Vanishing Point (Circle of Spies Novella)

by Laura Pauling

  Circle of Spies - Book 2.5

  Savvy’s Mom, Maris, follows an assassin into the heart of trouble to protect her family and learn the secrets of her past, but one wrong move and she could lose everything.

  Laura Pauling

  Also by Laura

  A Spy Like Me

  Heart of an Assassin

  Vanishing Point

  Twist of Fate

  Prom Impossible (Free!)

  Prompossible Plans

  Covert Kissing

  Heist

  A Royal Heist (2015)

  One

  The rides creaked and moaned as if with one puff of wind they’d collapse to the ground in a heap of twisted metal. Marisa wanted to pull her daughter to safety every time she climbed aboard one of the death traps.

  But she held herself back. She would not be that kind of mom. She was just out for a bit of fresh air at the county fair while Savvy spent quality time with her friends. It was a complete coincidence that she walked in the same direction as Savvy.

  With a toss of her hair, Marisa sauntered along keeping a close eye on the bobbing heads up ahead in the crowd. At fifteen, her daughter could not appreciate firm skin, a flat stomach and high metabolism. Or maybe she did considering she was on her second piece of fried dough. Marisa would gain ten pounds just from looking at the pastry delight.

  Stephen, her husband, waved from across the fair, and then pointed toward the sausage stand. He meant, come join him while he waited in line. She waved back. She’d be right along. In another minute or two. Just one more lap around.

  While trying her hardest not to be sidetracked by the sweet smell and the pink swirls of the cotton candy, a prickle ran down her neck. Marisa stiffened.

  Was she really that bored that she had to create a sense of danger? Sad. Very sad. She’d been a housewife for far too long. With one last look at her daughter, laughing with her friends, Marisa turned away.

  Enough of this nonsense. She’d go find Stephen, they’d eat their sausages smothered with onions and green peppers, and later that night in front of the mirror with her stomach rolls showing through her pajamas, she’d promise to go on a diet starting the next day. And she’d mean it this time.

  But there was that damn prickle again. The hairs rose on her arm.

  Marisa glanced around. The clown with the big red nose did look a bit creepy and that old man standing in line by the Ferris wheel seemed oddly out of place. Did that tall man in the cowboy hat just look her way?

  No. It was the young man with a baseball hat pulled low, his face hidden by shadows as if he didn’t want anyone to get a close look at him. Every few seconds, he moved in her direction.

  The sounds of the fair faded: the laughter, the chatter, the mooing of nearby cattle, the creaking of the rides. Marisa stepped back, but he kept coming.

  She stumbled through the crowds. Every time she whipped around, he was still there, sauntering in her direction. With her heart racing, she finally slowed down after circling the fairway twice. Hopefully, she lost him.

  This was ridiculous. This sense of danger was all in her head. Had to be. She shrugged it off and stood near the carousel. In moments she’d meet Stephen but for now she watched Savvy and her friends climb onto the Ferris wheel. A contented sigh escaped her lips. She had nothing to worry about. Her daughter was healthy and happy, with a nice group of friends.

  As she turned, a voice spoke to her right. “Nice night for a ride on the Ferris wheel.”

  She nodded quickly, not even looking. “Hmm. Yes. Well, I’m off.”

  The man wouldn’t give up. “Carnival rides are rather dangerous. Don’t you think?”

  Her stomach clenched. She’d always thought that. All carnival rides should just be done away with. Most were probably close to one hundred years old. The creaks and moans always got to her. She wanted to walk away from the man but she knew that was rude. “Yes, you’d think they’d just do away with them altogether.”

  There. Now she could walk away.

  “Marisa.” His voice held a threat. He knew her name?

  She whipped around and studied him closer. The man with the baseball cap. He leaned against the fence post casually as if their talking to each other was quite coincidence. She didn’t believe in that kind of happenstance, and he’d been following her earlier.

