by Love, Lexi
I grimaced as I saw a policeman up ahead. I turned sharply and tore across the grass, hoping that he wouldn’t see me.
Damn. Hearing a yell behind me, I knew that he must have seen something. I headed for the nearest clump of trees and rode right through them.
The uneven surface jarred me from left to right, but I clamped down hard on the handlebars and didn’t let bicycle get the better of me.
As I emerged from the trees and onto a path, I glanced back. The policeman was nowhere to be seen. Satisfied that I had gained myself some time, I looked at the tracking device.
The red dot is still in the same place. Enlarging the map, I see that he’s standing on Bow Bridge. I grimly smiled. It would be an easy place to dispose of him.
I continued riding, hoping that the contact wouldn’t show up before I got there. As I approached the area, I slowed down and climbed off my bicycle. I now wanted to attract the least attention.
Seeing a clump of bushes, I pushed the bicycle into them, covering it up as best as I could. I then headed toward the bridge. Seeing a couple kissing on the grass, I walked toward them and stole a blue jacket which I quickly put on, along with a New York Yankees cap.
I shoved my hands into the pockets and strolled onto the bridge, stopping when I saw Kevin standing near the other end.
I leaned against the side of the bridge and pretended to gaze down at the calm, blue water. However, I was secretly keeping an eye on him. I had now two choices to make. Do I take him out now or wait until his contact shows up? I was pretty certain that he wasn’t meeting Mrs. Kolovos here, so what was he doing?
I had an uneasy suspicion that it was something to do with Troy. Was he double-crossing Mrs. Kolovos and giving the list to Troy? But what would he want with the list?
As I stood there trying to put all the pieces of the puzzle together, I felt that someone was watching me. I casually glanced around. Everyone was looking in another direction, everyone except Kevin.
As my eyes met his, he turned and raced away. I sprinted after him. The two of us ran down one path and up another as we both tried to outsmart the other.
If this had been my first mission, then I would have lost him. But I had learnt a lot of things on my various missions, one of them being to never give up, but to give the appearance of giving up.
So, as Kevin tore around the next corner, I slowed down and weaved in amongst the bushes. It was clear to me that both of us were fit, fit enough to run each other to the ground. And that isn’t what I needed. I didn’t have the time for that so I had to make Kevin believe that I was giving up.
Peering through the bushes, I saw him turn and gaze around. Once he couldn’t see any sign of me, I saw his shoulders relax and he walked off.
Spying a coat that was lying next to an empty picnic basket, I picked it up, not bothering to ask the owner who was engaged in a fiery makeout session with his girlfriend. Slipping it on, I hoped that it would be enough to make me look different.
I took off my cap and threw it in one of the many bins as I continued the pursuit after Kevin. I glanced at my watch. I still had a little time to spare, but not much. As I followed Kevin at a distance, I realized that he was making his way back to the bridge. This contact must be important.
I knew that Kevin wasn’t a regular spy, but I’m sure that he would have been told by his superiors that, if you’ve been made, to never go back to the same spot. Yet, this is what he was doing. Who could be so important?
This time, I wanted an answer. Staying back as far as possible, I leaned against a tree and gazed at the bridge in the distance. I would only move in once I ascertained that he had met his contact.
Minutes passed without incident and then, there they were. Initially, I had been wondering if Troy was the one whom Kevin was meeting, but unless he was a woman, this wasn’t the case.
As the woman, a busty redhead with bright red lipstick, started talking to Kevin, I wandered closer. Dressed in a very short blue dress and wearing stilettos, she looked out of place in Central Park. As she put her hands around the person I was going to kill, I realized was happening.
She was his girlfriend. Whether or not she was using him, just like I had used him, was another question, but the way the redhead looked into the man’s eyes, I was pretty sure that she was deeply in love with him.
Once I was close enough to overhear their conversation, I stopped and put my head down. The two of them were whispering. I heard the words Hawaii, honeymoon, and money.
