Spies & Lies Video

PROLOGUE

He observed her through hooded eyes, as she painstakingly slid out of the old four-poster bed, picked up his discarded shirt from the floor and slipped it over her naked body, its length almost covering the knees of her long, lovely legs.

She threw a furtive glance at him to reassure herself that he was still asleep, and then she gracefully slithered across the room, not causing as much as one board in the ancient floor to creak.

At that point, he fought the urge to throw off the sheet and call her back to bed. But something stopped him, a niggling feeling in the back of his mind, an awareness that he could not explain but felt strongly compelled to heed. His inherently suspicious nature seemed to be on full alert, and it gnawed at him more than he wished to admit, even to himself.

She then did something that altered his world. Glancing at him again, she gently lifted his suit jacket from the chair back where it had been hastily discarded earlier that evening in his desperate need to be close to her. She quite obviously knew exactly where to find his secret pocket and extracted the papers within, taking them to the window and reading them by the light of the street lamp.

After she had betrayed him, she pushed back the heavy blonde hair that had fallen over her traitorous eyes, threw a rapid glance at him again, and then returned the papers to their secret place in his jacket. All appeared as it had been only a few brief moments ago. And yet, nothing was the same. It could never be again.

Her hips swaying, she casually strolled across the room and picked up his package of cigarettes from the bedside table. Pulling out one, she lit it and carelessly flung the package back onto the table. She then swayed across the room to the window. A thin wisp of smoke from the cigarette lingered behind her, its musty odour mingling with the heady scent of her French perfume. Leaning against the window frame, she carelessly pulled back the curtains a few inches, took a long drag from the cigarette, exhaled deeply and then stared absently into the pea soup fog of the night.

He continued to observe her from across the dark room, dispassionately studying her as she stood in the dim light by the window, almost a shadow, while his common sense waged a war with his anger and his profound hurt. He was immeasurably relieved that she didn’t return to bed, knowing full well that he would not be capable of making believe that he had not just witnessed her treachery, or worse, afraid that his anger would overwhelm him and that he would do her serious bodily harm.

It had seemed too good to be true, when this blonde goddess chose him as opposed to the other men in his team. Her actions had just unequivocally proved that this really was too good to be true. It was crystal clear now that there was something far bigger at risk than his feelings of hurt and his complete mortification.

He knew that he was not the most handsome, and he certainly wasn’t the most articulate. He wasn’t even the most intelligent. But, he was the senior team member and as such, kept the records of their hard work. His anger was palpable that he had been set up in this manner, and it took supreme willpower on his part to control that temper. If this was what the past two wonderful weeks had been about, then he could play the game. And this was a game at which he was very, very, very good.

Deciding that his team must be briefed in the morning, he struggled with the knowledge that it would be very difficult and more than a little uncomfortable for him to admit that his normally razor sharp acumen had been overridden by something far more basic. But, his team would understand. That was a fact upon which he did, and would stake his life.

Then, he and the team would do whatever it took to help him turn this situation to their advantage. They had all taken an oath, and they lived by it. They stuck together through thick and through thin. It was what they did. It was what kept them all alive.

CHAPTER 1

Surveying his guests mulling about the family room, John felt a sudden surge of pride. The surprise birthday party for his oldest cousin Peter, had gone precisely as planned. The guest of honour had been totally surprised and was now animatedly telling a story to their elderly aunt and uncle, Willi and Jake. Several other members of their large family, including John’s wife, Sara, surrounded the merry group listening to the joke.

Sensing his glance, Sara looked up and velvet brown eyes locked with electric blue. The look that she gave him caused John’s face to break into a silly grin. It was the same boyish, goofy grin that he had flashed at her the very first time that their eyes had ever connected. He felt the same rush, the same electricity, even all these years later.

John reflected that Sara looked even more beautiful to him now, sixteen years after the fact, and several thousands of miles from where their paths first crossed. She was currently sitting comfortably in their family room, dressed in a casual pants outfit, but his memory flashed back to the short shorts and halter-top that she had been wearing the fateful day in Greece when the gods had sealed their fate.

Remembering it as if it were yesterday, he could still feel the simmering heat, see the brilliance of the Mediterranean sun and experience the thunderbolt that paralysed him when their eyes first met. He recalled her alabaster skin, incredibly white amongst the other tanned bodies on the beach.

She had been sitting in some shade, trying to avoid the unrelenting Mediterranean sun. Glistening brown hair was braided and pinned on her head for coolness. She had looked up at him with bewilderment as he stumbled and almost crashed into her. Luminous eyes registered surprise, and then a flicker of awareness as he tried to apologize, but became too tongue-tied to say what he desperately wanted to say. All he seemed to be able to do was watch her uncurl those long legs and to help her to rearrange her beach towel. And, as she brushed the sand away…

“Earth to Johnny!” A cheery voice interrupted his reverie. Smiling sheepishly, John threw his arm around his cousin Susan’s shoulder.

