least the next few decades of his life in prison. Vincent had promised, as a reward for saving the world from Surkov and his plan for world domination, he’d make sure the other agencies backed off. However, the lack of conviction and belief in what he was promising had Sean more worried than anything else they had discussed that night.
Sean checked his watch and adjusted the time zone again, it was nearing lunchtime and he wondered how Katie and James had fared last night. He had Katie’s number but it wasn’t for social calls. Katie and James needed to move on with their lives. Sean was a reminder of a huge void in their lives that would cause them nothing but upset. He retrieved his new CIA smartphone from his pocket and called the number the US Marshall had given him the night before.
“Hi Tom,” said Sean as the Marshall answered. “Just wondered how the guys were doing?” he asked as casually as he could, just in case Katie was to overhear.
“Hi Sean, actually I’ve just left them.”
“They’re on their own?” queried Sean instantly concerned.
“All set up in a new apartment, she didn’t waste any time, 7 am this morning she was pounding the phone.”
“Fantastic, nice place?”
“Not bad, nothing like the place she left, mind you.” Tom had picked up a few of Katie and Sean’s personal items before leaving Laredo. Sean had made it clear she was not to go anywhere near the old house, too many dead bodies and memories for her and James.
“I’m sure they’ll be just fine,” concluded Sean, surprised at how quickly they had moved on. Austin had been chosen as Katie had lived there before Laredo and knew the hospital where she had worked previously were always hiring.
“You’re not kidding, she’s some lady, even got herself a job by 10 o’clock!”
“Thanks for helping them out Tom, much appreciated,” said Sean as he ended the call.
As he waited for a cab to take him to the Governor’s mansion, he couldn’t help smile at the thought that he had given James back to Katie. Fuck the consequences he thought. What will be, will be.
Katherine had been up and about for hours, she had a busy day ahead and some minor miracles to achieve. Top of the list was convincing the governor of the national, no, international importance, of his Moscow trip. Statesmen had to put country before personal. She had been trying lines all night and nothing worked. It all sounded cliched. She had the rest of the day to think of something. The flight was scheduled to leave early the next morning.
As she made her way into her office, the secretary caught her attention. “I have a call for you Katherine,”
“Who is it?” she asked.
“Sean Fox,” was the reply that inwardly floored her. Katherine’s face remained unchanged, a wonderful ability her mother had taught her. Katherine rarely showed emotion and even then never spontaneously.
“Thank you, just put him through, please,” she asked politely.
She closed the door to her office and took the seat at her desk. She composed herself as the light flashed highlighting Sean was holding.
“Mr Fox, how can I help you?” asked Katherine as she took the call.
“Sorry I thought I was holding for Governor Brown?” replied Sean.
“As you can imagine the Governor is taking some time to mourn,” she replied sincerely.
“I’m scheduled to be joining the Governor on his trip to Moscow, he hasn’t cancelled, has he?” asked Sean a little too desperately, showing his hand a little more than he would have wished to.
Katherine liked the sound of what Sean wanted. It was exactly what she wanted, the Governor on the plane to Moscow.
“I’ll see if I can get…”
“Actually, it’s OK, I’m just pulling up outside as we speak, I’d rather see him face-to-face, thanks,” interrupted Sean, handing twenty bucks to the cab driver.
“Of course, that’s fine,” she replied calmly, while her mind raced.
She walked through to the entrance hallway and watched as Sean grabbed a bag from the trunk of the cab and walked into the mansion. Katherine watched Sean carefully as he first opened the door and walked into the hallway. Her mother had shown her every little detail to be aware of. To date, she had never been wrong. Katherine could identify exactly how to work a man from his physical actions and facial expressions within the first few seconds of meeting him.
Katherine walked over and offered Sean her hand. “Katherine, I’m the governor’s Chief of Staff,” she offered.
“Sean,” replied Sean, looking around the mansion’s stunning hallway in an attempt not to stare at what had to be one of the most beautiful women he had ever met. “Lovely,” he said. “A stunning room,” clarifying he meant the room and not Katherine.
“Thank you,” she said, knowing exactly what he meant. She watched Sean as his eyes had devoured every inch of detail in the hallway. It had taken him the briefest of sweeps but his eyes had moved far quicker than required, checking and double-checking before evaluating the next obstacle or exit. To the untrained eye, he was any other guy entering a hallway. To Katherine he was a finely tuned killing machine, who was aware of his abilities but not over confident. Tall and powerful, but walked like a man half his weight, lightly and easily. Minimizing the sound of every step he took.
Katherine dropped her pen and Sean’s hand reached out and caught it easily. His actions were so smooth, they belied their speed. The fluidity of the motion proved just how in tune Sean was with his body. His reaction time was exceptional, hand to eye coordination must have been off the charts. Katherine made an executive decision. There was no way her assassin could deal with Sean. He was going to have to be dealt with in Moscow. It also ensured she had an ally in helping secure the Governor’s agreement to visit Moscow, never mind the chance for her to bed what she concluded was quite an exceptional specimen. A tingle of excitement, one that she had not felt for many years, brought an unexpected smile to her face.
Sean smiled in return, a cheeky smile that suggested he was reading her just as she him.
“I’ll just see if the governor can see you now, if you wouldn’t mind taking a seat,” offered Katherine.
As Sean took the seat, he watched Katherine as she walked back to her office. Her body was toned to perfection. He knew because her shirt and blouse hugged every part of her tightly leaving nothing to the imagination. As Katherine had given him credit for, he had identified every risk and safe point within the hallway. If a gunman were to run through the door, Sean knew exactly where and what he would do. But when it came to Katherine, the only thing that had crossed his mind was what she would be like naked and exactly what he would do to her. After all he had been in Afghanistan for over a year and available women were not exactly falling out of the trees, not that there were many trees and that was the point. A year, first Katie and now Katherine, two beautiful woman and a year’s worth of pent up frustration. He spotted the water fountain and poured himself a drink. He needed to refocus his mind.
Katherine closed the office door and rushed to her telephone device. She dialed Surkov’s number. She didn’t have time to wait for a text reply.
“Katherine, my dear,” answered Surkov.
“We have a problem,” she was in a rush. “Sean Fox has arrived and I’m not sure I can deal with him before the trip.”
Surkov remained silent. Katherine continued, realizing he would hear her out.
“I don’t think the man I have locally is capable of dealing with Sean and, more importantly, it seems that Sean is going to help me convince the Governor to come to Moscow. If he does and then he subsequently dies, I can guarantee the Governor will be going nowhere. You can arrange for him to be dealt with in Moscow, no?”
Surkov digested every word and kept coming back to the same ones 'going to help me convince.’ Why on earth would he want to do that, thought Surkov. The question of which Sean Fox still survived suddenly became more intriguing. If he were his Sean, there was no way he would encourage the Governor to travel to Moscow and if he weren’t his, why would he care? Surkov loved it! “Fine, let him come, we’ll deal with him here! Just hold on a second.”
