Thief of Always

by Kim Baldwin

  Allegro came up beside her and put a hand on Domino’s shoulder. “Are you okay?”

  When her friend didn’t answer, she turned her until they were face-to-face. “Luka, what’s wrong?”

  “I can’t do this.” Domino looked down at her feet and shook her head.

  “What are you talking about?” Allegro glanced at the other operative, who was watching them intently.

  “We have an assignment to take care of,” he said. “Get yourself together, Domino.”

  She went to the nearest bench and sat, putting her head between her legs. “I can’t. I’m dizzy.” She was breathing so fast her harness visibly rose and fell with each exhalation.

  Allegro squatted in front of her. “You can’t be serious. Are you telling me you’ve suddenly developed a fear of heights?”

  The male op regarded Domino suspiciously. “Your last tests were all clean. There’s no reason for you to be feeling like this.”

  “Listen, I can’t do this,” Domino repeated, rubbing at her eyes again. “I think it’s the altitude. It’s making me sick.”

  “Are you refusing this assignment?” The male op asked angrily.

  “I’ve been complaining about these spells for weeks, and getting the same response about my routine tests being fine. It’s time the EOO paid attention and got me an MRI or something.”

  The pilot called to them from the cockpit, “The drop is in two minutes.”

  A loud rasping sound echoed through the plane as the massive aft cargo door began to open and arctic air rushed in on them. The noise of the wind and machinery was enormous. Even standing close together, they had to shout to be heard.

  “I said I can’t.” Domino declared.

  “Shit.” The male op glared at her. “Allegro, get ready,” he hollered. “You’re going solo. I need to advise that we have an agent down.” He proceeded on to the cockpit to radio headquarters.

  Allegro’s insides began to twist as she realized the extent to which Domino had been preparing for this opportunity. “I’m not letting you do this,” she said, just loud enough for her to hear.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Domino stared at a spot over her shoulder.

  “You’re about to sabotage yourself. Aborting a mission with no proof of medical reason.”

  “This is none of your business,” Domino replied. “And I have plenty of other reasons.”

  Allegro could feel the clock ticking. “They’ll know, Luka.”

  Domino’s determined expression didn’t change. “I don’t give a fuck. I can’t do this anymore.”

  “They’ll find you. However long it takes.”

  Domino leaned back until her head rested against the curved steel interior wall and closed her eyes, as though that would preclude any further discussion of the matter. “I know what I have to do.”

  “Thirty seconds to drop,” the pilot screamed back at them, his voice barely audible.

  “Suit yourself,” Allegro yelled. “But you’re not taking me down with you. I’m not going back to headquarters having to prove I didn’t plan an abort mission with you, or trying to explain what I knew or didn’t know about your plans. Either way, I’ll end up with a red flag on my file, and never mind the damn PER they’ll put me through.” She shuddered at the prospect of undergoing yet another psychological evaluation review. “And you…” She unbuckled her vest and tossed the parachute toward the open cargo door. The wind took it out and away in an instant. “You’ll get black-flagged and you know what that means.” A black flag was no mere disciplinary measure. It meant interrogation and then elimination. “You’ll never get away with this.”

  “What are you doing?” Domino shouted in alarm.

  Allegro took a step toward the door, where the wind was so strong she was barely able to keep her footing. She stared at her friend. “I know what I have to do as well.”

  She took another step and let the wind suck her out of the plane, feeling the full force of the enormous pressure as she started to drop. She was plummeting to earth at ninety miles an hour, but because of her body’s resistance to the air she felt like she was flying. Belly to the earth, she spread her arms and legs in an effort to slow down, but the ground came toward her with surprising speed. She should have been terrified, but she felt no fear at all.

  The impact when Domino slammed into her from behind knocked most of the wind out of her. The arm locked around her waist squeezed out the rest. Domino hooked their harnesses together and immediately pulled the cord to release her chute. They jerked upward as the chute deployed.

