Unable to sleep, I dress, and take the stairs to the gym. After running for a few hours, I lift weights until the sun comes up. Breakfast consists of a sandwich and a gallon of coffee. Then, I shower, watch the news, and it’s time to bring Stacy to school.
“Ready?” The six year old bounces out the door and as I take her hand, she tugs on it so she can kiss my cheek.
Nodding to Mrs. Nelson, a sixtyish nanny, I push my comm unit deeper into my ear. “Off to kindergarten. Over.”
“Copy that.” The voice at Patten responds almost immediately.
Once Stacy is settled at her school, I park the car in a nearby lot, and take a subway to Columbus Circle. From there, I jog to the office and buy a couple cups of joe in the lobby.
A few minutes later, I knock on my boss’ door frame. “Got a sec?”
Inside his plush headquarters, he glances up from his computer screen. “Sure. But only a few. The Brazilian ambassador is interested in a driver for his family.”
“Sweet. I’ll be quick. My wife wants an invite to Oblonsky’s costume party.” I place his caffeine fix on his desk. It’s not much of a bribe, but it’ll have to do.
“Thanks.” He takes a gulp and sighs. “Did she say why?”
“No, but I’m about to find out. Since when does the FBI go around kidnapping people?” My blood boils but I tamp it down. No reason for my pal to see how pissed I am.
“Maybe there’s an imminent threat?” His brows raise and mine go higher.
“Hell if I know but they took her phone and said not to contact me. If this damn op is so hush-hush, why call in a contractor? Something is off.”
Slate nods. “Huh.”
“My thoughts exactly.”Good to know we’re on the same page.
“So. Where’re you off to next?”
“Costume place. I fucking hate Halloween.”
“Nice chat.” Sighing, he struggles with a tie, shrugs on his coat, and smooths back his dark hair.
“Yeah. See you tonight.” I plop down in a spare cube, login, and locate a promising store. Texting them, I get confirmation they have my size, and take a subway downtown. By the time I finish, I have just enough time to pick Stacy up from school.
She jumps into the back of Patten’s bulletproof SUV, her hands flailing as she chatters on. “Tomorrow is Halloween. I'm going to be a witch. Daddy didn’t want me to because it’s a secret. I really am one. Oops, I shouldn’t have told you.”
Her grin is catching so I smile back. “Oh Really? Are you a good witch or bad one?”
“Neither, but I can do stuff.” Her pink sneakers kick her booster seat and I snap her in. As another precaution, I check the application that tracks the GPS transmitter in her shoes. When a red dot appears on the map of Manhattan, I pull her hair and she giggles.
“Can you ride a broom like Harry Potter?”
“Don’t be silly. No one can. But I can make a fire. Wanna see?’
“Maybe later. Not while I’m driving.”
The kid couldn’t be cuter if she tried. “How about tomorrow?”
“Sure, honey. Love it.”
“Okay.” She sings some song at the top of her lungs, kicking and waving her arms.
For a moment, her eyes catch the light of a passing car and the brown part glows red. It’s spooky but in one blink, it’s gone so I laugh it off. Witch indeed.
I hope, when Sam and I have a rug rat of our own, she’s as smart as Stacy. At that thought, I groan. Can you imagine two females with a tendency to get in trouble instead of one? Holy fuck. I might not survive. From now on, I’m praying for boys. Maybe two or three. They can help me keep an eye on their mother.
Leaving the little girl with her caregiver, I investigate Vladimir. Slate always has background on my clients but the Russian’s was pretty flimsy. For example, it seems to me, a guy with a b’zillion bucks would want his own people guarding his family. The only reason he’d use someone else is if he suspected disloyalty inside his ranks.
