28 - France

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"What a damned mess!" Nathan couldn't find a spot in the ashtray for his cigarette and he stormed out onto the balcony and flung it out into garden below.

"Things will be fine, sir. Minnie knows her job... always has."

"She must be one cold blooded bitch. I never realized that about her in all these years." He shifted the phone while he fumbled out his cigarette pack.

"It was an integral part of her recruitment training, sir. I'm sure you are aware of the Agency protocols."

Nathan blinked and stared over the balcony. Murray's reminder sent a shiver of doubt down his back. Was Murray trained the same way? If he, Nathan, botched something big would Murray be there to 'make things fine'? Of course he would. Nathan said, yes, aloud and returned to the living room.

"How many dead again?"

"Three of ours, still to be verified, and four of theirs. One item of interest though, Minnie said Monique was the original target and she got away. She also said that one of the attackers had her dead to rights and was shot by someone from just inside the restaurant. She never saw who."

"One of ours?"

"No idea, sir."

"Any other survivors?"

"A young woman, eating alone. She took off at the first opportunity according to the bartender's statement."

Nathan lit up again and pursed his lips. "Get on to that bartender and see if he knew the woman or anything about her. We should find out who our mystery shooter was too, it doesn't pay to have players we don't know."

"He didn't mention a name in his statement."

Nathan listened to Murray. It was the first time he could remember his aide didn't just accept the order and say, yes, sir.

"Something else?" The silence sounded hollow in his ear.

"Are you forgetting our original plan, sir? Richard and the money? Monique is still loose and I'll wager hiding in Genoa still. We can still use her to reach Richard, sir."

Nathan sucked on his cigarette. He was right; Murray was on track while he was drifting a bit in the wind. His insight into how the Agency responded to mistakes was interfering with his main purpose.

"Of course, I was going to go into that with you." He bluffed. "You know what to do, Murray. Check with Minnie and let's get this damn thing over with."

"Very good, sir." Murray hung up his phone without another word and Nathan let out a shaky breath. If he planned on staying the station head and lead on the Carstair's file, he would have to up his game a bit; Richard was a huge bite more than he had ever imagined.

And the absence of results from digging around about the mysterious Council was not helping.

Italy – November

Monique threw her things into the bag without a thought; garments hit the edge of the bed and slid to the floor in cloth puddles. Getting away from Genoa was her priority. Something had backfired if Jean Tremblay was sending his men after her; no brain surgery required to know it wasn't the Agency, not with the hounds right there and being gunned down.

Tremblay didn't even know who she was but she guessed it was Angelo that gave her up. She should have thought of that. Her hands stopped mid air and she stared at the wall.

"Son of a bitch! Nathan set me up!" She took a deep breath and let the possibilities run free in her mind. A horn sounded in the street and the wah-wah of more polizia and emergency vehicle sirens split the air of the cool Mediterranean afternoon. She sank down onto the bed and tried to focus on her situation.

Nathan knew that Jean would fall on Angelo and that Angelo would give her up. She would be blamed for the plot to set Richard up and Tremblay would track her down and take her out leaving the Agency free to deal with Richard alone. All that twisting and turning to get rid of her and have Tremblay take the rap.

How ironic, she almost laughed, Richard was right there, they could have had him then instead of hunting her to find out where he was. She pictured the attack and the after image of Richard chasing the young woman down the trot. After a few moments thought, she dropped the clothes she was packing and went to the phone.

With all the Agency hounds in disarray, this was the time to step in and get the money before Richard, Nathan or Murray found her and disappear. If nothing else, she was an opportunist.

*************

Richard sat quietly while René mulled over his story; she had listened without interrupting or looking at him. The boat rocked gently on the remnants of swells created much further out in the marina and the only sound, aside from the blare of sirens, was the occasional thump of the hull against the dock.

"There was no reason to tell you before," he said, trying to jump start her reaction. "It had nothing to do with you... us."

She sought his eyes and he thought he could feel her burrow deep into his heart for something solid to cling to.

"I am satisfied with your explanation but not with your behavior back there."

"But he was going to kill that woman!"

"It was the cold blooded way you did it. No remorse. No fear or confusion, just a concentrated, deadly focus."

