The Spy Is Cast

by Diane Henders

  “That’d prob’ly make me cry an’ puke an’ swear.”

  “Then imagine the worst-case scenario is like being held spread-eagled while one of the CFL’s star punters takes his best shot at your nuts. Wearing cleats. And then an enraged wolverine comes along and chews off anything that’s left. Slowly.”

  He flinched and cupped his crotch protectively. “Stop it, darlin’, you’re scarin’ the boys. If ya keep doin’ that, I’m gonna end up with indoor plumbin’.”

  “Now, that would be a tragedy. The boys have my heartfelt apologies.”

  He grinned. “Ya can make it up to ‘em later.”

  We got on the bikes again, and Hellhound led the way to a different access point. “Go on ahead,” he advised me. “I’m gonna shut down the beast an’ push it in.” He pulled out his phone and pressed a speed dial button before disconnecting. “You’re good to go now.”

  I idled the Honda slowly down the winding trail, hoping I wouldn’t have to leave quite as quickly this time. I’d only ridden a hundred yards or so when I spotted a flash of red paint through the trees. Shortly afterward, I pulled into the clearing beside Germain’s Yamaha.

  He turned from his binoculars, looking alarmed. “Aydan? What’s going on?”

  “Nothing to worry about. Kane wanted me to check the network again this morning, and he wanted me to have an escort both ways. Hellhound’s behind me, pushing his bike in.”

  “Now, that’s love,” Germain chuckled. “I still can’t figure out why anybody would want to ride a Harley. Especially after pushing it around for days.”

  Hellhound laboured up the slope into the clearing. “Liked the other viewpoint better,” he panted as he leaned the big motorcycle on its kickstand.

  “Get some modern technology,” Germain needled him. “I can ride in and out.”

  “Yeah, but look what ya gotta ride,” Hellhound retorted.

  Germain grinned and handed him the binoculars. “See you later.” He started his bike and led the way down the trail.

  Chapter 25

  There was no sign of Kane when we reached the gate, and Germain got off to open it and close it again behind us. Nerves twitched in my stomach as we wheeled the bikes up beside the RV.

  I had just pulled my helmet off when Kane stuck his head out the door of the trailer, the phone glued to his ear. He raised a hand in greeting before ducking back inside. I blew out a relieved breath and went inside, too.

  He was obviously just finishing his conversation so I slipped into the bathroom and changed back into my jeans. By the time I emerged, Kane was sitting on the edge of the pull-out bed while Germain heated some food in the microwave. I ran a glass of water and slid into the bench of the dinette.

  “Anything new in the network this morning?” Kane asked.

  “Yes. There’s a new prisoner, and they haven’t started working on him yet. I got a good look this time.”

  Kane straightened. “Excellent! That’s the first break we’ve had. Can you get started looking through the database right away?”

  “I can, but aren’t you going to go in and rescue the new prisoner?”

  Kane’s face was composed, but I read his disquiet in the iron grey of his eyes. “We can’t. We have to get more information.”

  “But we know what’s going to happen to him! You can’t just let him suffer like that!”

  Kane made a calming gesture, frowning, and I realized I was half-way out of my seat, fists clenched.

  “Aydan, I’m sorry, I feel the same way you do, but these are our orders.”

  “That’s bullshit,” I snapped. “Call Stemp again. That poor kid’s going to die a horrible death. We can’t just sit here.”

  Kane sighed. “I just got off the phone with Stemp. We need identities before we can move. Our orders stand, whether we like it or not.” He turned to Germain, and I realized the subject was closed no matter how much I might rant. “Any sign of physical activity last night?” Kane asked.

  Germain shook his head. “Everything exactly as before. No sign of body transfers. The usual guard patrols, on the usual routes. The only difference is they’re using random timing now.”

  “Damn. So we have no way of knowing whether they pulled the bodies out yesterday afternoon while our surveillance was down, or whether they’re still there. Aydan narrowed the list of divers down to a shortlist last night, but we can’t go any further down that road until Webb gets back to us with more information.”

