Page 58 of One Last Stand
“It takes a security force to stay neutral.” Mitch had come in behind him, closing the door. “And there’s the issue of Cryptex. It’s Montelena’s primary source of income. It cannot be compromised.”
Shep nodded, noticed the closed door, the way Mitch stood with his arms folded.
“Sir?”
“I need to know, Shep. Are you still on mission?”
* * *
London had naturally walked over to the window. She’d lived in so many embassy apartments, a few houses, a few rental flats, but none, not even her apartment in Port Fressa, Lauchtenland, had had a view as grand as this view of the castle on the mountainside.
Not ever quite royal.
She’d never wanted to be royal. Not really. Didn’t want to be trapped in that life. But sometimes she wondered what it might be like to live with so much . . .attention.
Still, the castle always intrigued her, perched right on the edge of a cliff, towers on either end of a white stone wall, a winding cobblestone drive leading up to an arched gate.
On her last visit, Prince Luka had pointed out a few hiking paths up the mountain for better views of the castle. Maybe she’d take a hike with Shep while they waited for her appointment.
She walked over to the bed and opened her backpack, pulled out her cell phone. She’d left it off for the trip and now it powered up. Putting in her EarPods, she dialed Ziggy’s number.
“Tell me you’re in Montelena,” said Ziggy. She sounded like she stood outside somewhere, maybe in the rain.
“Yes.”
“And you have the bio card?”
“No. I have to get an appointment. And even after that, it’s a seventy-two-hour wait to get the card. That puts me at Friday.”
“I don’t like this, but okay. And you brought Tomas?”
“Yes. He’s under York’s custody. Thanks for the lift, by the way.”
“York knows the Orphans and speaks Russian and has history with the Petrovs. Use him if you need him. He will deliver Tomas to the Swans after you are done with him.”
She froze, staring at the cold hearth. The room held a chill.
“No. What? What will you?—”
“Calm down. Tomas needs to be rehidden. We will help him secure new papers and disappear.”
Oh. That. Right. “Sorry.”
“Take a breath, London. You can trust me. And, by the way, yourself. You know what you are doing.”
Did she? Because over the past month, she’d felt so far out of her element?—
“To be clear, this is it. My last mission. I am going back to Alaska Air One after this. With”—she swallowed—“Shep.”
“Are you sure he wants you?”
The question knifed through her, turning her a little hollow. “What?”
“You are a much different woman than the one he thought you were. Perhaps?—”
“I’m not a much different woman. I’m London Brooks.”
“You will need to be Laney Steele if you hope to succeed in your mission.”