The Spy With the Silver Lining (19 page)

Before he had entered the villa hours ago he’d seen her laughing with Yurii on a balcony—a happy couple enjoying a moonlit night.

An act? At the time he hadn’t thought so. But now he wasn’t so sure.

She looked around as if searching for him. Their eyes met, and he saw her frown as she took in his battered appearance. He hated for her to see him like this, but what he hated more was that his capture had lured her into Yurii’s trap. A trap she might not survive.

When Yurii reached her, words were exchanged. Pierce couldn’t hear what was said, but by Yurii’s reaction, it wasn’t good. He slapped Cass across the cheek, and she countered the slap by spitting at him. Yurii’s hand was in her hair a second later, jerking her forward and twisting at the same time. He brought her to her knees quickly.

Pierce swore, helpless to do anything but watch the scene unfold. Cass was now at Yurii’s mercy—at the mercy of a man who had been betrayed once too often by the woman he loved.

It was true, Yurii still loved Cass. But Pierce loved her, too. Loved the sensitive secret side that he had discovered nights ago. But he also loved the fiery bitch, and right now the bitch wasn’t happy, and he knew what that meant. Yurii beware, he thought a second before she grabbed his crotch, much like he’d grabbed her hair. Yurii let out a scream, but it was overshadowed by an explosion that took the doors off the elevator and sent metal flying over the second-story railing and into a bank of computers below.

Pierce saw the guard that had escorted Cass to the Meetro suddenly leap over the railing. He rolled to his feet and kept moving, heading straight for him with a knife. I’m a dead man, Pierce thought.

A second later he recognized the guard.

“Y
ou don’t look good, Pierce.”

“Well, you look pretty damn good. Where the hell have you been?”

Ash Kelly grinned. “Lucky for you I didn’t stay on the boat. Lucky for me, too. I blew it up.”

In a matter of seconds, Ash released Pierce’s wrists from the manacles, then dropped to his knees and removed the shackles from his ankles.

Pierce came to his feet out of sheer will. “I’ve got to get to a computer. Got to get the data sent to Jacy. I hope he’s there, ready to receive.”

His insides were still quivering from the electric shock. He stumbled.

“You all right?”

“I will be. Where’s Cass?”

“Last I saw her she was…” Ash glanced around. “Shit, where the hell is she?”

There was total chaos in the Meetro now. Computers were burning and smoke was filling the room fast. Another explosion brought down a chunk of the ceiling, destroying more computers.

“More of your handiwork?” Pierce asked.

Ash grinned. “You know how I love to play with firecrackers.”

Panic had sent Yurii’s guards scrambling for cover. They opened fire on Pierce and Ash, forcing them to flatten out on the floor. Pierce crawled on his belly to a computer that hadn’t caught on fire yet, as Ash sent a volley of gunfire in all directions. Pierce began to punch in the code from memory that would leave Yurii’s database open to be robbed.

“Is it working?” Ash yelled.

Pierce could hear frustration in his comrade’s voice. He keyed on that. “How much time do we have?”

“I’ve synchronized the charges. Our window is thirty minutes to detonation. When this place blows Petrov’s entire network will be scrap metal.”

“The code’s in. Now all we need is Jacy to acknowledge that he received it. Shit, where the hell is he? Come on, Jacy, read your screen. Do you see Cass?”

“I see her. But you’re not going to like where she is.”

The minute Yurii let go of her hair Casmir was back on her feet running. She heard Yurii order his guards to stop her. He still hadn’t caught on to Ash Kelly’s impersonation of one of his guards.

She heard someone behind her, spun around quickly and kicked out at the same time. It took the guard by surprise and he flew back into a burning computer. He caught on fire and continued to scream while he ran, frantic to save himself.

Pierce had said all he needed was a few minutes at a computer to send the access code. She stopped to search the command center to look for him. He was no longer in the glass cubicle. HadAsh gotten him out?

She continued to search for him. Finally she saw him. The minute she sighed in relief, she felt the familiar bite of metal poke hard into her ribs.

“I’m afraid, my love, the day is not going to end well for you.”

“I never thought it would,” she said, feeling Yurii’s hand grip her shoulder.

“Move. There is another elevator.”

He forced her at gunpoint to a second elevator as the chaos continued. He shoved her inside and followed her, quickly pushing a button. The door closed and then they were taking a ride to somewhere below the Meetro.

