Undercover Nightingale (16 page)

“About Grant.”

Stillman sat back in his chair. “Yes, what about her?”

“She was shot while I was trying to escape with her from Ballvaro.”

“Did you get a chance to talk to her and find out why she did it? I still can’t believe she turned traitor on us.”

“She didn’t. I know Chanler’s convinced that’s what she is, and you, too. But the truth is she was captured and brainwashed. She wasn’t herself when she stole that disk. She had no idea she’d even done it until I told her. She helped me recover the data to prove herself to you.”

“And you believe her motives were pure?”

“I wouldn’t have gotten the disk back without her help. She went through hell.”

Stillman stood and turned his back. He rubbed his neck, considered what he’d heard.

Ash waited for some sign, some kind of appreciation. Loyalty. Admiration. What he got left him cold.

“It’s just as well that she’s dead. I could never bring her back to the SDECE. It would have been a messy ordeal. Chanler, I can explain. I’ve figured out how to bring him back, but Grant… No, she’ll be missed, but it’s better this way.”

Ash did all he could do to stay seated. “It’s all about you, isn’t it? It would be too messy for you.”

Stillman spun around. “Have you been in contact with Merrick?”

“No, not yet. But I will be shortly. As far as this goes, I don’t need anyone to draw me a picture. There are some things that a man can figure out for himself. It was your negligence that put Jaz Grant back in the hands of the enemy. If you want someone to blame for this, look in the mirror.”

“She was my best agent. I needed her back in the field. I took a gamble and I lost. You’re sure she’s dead?”

“Yes. I want her record clean. I don’t want one blemish on it.”

“Of course. With her dead, there is no reason anyone should know about this.”

“I thought you’d see it my way.” Ash stood.

“Where are you going?”

“Back to Onyxx. I did what you asked. And I figure since I know more than I should, you’d prefer to have me as far away from here as possible.”

“Are you blackmailing me?”

“I cleaned up your dirty business, Stillman. You owe me my freedom. I’ll take it now, or I’ll see you on the street with a broom.”

Stillman sat back down. “The disk is back, and Grant’s dead.”

“And you’re off the hook.”

Stillman narrowed his eyes. “I’m a good commander. I made one mistake.”

“And it cost you the best agent you ever had. If she would have lived, what would you have done to her?”

“You know what happens to traitors in this business, Kelly. Whether she was willing or not, she could never be trusted again. I would have liked to have seen her one last time. But you answered a few of my questions, and I’ll have to live with what I’ll never know. She really was a good agent.”

“Yes, she was.”

Ash called Merrick from Paris. He had a lot to tell him and most of it was good news.

“This is Merrick.”

“It’s Ash.”

“Is it over?”

“Just about. I’ve got some things to tell you, and I wanted you to know as soon as possible.”

“Know what?”

Ash told Merrick how it had gone down at Ballvaro. He filled in the holes about the escape, and went over his meeting with Stillman. “He’s letting me go. I’m back at Onyxx again if you want me.”

“Damn right I want you.”

“I have some good news for you.”

“I can always use good news.”

“Cyrus is the Chameleon and he’s still in the Greek Isles. Start looking at the islands that are about four hours away from Athens by boat.”

Silence.

“Merrick?”

A quieter Adolf Merrick said, “Good work, Ash. Damn good work. What about Filip Petrov?”

“Sly should have picked him up by now. After he delivered Chanler to Stillman, I asked him to return to Budapest and pick up Petrov. He’s headed back to Washington.”

“I have a piece of good news for you, too. Stillman was bluffing about knowing where your family is. They’re still safe.”

“Thanks, Merrick. I’ll see you soon.”

“H
ow are you feeling today,
señorita?
How is your arm?”

Jaz turned to see Naldo standing on the grand balcony of the home he shared with the Toriago family south of Girona, Spain. It had been a week since Ash’s cousin had brought her home with him.

She was lucky to be alive, and Ash Kelly was responsible for that. He’d plucked her out of midair like a guardian angel after she’d been shot. The wound wasn’t serious, but it had caught her by surprise and she’d made an almost fatal mistake.

“Have you heard from Ash?”

“No. But don’t worry. He will call when he finds a safe place for you.”

“Call?”

“
Sì
.”

“Will he come for me then?”

“No. I will take you there.”

When he finds a safe place for you
.

“Do you know if he returned the data to the SDECE?”

“I know that was his plan.”

She touched her cheeks where the tracker and a sonar chip had been removed the same day she had arrived in Girona. The surgeon had done a good job. Naldo had explained that the man doing the surgery was someone the Toriago family trusted.

She knew she should be grateful to Ash for what he’d done for her—what he was now doing—finding a safe place for her. And she was; she just couldn’t help feeling a little angry about how they had parted company. The minute the helicopter had landed after their escape, he’d leapt out, motioned for Naldo to take off again, and then he was gone without a word.

No goodbye.

No last look.

Nothing.

It was then that she realized her life as she knew it was over. She had no home, no country and no job.

She turned to look out over the
Matro
vineyard. Ash’s mother, Elnora, said it meant “God’s gift.” It was a gift all right. The villa was beautiful. It sat on a hillside overlooking acres and acres of flourishing green vineyards.