It dawned on me like a stack of bricks. This must have been why Kevin was selling the list. He was in love with this woman. It all made sense now. Initially, when Mr. Smith had told me that Kevin Lord, a man who had graduated Harvard University with honors in two separate fields and who had started his own million dollar business empire was selling out, it didn’t make sense. But now it did. It was all because of the redhead.
But how did Troy fit into all of this? Maybe he had heard about this list that Kevin was shopping around and wanted a piece of it. After all, the list contained ten names. I didn’t know who the people were, only Mr. Smith was privy to that information, but they were important.
I didn’t think that Kevin needed the money, so there had to be something else. Or maybe Mr. Smith was right when he suggested that the company that Kevin had founded all those years ago was on the verge of bankruptcy.
As Kevin looked at his watch, I knew that the meeting with Mrs. Kolovos was on his mind. He tried to break away from the redhead’s embrace, but she protested and pressed him against the bridge, kissing him on the month.
As her hands moved all over the man’s body, I wondered how Kevin would get out of this situation. The woman suddenly moved away from Kevin and walked away. What had Kevin said to make her go? I didn’t know, but I didn’t stop to wonder.
I strode up the bridge, intending to put rest the matter between the two of us. As I walked toward him, I noticed how still he looked.
As he slumped down, I rushed over. His eyelids were barely open. I felt for his pulse. It was barely there. What the hell had happened?
As passer bys started to converge on us, I helped Kevin to his feet and mustered a fake smile to the onlookers. “Think my boyfriend had a bit too much to drink last night.”
I moved off the bridge and leaned Kevin down against a tree.
“Kevin, can you hear me?” I called gently, trying to awaken the man’s senses. But his eyelids closed even further.
I leaned forward and kissed him. He didn’t respond. Thinking of something, I scanned my eyes across his arms. A large pin prick was visible on the right one. Having been in bed with him the night before, I was pretty sure that hadn’t been there.
I felt the man’s pulse again and it was no longer there. Kevin was dead. I was shocked. I felt remorse. Sure, I was going to kill him, but I was at least going to offer him a chance, a chance that I offered all my clients before I killed them.
Kevin probably wouldn’t have taken up the opportunity to come and work for us, but there was a slim chance that he would have. But now that he was dead this would, of course, be no longer possible.
I looked around, seeing if I could spot the redhead. I couldn’t. She must have done this to him. It was the only thing I could think of. But why?
As much as she looked as though she was in love with them, it must have been a cover up. Had she been sent by Troy? Or was she working by herself?
Whatever the case, it was time to move. Leaving Kevin by the tree, I walked away. There was nothing I could do for him now except find his killer.
That wouldn’t be easy, especially if she was working with Troy. Regardless, it wasn’t time to think about that now. I had a date with Mrs. Kolovos.
~*~*~
Upon reaching the airport, I headed toward the hanger where my contact was supposed to be waiting.
After reaching it, I flung the door open, hurried in, and glanced around. Except for a white delivery van, it was empty. A man, wearing the
uniform of a well-known cleaning service, leaned against the vehicle, his cap covering his head.
I called out as I approached him. “Patrick!”
The man glanced up and smiled. It was one of my best friends. I didn't have many, but at least I had Patrick. He was handsome, clean-shaven, and wearing a bright smile. His muscles bulged through the white shirt that he was wearing.
I’d always had a thing for blonde-haired people, and in Patrick’s case it wasn’t any different. I hadn’t told him that yet, as I had only known him for just over a year and I didn’t want to let him know that I liked him.
He probably suspected it through as he had often seen me when I walked past the gym where he worked out on my way to work. Being a huge car buff, he probably wondered why I stopped driving and had decided to mostly walk to work. God knows I don’t need the exercise. Even in my most plumpish clothes I look fitter than half the population out there.
Anyway, whether or not he knew that I had a thing for him, he didn’t show it. He usually had a smile on his face though whenever I showed up, but not today. That was not a good sign.
