The library was lined with dark cherry wood bookshelves, which displayed leather bound books and objet d’art from all over the world. Overstuffed chairs were set into conversation groups and a round oak table was surrounded by maroon leather chairs, at the ready for a meeting or a poker game.
Surprisingly, Sonya found the library already occupied. “Sorry,” she spoke when she noted that Mimi was already ensconced in one of the overstuffed chairs.
“Come in,” Mimi smiled. “I am kill time. BB and Steven ‘talk!'” She rolled her eyes.
Sonya laughed. It felt good to laugh again. “Yes, they all seem to be the same. You and Steve seem to be close. Have you been friends a long time?” she asked curiously.
A slow smile spread across Mimi’s pretty face. “Almost long. We meet many times because BB and Maurice have business and Steven come sometime. We begin to date, maybe three or four month ago, when he return from Canada, the first time. His brother, John and wife, Sara, they make big impression on him. He say that is time that he live life for himself, like Sara tell him. Me, I am happy what he decide.”
“It looks to me like he is a happy man as well,” Sonya declared. “You must be very pleased that he will move to Paris.”
Mimi shrugged. “Yes that he will be here, non that at time, the business can be dangerous.”
“But you were part of that operation!” Sonya declared. “You are not a spy?”
Laughter tinkled. “Moi? Non non! Sometime, I gather information, and help with a mission, but I have my own business. La joie de vivre, I like more! These people, they are too serious all the time! Maurice and Steven as well.”
“So what happens when Steve begins to work here in Paris? Will he work for Maurice?”
“No,” Steve’s voice interjected as he walked into the room. “I am pursuing other options. Somehow, I don’t think cloak and dagger is an ideal mix for good family relationships.”
“I thought that BB said that you would be here because he’s retiring,” Sonya stated.
Steve took a deep breath. “We have had several heart-to-hearts over the past few days. There are many options here in Paris, but MI6 isn’t, I’m afraid, one that I will choose. BB knows that. It was a bit of wishful thinking on his part, and his way of putting in his seal of approval.”
CHAPTER 32
Bryan and Sonya dined in the kitchen that night. Steve and Mimi had gone to do whatever it was that they had planned, and BB and Mike had set off on their train trip to Italy. It seemed strange to be all alone after being completely surrounded by people for the past few days.
“This is nice, don’t you think?” Sonya reflected as she sipped on her glass of wine. “Who would have thought three days ago, that we’d be sitting in this kitchen having a romantic dinner in BB’s beautiful home?”
“Not me!” Bryan declared immediately. “I certainly didn’t think so before I was rescued. It was the scariest time of my life. I didn’t know where I was, and there was absolutely no light at all. I could think about was I wouldn’t see you again.”
He took a sip of his wine and then twirled his glass thoughtfully. “When I was conscious, it gave me lots of time to think. It’s interesting what comes to mind. It sure made me clear the clutter out of my thoughts and concentrate on what was most important to me.”
“Sonya, I’m so sorry to have gotten you into all of this. I thought that Paris would be a really romantic and memorable honeymoon. It certainly is unforgettable, but not in the way that I had intended.”
This statement took Sonya by surprise. “Honey, you had no idea whatsoever, that this would happen! And I thought that Paris would be a wonderful place for our honeymoon as well. Do you remember when Sara and Ivan were held hostage by that guy named Igor? OMG! Igor!”
“What’s an Igor?” Bryan asked completely befuddled by his wife’s reaction.
“Boy, we have a lot to catch up on! When you were kidnapped, Sylvain and I were almost hysterical. We went rushing out onto the road and Madame Lalonde came out to see what we were doing. I insisted in reporting it to the police, which we finally did, but she was very reluctant.”
“Now, I know that she was going to report it to BB, but at the time, I was so pissed that she wasn’t as upset as I was. When we got back from the arrondissement, she checked out every corner of the house and then called someone on her cell. The only word that I recognized was ‘wizard’. She was probably calling BB or Maurice now that I think about it in retrospect.”
