The A8 Frank had arranged was loaded to the hilt. And not only with features. I located a hidden compartment in the trunk, to the right of the spare tire. It contained two Sigs, one 9mm and the other a .45, an extra magazine for each, and two boxes of ammunition. The compartment also contained a lightweight Remington Defense concealable sniper rifle, broken down into three parts. The accompanying rucksack, made to look like something a regular guy would carry around, was on the trunk floor.
I had plenty of firepower. More than I’d need for one target.
There were two envelopes on the front seat. The first contained a picture of Ahlberg. There’d be time to deal with that later. I turned my attention to the other envelope, which contained a single sheet of paper with two lines of text.
Riley Logan.
And an address.
I punched the address into the GPS and adjusted the mirrors while the computer mapped my route. It estimated the drive at two hours and forty minutes. Good thing I napped on the plane.
Highway miles comprised most of the drive. The M25 led me counterclockwise around the northwest part of London. Traffic was stop and go, even at the early hour. Maybe there was an event that morning. Perhaps the heavy flow was normal. I made it through the herd, hopped on the M1, and drove north, exiting about halfway between Nottingham and Sheffield. From there a series of turns onto increasingly narrower roads guided me to my destination. I wasn’t sure which towns I’d passed through on the last leg, or even which city I was in at the moment. Odd how GPS did that to me.
The car idled at the end of a long gravel driveway that led to a large estate house. The tall iron gates stood open wide enough to pass through. Was this the right place? I waited at the edge of the property for a moment, half-expecting a sentry to come out and check my ID. When no one arrived to vet me, I grabbed the piece of paper with Bear’s name on it and re-confirmed the address. Things didn’t add up. The house looked like it had been built a century or two ago. The well-maintained lot was several acres with an impressive garden through the middle and around the house.
“What have you gotten yourself into, Bear?”
The tires crunched on the gravel as I rolled forward. The driveway curved and circled in front of the house. I took the empty spot amid the four luxury vehicles parked there. All were more expensive than the A8.
It felt as though I was being watched from every direction as I crossed the driveway to the front door. I scanned the area looking for security cameras and rooftop guards. I didn’t find any sentries posted, but the four cameras mounted to the house seemed to ignore me.
The double doors were solid oak, each ten feet high and five feet wide. They dwarfed anyone who passed through. I rang the bell and waited as the chimes echoed throughout the hidden foyer.
There were a number of scenarios that could play out here. It hadn’t escaped my mind that Frank could’ve made this my final destination. I waited in anticipation with my hand around my back, resting on the .45.
The door made no noise as it opened. Surprising for such an old house. Sunlight pervaded the space, but beyond that it was too dim to see. A face I hadn’t seen in some time appeared. She looked shocked at first, then her eyes settled. She bit her lip.
“Jack? I wasn’t expecting to see you any time soon.”
Sasha looked beautiful, perhaps more so now than our last encounter. Of course, most of the time I’d spent with her had been while working. Even our casual time together had been in the midst of a job. I recalled the last time we spoke. It was around the time of my incident with Frank. Sasha had asked me to return to London with Mia. She offered to start a life with me.
And I had turned her down.
“It’s me,” I said. “But, what are you doing here?”
She blushed, tucking a wayward strand of hair behind her right ear. “This belongs to my family.”
“Are you done with MI6? I mean, you’re looking at a three hour commute from here to Legoland.”
“Done? Not exactly. Took a post here. Less stress.” She smiled, shrugged. “Less pay, too. But it’s worth it.”
I nodded, not sure what to say next. The woman lived for the stress British Intelligence put on her. It didn’t seem right that she would semi-retire out here.
“I’m sorry, Jack. I just can’t figure out what you’re doing here. How did you find me?”
“It’s not you I’m looking for.”
She bit her lip and glanced over her shoulder. Her hair fell across her face as she turned back toward me. She brushed it aside, keeping her finger at her temple.
I could tell by the look on her face that I should’ve chosen my words more carefully. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just, I’m—”
“You’re here for Bear.”
Almost as if on cue, he lumbered down the hallway into the light.
“Babe, what’s taking so long? Need to get the kiddo settled so we…” His gaze swept past her and settled on me. He froze where he stood, arms locked with his hands in front, mouth hanging open an inch. Looked as though he’d seen a ghost. Perhaps that’s what he figured me for.
“Big man,” I said. “How the hell are you?”
“Jack.” He remained still for a moment, then hurried past Sasha, throwing the door open wide.
I couldn’t escape the ensuing hug. It didn’t matter how we made our living, how tough we were supposed to be, Bear and I had a bond that was stronger than blood.
He moved his paws to my shoulders, and held on as he stepped back, leaving a few feet of space between us. “Damn, it’s good to see you.”
“You, too.”
He let me go and moved to the side. The smile faded as his eyes narrowed. His gaze darted around the courtyard. “How’d you find me?”
“I didn’t,” I said, hesitant to go into further detail with Sasha standing there.
All it took was a quick glance in her direction, and she picked up on the reason for my hesitation.
“What’s going on?” she said. “If you’re here for any reason other than a family reunion, I need to know about this.”
I looked at her, then Bear, and shook my head. “I wish I could fill you in, Sasha, but I can’t. Not at this point. It’s—”
“Jack?”
The voice of an angel.
Bear and Sasha both straightened, their eyes fixed on me.
The girl approached apprehensively, looking at me much the way Bear had. What had they been told about me? Were they led to believe that I had died? I studied Sasha for a tell, anything that indicated she was made nervous by my presence. After a few seconds I shifted my focus to the girl I hadn’t seen in months.
“Mandy,” I said. “I swear you’re taller every time I see you. Practically a woman now, aren’t you?”
She smiled, said nothing while inching closer.
“Are you living here?” I looked to Bear for confirmation. He nodded. “You going to school here?”
She crossed the final few feet quickly, throwing her arms around me in a hug that rivaled Bear’s. “I go to a boarding school that’s close enough I’m actually able to spend most nights here. But I’m well-protected there.”
“I’ve taken care of that,” Sasha said. “If she’s not here, there’s security around her.”
Mandy handled the situation like a pro. I couldn’t see a trace of fear or doubt on her face. In her, I saw a future Fed, if that was the route she wanted to take. And at the same time, there was still a hint of childhood wonder and a softness about her. Balance, I supposed. She’d been through so much. Most people, if they had faced everything she had, would give in, give up, let life harden them to the point they lashed out in ways that led to trouble. Mandy traversed a different path. One uniquely her own. And she was guided by the best man I knew.
Bear grabbed Mandy and Sasha and pulled them close. “Babe, why don’t you take Mandy and help her get ready for the week. I think Jack and I need to talk.”
Sasha’s protests were neutralized as Bear ushered her and the girl down the hallway. He returned to the foyer, leaned up against the banister, draping a large arm over the railing.
“Can’t imagine you’re here for any good reason,” he said. “What do you say we head into town and talk about it over a beer?”