Patrick glanced at his watch. “You’re late.”
“Relax, I’ve got plenty of time,” I replied.
Patrick opened up the back doors of the van, reached in, and threw me some clothing.
Catching it, I looked at the skimpy, light blue dress that had a plunging neckline. I’ll be the first one to admit that I don’t mind flaunting my assets, but only for the right cause. And I didn’t think that this was the time.
I stared at Patrick. “Why the dress? I thought I was just handing the list to Mrs. Kolovos and that was that.”
Patrick didn’t answer as he dialed a number into his cell phone that he just pulled out. “Zoe’s here.” He nodded and then handed his phone to me. “Mr. Smith wants to talk to you.”
I grabbed the phone. “Hi.”
“I want you to find out why Mrs. Kolovos wants the list,” Mr. Smith said. “Now, before you say anything—”
“This was supposed to be an in and out,” I protested. “Especially with Troy taking interest—”
“That is precisely why we have to find out. You know more than anyone what Troy is capable of and I want to know why he is associating with Mrs. Kolovos.”
“Just because those men may have been with Troy doesn’t mean that he’s working with Mrs. Kolovos,” I argued.
“No, but there is one piece of evidence that I couldn’t tell you about until now. It’s in regards to her husband.”
“I thought Mr. Kolovos was dead?” I said.
“Presumed dead is the official word. However, a month ago, reports started to come in that a person looking like Mr. Kolovos had been popping in and out of the busiest night clubs on the east coast selling party drugs.”
I was stunned. “What? How does that make sense? He’s a retired US Army captain.”
“The man was then spotted at a safe house, one which we suspect belongs to Troy. Now, this could be a coincidence, the man could just look like Mr. Kolovos, but I have a feeling that there is more to this than meets the eye. That’s why I want you to get close to Mrs. Kolovos.”
“How close?”
“As close as you can. Do whatever it takes to get the information out of her. I want all that she knows about her husband. Just don’t blow your cover. Now, I assume you dealt with Kevin?”
I paused, wondering if I should tell my boss about the busty redhead. Not wanting to complicate matters at the moment, I told him the briefest details. “He’s not going to speak to anyone anymore.”
“Good. At least that’s one problem we don’t have to deal with. I’ll let you go now. Mrs. Kolovos should be arriving at any moment. Oh, and when you have the information, switch on the tracking device and make your way to the rendezvous. Okay?”
“Will do,” I replied. I hung up and gave the cell back to Patrick. “What tracking device have you got for me this time?”
Patrick reached into the back of the van and pulled out a jewelry case. Opening it, he took the diamond necklace and handed it to me. “In the middle of this diamond is the tracking device. Press down to activate it.”
“Can I activate now?” I asked. “If I wait until I’m with Mrs. Kolovos—”
“No. If the transmitter is sending a signal when you pass through security, you might be detected. So only activate it before you are ready to leave the premise.” Patrick reached into the van once more and pulled out a map of the area.
He pointed. “This is the house and surrounding garden. With the tennis courts and open-air swimming pool, as well as the rose garden and six-car garage, you will have to keep your wits about you to know where you are. If Mrs. Kolovos suspects that you are not who you say you are, she’ll inform her security detail which is not the welcoming party that you want to be part of.”
“I’ve dealt with security before,” I said, glancing at my Rolex. The meeting was due to take place in five minutes.
Patrick grimly smiled. “I know, but these men are ex military with only one order, which is to shoot first and ask questions later.”
I whistled softly. “She sure likes her privacy.”
Patrick nodded and pointed to a spot half a mile from the walls. “A boat will be waiting for you here. But don’t delay. It will only wait for fifteen minutes, starting from when you press the tracking device.”
“Why fifteen?”
“We only have fifteen minutes if we’re to avoid the patrols organized by Mrs. Kolovos. So be on time.” Patrick glanced at his watch. “Time to get dressed. Be quick.” He walked off, heading to the hanger door to check things out.