  Shadows hid his face but she could tell he was a looker. A strong jaw line and smooth skin. Oh my God, he was young. Why was he talking to her? How did he know her name? Her imagination raced. She’d watched too many television dramas and swore off watching any more Law & Order reruns.

  “Why are you talking to me?” She placed her hands on her hips. She couldn’t wait to be done with this creep.

  “How rude of me. Where are my manners?” He brushed his hands off on his jeans and stuck out his hand. “I’m Will.”

  Marisa didn’t take his hand and narrowed her gaze.

  He obviously didn’t pick up on her body language and kept talking. “You can stop acting like this day would never come. Surely you knew one day we’d find you and you’d have to answer to us.”

  Us? We’d find you? She glanced around but no one else seemed suspicious. “What the hell do you want and what are you talking about?”

  A knowing smirk crossed his face. “Tsk. Tsk. Your mother should’ve told you about this.”

  Her purse dropped to the ground, leaving her completely defenseless except for her newly painted nails. Her mother?

  She flashed back to the kitchen, years ago, before her mother died. She didn’t have too many memories left, but the ones she had were good. Afternoon talks with freshly baked snickerdoodles. Oooh, they were delicious. Long walks by the creek. Taking a dip in the hot afternoon of summers. At times, her mom would ramble on about their family line, but she had never gotten to the point, and Marisa had never understood. And then her mother died and it was too late. Now, with this good-looking maniac creeping her out, she couldn’t quite recall any of her mother’s words.

  “Ah, so you do remember?”

  Her whole body jerked at his words. “No. I don’t.”

  A look of disbelief crossed his face. “Maybe you need help remembering.” He paused as if thinking of the lost clue that would jar her memory. “I’m part of a family of assassins.”

  Her heart just about stopped.

  “Oh, we’re not the kind you see in the movies. We take our time to study our targets and make sure of their guilt. But you should know that.”

  She laughed shrilly. “I don’t have any idea what you’re talking about.” Seriously? This guy was a complete whacko. She should wave for a policeman and send this guy away.

  “You are part of a line of female spies. The women in your family have been a bother for hundreds of years. Their mission is to rescue our targets and shut us down completely.” He sighed. “You can stop the game of charades. No matter of pretense will stop us. You hid behind your husband’s name, but we’ve finally found you.”

  “Right. And why should I believe you?”

  “Let’s see.” He tapped his chin. “Do you know the details of the assassination of Thomas Jefferson?”

  Marisa huffed. “Excuse me, but Thomas Jefferson never was assassinated.”

  “Exactly.”

  Okay, now he’d gone far enough. This was getting completely ridiculous and her stomach was rumbling for a sausage. No more games. No more playing nice and being polite. She turned and looked directly at him. “Listen here, young man. You need to stop bothering people with your ramblings. You need to walk away.”

  For the first time, he took off his hat, his dark eyes studying her. His hair was slicked back and
his eyes pierced through her. “I hate for it to come to this. I do apologize. Your husband, Stephen, just ordered two sausages smothered in greasy peppers and onions. He’s looking for you, getting a little impatient.”

  Marisa searched the crowd and found Stephen. He was indeed searching for her. How could he know this? How long had he been following her to know everything about her?

  “In about five seconds, a complete stranger will bump him from behind and the sausages will go flying.”

  She snorted. “Right.” But she didn’t take her eyes off Stephen. After a couple seconds, and nothing happened, she said, “You need to leave…” She started to wave to her husband.

  Just like Will said, a stranger bumped Stephen from behind. More like a slam than a bump. Stephen flew forward and lost his grip on the food. It landed on the ground several feet away, a splattered mess.

  Marisa trembled with the rush of adrenaline. She straightened her shirt and spoke with conviction, her voice trembling. “This has gone on quite long enough—”

  “I understand,” Will said. “It’s difficult to lose your cover. Maybe you need a little more convincing. Your daughter, Savvy, has been on the Ferris wheel with her friends. She’s quite beautiful.”

