“Damn! My daughter is too smart for her own good. She must have realized she was being watched and somehow managed to lose him. She was probably able to leave through a back door in the restaurant. What happened after that?”
“He assumed she would eventually make her way back to her apartment so he scoped it out all night and saw her leave the next morning to go to the festival. She made it home, all right.”
“And?”
“This is where things get strange.”
“What do you mean strange?” Robert Fitzpatrick didn’t like the use of the word strange coming from an ex-CIA agent. The beat of his heart intensified.
“Well, our guy said that everything was quite normal up to a point. She looked through some market stalls, bought a coffee, said hello to a couple of the locals she knew, and then all of a sudden without warning, she went into a panic.”
Robert was shouting into the phone. “What do you mean, she went into a panic?”
“It was almost like something startled her and she lost it. Whatever she was holding dropped to the ground and she started running. She ran away from the festival.”
“Did the watcher follow her?” Robert had to refrain from smashing his fist down onto the desk. He ripped the top button of his shirt open to help his breathing.
“He did for most of the way but then it was as if she just vanished again. Just like the evening before. It was almost like she evaporated into thin air. The watcher hasn’t been able to make contact with her since.”
“Fuck, Gary! How can he just lose someone? Our watcher was personally handpicked by you. He’s one of the best. He’s never lost anyone before. Where the hell is my daughter?” Something had seriously gone wrong and now that he knew the truth about Carlos Santini he could bet his bottom dollar that all roads would lead back to him.
“I’m sure she’s fine, Rob. As you said, she’s very intelligent. Maybe she has outwitted our watcher. I know you’ve never been to Vernazza but I’m telling you, it’s like a rabbit-warren. The houses are practically wrapped around each other. I’m not making excuses for our guy, Rob, but let’s be realistic. If there was ever a place to lose somebody, Vernazza would be it. She may have sensed she was being followed again.”
“Outwitted a highly trained Special Ops soldier? That’s almost laughable, Gary. You of all people should know that. I personally told this guy to stick to her like glue. No! I can smell a rat. A very big rat. I need to get my ass across the Atlantic, ASAP. I’ll tell Jennifer that I’m doing a private job for you as a favor.” Robert paused with an agonized thought. “I just hope I’m not already too late.”
“How will I contact you in Italy?”
“I’ll make contact with you once I arrive, before I head to Vernazza. I’ll need a weapon.”
“Sure. I’ll have everything waiting for you when you arrive in Rome. I’ll instruct one of our men to meet you outside the airport. I’ll fax him your photo so be on the lookout for a man wearing his cap backwards, carrying a blue Nike bag. Be careful my good man.”
“You can count on it.”
The two men hung up, leaving Robert with a new agenda. His gut churned and he could feel his face flush with rage. He walked over to the liquor cabinet and poured a shot of brandy, throwing it down to help simmer his temper. It barely touched the sides as he poured another, walking to the large window that overlooked the suburban street. His eyes barely focused, he was so deep in thought. Things were going to get ugly. Very ugly.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Striding across the large room or maybe he wasn’t striding any more, maybe he was floating, Jake made a careful observation as the four men sat oblivious to his arrival.
They can’t see me? I know technically I’m a ghost but how was Kate able to see me and feel me? To kiss me... And the boy at the festival. He saw me. How is it that some people can see me and others can’t? My connection with Kate must run deeper than I thought but if that’s the case, why can’t I still see her? Dear God, where is she? Has she crossed over?
It was too painful to think about.
Jake stood within three feet of the four men who relaxed on the opulent lounge suite, jackets thrown off, ties loosened.
Well. Well. Well. What have we here then? A party and I’m not invited? How rude!
His eyes darted to all of them, resting on the one he’d failed to recognize when he’d crossed over the threshold. It came to him in an instant.
You!
In that second, Jake knew he was staring into the face that had so brazenly sat in a frame on Kate’s nightstand. A face he would never forget. Carlos!
I knew it! You mongrel! Your eyes gave you away. You’re as crooked as they come. You’re working for them! You’re one of them, damn it!
Jake seethed. These were the people responsible for him being in this predicament. As if that wasn’t enough, the man he stood in front of was Kate’s lover. Someone she trusted. Someone she cared about. Someone she may even love. Did she know about this? Carlos’ real job? Jake doubted it. The guy had creep written all over him.
Jake perched next to Carlos on the extravagant lounge chair studying his adversary closer. Carlos sat holding a half-filled whisky glass listening as The Lord spoke. He was easier for Jake to read in the flesh, rather than from a photo.
You’re scared aren’t you asshole? You’re out of your league in such esteemed company. You’re wondering why you’ve been singled out.
Jakes inner dialogue was cut short by The Lord’s words.
“Stavros, Adriano. I’m confident Carlos will be able to handle our patient while I’m away. He administered the drugs splendidly. Everything is progressing nicely. Let’s make a toast and raise our glasses to successful outcome.”
Jake’s head spun from Carlos to The Lord. In a nano-second he was off the couch and only inches from the magnate’s face. As if like lightning, Jake went to grab The Lord around the throat but found his hands went straight through.
