Page 124 of Once a Hero

“Would you come with me to explore the world?”

“Where would be our first stop?” Beatrice asked sweetly.

“Anywhere you want.”

“Caribbean?”

“Sure.”

“Mediterranean?”

“By all means. You don’t ask for much.” He tried to kiss her on the lips, but Beatrice was faster than he was and turned the other cheek.

From the corner of her eye, she spotted Jake springing to his feet.

She might be running out of time if Jake came over here and broke up her conversation.

“Are you saying you’re more adventurous than I am?” Beatrice asked.

“Yep. I go places you’ve never dreamed of.”

“Oooh. Take me. Take me. Where is one of the most exotic places you have been?”

His eyes lit up. “Have you ever been to Libya?”

“Isn’t that in Africa somewhere?”

819A nodded. “In the desert. It’s hot and you’ll have to take off all your clothes.”

Beatrice tried not to react. “Libya is a whole country. Any particular place in mind?”

“Have you ever heard of Benghazi?”

Chapter Fifty

FBI Special Agent Stella Evans waited for Beatrice after the ball that evening, and so did Jake.

“What’s taking her so long?” Jake paced the floor.

“She’s on her way up in the elevator,” Stella said. “I told her I’d be here waiting.”

Jake drew a deep breath. He felt more uptight than usual. Maybe it was the memory of seeing 819A putting his hands on Beatrice’s shoulders or his incessant kisses on her cheek. Beatrice cleverly averted her lips—something she hadn’t done with Jake.

“I’ve never seen you so antsy.” Stella processed something on her laptop.

Jake stopped in front of Stella. “He could’ve discovered the wire.”

“Why would he? It was only a dance. It wasn’t like she was going to sleep with him.”

Jake bristled.

“I was kidding.” Stella chuckled. “It’s all spelled out in her contract. What we expected of her and what we wanted her to do to get the information out of 819A.”

“Why did she agree to it?”

“She wants to get a special gift for her brother, and 819A has it,” Stella said. “In fact, the moment I saw her searching for that artifact, I knew we can help each other.”

“What artifact?” Jake found it curious that Beatrice had agreed to go so far out of her way to get whatever it was she was getting for Benjamin.

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