Operation Heartbreaker (15 page)

Julie lifted one corner of her mouth. “You’d like to know that, wouldn’t you?”

Ally cleared her throat and glanced warningly at Julie. She had made a decision.

“Alright, I’ll bring you to Cole,” she said to Viktor and got up. “On one condition.”

He enquiringly lifted his eyebrows.

“The two of you work together.”

“That’s brilliant!” Julie hit her forehead with the palm of her hand. “I can’t believe I didn’t think of that. Basically, both of you want the same.”

“Could be,” Sergej replied in Viktor’s place and sat up straighter. “But one can’t trust this Cole guy.”

“Oh, really, but you are a reliable partner, are you?” Julie asked.

“Of course!” Sergej yelled, his breast billowed with indignation. He was probably alluding to the infamous honor among thieves, but to be honest, Ally didn’t give a damn.

She’d prefer it if he and Cole would form a team, after all they had a mutual goal: To make the background of the Special Skills-project public and force the ones who’d pulled the strings to take responsibility. And what’s better than a trial where the entire scope of the crime was unfurled and the facts were rehashed? Once the story was out there was no going back. Apropos.

“Did you pass on info about the secret research project to the media?” She asked Sergej.

That’s how it must have been. She was starting to understand the headlines that had been poisoning Mitchel’s election campaign for weeks now. Maybe she should have read one of the articles instead of counting the clicks on her blog.

“I wish I’d done so, princess, but we have to assume it was your dad who arranged that. Good move, by the way. This way he increases the pressure on the president and brings him out of his den.”

One could express it like that.

“Okay then,” she said to no one in particular. “It’s your decision. What will it be?”

Viktor exchanged glances with his father. “How do you know he’ll work with us?” Viktor finally asked, probably playing for time.

“Because I’ll ask him to.“ She sounded more secure than she felt. Actually she had no idea how Cole would react to her visit. Let alone to her connection with the son of the man he’d stolen from.

Sergej hesitated.

“Why do you look so dour? You can count yourself lucky that my father stole the list from you.”

“Interesting thought,” he grumbled. “And why, if I may ask?”

“If the thumb drive had been in your possession the CIA would have found and taken it. You have Cole to thank for the list not being locked away in Langley.”

The headquarters of the CIA was more secured than Fort Knox. Whoever wanted to enter their sanctum either had a death wish or was called Tom Cruise.

“She’s right,” Julie said, who had also stood up and positioned herself next to Ally.

“Do we have a deal or what?” Ally asked and put her hand akimbo.

Once again father and son exchanged glances. Sergej cursed on the top of his lungs, then threw up his hands. “Fine with me.” He gestured with his chin towards Julie. “But this one stays here so you don’t get any stupid ideas, princess.”

“No way!” Ally and Julie exclaimed simultaneously.

“You have your conditions, I have mine.”

“Without my friend there’s no deal!” This guy didn’t have all his marbles if he thought she’d leave him her friend in pledge.

“Dad,” Viktor began. They exchanged a few words. Ally understood that Viktor promised to keep an eye on her. He knew that she wouldn’t take a single step without Julie. In the end, Sergej gave up. But he demanded that Ally at least told him where Cole was.

“Langley, Virginia,” she replied after a brief hesitation.

“Can you be a bit more exact?”

Ally’s hand went into the pocket of her coat. She closed her hand around the pin and formed a fist. Since she’d located her dad before, the contact was established much faster this time. “McLean, at Pimmit Valley Park… Poplar Place.” She kept the street number to herself just so he wouldn’t get any ideas.

Sergej faced at her for a moment with a look she couldn’t read. Then, as if in slow motion, a smile formed around his mouth, which she could interpret even less. As if he knew something that she had absolutely no idea of. Figured!

“That’s good,” he said with a soft voice. “Then it will end where it all started.”

What was that supposed to mean?

“Da,” Viktor replied and picked up the phone.

~ * ~

Quiet as a shadow Cole retreated behind the chimney, unscrewed and removed silencer and gun sight and put the precision rifle back in its case. He’d found out what he needed to know and there wasn’t much time left. One of David’s jets stood by, but there was still the possibility he’d be too late. He couldn’t be in two places at the same time and this was a matter he couldn’t delegate. It was personal.

When his smart phone gave off the distinctive signal, he shook his head with amusement. Enemy movements. Well, well! Apparently he wasn’t the only who’d bugged Viktor’s hotel.

14

Ally had never flown in a private jet before. Neither had Julie, which is why her friend threw a big fit when Ally informed her that she couldn’t come with them. Thanks to the time difference Julie’s parents hadn’t noticed her absence yet, because in Seattle it was still Sunday night. But she was expected home in a few hours. Julie would barely make it before her folks would land in Tacoma.

In the end, Julie had to accept that she couldn’t help her friend at the moment. After a tear-filled good-bye she let Viktor’s chauffeur drive her to the airport. There, she got on the first Air France flight directed at home.

