by William Lee
“This is kind of like fishing, only the payoff is much better,” Mike hinted.
A few hours later, they found themselves in a small hole-in-the-wall restaurant that advertised an all-day breakfast. A walk down Atlantic Ave led them to many different local shops and venders. The place was crawling with cops, like the city was preparing for a riot or something. They ended up in a beachfront bar listening to a local musician playing Caribbean music. They found a seat on a second story deck overlooking the boardwalk and the ocean.
“What would you like to drink?” Mike asked, “coffee, Vodka?”
“I’ll take a sex on the beach,” she replied with a seductive grin.
Mike laughed, “I think I can arrange for that.”
“No silly, that’s the name of the drink,” she touched his arm as she giggled.
I think I really like this guy. I hope the Master is not going to kill him, or worse.
The waitress came out wearing a light blue polo shirt with an embroidered emblem of a palm tree over her left breast. She had khaki shorts, tennis shoes and her light brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail, “What can I get you two?”
“Why do they have so many cops all over the place?” Mike asked the waitress.
“Pst,” the waitress blew air through her lips and rolled her eyes. “The city is a bunch of totalitarian assholes. They just want to arrest locals, and even tourists sometimes, to raise revenues for the city.”
Mike frowned and said, “Well, that doesn’t sound very nice of them. I thought maybe they had received information that a riot was about to happen, or something.”
“Nothing like that. I promise you. I have worked on the beach for five years. It’s this way every summer. You don’t have anything to worry about as long as you don’t piss off a cop.”
“Wow, okay. I’ll make sure I don’t piss off any cops. Thanks for the advice. I’ll take a soda and she will have a . . .” Mike’s voice trailed off.
Mike glanced over at Nikita, looking for help. She smirked at him.
“Sex on the beach,” Mike finished the sentence.
The waitress looked offended. “Oh my!” she exclaimed, covering her mouth with her hand. She started laughing, “I’m just kidding. Of course, we have that.”
Mike and Nikita laughed at the waitress’s good humor. She then took their orders and disappeared back into the bar.
“I have had so much fun with you today,” Nikita said, shielding her eyes from the bright sun light.
“I’m here for the rest of the week,” Mike said.
“I know. I hope to spend most of it with you.” Nikita adjusted her chair to avoid the direct sunlight to her eyes.
“Don’t you have to work?” Mike asked.
“Maybe a little, but I have some time-off saved up.”
A strange sound blared from Nikita’s purse. She pulled out her cell phone and checked the screen, “I have to take this.”
“Of course,” Mike replied.
Nikita rushed off, down the stairwell and out onto the crowded boardwalk.
“This is Nikita. We are on an encrypted line,” she said into her seemingly normal cell phone. She glanced back at the two-story bar and grill to make sure Mike had not followed her.
“Do you still have the package?” asked the raspy voice that she knew to be Calidus Delusor.
“Yes, the package is under my control. What would you have me do with it?”
“How long do we have?”
“To do what? I have not been told what my objective is, only to keep the package in sight.”
“How long until the package is returned home?” asked Calidus.
“He will be here for another eight days. What is my mission?”
“You need to turn him,” Calidus Delusor said flatly.
“Turn him? Are you kidding me? I have not been trained on how to turn an asset. He may kill me, or have his men kill me,” she protested.
“He has men? How many? Are they professionals?”
“Yes, he doesn’t know, but I spotted them following us back to his hotel. They are keeping a distance, but they are constantly following us. I think there are two on his security detail. From what I can tell, they seem to be well trained.”
“You need to determine if he would be willing to defect. I need to know what he wants, so I can offer it to him.”
“If I fail?”
“Failure is not an option. If you fail as a spy, you will have to learn to how to be an assassin quickly,” Calidus warned.
The line went dead.
Shit. I’m not a spy. I’ve never flipped an asset. I take pictures of things and forward them to the bosses.
She had never met the Master, but she assumed he was some sort of alien, nothing like the handsome Mike Evans. She walked back to the bar and up the stairs. Mike was still sitting in the same seat where she had left him, staring into a tall glass filled with ice and cola.
“Everything okay?” Mike asked.
“Oh yeah, it was just work. They had misplaced a file,” she lied.
I hope the Master does not ask me to kill Mike. I don’t think I could do it.
“Do you have to go in?”
“No, they gave me the rest of the week off,” she lied again.
She pushed the cheap, plastic, outdoor chair over toward Mike, put her hand in his lap, and said, “Have you ever just wanted to escape? You know, get away from it all.”
Mike leaned forward, gazed into her hazel eyes and said with a big grin on his face, “With you, I would go anywhere.”
She smirked and punched his arm, “I’m being for real. Haven’t you ever just wanted to run away from it all?”
Mike sat back, inhaled a deep breath of fresh ocean air, thought for a moment, and said, “Yes, all the time. I hate my job. I want to quit every day.”
“Why don’t you?”
“It’s not that simple.”
