by Lexi Blake
Hayley poured her coffee and turned around in time to see Charlotte carrying her son toward the door. Somehow she couldn’t let the other woman leave thinking she was embarrassed about participating in what had happened the other night. She wasn’t at all now that she thought about it. It had been one of the best nights of her life and not acknowledging that seemed wrong. “Did I thank you profusely for helping us out the other night?”
Charlotte smiled, the kind of smile that tended to light up whole rooms. Hayley kind of thought she was starting to smile like that, too. “No trouble. It was a good night for all of us. And don’t go too far. Ian’s out dealing with some business stuff with Damon but I got the report in this morning from Alex and Eve about what they found out about the fire.”
“I can’t go anywhere,” she agreed. “The last time I checked I was pretty much…well, just know I’ll be here. I was going to find Teresa to see if she needed any help. Idle hands and all.”
If Nick was going to be working most of the day, she couldn’t sit around the place. She needed something to do, a way to be productive.
“How about you meet me in the conference room in thirty minutes? I’m going to change him and see if I can get him down for a nap,” Charlotte explained. “You remember where it is?”
How could she forget? A woman didn’t tend to forget where she was the first time she was turned into a major player in a murder. “I’ll be there. Thanks.”
Charlotte left and Hayley turned back around to look for the sugar.
“So they’re being careful with you? I worry because sometimes Nikolai can be reckless,” Ezra said. “Sometimes he puts his own emotional needs in front of an operation. I would hate to see that happen to you.”
So he was some kind of operative. He seemed to know Nick. “Nick is careful with me. He won’t let me out of this building. It’s lovely, but I’m getting a bit bored in here. I’m hoping the reason I’m staying blows over and I can relax. Maybe go out and see a show in the West End or go to a restaurant.”
“Oh, I don’t think that’s going to happen anytime soon,” he said smoothly. “Not when you’re wanted for capital murder.”
She felt the pit of her stomach drop about three feet. “I’m sorry, what?”
He moved to the counter and deftly opened one of the cabinets, bringing out a small sugar server. “One or two?”
Hayley put the coffee down. “What did you mean? Capital murder? The last I heard they were calling me a possible material witness.”
He set the server down and faced her. “I meant that yesterday the Seattle police in conjunction with the FBI held a press conference and plastered your name and face all over the evening news. They found the gun used to kill the police officer and they’ve matched the prints to the ones you gave when you did your background check for the university.”
What the hell was happening? Did Nick know? He’d been so casual this morning. He couldn’t know. He would have told her. “I didn’t touch a gun. I didn’t have one, never owned one. There’s no way they have my prints.”
“Oh, there are so many ways they could have your prints. I assume you touched things while you were at the police station giving them the report.”
She’d had a bottle of water and someone had kindly offered her some coffee when it had gotten late. “Of course. I wasn’t trying to hide anything.”
“I’m also assuming you touched things inside the motel room you were staying at. They could have staged a nice scene there.”
She hadn’t thought about that at all. She’d left everything behind when she’d run. And yes, there would be DNA evidence of her all over that room. She’d taken a shower and dried her hair. She’d lain in the bed for a while. How the hell was this happening to her?
“It’s more than the physical evidence though. They’ve got you set up nicely. They also have an eyewitness,” he claimed calmly. “Someone who puts you fleeing from the scene of the crime. I believe they have video. Did you happen to run past a bank?”
She hadn’t thought about it at the time. She’d been far too busy running from the man who’d come to kill her. Later, she’d been more circumspect. She’d done everything her father had taught her to do when they were in casinos and he didn’t want to get thrown out by a floor boss he’d crossed. But she hadn’t been thinking about keeping her head down in that moment. “I was running from a man who was dressed as a cop. He was trying to kill me, not the other way around.”
“Ah, that explains it.” He leaned there casually, as if they were talking about the weather and not the potential end of life as she knew it. “It also explains why Nikolai has kept you under wraps for days. I don’t suppose he let you turn on the television, did he?”
“We watched some movies.”
“But no news.” Ezra managed to make it sound like an accusation.
She had to shake her head. “That doesn’t mean he knew.”
“He knew. I told him myself.”
She tried to act like those words hadn’t been a kick in the gut. She was starting to think the man in front of her was a bit on the dangerous side. “Who are you and how do you know so much about my case?”
His expression didn’t change a bit. He didn’t have a problem with his poker face. “I told you. I’m Ezra Fain. I work with McKay-Taggart from time to time. I know about your case because I make it a habit to keep my ear to the ground.”
“Who do you work for most of the time?” She had a nasty feeling she wasn’t going to like the answer.
His lips curled up in a lopsided smile she was sure most women found completely irresistible. “Now you’re asking the right question. I work for the CIA.”
Somehow she didn’t think he was talking about some desk job. The man in front of her wouldn’t do anything as ordinary as push papers around. He was like Nick. He would be dangerous under the right circumstances. The question was, were the circumstances right at this moment? She took a step back, coming up against the table. “Why are you really here?”
