Angels Don't Die (Madeleine Toche Series Book 2) (20 page)

             
“Madeleine, I have other news,” Hartmann said. “The PLO has not only put a price on your head, I believe an assassin has been dispatched to eliminate you.”

             
“I thought that might happen,” Madeleine answered.  Do we know who it is, or the organization with which they’re affiliated?”

             
“My information comes directly from a highly trusted source. It seems several of the highest caliber assassins were offered the job and a substantial amount of money.”

             
“I’ve had a price on my head before,” Madeleine said.

             
“The highest the Gestapo ever placed, if I remember correctly,” Hartmann said.

             
“Yes, and they sent their best,” Madeleine said.

             
“I think it is safe to assume the person who agreed to take on the job will be very good,” Hartmann continued.

             
“What about the other shooters that were contacted?”  Ariel asked.

             
“They all declined,” Hartmann said bluntly.

             
“Out of respect?”  Ariel questioned.

             
“Out of fear,” Hartmann said.

             
“I’ll take the necessary precautions.  Jack knows the location of the new safe house.  He and the others will go there.  The assassin might be stalking me, as we speak.  I must eliminate the distraction before we can get Tracy out. Ariel, if I have to go to ground for a few days, contact Jack and John and familiarize them with the base and the plan of attack.  If I’m careless and I get killed, you must coordinate the attack.  John will lead.  If I’m not there, Jack will be distracted even if he doesn’t appear so.”  Madeleine passed a small scrap of paper to Hartmann with the address of the MI6 safe house. Hartmann memorized it and passed it to Ariel.  She too memorized the address and passed the note back to Madeleine.

             
“I’d better get back to the others.  I need to know they’re safe,” Madeleine said.

             
“What is your next move, Madeleine?”  Ariel asked.

             
“I will flush out my adversary.  Just like I was taught to do,” she said, nodding towards Hartmann.

             
“It is the prudent thing,” Hartmann answered.

             
“Ariel, I need a moment with the director before we leave.  I’ll be just a minute.”

             
Ariel stood and walked out of the room.  Madeleine waited until she left before addressing Hartmann.

             
“If I am out of communication and the others try to look for me, stop them.  Send them on the mission with Ariel, but get them away from here.  If necessary, I will draw my quarry out into the desert.”

             
“The Judea is as unforgiving as the Dead Sea.  Remember your training,” Hartmann said.

             
“I can’t say I like the desert, Berthold, but I have some experience,” Madeleine said.

             
“I remember how proud I was when I heard about your activities in North Africa.  I seem to remember that the French Foreign Legion fondly remembers that too,” Hartmann said.

             
“My intelligence on that mission couldn’t have been faultier.  I had to help the Legion once I knew of the impending attack.  I remember those men could fight,” Madeleine said.

             
“Everything out of Northern Africa was a mess in those days.  The balance of power seemed to shift there on a daily basis,” Hartmann said.

             
“The Legion is always on the side of France,” Madeleine said with a hint of pride in her voice.

             
“Even when they try to stage a coup,” Hartmann said with a chuckle, referring to the Legion’s failed coup attempt in 1961.

             
“That pompous de Galle should have known better,” Madeleine said, referring to the former French president. “He wanted to disband the Legion.”

             
“They were planning to assassinate him,” Hartmann said.

             
“From time to time, he needed assassinating,” Madeleine said glibly, walking around the desk and putting her hand on Hartmann’s shoulder.

             
“Be safe, daughter,” Hartmann said, laying his hand over hers.

             
“I will do my duty.”

             
“But this time it’s not for France.”

             
“It is always for France and for family,” Madeleine said, moving towards the door and the danger waiting outside.

CHAPTER THIRTY

Madeleine walked through the kitchen of the café without attracting anything other than a quick glance from a cook chopping vegetables.  He barely raised his head and motioned towards the front of the building with his chef’s knife.  Madeleine smiled in return, pretending she was lost, and walked towards the front.  Since leaving the director’s office, Madeleine had been formulating a plan to draw out her assailant.  She watched her surroundings with increased scrutiny and kept away from the busier areas of the market.  She was determined to separate herself from the others until she could eliminate the threat.  Before she stepped out from the interior of the café, she quickly scanned the tables to the sides and in front of her.  She knew better than anyone that the assassin wouldn’t stand out by appearance alone. It would be the person’s mannerisms, their orientation to their surroundings and the likely fact that they would be alone that would give them away. She saw John and the others and walked over to their table.

             
Amaya sat under the awning of a small cafe and watched as John, Jack and Karen were seated at a table on the far side of a café across the square. She couldn’t quite explain to herself why they caught her attention, but they did.  The long hours she’d spent observing, planning and then finally executing her hits had sharpened her eye.  The two men were middle aged but in good physical condition.  Long time military men move differently than civilians, their eyes seemed to scan and record, always looking for the possibility of an attack or other danger.  Amaya had seen men like this many times in security details. 

Even though these men were dressed as tourists, they wore military style boots.  That was out of the ordinary.  The woman with them took care to lean in towards the men when she spoke, most probably in an effort not to be overheard.  But it was when their companion arrived from inside the café that she knew.  Although the woman was plainly dressed and seemed to be wearing little if any makeup, she bore a strong resemblance to the woman in the picture she’d committed to memory. That was Madeleine Toche.