“Yeah, Johnny, where were you just now?” This question came from their cousin James, as he joined them, completing the triad that had formed when they were young children. Of all the many cousins in the family, they were the closest in age, and had always been the best of friends.

“That goofy grin tells me that you were thinking about Sara,” Susan continued.

“Good guess, Sue!” James approved immediately. “He does get that goofy look whenever he’s around Sara. He always has!”

Throwing his hands into the air in defeat, John’s full mouth slowly curved into a huge smile and he began to laugh. “I surrender!” You two really are good, guilty as charged!” All three began to laugh, a sound that caused the rest of the party guests to turn and look at them. It was a sound with which the family had become very familiar over the years.

“Oh, oh, the ‘Terrifying Trio’ is at it again!” Pete’s face lit with laughter and a wry grin. “You would think they’d have grown out of it by now!” Everyone chuckled, recalling when they all were children and the ‘Terrifying Trio’ as they had been dubbed, was constantly together and unfailingly in trouble.

“Pete and Mike were too chicken to attempt some of the stunts that we pulled off!” James huge grin and dancing brown eyes betrayed his recollection of some of their more risky encounters, some of which their families were still unaware, and about which they would never be enlightened.

“Thank the Lord for small mercies!” Aunt Willi announced, and threw her hands in the air in an exasperated motion. “None of us parents would have survived if all of you had joined in with these three in their escapades!”

That statement caused everyone else in the room to break into gales of laughter. Susan, John and James were a great many things, but staid and sedate they decidedly were not, even now. The evening continued in the same light-hearted vein, until one by one the guests began to call it a night.

“Bye Johnny, great party!” Susan reached up in a familiar, lifelong gesture to kiss his cheek.

“You’re leaving early – for you. Is everything okay?” He was instantly concerned, trying to ascertain if Susan was ill or if she had a problem of some sort.

Susan shook her head and smiled affectionately at her cousin and best friend. “It’s time that we get our out of town guests home to bed. Kevin’s already warming up the van. I’ll say good night to Sara, and then get Sophie bundled up. Call you tomorrow.” In typical Susan fashion, she promptly disappeared from the family room and went in search of their hostess.

Smiling lovingly as he watched his cousin seek out of his wife, John reflected how fortunate he felt to have both of them in his life. Susan had been his childhood best friend and between her and James, had been the shoulders upon which he could, and did lean and count upon when his father had been killed. He was closer to these two cousins than he was to his own brother, Mike. Much as he loved his brother, there had never been the same easy camaraderie with him as there was with Susan and James.

“This was such a good night, wasn’t it?” Sara’s voice invaded his thoughts as her arms encircled his waist.

Instantly, John’s arms surrounded his wife and pulled her closer. “I think so! I believe that Pete was really surprised. It’s so hard to believe that he’s fifty already.” John kissed his wife softly.

Sara was smiling playfully. “You’re not all that far behind! I talked to Ivan earlier. He’s so proud to have been asked to baby sit Pete and Linda’s twins. He has grown to be so responsible, even if he is only twelve. Do you think that turning thirteen in June will make him change?”

Sara began to turn out the lights. “Time for bed! Ivan’s staying at Pete’s overnight, so we have the house completely to ourselves. We can tidy up in the morning. I can think of better things to do tonight.” Her sultry voice and animated eyes glittering seductively were impossible for him to resist.

John didn’t argue. He couldn’t and he wouldn’t. Opportunities to spend the night alone with his wife were rare with a pre-teen in the house, and he intended to take full advantage of this unusual situation. Just the look in Sara’s eyes had his heart pounding and he felt a familiar rush of excitement at the thought of being with his wife. The household lights were turned off and hand in hand, they walked down the hallway to their bedroom.

The skylight in the hallway flooded moonlight through the open bedroom door, bathing the room in its silvery radiance, and as Sara reached their bed and turned to look at John, her face aglow in the moon’s soft light, her eyes radiant and welcoming, John stood drinking in the vision of his wife, the love of his life, and the woman that he believed in his heart of hearts, had lifted him from a life of loneliness and failure.

Gilding across the room to join her as gracefully as a panther on the prowl, he delicately caressed her cheek, soft and smooth, sliding his hand to cup her chin, tilting it upwards to receive his kiss, gentle and loving. Despite his best intentions, he was unable to stem the outburst of passion that flowed through his body with that one touch, and his kiss became one of need, one of lust and one of greed. There was no conscious memory of undressing, they were only aware of their passion, the giving and taking of pleasure, as their now urgent need for one another drove them breathlessly over the precipice to the exquisite explosion of pleasure that was theirs alone.

