Chapter 16
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
The next day, Wyl and Rod rose early. They enjoyed coffee at the breakfast bar.
“We need to run to the market,” Rod said. “We have no orange juice for Mimosas, and we need tomatoes to slice and grill.”
“If we served French toast, we could skip the tomatoes. Hot mushy tomato slices just don’t do it for me.” Wyl shuddered.
“I could make those French toast bites like in San Francisco. We can add sausages and fresh fruit.” Rod made a mental grocery list.
“Sounds good. Thinking about it makes me hungry. Do we have anything to tide us over?”
“I’ll make us a few slices of toast.” Rod strolled into the kitchen. “Grab a couple of those bananas and peel them.”
“Got it.” Wyl reached into the fruit bowl.
After the light breakfast, they showered, dressed, and headed out for their shopping.
* * *
Back in the flat, they chatted as they worked on brunch.
“It was strange seeing MacGowan and Knowlan yesterday at the racecourse,” Rod said. “I never expected that meeting to happen so soon after we arrived in Ireland.”
“It surprised me too.” Wyl grabbed the plates out of the cabinet. “They seemed like a friendly couple, but Declan sure had a look about him that made me uneasy.” He set the table. “He was pleasant but with a sinister undertone that was hard to miss. They both seemed a little, I don’t know, forced.”
“Yeah, almost like their close couple routine was fake,” Rod said. “I don’t trust either one of them.”
“That is healthy, Rod. You are essentially an undercover agent now, so you should trust nobody if you want to stay alive.”
The knife he used to stem the strawberries clattered into the sink. Rod white-knuckled the counter edge and rasped out, “Stay alive?”
Wyl wrapped his arms around Rod, nuzzling his ear. “Sorry, babe. You promised to melt in my arms for our second Christmas on the ranch, our first Christmas as husbands. We can’t do that dead.”
“Dead?” Releasing his death grip on the counter, Rod rotated to face Wyl, eyes wide and mouth agape.
Wyl tightened his embrace, hoping to ease the angst he could hear in Rod’s voice and see in his body language and expression. “You’ve known since the beginning that this mission is dangerous. My job is to make sure nothing happens to you.”
Rod tightened his arms around Wyl. “It is not me I worry about losing.”
Wyl whispered in Rod’s ear. “We’ll be fine.” He kissed the ear and nibbled his lobe. “Now relax. We have guests coming.”
Rod took a deep breath before releasing his embrace. “Sorry, I freaked. The thought of death frightened me. In the back of my mind, I know it’s possible, but hearing the words sent me into a panic.” He stroked Wyl’s cheek. “Never stop telling me we’ll be fine.”
Wyl planted a fiery kiss on his husband’s lips, a sure way to pull him out of his panic. Rod melted into the kiss as he opened for Wyl’s tongue.
Wyl pulled away. “Better?”
The faraway gaze in Rod’s eyes told him yes, and he nodded and smiled.
“Good, now those strawberries aren’t going to stem themselves. Need me to beat the eggs or something?”
Rod took a deep breath and regained his composure. “Sure. Use eight eggs, and add a bit of cream as you whisk. Sprinkle in a dash of cinnamon, nutmeg, and about half a teaspoon of sugar.”
They worked together in the kitchen preparing breakfast, nudging each other playfully to maintain the needed body contact.
At eleven o’clock, the doorbell rang.
“I’ll get it.” Wyl checked the peephole and saw James Pearson and another man he had not met, whom he assumed was James’s partner, Glenn, the other British agent. He opened the door.
“James, good to see you again.” Wyl extended his hand. “Please, come in.”
James accepted the handshake, then turned to the man beside him. “Wyl, this is my partner, Glenn Cross. Glenn, this is Wyl Sterling.”
“Hi, Glenn. I’m pleased to meet you.” Wyl offered his hand.
“Blinding to meet you, too.” Glenn had a noticeable Cockney accent. He shook Wyl’s hand, and they entered the flat.
Wyl closed the door and whispered to James, “Blinding?”
“It means fantastic,” James said.
Wyl chuckled and called to Rod. “Babe, James, and Glenn are here.”
Rod strolled into the living room. “Hi, James. It’s good to see you again.” He offered his hand to James, then to Glenn. “Glenn, I’m Rod. Welcome to our little bit of Ireland.”
“Great to meet you, Rod. James mentioned you two and told me a bit about your relationship. I understand you created quite a sensation in San Francisco.” Glenn smiled and emphasized the word sensation.
“Let’s say San Francisco won’t easily forget us,” Wyl laughed.
“Why don’t we sit and visit for a bit before brunch?” Rod motioned toward the seating area. “Can I offer a mimosa?”
“I’d love one,” James said. “Glenn?”
“Me too,” Glen said. “My last mimosa was years ago.”
“Babe, you open the champagne, and I’ll get the orange juice,” Rod said. “You two make yourselves comfortable.”
Mimosas arrived, and the four settled in the living room.
“Glenn and I are stationed permanently in Ireland,” James said. “We can discuss the mission with him as he is involved.”
“I’m glad to hear you validate our information,” Rod said. “I hoped we could easily discuss things related to the mission.”
Wyl nodded. “O’Brien mentioned your name, Glenn, but didn’t provide any details. What do you do here in Galway?”
“I’m in commercial real estate,” Glenn sipped his mimosa. “I handle larger properties like warehouses and buildings with large square footage.”
“Glenn can keep an eye on properties that criminal organizations may lease. We’ve cracked some cases that netted quite a few arrests.”
