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Quietly, he pulled out another gun from his back and checked its magazine.
“The one on the table is for you. Use it if you have to.”
Then just like that, he left.
I stared at the door for a few seconds, trying to make sense of it all. Maybe itwouldbe safer in Switzerland, and all of thiswasfor the best. I was certain it would be a lot safer if he came with me, but if Andrei thought that it wouldn’t be, then nothing in the world could change his mind.
Nothing but maybe just telling him the truth about Marcello?
“No,” I mumbled to myself as I let myself fall onto the couch. Every criminal in the US knew who Marcello was. If Andrei found out, he would be even less likely to come with me. The last thing he would want was another dangerous entity after him; he had his hands full with the CIA as is.
I sighed. It was going to be a long night for me. It would be impossible to sleep the last night I might ever see Andrei again.
Life was unfair, and to people like me, labeled damaged goods, it always would be.
Chapter 10
Andrei
Iwas standing in front of the mall close to the meeting point with the guy who was supposed to give me the passport for some cash. We were supposed to meet in the mall’s parking lot under the broken lantern at ten p.m. I was about an hour early and waiting in my car when it hit me. Elise had absolutely nothing to wear. How the fuck would she get on a plane and land in a country with cold winters in flip-flops and a summer dress?
To be fair, I’d never had to worry about buying clothes for a woman before. The thought of it overwhelmed me.
I adjusted my baseball cap one more time. From the corner where I stood, I checked out the cameras surreptitiously. It was important to avoid them, and it was even more important to make this quick.
I headed into the building and walked into the first clothing store I encountered. I greeted the older store attendant, who asked what I needed.
“Shit, I don’t know,” I muttered.
“What was that?”
“Clothes for a woman about your height and size.”
With a frown, she directed me to the far corner of the store.
“I’ll pay you a day’s wage if you pick a few outfits for me.”
There was the friendly smile a customer deserved.
“Follow me.”
I watched as she threw together a few outfits and prayed Elise would like them.
“Shoes as well?” the woman asked.
“Everything.”
She nodded and walked over to the shoes. As a woman of few words, she was to my liking. This was easier than I thought.
After the woman rang up everything, I picked up the shopping bags and headed out of the building and toward my SUV that was parked under the broken lantern.
I looked left first and then right and kept walking slowly. Not far from my SUV was the taco truck of the guy who was supposed to give me the passport. I was wearing the red baseball cap as agreed to identify me as the buyer. Although I only looked once, the reaction of the man behind the taco truck’s wheel told me everything I needed to know. He nodded at me, then leaned backward quickly in the driver’s seat and spoke to someone in the back. The engine was still running, and the food window wasn't closed completely.
I fixed my eyes straight ahead and continued walking right up to the food window. Some young local guy held out a plastic bag. Glancing at the parking lot around me, I made note that nobody was watching me, then opened the plastic bag and analyzed the passport.
“Best work in all of Africa.” The young local grinned at me with golden front teeth. The passport was indeed immaculate. Even the anti-forgery emblem was perfect.
I nodded, satisfied, and handed him a bag with cash. The man’s grin widened as he counted the cash.