He held out a hand. “Hey, I’m not here to drag you back to the States. Not at all. I don’t work that way. I was curious because of your relationship with Nikolai. I’m actually here to work with a couple of the men. I’m nothing at all for you to worry about, though I do know a bit about what you’re going through. Damon asked me to use my contacts to see if I heard anything at all about why a London crime family decided to greet you here in Chelsea.”
She tried to tamp down the emotional reaction. If Nick had known, then he’d had a good reason not to tell her. He would come back and he would have an excellent explanation. Until then, she had to deal with the dude who seemed to have some information. “Do you know anything about why someone would try to frame me?”
Ezra thought about it for a moment. “Maybe you should talk to Nikolai.”
Now he wanted to clam up? “It’s my life and my case. I think I deserve to know.”
“I happen to agree with you, but Nikolai and I have had a few run-ins. I don’t want to cause trouble. I’m allowed in here because I’ve been helpful on a few missions, but I know damn well that Big Tag and Damon would cut me out in a heartbeat.”
“What do you mean a few run-ins? I would think you would be on the same side.”
“Well, sweetheart, at one point in time, he was basically a member of the KGB. He worked for Putin and he was a top agent. So no, we have not always been on the same side,” Ezra pointed out. “I’ve been around for a while so I’ve known him for years. Ten or so. I also ran up against him when he and his girlfriend would run jobs.”
She wasn’t sure what that meant, but it sounded bad. “They didn’t run jobs. That makes it sound criminal. They worked here. They were operatives.”
Ezra looked at her like she was a naïve child. “Oh, they ran plenty of jobs and many of them would be considered criminal, though they were awfully good at covering their tracks. They needed cash to do what they did. Taking down sixteen members of the Russian mafia is
no easy trick. It took cash and a whole lot of bullets.”
What the hell was he talking about? “Nick worked intelligence. If he took down a mafia family, he did it to save people.”
“He’d left his government job by then.” He shook his head. “Look, I’m not here to cause trouble between you and Nikolai. I’m sorry. I’m running my mouth off when I shouldn’t. I did find out a few things, but it’s still early. I know that there’s some talk on the Dark Web about someone in the States offering cash for anyone who can bring you in. The good news is they seem to want you alive.”
That didn’t make her feel better. “Why?”
“They didn’t talk about that,” he admitted. “And like I said, it’s what I like to call a whisper. A couple of people asking about it, but I haven’t seen anything from the person offering the cash. I’m listening in on the people asking about it. Honestly, that could be Adam Miles or it could be an assassin. I’m sure Big Tag put Adam and Chelsea Weston on the Dark Web to find out what they can. I’ll run it past Big Tag when he gets back, but I think it’s worth exploring. If I get an okay from Damon, I’ll talk to a friend of mine and we’ll try to see if she can find out if there’s a contract out on you.”
“I don’t know anything.” It seemed utterly surreal that someone out there thought she was so important they were willing to pay to have her kidnapped. “They can bring me in but they’ll be disappointed.”
“Sometimes we know more than we think,” he said enigmatically. “That’s one lesson I’ve learned in my years in the field. Don’t discount yourself. You’re the critical piece of this puzzle.”
“No, whatever information is on the microdot they found in my necklace is the critical piece.”
“Well, we can’t know that until Penny figures out the code, can we? I suppose until then you’ll stay here with Nikolai watching over you.”
How long would that take? “That’s the plan. Now more than ever. I can’t step outside without some security camera catching me. If they decide to bring Interpol in, everyone will be looking for me.”
“Don’t doubt that they’re already looking for you, sweetheart. But there’s always a way if you know the right tricks,” he replied. “Do you want to get a new cup? That one’s probably cold by now.”
Her coffee. She’d forgotten it. Now she couldn’t even think about putting something in her stomach. “No, I think I’ll pass this morning. I’ve got to go meet Charlotte in a few minutes.”
He stepped up, putting a hand on her shoulder. “It’s going to be all right. They’ll figure this out. Please be careful. Nikolai has some unappealing contacts that I would watch out for. But you’ll be safe as long as you stay here. This is a good group.”
“Why do you call him Nikolai? Everyone else calls him Nick.” It kind of unnerved her.
“I don’t ever want to forget who he really is. He is Nikolai Markovic, a true Russian son. It’s good to remember where people come from so you’ll know where they are likely to go.” He took a step back. “I’ve got to go down and have an interview with a crazy dude I’m fairly certain used to be Hungarian intelligence. I’ll be around for a while. If you need anything, you should know I’m here to help.”
“Why would you help me?” She wasn’t sure what the CIA had to do with her case and she wasn’t foolish enough to think this man helped anyone out of the kindness of his heart.
He stopped at the door. “Like I said, I like it here. Again, if you need anything at all, you know where to find me.” He started to turn and then stopped. “I’m having to stay in the dorms, just so you know. I’m on a cot in a room with those idiots because I’m dedicated to figuring out who those boys are. So if you want to save me, feel free. I have no idea how they manage to make the whole room smell like feet.”
He walked out and Hayley stared after him wondering what she would be forced to do next.
