Undercover (23 page)

Alex caught the bag and hesitated for just a second before tossing it back. “No. This belongs to a part to me she has never seen and will never see.”

The other man laughed again. Maybe he had been tested and somehow managed to pass. “You really have changed, Alexei. So serious. I wish you the best of luck. Take care in this venture, and may you live a long and happy life. Don’t come back here.”

His relief when the mansion disappeared in the rear view mirror was almost tangible. He wanted to call Jenny and tell her he made it, but it probably wasn’t a good idea.

He still stopped a few miles down the road, overwhelmed by a sudden need for fresh air. He leaned against the car, squeezed his eyes shut, and wished all this was over. He wanted to go home, wanted to hold his daughter.

Getting back in the car held no appeal. He didn’t want to be on the road, or even in the country. There was no other choice, of course, and he eventually continued on towards Milan, driving carefully now, hoping he wouldn’t be caught drunk driving with illegal weapons in a stolen car. Not even he would be able to talk himself out of a thing like that, and being taken into custody with a threat hanging over Jenny’s head was out of the question.

He left the Ferrari on a street near the one where he took it, hoping it would find its way back to its owner.

Taking a walk back to the hotel made him feel a little better, and when he stood outside the door to the room, he took a couple of deep breaths and closed his eyes. He didn’t want Jenny to know anything more than absolutely necessary about his little adventure, and he definitely didn’t want her to know how worried he really was. When he opened the door, he had himself under full control, and the smile on his face when he saw his wife waking up was real. “You look like a troll again. It’s cute.”

He locked the door, closed the gap to her with a couple of long steps, and swept her up. “I am so happy to be back here.”

“I’m happy to have you back here. What happened?”

He pulled her over to an armchair and down on his lap. “He didn’t know anything of interest, but I got my weapons. He offered me drugs and women, and was very surprised when I declined. Funny, it all seems very far away now.”

Her voice was still drowsy. “Were you tempted?”

“For a second. I’m very happy to have left that life behind me.”

That night, Alex lay looking up at the ceiling for a long time, wishing for a drink. Jenny lay sleeping in his arms, her warm breath flowing over his shoulder, and he tried not to squirm. He didn’t want to wake her up, but he suffered a well known itch that couldn’t be scratched, and he wasn’t sure if it was in his mind or in his body.

One drink wouldn’t be enough. He wanted enough to enter oblivion, and once the hangover was gone, his problem would be washed away too. It wasn’t the best of plans, he would be the first to acknowledge
that
, but it was the only one he had, and it had served him well during the years since he met Jenny. This, however, was neither the time nor the place. Her life might depend on him having a clear head.

Turning his back on Pavel was the right decision, and he wanted to think he wasn’t tempted to stay. He was grateful to be in the hotel, to feel Jenny’s body pressed against his, and to hear and feel her steady breathing. A part of him still saw another reality. A reality where he went further into the house.

He slapped his hand against his head hard enough to hurt, trying to force the memories that blurred with the present away. It was a nightmare, not a fantasy, and he wondered if he was sane. He did not want any of those things; he loathed them and resented himself for doing it in the past. So why couldn’t he stop thinking about it? There was a part deep inside of him that craved, but he didn’t know if it was physically or some sick, twisted part of his mind. Whatever it was, it liked the rush.

Maybe it was just adrenaline. Maybe he should take up skydiving. Or, maybe it was a form of addiction making itself heard every now and then. He leaned towards the latter theory; it wasn’t appealing to see himself as a junkie, but it was better than the alternative.

Glancing over at the clock on the nightstand, its red digits showed 03:03. He needed to get some sleep. Three in Italy was only nine back home, and his body probably thought it was supposed to have a pleasant evening. He rubbed his eyes and heard Jenny’s breathing change when he moved a little too much. She snuggled closer and mumbled something, sounding more asleep than awake, and he wrapped both his arms around her. The thought that he was a very lucky man crossed his mind several times each day and many times on nights like these. She saved him in ways she couldn’t even comprehend.