Fury had him try again but the same thing happened. He screamed out with a menacing growl in frustration. The strength of his anger was so powerful that for an instant, the lights dimmed and the background classical music stopped, plunging the room into semi-darkness and causing a stir from the men.
“What happened?” said Stavros once the lights had flickered on again.
The Lord didn’t seem fazed. “Probably just a power phase. Nothing to worry about. I’ve been meaning to get the old wiring replaced. I must get one of my men onto it.” He rose his glass in a toast. “Salute.”
The others chimed up in unison. “Salute.”
The gravity of Jake’s situation just rose a few notches as he tried to swallow The Lord’s words.
He’s leaving me in the hands of Carlos? Kate’s lover? This situation couldn’t get any more fucked up! I need to find someone who can get me the hell out of here. I don’t know why The Lord has spared my life but it can’t be good. Nothing he does is good.
Fiercely staring down the bigwig, Jake snarled into his face through gritted teeth, “Somehow, some way I’m gonna bring you and your clowns down. You’re going to wish you’d finished me off!”
The Lord flinched as if some unwelcome sensation washed over him but then he composed himself. Jake grinned to himself at the momentary absence of control that seemed to leave the Big Chief floundering in uncertainty.
It didn’t matter that The Lord had the ultimate power to protect himself or to silently take out ten men in one hit. Jake wasn’t afraid. He was furious but definitely not afraid. The game was on. Maybe he had a reason to keep living, after all. To finish what he started.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Carlos was feeling more on edge now than ever. Sitting in luxury-controlled temperature with the three powers that be, laughing merrily, sucking back cigars as if they were some glorious French gateaux, he felt frozen as if a river of ice was flowing through his veins. In less than an hour he would be left alone in the un-nerving isolated lockup whil
e The Lord and his peers were taken away to tend to their other business. The only company he would have for days would be an unconscious, maybe already dead corpse.
What the hell am I supposed to do with myself all day? Wander the lonely halls talking to myself?
“Carlos, my good man. While you are here you must make yourself at home. I’ve left the bar fully stocked. There is enough food to feed an army and all the luxuries you could imagine.” The Lord reached to an oversized hand-carved coffee table and pressed a button on a remote control panel inlaid into the table itself. In an instant a massive flat screen descended from the roof against the far wall that faced them. The sheer size would compete with any movie theatre around and as more buttons on the small remote were pressed the screen came to life in glorious Technicolor. “Anything you desire can be summoned at the press of a button.” To prove this, a multitude of different viewing channels lit up the screen successively, including dozens of porn channels, home shopping, movies, sport and even the Internet.
Carlos squirmed uncomfortably in his seat as The Lord left a porn channel on and turned up the volume. Listening to the loud groans of two well-hung studs and a shaved nymph losing their dignity in front of a horny cameraman while sitting in the company of his overweight colleagues was not thrilling to say the least. He could feel The Lord’s eyes on him as if he was enjoying seeing Carlos thrust out of his comfort zone. Loud chesty laughter and a slap on the back in a show of “I want to embarrass the fuck out of you” arrogance had him actually thinking that maybe being alone for the next few days would be welcome in comparison to being a little toy to amuse the sick wit of the treacherous puppeteer. Just who the hell did he actually think he was? The power he had yielded over the years had actually deluded the rotund, boneless leader into believing that he was above everyone and everything. Nothing could touch him. People were disposable. Play or pay.
When the large screen was eventually turned off and retracted back into the ceiling as if it had never been there in the first place, Carlos gave him a tight-lipped smile but could find no words.
“I’ve had your belongings taken off the chopper and put in the bedroom. Our private lines are only to be used in the event of an emergency. One of those being that if our subject wakes up, you must call me. Do you have any questions you wish to ask before we head out?” Stavros showed his air of authority in front of The Lord, flagrantly chasing brownie points.
Yeah. When did babysitting become part of my job description?
“Umm. No. I think it’s all been covered except… what happens after this job is finished?”
Adriano spoke for the first time in a while. “Why you’ll be free to go home and relax of course!”
Carlos felt relief flood through him and grasped onto the fact that in a few days he’d be out of this oversized cage. He was going to go nuts until then. He guessed the porn channel might be getting a good work out.
Chapter Twenty-Four
At thirty thousand feet, six hours into the nine hour flight, Robert tried to relax in business class with his trusted laptop plugged in and a whisky in hand. The shards of ice gently tinkered against the glass as he swirled the brown liquid around and around. It was a sign that he was tense. As if keeping one hand busy would ease some of the tension continually growing with each mile they soared closer to Italy.
It was dark outside. Some folks tried to sleep with their eye masks on and others burnt the midnight oil like Robert. There would be time for rest once this whole fiasco was over. Once he knew exactly what he was dealing with. Once he’d made contact with his watcher. Once he had put Carlos Santini and his goons behind bars once and for all. Once he was holding his precious daughter safely in his arms.
