Agent with a History (21 page)

“You’re going to kill me now aren’t you?” My
father asked, his eyes trained on the mamba’s bobbing head.

“No, I’m not. You deserve to be killed, but
I’m not going to dirty my hands and do you the favor of putting you
out of your misery. Instead I’m going to let you have what you’ve
always wanted.”

I gestured with my other hand to the open
hallway behind him, “The way lies before you. Go spend as much
time, with what’s left of the treasure, as you want to. A treasure,
which you’ve used up most of your life trying to find.”

He glanced back at the way he had come from
and I could see that returning to the treasure held no fascination
for him now. “I need a doctor!” He said in the most placating tone
that I’d ever heard usher forth from him before. One could even say
it sounded like he was begging.

“You need far more than just a doctor, but
you’ll have to be content with the treasure instead. Contentment is
a virtue that you should have taken the time to learn father. If
you had, you might even now still be enjoying your millions of
dollars and the constantly revolving line of new female
acquisitions.

Thankfully for all the innocent lives you
would have crushed you’re not, instead your here, now enjoy
it!”

I stooped down and Za’esha slithered onto the
floor and I was relieved to feel her gone. Snakes weren’t my thing,
but I was now more grateful than ever that the Candace had insisted
on her snake lessons as well. Something in the necklace stones
helped to docile the snake’s fickle attitudes, but it by no means
made the handler any less susceptible from receiving a bite if not
careful. I straightened back up.

“If you get tired of your treasure father,
you may ask Za’esha for permission to leave.”

I turned and made my way swiftly down the way
Flint and Marshawn had gone.

Iya made as if to follow his daughter, but
quickly backed away as Za’esha lashed out threateningly. Iya
slumped down to the floor, with his back against the wall, as he
felt his heart fail within him. He could only wait now and when he
got tired of waiting the answer to his solution lay coiled up on
the floor cutting off his only escape.

He shook his head regretfully; everything had
been such a waste. No pleasure he had ever experienced in life
could take away the sting of the knowledge of what came next. He
had no more time to figure it out.

Za’esha watched the invader of her mistress’s
domain hatefully and waited. She had nothing but time.

I saw them up ahead and I ran to catch up.
They were stopped in front of a stone slab that blocked off the
hall. I saw Flint turn his lead and when he saw me running toward
him I saw such a look of relief come over his face that I felt warm
and gooey all over again. I rushed up to him, checking his face

“Are you ok? I saw blood, are you still
bleeding?”

“I’ll be okay Lisa, but let’s get out of
here.”

I glanced nervously from one to the other.
“Neither of you are going to like this next part. I don’t much care
for it myself. This necklace will protect you, but you have to be
touching me.”

Flint and Marshawn glanced at each other and
then in unison asked, “Protect, from what?”

I turned back to the stone slab, “Put one of
your hands on my shoulders and whatever you do, do not let go!”

After a moment of hesitation both men put a
free hand on my bare shoulders and I pushed the stone pads of the
slab before me and it slid to the side.

“Oh hell!” Flint exclaimed.

Marshawn echoed pretty much the same only it
was in French.

“Don’t let go!” I reiterated.

Both hands gripped down on my shoulders
painfully, but I didn’t blame them, as we stepped out into the
cave. It was a snake cave.

Snakes came down here to get away from the
heat of the day. There were all kinds and lots of them were
poisonous, but they slithered out of the way and after about a
hundred feet we stepped out into the daylight.

I turned around and saw sweat rolling off
both men and I couldn’t help but tease them slightly, in repayment
for the bruises that were already beginning to form on my
shoulders, from their death grips on me, “Now that wasn’t too scary
was it?”

They looked back at the nondescript hole in
the ground we had just crawled out of and both of them shuddered
and I laughed, before starting out into the scrub brush.

We rounded a clump of shrubs and there sat
the chopper. Flint shook his head grinning and awkwardly attempted
to give me a half bow, as he leaned against Marshawn.

