Page 78 of A Touch of Treachery
Relief flickered across Desmond’s face, although his index finger started tapping against his elbow again.“Maybe this mission is a preemptive strike.Maybe my father has finally realized how dangerous Henrika truly is and wants to take her out before she creates any more biomagical weapons.Something even worse than Redburn.”
“Or maybe the General wants the Redburn formula for himself and doesn’t want Henrika alive to make it for someone else,” I countered.
Desmond shrugged a second time, once again neither agreeing nor disagreeing.Then he sighed and scrubbed his hands over his face, as if trying to slough off all the mysterious motives and unanswered questions.“Well, whatever my father is up to, I’m just glad he is finally considering Henrika a serious threat.I’m going to take a shower and go to bed.”
“I’ll be there soon.I want to look through a few more files first.”
Desmond nodded, gave me a quick kiss on the lips, and stepped into the bedroom.A few seconds later, the steady hiss of water sounded.
I looked back out over the sea of papers, maps, and photos scattered across the table.Desmond knew exactly what kind of man the General was, but Percy was still his father, and he didn’t want to think the General was guilty of being involved with Henrika.I didn’t want Percy to be involved with Henrika either, for Desmond’s sake, but I had my doubts.
General Jethro Percy was up to something, Henrika too, and I had a funny feeling that Desmond’s and my survival depended on figuring out the answers.
Anhourlater,Ihad reviewed dozens of documents and had nothing to show for it but a raging migraine.Disgusted, I followed Desmond’s lead, took a hot shower, and crawled into bed next to him.
Desmond slept soundly for a change, free from his usual nightmares about the Blacksea mission, and I was the one who tossed and turned.I finally drifted off a few hours before dawn, but my dreams were filled with disjointed images of everything that had happened over the past few days.
Bryce Finkley lobbing a smoke grenade at me after he’d stolen the UC list.General Percy examining me like a bug under a microscope during the Vault mission debriefing.Steig, Niles, and Oriana clearly calculating how they could kill Desmond and me and each other and seize the Redburn formula.The Grunglass Necklace glittering on the green felt of the poker table.Henrika staring at the photo of her cousin Meg, genuine anguish creasing her face ...
I woke with a start, the image of Henrika’s and Meg’s smiling faces still filling my mind.Desmond murmured something and snuggled closer, throwing his arm across my chest as though he was protecting me, even in his sleep.
I started to get up, but then I thought better of it, and I lay there, warm, safe, and secure in Desmond’s embrace, until my phone alarm went off.
Desmond grumbled, me too, but we both got up.We checked in with Gia, Joan, and Diego, along with Gabriel, but everything had been quiet overnight, and no one had any new information.Desmond also texted back and forth with his father.He didn’t tell me what Percy said, but I imagined the General was giving him the same orders as before: kill Henrika and get the Redburn formula.
I donned a fuzzy pale blue sweater, thick black pants, and a pair of black boots with explosive-filled pom-poms dangling off the sides.I also put on a matching blue jacket and slid a pair of gloves into my pocket, along with a winter hat, both featuring the explosive pom-poms.I didn’t know where Henrika would show us the formula, but I wanted to be prepared and warm in case the demonstration was outside.
I hesitated, then fastened the Grunglass Necklace around my throat.I didn’t dare leave the necklace in the suite for fear that Henrika would send someone to steal it.I fished a thick blue wool scarf out of my suitcase and wrapped it around my throat to hide the glittering jewels.
Desmond dressed in a black sweater, cargo pants, and boots, although his were pom-pom-free.He strapped a knife to his left forearm and tucked his silver watch into a pocket on the front of his jacket.We both slid guns into our jacket pockets.
“You ready for this?”Desmond asked.
“Not really.Are you?”
“No, but going into the unknown is a spy’s job.”He grinned.“I kind of love not knowing what’s going to happen next.”
The excitement in his voice teased a laugh out of me.“Well, that makes one of us, because Ihatethe unknown.”
“Don’t think of it as the unknown.Think of it as another chance to get answers.”
I grinned back at him.“I’ll try my best.Even if answers have been in short supply lately.”
His grin faded away.Mine too, and a tense, uneasy silence dropped over us.
Desmond smoothed a lock of my hair back over my shoulder.“No matter what happens, I’m glad you’re my partner, Numbers.”
I tugged his zipper a little higher up on his jacket.“Right back at you, Dundee.”
We stared at each other a heartbeat longer.Then I threaded my arm through Desmond’s, and we left the honeymoon suite, got into the elevator, and went down to the ground floor.
The other paramortals were already gathered in the lobby.Niles and Oriana were bundled up from head to toe in scarves, jackets, gloves, and boots, but Steig wore only a dark green hunter’s vest over a green plaid shirt, and his hands were bare.
Niles and Oriana had on so many layers I couldn’t tell if they were carrying any weapons.Steig was sporting his usual hunting knife on his belt, and my synesthesia painted the long blade a brighter, bloodier red than usual.
No one spoke, and tension thickened the air.We’d played a few games at the poker table last night, and now it was time to get down to our real, deadly business.
The elevator in the far corner dinged out its arrival, the door slid back, and Henrika strutted into the lobby.She was dressed in a light green jacket, sweater, and pants, and she looked sleek and stylish, whereas I felt like a puffed-up blue marshmallow.
