Polar Opposites (In Aeternum Book 4) (10 page)

“It works!” she cried, her glossy red lips forming a wide smile. “What did you feel? Impact? What?”

Trick began gathering the spent bullets. Ivan held up his hand. “With the vest. I have to try without the vest as backup.”

Trick showed him the plastic container holding all the slugs. Every one of them had been fired from a weapon. It wasn’t like someone had a toy gun and had strewn bullets on the floor.

“Run tests, Trick.” Excitement flowed through him.

She nodded and walked away.

“We need to begin analyzing everything. This was wicked.”

Chrissy tucked some blonde strands behind her ear—one laden with earrings—and waggled her eyebrows, the gold post in one glinting in the overhead light. “I want to hear all about it as we go over the video.”

“Absolutely, we can go over the vid while the results are compiling. Thanks, Trevor.”

The man saluted him with two fingers then left. Ivan glanced at Chrissy before they headed to the table of monitors that waited.

* * * *

London, England

Bailey walked from the Tube to her destination. The sun shined brightly, broken up by a few clouds. Her steps slowed as she approached the Chelsea Physic Garden and paid her admittance charge.

The Chelsea Physic Garden was one of the gardens on a list referred to as poisonous gardens. And behind those walls was something she needed to pull her mission off in a successful way.

I would really like to know why Kevin thinks I’m cut out for retrieval. Sure, my success rate is perfect but then I have only done it once.

With a swift glance at her watch, she altered her direction and angled toward the Tangerine Dream.
No reason not to eat well while I’m here. Airline food sucks.

She grabbed some salad, a lavender scone and of course a glass of their renowned, homemade Amalfi lemonade. Once she had her food, Bailey made her way outside to eat beneath the covered terrace.

After she’d finished her salad and had begun on her scone, a shadow fell over her. Bailey paused with the fork on its way to her mouth.

“Fancy meeting you here,” she said, staring at the person standing.

“It’s a small world.” Anabelle Lee hefted one of the two mugs she held. “You need tea, not lemonade, with the scone.”

Anabelle Lee lowered her lean, toned body into the seat opposite Bailey.

“Thanks.” Bailey accepted the tea. “Spending your days in London now?”

Anabelle Lee grimaced slightly. “Hunting down leads.”

She nodded. “I also have feelers out.”

“Thanks. For meeting us in Chile as well. Every little bit helps and we appreciate it. I was surprised to hear you were here.”

She enjoyed a bite of her scone. “Didn’t realize I was on your radar.”

Anabelle Lee held her gaze. “Everyone’s on my radar.”

Bailey knew that. Anabelle Lee made it her business to know what went on. With her brother’s disappearance, it should have come as no surprise to her that Anabelle Lee’s alertness had increased.

“How’s your cousin?”

The first honest smile she’d seen since Anabelle Lee arrived crossed her beautiful face. “He’s doing well, considering. I’m waiting for the day he meets his match. That man needs a woman.”

Beauregard Jackson was a panty-soakingly handsome man. There was something about him and his southern accent that made him irresistible. Ethan reputedly had charm as well but it oozed from Beauregard.

“I’m sure he says you need a man.”

“Sometimes,” she concurred. “Others, he wishes me on one so I could bring them down.”

Bailey merely smiled. In truth, she wasn’t sure what to say. While she finished her scone, Anabelle Lee drank and gazed about. The woman turned heads for sure. However, this was the only time Bailey had seen her this at ease. The previous times their paths had crossed, she’d been much more intense. Many might not understand that, but those who lived the lives they did would.

“I’m not interrupting your plans, am I?”

Bailey shook her head. “Not at all. I had a layover, decided to stretch my legs and eat some real food.” She finished her tea. “I’m going to walk through the gardens. Would you care to join me?”

“Sure thing.” Her drawl came more pronounced this time.

So they walked and enjoyed their time in the gardens. Before departing, Bailey swung through the gardens’ gift shop. She meandered through and got a few knick-knacks then progressed to the counter.

“Good day.”