  “Miss me already?” Allegro screamed at the top of her lungs.

  Domino didn’t reply.

  The combined weight of their bodies increased the acceleration of their descent until they were plummeting way too fast, especially for a parachute designed for one. The ground rushed up to meet them so fast Allegro knew they were going to have a very hard landing. Her hips and ass took most of the impact as they landed in a heap. Under her, Domino was cushioned somewhat by the waist-deep snow. The parachute had wrapped around them, and as soon as they caught their breath, Domino unhooked their harnesses and they struggled to untangle themselves.

  “Happy you could join me,” Allegro said.

  “Fuck you!” Domino lunged at her, wrestling her to the ground and pummeling her with her fists.

  Allegro fought back with a trio of hard punches. “No, fuck you.” She pushed her friend roughly away. “Did you think I was going to let you go on a suicide mission?”

  The words were barely out of her mouth when Domino threw her down again. “What in the hell do you call what you just did? You could have killed us.”

  “But I didn’t,” Allegro replied calmly, holding her off. “I saw the size of the chutes. I knew we would manage.”

  “Do you understand the risk you took?” Domino shouted.

  “All of a sudden you care about whether you live or die?”

  “I always have, you reckless idiot.” Domino punched her again, hard.

  “I’m the idiot? You’re the one sabotaging yourself and sealing your destiny.”

  “Listen, it’s my damn life,” Domino insisted.

  “That’s your problem, Luka. You think your life belongs to you. News flash. It doesn’t. It never has and never will.” Allegro looked up at her friend. She didn’t feel the cold, but this close to Domino, she could see her rapid breathing as short, angry bursts of white vapor. “None of us gets to walk away. We’re bought and paid for. They own us, and our destiny.”

  As the words sank in, Domino’s firm pressure against her wrists eased, and she finally released Allegro and sat back on her ass, arms wrapped around her knees. “How do you do it, Misha?” she asked eventually. “How can you live with what we see?”

  Allegro remained sprawled where she was, propping herself up on her elbows. “By not feeling it.”

  “Bullshit. You feel and live like no one I’ve ever known.”

  “Look closer, Luka. I simulate every emotion that comes out of me. The good and the bad. I’ve become a pro, not just in faking my identity, but my feelings as well.”

  Domino shook her head. “How can you live like that? Not let anything touch you?”

  “Who said anything about living? This is survival. The only thing that makes my heart beat faster is speed. I push myself, just to see if I feel the fear of mortality.” She shrugged. “Sometimes, it works.”

  “You’ve had to fight for your own life on more than one occasion.” Domino leaned closer, studying her face. “Are you telling me you’ve never felt afraid?”

  “I’ve felt a need to survive. Something purely instinctual.”

  “Come on, Misha. We’ve been on missions together. I’ve seen the fear in your eyes.”

  Allegro looked away. She took a long breath and let it out, watching the vapors disappear into the darkness. “Yes, and that’s why I can’t let you do this to yourself. Or to me.” The admission was more difficult th
an any assignment and her words came out in a rush. “At least when you’re with me, when we’re together, I feel the fear. Not for myself, but for you. Having you, the one person in my life I give a damn about, makes me feel like I have reason to be afraid. I’m afraid of losing you. While I have you I feel like there’s someone out there who cares.”

  “And you’re right. I do.”

  Allegro sat up and met Domino’s eyes. “Don’t fool yourself, Luka. They wouldn’t hesitate to eliminate us if it meant protecting their precious Organization. They’ve invested in making us trained killers, not in family values. If we had to be eliminated, the only thing they’d mourn is the money and time they’ve spent on us.”

  “Why don’t you run?” Domino asked. “If you’re not afraid of anything?”

  “I do run. Every chance I get, preferably as fast as possible. Always looking for that finish line in case it’s the final one. They never are.”

  “I mean really run,” her friend pressed. “From this life.”

  Allegro didn’t answer. The faraway sound of a motor pierced the silence. She got to her feet and started to gather up the parachute, but Domino’s hand on her shoulder stopped her.

