your ex-husband. I’ve been kicking myself for it ever since.”
She laughed, and oh, how he loved her laugh.
“Look Pike, don’t worry. When I stopped traveling, I chose Maryville. I have to say, it’s the best thing that happened to me.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I fell in love with this place, especially Lake Mozingo. We’d stopped here a few times. It was such a quaint little place, you know and the people seemed friendly. Bobby passed through, but it just became less and less frequent. So, I divorced him and decided to stay on. I think it was the best decision I’ve ever made. Especially now, with all this business about POSEIDON.”
“Yeah. I guess it’s funny how life works out. I would have never in a million years have chosen Maryville, had never even heard of it until you told me where you lived. But I have to say, it looks like the perfect place, especially being smack in the middle of the country. Way the hell away from oceans.” Pike laughed.
“So, you see, things have worked out for the best for both of us. Never feel like you can’t bring up Bobby or anything else, okay?”
“Okay, thanks Margo. You’re the best. Get some rest. I’ll call you soon.” He grinned and hung up, pleased with himself. He was thrilled to be going to see her.
Though the reason was a horrible one, he couldn’t hate the thought of being near her again, no matter the cause. Down boy, he told himself. It was difficult to reign in the excitement. But she didn’t need the burden of his crush. He inhaled deeply and blew out. The farther he drove, the better he felt.
The tension and stress that he’d been holding onto since reading that damned article was starting to melt away with each mile he drove farther from the cost. Each day closer, each hour closer, he could feel his body relaxing. The fear waning. He wondered if all that fear would tear his body apart. He’d not known this kind of stress ever.
Now if I can only get my lust under control. He laughed at himself. You are such a romantic idiot.
CHAPTER FIVE
Moscow, Russia, 31 July 2018
Dina walked across the hall and down past Alexei Borin’s office. She’d been elusive, ensuring he’d see her, but only just as she was leaving or out of reach. Today, she would be caught. She smiled to herself as she walked down the hall. She was wearing high heels, but had broken one of the heels to hold until she was passing by him.
Enveloping her was a subtle, yet provocative, perfume. It had cost her a fortune, but she was paid well by the agency. The money was under her late mother’s name, and she was able to draw on it without suspicion. Her skirt was black with a slit that, when the material was pulled tight, would open up to reveal red lace panties. The blouse she wore was white silk and very soft to the touch. She smiled to herself. She knew she looked good.
She wanted to make sure that all Alexei Borin’s senses were provoked. She wanted him to feel her body as he helped her up. She wanted him to smell the soft, heady perfume she wore. She had to make this work. And she couldn’t get caught. Her job was only to seduce him and get into his bed. With the aim of gathering intel, of course. She was glad she didn’t have to kill him. She’d be the first on their list.
Let’s hope I don’t have to go that far. She was pretty sure they’d let her perish in a cell. If they were callous enough to use a child, they’d not think twice about leaving her to die. The Americans were a peculiar lot. She thought back to when she’d been recruited.
An impressionable sixteen-year-old, she’d met a handsome young man, an American. Gregg Green. She fell madly in love with him. Larger than life, blond and blue-eyed, he was very charming. He lived next door in her apartment block.
The first time she met him, they were down in the laundry room. He said he attended the university on an exchange program. She was thrilled to talk to him and practice her English. And help him practice his Russian.
After that first meeting, they spent quite a lot of time together, though he never stepped over the line. He was a gentleman, older than her by a few years. He kissed her on a few occasions, which always sent her heart fluttering, and brought her small gifts. Trinkets schoolgirls love. After nearly a year, he disappeared. She went to his apartment, but her knock brought no response. She returned every hour, but nothing. After three days, she knew something was terribly wrong. She was devastated.
At seventeen, she grieved as only a seventeen-year-old girl can do: drama and lots of tears. One night, some three months later, she heard someone in Gregg’s apartment and went over to investigate. There were two American men, looking through Gregg’s things.
“Who are you? Why’re you taking Gregg’s things? Get out! He might come back.” She started crying, was becoming hysterical. Then one of the men clasped his hand over her mouth, “Gregg’s dead,” he whispered. “Your secret police took him away.” She froze to the spot, and her legs nearly gave out.
The men sat her on the couch and told her that Gregg had been working for them. They were a research company. Dina knew better. They were spies. She’d watched movies and the news. The news was always boasting about catching spies. Their country was rife with them.
They told her that Gregg had mentioned her, that he’d told them he loved her and wanted to marry her. Her heart at first soared, and then plummeted, at the news. She wanted to die. Now, much older, she laughed at her teenage self. Such drama.
The men then offered to pay for her college tuition if she would later work for them to avenge Gregg’s murder. They demanded that she keep it secret.
She’d been so foolish, then, and said yes. Years later, she’d wondered at the callousness of those men, using a young girl’s love like that. She hadn’t known what she’d been committing herself to, but once she’d realized it, it was too late.