“Might I ask why we didn’t just take the
shortcut earlier today?”

I tapped the necklace, “Wouldn’t have gotten
far in that cave without this.”

“Hey I could have brought along a flame
thrower, if I had known the job called for one.”

I rolled my eyes and headed for the chopper.
Marshawn helped Flint into the chopper.

“You’re sure you can fly this with the way
you’re shot up?” I asked doubtfully.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine.”

“Perhaps a better way of putting it would be,
‘Should you be flying?’”

“Just get in and buckle up would you Lisa!”
He responded testily and I gave up on my cautionary safety
measures.

I turned to Marshawn and did something I had
never done with any of my fellow siblings before. I hugged him hard
and after a moment he returned it.

Drawing back I brushed the tears from off my
face, “Thank you so much! We couldn’t have done this without
you!”

He looked at me, his eyes curious, “What made
you trust me?”

I reached up and touched his face, “I’ve
known that you were different ever since that day they beat me up
and tied me to the dock post and were going to leave me there to
drown in the evening tide. You came back and cut me free. Why did
you do that Marshawn? I’ve always wondered?”

He shrugged, “Your mother was very kind to my
mother, when she needed someone the most. She was also kind to me,
after father sold my mother to some whore house in Asia. I thought
I’d repay the favor.”

I nodded. “What are you going to do now
Marshawn?”

His face brightened up, “I have a business in
France. Father doesn’t know anything about it.”

Now that was a surprise. “What do you
do?”

A little embarrassed he said, “I make
boats.”

I smiled, “You always were whittling out
small boats and sailing them out to sea. I’m happy for you! Now
whether you like it or not I’m going to give you some big sister
advice. Keep your business legal and be fair in your business
dealings. Find a nice girl and make sure she’s the right one and
then settle down and enjoy the rest of your life. And above all
don’t forget about God in the process of living!”

He grinned, “Yes my queen.”

“See that you do it!” I finished firmly
before smiling. I took my golden earrings out and pressed them into
his hand. “These should get you to France and knowing how smart you
are I bet you have a nest egg or two to pave the rest of your way
in life.”

His grin was answer enough to that too. I
turned to the chopper.

“Lisa”

I looked back.

“You go enjoy your life now too!”

I smiled wide, “I plan on it little
brother!”

I got in and met Flint’s gaze, “Ready?” he
asked.

I settled into the seat, “Take me away from
all this Flint!”

He nodded and fired up the chopper and
excitement began to build, as we began to leave everything old
behind.

I spent the night curled up on a hospital bed
beside a protesting Flint. Despite every test the doctors could run
all the results returned a positive verdict, Flint was one healthy
animal, didn’t even have an infection.

The nurses practically had to tie him to the
bed and he only relented, when I promised not to leave his side. It
was very obvious that Flint held no love for doctors or hospitals.
I wasn’t exactly sure which he hated more, but I sensed a story
there somewhere that I would have to pry out of him someday. Heck,
I didn’t even know his real name yet.

The next morning Flint was discharged or
better put, expelled, from the hospital in Cairo. Two false IDs saw
us onto a plane and I was in Vienna before I knew it. Flint took
care of everything and I just enjoyed the experience. He took me
shopping and completely spoiled me rotten. He spent money faster
than even my father could and I could only assume that he had
plenty of it; by the way he went through it. It didn’t matter
really.

I was with him and that was all I cared
about. That evening, after my shopping spree, our taxi dropped us
off at one of those ultra swanky hotels, where the doormen wear
more brass than a five star general. Flint led me commandingly into
the lobby and I couldn’t but be impressed with the stated opulence
of the old world finery about me. Flint didn’t even bother to stop
at the check in desk to give them a passport or anything.

He must be a regular here, if the way every
hired person was differentially nodding and smiling at him was any
clue. Just who was Flint? The elevator doors opened up and a man
stepped out and instantly smiled, as he saw Flint, “Good to see you
James!”

