by L. T. Ryan
“No.” She rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue. “That is abnormal. These days, everyone is on some sort of social media. Don’t want Facebook? Do Instagram. Or TikTok.”
“That thing where people dance and make fools of themselves?”
“Exactly. You have to appear normal. And you, Jack, are not normal at all.”
He set his mug down and stared at her through the steam dissolving before his eyes. “When did you grow up?”
“Life with you and Bear did it to me.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I’m OK. I’m going to be OK. Better than OK. You and Bear made me strong.”
“God help the world when you turn eighteen.”
She puffed up. “God help the world now, because I’m ready to take it on.”
He thought of his own daughter, Mia. Wondered where she and his brother Sean’s family were now. He had to find her. Had to make up for the lost years. Had to make sure she grew up to be as strong and amazing as the girl…young woman sitting in front of him.
Mandy looked at her phone and frowned.
“What is it?” Jack asked.
“Better drink up.” She jutted her chin toward the LOVE sign. “About time to do this.”
Mandy hiked to the top of Castle Hill. Two-hundred-thirteen steps up. And it would be two-hundred-thirteen steps down. She counted each. It allowed the threads in her head to process everything going on around her. Whether an incoming person was a threat. Whether the crying child needed help or was simply being a brat.
From the top of the hill, she walked the path and stopped to look out over the sea. The view was serene, filling, uplifting. A whole world awaited her someday. Out there. She would be out there, making her own way. One day.
She continued on the path around a sharp bend; made her way to the edge. Huge yachts lined the inlet next to a marina. These were the kind of boats she imagined existed in films, created by CGI. One was gold. All gold. Solid freaking gold. Who lived that life? What did they worry about? How could they worry about anything?
After imagining a world in which she dined with billionaires, movie stars, and her favorite musicians, she returned to her perch overlooking the Mediterranean. This time, though, she didn’t imagine what life beyond the great wide blue would be like. She homed in on the shifting crowd at the colorful Nice LOVE sign. Her right index finger tapped the railing at one-hundred-ten beats per minute, like the deep house music she enjoyed listening to. The beats, like the steps, occupied the threads in her brain that liked to drag her into an endless loop of pain and anxiety and ADHD-like bouncing.
It put her in a trance. One she could control at any time.
Bear had taught her these lessons over the years. Sasha had helped her see their true power. Two very different people. Two people who loved each other with great intensity. Two people who loved her with all their hearts.
One remained on earth.
The other would be with her the remainder of her days, even if those days expired on this one.
Ten minutes passed. Several curtain calls at the Nice LOVE sign. But two actors remained. Sadie was disguised from the images Mandy had seen. She had no idea who the man was, but if he was with Sadie, he was good people. That’s what Jack had said.
She scanned the street for him. A futile exercise. She would never find him. He even told her so. Still, she looked. She wanted to see that stupid hat and ridiculous shirt and silly mustache one more time.
They had walked along the alley behind the apartment until they reached the spot where it curved. Continue on, and you find the Promenade. Cross to the other side, and you reached the first of two-hundred-thirteen steps that led to the top of Castle Hill.
He had told her this might be the last time they would ever see each other. That’s what she loved about these men who had adopted her. They treated her like an adult. They didn’t sugar coat anything. They recognized Mandy was wise beyond her thirteen years. Noble believed in her, that she could do this task. He’d be watching, he had said. And she believed in him.
Her phone buzzed. She pulled it out to check the message. “It’s time.” She took a deep breath, from her navel to the top of her head. She held it until she felt slightly euphoric, then slowly released the air from her lungs.
Two-hundred-thirteen deliberate steps down. She reached the bottom, adjusted her backpack so it covered the revolver’s handle. The steel felt cool against her sweaty back.
“Can you pull the trigger if you have to?”
“I have enough to piss me off, Jack. I can do it.”
He had squeezed her shoulders, hugged her, and set off across the Promenade.
Now standing near that same spot, she looked around, but couldn’t locate him. The crowds moved in rhythm with the sea, in and out, crashing, colliding, separating, over and over. She crossed the main road and joined a group on their way to the LOVE sign. When they got in line, Mandy wandered a bit in the alcove. She passed the man she didn’t know who had now been standing there for twenty minutes. He paid no attention to her. She went to the railing, climbed up a rung, leaned over as though she were going to dive onto the same rocks the sea slammed against. Mists rose as each wave hit, enveloping her, cooling her, soothing her. She breathed the salt air deep into her lungs, so deep that it hurt when she exhaled. Then she turned and went up to the beautiful woman with the caramel curls.
“Hello, Sadie. I’m Mandy. Please take me to see my dad.”
Chapter 52
The sigh of relief Jack felt when Sadie embraced Mandy had no comparison to any other moment in his life.
It could have gone sideways. It should have gone sideways.
It didn’t.
He lingered too long, watching the scene unfold. The man with Sadie went first; cleared the path. The guy had experience on a security detail, that much was certain. He communicated through an earpiece. Noble had not identified additional team members among the crowds. They could be on the beach, top of the hill, or looking out from the six-story apartment building where Matisse had once lived behind their rental. Did it matter? Not once the SUV pulled up and Sadie and Mandy climbed in.
