“All right, how about a one-night stand, then? At least it’ll divert those energies.”
Jemma blushed. “Not sure I could handle one of those. It’s been a while.”
Cassidy made a face. “Like riding a bike,” she started to say, then grinned. “Literally.”
“Can we get back to the job at hand?” Cross said, a pained expression on his face. “Maybe you two can discuss boyfriends later.”
“Cool, ancient one. Carry on.”
Cross gave her a long-suffering look. “I believe it was Jemma who mentioned a plan.”
“Who else would it be?” Gunn grinned, fingers ready at his laptop.
“That’s all fine,” Bodie interrupted. “But we should get a look at the place first. Now… the tricky part. Jack’s married, with a son.”
“Yeah, but they’re separated, right?” Cassidy said. “Last I heard, Pantera was reduced to watching his kid from afar.”
Bodie lowered his head. “I believe so. His wife took out a court order. A situation that could break anyone. The op has to be handled with care, people. Clearly, Pantera isn’t the guy we used to know. I don’t want to bust in and damage him… not straight away… but I do want to find out why the hell he betrayed me. Now, we can’t go barging in there because we don’t know what may have changed. We study, and plan, and plan again. Got it?”
“As ever, boss.” Cassidy saluted.
“And Heidi?” Gunn asked.
Bodie stared at him. “What about her?”
“If she calls, I mean.”
“Fuck her,” Bodie said impulsively.
“Okay, dial it back, Guy,” Cassidy said. “But hey, I did see a bit of carnal friction between the two of you.”
“No, no,” Bodie said a little too quickly and without smiling. “I meant that we ignore her until this op is complete. I don’t like being used as a puppet, not by anyone. They want us — we want out. But for now… we’ll play along.”
“Play hard to get, you mean?”
“Yes… I mean no. Look, the CIA may employ us but they don’t own us. And they’re not gonna employ us for long. Understood?”
Cassidy grew serious. “They’ll never take their hooks out, Guy. That’s not their way.”
“Well, we have the best planner in the business,” Bodie said, nodding at Jemma. “And the rest of us aren’t bad at slipping in and out of places and going unnoticed. I think we can handle the CIA.”
A hush descended across the room. Bodie stared around. “Don’t you?”
“Let’s wait and see,” Cross said finally. “Who knows? We might get to enjoy a little relic hunting.”
Bodie shrugged and shook his head. “Whatever you say, Eli, whatever you say. Personally, I can’t see it being much more than creeping around in the dust and scratching at old rocks, but maybe I’ll be proved wrong.”
They arrived in Florida, rented an SUV, and headed south toward Kissimmee and the gated community of Shingle Creek. Bodie, a many-year resident of London, never ceased to be amazed at the size of America’s highways and the ease of driving straight roads rather than the twisting warrens of Europe, and sat back to listen to a rock music channel and let Cross drive.
“Good to be driving through the homeland again?” he asked the older man.
“Yeah, really missed the place. Homecoming is always good.”
“Of course,” Bodie said. “Being a part of this crew means you always take your family with you.”
Cross glanced over, sunlight glinting off the metallic rims of his sunglasses. “Sure, man. What is it you always say?”
“Family is a sense of belonging. It’s what I believe.”
The interstate appeared to roll on forever, eventually becoming a shimmering haze in the distance. Cross turned off at the next exit, following the sign for Kissimmee and a GPS directive toward Shingle Creek. Twenty minutes later and with Kissimmee still some miles distant, they slowed as a large, ornate stone set in the middle of a wide grassy area proclaimed their destination in delicate, swirling letters.
“Cruise by,” Bodie said unnecessarily, since Cross would be doing just that without thinking. The man was as good as they came, and Bodie’s closest confidante. Someone he could turn to when he could turn nowhere else. One day, maybe, he’d have to tell Cross that.
Cross didn’t slow but took his foot off the gas. They spotted a high wall, lots of trees, and a guard house. Cassidy pointed out the enormous double gate, which appeared mostly ornamental.
Still, nothing good ever happened easily.
“Let’s get to work,” Bodie said, “and see what Jack Pantera has to say for himself.”
CHAPTER TWO
Heidi Moneymaker flung the federal-issue Chevrolet around a tight corner, allowing the back wheels to squeal slightly. When the road straightened she stepped on the gas again, seeing a gap in traffic and exploiting it. Another quick left and right with the wheel and she was past another car and saw the next corner approach rapidly. The engine protested as she downshifted. The tachometer surged and the gas consumption readout no doubt dipped alarmingly, but time was of the essence.
Seeing her target ahead, she aimed for the single space in the on-street parking, flung the wheel, and ended up parked at an angle, the car’s ass slightly askew and protruding a good meter into the road.
Screw it. The target is more important.
She jumped out, locked the vehicle, and ran into the nearest store.
The man behind the counter shook his head at her. “Made it by the skin of your teeth again.”
Heidi flashed a smile that made her blue eyes light up. “I do believe you should have closed over a minute ago, Georgio.”
The man smiled back. “I heard you coming.”
Heidi grabbed what she called her “lifesavers”—a big cup of strong, black coffee, a bag of Skittles, and, to even it out, a bulging bag of red grapes and a healthy yogurt. This sustenance would keep her going through the long night, which she envisioned would be spent at home sorting through mounds of paperwork.
“Thanks, Georgio.” She paid for her goods. “Same time tomorrow?”
“Maybe a little earlier, eh, Heidi? Just a little.”
She acknowledged the tiny reprimand with a sheepish grin and left the store, climbed back into her car, and drove home. The DC night was chilly; a fine drizzle laced the air. Heidi thought it felt good on her face as she walked up to her apartment block and searched for her keys. On a night like this the loneliness always struck her where it hurt most, but a heart that yearned for two goals at opposite ends of a vast, sliding scale would never be happy, its desire never stilled. Law and order was her calling. The husband and child she left back home remained her passion, despite divorce and the total lack of communication from her daughter. One passion fed the other. Keep the world safe; keep them safe. Her family wouldn’t accept it. Complex emotions made a battle arena of her heart.
Inside, it was clean and warm. Heidi switched on the lights and sipped at the coffee, moving around the main room. She flung her cell onto the low coffee table and was startled as it began to ring.
Heidi stared at it in surprise. They can’t do without me for one night? But then the truth kicked in, that they would only call in an emergency, and she scooped it back up.
“Yeah? I just got home.”
“Sorry. The call just came in.”
“What call?”
“You need to get down here. I can’t say much over the phone, but I wouldn’t call if it wasn’t urgent. Another relic may have surfaced. The sooner you get a look at this, the better.”
Heidi closed her eyes for a long moment, then opened them and drank in the appealing, safe, quiet haven that was her apartment. More than anything right now, it represented what she needed — a good night’s rest. “Now? Is it time sensitive? It won’t wait till morning?”