20

UNABLE TO SLEEP NOW, Paul decided to call Jae. It would be the middle of the evening in Washington. Regardless of the international situation, he could not let anything keep her from being his first priority.

Besides loving her and caring more deeply for her and the kids than he ever had before, Paul sensed that when the truth came out, if she didn’t run from him—which was, of course, entirely possible—she had the potential to be his greatest ally. If there really had been a noticeable change in him, if she had seen anything that would help convince her that he was now living in the light of eternal truth, he trusted that God would confirm it to her and that she would become a believer too. The price of that, naturally, was that she and Brie and Connor—like Paul—would soon become fugitives. It would not be beyond Ranold Decenti to go to any length, in his way of thinking, to rescue the kids.

Ranold had never cared that much about them before, but Paul knew the man was capable of attacking his own daughter and son-in-law at their most vulnerable point. The kids would be merely chips he would play to get his way.

At sunrise, Paul would make arrangements to get together with Chappell Raison again. What the man had to be going through was beyond Paul’s ability to understand. Chapp would resist Paul’s attempts to talk him back into helping catch Styr Magnor, but everything depended on that. There were so many reasons to do it—despite several compelling arguments for why it would be more convenient not to—that Paul hardly knew where to begin. He had an idea how to talk Chapp into at least getting together, but past that, Paul was in no-man’s-land.

Jae and the kids were finishing a bedtime snack with her parents in the kitchen. Brie and Connor were excited about going to a Washington Native American football game with Uncle Berlitz and Aunt Aryana the next day, though neither had ever shown the slightest interest in the game.

“Berlitz never liked football either,” Ranold said. “I ought to go so the kids at least learn something.”

Margaret rose to answer the phone, calling back over her shoulder, “Berl said he had only four tickets, so . . .”

“Bet Aryana would love a reason to stay home,” Ranold said.

“Jae,” her mother called out, “it’s Paul calling from France.”

Jae surprised herself at how eager she was to hear his voice, as if she had forgotten what she’d really like to say to him.

“Can I talk to Daddy?” Brie squealed.

“Me too, me too,” Connor hollered.

“You two can talk to him down here until I get on the phone upstairs,” Jae said, hurrying toward the stairs.

Her father was following her. She stopped on the steps and spun. “Dad! Do you think I can do this without you hovering?”

“I just wanted to remind you, Jae.” He tapped his temples with his index fingers. “Focus.”

“Well, maybe if you just go back to the kitchen, I can.”

Jae rushed up the stairs so quickly she had to stop and catch her breath before picking up the phone. Brie was still on with Paul, and Connor was begging her to hurry. Jae waited until Connor got on and ran out of things to say.

“Tell Daddy good-bye, Connor,” she said. “You can talk to him again soon.”

“Hi, sweetheart,” Paul said, and he sounded so sincere that Jae had to slow herself. She didn’t want to get sucked in, but neither did she want to give anything away. She was not great at playacting.

“Hang up the phone, Connor,” Jae said, still hearing downstairs sounds.

“Grandpa!” Brie said. “Don’t listen in!”

“Hi, Ranold,” Paul said.

Click.

“Sorry about that, Paul,” Jae said.

Paul was chuckling. “He really thought he could get away with eavesdropping in front of the kids?”

“I guess. You know Dad.”

“NPO born and bred. Jae, it’s good to hear you. I love you, and I miss you so much it hurts.”

“I miss you too, Paul.” She did not have to fake that. Could he be this good? Was it possible he was lying to her, playing her, seeing other women, betraying his country, and could still come off this sincere without sounding smarmy? She couldn’t imagine. “How’s it going? It’s what, the middle of the night over there?” Had he just come in from seeing someone else and called her out of guilt? She had to admit, it didn’t sound that way.

“Oh, couldn’t sleep. But I’m making some progress. It’s slow. Can’t talk about it, obviously.”

“I know. Any idea on a timetable yet?”

“No. I wish. Tell you what I really wish, Jae. I wish you could be with me here.”

“I’d love that.”

“Would you?” He sounded genuinely surprised.

“I would.”

