Page 44 of The Blonde Who Came in from the Cold
They followed Flora down lush, green paths surrounded by wild orchids and singing birds. Even though there were obvious signs of civilization, it was as if the lights and buildings had sprung from the island itself—like the volcano had spit them out a millennium ago and Flora was some ancient goddess whose job it was to keep things dusted.
“It’s beautiful.” Alex must have read his mind.
“Thank you.” Flora turned back and... yeah... gave the weird bow again.
“Is the whole island like this?” Alex tried. She was subtle when she needed to be and—King hated to admit it—good.
“Oh no.” Flora sounded concerned. “The other side is much too steep and... inhospitable.”
“What about hiking?” Alex tried again. “I love hiking and—”
Flora stopped so quickly that King almost collided with her back. “Wedo notgo to the other side of the island.”
“Of course.” King glanced at Alex. “Surely this side is big enough for both of us?”
She wasn’t even acting when she scoffed and said, “We’ll see.”
Something about the look Flora was giving them made King suddenly worry that maybe the Farm hadn’t trained them well enough. It was like Flora of the Made-Up Sayings could see right through their covers and into the heart of them. Worse, it was like she saw something the two of them had missed, and King didn’t like it—not one bit.
***
“Come along, lovers!”
King spoke five languages, but he was starting to hate that word more than any other. When Alex gave him a come-hither look over her shoulder and mouthedlover, he rolled his eyes and turned back to the mountain terrain and tried to make the most of the situation.
They’d ridden in a Jeep for twenty minutes, up a steep, winding trail, and then they’d walked for twenty more. Alex had done it in heels, and King wanted to strangle Flora for not at least asking if they wanted to change clothes first, but Alex was looking at him like they’d hit some kind of jackpot and won the undercover lottery.
The path was wider here, with wooden blocks stuck in the ground for makeshift steps, but King slipped his hand into Alex’s anyway. He could have listed off a dozen reasons—from maintaining their covers to the fact that she would be nothing but a liability if she fell and broke her leg—but as they followed Flora up the final twisting bend, he didn’t share a single one. He just kept climbing until they came through a break in the trees, stepping out onto—
The edge of the world.
Or so it looked.
It wasn’t the highest peak—or the roughest—but no one could deny the view was like something out of myth as they stood there, looking out over a sea of steep mountains and lush, green foliage. A wispy layer of clouds circled the jagged peaks that stood in the distance, and King thought the whole island must be a study in contrasts: rocky and lush, hard and soft. Terrifying but beautiful.
Kind of like the woman beside him.
“Gasp,” Alex whispered. It was a tone of voice he’d never heard her use before, and King couldn’t help but turn. He wasn’t staring, he told himself. But he also couldn’t look away. “What?”
“Nothing. I just... Nothing.”
“Come, lovers! Come!” Flora was beckoning them along the top of the ridge to a wide, open spot in the trees. A half-dozen couples were already standing there, all of them a little sweaty and nervous, and King wondered how long they’d been up there, waiting.
“We are gathered here to welcome our hearts and our minds into the state of cupidism and tranquility.” Flora did the weird and possibly offensive bow again, and King wondered if he should just hurl himself into the volcano. Their intel said it was dormant, but that might give it a kick start. Surely the Agency would cut them some slack if an eruption cut their mission short.
“Now, lovers, as we begin our journey of transformation, I ask you to introduce yourselves and share why the goddess has brought you to our island.”
What religion is this?King wanted to shout, but he already knew the answer: it was the church of profit and pretension and Flora was its high priestess.
King glanced at Alex and cursed the short plane ride from the mainland. There’s a reason people prep for undercover work for weeks—why the same teams go into the field together time and time again. There’s a shorthand that’s needed. A level of trust. A—
“I’m Donna.” Alex jumped right in. “And we’re here because he said he wanted to strangle me with a garden hose!” Alex pointed at King, then burst into tears.
“That’s just ridiculous.” Ten sets of eyes were glaring at him. “Do you people have any idea how hard it would be to strangle someone with a garden hose? An extension cord, yes. A strand of Christmas lights, obviously.”
“And he hasn’t touched me in months.” Alex was silently sobbing, but all King could do was scowl.
“If you want me to touch you, then all you’ve got to do is say the word, sweetheart. Any time. Any place.”