“Hi,” she replied, reaching in her pack for money.

“Visiting?”

“I am. This place came highly recommended. I must say it was worth it.”

The lady bent and withdrew a bag from beneath her counter. She placed Bailey’s purchases inside. “Anything else?”

Bailey looked around. “No thank you.”

“Very well.”

Once she’d paid, Bailey and Anabelle Lee headed to the door. Two kids barreled into them before running on, their harried father following. “So sorry,” he called as he passed them.

Anabelle Lee shook her head. “That’s why I have no wish to have children.”

Bailey readjusted her backpack. “No desire to chase after them?”

“Not a single one. I am not mother material.” They stopped at the street. “What about you?” Together they headed for the Tube station.

“Never gave it much thought. Guess I’m ambivalent on it. No pressing need to add to the population but not dead set against it either.” A shrug. “If it happens, it happens.”

“So no man you can’t wait to start a family with?”

Images of Ivan flashed, surprising her such that she tripped. “No,” she said after righting herself.

Anabelle Lee stared at her and deadpanned, “Yeah, right, hon. Mighty convenient trip if that were actually the case.”

“Things happen.”

“I agree, they do.” She halted at the entrance. “If he’s your heart, I would say don’t let him get away.”

Bailey shoved a hand in her pocket. “I’d heard so many say you’re a bitch.”

A flash of perfect white teeth. “Make no mistake, I am. However, Ethan has always spoken so highly of you. I think he was in awe of you—is,
is
in awe of you.” There was a hint of pain in her words. And desperation.

“That I doubt, but I’m glad his words were kind.” She faced the redhead. “I know I’m not on your team but if I can be of assistance, let me know.”

The pain spread to her blue eyes—only lasting briefly—but it had been there.

“Thank you.” Her words sounded heartfelt. True.

“If my contacts come up with anything I’ll let you know.”

“Thank you again. Travel safe and luck with your job.” A smile—albeit somewhat forced—made an appearance before Anabelle Lee departed along with it.

“Same to you,” she whispered, hurrying along on her own way.

Bailey kept to herself on the Tube, remaining vigilant. Since she’d added her purchases to her dark green backpack she wondered if she would be stopped and checked. However, once back at the airport nothing changed, they waved her through easily. It didn’t take long to get back through the airport’s checkpoint and to her gate.

She bought a book, a Coke and a large bag of salted peanuts, then sat and waited for her flight to board. Never once did she check her phone. Unlike some, she wasn’t addicted to it.

The flight from London to Cairo fell into the uneventful category. How Bailey preferred her flights to be. So she slept.

It wasn’t a deep sleep. One because she only fully rested when she was at one of her homes. And two, a man named Ivan Vinokourov occupied her thoughts. Regardless, the sleep she’d gotten was enough in her estimation.

When the captain announced their impending landing, she followed instructions given by the flight attendants. She took in the skyline as they circled closer. A beautiful city really—not her favorite place in the world, but one she enjoyed visiting.

She disembarked and took her time going through customs, giving off all appearances of a woman not on a tight deadline.

Which I am.

Passport stamped, she made her way to collect her bag. Once at her hotel—and she’d checked for bugs out of habit—she sat on the edge of the bed and turned on her phone.

One message from McNeal. She opened it to read.

Hope you had safe travels.

She gave a short chuckle before sending back her one-word reply.

Claro.

Bailey went to the table and withdrew her purchased items from her pack, including the folded thick paper that had been slipped into her pocket by the father of those two children in the gift shop at Chelsea Physic Garden—what she’d needed from London. That sat off to her right as she went through the rest of her items.

Most likely this would get messy.

Chapter Eight

Rubbing his eyes, Ivan leaned back in his chair. The slight creak of leather was the only other sound aside from his groan of frustration. The past two weeks had been more stressful than he cared to admit.

He was surviving on three hours of sleep a night. Work had consumed him, as well as it was proving to be his only respite from thoughts of Bailey. No, he wasn’t sitting around pining for her, but he did miss her.

And I’m concerned for her.