“So, I packed up the computer, our passports, your camera and a few essentials into my tote bag, and when Madame Lalonde went out to do some errands, I tried to slip out. Sylvain caught me and insisted on coming along as well.”
“It was a really good thing that he did, because Madame Lalonde returned home to find two men pulling her house apart looking for a memory card! They roughed her up and dislocated her arm looking for this damn card! And she has spy training! Sylvain and I would have been no match for them.”
“In the meantime, Sylvain and I took a taxi to the Mercure where Mike and Steve were staying, because I didn’t think that the police believed us. BB was there and before we knew it, he drove us back to Madame Lalonde’s, where the police were already investigating the break in. After being treated at the hospital, Madame Lalonde joined us here, at BB’s.”
“By us, you mean everyone? Mike included?” Bryan qualified.
“Yes, everyone! BB was being chauffeured by Maurice! That was their cover, can you believe it? We became part of a cloak and dagger operation which involved three spy agencies! Anyway, I was frantic to find you, so when I was looking for clues, I opened the memory card in the computer. I knew they were your paintings, even if they weren’t your usual style. I thought it might be important, so I substituted it for the mp3 card in my cell phone to keep it safe.”
“I sent you a text asking how you were and finally got an answer. It wasn’t you texting, I was sure about that because it just didn’t sound like you, so I tried to sneak out of the house to get to the Eiffel Tower, ostensibly to meet you. Madame Lalonde caught me, but she convinced me to let her come too because Lucien was also kidnapped! It seems like I’m a failure at sneaking out of anywhere!” By now Sonya was on a roll, and took another swallow of her wine.
“Madame Lalonde went too?” Bryan asked. “She was injured, what could she do?”
“For one, she got Steve’s car keys. In hindsight, she told them all what was going on, because she is one of them – a retired one of them!” Sonya replied. “Can you believe that? I sure did when I saw her in action.”
“Whoa, hold on now! Madame Lalonde was a spy? So how come Lucien was a bad guy, or do you know?” Bryan asked, rubbing his bruised chin.
Swizzling her wine, Sonya hesitated. “No idea why. At least, BB and Maurice didn’t say why. He was working for Maurice too, but somehow his loyalty shifted. Money perhaps, I don’t know. They never told us.”
Bryan was sitting back, listening and sipping on his wine now, interested in learning the rest of what had happened while he had been all alone in the dark. His wife didn’t disappoint him.
“Anyway, Madame Lalonde directed me and I drove to the tower and parked. Then, it seemed all hell broke loose. Along came Steve and Mike on a motorbike, both of them dressed in black. BB’s Mercedes went by and before I knew it, BB was handing me an earpiece and a receiver and demanding that I obey his orders to run if he issued them. Well, I wasn’t going to refuse! Steve and Mimi went off in different directions, both in black and wearing balaclavas.”
“I approached the position that BB directed, and lo and behold, just as he advised, that swine Grégoire, materialized out of the dark. What a gross pig! Anyway, he pulled a gun on me, and BB told me in my earpiece that I was covered and that when I got to the lamp post, I was to turn right and run as fast as possible to the car.”
“And I did! I ran as fast as I have ever run in my entire life. Mid-stride, some big guy picked me up and continued runn
ing and then and took me between two buildings. He put me down and someone pulled a balaclava over my head. I was so mad! I was ready to nail them, or at least land a judo chop or two! Mike and Madame Lalonde stopped me and advised me that my hair was too bright and that we had to remain unseen and to keep the balaclava on my head.
“It was then, that we looked back at the lamp post. Grégoire was on the ground and a really, really big guy was standing over him, arguing with Steve. I could hear them because I still had the earpiece. Finally, BB asked Steve to come over to where we were, and the big guy picked up Grégoire like he was nothing, which he is, and walked away with him.”
“Within ten minutes they had a location where you were being held. The guy’s name was Igor! I think it’s the same one that was in Johnny and Sara’s house, because he told BB that he owed Hunter and Toth and that now his debt was paid.”
