into his broad academic knowledge. Light beads of sweat suddenly appeared above his brow line. “That’s how the natives living in and around the Alborz refer to these nasty creatures!”
“It could be worse,” countered Cedric. He set the locks on his briefcase. “There are scorpions and spiders, too.”
The playful glint in his eyes told me—and should have announced to my boy—that Cedric was only having fun at his expense. Unfriendly critters abound throughout the world, and hell, we encountered far worse than this down in South America.
“Dad, don’t worry about it,” I sought to assure Alistair. “Really, we should be more worried about panthers and bears.”
I laughed and patted him on the back, which is one way I’ve been able to get him to relax in the past. His frown became a sheepish smile, as if he suddenly realized how silly his reaction was.
“I’m not afraid of bugs and reptiles—even the venomous ones,” said Amy, grinning wryly at Alistair. “I don’t mind running my hands through that stuff, as long as I’ve got some gloves.”
“There are three pairs of light-thermal gloves already packed for you in your vehicle.” Cedric took a step to the door after glancing at his wristwatch. “They are puncture proof too. Man, I hate to run, but I’m already late for a meeting at the Swiss Embassy. There are a few things left to confirm for when we head home next weekend. I’ll check in with ya’ll tomorrow morning at breakfast—be downstairs at 6:15 a.m. Are we cool with that arrangement?”
With his hand on the door handle, and one foot already out the door there wasn’t much room for negotiation. But then he paused to look behind the dresser where the room’s TV sat.
“Man, I almost forgot about this,” he said, while coming back into the room and reaching behind the dresser. He pulled out a bottle of wine and handed it to me. “Sam smuggled this in here per my request. Whatever you do, don’t get caught with it. When finished, pack the empty bottle with your luggage and we’ll take care of getting it out of the country.”
“Yet another means to earn jail time in Iran,” quipped Alistair, but then his eyes grew wide when he saw the label. “ Romanée-Conti!”
“Think of it as a gift from the good ole ‘U.S. of A.’,” said Cedric, beaming as he watched Amy’s expression soon mimic my boy’s. “Far bigger rewards await for your success in this mission, and this is a nice down payment.”
“Circa 1996…a burgundy like this has got to be worth, what, five to ten thousand dollars?”
Alistair took the bottle from me, gently handling it like the far more expensive artifacts we had uncovered during the past few years.
“If it went to auction…yes. But, it’s only intended for the palates of three very important people. So, drink it wisely.” He moved back to the door. “I’ve got to get out of here—Sam’s probably wondering where I am. See you tomorrow at breakfast!”
“See you then, boss,” I told him, speaking for us all. “Be careful out there.”
“I always am.” He offered one last playboy smile to Amy. Then he was gone.
“So, we’re all good to go with this?”
I closed the door behind Cedric and set the security lock. I then moved back toward my window, confiscating the wine from Alistair along the way, for the time being. I intended to close the drapes entirely, but for some reason felt inclined to peer down into the hotel driveway below us. The limo idled directly below me, so it must have backed up to allow other hotel patrons to park ahead of it. Courtesy that once was common in the states, but nowadays hard to come by.
“I’m good with it,” said Amy, after taking nearly another minute to review her espionage role again. She sounded more upbeat and cheerful than I expected at this point, nodding approvingly as she folded her itinerary and placed it in her purse.
“Me too, Pops,” added Alistair. He had already placed his copy
“It could be worse,” countered Cedric. He set the locks on his briefcase. “There are scorpions and spiders, too.”
The playful glint in his eyes told me—and should have announced to my boy—that Cedric was only having fun at his expense. Unfriendly critters abound throughout the world, and hell, we encountered far worse than this down in South America.
“Dad, don’t worry about it,” I sought to assure Alistair. “Really, we should be more worried about panthers and bears.”
I laughed and patted him on the back, which is one way I’ve been able to get him to relax in the past. His frown became a sheepish smile, as if he suddenly realized how silly his reaction was.
“I’m not afraid of bugs and reptiles—even the venomous ones,” said Amy, grinning wryly at Alistair. “I don’t mind running my hands through that stuff, as long as I’ve got some gloves.”
“There are three pairs of light-thermal gloves already packed for you in your vehicle.” Cedric took a step to the door after glancing at his wristwatch. “They are puncture proof too. Man, I hate to run, but I’m already late for a meeting at the Swiss Embassy. There are a few things left to confirm for when we head home next weekend. I’ll check in with ya’ll tomorrow morning at breakfast—be downstairs at 6:15 a.m. Are we cool with that arrangement?”
With his hand on the door handle, and one foot already out the door there wasn’t much room for negotiation. But then he paused to look behind the dresser where the room’s TV sat.
“Man, I almost forgot about this,” he said, while coming back into the room and reaching behind the dresser. He pulled out a bottle of wine and handed it to me. “Sam smuggled this in here per my request. Whatever you do, don’t get caught with it. When finished, pack the empty bottle with your luggage and we’ll take care of getting it out of the country.”
“Yet another means to earn jail time in Iran,” quipped Alistair, but then his eyes grew wide when he saw the label. “ Romanée-Conti!”
“Think of it as a gift from the good ole ‘U.S. of A.’,” said Cedric, beaming as he watched Amy’s expression soon mimic my boy’s. “Far bigger rewards await for your success in this mission, and this is a nice down payment.”
“Circa 1996…a burgundy like this has got to be worth, what, five to ten thousand dollars?”
Alistair took the bottle from me, gently handling it like the far more expensive artifacts we had uncovered during the past few years.
“If it went to auction…yes. But, it’s only intended for the palates of three very important people. So, drink it wisely.” He moved back to the door. “I’ve got to get out of here—Sam’s probably wondering where I am. See you tomorrow at breakfast!”
“See you then, boss,” I told him, speaking for us all. “Be careful out there.”
“I always am.” He offered one last playboy smile to Amy. Then he was gone.
“So, we’re all good to go with this?”
I closed the door behind Cedric and set the security lock. I then moved back toward my window, confiscating the wine from Alistair along the way, for the time being. I intended to close the drapes entirely, but for some reason felt inclined to peer down into the hotel driveway below us. The limo idled directly below me, so it must have backed up to allow other hotel patrons to park ahead of it. Courtesy that once was common in the states, but nowadays hard to come by.
“I’m good with it,” said Amy, after taking nearly another minute to review her espionage role again. She sounded more upbeat and cheerful than I expected at this point, nodding approvingly as she folded her itinerary and placed it in her purse.
“Me too, Pops,” added Alistair. He had already placed his copy
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