Yurii leaned against the wall, his gun aimed at her chest. “The ring was a good trick,
Kisa.
I congratulate you on using it. It spawned doubt, and that doubt gave me hope. I thought I had lost you, then I saw the ring on your finger in Bratislava and I wanted to believe that maybe you really did love me. Now I realize that I never lost you because I never had you. Not for a second,
da.
”

He was wrong. There had been moments, and it was those moments that still haunted her, and made her question who she really was. One thing she didn’t question was that she’d been wrong not to be honest with Polax. She’d allowed herself to get too close to her work. To feel things she shouldn’t have allowed herself to feel.

“You should have killed me at the Kelt,” she said, then slipped the ring off her finger. “Here. It’s past time I gave this back to you.”

“Put it back on. I told you once, till death do us part,
Kisa.
” He pressed a button on the elevator panel. “Filip, are you there?”

“I’m here.”

“Bring the submarine to the Vestigo. We leave immediately.”

When the elevator stopped and the doors opened, Yurii motioned with his gun for her to step out. She looked around, saw that they were in another narrow channel surrounded by high rocks. Yurii would make a clean getaway now. That hadn’t been part of the plan, but hopefully Pierce and Ash Kelly had had time to obtain the data from Yurii’s computers.

She wished she had been able to avenge Pasha, but Nicky would get his due one day. No matter who or what you were, fate did not discriminate. She had always believed that.

In a matter of minutes Yurii’s submarine surfaced in the channel and the hatch opened. But instead of Filip climbing out of the hole, she saw Pierce emerge. Her expression must have shown her surprise. Yurii turned quickly and took aim.

Casmir moved on instinct a second before he fired. She dived forward, felt the bullet rip into her flesh. Felt a burst of pain that stole her breath. Felt the warmth of her blood begin to flow.

She heard Pierce yell
no.

Heard Yurii cry out.

Then she was falling as a knife was hurled through the air and lodged in Yurii’s neck. He staggered and fell to the ground inches from her.

His eyes found hers and she saw pain there. But it wasn’t for himself. It was for her, and the love that he had refused to let die.

He reached out and squeezed her hand, brushed his thumb over the ring on her finger. Then slowly, as his life slipped away, he whispered, “
Da,
a fitting end, my love. Till death do us part.”

“I’m sorry,
amant.
”

Casmir faded in and out of consciousness. She was aware of Pierce saying those words over and over again. Aware that he was holding her hand, and touching her face.

They were in the submarine. She remembered being carried inside. If Pierce was with her, who was operating the submarine? Was Ash there?

She felt Pierce’s lips brush her cheek. Heard him whisper he was sorry again. Then his voice turned loud and angry. “I’m losing her! Get this sonofabitch moving, Ash.”

She wanted to ask him if they got the data, if the mission was a success, but his hands were pushing down on her chest now and she couldn’t breathe. Then his face faded and everything stopped.

Casmir woke up in a hospital bed. At least she believed that was where she was. She opened her eyes and saw Pasha Lenova standing over her. But Pasha was dead. Nasty Nicky had slit her throat in Bratislava.

“She’s coming around. Finally.”

Casmir blinked and when her eyes opened again she saw Nicky standing behind Pasha.

“It’s good to have you back, Balasi. You’re one tough broad.”

She looked at Pasha. “I thought you were dead. Or are we all dead?”

Pasha smiled, reached out and squeezed her hand. “We’re alive.” She glanced back at Nicky. “This guy is full of surprises. I expected to be dead that night at the Kelt until I learned that he was working for us. I wish I could have let you know. I wanted to back you up on this mission, but it was too risky. It could have exposed Nicky, and he’s been a vital part of this mission’s success.”

“So it was a success?”

“Yes. Polax thought it would be best if everyone just thought I was dead. By the way, I called him and reported in. Gave him the good news first. Then the bad. That you’d been shot. He’s sending a plane for us. The doctor says you should be able to fly day after tomorrow. The bullet missed your heart by only an inch.”

“I want to see Pierce.”

“Ah…he’s not here. He was called back to Washington. He had to leave the minute you got out of surgery. Ashland Kelly flew back with him. Don’t worry about anything now. Pierce sent the data to one of their command sights, Nescosto is in ruins, and—”

“What about Yurii?”

“He’s dead.”

Casmir looked down at her hand. The beautiful ring glistened back at her like a shining hopeful star.

No one would understand the loss she felt. Those days with Yurii had been like a dream that you suddenly wake up from. But she was awake now. The dream was gone, and with it a part of her heart.