“Wow, I never thought of that.” Rod rubbed his nose after a sip of the fizzy drink. “It’s comforting to realize the law enforcement effort is so well organized.”
Glenn nodded. “Speaking of organized, our combined intel indicates MacGowan plans something big, but we cannot determine exactly what or when. Chief Superintendent O’Brien hopes you can get close enough to MacGowan to ferret out details, Wyl.”
“We need someone on the inside who has access to his plans,” James gulped the last of his mimosa.
“Actually, we met MacGowan and Knowlan yesterday,” Wyl said. “We went to the tra…uh…” he snapped fingers at Rod.
“Racecourse,” Rod chuckled.
“Yeah…racecourse yesterday and bumped into them there. It was a surprise to both couples, I think.”
“Wow,” James said. “I didn’t expect you to connect until this week…at one of your sessions.”
“We thought that, too,” Rod said. “It was a shock when we sat down with them and discovered who they were.”
“Anything surprising come about as far as the conversation went?” Glenn asked.
“Nothing out of the ordinary. Mostly introductions and small talk,” Wyl said. “We discussed meeting them at Wilde’s but didn’t set a firm date. They enjoy your music, James.”
“We both detected what appeared to be a sinister side to Declan,” Rod said. “He was nice, but he gave me the creeps.”
“I’ve seen them in Wilde’s Pub and said hello to them while I work the room before I start my session, but I never conversed with them,” James said. “They appear normal enough, but as you mentioned, Rod, there is an undercurrent of seediness.”
“Watch out for them,” Glenn said. “They are not to be trusted.”
Rod nodded and drained his glass. “All right, everyone in the kitchen. I’ll start the French toast.
“Glenn, if you’ll take the cream out of the refrigerator and whip it up, we’ll have that to top the fresh fruit. A bowl and a whisk are on the counter, along with a spoon for serving. Add a drop of vanilla and a spoonful of sugar. You’ll find both on the counter.”
“James, you take the fruit from the refrigerator and stir the bowl so the juice coats all the pieces. Take a spoon from that drawer,” Rod pointed. “Put the bowl on the table when you finish.”
He turned to Wyl. “Babe, turn on the coffee, then freshen our mimosas.”
“Yes, sir,” the three responded as if in military unison. They chuckled as they tackled their assigned tasks.
The aroma of grilled French toast mingled with the scent of freshly brewed coffee. Everyone sat at the table ten minutes later, and the meal began.
“Wow…this is quite tasty, Rod. Where did you learn to do this?” Glenn asked.
“My husband is a genius in the kitchen,” Wyl said. “I’m surprised we both don’t weigh three hundred pounds!”
“I must say you are both quite trim,” James said. “Such a handsome couple.”
“We eat right,” Rod said. “Healthy eating is good eating. Like today. Fresh, and with only a minimum of fat.”
They finished the French toast, and Rod cleared the dishes while Wyl brought more coffee with the fresh fruit.
“How much experience have you two had in the field, Wyl?” James spooned fresh fruit into his bowl.
“I was a US Marine for 10 years,” Wyl said.
“At one point, I was captured and held prisoner by a group of Italians who wanted me to break into their government computer system. I was shot during the abduction, but they didn’t give me medical attention.
Fortunately, the bullet went all the way through my shoulder.
It still aches when cold weather hits. They kept me in a dimly lit room with nothing but a bucket for a toilet.
Even now, I experience occasional claustrophobia, and loud noises, gunfire in particular, give me a panic attack. ”
“He worries about being captured, and with his history, it comes as no surprise,” Rod said. “He’s also fearful of other loud, unexpected noises. He can fire a gun, but taking a bullet in Italy affected more than his shoulder.”
“Captivity is definitely something I’ll avoid repeating,” Wyl said.
“That sounds like a gruesome experience,” Glenn said. “I’m sure it made you even more aware of your surroundings in unknown locations.”
“Like Ireland,” James said. “What about you, Rod?”
“I have no field experience, military or civilian,” Rod said. “It surprised us when they chose me for this role. I was in the corporate world until my first husband left me. After that, I moved into higher education, which is fulfilling but not exactly a thrill minute.”
James chuckled. “Oh, I don’t know. I heard about the shootings on campuses in the United States. It would appear safety on campus is misplaced.”
“No place is totally safe,” Glenn added.
“I got freaked earlier today,” Rod said. “Wyl said staying alive, then he used the word dead. It hit me that not surviving was a real possibility. I panicked.”
“One passionate kiss, and he forgot all about death and dying,” Wyl chuckled.
“Yeah…Wyl has this way about him.” Rod laughed.
“You two are amazingly tight,” Glenn said. “James said he noticed a unique bond when he first met you at the club. I can see what he meant.”
“We’re lucky to have found each other,” Wyl said.
“Glenn and I have a combined twenty years as agents. In London two weeks ago, they briefed us on this mission. We learned about you two, including your experience and expertise. Please realize that we are here to protect and support you. You have the right combination of skills and a relationship that is enviable. Getting close to MacGowan and Knowlan is key to determining MacGowan’s plan and shutting it down.
Keep our phone numbers handy as we move through the next couple of weeks.
We’re your first line of defense at any sign of danger. ”
Rod sighed. “You don’t realize how much that means to us, James. The one thing worse than the fear of the unknown is the fear of being alone. Having you two at our backs makes me more confident that we’ll come out of this unscathed.”
“Things may get tough, Rod,” Glenn said. “But you and Wyl are aces. Nothing can beat the combination we four bring to the table.”
“Not even murder?” Rod’s voice trembled.