  Germain nodded glumly. “Or until we get a report of a middle-aged diver who died of a heart attack yesterday.”

  “So now what?” I asked, keeping my voice calm and level, emotions under control. “Do we just keep watching?”

  Kane grimaced. “Yes.”

  I sighed and straightened out of my slouch. “I did find something else interesting in the network.”

  “What?” Kane leaned forward intently.

  “I found a complete, real-time sim of the security room. All the monitors clearly visible, all up to date. Somebody’s set it up so they can monitor remotely. I bet that explains why the network is so widespread. They’d be able to access it from anywhere on the building site.”

  “Isn’t that interesting,” Kane muttered. “I wonder why they need that.” His eyes bored into me. “How did you find this? I told you not to interact. You shouldn’t have been opening any sim files.”

  “I didn’t. Harchman was in the sim.”

  “Monitoring the security?”

  “No. Getting his rocks off. Again,” I said moodily. “I swear I’m ready to buy that asshole a hooker just so I don’t have to watch him do me every day.” There was a longish silence. “That was probably too much information,” I added.

  “A little,” Germain agreed.

  “Sorry.”

  “I can see where that would be upsetting,” Kane said diplomatically.

  I shrugged. “I don’t really care if he thinks it. It’s a free country. They’re his own private thoughts. I just don’t want to have to watch it.”

  “Understandable. Anyway,” Kane brought us back to the point. “That sim could have some potential for surveillance for us.”

  “Definitely,” I agreed. “But I don’t know what would happen if I went in and opened it. I know anybody can walk into a sim while it’s in use. But I don’t know if another user would notice if it was already open when they accessed it. I’ll have to talk to Spider.”

  I frowned, thinking. “And I’d need to know how the date and timestamp record on the sim file would work. If it’s real-time, maybe it’s always up and they’d never notice. Or not.”

  Kane stood. “Give it some thought, and then call Webb and talk it over with him. In the mean time, the sooner you get started on the database search, the better.”

  I nodded. “I’ll do that right away.” I eyed Germain’s tired face. “I’ll take the laptop outside so you can get some rest in here.”

  “Thanks.” He got up and threw his paper plate in the garbage as I picked up the laptop.

  “I’m going to wash up before you get to sleep,” Kane told him, and headed for the tiny bathroom.

  I went outside and settled into the folding chair. I had only been working for a few minutes when Kane shouted my name from inside. I heard a slam, and the RV rocked furiously to the sound of pounding feet.

  Adrenaline spiked through my system as I sprang up, unsure whether to rush to the trailer or run for the forest. I compromised by standing dumbly rooted to the spot. The RV’s door crashed open, rebounding almost into Kane’s face as he leaped out. Germain hit the ground immediately behind him.

  My jaw dropped at the sight. Both were nattily attired in underwear, firearms, and nothing else. Kane showcased his considerable assets in hip-hugging black briefs, nicely colour-coordinated with his Sig Sauer .40 calibre. Germain was slightly more discreet though just as impressive in a pair of snug black boxer briefs, accessorized with a matching Glock.

  Overloaded by all the luscious
naked muscle and bountiful endowment, my mind spun its wheels wildly. Kane had been washing up, Germain was going to bed, right, that explained the underwear.

  My brain slipped a few more gears as Kane jerked his head at Germain and they quickly secured the perimeter, offering me two magnificent rear views as well. Old, jagged scars marred Kane’s powerful back. The bullet must have gone right through his chest. I knew it had been a near-fatal wound.

  I heroically dragged my eyes up to their faces as they turned. Germain placed his back to the RV, scanning the woods and access points, his gun at the ready. Kane reached into the trailer and threw my boots, leathers, and backpack at me.

  “Vanish,” he barked. “Don’t tell me where. Contact Webb for a rendezvous point. Leave your cellphone here.”

  My body was already scrambling to obey while my brain caught up. I kicked off my shoes and skinned out of my jeans. A small, silly part of my mind congratulated me for wearing black panties today. We all matched. Fashion tips for the well-dressed spy…

  “What are you doing?” Kane demanded.