Love… Such a mysterious word. Such a powerful, confusing feeling.

“Cass?”

She felt tears sting her eyes. Yurii had almost killed Pierce. He’d shot her. She should hate him, but she couldn’t. He was more than a criminal, more than a tortured soul. She felt the need to mourn the man, not what he was, but who he had wanted to be. But her guilt overshadowed the moment, and she felt like a traitor. Felt cold and alone.

Don’t ever let them see you cry.

She forced the tears away, and asked, “And Filip?”

Again Pasha hesitated. “He got away. We don’t know how he made it out before the explosion, but Nicky saw him board his yacht. That’s enough talking now. Your vitals are strong, but you need to rest.”

Her chest felt like it was on fire. There had been no pain after the initial shock of being shot, but now she hurt all over.

“That’s it. Close your eyes and sleep. It’s what you need most right now. The old Casmir will be back soon. You just need time to heal.”

Pierce and Ash had just stepped off the plane in Washington when Merrick called.

Sober and in no mood to talk, Pierce handed the phone to Ash.

“We just landed, sir. Pierce, ah…he’s gone to take a piss and have a smoke.”

“How is he? Not too beat up, I hope.”

Pierce caught Ash giving him a sideways glance. “He’s a tough sonofabitch, but then you already know that.”

“Tell him he did a damn fine job. Tell him we got it all, everything Petrov had in his database. There was invaluable information on the Chameleon. It’ll put us back on his ass. I’d like to see both of you in my office in the morning to talk about it.”

“I’ll tell him.”

“By the way. Nice work on bringing Nescosto Priyatna down. It’s good to see you haven’t lost your talent. Welcome back, Kelly.”

T
hree days later Casmir flew into Prague. As she descended from the plane she saw two cars waiting for them. Pasha had been kind enough to buy her clothes to wear. It wasn’t her usual style—Pasha had none—but she was grateful nonetheless.

She stepped off the plane, and the two cars were a short distance away. Polax was standing next to one of them. She was in no mood to speak to him. He’d lied to her time and again about the mission, and she wasn’t ready to forgive him.

He was smiling. She had expected that, but not the embrace he gave her as he greeted her.

“It’s good to see you. Very good.”

She winced when he gave her a squeeze, and he released her quickly. “Sorry, I just… Well, you did a fine job for us. I wanted you to know that.”

“Where’s Mama?”

“She’s here.” He motioned to the other car sitting on the tarmac. “She’s fine. Anxious to see you.”

“You brought her here?” Casmir frowned. “But I haven’t had time to prepare what I’m going to say to her. I need to think up a—”

“Don’t worry. I’ve handled it. Come on. I’ll walk with you.”

As they began to walk toward the car she expected him to fill her in on how he’d handled it. But he never said another word. He was acting strange, she thought. Too kind. And what was that hug all about?

He stopped ten feet short of the car and turned to her once more. “It really is good to have you back. You’ll be on sabbatical for a while. We’ll talk about the particulars later.”

Another hug, this one with a bit more care, but longer. Then he kissed her cheek before heading off to join Pasha and Nicky.

“Wait a minute.”

He turned. “I’ve got to get back to the office. I’ll call you.”

The black-tinted window on the second car slid down. Inside she saw her mother’s face. She looked beautiful, as always. She noticed her hair was perfect, noticed she wasn’t smiling.

She should be smiling, Casmir thought. Why wasn’t she happy to see her?

She suddenly knew the answer. Polax had told Mama. He’d told her about Quest. He’d told her the truth about who she was and who she worked for.

Damn him, Cass thought. If she could move faster than a snail in a wind storm, she’d catch up to him and plant her foot in his flat ass.

She looked down at her shoes. Pasha had picked out a pair of conservative flats in an ugly brown to match the drab brown suit. They didn’t even have pointed toes. Little damage they would do.

Everything was going to hell in a hurry.

What to say? How to begin?

Casmir raised her chin and smiled at her mother. “Hi, Mama. You’re looking well.”

“You, on the other hand, look terrible. Get in the car.”

It wasn’t until Casmir got in the limo that she saw her grandmother seated across from Ruza.

This was just going from bad to worse, she thought. To explain the past five years to her mother would be bad enough, but with Grandma Dora in the wings…

She should have stayed in Italy. She would have lived longer.

“Hi, Grandma.” She turned and kissed her mother’s cheek, but when she attempted to lean forward to offer the same to her grandmother, a pain shot through her chest and she inhaled sharply.