"I don't know about—"

"I saw you, Richard. I saw the look and the emptiness in your action."

He sighed and picked at his trouser knee. "It's what I was trained to do. I told you what I did."

"To kill?"

"If necessary. Intelligence agencies don't play games, René."

She made a small snorting sound. "It is all games with you people. Get to the top and stay there. Don't let anyone knock you off."

"There's a lot more to it than that but I can see how your perspective might lean that way. I don't suppose you noticed that those men were trying to kill that woman and innocent people didn't matter at all." His tone slid into sarcasm but he was confused at the tone, almost like the Agency instructors during his training days.

"They were gangsters. Men that work for our local crime lord, Jean Tremblay."

Richard covered his surprise and asked how she would know that.

She flipped her hand with a disturbing insouciance. "Everyone knows who he is and his men are always around the city bullying somebody or other."

"Have you ever had direct contact with them?"

"No..., but the printer I do work for has had some trouble with him in the past."

He heard a faint warning bell at the pause in her response.

"Serious?"

"Nothing to bother about now."

They sat in silence again for a while and then René stood and straightened her clothes; a chill was settling on the sea as well.

"I have to get back to work. My lunch time ended twenty minutes ago."

"Surely something like that," he jerked his head toward the restaurant, "would excuse being late... or not going back at all..." His face was alive with hope.

She stared down at him, her own face a mix of emotions then she took out her cell phone and made a call to the flower shop.

Richard offered a humble smile and shifted over as she sank back down beside him. She hauled an emergency blanket from the storage box beside them and pulled it up over their heads. The kiss was tentative to begin, evolving into a hunger, exploding into a tangle of arms, legs and crumpled clothing.

*************

Jean stared at the television with an inner rage and a stone-faced exterior. Four men he had lost through this business with the Agency and Richard Carstairs, and apparently three more who were chasing Roger, although he didn't remember who they might have been. Local hires were made by his lieutenants.

The reporter gushed out the breaking news of the massacre at Arnesto's Restaurant, the popular dining spot on the harbor marina. Behind his eager face, film of the crime scene played out showing dozens of polizia and paparazzi buzzing about the crowd of onlookers. "Eight dead and extensive damage to the property", the anchor intoned, looking suitably grave as he delivered the count.

Among the dead was a young waiter, one Victor Nunzio then two male and a female customer, none of whom were identified. The other four males were only identified as people of interest to the polizia. Jean grunted at the screen. Unidentified meant they weren't just casual diners; it would be too big a coincidence. He felt somehow they were connected to Monique St. Croix, most likely these Agency personnel people.

He thumbed the remote and the screen went blank.

"That is terrible, cher, Antonio I liked very much." Jean's mistress dropped a languid arm over his back as she settled on his lap.

"Maybe too much some times, eh, Marie?"

"Cher, no! I would never. He was just polite and funny that's all I meant."

Jean gave her a mordant look and lifted her off his lap.

"I have some calls to make. Go and shower, I want you clean and dry when I come back."

***********

Murray sat with Minnie in the hotel room he had taken after they sanitized the accommodation at the rooming house.

"I'll get rid of all this stuff. Meanwhile, I spoke to Nathan and he wants you to get back down to that bank and keep your eyes open. It wouldn't be a surprise in the least if either Richard or Monique made a try for the money, using the mess down there as a distraction."

"Will I have any help?" Minnie gathered her purse and the small binoculars Murray gave her and stood, waiting.

"Not in time. Too bad Sol had to go."

"Yes, we worked well together for a long time. You know he wanted to cut bait and run."

"I presumed that when I received your call."

"Is this still a watch and report or do I take any action against either party?"

"Mister Fischer would like to take Richard aside for a deep debriefing if at all possible. Monique, on the other hand, has run out her string unless of course she somehow beats Richard to the account. In any case, the money remains the main prize."

Minnie asked for the room key. He nodded and passed it over to her as she said goodbye and left. Murray called Nathan and delivered his report with all the details of disposing of Sol and all the items belonging to the rest of the team.

"Stay down there, Murray. I have a feeling this is going to be much more difficult than anticipated."

"Very good, sir."

"And Murray, Minnie shouldn't be left to make any observations about the money when we retrieve it."

"I agree, sir. I'll see to everything."


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