Page 40 of France Face-Off
He brushed a loose strand of her hair back behind her ear. “We’ll talk later.”
Alex nodded, turned and left the stairwell, tears welling in her eyes. How she wished she could have a normal existence where she could stop running and be with someone like Striker.
Impossible.
She was an assassin. He was a security guy. It would never work. She was destined to live a life alone for the safety of herself and anyone else she might fall in love with.
Her heart skipped several beats.
In love?
She wasn’t in love with the Navy SEAL. Love grew over time. They barely knew each other, having spent just a day and a half together. Sure, the sex had been out of this world, but that didn’t make it love.
Lust, yes. Love, no.
She entered the conference room and took her seat beside Hans Sutter. As usual, he didn’t speak to her or acknowledge her existence.
Alex didn’t mind. She’d rather have the quiet to study the people settling into their positions around the room.
The moderator kicked off the session, introducing the Italian delegate.
Lorenzo Ricci stood and faced the other delegates. In Italian, he said, “Esteemed members of this summit, it has been rumored that the EU is not receiving all the natural gas they are paying for. Could someone please address this concern? Are we in fact paying for gas that is being siphoned off at or before it arrives at the Greifswald transfer station?”
As translators relayed the message, a rumble of anger sounded from the delegates around the room.
Hans smacked his palm against the table. In German, he said, “I, too, have heard such a rumor. I’ve had my scientists checking into usage and billing. The numbers don’t add up.” His eyes narrowed at the Russian. “Explain.”
A rumble of anger circulated through the room.
Baranovsky stood, his face ruddy red. In Russian, he practically shouted, “We do not steal from the EU. Who spreads such lies?” He stared around the room, a vein popping out on his forehead. “I will have words with this person.”
The moderator did his best to bring the meeting back to order. The rest of the morning went no better. The members of the summit wanted to know more about the diversion of natural gas from European countries.
Nearing lunch, Sutter had had enough. “Why should we approve of another pipeline when the one we have isn’t delivering what we contracted? I’ve heard enough. I will cast my vote now.”
The room exploded in loud conversations and shouting. The moderator banged a gavel several times to bring the room to order. He asked everyone to take time to think about it over lunch.
Eager to see Striker, Alex gathered her notes and stood. If this was the last day they might have together, she didn’t want to miss a second.
Alex had just turned toward the exit when a security guard burst through the door and shouted in French, “There’s been a bomb threat. Everybody needs to move toward the closest exits now.”
The delegates and their assistants started toward the security guard.
The man held up his hands. “The closest way out of the building is through the other end of this room. Follow the exit signs. Move quickly, but don’t panic. It could be a hoax, but we don’t want to ignore the threat.”
Alex got caught up in the rush for the rear exits. She didn’t want to go that way. If there was a real bomb threat, Striker needed to know. He could be in his room and not have heard the order to evacuate the building. Like swimming upstream, she pushed her way through the worried delegates moving in the opposite direction. When she finally made it past the last ones, she ran into a security guard and a member of the hotel staff.
The staff member blocked her path. “Madam, you must leave the building at once.”
“I will, as soon as I know my partner is safe. He’s up in his room.” She tried to duck past the two, but they weren’t budging.
“Tell me your room number, and I’ll send someone up to make sure he gets out.”
“I can do it myself, if you’ll let me by,” Alex said, ready to take the woman and the security guard down if she had to.
Another security guard joined them and asked why the guest had not vacated the premises.
The staff member frowned. “She refuses to go.”
