The Spy With the Silver Lining (14 page)

She was transported to a waiting car—a black BMW—and the man who had driven the boat was once again behind the wheel. They sped away from the dock, Filip not saying more than a few words to the men as they got lost on the back roads heading east following the coast.

They crossed into Mississippi. This time the boat waiting for them was a sleek white motor yacht.

Filip got out and reached in to pull her from the backseat. Her wrists were still tied and they were beginning to hurt, but she didn’t mention it.

She followed the two men down the pier, Filip trailing her. Casmir noticed everything. The yacht had three men on deck, and it had been christened the
Stella di Mare.
Italian for starfish.

The minute they were onboard the yacht’s captain set sail.

“This way.”

Filip motioned to a stairway that led below deck. But as she started for the stairs, he jerked her to a stop and untied her hands.

“Wouldn’t want you to fall on your face and break your nose.”

“How kind of you.”

“If you think so that would be a mistake.”

She descended the stairs and entered a narrow passageway. The yacht wasn’t as lavish as Yurii’s
Bella Vella,
but it was still worth a few million easy. Filip ushered her into a carpeted stateroom. He turned on a light and she saw that the room had all the comforts of home.

“Take off your clothes.”

“Why?”

“I’ll ask the questions. Take them off.”

He stood there waiting.

Casmir stripped, and as quickly as she shed her clothes and shoes, he took them from her.

“What are the bruises from?” He stepped forward and grabbed her by the hair and examined the stitches on her neck. “New boyfriend like to play rough?”

“I was in an accident.”

He let go of her hair and stepped back. Before he left, he gave her a slow head-to-toe. Filip might be all business, but he was still a man.

R
uza located the telephone in the living room and was about to make a call when Lazie intercepted her, and stripped the phone out of her hand.

She spun around and faced him. “I’m calling Lev. Now give me the phone.”

“Lev Polax is your brother?”

“My half brother. The one I’m going to kill next time I see him.” Ruza held out her hand. “Now give me the phone, Lazie.”

“Not until we talk,
ma douce amie.
You can’t stop
dis.
She is already in
dere
hands.”

“Whose hands?”

“It’s a long story.”

“Then get to it.”

“I think you should go first. Are you really a spy?”

“Yes, but that can wait. My daughter is in some kind of trouble. We do not have all night.”

“Still, Ruza-a…you will explain this lie you have been living.”

Ruza swore in Russian, then walked to the window and looked out over the French Quarter. It was well past ten and she was worried. She had never gotten used to the worry, but Cassie had been an elusive spy. She had read every report, and against her desire for her daughter to do something else—anything else—with her life, Lev had been right. Cassie was a natural.

She recalled Pierce Fourtier, and what he’d said. He was leaving to track Cassie. Track her where? Since she’d met Pierce, the man had been as emotionless as a toad. But tonight he seemed anxious. Anxious and as worried as she was.

Why?

In Prague, Lev had told her that he wanted Cassie out of the country. That someone had discovered her identity and that she would need to accompany Cassie since it appeared she had also been targeted. She’d gone along with the plan, trusting Lev’s instincts.

Had this
someone
found them?

Her own experiences had taught her that when you were being hunted, and you had no idea by whom, the safest thing to do was to draw them out. Was that Lev’s plan? Had he lied?

He wasn’t beyond lying. He’d done it before, always explaining it away as part of the job.

“Ruza-a…you know that Casmir is a spy at Quest,
oui?
”

“Yes.”

“How long have you known?”

“Since Lev recruited her behind my back.” She turned to look at him, then settled into a chair. “I never wanted this for her. She had so many talents.”

Lazie seated himself in the chair across from her. “You didn’t want your life for her.”

“It’s a hard life. Dangerous. I was furious when I found out. But of course Lev knew I would be. That’s why he went behind my back.”

“Why would he consult you first?”

“Because we are Quest. It’s the family business.”

He looked at her as if he didn’t believe her.

“My mother is IsaDora Polax. The mastermind behind Quest.”

“She was also a spy?”

“Yes, and a damn good one.”

“And you followed in your mother’s footsteps, too.”

“Not at first. Really, Lazie, this is no time for a walk down memory lane. I—”

“You said you’re retired.”

“Eight years now.”

“And Casmir doesn’t know any of this?”

“I never told her about my secret life behind my stage acting, no.”