  I bent to pick up my leather pants, trying to keep the thong back of my underwear out of direct view. I jerked the pants up my legs as I looked up to meet two frozen stares. “They don’t fit over my jeans. What the hell’s going on?”

  Kane gave his head a quick, forceful shake. “We may have been compromised. Get out as fast as you can. Don’t stop for anything. Good luck,” he added as I wrestled my backpack over my jacket and jammed my helmet on. Germain ran to swing the gate open, and I jumped on the Honda and accelerated hard up the hill.

  Chapter 26

  I cracked the throttle open on the highway and glared frantically around me as I hit the speed limit. There was no sign of pursuit. My heart pounded furiously for several miles, but the light morning traffic looked utterly normal and nobody gave me a second glance.

  I took the first available turn toward Millarville and started to relax as I headed south on the quiet highway. Barring an attack from the air, it would be pretty hard for anybody to sneak up on me here.

  Forty minutes later, I pulled into the small town, shaking with fatigue and surplus adrenaline. In a tiny coffee shop I gratefully downed a cup of herbal tea and a muffin, still watching vigilantly just in case.

  All was quiet.

  I got directions to a public phone and dialled Spider’s number.

  He answered on the first ring. “Spider’s Webb Design.” I could hear the overtone of tension in his voice.

  “Spider, it’s Aydan.”

  “Thank God. Are you okay?”

  “Fine. What the hell’s going on?”

  “Germain will fill you in when you meet him.” I thumped my forehead as I realized that he couldn’t tell me anything on this line.

  “When and where?”

  “Calgary. Not before one o’clock. Call me later and I’ll update you.” I looked at my watch. Nine AM. At least four hours to kill.

  “Okay. I’ll call you later.”

  “Be careful.”

  I hung up the phone. What the hell was I going to do for four hours?

  I shrugged. Might as well take the scenic route. It would use up the time, and I’d be hard to find as long as I kept moving.

  Back on the bike, I headed south. It was a beautiful morning for a ride, and the highway wasn’t too busy. I relaxed as much as I could and tried to enjoy the cruise.

  At Turner Valley I finally turned east, beginning to angle my way back up toward Calgary. Just before Okotoks, I pulled off beside the road for a rest. My sleepless night had caught up with me, and I was struggling to stay alert. Now was a bad time to start getting tired and careless, right before tackling Calgary traffic.

  I jogged around a bit, trying to get my blood circulating. The air was getting warm again, and it didn’t help. Right now, cold would be better. I shook the tension out of my hands and wrists and tried to formulate a plan.

  I really needed sleep. I couldn’t check into a hotel at ten o’clock in the morning just for the sake of a couple of hours of sleep. Anyway, I didn’t have enough cash on me, and I didn’t want to use a credit card. Shit.

  My tired brain ran in tight circles.

  Must stay alert.

  Must have sleep.

  Finally, I hit on the best compromise I could manage. I climbed wearily back aboard the bike and rode up through Okotoks to connect with Highway 2. A few miles north, I turned off and pulled into the parking lot of a manmade recreational lake at the south end of Calgary.

  Families were already staking out their spots on the warm sand and the concession stands were in full swing. I parked the bike and staggered a few steps away to collapse on the grass under a tree. With a long sigh I leaned back against its trunk and rested my elbows on my drawn-up knees. Eyes closing, my aching head sank onto my crossed arms.

  A dog barked sharply close by. I jerked upright, swiping my hand across my chin where I’d been drooling. How attractive.

  I checked my watch. Out like a light for nearly thirty-five minutes, right in the middle of a public place. Dangerous. Real spies probably didn’t do things like that.

  I hauled myself to my feet and massaged my butt. The parts of it that weren’t asleep hurt like hell, and I walked back and forth and did a few stretches. Nobody paid any attention to me, which pleased me immensely.

  I found a pay phone and called Spider again. “Hi, Spider. Any news?”

  “Yes. Meet at one o’clock. Where you first met Hellhound.”