Jenny wriggled a little and he realized he held her too hard. He relaxed his grip, but it was too late; her eyes fluttered open. “Are you still awake? Are you okay, lover?”

He wanted to answer, “Yes, everything’s fine,” but instead, he heard his mouth say, “No.”

She lifted her head to look at him, and he raised an eyebrow, trying to appear cool. Her frown told him he wasn’t succeeding.

“I know that look. It’s Pavel, isn’t it?”

“Go back to sleep, my darling.”

She shifted her weight and her breasts pressed against his side. It was pleasant. Not enough to distract him from the endless loop running in his mind, but definitely pleasant.

“Can I do anything for you?”

He had been lost in his thoughts again. What was she asking? He had no idea, and hesitated before answering, “No.”

She made herself free from his arms. Maybe the right answer was yes, and he said something horribly wrong.

He expected her to get out of bed or something, but she started to kiss her way down his body, trailing her tongue over his skin. “What are you doing?”

His wife glanced into his eyes and answered in a sultry voice, “Nothing. Nothing interesting happening here, pay no attention to this woman.”

She was cute and wonderful, and completely crazy.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Jenny opened her eyes and saw sunlight filtering in through the curtains. Alex slept soundly next to her, and she slipped out of bed carefully, doing her best not to wake him. He looked very handsome and very vulnerable, and she wanted to kiss him. He needed his rest, and she took a shower instead. When she emerged from the bathroom, he sat up in bed, naked, with the sheets barely covering him. “Oh, a mermaid, come here.”

She went around to his side of the bed and pressed her lips against his shoulder. He laughed, grabbed her, and pulled her into bed. He was very strong, she was very stuck, and he seemed very happy with his prank. “Okay, I yield. You win.”

“Oh come now, love, you can’t surrender that easily?”

She returned his smile and thought being spread out under him, with him holding her hands over her head, wasn’t bad at all. “Oh yes, I can. You have yourself a prisoner. What are you gonna do to me?”

He leaned on one elbow and held both her hands with his free arm. “Sadly nothing. I have to take a shower.”

He was right, of course. They had important things to focus on. She was still disappointed, and would give almost anything to postpone thinking of the day ahead of them.

They had breakfast in the restaurant, but Jenny mostly poked around with her food. She longed for the day to be over. Maybe she would regret not cherishing this moment later, but she couldn’t help it; she wanted whatever would happen to be over. Alex put his hand over hers and gave it a little squeeze. “You’re nervous.”

“No.”

“Don’t lie. You make me tell the truth, so you should too. And don’t worry, my sweet. We’ll soon be on our way home again. Nothing bad will happen to you, I won’t let it.”

She bent over to whisper, “I wasn’t lying. I’m not nervous. I’m terrified.”

They walked back to the room hand in hand. She stared at her husband as he put a shoulder holster on, checked that his very large gun was loaded, and slipped on a gray-blue jacket she had never seen before. He looked very handsome, and very dangerous. Was this really the same man she shared her life with every day? The same man who made love to her with never ending passion, who brought her breakfast in the mornings, and who read to their little girl in the evenings? It had to be, unless he had a double, but this version of him was all business and danger, and had none of the playful aura she was used to.

Alex finished his preparations through putting binoculars and some other little things into a bag, and looked her over, nodding with approval. “It’s perfect. You look good, but won’t stand out too much in a crowd. Do you have any money, other than what’s in your purse?”

She shook her head, confused by the question, and he pressed a number of Euro bills into her jean pocket. His smile didn’t reach his eyes. “We’re ready.”

When he headed for the door, she didn’t follow. He looked back over his shoulder and she asked quietly, “Do you know that you are very handsome?”

Her words made him smile for real, and he pulled her into his arms.” And you are the light in my life. Are you okay?”

“Yes. Let’s go.”

He nodded, but didn’t let her go at once. “Be very careful. Do exactly what I tell you to. Okay?”