Since Ally trusted neither Viktor nor his dad, she arranged with her friend that she’d send her messages via WhatsApp until she got home. Julie didn’t need to be told twice and took pictures by the minute: of the airport, of the check-in, of how she took off from the runway.

That was a load off Ally’s mind. She’d never forgive herself if something happened to her friend. As soon as she were to land in Seattle, Julie would take a selfie with a current edition of the
Seattle Times
and send it to her. Only then would Ally give Viktor what he asked for. The trick with the newspaper she’d picked up from David and his man in San Diego.

Speaking of…

She had to deal with David. So she called him on her way to the airport and let him in on the new situation in general. She apologized for her bolt out and for going alone, but also informed him outright that she would take matters into her own hands now.

David received her little speech in a surprisingly calm manner.

“So, you’re forcing me to accept your decision,” was not the reaction she’d expected. She had the feeling he was scheming something as well, sort of. At the moment she couldn’t do anything but fob him off with a short “I’m sorry.”

Maybe he was even relieved that she was leaving Europe and going back to the States. At the end of the conversation the old David showed again by telling her that she would have to make up the math exam she would be missing in school today.

Was he for real?

Finally, she called Jean Lacroix, much to Viktor’s annoyance.

It had actually been Julie’s idea. Since she couldn’t watch her friend’s back any longer she’d convinced Ally that rear cover was a necessary evil. And who if not Jean would do for that? He’d been wired if he found out they were on their way to Cole. Ally hoped she could convince him during the flight to work with Viktor. That would be a tough one, but at least there was the possibility he would agree. After all, he would have been off the loop, if she wouldn’t have called him. And in case Viktor tried to get rid of her it would be good to have Jean by her side. She actually did have a queasy feeling getting on this plane with him. But this time her gift wasn’t to blame, but her own emotions who seemed to have a mind of their own when Viktor was concerned. 

Sure, he was sex on a stick and smelled amazing, and her treacherous heart did cartwheels when he smiled at her. And, yeah, it looked damn hot how his muscles pushed through the thin fabric of his shirt with every move. But it was more than that. If it was just about looks Jean wasn’t bad either. Maurice’s son also had beautiful eyes and a well-toned body, which he knew to dress in tight-fitting shirts. But with him she felt…nothing.

Whenever Viktor looked at her, it simply took her breath away. The expression in his dark blue eyes held something hypnotic. Moreover, his proximity was like a shield protecting her from other peoples emotions, and that had an incredibly calming effect on her. She could finally relax and let go.

He gave her a feeling of security as nobody had ever done before–not even David. She felt accepted and, well, somehow sexy. The way he looked at her was so…hungry, as if she were a desert, which he couldn’t get enough of. Maybe that was just his scam to get laid, but it didn’t feel like that. The problem was that her gift seemed to fail when it came to him. Sometimes she picked up the fraction of a thought, but it was like a phone conversation that kept being interrupted. Still, she felt strong by his side. He took away her fears as if it were nothing.

Her worries were one of the reasons she had to talk to her dad. She desperately wanted the other SK children to be found so they could be helped. Once this entire mess had been made public and the press was bathing in it, the government had to open a place the victims could turn to. Those children needed protection and security so they wouldn’t be collected by other authorities and used for their purposes.

All of this was crossing her mind while waiting for Jean on the runway, whom she didn’t have to ask twice to accompany her. As soon as they’d boarded the Gulfstream, the doors were closed and the plane began to move.

The aircraft had about twenty seats which they occupied only about a quarter of. Besides Viktor and his two body guards, Blondie and Goliath, only Jean and Ally were on board. The five of them shared two flight attendants who served champagne and salmon canapês.

Ally could get used to this way of travelling. No annoying waiting time, no hassle about extra baggage, and no squabbling for window seats.

She waived the alcohol and took orange juice instead. She needed a clear head when talking to Jean. But the soft humming of the engines and the tender rocking lulled her in. It didn’t take long before she had to suppress a yawn. When had she slept the last time? She couldn’t remember. Maybe that was the reason why her eyes closed and she fell into a dreamless sleep.

She woke up with her head against Viktor’s chest, his arm wrapped around her as he was quietly talking to Jean. Well, talking wasn’t actually the right word–they were arguing. So much for getting Jean on their side. With one look at Viktor’s shirt she made sure that she hadn’t drooled all over him. She carefully sat up and stretched.

“Bonjour!” Viktor greeted her and gave her his pirate smile. “Did you sleep well?”

“Too well. Where are we?”

That was the moment when the fasten-your-seatbelt signs above them lit up. Surprised, she looked out the window. The sun was just rising, painting the sky in a pink explosion of color. Further down below she made out the runway that was coming towards them fast.

