Page 62 of The Dark Mirror

‘I would be surprised. Domino personnel are selected for their integrity.’

‘Cordier is clearly an exception. So was Harald.’ Nick glanced at her. ‘This seems to indicate Cordier works for the Atlantic Intelligence Bureau. Could they have planted her in Domino?’

‘Possibly, but why?’ Verca was frowning. ‘I’m certain they have their own spies in Scion.’

Maria shook her head. ‘Did anything else strike you as suspicious, slunche?’

‘No, but the person who originally recommended her to Domino has since dropped off the radar. We’re trying to find him.’ Verca closed the file. ‘That’s all we have at present. Once this is back in Prague, Radomír will go over every detail with a fine-tooth comb, with help from our colleagues in Istanbul. We’ll get to the bottom of this, Paige.’

I nodded. ‘What about Harald?’

‘Harald Lauring was in his first year at the Boneyard when Aysel arrived. His story seems to match what he told you, Nick. He was Danish, headhunted by a recruiter in Helsingør. Aysel was a quick study, so the pair enrolled in combat training at the same time. Radomír says the pair became close. He suspects they were lovers at one point.’

‘Radomír knew them both, then.’

‘Yes. He was not the head of the Libuše Institute at that point, but when I enquired about Aysel Ekren, he remembered her. He said she was an exceptional recruit, and a very convincing liar.’

I supposed that should make me feel better.

‘Harald was issued with a false name – Sven Holmgren – and sent to Sweden, around the same time Aysel went into France as Cordier,’ Verca said. ‘I can only assume they stayed in touch, and that Aysel went to Harald for help with whatever she was plotting.’

‘But both of them wanted Paige,’ Nick said. ‘So they betrayed each other.’

I scrutinised the photograph. Harald looked similar, but the scar was missing from his mouth.

‘It still feels to me that a piece is missing in all this,’ Verca said. ‘We know what Harald was doing, but why did Cordier want Paige?’

‘Everyone wants me for something.’ I rubbed my temple. ‘Thank you for showing us these, Verca.’

‘Of course. I’ll take them back to Prague after the meeting.’ She fastened the files into her briefcase. ‘Sorry to leave so quickly, but I need to speak to Pivot. I’ll see you all later.’

‘I’ll head off, too. I’m getting a migraine.’ Nick kneaded the corner of his eye. ‘Paige, I’ll give you a scan this afternoon. Let’s get that tracker out of you.’

To keep myself from sinking into dark thoughts, I went for a run along the Riva degli Schiavoni, savouring the sun on my skin, the fresh breeze on the waterfront. In broad daylight, surrounded by other people, I found I could bear the sight of the waves. Once I had showered and eaten a salad for lunch, I went up to see Nick, sensing that he was awake.

The medical room was as beautiful as the rest of the Palazzo della Notte, with a plush examination couch and two beds. When I arrived, Nick was sitting in front of a laptop, paler than usual.

‘Nick,’ I said from the doorway. ‘Has it passed?’

‘It’s getting there.’

‘Did you have a vision?’

‘Not this time. Just pain.’ He found a smile for me. ‘Let’s have a look for the tracker.’

He pointed me to a large scanner. I stood in front of it and lifted my arms. As soon as the image fed through to his laptop, Nick could see the tracking unit in my back, no larger than a nail head. Harald might have fried it, but I still wanted the bastard thing out of my body.

‘How are your parents?’ I asked Nick.

‘I speak to them on the phone every few days. I’m worried Scion will go after Mamma.’

‘Wasn’t she one of their best engineers?’

‘I think that’s why the Icelandic government was so quick to restore her citizenship,’ he admitted. ‘Mamma had one of the highest intelligence quotients in Scion. She’s a huge loss to them.’

‘Now I see where you get it.’

‘Oh, no. I pale in comparison to her.’ He pulled on rubber gloves. ‘They’ll be all right. If they could hide out for months in Scion, they can be discreet in the free world.’

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