Flint returned the smile and said something
that I missed out on, as I was too caught up in the ‘James’ part.
James what?

The possibility had me cringing. After the
gilded elevator doors slid shut he turned from the buttons to eye
me speculatively.

We were alone on the elevator and I burst out
with my question, “James what?”

“James Kilroy.”

It was the same name that he had used in
Barcelona.

“You can relax now Lisa. I’m not an
international secret agent playboy.”

James Kilroy. I liked it, it suited him, but
in a way he would always be Flint to me.

“That’s your real name?” I asked
skeptically.

He smiled and held out one hand level and the
other hand up, “I so swear.”

I rolled my eyes and glanced at the elevator
floor numbers. We were almost to the top. I glanced nervously at
him.

A hotel like this, the upper floors, surely
they must be pent house suites? Could he really afford all this
legitimately?

“Lisa?”

I glanced at him, from where he was studying
me, as he leaned against the red velvet lining of the side of the
elevator.

“I own this hotel and several others like
it.”

My mouth fell open just as we reached the top
floor and the doors opened. Yeah, it was a pent house alright!

Flint, I mean James, practically had to push
me out of the elevator, into the lavishly appointed space. The
doors shut and James locked something to do with the elevator
doors. I spun slightly to regard him behind me.

He smiled charmingly, “Now we won’t be
bothered by anyone. This floor is locked off for the evening.”

Nervous and anxious weren’t enough to
describe how I felt right now. I wasn’t sure I was ready for what
came next. I thought I had been, but now I wasn’t so sure.

James went to a table and pulled out a chair
to face me and sat down. The intensity of his gaze on me had me
blushing.

“I think I’ve waited long enough, take your
clothes off Lisa. All of them.”

“I…..” I stammered as I didn’t know what to
say, this wasn’t happening like I had planned.

He was the man I wanted, but I …… this wasn’t
right. I found my voice, “A very wise old woman once told me that a
girl should have a ring before…….. before this.” I finished lamely,
shifting from one high heeled foot to the other, as I indicated the
two of us in a nervous gesture.

“But Lisa, you do have a ring. Actually you
have two rings.” He said softly.

I glanced down at the beautiful rings on my
finger. “Yes, but these aren’t for real?” I said.

“Aren’t they?” he asked, while gazing
intently at me.

I looked at the rings again; I slipped them
off and looked for an inscription. It was there, “Yours truly
forever, James Kilroy.” I looked up my eyes moist, “That’s sweet,
but it still doesn’t make us married.”

“Perhaps not, but this does.”

He pulled a folded up paper out of a coat
pocket and held it out to me. I stepped closer. What could he
possibly have? His eyes were twinkling as I took the paper and
opened it up.

To my shock it was a marriage license
certificate and my name was signed in indelible blue ink at the
bottom of the page right next to James Kilroy. “You forged my
signature?” I asked incredulously.

“Now that would be illegal.” He said with a
wink.

“You’re saying that I signed this?”

“As a matter of fact you did.”

“When? I never… “ I stopped. “Your yappy old
friend in Barcelona! You slipped this one in with all those papers!
You tricked me!”

“Guilty.”

He slid his chair back as he knelt to the
floor painfully before me and took my hand. “Lisa Taranto would you
please do me the honor of becoming my wife and put me out of the
misery of a life spent without you by my side.”

There was no joking in his eyes and what
could I say but “Yes!” and kiss him.

Kissing him reminded me of everything there
was between us and my nervousness went away. I helped him to his
feet and then I pressed up against him and folded my hands around
the back of his neck, as his big hands closed in on my waist and
slipped around to grip my rear.

I was still slightly miffed about the way
he’d tricked me so I decided a little more teasing was in order.
“You know I’m not quite sure we’re married yet!” I said cocking my
head to the side looking serious.

“After all we’ve said no vows.” I added.

He spilled out the whole marriage vow mantra
in fast forward, as If he knew it by heart. “Say I do.”