Chapter 169
169
Alistair
Istared at the television in my office. It was wall-to-wall coverage of the shooting at the Mandarin Oriental two hours ago –
But no word about any fatalities. Not even any injuries.
GODDAMN IT!
Callum was my best independent contractor in the UK. He wasn’t nearly as good as British Special Forces or my field agents in MI6, but he usually got the job done.
How the fuck could he have missed p>
If Lars had still been working for me, I thought with gallows humor, he would have made the shot.
Too bad I couldn’t hire him to kill himself.
Then another thought crossed my mind:
Rachel would have made the shot, too… if the target had been anybody but Lars.
Pain stabbed my heart at the thought of her.
I wasn’t sure whether it came from grief or hatred.
It was dark outside my office. The day staff had gone home, and the much smaller night shift was settling into their watch.
I thought about what I should do now that Callum had fucked up.
I was a bundle of nerves –
I needed a drink –
Suddenly, my burner phone rang – the one I’d gotten specifically for tonight.
I answered and snapped, “What the fuck happened p>
“He’s dead,” the Scotsman said.
The news nearly bowled me over with shock.
“…he is p>
“Yup p>
“But the BBC says no one was shot at the Mandarin – ”
“‘Cause I missed him at the Mandarin, but I got ‘im at a hotel down the road. Another little hidey-hole he went to as backup. Had to use a thermal scope ‘cause of the curtains p>
“You’re absolutely sure you got him p>
“Well, the fucker didn’t get back up after I shot him in the head, so, yeah, I’d say I got him p>
My heart leapt with joy.
The Swedish asshole was dead.
Four years ago – right after he’d been arrested in Lake Como – I’d had an agent break into his London hotel room, crack the safe, and take everything. His original ID, his personal phone… everything.
Then I’d destroyed it all.
The agent hadn’t known what he was stealing –
And nothing remained that tied me to Lars.
Now that he was dead, it was over.
“What about the girl?” I asked cautiously.
“She’s fine. She ran over to the body and crouched over him for a minute, then she left the room – but by that point I was packed up and ready to go. Now I’m gettin’ the fuck outta town p>
I felt that familiar stabbing pain in my heart.
Did you cry over him, Rachel?
Did you shed tears for Lars that you SHOULD have shed for us?
I composed myself and said, “Good job. I’ll wire you the rest of the money by tomorrow morning p>
“Thanks. Any other jobs in the pipeline p>
“I’ll call if I need you p>
“Sounds good p>
When I hung up, I felt the strangest mix of giddiness, anger, and relief.
The hardest part was taken care of.
All I had to do now was convince Rachel that it was the mafia who had killed Lars –
And that she was to blame for it.
Suddenly, my regular cell phone rang.
I looked at the number and felt my stomach twist.
Rachel.
Had she somehow figured out I had hired the shooter?
If so, I might have another job for Callum before he returned to Glasgow.
I steeled myself for the worst-case scenario before I answered.
“Rachel p>
Instead, I got the best-case scenario.
“Alistair!” she sobbed. “They k-killed Lars and now they’re after ME p>
My heart soared again.
I was off the hook…
And she had no idea who had really killed her Swedish fuckboy.
Still, I played my part to a ‘T p>
“Slow down, slow down – what are you talking about p>
“I… after I left MI6, I did a j-job for the mafia – ”
Which I already knew. I’d kept tabs on her, after all.
But I acted shocked nonetheless.
“Rachel p>
“I needed the money! But I missed the target, and now they’ve sent someone after me p>
“But how is Lars involved p>
His name was like vomit on my tongue. At least the bastard was dead.
“He’s in the mafia – WAS in the mafia – oh God p>
She broke down crying again.
“Was he the one who tried to kill you?!” I asked, doing my best to sound outraged.
I thought it was a nice touch.
“No, he – it’s complicated – PLEASE, Alistair, I need your help! I know I don’t have any right to ask, but they’re going to KILL me p>
She was in no danger whatsoever…
But she didn’t need to know that.
“Of course, darling, of course,” I said soothingly. “I’ll meet you at your house in – ”
“No – we need to meet at MI6 p>
I froze. “Why p>
“These people are animals – if they track me to my house, they’ll kill us both! But we’ll be safe at MI6 – they wouldn’t DARE come after me there p>
If the mafia were actually after her, she might have a point.
