by J C Ryan
“I think that went rather well,” he said, smiling, when his friend entered the room. Unbeknownst to the Russian, a concealed camera had transmitted the proceedings to a closed-circuit TV in an adjoining room, and Laurent had heard and seen everything.
“I agree. Do you think he’ll be here after lunch?”
“Not a chance. He’s got to go home and clean house, and he knows I’ll release this video if he rattles so much as a paring knife, let alone a saber.”
“How will he save face?”
“He’ll send a politely-worded message via his ambassador that he’s been called home suddenly, and he’ll leave the rest of his delegation to talk about meaningless matters. He’s done with this ploy, and he knows it.”
When the time came for them to reconvene their talks, Aguillard was amused to see the ambassador ushered in instead of Markov. The man was visibly upset, but he was trying to hide it.
“Mr. President, I must convey my profound apologies, and those of my President. He has been called back to Russia on an urgent matter. He asks that you allow me to continue our trade talks. Unfortunately, I am not up to speed on what was on the table this morning.”
“Please do not concern yourself. I will withdraw in favor of my secretary of state, and the two of you may continue the talks. I understand President Markov’s position completely. Urgent matters at home, of course.”
His eyes twinkled as he continued. “We had just concluded that my answer on the pipeline for Russneft is final. There will be no pipeline. Your President agreed to drop the matter once and for all.”
It was at the tip of his tongue to mention the five Russian prisoners held by the DGSI in a Paris jail, but he stopped short.
Let them crawl to us when they find out about it.
Giles Aguillard, although he was a near-narcissist at the best of times, was a very relieved and very grateful man. And there were two names that came up in his mind, Margot Lemaire, who proved to be a much better person than he could ever hope to be and who would be a great President for France in the future; and the second name was Rowan Donnelly. With that man’s almost divine intervention, a dramatic disaster was averted.
Chapter 68
Lyon, France
REX AND MARGOT, of course, were never married. The marriage certificate Rex had sent to Laurent was a fake. Margot had gone along with it, pretending it was a great joke. Although, Margot quietly acknowledged to herself she would have been a very happy woman if they were married. And if Rowan Donnelly, or whatever his true name was, would’ve asked, she would have said yes—without hesitation, even though she knew so little about him. She’d come to love him as her hero and a wonderful man, no matter what his secrets were. But she sensed he still had unfinished business elsewhere, and unless she missed her guess, there was another woman, somewhere. One who might be the lucky woman someday, if he could put his ghosts to rest.
Margot suspected she would never hear the full story, so she firmly told herself it was not to be between them. I’ll survive it.
However, she wanted his contributions acknowledged somehow, and she told Giles so at the first opportunity.
Giles had called to apologize unreservedly for acting like an ass, his words. Margot forgave him, though she wouldn’t ever forget. Their affair was well and truly over, and she would never be so foolish as to become involved with a married man again.
She realized they still thought a lot alike, though, when he told her he would like to convey some honor on Rowan for his efforts to protect her. He would have Lucien call to confer with her on what it should be.
She swallowed a lump in her throat.
She’d had time to think about it while Rowan was in Russia. She’d had enough time to conclude he had something in his past he wanted to hide, but she would not reveal that suspicion to anyone, not even her Uncle Lucien.
“Let me think about it,” she replied. “Tell Uncle Lucien to give me a few hours.”
“Once again, Margot, my deepest apologies.”
Aguillard’s apology and his gratitude to Rowan went a long way toward restoring her esteem for him.
“I’ll leave it to you and Lucien, then,” he said. “I would ask only that your Monsieur Donnelly be willing to meet with me in person to receive the honor you and Lucien come up with. Au revoir, Margot. I look forward to your return to service.”
“Au revoir, Giles.”
***
TRUE TO HER word, Margot gave the matter of how to appropriately reward Rowan focused and grave thought. It was impossible to tell from his accent where he was from. Certain mannerisms, though, made her suspect he was American, and his skills further convinced her he might have been a former CIA field agent or Special Forces or black ops operator or a spy.
It must have been something terrible that happened in the past that made him so secretive. Maybe he was a wanted man in his own country, although she couldn’t think of why he would be. The one thing she knew beyond the shadow of a doubt was that he was an honorable man. And the only way she would ever know more was to ask, but she’d already learned that the only answer she’d get was, ‘that’s not important to know for now.’
However, it gave her an idea for what the appropriate reward could be. What if they conveyed French citizenship on him? It would have to be in secret, of course. But if he agreed, there would be at least one country on earth where he had a legal name, a legal passport, where he could call it home if he wished, and he could enjoy the protection of the government as it would protect all its citizens.
When Laurent called to discuss it, she was ready. “Convey French citizenship on him, and give him a passport. But it must be in secret.”