“Why?”

“For the same reason she never told me, and fabricated that story about her being an international real estate agent. Spies live double lives. They protect those they love.”

“And did you know when you were younger about your mother’s status?”

“Like I said, spies live double lives to protect their families. Quest was conceived over thirty years ago, although it wasn’t called EURO-Quest at the time. It was an experimental project at first. My mother had gotten into the spy business years before, and made her mark in the intelligence world. When she was about to retire, she was asked to develop an academy to train female spies. Do you have a cigarette?”

“You smoke?”

“An old habit that haunts me when I’m nervous.”

Lazie stood and went to the bar. When he came back he had a pack of Reds in one hand and a martini in the other. She watched him as he lit the cigarette and handed it to her, then set the martini in front of her.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Back in his chair, he lit a cigarette for himself and said, “You were telling me about the academy.”

Ruza took a drag off the cigarette and closed her eyes a moment, then exhaled. “It was all very hush-hush. Like a secret society. It was called Praza. For years it was hidden in the bowls of the Kostel Panny Marie Sněžné in Nové Město. It means, Church of Our Lady of the Snows. Years later when the agency came out of the closet, it was renamed EURO-Quest. I’ve never seen you smoke, Lazie.”

“I’m a social smoker. It’s bad for you,
oui?
”

“So is crossing the street. Today Quest’s headquarters are below the Vy
ehrad. When I was younger I never knew anything about mother’s work. Neither did Lev. When we became adults it became a part of our lives.”

“How? You don’t just decide to become a spy.”

“No, you don’t. Lev started law school and I pursued stage acting. I did well. Found work and quickly became a common face on the stages in Europe. It put me on several lists to some exclusive parties. There I mingled with some very important, high-powered men. That’s how I meet Jacko Ludomir, Casmir’s father. I was twenty-two when I met him. I had no idea that he was in the intelligence business. A regular James Bond, that was Jacko. He was working for British intelligence at the time. He was in his thirties, handsome and dangerous to my heart.”

Lazie smiled. “I think it must have been the reverse,
amie.
”

“Maybe.”

“So you fell in love with this Jacko?”

“I loved what he gave me. Cassie was a beautiful baby, and a loving child. Have you ever had a child, Lazie?”

“I have a son. He lives with his mother.”

“Do you see him?”

“No. She took him out of the country when he was young. Tell me about Jacko.”

“It was while I was at an exclusive party in France that we met. I had no idea he was there to pick up a top secret document from a Russian double agent. The document had been slipped into my handbag. I had been picked at random to be used. He planned to retrieve the document during the party, but I got a dreadful headache and left early. That put Jacko in my bedroom hours later trying to recover what the double agent had left in my purse. Of course I thought he was there to see me, but I caught him in the act of searching my purse and…well, enough said about that. I told Lev about the incident, never realizing that he had already been recruited into Quest by Mother. I suppose that’s when he got the idea that I could be an asset to the agency.”

“And before long you were a spy.”

“Yes.”

“What happened with Jacko?”

“We met again at another party. Then another and another. We weren’t enemies. Our agencies had similar goals. We became lovers and I got pregnant.”

“And then?”

“I disappeared for several months, and when I returned to work, I learned that Jacko had been killed on a mission in France. I continued to work, raised our child and eventually retired.”

“You said Lev recruited Casmir without your knowledge.”

“She had just quit modeling for the second time. She was restless and I think he took advantage of that.”

“Does Casmir know about her father?”

“She knows the lie I told her. I said he was an actor I met on tour who had met with a tragic accident before she was born. After Jacko died, the intelligence world branded him a Judas. I never believed it, but I have no proof otherwise.” Ruza took a sip of her martini. “How do I tell her that after all these years I’ve lied to her about everything, and that her father was a traitor to his country and his work?”

“Or that her commander, Lev Polax, is her uncle?”

“The lies just keep going.” Ruza took a puff off the cigarette. “I can only imagine what she would say if she found out that her grandmother is the head of Quest. Cassie knows IsaDora only as
Babushka.
”

“Grandmother.”

“Yes. For years I’ve wanted to tell her the truth, but I’m afraid, Lazie. Too much time has passed. She’ll be furious with me.”

“I see the dilemma.”

