Chapter 6 #2
That made Toly’s face drop into a grim scary look of concern.
Like a lot of men in his line of business, when he felt threatened, he turned quickly from pleasant to mean.
Toly was capable of being meaner and more aggressive than most of his peers at the SVR.
That was how he’d survived all this time.
That and the fact that the man was a genius underneath the pedestrian exterior he adopted.
“You’re a person of interest—”
“Who’s interested?”
“Homeland Security.”
“How long?”
“Since your run-in with the kitten and the subsequent call from Maxim Xavier and his notorious sidekick Salvatore Cannelloni. Apparently they’re sourcing the rare arms for an Arab terrorist cell. Likely somewhere in Iran. Likely there’s an SVR connection which is why Max targeted you.”
Toly took it all in with no expression change except that Dane could swear his face turned darker and darker and he felt the air around him cool. Shana shivered as if to confirm his thoughts.
Dane added, “It’s also why Homeland Security is watching Max and Sal—and now you.”
“I know you, Dane Blaise. You have a plan. Whatever I was paying you to protect my Lara and Paulette—triple that to keep us all out of jail.” Toly slid his eyes to Ryan and added. “Except this one—I don’t care what happens to him. Not even for Lara’s sake.”
Ryan started to rise from his seat and speak, but Dane slashed an arm out in his direction, stopping him. He was relieved that Toly decided to scapegoat Ryan for the trouble. It would help his plan. Toly wouldn’t object to Ryan playing bait.
“Here’s the plan.”
While Dane gave them a succinct outline, he watched their faces grow grimmer with each point. He wasn’t surprised that Toly looked at him with dark menace when he was finished.
“You want me to cancel my granddaughter’s wedding.”
He nodded, giving the man a minute to come to the realization that it must be done.
“Fine. But I will not be the one to tell Lara.”
“I’ll talk to her,” Shana said. This was one of those moments where Dane wanted to put aside his damn icy demeanor, damn his professionalism, damn their truce, and pull her in for a scalding kiss. But he didn’t. He kept his head and his cool—in spite of the jump in his pulse and his pants.
“Running a sting operation like this—staging a damn pretend wedding—is going to involve a lot of moving parts, man. You’re crazier than I’ve given you credit for,” Acer said.
Cap said, “He’s exactly as crazy as I’ve always thought he was.”
“Where will you be sending my Lara and baby Paulette?”
“To the Berkshires. I know of a safe place there with someone I trust more than my life.”
Shana turned to him sharply. He gave the slightest nod to confirm her suspicion. She knew who lived in the Berkshires, knew it could only be one place. He was sending Lara and Paulette to his mother’s home and placing them in her care.
This time the blip in his adrenaline and the speeding up of his heart wasn’t about Shana, but had everything to do with breaking his cardinal rule about involving his mother, about putting her in danger.
There was no questioning his judgment call. It was snap, but it was right and he knew it with a finality that settled him. Cap and Acer nodded their approval, knowing what he was doing. Only Toly had no idea of the implication.
“I will see that Lara and Paulette—” Toly began.
“No. I’ll make arrangements to have them moved. The location will be undisclosed even to you.”
“As you say. I trust you—you’ve saved them for me before. How could I not trust you?” Toly spoke as if he was still convincing himself. Trust was not a natural instinct for a former Russian SVR agent—especially when he was expected to trust a former Army Intelligence Special Operations adversary.
“Operation Wedding Party is on.” Dane stood in the salon, making it seem small as his head came closer than he liked to the six-foot-four ceiling of the space. “Wherein we force the feds to work with us and force Max and Sal to seek revenge—then snare them.”
The others stood. Shana rolled her eyes. He withheld a smile. It was good to put a crack in the tension, but not too much.
“Go time is tomorrow.”
There was a reason Dane hadn’t joined the Navy and become one of the infamous Navy Seals.
Boats where not his favorite environment.
He led the small party off the Gatsby onto the dock and headed back toward the marina parking lot.
Cap tapped his arm and said under his breath, “Do you see them? Ten o’clock? ”
Dane nodded. Shana turned to him and tilted her head toward the two men.
He wished it weren’t so, but this was more than enough confirmation that they were being followed.
The two men wore dark suits, no ties, dark glasses, and looked too purposeful in their lounging around activities.
It was clear they were together and it was clear that they were following Dane and his party.
He had spotted them earlier. Now there was no question.
The only question was who did these men belong to? Homeland Security or Max the Ax?
“You’re all with me.” Dane waved his arm to encompass Shana, Ryan and Anatoly. In the Jeep. We’re taking the scenic route.” He smiled for the boys in suits and kept his voice low. He watched while the others crowded into the vehicle.
Cap said, “I’ll head back to the office. I’ll have a patrol car pick me up.”
“Guess that leaves me with Toly’s car,” Acer said. “Any special direction you want to take them in?”
“Back to the shack. Put up the special electronics.”
Acer raised his brows. The last time they’d used their electronic fence someone got hurt.
“Keep it on until I call you. We’ll be a while. I need you to figure out who these two are.”
“On it.” They shook hands and laughed like they had not a care in the world.
Then Dane got into his Jeep and prepared to make the two professional followers lose their way.