*****

Outside, the sunshine dazzled her. Alex pulled out a pair of sunglasses from a pocket, and looked very different all of a sudden. He looked much more American than he ever had in the US. Did he do it on purpose? Maybe he always played a role, not even aware of doing it. She tucked her hand into his, and they walked down the street, pretending to be tourists on a morning stroll.

Alex stopped after some ten minutes and looked into a store window. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. “I want you to go in here and buy a scarf in a bright color. Use the money in your pocket and don’t open your purse. Buy a pair of glasses too if you can find a pair. There’s a high building behind us, and I’ll be waiting just inside the front door. Okay?”

It was dawned on her why he wanted her to have money in her pockets. As long as she didn’t open her bag, no one could see what was in it. Other than that, his behavior was a complete mystery to her. She still nodded obediently, and he said loudly, “Okay, sweetie, you can go shopping. I’ll see you later.”

He disappeared quickly over the street, and she had no choice except to pretend an intense interest in the store. It was very colorful and very Italian, and she came out minutes later with a clear blue scarf and a matching belt, a pair of sunglasses, and shoes to go with it all. The store’s plastic bag was very stylish and would have served her well as a fashion statement back home.

She wanted to run to him, but forced herself to stroll casually over the street. How was she supposed to get into the building? Apartment buildings all over the world had sturdy locks on the doors towards the street, and she didn’t expect it to budge just because she pressed on the handle. The lock was conveniently broken, and the heavy door swung open. Her husband waited in the shadows in the hallway, and he pulled her close and kissed her with much more passion than she expected. He seemed invigorated by the adventure. “You really think this is fun, don’t you?”

He looked quite happy. “Oh yes. Apart from the fact that it’s dangerous, it’s an adventure. Don’t you think?”

Her mouth twitched into a reluctant smile. Alex caressed her back slowly and mumbled, “See, this
is
a lot of fun, isn’t it? Come on.”

They stepped into the elevator, and he pressed the button for the top floor. When the old fashioned lift creaked to a stop, she saw several wooden apartment doors and one that looked different. It was of metal and rusty, but still looked very sturdy.

The door was locked, of course, and Alex whistled quietly as he brought something out of a pocket and tinkered with the lock. Something inside gave way and the door opened without a noise. Jenny shook her head. She must be incredibly naïve. She never heard about anyone else’s husbands behaving like this. Was it common knowledge to be able to break through locked doors just like that, or was she really married to James Bond?

A staircase led upwards, and he motioned to her to go on ahead. It became very dark as he closed the door behind them, and for a moment, her imagination painted out spiders as big as puppies sneaking up on them. Then, her eyes got used to the dusk. Sunshine found its way in a little further up, and she headed up the stairs.

The door at the top wasn’t locked, and she opened it and peeked out on the rooftop. It was much too windy and much too far up for comfort. Alex put a hand on her back and admonished gently, “Watch your step. Some roofs aren’t all that flat.”

An elevated ledge ran all around the building, but it was far too low for Jenny’s taste, and  it seemed like false security. Alex walked over to the edge and hunched down to peek through his binoculars, and she winced, convinced he would fall down. She nudged herself closer to the wall, closer to the door leading down to safety. She hoped he would turn his head and look at her, but he didn’t notice her distress. He just called out, “Ah, there it is. Come see.”

Jenny held her back pressed towards the wall. “You know, I think it’s better if I stay over here and… uh… guard the door.”

Her husband lowered the binoculars and turned around. The wind played in his hair, and she would normally be ogling him, but this time she kept her eyes fixed on the floor underneath her feet. He tilted his head a little to the side. “You’re not afraid of heights, are you?”

“Not at all. I’m afraid of falling down from them. And of the impact with the ground.” Daring to lift her eyes from the floor to meet his, she added, “Oh come on, you know I don’t even go up on our roof at home.”

He came over to take her hand. “I’m sorry. It’s just so unlike you to be afraid of anything. I’m not going to let you fall down, I promise.”

She had no choice but to follow him. She wouldn’t let him think she was a coward, or that she didn’t trust him. To her horror, he led her all the way to the edge, and she swallowed hard when she sat down. They were far up in the air.