  “Okay, got it. Does that mean we’re all in the clear?”

  “So far, yes, but Kane says to stay alert.”

  I hung up the phone, smiling at the memory of my first encounter with Hellhound. He’d nearly punched my head in, and I’d returned the favour by slamming his face into the side of a building and slugging him in the throat. Funny how things work out.

  Arriving at the strip mall a few minutes early, I cruised past the parking lot once as a precaution. The RV was easy to spot with the cargo trailer hitched on behind it, and I pulled into the lot and parked a few slots away. The sun had turned the asphalt into a shimmering griddle, and I pulled off my helmet and jacket gratefully. As I did, the RV’s door swung open, and Germain beckoned me over.

  I was heading in that direction when Kane rode up and swung off the BMW. Riding chaps again. Jesus.

  As we sat down in the RV, I concentrated hard on their faces. All I could think of was black underwear.

  Wrestling my dirty mind into submission, I made an attempt to focus. On something besides firmly-packed black underwear.

  Shit.

  “What happened?” I demanded. “Is Hellhound okay?”

  “He’s fine. We left him on surveillance,” Kane said. “I wasn’t concerned about that part of the operation. I was afraid I’d compromised our base camp.”

  “You’d compromised it? How?”

  “Through my own carelessness,” he said through his teeth. “Stupid. We ran a sweep on my bike, but we didn’t run one on me. When I went to wash up, I discovered an electronic device attached to the back of my neck. They must have slapped it on me while I was recovering from the stun gun.”

  “They were tracking you? Why the hell wouldn’t they have just come and picked you up last night, then?”

  “I don’t know,” he growled. “That’s why I didn’t want you to waste any time getting out.”

  “What did you do? I presume you’re not harbouring any electronics now.”

  “No. I saw you turn east on the highway, so I gave you twenty minutes’ head start. We swept everything while we waited. There was only one device. I got on the road carrying the device and headed west to circle around as a decoy while Germain broke camp and pulled out. Webb set up a rendezvous for me with Richardson here in Calgary, and I dropped it to him. He’ll take it up to Silverside so Webb can analyze it at the Sirius lab.”

  “Yikes.” I leaned back in my seat and blew out a long breath. “So now what?”


  Kane shrugged irritably. “Nothing about this situation makes sense. I’d feel better about it if there was some logic somewhere, but if there is, I can’t find it. Now we go back and watch some more. Try to figure this out.”

  His fist clenched. “I can’t believe I was that stupid. We’ll have to find another location for the base camp, too.”

  “Minor detail,” Germain said. “No harm done.”

  “This time. A mistake like that could have blown the whole operation,” Kane said grimly. “And put Aydan and the network key into enemy hands.”

  “You know you can’t play the what-if game,” I told him. “You’re always on top of every little detail, but you can’t be perfect. Let it go. Nothing bad happened.”

  He shrugged again, obviously still kicking himself. “I’ll go and scout out a new location for us. Aydan, we’ll load up your bike in the cargo trailer, and you can ride out to the new camp in the RV.”

  He looked from me to Germain. “Both of you look beat. Get some sleep before you get on the road. There’s no hurry until I find another place for us to set up. I’ll call Webb when I’ve got a new location.” He rose. “Come on, let’s get Aydan’s bike loaded, and then I’ll head out.”

  They tethered the Honda securely in the cargo trailer beside Germain’s Yamaha, and Kane rode away. Germain glanced over at me and yawned. “Are you okay with sleeping in the RV here in the parking lot?”

  “I’m okay with sleeping on my feet while I’m standing here.”

  His eyes crinkled with amusement. “Okay, whatever floats your boat. But I’m going to go in and lie down on a bed.”

  “That sounds like a better plan.”

  We climbed back into the trailer, and he waved me toward the back. “You can have the bedroom.”

  “Thanks.” I sleepwalked into the room and dropped onto the bed, my eyes already closed.

  A shock of alarm drove through me. My body instinctively rolled off the bed and onto my feet even as my eyes were opening.