I hurried to the van and pulled off my jeans and t-shirt. I didn’t know why I had to wear such a revealing dress in order to get the information out of Mrs. Kolovos, it wasn’t as though she was a man. But I didn’t want to go in my jeans so I put it on and, looking in a mirror that had been set up in the van, I put the necklace around my neck. I flung on some makeup and brushed my hair as Patrick came back.
“Time to go,” he said.
I nodded and, with one final glance around to make sure that everything was in place, I took the envelope with the list of names in it and walked off.
Hurrying to the hanger door, I opened it and stepped out. Looking around, I spotted a sleek, black helicopter just landing.
I waited and then, as I saw two bodyguards step out, I knew that it was my contact. Taking a deep breath, I walked toward her. I paused halfway and waited for her to approach me.
Though I had seen her photo in various newspapers, it was the first time that I had laid my eyes upon Linda Kolovos. And was I impressed. She was nearing forty, but she didn’t look a day over twenty-eight.
Her longish, darkish hair swayed back and forth while as she slowly walked toward me, her high heels making a clicking sound as they touched the asphalt. I had read in one of the papers that her parents were Asian and European and that clearly showed in the stunning dress that she was wearing. It was brightly colored and it showed off her curvy figure quite well since it was tight fitting, especially around her chest area.
Reportedly, she had dated quite a number of men before she had settled on her husband, and even though I was more attracted to men than women, I could see that she was quite attractive.
I waited as she approached with her bodyguards. Tall, dark, and rather quite ugly looking, they were not the kind of men that you would want to meet in a dark alleyway.
Linda paused as she reached me. She looked me up and down as though I was an item at an auction. She then asked the question that I had been dreading. “What happened to Kevin?”
My heart was going a million miles an hour as I smiled and answered. “Kevin got held up. I’m his replacement. I’m Zoe. I held out my hand to shake, but she just stood there.”
“Do you have the list?” she asked.
I waved the envelope. “Right here.”
Linda nodded and turned to one of her bodyg
uards who reached into his jacket and out a wad of cash. He gave it to her and she in turn offered it to me.
I froze. I hadn’t expected for the deal to occur so quick. I knew that as soon as I took the money and gave her the list than she would be gone and that would be that. I mustered up the best apologetic smile that I could. “My boss wants more money.”
Linda frowned. “When I spoke to Kevin he assured me—”
“The offer’s changed. Double or nothing,” I replied with as much confidence as I could muster. “Take it or leave it.”
Linda didn’t move a muscle but I knew that she was thinking things through. I had to give her an incentive to hurry since Troy or one of his men could show up at any minute.
I turned and slowly walked away, hoping that I would hear her voice calling me back. But with every footstep that I took, the more nervous I became.
Suddenly, Linda called out. “It’s a deal.”
I turned around and stared at her. “In cash.”
She nodded. “If you want to accompany me to my residence I’ll give you the money there.” She motioned toward the helicopter and, as she did so, relief kicked in.
“Deal.” I walked toward her and, once there, she led the way to the helicopter.
It wasn’t long before the aircraft was in the air and flying across the beautiful city of New York. I glanced out of the window as we headed up the coast.
After ten minutes of flying, the helicopter started to descend and, a few minutes later I found myself on a private helipad.
Stepping out, I followed Mrs. Kolovos to a waiting limousine, climbed in, and sat down. The smell of expensive leather filled my nostrils as the foreign looking driver drove the short way to the house.
“Do you mix business with pleasure?” Linda asked as she looked at me.
I hesitated, not knowing what she had in mind but, remembering that I was the one that needed to get information out of her, I put on my sweetest smile. “What did you have in mind?”
“I’m having a small cocktail party at my place in just over an hour,” she replied. “And, since we might do business again, I thought you might want to get to know some friends of mine.”