“That’s the history of the Balasi/Polax family. None of it, however, is important now. What’s important is that I find Cassie. And to do that I must call IsaDora.”

“I thought you wanted to call Lev.”

“I’ve rethought that. I think he’s up to his old tricks again. I can’t trust him now.”

Ruza set down the empty martini glass and stubbed out her cigarette. “Enough talk. I’m through with Lev. He’s misused his power at Quest for the last time. I’ve told you where I stand, Lazie. Now all that I ask of you is that you turn your back while I make a phone call.”

She didn’t know what she expected. But it wasn’t Lazie’s next move. He stood, sat next to her and slowly enveloped her in his arms. Pulling her close, he said, “You and I are more perfectly matched than you know, Ruza-a…. We take chances, gamble for high stakes, and live life on
da
ledge.”

“I believe the word is
edge.
”

“The edge of what? No, I have always liked
da
word
ledge
better. It paints a clearer picture, no?”

“Are you going to help me?”

“What do you think?”

“What is the price, Lazie?”

“Friendship,
mon coeur.
”

“Only friendship?”

“It is too high a price?”

“No.”

“Then we are friends.”

“Just like that?”

“Oui.”

“You’re serious.”

“
Oui.
As serious and determined as you are to save your daughter from Yurii Petrov.”

Ruza wrenched back. “Did you say Petrov?”

“Oui.”

“It was Ramon Petrov who killed Jacko.” Ruza quickly stood. “Lev is going to burn in hell for this. The man who has my daughter is a Petrov? Tell me it isn’t true.”

“I cannot lie to you,
mon coeur.
”

Lazie mapped out what he knew via Pierce’s information. It wasn’t complete, but it was a good start.

“So Yurii knows that Cassie is a spy and that she’s responsible for sending him to prison.”

“And breaking his heart.”

“Then she’s been sentenced to death.” The idea sent Ruza pacing. “If I’m going to be any use to my daughter, I’ve got to contact IsaDora and then catch up to Pierce Fourtier.” She stopped pacing. “I have to hurry.”

“Hurry where?”

“Trust me, Lazie.”

“
Bon Dieu, mon coeur.
It has been years.”

“We’re friends, remember?”

“Call me Saber.”

“Saber…please give me the phone.”

“Again.”

“Saber, give me the damn phone or I’ll put my foot in your belly again and knock you off your feet.”

“
Oui,
a spirited
ange.
I knew it the day I laid eyes on you.”

Casmir woke up naked in the stateroom. She had paced the room wrapped in the bedsheet for over an hour, then collapsed on the bed in exhaustion. They were still at sea, and she knew now that she wouldn’t see land until she was delivered to Yurii at Nescosto Priyatna.

She climbed off the bed and secured the bedsheet around her. There was no sense pacing. She looked out the window over the bed. It was daylight now. She had no idea how long she had slept.

The door suddenly opened and in walked Filip with a tray. He set it on the table.

“You should be hungry. I am.”

She studied the assortment of fruits and breads on the tray. The two plates. Obviously he planned to eat with her.

“Sit,
signorina.
”

“Where are my clothes?”

“They checked out and you will have them back after
prima colazione.
Sit.”

She pulled out a chair and, keeping the sheet around her, sat. He followed suit.

This morning he wore jeans and a black T-shirt that strained his muscular arms. His hair was tied back. He had nice cheekbones, Casmir thought, but not as nice as Pierce.

Pierce. Where was he? Was he following?

The mission’s success rested in his hands now. She knew he was determined. Knew where he ranked at Onyxx.

But she also knew Yurii and how determined he was.

She looked at Yurii’s brother, and found him studying her as he munched on a piece of bread spread heavily with jam.

“Eat. I wouldn’t want you to lose your curves before I deliver you. Yurii wants you looking well when you arrive.”

“Are you two close?”

“My relationship with my brother is of no importance to you. He has asked that I bring you to him, and it will be done.”

“Do you follow all of Yurii’s orders?”

“Orders?” He snorted. “Yurii does not order me to do anything. All he has to do is ask, and if it is in my power, I make it happen. It’s called respect. Something a woman like you would know nothing about.”

“Where are you taking me?”

“I told you. Home.”

“But where is home?”

He grinned. “Anxious?”

Casmir relaxed back in the chair and began to pick at the fruit. “Not exactly anxious, but I’m not afraid, either.”