* * * *
Nick tamped down his frustration as he turned the car down Pretoria Road. At this time of day it wasn’t crowded, but there were always people on the streets. Some of whom would as soon shoot him than speak to him. He took a deep breath and tried not to scream or vent his anger on the poor steering wheel. It wasn’t the Mercedes’s fault that he was forced to go back into the lion’s den.
The morning had not gone well. He’d taken a chance and blown it. He was fairly certain he would be in for a hell of a lecture when he got home.
Now he was here in Little Russia about to do what might end up being one of the stupidest things he’d ever done. And given his track record, that was saying something.
“Well, you got to look at it as a funny story to tell.” Brody was stuffed into the seat beside him. “You know when you think of it, it’s kind of a joke, mate. A Russian and an Aussie walk into British intelligence and suddenly everyone’s bloody stupid.”
This morning’s first mission had been a complete failure. He’d gotten absolutely nothing out of his contacts at MI6. Since Nigel Crowe had retired, even Damon’s contacts had dried up considerably. Or no one was willing to talk to him in particular. He hadn’t gotten past the lobby. According to the one agent who’d been willing to come down, Hayley Dalton’s case was purely a matter for US law enforcement. They weren’t sticking their necks out for someone with no deep connections.
Or they remembered Nick’s connections to Des, who’d been this close to being arrested by her former coworkers.
“I should have waited. I should have sent Damon or better yet Penny. I got impatient and it cost us.” It cost her. It cost Hayley. Penny had offered to call a few people, but he wanted the information now. Ever since the moment he’d realized whoever was after Hayley had put out an international call for her, he’d been in a state of pure panic.
Someone was willing to pay half a million dollars for Hayley. God only knew what they would do with her when they had her. Likely she would end up being so much bloody trouble they would murder her.
He had to do anything he could to keep her safe.
Not that his intelligence-gathering mission was going well. He’d come up with nothing and wasted a whole morning. Now he had to go to a place he’d sworn he never would again. And he’d forgotten her coffee. He needed to buy a bloody coffeemaker so he didn’t have to go foraging every morning.
She also needed more clothes and hangers so she could use the closet. And a dresser of her own, since he only had a tiny one. Maybe he should switch to a larger one and she could have half of it. There was something satisfying about the thought of his clothes next to hers.
What was he thinking? He was driving into a place where there were people who wanted to murder him and he was redecorating in his head. It was an excellent way to get himself killed.
“Deep breath, mate. It’s all going to be fine,” Brody said. “The restaurant’s up ahead, right? Nothing to be worried about. I got your back.”
“I have to tell her today.” Nick’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. He’d spent two days trying to keep the news from her. He wasn’t being honest with himself. He’d spent two days trying to pretend that it wasn’t really happening.
Someone was serious about taking Hayley and they were no closer to finding out why. Penny had been working with the code for days, but hadn’t come up with a reliable cipher. It didn’t correspond to any she knew and that meant one thing. Des herself, or whomever she’d meant to get the message to, had devised it.
Codes were funny things. Anyone could create one. He’d used several in his days as an intelligence operative. Letters of the alphabet would correspond to symbols, numbers, or even other letters. It would appear to be nonsense to the uninformed. However, if one had the cipher, it would be easy to match up the code and read the message.
Whoever had coded this message had used more than one alphabet, tons of symbols, and even bloody emojis. It was exactly like Des to have slipped the smiling poop icon into her code.
He had to face facts. It could take Penny months to figure out a wor
king cipher. Des had been damn good at her job.
He had to do something. He couldn’t keep Hayley locked up forever, though it was tempting.
“She’s going to be scared, but I don’t know why telling her is such a problem,” Brody replied. “She needs to know so she can be vigilant.”
“So you wouldn’t have any problem telling the doctor that someone wants her dead?”
Brody sighed. “Course I would, but I’d tell her and fast because I wouldn’t want her to do something that could get her killed. Luckily I don’t have to worry about that. Steph’s practically a saint. No one would want to hurt her. She does too much for the people around her.”
“Yes, well, Hayley is a history professor. Not exactly a high-risk job,” Nick pointed out. “All I’m saying is it’s hard to say these things to a woman you care about. I don’t want to hurt her, but you’re right. I have to tell her.”
“Good news is you can also tell her that she’s safe.” Brody sat back, though the smile on his face had been replaced with a broody look. “At least she’s the kind of woman who’ll listen to reason. She’ll keep herself safe because she’s not some crazy Joan of Arc martyr who thinks she has to save the whole world.”
Ah, so there was more to the story. “I thought you said she was safe.”
Brody stared out the front window, a stony look on his face. “I said no one wanted to kill her. I didn’t say she didn’t make a habit of shoving her body in front of bullets from time to time. She’s got it in her head that everyone deserves saving, and if her chance happens to come during some military skirmish, then logic be damned.”
Brody had lost a brother during battle. It would be difficult for him to deal with a woman he cared about putting herself in danger. In this particular case, he had to agree that he had the easier time of it. Hayley would be reasonable.
“I’m sorry to hear that. Though she sounds like a hell of a woman, I can understand how it would be rough to have to watch her put herself on the line. Though we’re about to do the same thing.”