“I’ll come to you, dear.” IsaDora slid forward and kissed Casmir’s cheek. Then, with her bone-handled cane, she rapped on the inside window and it buzzed down halfway.

“Charles Bridge, Miles. Take your time. We have plenty to talk about.” Her eyes back on Casmir, she smiled. “Now then, I—”

“Mother, I want to go first,” Ruza said.

“No, I think I should go first. After all, I’m the one to blame. I started this before you were born.”

“Started what?” Casmir looked from her mother to her grandmother. She had expected them to be angry, rifling questions at her right and left. But they looked more nervous than she did.

IsaDora looked at her watch. “I should go first. I have a meeting in an hour.”

“I should know better than to think I can ever win a round with you,” Ruza conceded.

IsaDora grinned. “Now then, dear. Before you say anything, let me explain.”

An hour later, when Miles dropped her grandmother off at Quest Headquarters and she slowly walked up the steps to the Vy
ehrad, Casmir looked on, completely speechless.

Her grandmother worked for Quest. No, her grandmother
was
Quest. She had created the agency. She turned back to her mother. Ruza hadn’t said a word for the past hour as the car had slowly cruised the city while IsaDora gave her a history lesson on Quest, and her years as a spy.

Grandma Dora a spy? And Polax…he was her uncle?

It was then she realized that Yurii had known the truth about her. He’d said,
You are loyal to your family, as I am loyal to mine. You have no choice. It’s in your blood.

And if he knew the truth, so did Pierce. She would bet her favorite panties that he knew from the beginning every detail of who, what and why.

“I suppose it’s my turn.”

Casmir slipped across the seat so she could look straight at her mother. She said, “You and Grandma Dora have known what I do all along and you let me continue to deceive you. Do you know how hard it’s been to keep this lie going?”

“I imagine about as hard as it was for me.”

“But I was the one who—”

“Cassie, your grandmother didn’t tell you everything. I need to share something with you, too. Remember when I said I met your father on the stage? That he was also an actor?”

“Yes.”

“Well, he was a spy like me. Like all of us. While I worked for Quest, he was working for British Intelligence.”

Casmir sat frozen for a moment. “You work for Quest, too? You!”

“Don’t be angry, Cassie.”

“Angry is when you lose your favorite shoes, Mama. I’m past angry. I’m furious.”

“Let me explain.”

“Yes, I think you should.”

“It was only for a short time. A few years before you were born, and then a few years after. I’ve been retired for some time, but—”

“You lied to me all these years?”

“I wanted to tell you. I started to so many times.”

Casmir stared out the window. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

“Don’t be furious with me, darling. I wasn’t happy at all when Lev went behind my back and recruited you into Quest. I was determined that you wouldn’t follow in the family business. But Lev insisted that you had what it took to be a spy. I suppose he was right. You’ve proven that to all of us over the years.”

Casmir looked back. “Our lives have all been a lie, Mama.”

“No. Our lives have been about loyalty, and not hurting the ones we love. I forgave Lev a few years ago for recruiting you. I forgave him again yesterday for putting you in a very dangerous position. I forgave him because it has brought us here. Together, sharing the truth. We will be stronger for this.”

“My mother the spy.”

“My daughter the superspy. Lev told me how you saved Pierce Fourtier’s life. I’m very proud of you.”

“I’m going away for a while,” Casmir said. “I’m on sabbatical.”

“Lev mentioned that you could use a vacation. A real one.”

“A remote island sounds nice.”

Ruza patted Casmir’s hand. “Not too remote. It appears you need to do a bit of shopping. Moroccan brown looks dreadful on you, Cassie. And those shoes have got to go.”

Casmir laughed, then winced. “Ouch. I love you, Mama.”

“I love you, too, Cassie. I was terrified for you when I learned what part you were expected to play on this mission. Saber had to restrain me from taking Lev’s head off.”

“Saber?” Casmir arched an eyebrow.

“Don’t give me that look.”

“What look?”

“That look. He’s just a friend.”

“I’ve seen the way he looks at you, and I’ve seen the way you look at him.”

“For so long all I have ever wanted was to enjoy the memory of your father. Jacko was a wonderful man. He was smart and exciting and… Well, when you get back, we’ll sit down and I’ll tell you about your father. How we met and how he died. But right now you need some time.”

Time. Would time heal the hole she felt deep inside? Casmir wasn’t sure. “I have things to tell you, too.”