She wondered if she had ever been to Spain before, if she would ever remember her entire life from start to finish. Probably not. It was gone…and so was Ash.

She hated that part most of all. Those last few days he’d become her reason for living. Against all Bonnie’s warnings, she’d found a man she respected and could trust.

A man she could love.

Did love.

“
Señorita?
”

“Yes?”

“I said, Robena was wondering if you felt up to going shopping with her today? She’s looking for the most beautiful wedding dress in Barcelona.”

Ash’s sister was a dark-eyed beauty with a friendly smile and a curious mind. For the past week she had been asking Jaz a dozen questions a day, and they all centered around her brother. It was obvious that Robena loved and respected Ash. But then who wouldn’t love and respect him? He was the Boy Scout.

Just yesterday Robena had said, “Six years ago my
hermano
sacrificed everything for
madre
and me. Naldo, too. He is the reason we are here. The reason
madre
is happy again, and I have found the man I will marry. He is the reason we exist at all.”

“
Señorita?
”

She turned. “Tell Robena I would love to go shopping with her. I’ll get ready.”

Within the hour they were all driving to Barcelona, Naldo and Elnora in the front seat and Robena and Jaz in the back. They shopped all morning, and then ate lunch at a seaside restaurant. Naldo said he and Elnora had some vineyard business to take care of and so she and Robena continued on without them in search of “the most beautiful wedding dress in the city.”

By late afternoon, they had found the dress, and Robena had been fitted. She was getting married in less than six weeks, and she was the happiest bride-to-be Jaz had ever met. Well, perhaps the only bride-to-be she’d ever met.

Naldo and Elnora rejoined them in the late afternoon. “I thought we would have dinner at
Loret de Mara
. It is on the road home, and the sunset will be beautiful,” Naldo said.

Elnora said the resort was one of the most popular on the coast, and Jaz could see why when they arrived. It was magnificent.

“Look,” Naldo said, “A yacht show at the marina. I have always wanted a big boat. Come, let’s look.”

“After dinner,” Robena begged.

“I think it would be fun,” Jaz said.

“
Estoy cansado
, Naldo,” Robena argued, “my feet are killing me.”

Elnora suggested, “We’ll go get a table and the two of you enjoy the show, then join us when you’re finished.”

It didn’t take Naldo but a moment to agree to the idea, and he grabbed Jaz’s hand and pulled her along to find his dream boat. He spotted it ten minutes later as he headed down the dock.

“Is she not the most beautiful boat in port,
señorita?
”

Jaz nodded. “You have expensive taste, Naldo.”

“Let’s look inside. I have always wanted a party boat.”

Jaz laughed as they boarded the 90-foot dream boat. It looked wicked and fast for a yacht, and yet belowdecks it had all the comforts of home—two spacious staterooms with bathrooms in each, a living area, and a kitchen.

“Check out this shower,
señorita,
” Naldo called out to her.

Jaz was in the kitchen, and she headed down the companionway to see the master stateroom’s elegant gold and marble bathroom with an oversized shower.

Naldo left the bathroom and began to drool over the big king-size bed.

When she left the bathroom he was standing in the doorway that led back down the companionway.

She said, “We better get back to Elnora and Robena before they come looking for us.”

“I think instead you should take a nap.”

Jaz frowned. “A nap?”

He stepped backwards, and before she realized what he was about to do, he pulled the door shut.

“Naldo, stop goofing around.” She walked to the door, but before she reached it she heard a loud click—he’d locked her inside.

“Naldo!” She grabbed the knob and tried to open the door. “Naldo! This isn’t funny.”

“I’m sorry,
señorita
. I was serious about the nap. An hour should be about right.”

“Naldo, open this door!”

In a matter of minutes she heard the yacht’s twin engines start up. She raced to the window and looked out. The yacht was leaving port. She tried to open one of the windows, but they were all locked.

Then she remembered what Naldo had told her earlier that morning.
He’ll call when he finds a safe place for you. I’ll take you there.

Jaz could only come up with one good reason why Naldo had locked her below deck. Wherever he was taking her, she wasn’t going to like it.

She paced the stateroom, considering a location that could be reached by boat that would take an hour from Barcelona. She was close to France. Maybe Stillman had decided to meet her. Or perhaps she was going to be dumped off on a remote island.

It was over an hour when the engines shut down and the yacht docked. Jaz peered out the window and saw that Naldo had pulled the boat into a small port on a beautiful sandy island.

Island…

The Balearic Islands were southeast of Barcelona.

Is that where they were?

She heard him unlock the door. But he didn’t come in. That was smart of him because right now if she had a gun she would take his head off.

She opened the door and stepped out into the companionway. A quick search told her that he was back up on deck. She climbed the stairs and stepped into the warm sunlight and looked around. The island was a beachcomber’s paradise, and the water was as clear and blue as the sky.

“This is just a stopping-off place,
señorita
.”

She turned. “Where are we?”

“Formentera. It is beautiful, no?”

“Yes, it is.”

He angled his head. “You are angry with me.”

“I’m angry, but not at you.”