Cradling his sleeping wife in his arms, John was awake for what seemed to be hours, revelling in the feel of her soft body curled into his, the fresh scent of her hair and the soft breath of her sleep. He never tired of watching her sleep, her lovely face peaceful and childlike, so like their son’s. And he was truly grateful for all that he had in his life.

CHAPTER 2

As he opened the gate to Susan and Kevin’s front yard, John reflected on the marvellous transformation that they had wrought upon this old house that also served as offices for their business, BMGlobal Consulting. The once dismal vintage building now sparkled with new paint and a beautifully landscaped yard. The renovations Susan and Kevin had completed inside their traditional home were just as appealing, complementing the integrity of the age of the house and at the same time, allowing for every modern convenience.

Enjoying the good food and the company of their extended family was a joy that didn’t happen often, and was heartily embraced by everyone present. Susan’s younger sister, Sonya greeted them at the front door, ushering them into the great room where the family was enjoying the day. An extremely beautiful young woman, Sonya had the same china blue eyes as John and their grandmother’s very blonde hair. In fact, they could have passed as brother and sister.

Hugging her son, Ivan, Sara reflected on how tall and grown up he seemed to have become overnight. She smiled as he raced up the stairs to the small apartment that Sonya shared with her fiancé Bryan, to finish a term paper on her high speed computer and internet connection, which he coveted, and had not yet convinced his parents was a necessity of life.

A voice behind Sara spoke, and startled her out of her thoughts. “He sure is growing up fast. I can’t believe that Sophie will be a year old in July. Time just seems to absolutely fly by! Before you know it, Ivan will be finished high school and in university.

As they walked back into the kitchen together, Sara began to laugh. “It does seem like only yesterday that Ivan was Sophie’s age and now he’s almost grown up! It’s too fast for me and not nearly fast enough for him.” They then moved into the great room, and joined their families.

Lying in bed that night with his arms around Sara, John wondered if his grandmother was pleased with her family and the way they had remained so close. It was no great hardship, he reflected rather sleepily, given their mutual friendships.

A small beige Honda pulled off a narrow lane and into a short driveway, and an elderly driver got out and opened the garage door, returning to the car and driving it inside the garage. He emerged from the side door of the garage, quickly sprinting across the garden, losing his battle to remain dry in the seemingly non-stop February rain.

“Hullo Bertie!” He stooped to pet the small grey tabby cat that ran to greet him. “It’s just you and me for the next fortnight old boy, Muriel’s off to Lowestoft to visit her sister. Come along, then.”

Hanging up his wet overcoat and walking into the kitchen, he poured some now cold coffee into a mug, heated it in the microwave and then slowly walked down the hall into his den, with Bertie close at his heels.

Placing the coffee on its mat on the polished surface of his antique desk, he eased down into his scarred leather chair and booted up his computer. Absently petting the little cat now sitting upon his knee, he waited for his computer to start up. As he typed in a password and the computer screen leapt to life, a mobile telephone rang. Touching a panel on the side of his desk, it opened, and he removed the ringing cell phone.

“Great timing, old chap!” Leaning back into his chair, he greeted his caller. “Is there a problem? How the hell did that happen? Damn!”

His reaction to the voice on the other end of the conversation, had Bertie ready to run. Soothing the little cat, he continued his conversation.

“How long do you reckon? I’m almost done, you have my first thoughts already. I received some critical information from an old informant last night and began to decode it. It shall be forwarded as soon as I’m done. It will be hidden as we agreed upon, should the worst scenario occur. Thanks for the heads up. Watch your own back, will you? Yes, I will. Take care, Sully. Good bye.”

Finishing the call, he returned the cellular phone to its hiding place immediately, and turned his attention to his computer screen, in front of which the next few hours were spent working. Finally, he removed a CD from the computer and slipped it into a slot in the bottom of a small, intricately carved wooden box and then pushed a hidden lever. The CD was immediately covered by a padded velvet swathe, upon which he placed a few pieces of old jewellery and photos. Patting the box, he smiled softly and sighed in relief.

“Well, it is done, Bertie! And now we are back to retirement again. I’ll just take care of this and get some dinner. I might even go to the pub to celebrate tonight.” About twenty minutes later, he slowly strolled down the hall to the kitchen, followed by the little grey tabby cat.

“You go outside for a little while, Bertie. There is someone at the front door. You are a good little cat!” Closing the kitchen door behind Bertie, he then walked back down the hallway to answer the impatiently ringing doorbell.

The little grey tabby cat surveyed his garden through the wispy fog and casually strolled across the yard, when shouting from the house and a loud pop caused him to fearfully bolt for the security of the garden shed, and his secret, safe hiding place.