Savage Beauty (The Arrow Tactical Series Book 5)

Keep Reading…Sinful Beauty

Tristan

London, England

“Saint” peers into the conference room, checks the backside of the wooden door, glances over his shoulder, and enters, closing the door behind him.

An untraceable shell company reserved all the meeting rooms at St. Martin in the Fields. His caution is quite unnecessary, but I suppose it”s habit.

Saint’s gaze locks on a small white dome in the right quadrant of the ceiling.

“The camera has been deactivated,” I assure him. “Our team currently controls the video stream on the property. Anyone monitoring will observe you entering the church, but they’ll never see what you did inside.”

“Hated the safe house, did you?”

Saint”s question deserves the truth. “Required a bath after quitting the space.”

Saint snorts and steps up to the refreshments a lovely woman named Patricia prepared an hour earlier. He passes over the wine and tea, opting for water.

“Do you know why this room is called the Peter Benenson room?”

Saint’s an amenable chap, but he may not play along with my trivial question. I sit back, assessing his mood.

“He made a sizable donation to the church?”

“Reasonable guess. In 1961 Peter visited St. Martin’s to reflect on two students imprisoned in Portugal for drinking a toast to freedom. From the pews of this historic sanctuary, Amnesty International was born.”

Saint places the plate and glass on the table. He balls a hand into a fist and twists his neck, eliciting a cracking noise. “Two students. Does this story relate to two sisters?”

“Only in the loosest of senses.” He picks up a scone, sets it on a small plate, and his nostrils flare. The American does not look pleased. “If you wish to meet elsewhere next time, we can. I recommend the countryside, far from London surveillance.”

I”ll meet anywhere, except the CIA”s dodgy safe house. I stand out on that side of town. With London surveillance getting tighter by the day, and too many with access, precautions are warranted.

Saint pulls out a chair, flips it around, and sits on it backward, legs wide, facing me and not the table. His cowboy boots add to his American aura, a role he’s been playing for so long I suspect it’s become ingrained in his nature.

“The sisters are safe?” He looks me directly in the eye, reading me, weighing if he can trust me.

“Quite safe. I was with Sloane Watson in Washington D.C. two nights ago. She’s unharmed and doing well. I helped her find a suitable research position stateside.”

He shifts in his seat, moves one arm beneath his suit jacket, and lifts a handgun. He sets it on the table, barrel pointed to the frosted glass wall.

My gaze flicks between Saint and the handgun.

“I’m your friend, you know?” I’m not blowing shit up his arse. I’ve been his contact for years. Saint is deep undercover on a mission with the highest level of security, so high that I’ve only been partially briefed, and I”m in an elite group within Interpol with uppermost clearance.

”It was uncomfortable.”

I narrow my eyes, deciphering his explanation for placing a gun on the table.

In my humble opinion, Saint”s been too deep for too long. A man can lose himself when all his effort is spent pretending to be someone he’s not. But he’s not working for us, and it’s not my call. I”m his liaison. His lifeline. He”d better damn well see me as a friend.

“Wasn’t tickle fucking you. The gun really was uncomfortable.” A trace of amusement plays across his face. It”s not a smile, but the lips soften reflecting humor. It’s good to see he’s still capable of humor. “What else do you have?”

“Too little. We’re tracking William Salo’s colleagues and supervisors. If he wakes, he’ll be a valuable intel source, but the doctors aren’t optimistic. We’ve looked into the employee Sage Watson spoke with who claimed Sloane resigned. She’s an executive assistant. Interestingly, she has family members in prison in Brazil, but we have yet to uncover a connection.”

Saint’s eyes narrow into slits, his head tilts, and his lips purse. “I’ve dug around on my end. The syndicate isn’t behind it. But whoever is has Russian connections.”

“We’re looking for Russians?”

“All roads lead to Russia.” He snorts at his dimwitted joke, scratches his jaw, and grows serious. ”You’re looking for a wealthy, connected individual or individuals with connections to a Russian cartel. My source says the contact is an older man, Swiss. I don’t have a name for you. But it’s someone within Lumina.” An older Swiss man matches the profile of a significant percentage of Lumina employees.

“Who’s your source?”

“The information won’t help you.” He leans back and rests a forearm over the back of the chair, and one hand goes to his waist. “Why are you defensive?”

I hold up my hands, palms out, and cross an ankle over a knee, downplaying what he perceived as defensiveness. “Curious.”

“You’re looking for someone who has traveled to Moscow, possibly placed frequent calls to Moscow, but chances are he won’t be sloppy enough to leave a communications trail. Might not even leave a travel trail. The contact with the cartel is the one who hired Zolonov.”

Anton Zolonov has been on Interpol’s Red Notice list for years. He abducted Sloane and contracted help to attempt an abduction of the other sister.

“If I get anything else, I’ll let you know. But I’ve dug as deep as I can.” I nod, comprehending all that remains unsaid. He can only dig so deep without risking blowing his cover.

“What do you have for me?”

He slides a burner mobile across the table. “In the notes app, you’ll find a link to a file. Password LetThereBeLight, all one word. The file is a listing of bank accounts of four shell companies that will be contributing to candidates around the world. The bank accounts are from legal enterprises within the syndicate, but Kontinuum owns all four shell companies. The sole purpose is to influence elections and stoke unrest. If you find candidates with funding from these companies, then Kontinuum is backing them.”

I slip the mobile into my inside breast pocket. “Anything else?”

“I’ll be in Moscow for the next few weeks. I’ll communicate through the normal channel for our next meet.”

I pass a folder to him, which he promptly opens and flicks through. His face softens, and a thumb runs over one photograph. The emotion playing across his typically nondescript expression speaks volumes.

“They’re doing good.” He says it more to himself than to me.

“It’s my understanding the younger one got engaged.”

“No shit. To who?”

“An American. Arrow employee. We’ve crossed paths a couple of times. Likable fellow.” I recall him at the hospital in Kuala Lumpur. “Serious.”

“Name?”

“Ah, Knox.” I rack my brain, but the last name eludes me.

“No fucking shit.” The grin on Saint’s face is one I’ve never seen before. “The scoundrel. Would’ve never seen that coming.” The guy looks genuinely pleased, relaxed, and, dare I say it, happy. It”s a new look for him. “They’re getting married?” I confirm with a nod. “Good for them. They’ll take care of each other.” He’s thoughtful. “Can you do me a favor? Find out when they set a date. And can I get you to send an anonymous gift? Can you do that without creating any red flags?”

“Certainly.”

He closes the folder and slowly slides it across the table, returning it to me. “Don”t let this case fall through the cracks.”

Saint threatened to blow his cover, and the entire op, if Sloane Watson wasn”t extracted safely from Cambodia.

“You have my word.” Of course, Saint doesn”t know my true identity or my connection to Lumina. If he did, he would understand there”s no way in hell I”ll let this case grow cold. “And you plan to remain in place?”

“Quitting isn’t an option.” His eyes narrow, and he transforms from human to operative. “Interpol will crack down on the operation in Cambodia?”

“From a diplomatic standpoint—” Saint raises an eyebrow and his fingers closest to the handle of his pistol twitch. “Don”t get punchy. I give you my word we’ll catch the person who ordered hits on the Watson sisters.”

“That’s not good enough. Take them all out. Every single one. They’re like ticks. Smash only a part and the full body grows back.”

* * *

The story continues in Sinful Beauty, releasing September 12th, 2024.