He cut through old town Nice to the lot where he’d stashed the Audi and turned his focus to the next step.
The next destination.
He notified Brandon when he went dark; typed up a simple message. Brandon would piece it together in time, preferably after Noble had made contact with Clarissa and set her on the right path. Only then could he avenge Sasha’s death.
The route hugged the coast. Noble stopped a few times, places he’d been where memories spanning two decades were stored. Most, though, were spots he and Clarissa had visited during those two months together.
The final detour happened after crossing into Italy. A rocky beach with a steep hike down a cliff face. The further you went down the coast, the beach disappeared, and the Mediterranean collided with the jagged stone.
He found the little cafe where they ate and drank wine and laughed while talking about an impossible future. One where they were together. An exercise in futility was what he had told her. As much as she lured him into a sense of belief that he could settle down, it would never work in practice. She had crossed her arms and hiked her shoulders an inch, eyes looking diagonally upward, her lips slightly pouty. She killed him with that look.
Every. Time.
Noble ordered the same meal. Sat at the same table. Drank the same wine. Imagined Clarissa in that pose as though his brain were stuck on repeat.
Maybe someday. Maybe...
Back on the road with around two hours left in the drive, Noble settled into a harmonious rhythm. Every negative thought drew out a positive one to balance it out. They moved like waves, in and out, occasionally crashing into one another.
The city that descended from its fifth century BC perch appeared.
Genoa.
If Jack’s hunch was correct, if he knew what the one finger raised meant, he’d see h
er by eight that night.
He ditched the car at a lot outside the city, caught a cab, got off on Via Roma next to the Louis Vuitton boutique. From there, he wandered to the old section of town, where narrow streets wound in no particular pattern. Breakfast tables were broken down for fruit stands, which later disappeared as outdoor dining tables were set up. Noble arrived during the transition to the latter.
Some found Genoa to be a grungy port town. Noble loved it there. The character of the city defined it. He could get lost in those narrow alleys. He could spend a couple hours riding the funicular up to the top of the hill, getting off at the last stop, then hiking back down on sets of old, rarely used steps overgrown with weeds that wound through neighborhoods. He’d find a little place to pop into for lunch or a drink. No one would speak English. And it was great.
He didn’t have time for that today, but perhaps in the near future, he could share the experience with a friend.
The winding walk dumped him out on Via di Soziglia. He spotted a café and ordered a coffee. The courtyard in front of the Basilica offered plenty of places to sit, so he took up at a table in the corner, where he could see everyone. A small walkway between two buildings behind him offered a path to escape.
It never came to that. He sat there for an hour, watching the tourist line that looked like pawns on the black-and-white checkered tile as they entered the church, growing and receding several times over. At times, women were turned away for not having their shoulders covered. A few argued. Some went and bought scarves. A good business to have next door to the Basilica.
The desire to reach out to Brandon intensified. Bad idea. Sending out that signal could compromise the plan Jack had cobbled together. It was more of a rough draft drawn on the back of a napkin. It’d have to do. Time had run out.
The meandering walk back through old town cleared his head; helped him focus. Visualizing the evening, he developed a list of questions to ask Clarissa. Some designed to test her. Some for his own curiosity. Didn’t matter how she answered. He’d help her. He owed her that.
An hour later, as the sun dipped behind the mountains and buildings cast long shadows that darkened the streets, he reached the seven-spoke roundabout in the middle of town and took the pedestrian tunnel running underneath. It deposited him on Via Assarotti. A steep uphill walk led to his final destination.
Enough sunlight lingered that Noble kept walking past the little restaurant, Osteria Pizzeria Nando, without looking inside because the glass only reflected the street. The balance of light inside and out made it too easy to spot him. So, he made four right hand turns, adding twenty minutes to his walk. By the time he approached again, the streetlights cast pools on the sidewalk. He stepped around them as he made his approach.
The door opened, triggering the chimes from bells hanging on a string. He heard laughter from inside. The air smelled of wine, homemade sauce, and freshly baked bread. The best bread he’d ever had was in that restaurant.
A man about Noble’s age stepped out with his dog. The guy nodded at Noble. The dog drew the leash taut trying to get to Jack. The dog remembered. The guy didn’t. He had translated the word swordfish for Arabella last time Jack ate there. The man apologized and dragged his dog across the street to his apartment building.
Jack considered another loop around the block, but it was too late. The door flung open.
“As I live and breathe.” Arabella looked like the stereotypical Italian mother. Her wide smile forced her cheeks high on her face, nearly driving her eyes shut. Her salt-and-pepper hair was pulled back into a bun. She reached out. “Come give me a hug, Jack.”
He glanced around to see if anyone had been in earshot; decided it didn’t matter. He let the woman embrace him. “Promised if I was in Genoa, I’d return.”
She released him partly from her grasp, allowing a little distance. Her right arm slid off his elbow and she held up a single finger. Her smile widened. “I knew you’d be here soon.”
“You’ve seen Clarissa?”
