Chapter 72
72
Lars
The next morning, everything between us was back to normal. Rachel kissed me goodbye, then left to go home and get ready for work.
I didn’t mind; I had my own job to get to.
I was sitting outside the café at 10 AM sharp when Alistair walked up. I searched his face for an indication that he knew about Gunnar’s snooping, but I couldn’t detect anything unusual in his expression.
“You want a coffee?” I asked as he sat down opposite me.
“I won’t be here that long,” he said as he pulled a bulky manila envelope out of his jacket and slid it across the table.
I took it from him. “Right out here in the open, huh p>
“It would be far more suspicious if we met in some darkened back alley p>
“What about at your workplace p>
Alistair smiled without humor. “That will never happen p>
“Aren’t you worried somebody could take photos of us p>
“Not particularly p>
Okay, then.
“Open it now?” I asked as I tapped the envelope.
“Go ahead p>
Inside, I found a sheaf of papers, a cheap cell phone, and a UK passport.
I opened the passport and saw my picture staring back at me –
But with a new name beside it.
“Lars Kinberg?” I asked.
“Just for this job. You’ll get a new identity for each assignment p>
There was also a driver’s license and credit card with ‘Lars Kinberg’ on them, along with a stack of 50,000 Norwegian Krone – roughly 4400 euros or $4700 US.
“Use the credit card only if it would raise suspicion not to,” Alistair instructed. “Hotels, that sort of thing. Pay cash for everything else. Whatever you don’t use, I’m going to need back p>
“Where am I going p>
“Kirkenes, Norway. Up in the Arctic Circle p>
“Sounds cold p>
“It’s freezing. Appropriate gear will be provided for you when you arrive, but take some warm clothes anyways p>
“What about a car? Am I supposed to rent one p>
“A man will meet you at the airport with your name on a piece of paper – your new name. He’s one of ours. He’ll take you to a car and give you the keys p>
I flipped through the passport. The pages were filled with stamps from other countries – Sweden, Greece, Norway, Spain. “Impressive. It looks like I actually went to these places p>
“You did,” Alistair said with a slight smile. “If anyone checks, they’ll find airline records with ‘Lars Kinberg’ listed as a passenger on those dates. The reasons for your travel are in your dossier. Memorize them p>
Your dossier.
I thumbed through the sheaf of papers.
“Your cover story is all there,” Alistair said. “After you’ve memorized it, destroy it p>
Along with the papers, I found a surveillance photo of a fifty-something man in an expensive suit. He had curly grey hair and a worried-looking face.
“Your target is a Norwegian national named Hans Solner,” Alistair said. “He’ll be on vacation at his estate near Kirkenes for the next three days. He likes to ice fish – that’s where we suggest you take him. He’ll have a bodyguard with him, maybe two p>
I glanced around. No one else was sitting outside the café, but I couldn’t help but check that no one had overheard.
“Don’t look around like that,” Alistair scolded me. “It makes you look suspicious p>
“I was just making sure – ”
“I wouldn’t have met you here if it was unsafe,” he said coldly. “You do your job, I’ll do mine p>
Now that he was my employer, Alistair was starting to turn into a real dick.
“Study the photo,” he ordered. “I’m going to need it back when I leave p>
As I stared into the eyes of the man I was going to kill, I asked, “What did he do p>
“He’s the CEO of a company that makes munitions for NATO. Because of that, he’s privy to some rather sensitive information – which he gave to the Chinese after they blackmailed him over his 20-year-old mistress, who’s on their payroll. Rather than lose half his fortune in a divorce, Solner decided to commit treason p>
That sounded like a good enough reason to kill somebody.
“I’m going to need a gun,” I said.
“A.300 Win Mag with a suppressor and Bushnell scope will be in the vehicle. There will also be a suppressed Glock 22 for any close-up work p>
I raised my eyebrows. Everything Alistair had mentioned was top-flight quality.
“I’ll need to shoot the rifle a couple times to adjust the scope to my liking,” I said.
“Kirkenes is extremely remote. Just drive 10 miles in any direction and have at it p>
“What do I do with everything after I finish p>
“Just put them back in the car. Our agent will take care of it when you drop off the car p>
I picked up the cell phone. The screen was locked.
“What’s the password?” I asked.
“546237. The phone pad numbers for Kinberg, just without the ‘G p>
I entered the password and opened the phone. There were only a few apps installed, including Google Maps.
I checked the contact list. There was only one number programmed in.
“Do NOT contact Rachel on that phone,” Alistair warned me. “In fact, don’t make any calls unless it’s to that number. Memorize it just in case you lose the phone, and call it when you’re done or if you get in trouble p>
“How’s cellular reception in Kirkenes p>
“The phone has satellite connectivity. It’ll work even out in the middle of nowhere. All the other pertinent information – your tickets, hotel, and itinerary – are in that packet. Memorize and destroy everything but your tickets and hotel reservations. Your flight is tomorrow evening. You’ll have to spend the night in Oslo and catch a morning flight to Kirkenes.” Alistair cleared his throat. “I know we discussed this already, but it bears repeating: if you get caught – by the Norwegians or Solner’s men – you cannot rely on us. You cannot call Rachel, your friends, or anyone you know. You cannot contact the Swedish or the British embassy. You’ll have to deal with the mess yourself. Do you understand p>
“What if I’m wounded p>
“If you get hurt but are otherwise uncompromised, call the number in the phone. They’ll arrange extraction.” Alistair stared me dead in the eyes. “Do you understand p>
“Yes p>
“Good. I need the photograph back p>
I handed it to him and he tucked it inside his jacket.
“What about renting a place to live here in London?” I asked.
“Don’t worry about that until you get back. In fact, keep things as they are for at least a month. I might be able to arrange a flat for you under a shell company p>
“What do I do when I get back home p>
“Relax. Enjoy time with your girlfriend p>
“No, I meant – will there be a debrief p>
Alistair shook his head. “Not unless something goes wrong. So make sure nothing goes wrong p>
“When do I see you next p>
“When I need you, I’ll contact you. We’ll meet at this same spot unless I tell you otherwise. Any questions p>
I shook my head.
Alistair stood up and smiled wryly. “Godspeed, Mr. Kinberg p>
Then he turned and walked off down the street.