Chapter 21
Stifling a yawn, Sam led Audra through Heathrow. Their nap on the plane hadn’t been nearly long enough. But with a strong cup of coffee, it would keep them running close to full capacity.
After they said goodbye to Ezra, they’d quickly headed for customs. Surprisingly, they made it through with ease. Audra had presented her fake passport without batting an eye. He’d tried to match her energy. Apparently, he’d done so well enough, because the border agent bought their story that they were married and waved them through after checking their documents.
“So, you gonna tell me how you got that passport into their system?” Sam asked, keeping his voice low as they headed for the exit.
She sent him a coy smile. “You aren’t the only one with resources.”
Sam chuckled. “Touché, my dear.”
She grinned. “So, I’ve been thinking. About those resources, actually. Mine, not yours.”
“Oh?” The doors swished open, and they stepped outside. A soft drizzle fell, giving the air a hazy appearance. He was glad he didn’t have to drive in it.
“On the flight over, I was running a list of people I know through my head and sorting them into two categories. People I can possibly trust and those whom I either don’t know well enough to determine that or those who I could see going behind my back and contacting Dee.”
“How many trustworthy people did you come up with?” He lifted a hand, waving down a taxi.
“Only a couple. One of them is the guy who made my passport. I’m not sure what he can do for us now, but if it becomes necessary, I know I can get us some excellent travel documents.”
“Who are the others?”
“A couple of friends who are unrelated to the Secret Intelligence Service.”
“Is there no one inside the service you trust?”
“Not yet. I’m hoping I can trust Dee. We’ll see.”
The cab pulled up, and Sam opened the door for her. She slid inside while he helped the driver load their bags into the trunk.
“Where to?” The man asked as they got in.
Audra gave him the name of a hotel in Westminster. Sam laid an arm over the back of the seat and tipped her into his chest. Even though they’d slept some, Audra still needed more. He knew she’d push herself as far as her body would allow—likely even beyond—but for now, she could rest.
The cab wove through the narrow London streets. Sam held his breath a few times as they narrowly missed sideswiping a bus or another car. This city was not built for modern vehicles. But Londoners were determined not to let that stop them. Eventually, he laid his cheek atop Audra’s head and closed his eyes, preferring not to know if they were about to crash.
To his surprise, he dozed off. The next thing he knew, the cabbie announced they’d arrived.
Sam blinked the sleep from his eyes and gave Audra a nudge. “Honey, we’re here.”
She came awake with a quick inhale and sat up. “Oh.” Yawning, she covered her mouth and looked outside. “After we check in, we need to get some coffee.”
“Definitely.” Sam pulled on the door handle and climbed out. Once they had their luggage, he paid the driver, and they went inside the hotel.
They booked a room for several nights, paying the extra fee to check in early, and stowed their belongings before heading back out into the mist. At least it was relatively warm, since it was May. “Where to?” he asked.
“Coffee. And I need a phone. We’ve put it off long enough.”
He nodded. “Sounds good. Let’s find a coffee shop, then we’ll see about getting you a burner.” He took her hand and set off down the sidewalk. They didn’t have to wander far before they found a small bakery.
The scent of fresh bread and pastries hit him as they stepped inside. His stomach growled. They hadn’t eaten much on the plane, so he was starving.
“I’m going to get a sausage roll and a pain au chocolat. I might even get a yogurt. I could eat a horse, I’m so hungry.” Audra rocked onto the balls of her feet, then back down, crossing her arms as they took their place in line.
“I’ve got you beat because I plan to eat two sausage rolls and an éclair. They look fabulous.” He could see them in the case just a few feet away. His mouth watered at the thought. He hadn’t had a decent éclair in years. Not since he was last in Europe.
The person in front of them completed their order and stepped to the side. Sam motioned Audra forward. They gave their order to the young woman behind the counter and paid. Luckily, the wait for the barista to make their drinks and heat their sausage rolls was a short one. Food in hand, they found a table and sat down.
Audra moaned as she bit into her sausage roll.
Sam chuckled. “That good, huh?”
“You have no idea how much I’ve missed this. It’s been almost two years since I’ve been back. Even before I fully became Alexandra, I was in the U.S., setting up her back story, making sure any current pictures were of me and not the actual Alexandra Burton. I couldn’t come back here. It was too risky.” She glanced around. “Even now, I don’t like being out in the open. But my cover’s already blown, so…” She shrugged.
Sam bit into his sausage roll. The savory taste of sausage warred with the buttery, flaky pastry, setting off a firestorm of flavor in his mouth. Most people would argue British food was bland. But no one could argue they didn’t have amazing sausage.
“So, what do you want to do after we get you a phone?” He took another bite.
She sipped her coffee, a thoughtful look on her face. “I’d like to stake out headquarters and Dee’s flat. Following her from HQ really isn’t the best option, but we might get lucky. Normally, she takes the Tube to and from work, but sometimes she leaves for a meeting at Westminster in a hired car. And she doesn’t always return to the office before she goes home. I don’t know if we’d be able to see her in the back of a car if she left that way. But on a normal day, we’ll catch her coming and going. And I know we can stake out her flat. There’s a coffeeshop across the street.”
Sam grimaced. “Great.”
Audra tossed him a smile. “Spy work isn’t always glamorous. In fact, most of the time it’s spent sitting around trying to look inconspicuous while you watch your target. At least with you along this time, I won’t have random men stopping to chat with me.” She rolled her eyes.
He laughed. “It won’t stop the bold ones.”
She chuckled. “True. Some people just don’t care. And that will work both ways too. I’m sure there will be a few women who take a chance at you.”
“They can try.” He sipped his coffee. “But I only have eyes for one woman.” He sent her a heated look.
She met his stare for a moment before looking down at the remnants of her meal. A soft chuckle escaped. “I don’t remember eating all this already.”
Sam grinned, stuffing the last of his croissant into his mouth. He chewed and swallowed, then picked up his coffee and pushed his chair back. “Come on. Let’s go get you a phone and get this stakeout rolling.”