Page 24 of The Ghost

Still, we had to take the first step if we were ever going to make it to the end. I kissed her forehead, putting all my affection into the simple gesture. And then we released each other.

I saw her transform from my girlfriend into the cold-hearted assassin I’d met in the beginning. It was stunning to watch as she packed up all of her softness and hid it away. I knew she would be okay. Come hell or high water, we would both complete our tasks and find each other once again.

We walked out of the command center together, as bulletproof a couple as there had ever been. I rode the elevator alone as she stayed to talk to Lukas. The next time I saw her, everything would hopefully be resolved. I didn’t trust Dark Sparrow or MI6, but I trusted her. And together, we were going to beat this game, no matter what it took.

Chapter 12

Theo

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I WENT TO THE HANGAR to meet up with the team. But when I arrived, there was no one there. I saw several different vehicles: four Jeeps, two armored tanks, and a surveillance van. There was a smattering of technicians working on various pieces. I approached one man who was loading equipment onto the van.

“Hello?” I said.

He gave me a suspicious look and remained silent.

“Theo Wells,” I introduced myself. “I’m on a mission to Finland.”

The man shrugged, hefting another box into the van. I glanced inside and found a woman calibrating the machinery. She wore a set of headphones and was concentrating on her work. I waved a hand to flag her down, and she responded with a bit more enthusiasm.

“Hello?” she asked, coming out of the van to talk to me.

“Finland?” I said, expecting her to know what I was talking about.

“They’re prepping the jet,” she responded. “Hangar two.”

I wasn’t aware that there were two hangars. After getting directions, I followed the path to the second hangar where the aircraft were held. This was much more promising, but still, I didn’t see a team. There was only a single technician standing atop a ladder, working on a jet engine.

I felt like I was still in the wrong place, and had no choice but to ask for help. “Excuse me!”

The technician looked down, clearly upset to find someone waving a hand at her. With frustration evident in every step, she climbed down to the floor. Putting her hands on her hips, she waited for me to explain myself.

“Finland?” I repeated.

“I’m getting it ready,” she snapped, as if I had questioned her competency. “Give me forty-five minutes.”

“I was expecting a team,” I said, confused.

“That’s news to me,” she responded. “All I got was a solo operative and this bad boy.” She pointed up to the cockpit like a proud parent.

I shook my head. This kind of miscommunication wasn’t uncommon, especially in organizations as large as MI6. But it was dangerous nonetheless. I didn’t mind going in alone. Actually, that would better suit my needs. I didn’t want someone looking over my shoulder who might object to lethal force. But it would have been nice to receive proper intel about the mission.

“Carry on,” I instructed the technician.

I was going to have to go back to the command room to talk to Lukas. He’d left out a few vital instructions such as that I would be flying alone, and there would be no one to back me up. Giving him the benefit of the doubt, I considered the fact that maybe the plan had been changed on him too. Maybe he was unaware that it had become a solo mission.

Luckily, Clark was still there when I arrived. Both she and Lukas seemed surprised to see me. Considering the fond farewell we had just shared, I could understand her concern.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“Are you aware that I’m on a solo mission to find Regg?” I spoke to Lukas instead, answering Clark’s question at the same time.

“I wasn’t,” Lukas replied. “I was told there would be a team.”

“Well, I was just at the hangar, and there’s no team. The person prepping my jet says she was told it was a solo mission,” I informed him.

“Give me a second,” Lukas said, holding up a finger.