“But, my dear, why would he want that? Surely, he is a legal citizen somewhere. Do you know whether he would accept?”
“I’ll persuade him to accept. He could hold dual citizenship if he wants,” she answered.
“Very well, but how will we do it? Especially if it is to be done in secret.”
“I’ve given that some thought, too. You know he was wounded in Russia, yes? Not to mention the injuries he received in Vietnam and in Geneva. But in Russia, he was shot. He’s still recovering.
“It’s very simple. You use the provision for Français par le sang verse, ‘French by spilled blood’, to convey citizenship on a Legionnaire.”
Margot had looked it up. Since 1999, France had been using Article 7 of the Code du legionnaire, “Never leave your wounded and your dead behind,” as the basis for a law that every member of the French Foreign Legion could, on request, obtain citizenship if wounded. Even their underage children, if these men were killed in action, could apply for and obtain citizenship.
“But, he is not…”
“Oh, for Heaven’s sake, Uncle Lucien! Think creatively. His induction into the Legion can be backdated, and his discharge for reasons of having been wounded can be accelerated. Don’t tell me that between you and Giles, you can’t accomplish something so simple?”
Lucien conceded that it was possible. He’d confer with Aguillard and determine his feelings about it. Margot agreed to do the same with Rowan.
***
A WEEK LATER, his arm still in a sling, ‘Rowan Donnelly’ stood in the presence of both Giles Aguillard and Lucien Laurent in the formal guest reception room of the Lemaire family’s farmhouse. The Lemaire family was in attendance, but no one else, at Rowan’s request. He had heard Margot’s proposition with bemusement, and to her surprise, he’d accepted, but only if Digger received a commendation as well.
The ceremony was simple. At Lucien’s direction, he signed first a backdated application to become a French Legionnaire, then the induction papers, and then the honorable discharge. When that was done, he’d stood back while Aguillard made a short speech to convey his deepest appreciation for what Rowan Donnelly had done in service of France, her President, and one of her most beloved citizens. He’d allowed a ribbon with a flashy medal to be hung around his neck, and then watched
as Digger, on full alert, also received a medal hung about his neck on a matching ribbon.
Digger still had some disdain for this man who’d threatened Margot. Like an elephant, dogs never forget, though they can forgive. He’d probably taken his cue from Rex’s and Margot’s behavior toward the man.
Afterward, Lucien slipped Rex an official passport. Margot saw a brief smile as Rowan opened it and saw what she knew was there—his name as Rowan Donnelly. She was certain he enjoyed the irony.
Adele, with happy tears in her eyes, invited everyone to enjoy a buffet repast that she’d worked on ever since the arrangements were made. For Digger, she had a big steak, and his happiness showed when he allowed Giles to scratch behind his ears and give him a pat.
***
A COUPLE OF days later, Rex walked with Margot on the grounds. He was leaving, but he wanted her to know he would always be there for her if she needed him. In truth, he’d come to admire her courage, and he had a fondness for her that made it difficult to say goodbye. He also suspected she’d developed more than fondness for him, though she hadn’t said anything.
Rex knew that sometimes it was better if things were left unsaid.
He hated to leave her without anything but good memories of him, but the fact she hadn’t spoken made it awkward for him to express that thought. So, as they walked, with Digger pacing beside them, he told her she didn’t need him anymore. Her family would protect her, Aguillard would protect her, and in any case, the Russians had given up their efforts to abduct her.
There was no reason to believe she was in danger anymore.
He handed her a slip of paper with a special email address on it. He’d asked Rehka to set up a secure email box where Margot could get in touch if she ever needed anything from him. “You can reach me here. But, Margot, I’m sure you’ve guessed that I’m a rolling stone. This is not for ongoing communication. You have your life to live, and I can’t be part of it. Message me if it’s important or you are in danger.”
“I understand, Rowan. If our paths should ever meet again, I hope it will be under more pleasant circumstances. I can’t even express how grateful I am to you. If I can ever repay…”
“Unnecessary,” he said, cutting her off. “Don’t even think about that. And thank you for giving me a reason to call France home. That was very kind.”
“You earned it.”
After that, there was nothing to say. Later that day, Margot waved as Rex and Digger stepped into a taxi on the way to the airport.
Epilogue
ON AN EVENING about five months later, Rex was immediately alarmed when the email account he had given to no one but Margot, pinged. There’d been no activity in the inbox before.
There was no text or subject for the email, only a picture of a newborn baby, looking like most other newborns, red, wrinkled, and a little annoyed at the sudden light.
He smiled and called Digger to look at the picture. The dog was unimpressed, but Rex had never understood exactly how dogs saw digital screens. Maybe if it had been a video, Digger would have been more interested.
The picture had a caption embedded: Rowena Lemaire. It provided her date of birth, but nothing else.