However…
“Rachel,” I said gently, “you’re persona non grata around here p>
“PLEASE, Alistair, I’m BEGGING you! MI6 is the only place we’ll be safe p>
I sighed.
I couldn’t let there be any surveillance footage of her. After her dramatic exit seven months ago, it would raise all sorts of questions about why I was letting her inside the building.
Getting her inside without anyone knowing was dangerous… but I figured I could pull it off.
And she would owe me even more because of it.
“Alright… come to the stairwell on the southernmost point of the building, the spot where everyone smokes by the gardens – you know the one p>
“Of course – but if I try to get over the wall, they’ll see me p>
A large wall surrounded the property, with surveillance cameras watching every inch of it.
“Text me as soon as you get here, and I’ll shut off the exterior cameras. I’ll text you back as soon as it’s done. You’ll have 60 seconds to get over the wall and reach the stairwell. Alright p>
“What about once I’m inside? We should go up to the roof where we can talk p>
Clever girl. The roof had the fewest number of surveillance cameras in all of MI6. It would be far easier to take her up there than try to smuggle her to my office.
“Alright, I’ll cut the cameras to the stairwell and roof, as well. Then we’ll figure out what to do. Where are you p>
“Near the Mandarin Oriental p>
About 15 to 25 minutes away.
“Can you get a taxi p>
“Yes. Thank you so much, Alistair… I hate to put you in this position, but – ”
“Think nothing of it, darling,” I said tenderly.
She sobbed. “I’m SO sorry for everything I did to you p>
Those words alone made it all worthwhile.
Righteous justification filled me, and I smiled. That’s RIGHT, bitch. And you’ll pay for it on your knees.
But I kept my voice kind. “Water under the bridge, darling. I’ll see you soon p>
“Yes… see you soon p>
Then she hung up.
As soon as she did, I hurried out of my office.
I could only count on 15 minutes before she arrived.
I immediately went to Security and found the night shift manager.
“When I tell you to,” I said, “I need you to cut out all cameras on the southern wall and the exterior building for 60 seconds. In addition, I need you to cut all security cameras in the south stairwell and the roof until I tell you otherwise p>
The manager stared at me like a dumbstruck cow. “Sir p>
“I said – ”
“I know what you said, sir, but – that’s highly irregular p>
I drew myself up to my full height. “Not that I need to justify myself to you, seeing as I am the Director of Operations and you’re the night shift manager for security, but I have an operative coming in from the cold, and – ”
I lowered my voice to a dramatic whisper.
“ – we believe we may have a mole inside MI6 p>
The manager’s eyes grew wide. “…really p>
“Yes, really, and I can’t risk the agent’s identity being discovered by the wrong party. So – when I tell you – I need all exterior cameras on the southern wall and building cut for 60 seconds, and I need the stairwell and roof cameras to be deactivated until further notice. Understood p>
“Yes, sir. Very good, sir p>
Excellent.
The manager led me to one of his techs sitting in front of a bank of monitors. When the manager informed the tech what was about to happen, the moron pushed back a tiny bit, but I shut him down by informing him who I was. He looked at me warily, then waited for my command.
Fifteen minutes later, I got a text from Rachel.
Here.
“Do it,” I said.
The tech cut the feeds on all the cameras – south wall, south stairwell, and roof.
Go, I texted back.
“Count to 60 and enable the exterior cameras again,” I said as I turned away.
“You’re not staying, sir?” the night manager asked in alarm.
“Of course not – I have to go meet the person I mentioned,” I said, giving him a blast of my full contempt.
Then I turned and walked quickly towards the stairwell.
I was absolutely giddy with anticipation.
I imagined our tearful reunion – how grateful Rachel would be –
And how she would repay me.
All the things I wanted her to do in bed that she had refused –
She would never be able to say ‘no’ now.
Not after everything I’d done for her.
How I’d forgiven her and taken her back!
I laughed out loud as I contemplated a future where the bitch never talked back to me again.
And best of all, I had removed my only competition from the face of the earth…
And she would never have any idea.
I got another text – Here – as I reached the stairwell.
I flew down the steps and flung open the door, expecting her to rush into my arms –
But she was standing there with a grim expression.
“Rachel!” I said, wary but trying to sound happy to see her. “What – ”
Before I could finish, my worst nightmare came true as Lars stepped in front of her.
“Surprise, motherfucker,” he snarled –
And then my world exploded with pain as he punched me in the face.