Page 57 of The Ghost

“Theo!” I shouted, grabbing the man by the arm and spinning him around.

It wasn’t Theo. The man, a British banker of the same height and weight, looked mildly amused. I snapped my jaw shut, wondering how I could have made such an amateur mistake. To call out his name and assume that he would have passed me by without so much as a hello was ridiculous. I apologized before hurrying away.

The meeting lasted longer than it should have. I gave my report and had to sit there while other people gave theirs. I felt like I was back in high school, being judged by my peers and not quite measuring up. I was certain that they all knew what a mess I was. They probably didn’t know I was carrying Theo’s baby, but they would soon.

What did pregnant spies do? Would I be confined to a desk for the next five months? Should I even bother keeping the job? I didn’t want to be out in the field with a newborn at home. It wasn’t fair to risk myself because if the worst happened, my baby would go into the foster system, which was where I’d met Mr. Ashcroft and started down my disastrous path.

Walking back to the hotel room, I made a decision. I wasn’t going to wait for the CIA to put me out into the field. In fact, I wasn’t going to talk to them about my condition at all. I had a contact who could create fake documents.

I could go anywhere in the world with the skills I had. I could blend in, learn to speak the language, and live out the rest of my life anonymously. I would open up a bakery or become a substitute teacher, anything to avoid detection. And my child would grow up in a normal, healthy environment, where there were no government secrets or evil warlords to fight.

I couldn’t wait to get away, somewhere I would never imagine running into Theo again. I had to remind myself that he was dead. I was never going to see him again. But somewhere deep inside, I held out hope. They hadn’t found a body. That meant something. Maybe he was recuperating somewhere like Ryan had claimed to be. Maybe the government was lying to me again; they’d proven that they would do so without remorse.

I had to hold out hope because it was the only thing between me and a complete nervous breakdown. But even as I recognized the slim chance that Theo could still be alive, I had to do what was best for me and the baby.

It was time to move on with my life. And I couldn’t do that as Clark Abrams.

Chapter 26

Clark

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ONE MONTH LATER

I examined the tomato, turning it over in my hand to make sure it wasn’t bruised. The sun shone on the tiny vegetable market, in a tiny island off the coast of Portugal. I’d chosen it because it was out of the way. There were no major international headquarters anywhere nearby. And Portugal was friendly enough that the United States barely paid any attention.

I’d brushed up on my Portuguese, taking some classes at a local church. As far as my neighbors knew, I was an artist from New York City who’d had enough of the crime and the greed. I explained to anyone who cared that I wanted somewhere quiet to raise my child.

At that point, I was showing, and while my stomach wasn’t gigantic, it was clear to everyone that I was expecting. I had a little apartment above a shoe shop, and I was learning to cook and make toys out of wood. My knife skills came in handy when I was whittling, and I’d managed to make a little train for the baby to play with when it was older.

Z and Lukas helped me get settled. After securing a new passport with a visa, I faked my death by putting my name on a list of passengers who’d died in a small airplane crash. They were just a bunch of rich businessmen, and it was easy enough for Z to hack the manifest. All she had to do was add my name to the roster and poof, I was dead.

I flew out the next day under my assumed name and reestablished myself in Portugal. While I suffered from a bit of loneliness, the new scenery did me good. I walked down to the beach almost every day to gaze out at the ocean. The sun and the salt were like a balm for my soul. I put a hand on my belly and practiced gratitude.

Glancing up, I thought I saw a ghost. Theo stood about twelve yards away, between two vendors with boxes of leafy greens. I blinked, expecting him to vanish like he did every other time. Or maybe it was just someone who looked like Theo but wasn’t really him.

The phantom continued to stare at me, giving me chills. I took a step toward it, wondering if I was imagining him. But then he broke into a smile and rushed toward me, proving once and for all that he was alive.

I dropped my basket, wrapping my arms around his neck. He felt so good, so warm and whole. My memories of his body were distant, and the reality of him stole my breath away. He pulled back to kiss me, and I felt all the pain and loneliness I had been carrying for so long just melt into a puddle at my feet.

“Theo,” I gasped, running my fingertips down the sides of his jaw. I could feel stubble, though he had recently shaved. It was yet another indication that he was really in front of me. “You’re alive?”

“I’m so glad I found you,” he responded, placing both hands on the back of my head. He crushed me to his chest so that I could hear his heart beating. But the pressure was a little too much for my belly. I eased back, putting a hand over my midsection.

Theo gasped, his gaze following mine to the protrusion. I gave him a smile, letting him connect the dots on his own. “It’s been five months,” I said.

“Is it mine?” he asked.

I slapped him hard on the arm, letting my anger answer the question. “Of course it is.”

He relaxed, a brilliant smile playing across his face. I fell in love with him all over again, realizing that I wasn’t going to have to spend the rest of my life alone. I watched as he placed a hand over mine, feeling the dimensions of the infant growing inside me.

I glanced over at one of the shop owners. She was watching us with romantic stars in her eyes. I appreciated the sentiment but didn’t want to make a scene. I took Theo by the hand, leading him back to my apartment.

He walked up the stairs with me, never taking his eyes off my stomach. I could tell he was thinking all the same things that I had been obsessed with when I’d first learned. The miracle of life and the promise of future grandchildren were all encapsulated in the yet-to-be-born baby. Not only did we have the rest of our lives to spend together, but we were going to start a family.

Letting Theo in through my front door, I gave him a quick tour. “Here’s the main bedroom and the baby’s room.” I had already gathered a few things for the nursery, including a crib and a changing table. I was working on a rocking chair, but it was slow going. I had the two rockers already cut and sanded down, but the rest of the chair was still in pieces.