  “Mishael?”

  “I’m not crazy, Luka,” she replied in a tired voice, staring off in the direction of the approaching Jeep. “I’d never find rest. I’d have to spend the rest of my life looking over my shoulder. Besides,” she faced Domino again, “what’s the point in running when there’s no finish line? When there’s nothing to run to?”

  Allegro exhaled slowly and called herself present. Three years had passed since that day, but the memory was still so fresh her lips almost felt numb. She flipped open her cell and dialed Domino’s number.

  “Hello?” her friend answered cautiously, and that didn’t surprise her. Few people had her number, but Allegro had engaged her scrambler, so the caller ID would not have displayed who was on the line.

  “Isn’t payback a bitch, especially when the bitch calls to collect?” she said.

  Domino laughed. “Do I need to bail you out? Have they finally arrested your ass for exceeding the speed of light?”

  “No, that’s on next week’s agenda. Are you still in Malta?”

  “Yes, and I’m about to leave for Tibet.” Domino sounded more relaxed than Allegro could ever remember. “Are you in trouble?”

  “In more ways than one.” With a pang of guilt, Allegro recalled Domino’s planned vacation with the new love in her life, journalist Hayley Ward. “Can Tibet wait? I need your help ASAP.”

  Domino’s voice was instantly serious. “Work?”

  “Sure as hell not pleasure.” Allegro gave her the address of the Haarlem estate. “How soon can you get here?”

  “One moment.” There was a short pause and some muffled sounds. “I’ll be there in a few hours. Call you at this number when I get there.”

  “Thank you. Oh, and by the way,” Allegro asked, “do you think I’m a self-absorbed, arrogant pain in the ass?”

  “No, no, and yes.” Domino’s tone was amused. “Why?”

  “Just something someone recently accused me of. Obviously they don’t know what they’re talking about.”

  “Obviously.”

  Allegro ended the call with renewed confidence. She’d had little doubt that Luka would drop everything to help her, but it was still a great comfort to know her friend would soon be there to watch her back. They were an unbeatable team, and she felt certain that together, they could handle anything and everything that might arise to jeopardize her mission and Kris’s safety.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Haarlem

  Wednesday, February 13

  The Saint Francis Institution didn’t open to visitors until nine a.m., so Kris lingered over coffee in the kitchen after Angie headed upstairs saying she needed to shower. The sun was coming up and the sky beyond her window was a faint pink color. The same subtle tone reflected off the metal trim of the garden shed, drawing her gaze. She was puzzled to notice the garden cart sitting only a few feet from the door. She didn’t recall it being there the previous evening, but she had her mind on other things. Jeroen occasionally used ladders and carts that were stored in the shed, and the fact that he often left the door unlocked as he worked made her even more confident that she’d done the right thing by removing the diamond. The trapdoor wasn’t obvious, but if anyone were snooping about they would probably find it.

  As soon as Jeroen had started talking about knocking down a wall of the secret room, she’d decided it would be prudent to house the stone elsewhere, at least for the time being. She’d felt secure about leaving the gem in the priest’s room when there was no access from within the house, but the vault would be exposed for who knew how long during the renovations, and although she trusted the people she invited into her home, she was also careful. She’d placed the stone in the pocket of a blazer in her closet, certainly not the safest overnight hiding place, but other options had seemed even more obvious—under the mattress or inside an ornamental vase. She would be relieved when she could transfer it to a bank deposit box after visiting her mother.

  Kris went upstairs and retrieved the diamond. She briefly considered hiding it on her person but there was nowhere in her clothing that a lump the size of a cherry wouldn’t be noticeable. Checking her watch, she placed the stone in the inner pocket of her purse before returning to her coffee. It was nearly eight. She always had to mentally prepare herself for her infrequent visits to the Saint Francis Institution, for she never knew what to expect of her mother. One day, Wilhelmina would be quiet and distant, barely acknowledging her presence; and the next she would be ranting endlessly about her treatment by the staff, all indignant and superior, begging Kris to take her home where she belonged.