When he arrived and armed himself thanks to Gary’s team, he would travel straight to Kate’s house in Vernazza to see if she had returned before checking into his own room. He’d traveled fairly light considering he didn’t know the length of his stay. He was hoping to get in and out as quickly as possible but that was more wishful thinking than anything.
As close as this case was to his heart after they’d heartlessly snuffed his brother’s life out, it was now even closer to home. His daughter was dating one of the key players.
He glared at the screen shot of Carlos Santini that Gary had emailed through, etching the face into his sharp memory. He rarely forgot a face once he’d seen it. Another one of the gifts that had helped in his career. This prick was going to get his just desserts just like the rest of them.
Taking a large swig of whiskey Rob fought with his inner voice. I can’t believe I’m on my way to Italy. What am I doing? Why do I have this ridiculous notion that Kate is in trouble? Is it just because her boyfriend’s a crook? Could I have seriously jumped the gun on this?
Another worry to Robert was the lack of communication from their spy. Someone they’d planted into The Organization years ago to leak information and keep close tabs on the inner workings of it. Why hadn’t he called? It was in his contract to make contact every two days with updates. It didn’t make sense. No. There was way more going on in Italy than Robert suspected.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Jake decided not to stay near his body. It was a freaky thing to see one’s self, lying still while hovering beside it. Viewing it from afar as an outsider would. It didn’t look like the Jake he knew when he looked in the mirror. His emotions had detached with him and all that deemed to be lying on the steel gurney, was a carcass. A heavy, dense mass of matter that enabled others to recognize him. That was all. Staring at the lifeless form he wondered how the human race could ever survive in such a fragile form. His skin looked waxen and pale. Closed eyes, sheathed in purple. Lips dry with a bluish tinge. Arms tucked neatly under the thermal blanket. Heels together with feet at a relaxed angle. The angle of death.
The beeping of the monitor was starting to become damn annoying. He didn’t need to be with his body just now. Not when he could function perfectly fine without it and remain inconspicuous while he figured out what to do next.
Where to go? There was only one place that he needed to be now. A place that would become his sanctuary. A place that housed both pain and joy.
He focused hard on his destination and felt the familiar pull as the light in the cell faded and instantaneously he found himself in Kate’s bedroom. It happened so fast, Jake likened it to a camera flicking to a new scene on a movie. He’d barely noticed it.
Nothing had changed since he’d left. But then had he really expected it to? Kate was gone. Carlos was holed up on the same island that held Jake’s heavily tranquilized, immobile remains, if that’s what they could be called. Unless a stranger had unwittingly entered the wrong dwelling or seen the open door hoping to pilfer a stash of easily sold jewels or home wares then the last people to have been here had been himself and Kate.
Lying down on the bed nestling into the dip that had been memorized into the mattress from Kate’s sleeping form, Jake closed his eyes and felt grief overwhelm him. Pain so deep it crucified him. Nothing had ever compared. It was hard to plot against his fiercest enemies when sorrow had him by the throat. Strangling and pulling tighter. The aching cavern grew wider as he remembered the last kiss with Kate. The kiss of death. To Jake it had felt like the kiss of life. In that moment of losing himself in Kate’s touch he’d never felt more alive. Reborn. The way she had surrendered to him, unable to fight off the driving need to feel.
“Kate.” It was a hoarse whisper. “Wherever you are, send me a sign. I need to know that you still live on, even if it has to be without me. I thought losing you once was unbearable. To lose you this time…words cannot describe…” He couldn’t finish. At least the first time he’d known she was safe. Now?
He ran a hand through his ruffled hair. Now, he didn’t know what she had become or where she was. He’d lost her connection.
He wasn’t sure how long he lay there lost to his own bereavement. Hours, maybe? It wasn’t until the downstairs door shut loud
ly and a male voice called out that he realized it was dark. Jesus, where had the day gone?
“Kate? Are you home?”
Jake sat erect on the bed in less than a second, craning his neck to the voice.
“Katie bear! Surprise!”
The voice sounded very familiar to Jake. He rose walking to meet whoever had entered freely like they had been invited, stopping short in the lounge room as the footsteps rose higher up the steps. On guard as always trained. A figure appeared from around the corner and took the last step into the lounge room.
“Shit! What the fuck are you doing here?”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Jake didn’t know whether to be elated at the sight of Kate’s father or saddened that he obviously wasn’t aware of his daughter’s fate yet. The man knew something was up though if he’d traveled thousands of miles on his own to visit his daughter. Jake could sense it wasn’t a social visit.
He can’t see me, either. I wish in a way he could because then I could tell him about Kate.
He eyed the man who could have been his father-in-law. Apart from dark eyes, he resembled Kate in every other way. The oval face. The full mouth that had only slightly started to narrow with age. Smile lines around eyes that were the same shape and distance apart as Kate’s. High cheekbones with that same angled, right eyebrow that rose higher than the left.
Jake’s heart bled for the man that had been like a second father. A mentor. A man that had taken him under his wing and introduced him to a career that had been a dream since childhood. A back entrance into police work without the cadetship. Training to become an undercover spy. To travel and earn the big bucks. To live above mediocre. To escape the struggle of living paycheck to paycheck.
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