  “Don’t you dare bring my daughter into this.”

  With a shrug, he ignored her. “She’s about to get off the ride. As soon as she does, a man is going to grab her from behind and hold her at gunpoint.”

  Marisa watched Savvy laughing with her friends. She couldn’t take her eyes off her. She didn’t want to believe what Will said, but the sinking feeling of terror in her stomach told her otherwise.

  Two seconds later, Savvy stiffened. A man stood behind her, with a strong grip on her arm. He leaned forward, whispering in her ear.

  “You have a choice, Marisa.” Will’s voice was cold and mean. “No more games. Admit your past, admit who you are and your daughter will walk. If not, you can say goodbye.”

  Marisa bristled, ready to tell him off and then rush to her daughter.

  “Or,” he said, hesitating just a moment for full effect, “I can always bring Savvy in on this. See what she knows instead.”

  Any anger drained from her body. In its place fear rushed and swirled, gripping her body. The strains of carousel music, repeating over and over, turned eerie and foreboding, like she was in the middle of a horror movie. It only took a second for Marisa to make up her mind.

  “Fine. I admit it.” Her words were rushed and breathless. Couldn’t he see that she was just lying to save her daughter?

  “So you know what I’m referring to?”

  Marisa humpfed. “Of course, I do.” Another lie.

  “Then you’ll meet me tomorrow at the McDonalds in town. Seven in the morning.” He stepped closer and reached into his coat pocket. Was that bulge his hand or a gun?

  Marisa swallowed hard. Her words came out a bit choked and not sounding at all like she intended. “Why the hell would I go along with something like that?”

  “If not I’ll have to pay your daughter a little visit.”

  “You’re bluffing.” Even as she accused him, the gut feeling in the pit of her stomach, the possible gun in his hand, and the blackness of his eyes told her he was telling the truth.

  “Do you want to take that chance?” he asked.

  “I’ll be there.”

  “I highly suggest not mentioning this little encounter to your husband or anyone else.” The man nodded and then left after one last menacing glare, which took its full effect on her.

  Marisa slumped to the ground, her bravado evaporating as she let out a sob and her body shook. What in the world had she just agreed to? She didn’t know but she’d do anything to keep her family safe.

  ***

  Early the next morning, close to four, which truly felt like the middle of the night, Marisa sat in her kitchen. She hugged her old flowered bathrobe closer, its worn but soft feel a comfort. The darkness settled and she felt protected, from the previous day at the fair, from the upcoming day, and from the unknown future.

  Last night, after Stephen fell asleep, Marisa had spent a considerable amount of time in the attic dealing with dust and cobwebs—all for nothing! Not a single taped-up box held one clue about this man called Will and her family history he’d alluded to. Not even a secret note from her mother.

  After hours of digging through boxes, she’d returned to bed, exhausted, dusty and frustrated. Once in bed, she spent a restless night, scouring her memories, before her mom died, but came up with nothing concrete.

  She sighed and grabbed another chocolate chip cookie and nibbled. It was a terrible habit she’d picked up in her younger, leaner years. The light snores of her husband reverberated down through the ceiling, and Savvy was still sleeping too, safe in her bed.

  Marisa crept upstairs. She stood poised at the door to her daughter’s bedroom and gazed lovingly at the lump of covers that was her teenage daughter. Savvy hadn’t mentioned anything about being held by gunpoint, and Marisa wondered if that part was a lie. If so, what else was a lie? She’d have to find out.

  Today was for Savvy. It was to protect Savvy. And hopefully, once Marisa figured out what this was about, she’d keep Savvy and Stephen in the dark and protected. She shook it off. Time to primp and curl and try not to look like a washed-up, washed-out middle-aged mom. If that was even possible.