Arabella nodded and winked.
Jack craned his neck to look at the dining area. There were six tables in total, two of which were viewable. “She’s here?”
“No, she left—”
“Dammit.”
“Let me finish!” She slapped his shoulder and gave him a stern look. “She left last night around nine and said to expect her back the same time tonight.”
Jack glanced at his watch. Seven-forty-five.
“Come. Maurizio will want to see you.” Arabella grabbed his hand and dragged him inside. “Let’s get you a table and some wine and bread.”
“Twist my arm.”
She did. A little too hard.
“Been practicing that Krav Maga I suggested, haven’t you?”
“I spend so much time fighting Nando off these days.”
“You do look great.” He whistled. “Bet you look better than when you turned eighteen.”
“You’re gonna get my husband upset, Jack.”
“Bring Nando out. Where is the old bastard?”
“He’s getting more meat ready.” She pulled out a chair and gestured for him to sit. “I’ll have him throw a special cut on for you?”
“Let’s wait for Clarissa.”
Arabella smiled as her gaze drifted past Noble.
“I’m here, Jack.”
Chapter 53
Clarissa leaned across the table. Her bangs spilled over her face and grazed the menu. The smell of her lotion mixed with the carafe of wine. Memories of the last time they were here flooded Noble’s senses.
“You figured it out,” she said.
He interlaced his fingers with hers. Her skin was soft and cool. She squeezed his hand.
“Took me a bit,” he said. “Guess figuring out everything else helped lead me back here.”
“I did my best with Brandon’s server phone thingy.”
“Actually, the correct technical term.”
Smiling, she pulled her bangs back from her face. The lighting electrified her hazel eyes. “I knew he’d see my last position and relay that information to you, and while not obvious, it was enough.” She paused a beat, continued. “What happened? Where’s your beard?”
He lifted the hat and chuckled at the look of horror on her face.
“Oh my God. What did you do?”
“What I had to. This whole thing has been a cluster. Bear got roughed up that day we found you—which, I need to confess it was probably my fault that attack team showed up.”
“How so? They were there for me.”
“I had Brandon activate LPR on your plate. The one Beck gave you.”
“When?” He told her and she shook her head. “It was already parked. Someone else knew that plate number, Jack. And I had to take the chance to prove what I’ve been told is a lie.”
He eased back in his chair, confused.
She added, “Look, I’ll get into all this, but first, tell me what else happened.”
“Bear ended up in France after that. I was in southern Italy. They reunited him with Mandy, and Sasha came in.”
Clarissa smiled and nodded, attentive to every word. But her demeanor changed as Jack paused a few seconds too long. Her eyes misted. “What happened?”
“Sasha’s dead.”
She clamped down hard on Noble’s hand. Clarissa knew how much Sasha meant to Jack, and how Bear loved the woman.
“Bear was taken. Mandy escaped. We’ve been working with Clive and his people, including Sadie, if you remember her.”
“I do. Tough as nails and sweet as cream.”
“Something like that.” Jack’s laugh felt forced. “Anyway, their team destroyed the people that had Bear in custody. Big bastard was fighting his way out when they arrived. But he’s hurt. Banged up pretty bad. All this after lingering problems following his tumor removal.”
Clarissa cast her gaze down to the table and shook her head. A tear rolled off her cheek and landed on her empty plate.
&nbs
p; “Brandon helped, got me on the path to Mandy. Rescued her and made an exchange in Nice earlier today.”
“With who?”
“Sadie.”
“Where are they taking her?”
“To be reunited with Bear, and hopefully, they can be free to return to the U.S. after. He doesn’t deserve to take the fall for Skinner. That was all me. Once I right the remaining wrongs, find who the hell is running that organization that’s been trying to wipe me out, I’ll go home, turn myself in.”
“You can’t do that, Jack. Stay with me. I’ve got plenty of cash to keep us going. We can work with Brandon, and others, get access to your accounts. Just the two of us. Doesn’t that sound great?”
His turn to stare at the table. “But it’s not just the two of us, and it never can be, Clarissa. I’ve got Mia to think about. I have to find her, too. Guess that’s one more thing to do before I go to jail for life.”
“We can find her and the three of us will be together.”
He reached across and ran his hand along her soft hair, around the back of her head, pulled her close and kissed her.
Arabella cleared her throat. “Might be time to take it upstairs?”
Clarissa covered her face and laughed. “Sorry.”
“Why? You are in Italia. Be lovers!” She set two plates on the table. “But first, eat your dinner. You need your strength.” She squeezed Jack’s shoulder and sauntered to the front of the restaurant.
The door opened and the man with the dog came in and hurriedly spoke with Arabella. She led him over to the table.
“What’s wrong?” Jack asked.
“I was sitting out on the stoop and minding my business, when I spotted this man staring into the restaurant. He snapped a photo on his phone and walked off. But then he came back. Did it again. He left and was talking on his phone. I saw him walk by twice more.”
“Can you describe him?”
“I can do better.” He lifted his phone and showed them a photo.
Clarissa gasped. “That’s Beck.”