Ah well, the past’s the past and you can’t change it. She cleared her mind as she walked up the hall. She needed to focus on the task at hand.
She spotted Alexei up some distance from her, so she followed at a discrete distance. She got into position, and when she knew she was in his sights, she let her heel go and fell heavily to the ground. She landed hard, smacking her knee, and the painful cry she uttered was real. The papers she’d been carrying scattered across the waxed gray floor. Several of those nearby turned and gawked down at her, but none moved to help her up.
Then strong arms folded around her and helped her to sit up. Tears blurred her vision. They weren’t quite necessary, but the pain in her knee made them easier to produce. Through them, she saw it was Borin holding her. His eyes widened, and she knew she had him. She smiled internally.
“Are you all right, my dear? Are you hurt?” he said, his voice deep and concerned, his hazel eyes riveted to her.
“I don’t know. I hurt my knee, and I think my ankle.” She sniffed delicately.
His arms went beneath her and he lifted her easily. She took advantage of this intimate interaction and wrapped her slender arms around his shoulders. She continued to moan softly as he carried her down the corridor, resting her head on his broad shoulder, letting her long hair cascade over his arm.
The shipping company was a big place, and he carried h
er for quite some way before arriving at his office. She was very pleased with herself. Now the real work began. He took her over to a beautiful leather couch and sat her upon it. She let her arms linger around his neck just a moment longer than necessary. Then, disengaging herself, she wiped at her tears. He handed her a crisp white, very expensive, cotton handkerchief. Only the best for Borin.
Her low position in research and development allowed her greater latitude in moving about freely; no one really paid attention to her. Now she faced the full force of his attention. Her heart fluttered. Her eyes followed him as he went to the credenza to pour her a glass of whisky.
Dina inhaled deeply, exhaled slowly. She had Alexei, and it was now up to her to gather the intel they needed on the POSEIDON project. She smiled, letting her lips tremble a bit, as she accepted the crystal tumbler from Alexei’s strong hand. She sipped delicately at the amber liquid. It felt good as it burned down her throat.
Like the whisky, she hoped this operation would go smoothly.
Washington, D.C., 31 July 2018
Hamish woke to the chirping ringtone of the phone. He grabbed the phone as he clambered out of bed, placing his thumb over the identifier as he did so. The call came through. A code was given and challenged, and then another set of clicks sounded before he was speaking to one of his assets on Russian soil.
“Mermaid is in place,” said the disembodied voice.
“I expect sitreps daily. Also, copy to Milton in Analysis. See what we can glean. Out.” He hung up the phone. Lying back down, he smiled to himself. Dina was in place. That was good. Very good. He’d waited two years for this, and not a moment too soon. His other assets were coming up with nothing. Everyone was tightlipped over there.
It had been a hard wait, but they were in. She’d been taught by the best spymaster, and whatever she gave them would be gold, no matter how small a nugget. Each bit of intel helped to build the bigger picture, helped to solve the puzzle. It was an ongoing task, and when he retired or moved on, his replacement would pick up where he left off as he had done.
His predecessor had seen to it that there were several female assets who could work up into the highest levels of government and industry. Any intel was good intel. Spying was a slow game, the long game. There was a chance they’d learn nothing. But, now that Mermaid was in, there was at least a chance.
He’d take whatever he could get. She was in, and the ball was rolling. He’d let Jenson know in the morning, and keep her apprised if anything notable were to come up. She wasn’t a micromanager, thank God. He’d run across too many of those in his career. They tended to hamstring the players.
He got up and went downstairs to their small, elegant kitchen. Opening the fridge, he looked in. There wasn’t anything he wanted. He pulled out the quart of milk, opened it, and sniffed. Drinking out of the container, he let out a satisfied burp and put it back in the fridge. The floor was a little cold and his toes curled.
He crept back to bed. Thankfully Mark hadn’t woken up. He smiled. Being married had certainly changed his life. His husband was a tenured professor at Georgetown, an exceptionally brilliant man. They’d met in college, at Georgetown, in fact. At first their private lives had been lived in the shadows, but now they lived and loved as most couples did.
It didn’t hurt, his blending into the scenery. Poor Mark was as bland and unremarkable-looking as himself. He grinned. Two unremarkable men with remarkable minds. He liked that thought. He fluffed his pillow and went back to sleep, a smile on his unremarkable face. Things were finally looking up with regards to POSEIDON.
Hamburg, IA, 1 August 2018
Life sure is funny, Mikey thought. Life was so boring in this dump, you had to make your own fun. There just wasn’t a lot to do. He did a lot of robberies with Kalvin. That was always a win-win in his book. But something was missing. The thrill of it.
Mikey blew smoke out of his nose. He felt so relaxed. He looked down. Julia lay beside him, staring at him. He smiled down at her, making his blue eyes sparkle. Lifting a finger, he gently caressed her jawline. She was very pretty, and young. He liked them young, though the woman he’d met at the bar had been nice too. What was her name? He couldn’t seem to remember.
