Seduced in New York (Sexy Spy Series, No. 1) (2 page)

I leaned back against the wall, took a few deep breaths, and let my bathrobe fall to the floor. I then stepped around the corner and smiled at the three men.
“Anything the problem, baby?”

The men whipped around and one of them even reached for his pistol but they all paused as they stared at my nude body.

Kevin, who had seen me nude just minutes before, also paused. He opened his mouth but nothing came out.

As they stood there motionless, I walked over to my suitcase and casually opened it. Pulling open a hidden compartment, I reached for my pistol with a silencer on it.

Taking aim, I shot both of the newcomers where they stood. They collapsed instantly but, as I aimed for Kevin, he ducked through the door.

“Shit!” There was no space for loose ends and having Kevin getting away was a loose end. I
didn’t
have to kill him, in fact, strange though it may seem, I only killed when it was necessary.
And
it wasn’t necessary at the moment.

Luckily, I knew where and when the meeting place between Kevin and Mrs. Kolovos would take place. I just had to be there instead of Kevin.

I hurried to the hallway and glanced out. I caught sight of Kevin, his towel flapping as he ran out of sight. He would have to stop somewhere to get some clothes, and that’s where I had the advantage.

I rushed over to my suitcase, whipped on my undies, bra, t-shirt and jeans. I then pulled out a flimsy backpack. This hotel room would be crawling with cops before long so I couldn’t leave anything behind that I wanted to keep.

The real list, along with my weapon and my favorite clothes went in the backpack. Zipping it up, I slung it on my back and hurried out of the room, closing and locking the door behind me. That would give me some time before the hue and cry started about who the dead men were.

I flicked on my cell phone and dialed a number that I knew by heart. It rang and
was picked up
after two rings. “Hello, this is George from Child Protection Services, how may I help you?”

“George, it’s Alpha Mega 676. I need to speak to Mr. Smith straight away.” As I waited for my boss to be put on the line, I stepped into the nearby lift and pressed the down button.

As the doors closed, Mr. Smith came on the line. It wasn’t his real name of course, but everyone called him that. Apart from having a strong British accent and a fondness for dark chocolate, I knew nothing about him. Not even a hint of what he looked like. For all I know, I could have passed him a million times and not have known it was
him
.

“Did you get the list?” Mr. Smith asked.

“Yes, but two men showed up and I had to shoot them.”

“Damn! I told you to keep a low profile.”

I exited the lift and started walking across the hotel lobby, scanning the area for anyone suspicious. “I know, sir, but they started asking questions about me.”

“Why would they do that?” Mr. Smith asked.

“I believe they were sent by Troy Hunter.” I could hear Mr. Smith’s throat tighten as I uttered that name. Troy Hunter was not his real name, hell, I don’t even think his wife, if he did have a wife, if even she knew what his real was. He used to work for the FBI and then the CIA as a top-level diplomat but he turned rogue ten years ago, just after an incident at an Egyptian embassy. Every police force in the world had tried to track him down, but he fled from
Africa
and went into hiding.

Then, five years ago, we learnt that a number of terrorist organizations had teamed up and were all working for the same person. It didn’t take a genius to realize that it had to be
Troy
. But what was his purpose? To simply cause distraction and mayhem wasn’t his style. He had to have a sinister purpose. After all, he only did what he did for himself. It was all about him and him alone. So what was his purpose? No one knew.

Mr. Smith spoke. “Get rid of your contact before the meeting. Oh, and we’ve just found out that he was supposed to take a private helicopter to the meeting place.”

“Shit!” I paused. “If I don’t take that helicopter they will know I’m an imposter, but what if one of
Troy
’s men is there? I don’t know what he’s up to, but—”

“Don’t worry. I’ll send someone to keep an eye on the chopper along with a change of clothes. I don’t want you looking like you’ve run halfway around the city.”

“Okay, thanks.” I hung up. After making sure that no one was watching me, I reached into my backpack and pulled out a slim, back case. I opened it to reveal a grid of the city as well as a small red dot that flashed every two seconds. It was the agency’s top tracking device and, because of my ingenuity the night before, I had managed to put a pill in Kevin’s drink just in case a situation like this arose.

That’s why I wasn’t too worried about losing him, I was more concerned with him making contact with Mrs. Kolovos. Once he made contact, he would tell her about our encounter and then everything would be ruined. I hadn’t yet failed in a mission, and I was determined that this wouldn’t be my first.

I hurried over to where someone had parked their newly bought motorbike and jumpstarted the engine. Hopping on, I gunned the machine and entered the busy streets of
New York
.

Looking at my tracker, I noticed that Kevin’s movements had increased and it looked as though he was heading out of the busiest part of the city.
 

I veered through traffic and zoomed through red lights in an effort to catch up. The tracker slowed down and then, to my surprise, I noticed that he had entered
Central Park
.

There was only one reason that he would go there.
And
that would be to meet a contact. I would have to take him out before the meeting took place. That was the only option. And, as the motorbike would attract a lot of attention in the park, I would have to exchange it for something else.

I tore down
Fifth Avenue
, slowing down as I reached one of the many entrances into the park. I climbed off the machine and glanced around. Seeing a young man riding a brand new red bicycle, I smiled and waved.

The man stopped beside me and offered a cheeky smile. “What’s up, lady?”

“I need to borrow your bicycle,” I said.

The man frowned. He ran a hand down the side of what might have been his most prized possession.
 
“I don’t know if—”

“I’ll swap it for this motorbike,” I broke in. I held up the keys. “You have five seconds to make your decision.”

The man looked stunned. He quickly reacted and grabbed the keys, smiling. “You’ve got yourself a deal.”

I smiled back and hopped onto the bicycle. I had ridden quite a bit while training for Sexy Spies Incorporated, and I was happy to see that the bicycle was one of the newest models, this years in fact.

Clamping the tracker to the front of the bicycle, I rode into the park. The red dot had now stopped near the lake. I cycled as fast as I could, zipping around mothers with strollers and elderly people walking slowly.

I wanted to avoid any policemen, but I didn’t want to slow down. I knew they patrolled the area and looked out for anyone traveling super fast, but I had a deadline to meet. Besides, while I may not win the gold medal at the Olympic Games, I do pride myself as being
fairly athletic
.

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.