The Agency

20 - France

"Precisely, sir."

"Keep on them, Murray. I don't want those fools driving Richard so far underground we never find him." A cloud of smoke enveloped Nathan and it seemed as if he was going to vanish like some magic act.

"Meantime, sir, shouldn't we be contacting our sources and advising them of the new procedures?"

"Right. I'll take care of that we'll activate her tomorrow, and Murray, see that Monique understands we are not open to any more of her deceit. Complete obedience and nothing less is her new mantra."

"I'll see to it, sir."

"Nothing too . . . persuasive. Just assurance that she thoroughly understands her position."

Murray gave a tight bow and left quietly.

Italy - October 2011

At noon Richard was strolling up and down the trot admiring the different boats anchored there. For October the weather was amazingly mild and calm. The harbor sparkled like silver foil in the noon sun. In the distance he could see the impressive architecture of the Palazzo San Giorgio, which became the very bank where Monique had squirreled their funds. He was almost tempted to walk in and ask for the money.

On his latest turn from the end he spotted the young woman in a pair of track pants and a light sweater, striding past the restaurant toward her boat and he raised his hand in a wave. She slowed and looked around then continued to her boat, jumping on board and tossing her pack onto a shelf below the steering wheel. The engine chugged to life and Richard broke into a quick lope reaching the boat in time to cast off and leap on board.

"Am I being presumptive?" he called, steadying himself as the boat made a tight arc out of the marina. "I took your parting comment as a possible luncheon agreement."

"I don't eat here." She steered the boat professionally through the small canals and out into the Golfo di Genova without any further explanation. Richard seated himself and held on as the boat slapped wickedly over the water, its pilot commanding his admiration for both her skill and her sexy appearance standing legs apart, leaning with her hips for balance as she changed course. He wondered if Chris Columbus would have left Genoa had he set eyes on a young woman as fetching.

The trip was a little over thirty miles and lasted just over an hour with Richard huddling low in the craft, uncomfortably cool. René didn't mind a little speed across the water he noticed with some trepidation. He saw the end of a peninsula coming up in front of them and she steered the boat toward the marina at the foot of the town of Portovenere.

"Is this some place special?" He called.

"It is to me." She slowed the engine and guided the boat through a narrow canal into a small harbor where several other boats were tied up alongside a long pier. Cutting the engine, René turned the wheel and slipped between a pair of outboards with amazing dexterity and barely nudged the wooden pier. She jumped out and made a quick series of knots then stood with her hands on her hips and stared down at him.

"Coming?"

Richard stood and shakily made his way to the side of the boat and hauled himself up onto the pier.

"Toss me that bag. Not much of a sailor are you?" She caught the bag and turned without awaiting his answer and started toward the shore.

"So it would appear." He called, following her incredibly saucy gait.

She jumped down onto a sandy strip and then climbed up to a gravel path that led around a stone monument dedicated to a unit of the WW2 resistance that defended the area from a superior force of German soldiers. She disappeared and when he rounded the monument she was sitting at a small table on the deck of a cozy looking little ristorante.