“You start your job Monday?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Looking forward to it?”

“Not really. It’ll help pass the time. I don’t like being a single parent, Paul.”

“I’m sorry. I won’t stay any longer than I absolutely have to.”

As they finished with incidentals and courtesies, Jae found herself incapable of allowing her resentment over what she’d seen on the screen today—not to mention the suspicion her father and his associates had tried to engender in her—to grab a foothold in her mind. Yes, someday she had to tell Paul that she was aware of Trina Thomas. Jae wanted, needed, to know that that predated the new Paul. If she discovered any evidence that he was still fooling around behind her back, Jae had no doubt her forgiveness reserves would be spent.

His mention of her joining him in Europe was only wishful thinking, she knew. But the more she thought it out, the more it gained purchase. Paul couldn’t do his work with her there as a distraction. And he had not been serious in the least. But it was fun to think about.

As much as Paul hated the idea of Jae’s being exposed to her father the whole time he was overseas, he had to admit she had sounded good. She had a quick mind, strong character. She thought for herself. Maybe Ranold would have less influence on her than Paul feared.

And the kids sounded good too. Jae had told him they resisted the move as the time came for it, and he had hoped maybe that his and Straight’s opposition would have changed her mind. But maybe this was all for the best. He had prayed fervently for her and had to believe that if her being in Washington was against His plan, God would have prevented it.

Having had such a warm conversation with her made Paul miss Jae all the more. He had to concentrate.

By 9 a.m. Paul had caught a few more hours of sleep, shaved, showered, dressed, and eaten. When he couldn’t get Chappell Raison to answer his phone, he called Lothair. “Chapp and I have to get together.”

“He’s not ready.”

“He’ll never be ready, but time is running out. Has Magnor made any more attempts to reach him?”

A significant pause.

“Chapp’s not taking calls,” Lothair said.

“That wasn’t my question, and you know it. Magnor has called, hasn’t he?”

Silence.

“Lothair, do you realize how important this is?”

There was a whine in the man’s voice. “Do you realize where my loyalty lies?”

“Of course! But all of us owe our highest loyalty to God. This is life-and-death stuff, Lothair. Confirm that Magnor has called, and I’ll take responsibility for your telling me.”

Silence.

“You know, Lothair, I wish we were all still teenagers and that this was some silly game. Is Chapp right there? Is that the problem?”

“Yes.”

“Listen carefully. Yes or no. Can you tell me categorically that Magnor has not tried to call Chapp?”

“No.”

“You understood me?”

“Yes.”

“So he has called.”

“I understood you.”

“Good, then I understand you too. Chapp and I must meet as soon as possible. For one thing, it’s Sunday. Is he going to deprive me of the privilege of meeting with fellow believers on the Lord’s Day?”

Lothair snorted. “You want me to ask him that?”

“I want you to tell him I’m coming. For safety’s sake, let’s not meet in the same place, hmm? Where is your secondary meeting place?”

Paul set his room timers and took another labyrinthine escape route, hurrying toward his rental car, when he froze. Parked at the curb across from his hotel was a sedan identical to the one Karlis Grosvenor had used to ferry him around Paris. It also matched the sedan Paul had been issued for official use. Coincidence?

He didn’t want to be obvious, but he needed to know who was who on the street. Was he being watched? Followed? He didn’t dare proceed to his rental. He had to either get in the car issued to him, keep walking as if just sightseeing, or make his way back into the hotel.

Paul chose the latter and ran into Grosvenor as he was coming out. “Chief!” Paul said, shaking his hand. “What brings you my way?”

“Just dropping off your boss. You didn’t tell me she was coming.”

My boss? “Didn’t know you needed to know.”

Grosvenor was not amused. “Would have been nice to have a little warning. Gave her the cook’s tour of Champ-de-Mars.”

“My apologies. I didn’t expect her to take up much of your time.”

“Any time is too much,” Grosvenor said. “I spend more time entertaining foreigners than I do trying to get my own work—”

“I’ve stayed out of your hair; you have to admit.”

“Yeah, well, thanks,” the chief said. “You getting everything you need?”

“Yes, thanks.”

