by Trevor Scott
“Argentina,” Jake said. “More specifically, Patagonia.”
“I was thinking that myself,” Bragin said.
The Russian reached his hand out and the two of them shook firmly. Then, without saying another word, Ivan Bragin left Jake’s room.
Jake guessed that would be the last time he would ever see his old friend and sometime enemy.
41
Calabria, Italy
Jake relaxed in a lounge chair overlooking the aquamarine Tyrrhenian Sea, which resembled smooth glass this morning.
Alexandra came out with two cups of cappuccino, handing one to Jake before taking a seat next to him. Considering her level of pregnancy, she looked fantastic, Jake thought.
Before sipping the cappuccino, he noticed she had drawn a heart in the foam. “Wow,” he said. “You might have a career as a barista in your future.”
“Just because you have a bullet wound, don’t think I won’t kick your ass,” she said. “I’m still pissed at you.”
“What? You think I tried to get shot?”
She sipped her coffee and then set her cup on a small table. “I know that I haven’t been the easiest to live with the past few months.”
How should he answer that? This was new to him as well. And he had been traveling so much, he couldn’t possibly complain about any attitude from Alexandra. She had a right to complain. “It’s not like I’ve really been here for you. This is my fault.”
She shook her head. “You are doing important work. I’m just a little jealous I can’t be there with you.”
“We need to decide how to work going forward,” Jake said.
“You don’t like working for Carlos Gomez? The perks are great.”
A motion sensor alarm went off, but Jake and Alexandra both knew that sound was from the sea-side sensors. So neither got concerned about it.
“That they are,” Jake said. “But these jobs can get dangerous. And we have a daughter to think about.”
“You took those words from me,” Alexandra said. “But sometimes those things that seem easy become more difficult when you get involved.”
“That’s not my fault,” he said.
She frowned. “You once took on a missing person case that turned into an international crisis that nearly led to nuclear war.”
She had a point. “Again, that wasn’t my fault. One thing just led to the next. I go where the case brings me.”
Changing the subject, Alexandra nodded her head toward the trail that led down to the ocean. Their house sat on a tall hill overlooking the water, but it was quite a walk down to the sea. Karl and Kadri, having just topped the precipice, walked hand-in-hand toward them.
“They’re a nice couple,” Alexandra said. “Kadri is a beautiful woman. And Karl will make a great Agency officer.”
Jake thought the same thing. “After the past week, he knows what he’s getting into.”
Karl and Kadri came up to them and stood with their backs to the sea.
“This is a great place,” Karl said. “I see why you picked it.”
“Isolated and easy to defend,” Jake said.
Karl turned his head to the ocean and then back to his father. “I was thinking about the great view and the sea access.”
Jake shrugged. “There’s that too.”
Alexandra got up from her chair with difficulty, getting a last pull from Karl. “Thank you, Karl.” Then she grabbed Kadri’s hand and said, “Let’s go find some food. For some reason, I’m hungry.”
Karl sat in the chair Alexandra just vacated. “I really like her.”
“Kadri?”
“Her too. But I was thinking about your choice. Alexandra. She’s a great woman.”
“Yes, she is.”
For the first time in a long time, Jake felt blessed by God to be alive.
If you like science fiction, please consider reading the first book in this new series:
The Azure Key (the first book in the Corsair Uprising Space Opera Series)