I bet. You’re an alien from another planet locked away in an underground military base.
Nikita had been trained to look for Nordic aliens. She was working near Virginia Beach because it was a military town with thousands of soldiers, sailors, and top-secret DOD contractors. She was a soft-spy. Her job was to collect intel and report back, not to engage the target, just observe and report. She had a real job, in a strategic location where she may see useful information or people. She could go years without reporting anything of importance to her bosses. But then, in one night, she could send in one report that would justify all the money they had ever paid her over the years. Last night was that night. Until now, she had never felt bad about the information she had passed on to them. It seemed like little bits of unimportant data.
“It couldn’t be that boring?” she asked as she adjusted her plastic chair to a position where she could look directly into Mike’s eyes.
Mike shifted in his seat; he was obviously uncomfortable.
“I told you, I’m an analyst for the government.”
Nikita knew to stop pushing. She still had eight days to crack him.
That evening was dinner and dancing at an ocean front grill and pub. Late that night they returned to the hotel room, and Nikita opened a bottle of wine. She had bought a little black dress for the evening and matching black high heels.
“I know you don’t drink, but would you have just one glass with me?” Nikita did not expect the ruse to work, but she thought she had to make another attempt.
“You know I don’t drink,” Mike said with a weak smile.
“I know. Do you ever drink? I mean why did you stop?”
“It does not sit with me well. It makes me feel ill,” Mike answered truthfully.
“Well, I’ll have a glass and snuggle up with you on the bed. How does that sound?”
“That sounds like a good idea.”
Nikita kicked off her high heels and flopped down on the king-sized bed next to him. “I’ve had such a good time with you. I wish this would never end.” Nikita pushed to get him to
open up.
Too much? I hope I don’t scare him away, but I have to get him to trust me.
“I’ve had a great time too. I would love to see you again, but my schedule at work doesn’t allow it.”
“If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?” Nikita asked, switching the subject.
“Well, I came here for vacation, and so far, I’m having a great time,” Mike said.
Nakita tried again, “My job is so frustrating. I have this boss that hits on me every day. All the women are bitches, and the work is so boring I want to claw my eyes out. I wish I could just get away for a while.”
“I know the feeling, I feel like a prisoner at my job,” Mike said with a sigh.
Prisoner. Interesting word choice. Maybe he wants freedom?
“If you could have any job on the planet, what would it be?” Nikita pressed on, hoping for a break through.
Mike took a deep breath and paused for a long moment.
Should I say something? No, give him a chance. He may be close to giving me something I can use.
“I would want to be a politician. But not just any politician, a politician that would change the world.”
Nikita was shocked.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Nikita and Mike returned to the hotel room after another fun day at the beach. They had been inseparable for the last seven days. Nikita was worried that she would not find an opportunity to breach the subject of Mike coming to work for her bosses. It was after midnight; they had gone dancing at a club on the rooftop of a nearby resort hotel. Nikita had put down a few too many white Russians. Mike had been drinking water with a lemon all night. Nikita could not help thinking her job would be a lot easier if she could get Mike drunk.
“I’ve had a wonderful time this past week. I wish we could spend more time together,” she told him. She had been dropping hints like this all week, hoping to get him to open up about his job.
“It’s been great; I’m really glad we met,” Mike said, as he pulled off his pants. They had been having sex almost every night since they met.
Damn. The sex has been great. I’m sure it would have been even better if I wasn’t trying to get him to become a spy. I wish I had met this guy under different circumstances.
Nikita’s smart phone buzzed in her purse. She knew by the tone it was an incoming text message. She looked at the number, at first not recognizing it; a second later, she realized it was Calidus from New York. It read: ‘Call you in five minutes.’
Shit. I can’t take the call in here, or on the balcony. Mike can’t hear this. What about the hallway? No, other guests could overhear.
“Honey, I got a special treat for you tonight,” she whispered in Mike’s ear, while running her hand up his thigh.
“Oh my, I can’t wait,” he said with a big grin.
“But first I must take a long shower,” she said, kissing him on the lips. Her hand settled on his package, and she gave a light squeeze before hurrying into the shower.
That should keep him preoccupied while I take this call. Maybe I would be a good spy.
The bathroom was nicely apportioned with an earth tone tile floor, granite countertops, and a tub-shower combo. On the granite counter top was an assortment of complimentary soaps and shampoos with the hotel’s logo on them. Nikita turned on the shower full blast, not bothering to adjust the temperature. She stripped down naked and sat on a towel draped over the closed toilet lid, waiting for her encrypted smart phone to vibrate.
I have nothing to tell Calidus. I have made no progress towards flipping this guy. I hope I don’t have to kill him. Shit. I’ve never killed anybody before, let alone someone I like.
The phone lit up in her hand.
“Hello,” she said in a rushed voice, holding the phone up to her ear. Mike had turned on the television. Between the loud infomercials and the shower going full blast, there was no way Mike could overhear her.
“Do you have any news to report?” Calidus asked, in his throaty voice.
