AllFreeNovel
Share Us
RAPPcrossed the Parc Floral’s grass, admiring the colorful landscaping that made the place such a popular Parisian destination. A child of about four ran past him with his mother in pursuit, creating a burst of activity that contrasted with the classical music emanating from a bandstand on the other side of the central water feature.
He adjusted his trajectory, weaving through couples sitting on blankets toward a less frequented section of the park. Finally, he spotted Claudia setting up their picnic in front of a stone wall that was still within earshot of the music. The location had the drawback of being in full sun, but it was a sacrifice she’d made to ensure that he had something solid at his back. Perhaps unnecessary in his current situation, but old habits die hard.
She waved when she spotted him, grinning beneath the shade of her broad straw hat. The casual sundress she wore was sleeveless and printed with flowers that mimicked the ones next to her so well italmost qualified as camouflage. Otherwise, she was typically devoid of jewelry and her sandals had been cast aside to reveal tanned, dusty feet.
“You look amazing,” she said, giving him a quick kiss as he took a seat next to her.
He didn’t acknowledge the compliment, but she was right. Along with a portfolio of meticulously forged documents, Losa’s people had reworked Rapp’s image to fit that of a wealthy Canadian attorney named Matthieu Fournier. The Richard Mille watch alone ran north of half a million dollars.
The timepiece felt a little obnoxious strapped to his wrist, but it was hard to complain about the rest. The tailoring on the tan slacks and Egyptian cotton shirt was impeccable and both somehow seemed impervious to the damp heat that had settled over the city. The pièce de résistance, though, was the shoes. Also custom-made, they looked like a pair of five-grand Italian loafers, but performed like a set of trail runners.
After a closer inspection and a series of approving nods, Claudia retrieved a jar of pâté from her picnic basket. “Can I tempt you?”
“Absolutely.”
She spread some on a piece of baguette and then dipped back into the basket for a bottle of champagne. He accepted a glass, its coldness suggesting that the traditional wicker container hid something more high-tech inside.
She scooted closer, running her fingers through hair that had horrified Losa’s stylist and then down his carefully trimmed beard. “It’s so soft. And your skin looks ten years younger.”
“It took a four-person team two days,” he admitted.
“And the cut of your shirt,” she said, lowering her voice. “I can’t see even a hint of your gun.”
“That’s because I’m not carrying it.”
Her expression carried the expected amount of surprise.
“Apparently Damian’s executives don’t carry weapons. He thinks it’s vulgar.”
“It’s Damian now?” she said with a hint of disapproval. “And you agreed to that?”
“Until I’ve repaid my debt to him, he’s the boss.”
She frowned as he polished off the bread and pâté, washing it down with some champagne.
“Maybe it’s better that way, Mitch. You’re just a lawyer representing his business interests. A noncombatant. Your shield is that there are very few people who want to make him angry. Certainly not over a simple negotiator. All risk, no reward.”
“You could be right. But it might not be his enemies that are the problem. It might be Syria itself.”
“An unpredictable operating theater to be sure. But you can’t take on an entire country with a Glock and a couple of magazines. Better to focus on playing your role convincingly and let other people do the shooting.”
“That’s the goal,” he said, joining in the applause as the symphony went silent.
“Try to achieve it.”
He laughed. “Where’s Anna? Don’t tell me you gave up a chance to force her to speak French.”
“Tempting, but not so much that I was willing to miss out on a little adult time in Paris. I left her with Scott. He just bought a new attachment for that tractor he loves so much and they’re going to spend the weekend playing with it.”
Rapp placed his champagne on the grass and leaned back against the wall. Coleman could never think of anything to spend his money on, so he’d recently bought a top-of-the-line John Deere that he’d then had painted by a local hot rod shop. When he wasn’t involved in an operation, he liked nothing better than to drive it around his burgeoning agricultural empire.
“So, what do you have for me?”
She took the change of subject in stride. Their relationship was built on an inviolable division between business and personal. Nomatter what happened on one side, it was to have no effect on the other. Most people had bet against their arrangement working, but they’d managed to beat the odds.
“The Agency examined all the Canadian identity documents you’ve been provided and admitted that they couldn’t have done much better.”
“What about backup, though? If someone sends an investigator to Toronto, are they going to find physical evidence of Matthieu Fournier?”