“Think you can run her to the airport in the morning? Save me a trip?”

“Sure,” Paul said.

“Any reason you couldn’t have picked her up? I mean, come on, it’s Sunday. I haven’t had a day off in weeks.”

“I just do what I’m told, Chief.”

“Yeah, me too,” Grosvenor said. “But you’re on for airport duty in the morning, right? Orly.”

“Got it.” What in blazes?

Paul went inside to the counter and asked for messages. “Yes, sir. Bia Balaam just checked in and would like to see you.”

Paul phoned her and arranged to meet her in the lobby. She approached smiling and actually embraced him. As usual, she seemed overdressed, over made-up. They sat in overstuffed chairs in the middle of an atrium that looked out on the city.

“Surprised to see me?” she said.

“That’s fair,” he said. “What brings you?”

“Oh, don’t worry. I’ll stay out of your way.”

Too late.

“I’m representing USSA NPO at the ceremonial announcement in Bern tomorrow. Thought I’d come early and see the Eiffel site.”

Paul nodded. I’ll bet. “What did you think?”

Her smile died. “Tragic. Tragic.”

Well, there was some insight for you. Paul struggled to remain cordial. Did she, did Ranold, think he was a complete imbecile? Sending her to keep an eye on him, ensconcing her in his hotel, blaming it on her interest in the attack site and her attendance in Bern? Please. If this wasn’t a blatant attempt to remind him who was in charge, he didn’t know what was. Now Paul was going to be late getting together with Chapp, if he was able to slip away at all. He couldn’t risk leading her to the underground.

Balaam was as intimidating as she looked, with her silver hair and eyes, the unusual height, the coldness she tried to hide with the occasional toothy smile. She creeped Paul out in business settings, but the social thing never worked at all for her. She was clearly not in her element. Bia’s claim to fame—and a fast, recent rise within the NPO—was that she was a leader of men. This chitchat was disconcerting, but it did make Paul wonder if there was another dimension to the woman. He couldn’t imagine.

He told her he had run into Grosvenor and had been handed the baton for her ride to Orly in the morning.

“Oh, good,” she said. “Did he give you the particulars?”

“No.”

“You might not have been so willing.”

As if I were willing at all. “How early?”

“I need to leave the hotel at five, I’m afraid.”

“Ouch.”

“I’m sorry. I can tell Grosvenor—”

“Happy to do it,” Paul said. Still able to lie. “Why so early?”

“Flying the government charter. And I want to be in Bern in time for the actual announcement. They’re trying to schedule it so it hits most time zones at the best hour for network news. It’ll be taped and replayed for the sleeping countries, of course.”

“Of course.”

Paul was antsy, wanting to get going, hoping he could figure a way to elude her, to get to his rendezvous without being noticed. But she was saying something about her son. Her son? Paul didn’t even know she had a family.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “You have a son?”

“And a daughter,” she said. “I’m long divorced. Not a happy story, though the kids are good. Leya is a professor. Taj goes back to Georgetown tomorrow. He’s doing well.”

Paul studied her. She actually did seem to soften when speaking of her children. Who would have guessed? “Well, listen,” he said, “had I known you were coming I would have arranged for dinner tonight, but—”

“Oh, no,” she said, “don’t change your schedule at all for me. I have tons of work and want to turn in early because of the, well, you know.”

“Early flight.”

And with that she was off, pretending to simply be in town on her way to Bern. Paul wondered if she had staff with her, crack tails he would have never noticed as they followed him into the French countryside and directly to the underground. Well, if such animals were there, Paul would make them work.

On his way to the Paris bureau staff car, Paul called Lothair and updated him on his estimated time of arrival. He chose not to tell him why. The last thing Chapp needed was another reason to be spooked.

Paul drove around Paris, watching for any shadows. Seeing none, he returned to the hotel, went to his room, left by yet another route, called Straight, learned the location of another car-rental agency—this one a long walk. Enjoying a pastry in a fountain square and again certain he was not being watched, he rented another car under another alias and drove a circuitous route out of the city. Finally he was on his way to see Raison, in the same general area where he had met him before, but in a new hideout.