Casmir realized she was again stroking the ring on her finger.

“A spy’s life isn’t easy, Cassie. The good ones aren’t cold-feeling machines. And the criminals we encounter are human, too. They were born with hopes and dreams the same as us. There is strength in understanding. Give yourself permission to mourn your loss, and over time it will heal your sorrow.”

“He wasn’t all bad, Mama.”

“They never are, darling. When you’re ready, I’ll listen.”

“Thank you, Mama.”

“You’re welcome.” Ruza smiled. “Then it’s settled. We’ll take a trip, just the two of us, when you get back and I return from my cruise. We’ll talk and laugh, and…shop.”

“You’re taking a cruise? By yourself?”

“Saber is going to meet me in Florida.”

“You’re taking a cruise with Lazie?”

Ruza blushed. “He’s been a good friend to me. He has a son he hasn’t seen in years. He lives in Santo Domingo. I’ve convinced him they should reconnect. Call me and let me know where you are?”

“I’ll call.”

Casmir flew to Crete. Polax had told her to take all the time she needed. Someplace warm to recuperate.

She’d made peace with Uncle Lev. She still had a hard time seeing him as anything but her boss, but she understood things better now. Why he’d always been more indulgent with her moods and her tendency to speak her mind. Why he had wanted Pierce Fourtier to partner her.

I wanted one of the best in the business on our side. I wanted you safe and…I’m just damn glad it all worked out.

Pierce. She hadn’t heard from him, but she hadn’t expected to. It was back to business as usual for him, as it would be for her eventually. They’d shared a moment. A taste of something beautiful. Life was funny that way. Sometimes all you got was a taste. Enough to keep you going. A little hope until next time.

The Hotel Orion in Matala was modest but secluded. She would spend a few weeks here doing nothing. Regain her strength, and heal her scars.

And she would heal. After all, she had Ruza and IsaDora’s blood running through her veins.

Her hotel room was a pastel green, with a balcony overlooking the sand caves and pale cliffs that made the area so breathtaking. She slipped into a routine after two days—languished on the beach by day, and dined on Greek fare in the open dining room in the evening.

There were plenty of men who engaged her in conversation. One persistent tycoon who had a silver tongue sought her out on the fourth day. Dinner and dancing, a smiling face. The distraction was amusing at best.

She wondered who he was. The real man beneath the dark tan and too much gold jewelry. Did he have a secret? Was he here to play, or to forget? Or was he just a rich fool with too much ego and poor taste in cologne?

Whatever his agenda was, she had her own. She was here to get back on track, and to do that she’d taken Mama’s advice. She’d given herself permission to mourn Yurii. To come to terms with her part in his death and to celebrate the private man beneath his caustic reputation.

On the eighth day she decided to avoid the tycoon. He had become a constant shadow, and she knew what he was after. She had no wish to engage in an island affair with a Latin lover.

She made arrangements to leave Crete early the next morning. Enjoyed the day on her balcony, and by late afternoon she had decided to take a walk on the beach.

She ditched her shadow, easy enough to do when you were a spy. Some things just came naturally.

The warm breeze felt good on her face, and it played with the colorful green sarong she’d tied around her waist.

She arrived back in the hotel lobby just before dinner and spotted the tycoon at the lobby bar. She stepped into an alcove, then up the back stairs to her room. She slipped inside, noting a heady aroma as she locked the door behind her. She turned and promptly froze when she saw flowers everywhere.

Don’t be cheap. I want two dozen orchids at my funeral. Promise me.

On weak legs she walked to each vase, searching for a card. There were orchids in every bouquet, but there were also roses in every color imaginable, from yellow to red, peach and pink.

But no card.

She sat down on the bed overwhelmed.

One thing you should know about me is that I say what I mean. There’s no bullshit.

She laid back on the bed and revisited the first day she’d met Pierce in Austria, then the day he’d fought Parnel in the bowels of the Glitterbug, the night he’d planted the tracker in her neck. The morning after.

She glanced at the vase of flowers on the night stand and suddenly noticed a small white envelope tucked in between three pink roses. Sitting up, she reached for it and ripped it open.

Another perfect day for a stroll.
Oui,
the scenery here is outstanding,
amant
.

He was here. Pierce was in the hotel.

Cass was on her feet in an instant. She showered quickly, then went through her clothes, this time selecting something with more care than she’d done in days—a soft white silk shift and a sexy pair of strapped sandals.