             
Amaya watched as Madeleine sat and began to speak softly making eye contact with the others.  Toche was doing all of the talking and it was reasonable to assume that she was either giving instructions or making a report.

             
“I see you Toche,” she whispered into her cup of tea, deciding that it wasn’t wise to move until she could separate Toche from the group.  She would be patient, but would not let her target out of her sight.

             
“What do we know?”  John asked, as Madeleine sat down.

             
“We have a highly probable location and the assistance of a highly skilled Mossad operative,” she answered, sitting in a chair that provided her with as wide an area of sight as possible.

             
“How soon can we move,” Jack said.

             
“The agent will be by to brief you shortly after you get settled into the safe house,” Madeleine said.

             
“Where will you be, Madeleine?” Karen said, picking up on the meaning of Madeleine’s words.

             
“There’s a problem.  Hartmann’s information is that instead of releasing Tracy as my actions have clearly suggested, they’re sending a cleaner out to ‘take care’ of me,” Madeleine said.

             
Jack squeezed his eyes shut briefly as Madeleine spoke. Although he had expected as much, it was much more disturbing when there was confirmation that an assailant was likely either nearby or on the way.

             
“We have to separate, Jack,” Madeleine said giving his hand a quick squeeze.  “I can’t go with you to the safe house until I’ve eliminated the threat.  If our enemy’s agent knows where we are, the entire mission is compromised.  It has to be this way.”

             
Jack nodded, “Nothing I say is going to change that, is it?”

             
“No.”

             
“Are you going to tell me your plan?”  Jack said sighing, knowing the answer.

             
“I will use myself as bait.”

             
“That’s it?” John said.

             
“Not knowing whether the shooter is male or female, old or young, or anything else, I’m going to have to draw them out.  I can’t do that if I have to worry about the three of you.  If something happens to me, you will be able to carry on and get Tracy out,” Madeleine said, looking at each of them.

             
“When do we split up?”  Karen asked.

             
“We should do it right now. I need to determine if the killer is here yet and deal with the problem so we can work on getting Tracy out,” Madeleine said.

             
“Don’t take any chances, just do it and be done with it, Madeleine,” Jack said.

             
“I don’t plan to.  Time is short.  We have to move within three days.  I get the impression things are about to blow up here, so the sooner my business is done, we’ll go.  Now let’s go out and separate in the crowd.  Go directly to the safe house.  I’ll take the keys for Jack’s Range Rover; John’s has the larger weapons in his.  If I’m the target, I’ll be able to pick up on anyone following me.  I’ll see you soon,” Madeleine said.

             
Madeleine and her group had left the café before Amaya stood up and blended into the crowd behind them. Amaya’s focus was on Madeleine and she only glanced at the others as they made their way into the crowd.  For an instant Amaya lost sight of Madeleine as she broke away from the others and began to come back in her direction while moving away towards the south entry of the marketplace.  She had no alternative but to turn and follow Madeleine away from the others or risk losing her altogether.  Madeleine’s abrupt departure from the group momentarily affected Amaya’s concentration.  She cursed silently as she bumped into a couple as she turned.  She muttered a word of apology and regained her composure as she followed Madeleine with her eyes.
             

             
In her mind’s eye Madeleine pictured the people in the crowd for fifty feet in every direction, particularly behind her.  It was easy enough to surreptitiously glance back a couple of times as she turned towards the remainder of her group as if engaged in conversation.  She intentionally didn’t eliminate anyone regardless of their gender or personal characteristics.

             
Karen began to turn, trying to follow Madeleine. John grabbed her hand and pulled her along as Jack reacted to Madeleine’s abrupt movement and led the group away from the direction Madeleine took.  Karen reacted and followed Jack’s lead.  She fell in step as the group distanced themselves from anyone attempting to follow them.

             
While she kept her eyes focused directly ahead of her, Madeleine saw what she was looking for.  Out of the corner of her eye she saw a woman turn abruptly and bump into an older couple behind her. That’s the killer, she thought.

“Look to your life,” Madeleine whispered, as she broke away from the periphery of the crowded market towards the car park and the waiting Range Rover.  She knew she would draw fire once she was away from the crowd and the assassin realized that she’d been spotted.  Madeleine reached under the loose tunic she wore and placed her hand on the butt of the pistol inside.  She quickly spun making momentary eye contact with her pursuer.  There was no mistake; she’s seen that look on the faces of so many who had tried to kill her. 

In the instant Madeleine made eye contact a strange feeling swept over Amaya as she was drawn into the depths of the blackness Madeleine’s eyes held.  There was no fear, just pure animal hate.  Amaya hadn’t expected a fair fight and now she knew she was in one that could have only one ending, me or her.  Madeleine immediately ran, keeping the cars in the parking lot between her and her pursuer.  A window shattered behind her as she ducked behind the open door of Jack’s Range Rover, and she quickly fired two shots in Amaya’s direction, striking the outside wall of a building that abutted the edge of the car park.  Her shots went wide as Amaya reacted to the shots, ducking quickly behind a parked car to avoid the bullets.  Madeleine placed one of her pistols under her leg as she fired the engine and slammed the vehicle into gear.