Great! She’d slept right through the flight. She quickly checked the messages she’d missed, almost twenty by Julie. The last one was a selfie in front of the airport terminal in Tacoma. Ally breathed a sigh of relief and looked more closely at the photo. Julie was grinning into the camera, pointing at the current headline of the
Seattle Times
:

CIA SKANDAL WIDENING

President Mitchel in the Line of Fire

Whoever was feeding the press was putting Mitchel more and more under pressure.

Several screens at the Washington D.C. airport showed similar headlines, all of them directed against the current president. Even members of his own party were beginning to back down and ask questions.

Ally still assumed Sergej was behind the leak, even if he’d denied it. By now, the oh so secret research project by the CIA was being hashed over everywhere. In some articles Mitchel’s former right hand, Cyrus Patrick, came into the focus, deputy director of the CIA, former head of the research department of the
Firm
, as the CIA was called in insider circles.

When Ally read Cyrus’ name, she stopped short. Something about it seemed oddly familiar though she couldn’t put a finger on it. Although it didn’t feel good, it wasn’t the right time to investigate it further. Jean impatiently pushed her out of the arrival hall and into a limousine, which was waiting for them in front of the terminal. She gave the address to the driver, 1536 Poplar Place in Mc Lean, and couldn’t help that her heart was beating faster with excitement. In half an hour she’d come face to face with her dad!

To calm herself down she took hold of the pin inside the pocket of her knitted coat. Since she woke up the connection had changed. Strangely enough it was getting weaker. Shouldn’t it be the other way around? The shorter the distance, the stronger the gravity? But that wasn’t the case. Unfortunately, she couldn’t look through his spirit, so she assumed he was sleeping. Was that the reason behind her barely being able to grasp his energy?

The further they got from the airport, the more nervous she became. What if Cole didn’t want to see her? If she’d misinterpreted his intentions about the pin? What if he slammed the door in her face? If he became angry, or even worse, disappointed.

The longer she thought about it the more she marveled at the idiotic idea to surprise Cole like this. What the heck had she thought? It must have been the stress, the lack of sleep–maybe she’d been in shock? There was no other way to explain why she was sitting in this limo, together with Jean, Viktor, and his two watch dogs. It could be the intro to a joke:
A Russian, a Frenchman and an American Woman are driving to a killer’s house. Says the Russian…

“Are you okay?” Viktor inquired, apparently sensing her discomfort. She almost laughed. But she didn’t feel like laughing. With every mile behind it became evident what she’d done.

Cole had been hiding for years and here she was, two SK offspring in tow, and both wanted the list. Not to forget the armed bodyguards. She must have been nuts!

When they turned onto Poplar Place, she realized the entire scope of her mistake. If it had been possible, she would have cancelled the whole thing, but it was too late. Now it was all about damage control.

Therefore she asked Viktor and Jean to give her few minutes alone with her father. Of course they declined–finally a point they agreed on. Now that they had their target within their reach they didn’t want to risk her messing it up. Luckily she could convince them that Cole would probably run if the three of them showed up on his doorstep.

When she left the car, her heart was beating in her throat. She’d never been to the capital of the United States. She had assumed that no other city like Seattle would have such lush vegetation, but she’d been wrong. Virginia possessed similarly extensive forests, trees and parks, as far as the eye could see. Somehow she had always imagined Cole in a big city like New York or Los Angeles, in a loft or condo on the twentieth floor of a building. This place looked more like a ‘home, sweet home’-version. Either that was part of his cover or…oh no. She was getting sick.

What if he’d gotten married and had family?

Dammit! The thought never crossed her mind. Just because he was pretending to be James Bond didn’t mean that he didn’t have a life. Arnold Schwarzenegger had set the example in
True Lies
. His family had no idea he was making pancakes for breakfast and went to work in a fighter jet in order to defuse nuclear bombs and beat up terrorists.

She wanted to run back to the car and beat her head against the roof. But it was no use, she'd to face the music.

When looking for the doorbell she noticed that the door was ajar. She hesitantly knocked and entered. “H-Hello?” she called out in a small voice and looked around.

She had a scary déjà-vu-feeling when she saw the mess that had also greeted her in her own home last Friday. Had it really only been three days?

Carefully she moved further into the house. “Dad?” Fear paralyzed her steps that were becoming more and more hesitant with each breath she took. Her heart was beating like crazy and just as she feared to start hyperventilating, she saw the blood. It was everywhere. On the walls, the floor, even on the ceiling.

Her stomach clenched and her teeth started to chatter as she approached the door that separated her from the cause. She knew what was behind this door. By now her knees were shaking so badly she could barely move forward. Cold sweat was running down her back while she supported herself against the wall in order not to fall. Oh God, please let me be wrong…,” was all she could think.

But she’d never been wrong, that was the curse of her gift. She knew for sure that Cole was waiting behind this door. And there was no doubt he was dead.

She leaned against the frame of the entrance, took a deep breath and pushed open the heavy wooden door with the tip of her foot.

The very next moment somebody grabbed her from behind and pressed a smelly cloth over her mouth.

Then everything went black.