“We all rushed to the university, and I heard all of the activity on the earpiece, which BB forgot I still had. The first guard was taken out and when they got the second guard, they figured the second door was booby trapped."
"Something happened that made a huge noise and it was then, that both Madame Lalonde who also had an earpiece, and I heard Lucien say that his employers would be delighted to have both The Wizard and his Sorcerer captive. BB and Maurice! That’s when Madame Lalonde started to cry. I didn’t recognize Maurice's voice, but she did!”
Sonya paused for a sip of wine and to reflect on how shocked Madame Lalonde had been.
“So what happened then?” Bryan asked. This was all such a revelation to him. He had no idea that all of this had happened while he had been captive.
Sonya took a deep breath. “Then Igor stepped in again to help Maurice and BB. I don’t know what he did to Lucien, but it was effective. They all rushed back to the university to get the door open. By then, they knew that it was only you in there. Steve ordered lights and every corner searched. When I heard him say that they had found you, I thought my heart would stop.”
The horror of those last few moments came crashing back on Sonya, and tears began to spill. “It was awful hearing all that was going on, and not being able to do anything about it. Steve came and said that you were alive, and being checked out by a doctor. We were rushed back here. I was driven to the hospital the next morning. And the rest, you know.”
Bryan stood and hugged his wife as tightly as his bruised body would allow. “Thanks for coming to save me,” was all he was able to articulate, as his emotions overcame him.
CHAPTER 33
BB had been absolutely correct; the train car was luxurious, the food was excellent and although each had a private sleeping room/sitting room, it was a good place to begin to get to know each other.
At first it had been incredibly awkward. During the ‘cloak and dagger’ stuff as Mike had begun to think of the past few days, they had been surrounded by people. First, at their initial lunch meeting and until they left BB’s lovely home in Paris. They didn’t know one another, and finding some common ground other than the ‘stuff’ was uncomfortable. They were essentially strangers. What did one say to a stranger that was your father? What did one say to a stranger that was your son?
“I believe that there is a rather large elephant in this very small room,” BB declared as he pulled out an expensive bottle of old scotch. “Perhaps, we need some help to loosen up our interactive skills.” He poured them each a glass and lifted his in toast.
“I am looking forward to learning as much as I can about you and your lifetime in this short trip. I am not a young man. I do not have the luxury of decades in which to embrace the fact that I have a son, even though that thought gives me a great deal of joy.” He took a sip of his scotch and continued. “The truth is, Mike, that I have rehearsed these first few words countless times, and I do not seem to be able to express myself very eloquently.”
Mike took a sip of the wonderful old scotch and listened. BB’s revelation surprised him. It never occurred to him that the self-assured, accomplished man in front of him could be nervous. He took a deep breath.
“I will be honest,” he began, “I have been debating what and how I would say what I think that we both need to discuss. The truth is I’m not even certain what that is, or should be. I am very happy not only to meet you, but to get to know you.”
“And yet, I am so angry! I’m angry with my mother, with her little secrets, and with the way that she and Steve’s mother screwed around with our lives. It is as though we, the men that we became, were inconsequential. What they did has changed a great deal inside of me, and I’m not even certain that I know what it is yet.”
“A good point to begin,” BB stated as he sat back into his chair and swirled his drink. “I will admit that I have a tremendous amount of anger towards your mother as well. She knew very well how much I have always wanted a family of my own. I was one of those British children that was raised by nanny’s and trotted out to company in Sunday dress, and then trotted back to the children’s wing to be unseen and unheard.”
“I was shipped off to boarding school at a very young age. Perhaps, that is where I learned self-discipline and to never show emotion. In that situation, it stood me in good stead. It certainly did in the Air Force,” he smiled at that thought.