“My
primo?
”

“Yes, your cousin. I wanted to see him one more time, but I guess that was more important to me than to him. When you see him, you can tell him that—”

“Why don’t you tell me yourself?”

The sound of his voice sent Jaz’s heart racing. She turned slowly and there he was, standing on the docks wearing jeans and a white shirt, with half the buttons open.

He looked good. So good she almost forgot that she was angry.

“Naldo.”

“
Sì, primo
.”

“How does she handle?”

Naldo looked back at the yacht. “She’s a beautiful party boat.”

Ash laughed. “She’s yours. A little gift for your help this past week.”

Naldo sobered. “You’re serious,
primo
?”

“I appreciate what you did in Budapest for us.” He glanced at Jaz, then back at his cousin. “Tell Robena I’ll be back for the wedding. I’ll see you in five weeks.”

Jaz was about to get off the boat when Naldo took hold of her hand. Turning her to face him, he whispered, “It’s been a wild ride,
señorita
. Good luck, and don’t be too angry with him.”

He kissed her cheek, and then Jaz stepped off the boat and Naldo disappeared into the cockpit. Seconds later he was on his way back to Girona.

She looked different. Not back to the old Jaz in Stillman’s profile, but he could see that the cheek implants were gone, and she was no longer wearing green contacts.

Still, it was Jaz, the woman he’d been unable to forget from the moment he’d put her in the helicopter with Naldo and walked away.

“You had something you wanted to tell me?” he reminded.

“Where have you been?”

“To Paris to see Stillman, then to Washington.”

“The SDECE has the data back?”

“They do.”

“And me? What did Stillman say about me?”

Ash didn’t want to have this conversation on the dock. He said, “Can we talk somewhere else?” He pointed to another yacht. “Let’s talk on my boat.”

“Your boat?” She turned around and saw a well-seasoned boat docked in the harbor. It wasn’t as fancy as the one he’d bought for Naldo, but it was almost as big.

He headed down the dock with her walking a few steps behind him. Once they were on board, he gestured to a seat in the cockpit.

When she didn’t sit, he said, “You can’t go back to the SDECE.”

“Stillman wants me dead, so you came to finish the job?”

Ash rubbed his jaw, considered how he should tell her. He decided to just say it. “I told him you didn’t make it. That you died at Ballvaro recovering his disk.”

“Why?”

“It was the only way for you to have a future, Jaz. It’s better this way.”

“Better for whom? Am I supposed to wait tables on this island for the rest of my life?”

“That would be a waste.”

She turned away from him and looked out over the water. “Thanks for delivering the bad news in person.”

“I wanted to see you.”

She looked at him. “Well, now you have. You better get going.”

She started out of the cockpit, but Ash grabbed her arm and stopped her. “We’re not finished.”

“More bad news.”

“I don’t think it is. I guess that all depends. You have a meeting with Adolf Merrick from Onyxx in a week in the Canary Islands.”

“Are you working for Onyxx again?”

“Yes.”

“What’s the meeting about?”

“He’s bringing a doctor with him. A specialist from Onyxx to examine you.”

“How dare you hand me over like some freak experiment that’s gone bad?”

“That’s not what I’m doing. You’ve been inside one of the Chameleon’s hideouts. You can provide information that might help us capture him. And I know you’d like that. After all, he put you through hell.”

“What’s the catch?”

“No catch. I told Merrick about your experience. He’d like to discuss a job offer. Of course you wouldn’t be expected to jump right back on the horse. You’ll need to work with the doctor for a while. You proved at Ballvaro that you’re an excellent field operative, but Merrick thinks you might like teaching what you know. I told him I had trouble keeping up with you.”

“You told him that?”

“Anyway, he thinks you’d be an asset to the training program at Onyxx.”

Ash waited for her to say something, but when she turned away he was afraid she was going to turn it all down. If she said no to Onyxx, then she would sure as hell say no to his next idea.

And then what would he do?

She was looking out over the water again. Finally, she said, “Thank you. You said you would fix this, and you have. I’m grateful.”

“How grateful?”

She turned around. “Very grateful.”

“Grateful enough to move to Washington?”

“Is that where you live?”

“When I’m not working.”

“So we would…see each other.”

“My apartment isn’t that big. I’ve never gotten lost in it once. Of course we could get something bigger if you want. The
señorita
finally smiles, and what a smile it is.”

“You want me to move in with you?”

“I gave you a piece of advice in Budapest, then realized that I should be taking it myself. We should be with the person that makes us happy. Trust them, help them, and wake up next to them every day. I want that to be you, Jaz. Now if you don’t feel the same—”

“Look in my eyes and tell me what you see.”

Ash walked toward her and slowly wrapped his arms around her. Looking into her eyes, he said, “You care about me.”

“Try again.”

He drew in a deep breath, then let it out slowly. “You love me.”

“He really can read eyes.”

Ash tightened his hold on her and whispered, “You won’t regret it.”

She leaned back and cupped his face. “And you won’t regret loving me. You do, don’t you?”

“With every part of me.”

She was smiling again. “Speaking of that. Naldo suggested I take a nap on the ride over here, but I never got around to it. Is there a bed belowdecks?”