utility van. The motor idled. Marshall, Tony, and Timmy were inside with them. The vehicle was parked on an overlook off an alpine highway in Switzerland. They’d driven through the night in two vehicles. It was midmorning. The outside temperature was below freezing. The sky was clear, but dark clouds gathered on the horizon.
“My mother?” Jake asked.
“Oh, yeah,” Lacey said in Italian, realizing that no one had mentioned anything to Jake about his immediate family. “A sister, too. They’re both terrific.” She combed one last strand of his slicked-back hair into place. “That’ll do.”
Her acting background had proved to be a critical asset. A dark wig, clever makeup, and a coquettish attitude had changed her from a blushing bride to a clingy middle-aged mistress. Her tight-fitting traveling clothes finished the look. The men had been duly amazed at the transformation. She appreciated it. For Jake’s part, the facial disguise needed to be more extensive. But he was perfectly typecast for the acting role of an Italian artist onvacation. The Fiat sedan parked behind them would provide the ideal cover.
In the van, Tony and Marshall sat in the driver and front passenger seats. They each had binoculars pressed to their eyes.
“Once we clear that outcrop beneath the gondola, we’re home free,” Marshall said.
Lacey translated for Jake.
“Christ,” Tony said, adjusting the focus knob. “I’m gettin’ too old for this crap.”
Lacey and Jake turned their attention to the computer station that Timmy had set up in the back of the van. The young scientist had connected one of two monitors to the electronic image on Tony’s binoculars. When the image zoomed tighter, Lacey understood Tony’s reservations. The snow-dusted cliff face looked treacherous.
“No worries, dude,” Marshall said. “I’ll blaze the trail.”
Lacey explained to Jake that Marshall had been an avid rock climber since childhood. It was the only form of exercise he practiced besides finger-dancing on a keyboard.
The mission wouldn’t have been possible if it hadn’t been for the safe house in Geneva. Timmy had explained that US government agencies had over a dozen of them scattered around the city. Between Timmy’s access codes and Marshall’s hacking abilities, it had been a simple matter to initiate what appeared to be an executive order to prep one for the arrival of a clandestine team. They’d gone there first. Weapons, disguise kits, and tech equipment—it was all there. The clothes and climbing gear, they purchased along the way.
“Man, oh, man,” Timmy said. “I still can’t believe we’re doing this.”
“It’s like we said,” Lacey reminded him. “What choice do we have?”
“Even so,” Timmy said. “This is way out of my league. I’m not what you’d call an outdoorsman. Besides, I can’t even imagine the shit storm that’s waiting for me back home.”
Marshall chuckled. “Welcome to the club, dude. This sort of thing is par for the course when Jake’s around. The rest of us learned that the hard way a long time ago.”
“I should’ve been home by now with Mel and the kids,” Tony said. “She’s gonna be pissed.”
Lacey said, “Yeah, well, I’m supposed to be on my honeymoon. So shut up.”
Jake waited for Lacey to translate the interchange. She chose not to. He shrugged. She figured he got the drift of it anyway. She hoped they were making the right move with this plan. After all, when they’d first discovered that the owner of the castle was Victor Brun, Timmy had said he was one of the good guys.
“Heck, he’s the one behind the Geneva conference,” Timmy had said. “Without his political savvy and connections, world leaders would’ve never gotten together.”
“Then why not simply knock on the door and ask for the mini?” Marshall had asked.
It was Lacey who had pointed out what a bad idea that was.
“Think about it,” she had said. “Jake shows up out of the blue
“My mother?” Jake asked.
“Oh, yeah,” Lacey said in Italian, realizing that no one had mentioned anything to Jake about his immediate family. “A sister, too. They’re both terrific.” She combed one last strand of his slicked-back hair into place. “That’ll do.”
Her acting background had proved to be a critical asset. A dark wig, clever makeup, and a coquettish attitude had changed her from a blushing bride to a clingy middle-aged mistress. Her tight-fitting traveling clothes finished the look. The men had been duly amazed at the transformation. She appreciated it. For Jake’s part, the facial disguise needed to be more extensive. But he was perfectly typecast for the acting role of an Italian artist onvacation. The Fiat sedan parked behind them would provide the ideal cover.
In the van, Tony and Marshall sat in the driver and front passenger seats. They each had binoculars pressed to their eyes.
“Once we clear that outcrop beneath the gondola, we’re home free,” Marshall said.
Lacey translated for Jake.
“Christ,” Tony said, adjusting the focus knob. “I’m gettin’ too old for this crap.”
Lacey and Jake turned their attention to the computer station that Timmy had set up in the back of the van. The young scientist had connected one of two monitors to the electronic image on Tony’s binoculars. When the image zoomed tighter, Lacey understood Tony’s reservations. The snow-dusted cliff face looked treacherous.
“No worries, dude,” Marshall said. “I’ll blaze the trail.”
Lacey explained to Jake that Marshall had been an avid rock climber since childhood. It was the only form of exercise he practiced besides finger-dancing on a keyboard.
The mission wouldn’t have been possible if it hadn’t been for the safe house in Geneva. Timmy had explained that US government agencies had over a dozen of them scattered around the city. Between Timmy’s access codes and Marshall’s hacking abilities, it had been a simple matter to initiate what appeared to be an executive order to prep one for the arrival of a clandestine team. They’d gone there first. Weapons, disguise kits, and tech equipment—it was all there. The clothes and climbing gear, they purchased along the way.
“Man, oh, man,” Timmy said. “I still can’t believe we’re doing this.”
“It’s like we said,” Lacey reminded him. “What choice do we have?”
“Even so,” Timmy said. “This is way out of my league. I’m not what you’d call an outdoorsman. Besides, I can’t even imagine the shit storm that’s waiting for me back home.”
Marshall chuckled. “Welcome to the club, dude. This sort of thing is par for the course when Jake’s around. The rest of us learned that the hard way a long time ago.”
“I should’ve been home by now with Mel and the kids,” Tony said. “She’s gonna be pissed.”
Lacey said, “Yeah, well, I’m supposed to be on my honeymoon. So shut up.”
Jake waited for Lacey to translate the interchange. She chose not to. He shrugged. She figured he got the drift of it anyway. She hoped they were making the right move with this plan. After all, when they’d first discovered that the owner of the castle was Victor Brun, Timmy had said he was one of the good guys.
“Heck, he’s the one behind the Geneva conference,” Timmy had said. “Without his political savvy and connections, world leaders would’ve never gotten together.”
“Then why not simply knock on the door and ask for the mini?” Marshall had asked.
It was Lacey who had pointed out what a bad idea that was.
“Think about it,” she had said. “Jake shows up out of the blue
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