  A couple hours later, Marisa strode across the McDonald’s parking lot second-guessing her outfit. The cool morning air nipped at her nose and cheeks, and rosy sunshine streaked through the golden arches. Her heels clicked against the cracked pavement and the fancy suit coat with ruffles pressed against her stomach and ribcage. She could barely breathe in the thing. She longed for her sweatpants and a T-shirt but she’d dressed to impress.

  To intimidate.

  She straightened the fake glasses on her nose. They made her look smart and sophisticated. Small wisps of hair fell delicately by the sides of her face.

  An older couple held the door and Marisa walked inside with a nod of thanks. A wave of fast food smells washed over her and she longed for a sausage breakfast sandwich with hash browns. But her dreams were cut short when Will hooked her by the arm and led her outside again.

  “Hey! What’s going on?” Marisa demanded. They were having breakfast, weren’t they?

  “You didn’t think we were going to talk in public, did you?”

  “Well, of course not, that would be totally breaking protocol. I mean, we’d have to sweep the place for bugs first and I left all my fancy equipment at home.”

  He didn’t miss her sarcasm. But after a look that screamed God help me, he steered her toward his fancy Lincoln Continental. Instant panic rose in her chest and she spit out her concerns.

  “What I meant by that is why the hell would I go anywhere with you? You’re a stranger. You probably carry a gun. I could scream any time now. And I have one hell of a scream.”

  He stopped, his hand on the door.

  Marisa tapped her foot, glad for the sharp heels. When he reached into his coat pocket, she whipped off her shoe and held the sharp end toward his face, aimed at his eyeballs, while balancing precariously on one foot.

  “Whoa!” He laughed. “I’m leaving for a mission in England. You’re to come with me and put your spying talent to good use. Like your family’s ability to think quickly on their feet.” He winked, glancing at her high heel and hiding his smirk.

  A shrill fake laugh escaped but soon died. Marisa felt the last of her confidence sap from her body. Her words came out shaky. “I will not go on any mission if you truly are what you say you are.”

  He waved his hand. “Calm down. I’m not planning on assassinating anyone yet. You know this. I’m in the research stage.”

  The paralyzing fear, made it difficult for Marisa to breathe. A mission? This was crazy. She was a wife and a mom. The most illegal thing she’d done was crossing a street not on the crosswalk. She didn’t want to count the fact she usually t
ook more than one free cookie in the grocery store, but she highly doubted that counted as espionage.

  She jabbed her heel toward him to show she meant her words. “How do I know you’re real and this isn’t some fancy trick to con me and then sell me into the slave market? I watch Dateline, you know.”

  “You’ll have to trust me. This is about your family and their safety.” He opened the door and sat in one fluid, silky movement. “You can either come with me or maybe I’ll chat with your daughter instead.” The door shut and the engine started.

  Marisa stood, frozen. He wasn’t really letting her choose. She placed her hand on the still-cold metal handle of the backdoor. What if he spoke the truth? Could Stephen and Savvy truly be in danger? If so, she didn’t have a choice. She might not ever win Mom-of-the-year award. She might burn dinner on occasion.

  But this? This she could do.

  Maybe.

  Two

  The apartment was small and dingy in the middle of nowhere, which didn’t come as a complete surprise to Marisa since almost every town in Pennsylvania was in the middle of nowhere. She’d hoped for a five star hotel or something. Pretty Woman style. The guy did drive a fancy car after all and that spoke volumes about a person’s financial status. He probably dined on caviar for breakfast, lobster for lunch, and swordfish for dinner.

  They barely talked on the drive or walking up the sidewalk. Finally, Marisa cleared her throat after rehearsing several times in her head what she was going to say. “I’d like to know a little bit more about my role in all this.”

  At first, she thought he wasn’t going to answer, but after pressing his lips together and seemingly shrugging off his annoyance, he answered. “I’m investigating an Edward Rottingham. Your job is to find this man and keep him entertained while I poke around.”

  Marisa bristled. “For your information, I am not that kind of woman. I am happily married with no intentions of—”