Julia had been coming out of a lingerie shop when he first saw her.
So, for nearly three months, he followed her and watched her. A week ago, he’d approached her at a café. They’d flirted and exchanged numbers.
And finally, they’d gone out. It had been worth it.
He frowned. Her eyes were filled with tears. He leaned over and gently wiped them away, then kissed her on the nose. “I’m sorry I was so rough. You just drove me to it,” he said, though he really didn’t mean it. He knew women liked to hear it, though.
He grinned, his eyes roaming every curve of her face. She was quite lovely. “You know, I waited a week before calling you? It was really hard, but I’m glad I waited.” He smiled. He took a long drag from his cigarette. “Sorry about dinner. I know I said we were going out for Chinese, but I couldn’t wait to get you here.”
Julia whimpered a little, her eyes large and luminous. She didn’t say anything, though. She kept looking into his eyes, searching.
“Look, you shouldn’t have fought me. I like it, don’t get me wrong, but the more you fight, the more I want you. I can’t help myself.” He grinned and leaned down to kiss her mouth. “See, and you’re already learning not to pull away. I know you women. You like it rough and tough, though you say otherwise. I saw your face. You loved it.” He snickered. He reached over and pinched her nipple, eliciting a whimper. His grin grew bigger.
“Two days with you and I’m a happy man. And baby, you still make my heart beat fast.” He leaned his head down and bit her nipple. She cried out.
He raised his head up and sighed. “Now, I know what you’re thinking, but I’d say you should reconsider.”
“What… what am I thinking?” Julia asked, her voice trembling.
His grin grew. They always did this. He sniggered. So predictable, but that was what he loved about them. “You think that, when I drive you home, you’ll maybe call a friend and that friend will say, ‘Call the police.’ But you shouldn’t. Tell a friend, I mean.”
He ran his tongue along her neck. She trembled. That excited him, but he had a shift coming up and he needed to go to work. He was a punctual man and knew the importance of keeping a low profile. No questions got pointed in his direction.
“Look. We had a great time, and more than likely I’ll never bother you again. I do know where you live: 48 Crescent Drive, apartment 302, and I know where you keep that spare key. You know, you shouldn’t do that. I made a duplicate as easy as that. I think you have a very nice apartment too, by the way. I like that you’re a big reader, though too many romance novels for my taste.”
He laughed when her dark eyes widened, and he watched as liquid fear rushed across them. He never tired of seeing that, it always gave that certain rush that made him feel invincible. He’d never found a substitute for it. Not booze, not drugs, and certainly not consensual sex. Boring.
“I… I w-won’t tell anyone, I promise,” she stuttered.
“That’s good. I’ll be watching you, you know, to make sure you mind your Ps and Qs. I have a couple of friends who’ll take exception should the police show up at my apartment. They won’t like it, and if you meet them, I know you won’t like it,” he lied smoothly.
This was how one got away with whatever one wanted. Tell a girl it is over, but if she tells, then she’s in big trouble. Shuts them up every time. He sighed happily, and looked at the clock. He’d have to uncuff her soon. He needed to get going, but maybe just one more go around. He was feeling especially romantic; she’d been a good ride.
He drew in the cigarette with a long inhalation, then put the hot glowing end near her tender skin. He stared at the orange glow hypnotically.
Julia began to whimper, music to his ears.
St. Marys, GA, 1 August 2018
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Beverly was about to show the beautiful waterfront property to her new clients. She was excited because this home was well over a million and her commission would be handsome.
She smiled engagingly and opened the impressive front door.
“Oh my, this is a lovely foyer. What did you say the square footage was?”
“This home is twenty-three thousand square feet. It was built in 2015, so it’s updated. Turnkey if there’s nothing cosmetic you want to change,” she purred.
“This’s really lovely. Have they had any problems with flooding, you know, from hurricanes?” the woman asked, her head turning around on a swivel, trying to take everything in at once.
“Jessy, this house is well above sea-level,” Beverly said, grinning, “and as you saw outside, it sits on ten-foot support structures. The windows are hurricane proof with lovely shutters. The roof is also hurricane rated and very secure. Jessy, this is one of the safest homes in the area.”
“Oh, that does sound safe,” Jessy said brightly.
“Why don’t you and Mark go and look around.”
Turning away from the couple, Beverly went to the glass doors that opened out onto the deck that faced the estuary. It was a beautiful afternoon. She turned her face into the sun and smiled. They really seemed to like the house and she was glad for it.
She’d been feeling unsettled since Pike’s departure. After he’d left, she’d gone online and looked around for his machine. She’d found it. The articles looked real, but she just wasn’t sure. There were all kinds of spoofs out there. She sighed heavily. She wanted to call Pike up and give him a piece of her mind. It was his fault she felt so unsettled.
What am I supposed to do? Tell these people not to buy because one of these days someone is going to drop a bomb? She snorted. Right. Then she’d have as few properties as that idiot Pike. She’d lose her nice home and then what? Damn that Pike anyway.