“The first time that my father even acknowledged my existence, was the night that I worked up enough courage to tell him that the RAF was where I wanted to be. He was furious! First, that I would do something so ‘rash’ without his permission, and secondly, that I chose not to go into the family firm of barristers. Since I was not of the age of majority, a compromise was struck.”
“I would continue my education and once graduated, the discussion would take place again regarding the RAF. In retrospect, my father acted and argued the same as he would have a court case, which was what he knew. He had no idea how to reach out emotionally. Unfortunately, that was the height of emotion that our relationship ever took. Sad, really.”
Mike sighed, “That really is sad. Why did they even have children if they didn’t want them?”
“Appearances, my boy, appearances. Those in a certain socio-economic class did things that way. My mother was not a cold woman, she simply had no idea how to deal with us. It was easier to go with the flow as they say, and hire staff to raise my brother and I. I did finish university, and I did join the RAF! The war had broken out by then, and there was no arguing my choice. I was sent to a training school in Brandon, Manitoba in Canada to learn to fly. It was the safest place from the Germans."
“My uncle Stefan taught flying in Brandon at that time!” Mike exclaimed. “You must have run into him!”
“Ivan said the same thing, and apparently, I was there after he was injured training a young pilot that crashed their aircraft. I must say that I’m sorry to never have had the opportunity to meet him,” BB answered.
“Unfortunately, my brother, your uncle, was killed in France on an operation. It was my mother’s undoing. Sadly, she was never the same again. My father wanted to fly her to Canada for the duration of the war, but she wouldn’t hear of it. To her credit, she worked for the Red Cross during the war, helping those that were injured.”
With that he pulled out some photos from a briefcase. “These, Mike are your grandparents and my brother,” he said, handing Mike the photos. His grandparents were handsome people. His grandmother was a stunning brunette, superbly dressed and posed as was done in old photographs of this vintage. His grandfather was blonde, and had his hand resting possessively on his wife’s shoulder. Beside them, were two young men. BB, he recognized immediately, the brother was slightly different, but their family resemblance rested in the eyes. His grandfather, BB, and his uncle had the very same eyes. As did he. It was uncanny.
“It was after the war, when I was stationed in Germany, that I met Ivan Toth. My lifelong friend from boarding school, Paul Hunter, was also stationed there. Paul, Ivan and I were, for lack of a better word, gadabouts! We definitely sowed our
wild oats. Then we met your mother and Steven’s.”
“I often wonder, what would have happened if they had been honest with the three of us, instead of taking matters into their own hands. We shall never know, shall we? So, my son, as a result of their actions, here we sit on a train, trying to assimilate a lifetime’s worth of knowledge about each other.” BB took a long drink, sat back and swallowed his scotch.
“It’s in my court now,” thought Mike. “What do I say? How do I say it? Where do I start?” Deciding to take a page out of BB’s book, Mike pulled out his computer. “I sifted through a bunch of family photos and made a file for you to see and to have, if you wish.”
Once the computer was up and running, he selected the file and shifted his chair closer to BB’s to show him the pictorial, which began with a baby picture, taken at his christening. In the photograph, were his grandparents, Maria and Mikael and his parents, Ivan and Ilsa.
“Sonya has an extremely strong resemblance to her grandmother,” BB remarked as he put on his glasses. “You are as blonde as I imagined that you would have been as an infant.” They progressed through the slideshow, with BB remarking on each in his own indomitable way.
“Ah, so this is your uniform for the game of hockey,” he declared at a little league photo. “You were tall for your age. All Blackburns have been tall at this age. Why did you choose to play and what age did you begin?”
Interesting questions, Mike mused. “I was about five, which was when I learned to skate. My father coached pee-wee league hockey, so it was almost a given that I would play. John did too, but he was better than I was. He even played hockey in University. I imagine that hockey is a bit like cricket or soccer in England; if you’re a boy, you’re expected to play. Did you?”
“For the honour of my school, I most certainly did play! There were great rivalries between school sports teams at the time. I suppose, today, things might be different. The world is so different now, even though we believe that we keep up.”
Secrets Page 12