This job had gotten more stressful than he liked it to be.
I understand the desire to have results but I don’t—won’t—risk the lives of those who will be using these things.

He sat forward and opened his eyes. His computer’s screensaver distracted him for a moment. Fractals had always intrigued him.

“Get back to it, Ivan.”

He drank from the white mug beside his computer, the watercolor abstract design fading as the drink cooled. With another sigh, he hit a key on his keyboard and the multi-hued fractals vanished, replaced by boxes of equations and notes.

Ivan closed the window relating to electrogravitics. He was good—damn good—in that field, but it wasn’t his only one. He had many interests.
Not to mention projects, so I should quit daydreaming and procrastinating and get back to work.

Right now, he closed all the windows except the one dealing with dark matter and got to work.

“What are you still doing here, Doctor?”

Ivan glanced up, startled. “Chrissy? What do you mean what am I still doing here?”

“It’s ten at night.” Her tone was one of reprimand.

Seriously?
He peered at his watch and was again amazed. She hadn’t been lying about the time. He rubbed the nape of his neck then pivoted his chair so he could see her head on.

“So what are you doing here, Chrissy?”

“Finished up some work on the electrogravitics for use in the personal pack. Was on my way out when I saw your vehicle still in the lot. Came to check and see if I could be of any help.”

He rubbed his temple as she carried on about him staying too long in the labs or his office and not taking time for himself. Ivan grunted and held up a hand. “I don’t think that’s necessary. As you pontificated, it is ten at night. You should go home and get some rest.”

She laughed and shook her head. “Coming from you? My hours may be long but you still put in so many more than I do.” She leveled a finger in his direction. “You need to eat something at least.”

He could use some food, not having eaten since eight in the morning. “You win. I will take a break and eat if you head home for the night.”

“You positive you don’t need any assistance?”

He stood. “Absolutely. I won’t be far behind you. Do you need me to walk you out?”

She went to the door and grinned at him over her shoulder. “I’m sure I will be fine. See you tomorrow, Doc.”

“Goodnight, Chrissy. Thanks for the hard work.”

“I do love my job.” One final wave and she was gone.

Ivan put files on his tablet and powered down his computer. Cell phone in hand, he checked. Eight missed calls—seven from Howland and one from his mother.

He made his way home, stopping off at a restaurant on the way to grab some food. Carrying the bag, he took the stairs two at a time to his door. Once in his place, he fixed himself a plate, eating bites between changing his clothes.

Finally comfortable in a pair of shorts, he swiped his plate and sat in time to catch the eleven o’clock news. As it wound down, he picked up his phone and scrolled through to the number he sought.

It was after six in the morning for her and he had no fear of waking her. He pressed the call button and leaned back, propping his feet up on his coffee table.

“Hello?” The warm Russian voice made him smile.

“Hi, Mama.” He also spoke Russian.

“Ivan. It is so good to hear your voice. You haven’t called in so long. How are you? More importantly, when are you coming home?”

“Good to hear yours as well, Mama. I’m sorry it’s been crazy getting this lab up and running. Long days, short nights. How are you?”

She harrumphed. “You work too much. Probably forgetting to eat.”

He looked sheepishly at the plate he’d cleaned moments prior to calling his mother. “I do eat.”

“You need a woman in your life. She would make sure you ate and slept.”

“Actually, I do have a woman in my life.”

Silence.

“You still there, Mama?”

“Where did you meet her?”

He debated how to answer that question. There would be nothing gained by telling her he’d been kidnapped and forced to work on some things for people the world would look upon as terrorists. He drank the rest of his beer.

“I was in Madagascar.”

“So you can go to Madagascar but you can’t come home and see your mother? Or the rest of your family?”

He pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned. “I wasn’t there on vacation, Mama. I was there working.”

“Not such you didn’t have the time to find a woman.”

Not like I was out looking for one.
“She was working as well. It was a chance meeting.”

“But it’s something serious.”

How like his mother not to make it a question but a statement. “I’d like to think so.”

“Good, bring her here. I want to meet her.”