“He has not been willing to admit where he works or what he does. I don’t know how to breach the subject with him,” Nikita complained.
“What does he say about his job?”
“He never says anything good about it. Says he would like to get away. He claims he is a low-level government analyst, but, he won’t go beyond that.”
“How does he feel about you?” Calidus asked.
“I think he really likes me. He told me he would miss me when he goes back to work. Every time I discuss us keeping in touch, he just blows me off by saying it’s impossible.”
“Can you use the affection he has for you to turn him?”
“The only think I can think to do is to admit to him who I am and that I know who he is, too.”
“If you admit who you are and he does not turn, you have to kill him. That is an all or nothing position. You can’t let him return to work once he knows about you. It’s risky. Can you handle killing him if you fail?”
“I think so,” she barely whispered.
“‘I think so’ is not good enough. If you try and fail, he must die. I want to be present when this happens. When will you do it?” Calidus asked in an agitated voice.
“How can you be present?”
“My craft is invisible. I will be close enough to help, but far enough away he won’t suspect my presence.”
“I will do it tomorrow night, near Williamsburg, Virginia.”
“I will be in the vicinity. I will be monitoring the whole thing through your cell phone.”
“How will you know my exact location if I need help?” Nikita asked.
“Through the GPS on your phone. Leave your phone on. I will be there if you need me.”
Nikita showered, dried off, and hopped in the bed next to Mike. After making love, Mike collapsed between her legs resting his head on her lower abdomen.
“That was amazing,” Nikita said, laying spread eagle on the bed.
“You weren’t so bad yourself,” Mike answered, in between deep breaths.
“You’re out of breath?” Nikita said jokingly.
“Just a little,” Mike said as he rolled off her onto his side of the bed.
“Let’s go to Williamsburg tomorrow,” Nikita said. “It’s only about two hours away from here, and I can drive.”
“Why would we want to go there?” Mike asked.
“There’s lots of stuff to do in Williamsburg; a ton of history occurred there. Plus, there’s an amusement park and wineries up that way.”
“Okay, whatever you want to do. I’m ready for a change of pace anyway.”
The next day flew by. Mike and Nikita spent much of the day riding roller coasters at the amusement park, then they headed to downtown Williamsburg for some window shopping. After dinner, they headed into the countryside toward a local winery that had live music in the evenings.
The winery sat atop a hill overlooking a river. To get to the winery and tasting room, they had to drive down a gravel road twisting and turning through rows of grape vines lined up along the hilly countryside. At the top of the hill, stood the large two-story structure that housed the winery. The large building had been designed to resemble a rustic mountain lodge. The pair walked up the heavy wooden timber steps to the wrap-around deck on the first floor. They crossed the country style wooden porch into the main wine tasting room. The wine tasting room had a stone floor and a huge stone fireplace. The fireplace’s chimney reached up two stories past the heavy wooden ceiling trusses. Off to the left, was a wooden bar that sold wines by the glass or bottle. Behind the large bar and tasting area was a glass wall that allowed visitors to look past the tasting room into the work area, which contained several large stainless-steel vats where wine was produced.
“What a lovely place,” Nikita said. She was starting to worry that she would not be able to close the deal with Mike.
“Oh, it is really nice. I really like those leather couches and end tables carved from cross sections
of large trees.”
“Let’s get a bottle of wine and sit on the deck,” Nikita said.
“I don’t drink, remember?”
“I’ll drink for both of us,” she giggled.
“I can drive home if you need me to,” Mike said as he reached around and drew her in with his right arm.
God. I hope so.
All the seats on the deck were taken; so they walked past the band, down the steps and onto the well-manicured lawn. There was a circular fire pit made from medium sized boulders surrounded by a dozen Adirondack chairs. Mike and Nikita sat in two chairs by the fire where they could still hear the music. Nikita poured herself a healthy glass of red wine.
“Are you going to miss me when this vacation is over?” Nikita prompted.
“You have no idea how much I’m going to miss you.”
“Maybe we can stay in contact?” she asked.
“I can give you my email address, and if you are ever in New Mexico, I would love to see you.” Mike frowned and slumped down in his chair.
“What about the weekends?”
“I really can’t get away for weekends very often,” he replied.
“Are you just using me for sex? I’m just a booty call for you when you are here in Virginia?” Nikita laughed and raised her glass up at him.
“No, no, I really like you, but my job is demanding.”
“What if you could leave your job, would you want to be with me?”
“Of course, I would love to be with you; I just can’t.”
Did he just drop the L word? He did not say he loved me just that he loved to be with me. Is that the same thing?
“Are you secretly married?” she whispered, leaning forward, as if someone were listening.
“I already told you, I have no family, and that includes no wife.”
“Good. I would hate to think you are cheating on your wife,” Nikita laughed.
I have to stop drinking. I have to be on my A game. One, or both of our lives depend on it.
When Mike was not looking, she poured out the glass of wine to make it look like she had drunk it.