  The latest doctor’s report had not been good and the staff had been alerted to watch her closely for another suicide attempt. She’d tried twice during her two years at the institution. Kris had no doubt that her mother’s determination to end her life was genuine. Wilhelmina had slit her wrists in the bathtub on an otherwise uneventful day at home. Kris’s father had broken the door and saved her life. Not long after she was admitted to the institution, guards had intercepted her attempting to jump off the roof. She’d also been found stockpiling drugs. But meds dispensation was so strictly monitored she couldn’t hoard more than a few pills before she was caught. Kris had no doubt that if she were at home she would find a way to take her own life. She only wished she knew the reason why.

  “You’re a million miles away.” Angie’s voice brought her out of the past and back to the present. “And from your expression, I’d say it’s not in a very good place. Anything I can do?”

  The gentle inquiry touched Kris in a place that felt raw and for a second she was close to tears. Blinking away the signs of emotion, she looked up. Angie was watching her from the doorway. Kris was so used to seeing the American in work clothes, usually with plaster in her hair, that she was quite unprepared for the sight before her. Angie was dressed in low-cut brown corduroy trousers that hugged her slim hips, and a tan turtleneck that fit like a second skin, accentuating her high round breasts, flat stomach, and the soft muscles of her biceps. Her straight dark hair, which fell to the top of her breasts, shone in the sunlight, and a hint of gloss on her lips invited kissing.

  She was so lovely that Kris succumbed to speechless appreciation for several seconds. Knowing her appraisal must be comically obvious, she said hastily, “I was just thinking about my mother. There’s nothing anyone can do. But thanks.”

  “I have an idea,” Angie said, dropping a duffel bag onto the floor at her feet. “Is your mother far away?”

  “She’s in the Saint Francis Institution. Right outside Amsterdam.”

  “Then why don’t you let me take you out? I thought since we both have the day off we could maybe grab a bite and a dance in the city? Nothing fancy, and we won’t be too exhausted later.”

  The picture that formed
in Kris’s mind had them dancing so close she’d get the chance to taste that lip gloss after all. The prospect made her almost giddy with anticipation. “That’s the best offer I’ve had in months.”

  Angie looked surprised. “Is that a yes?”

  “I believe it is.” Kris couldn’t believe how easily Angie had managed to dispel her melancholy. “I assume this is part of a Machiavellian plan to loosen me up and show me how to have real fun?”

  “No, it’s just a sincere invitation.” Angie gave her a smile that she could only describe as wicked. “But should you feel the overwhelming urge to relax and enjoy, feel free. I’ll be there to intercept you if you go completely wild.”

  Wild was not a word she’d ever have used to describe herself, at least until now. But the idea of losing some of her inhibitions suddenly had a definite appeal. “I could surprise you.”

  Angie’s wicked smile got bigger. “You could surprise us both.”

  “How about we meet up at the Rembrandtplein at five for cocktails? You know where it is, don’t you?”

  “How about we meet at the bridge instead?” Angie suggested. “I certainly remember where that is.”

  Kris found herself distracted again by the way Angie’s apparel defined her exquisitely sculpted body. She’d never fully appreciated how fit and toned Angie was, like an athlete, but when Angie was dressed in such form-fitting clothes she couldn’t help but notice. Even that evening on the bridge, Angie had been mostly hidden in her heavy coat and Kris had been too tipsy to note those firm thighs and toned abs. Averting her head to hide the blush she felt coming on, she said, “The bridge is fine.”

  “Sounds like that crazy enthusiasm has started to creep up on you,” Angie teased softly.

  “I’m going to leave now before you make me rethink my decision to go out with you.” Flustered by her nagging fascination with Angie’s body, Kris rose and headed for the doorway, but just as she reached it, Angie blocked the way with her arm.