Rex memorized the date and started thinking about a present to send to his namesake.
He replied to the email with an icon of a man doing the happy dance followed by a string of big smiley faces and a heart.
~END~
Rex Dalton’s Next Adventure
Duty of Care
It’s Rome. It’s August. It’s early morning. It’s going to be a perfect day.
Rex and Digger are in Rome. They are at a trattoria not far from the famous Spanish Steps. Rex is hoping that Catia Romano, the woman he fell in love with four years ago, would make an appearance.
It’s been two years. Rex's memory stirs. He can see her auburn curls fall across her face, her blue eyes sparkling beneath her lashes and wonders if her smile still reaches them.
But then her image fades from his mind’s eye as his hand reaches for the vibrating phone and within seconds he knows that his plan to see Catia will come to nothing, as he listens with growing alarm to Rehka, his IT expert in India, telling him that former CRC colleagues of his, have been to her apartment and want to know where they could find him.
My cover is blown, my extended vacation is over, and John Brandt could be in perilous danger.
John Brandt, the CEO of CRC, whom they all referred to as the Old Man, has been abducted and they, CRC, need Rex’s help. It’s a matter of life and death.
Do I have a duty of care?
Just when he puts the phone down Catia is there. Prettier than ever, prettier than in his most romantic dreams of her. His eyes flicked to her hands, no rings.
Damn!
“Come on Digger,” he stood, grabbed Digger’s leash and walked away.
Damn!
Thus, begins another nerve-wracking quest for Rex and Digger to save someone. This time, someone from Rex’s past. A past which he is trying to escape from.
Also by JC Ryan
The Rossler Foundation Mysteries
http://myBook.to/RosslerFoundation
Here’s what readers are saying about the series:
“All in all, a brilliant series by a master of the techno thrillers turning old much debated mysteries into overwhelming modern engrossing sagas of adventure, heroism and a sense of awe for the many mysteries still unexplained in our universe. Enjoy!”
“I LOVED this series! It's readily apparent that the author drew from a large body of knowledge in writing this series. It's just believable enough to think it could happen someday, and in fact, aligns quite well with some of the current relationships that exist between present day countries and the USA.”
The Carter Devereux Mystery Thrillers
myBook.to/CarterDevereux
Here’s what readers are saying about the series:
“Omg this series is awesome. Full off adventure, action, romance, and suspense. I've you start reading you are hooked. Carter and all characters are awesome, you will fall in love with all of them they become like family. I love the way J C weaves the human and animals together in the story. Try it you will love it.”
“The best! What a joy to read these four books about Carter and Mackenzie Devereux bad their adventures. A very good read. I will look for more of JC Ryan's books.”
“Suspenseful! Fabulous just fabulous! I enjoyed reading these books immensely. I highly recommend these books. Bravo to the author! You won't regret it.”
“What a wonderful and intriguing book. Kept me glued to what was going to happen next. Not a normal read for me. But a very enjoyable series that I would recommend to everyone who likes adventure and thrills.”
The Exonerated
http://myBook.to/ExoneratedTrilogy
Here’s what readers are saying about the series:
“J.C. Ryan is an author that writes tomes. The great thing about that is that you get great character development and the plots are all intricate, plausible, suspenseful stories that seems to draw you in from the first scenario right up to the end.
The Exonerated series is no exception. Regan St. Clair is a judge. Together with Jake she has her own way in pursuing justice in ensuring that the legal system is applied ...well, justly.”
“What if you had the power to make a difference? Would you? Could you? What if in order to do so you had to join a super-secret organization that might not always play by the rules? What if you stumbled across this mysterious organization only to find out it had been polluted? What if you were a judge that has been worn out and disillusioned by the very justice system you thought you loved?”
“What a great series of books. It seemed like one book instead of three books. The story flowed seamlessly through the three books.”
Your Free Gift
No Doubt
Rex Dalton and his dog, Digger, visited the island of Olib in Croatia.
A girl was murdered.
/>
The police said it was her boyfriend who stabbed her to death, but Rex and Digger had no doubt they were making a big mistake.
Dalton decided to conduct his own investigation and bring the real killer to justice.
A thriller with quirks and twists that will keep you guessing until the end.
Get your free eBook here.
About JC Ryan
An interview with the author by the editor of Books 'N Pieces Magazine, http://www.altpublish.com/jc-ryan/
JC Ryan
Editor’s note: “JC Ryan and I enjoyed an extensive two-hour Skype session where we spoke of all manner of things, especially his ranking as an author. The visibility of an author is often at the hands of readers. If you look at JC’s ratings, each book enjoys several hundred or more four and five-star reviews, enough to make him notable, and on par with mainstream novelists. I encourage you to read one of his books, or listen to his audiobooks, now in production. You’ll be hooked.”