“You should be.” Her tone remained cold and uninviting.
Wolfgang sat in the chair next to her and dusted off his knees. “What are you working on?”
She turned back to the maps. With practiced twists of her elegant fingers, she left another line of neat handwriting on the pad. It was feminine and strong, written with confidence and command.
“Listen,” he said. “I know I messed up today. There’s no excuse. But you can count on me, all right? I really am good at my job, and I can contribute, too. Maybe if we talked more ahead of time, I could really add to the discussion and be an asset.”
“An asset?” Megan’s lips were set in hard lines, but he saw a vein flex in her temple. “I don’t need an asset, Wolfgang. I need somebody who follows orders. We’re not a family. We’re not friends. We’re a team, and all I need from you is for you to get the job done. Are we clear on that?”
Wolfgang felt like he’d been kicked in the gut again. He winced, feeling his cheeks flush. Megan looked back at her maps, and Wolfgang stood up, catching sight of Kevin smirking at him from the corner.
Is she always this cold?
Wolfgang found his way to the minibar and sifted through the alcohol until he found an unopened can of seltzer. It was warm, but the carbonation still helped to clear his throat. He felt Kevin’s glare on him, and a bubbling wave of rage began to boil inside of him again.
What the heck is wrong with this guy? I’ve not done a thing to him.
Wolfgang turned to Kevin, ready to resolve the issue head-on, but the bedroom door swung open, and Edric appeared, a notebook in one hand. “Gather up! We’ve got another shot at Spider.” He flipped the overhead lights on and motioned everybody to the table. “Megan, bring the maps.”
The group crowded around the table as Lyle reluctantly shifted his computers to one side. Megan spread out the map, and Edric traced it with the tip of a pen. He stopped at a point in the heart of Paris, just northeast of the Arc de Triomphe.
“The Hôtel Salomon de Rothschild. An exclusive, invite-only art gala is taking place there later tonight. Spider has reached out to Raven and rescheduled their meeting for during the event.”
“So, he hasn’t gone to ground,” Megan said.
Edric let out a tired sigh. “Thankfully, no. He must’ve seen Wolfgang running, and it rattled him enough to cancel the rendezvous, but apparently, he’s willing to reschedule.”
“Not only that,” Megan said, “he gave Raven the rendezvous point hours ahead of time. He wouldn’t do before.”
“That’s true,” Edric said, “and it gives us more time to plan. But we have to assume that the Russians have obtained the same intelligence, and they also have time to prepare. They still want this guy dead, and we can only assume they’re willing to shoot up a gala to get the job done.”
“So, what’s the play?” Kevin said. “Do we establish a perimeter and monitor for intruders?”
Edric shook his head. “No. Spider chose the gala as a rendezvous because he believes it’ll be safe. I can only assume that hotel security is already pretty tight, and like I mentioned, it’s an invitation-only party. Spider provided Raven with a fake invite. They will each enter the party posing as VIPs, and I’m sure the Russians will do the same, which means . . .” Edric looked at Megan.
She began shaking her head almost immediately. “No. I told you, I don’t play dress-up.”
Edric smiled disarmingly. “Come on, Megan. I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t really need it. Raven provided a copy of the invite so we can doctor and duplicate it for you and an escort. Then Lyle can hack the hotel computer systems and add your pseudonyms to the electronic guest list.”
“I told you, I’m not a Barbie doll. We can infiltrate the hotel via the roof and provide protection from the shadows. Armed.”
“No go,” Edric said. “That drastically increases the complexity of the mission. Megan, I need this. I need you to play ball.”
Megan scowled but nodded once.
“Thank you.” Edric turned back to the map. “Lyle and I will park the van two blocks away. We’ll provide central control, and hopefully, satellite surveillance.”
Lyle nodded quickly. “I’ve almost regained access. Shouldn’t be a problem.”
Wolfgang held up a hand. “Wait. Regained access? Does that mean what I think it means?”
Edric waved the comment off, but Lyle blushed. “Look, it’s not like we can afford our own satellite.”
“So, when you said earlier that you were having trouble with the satellite, what you meant was . . .”
“I was kicked off, yes. But no worries. I’ve just about hacked my way back in. We’ll be good to go.”
Edric waved his hand again. “Let Lyle take care of the satellite. Wolfgang, you’ve got other things to worry about. What’s your tux size?”
“Wait, you’re sending him?” Kevin lurched out his chair, his fists balled. “He’s an incompetent moron!”
“Sit down, Kevin.” Edric snapped his fingers, but Kevin didn’t budge.
“I don’t like it, boss. I should go. Megan and I have worked together for years. We know each other!”
“You’re right,” Megan said. “And we both know you have the acting skills of a pop star on cameo. You’ll blow our cover before we make it past the front door.”
Kevin fumed. “Are you serious? Meg, come on. We did the London job together.”
“It was a corporate board meeting, and you played my bodyguard. Completely different scenario.”
“You don’t trust me.”
“It’s not about trust, Kevin. It’s about skill set. Don’t make this personal.”
Kevin folded his arms. “James trusted me.”
The room fell deathly silent, and Wolfgang noticed Lyle’s gaze drop to the floor as darkness crossed Megan’s eyes.
Edric spoke between gritted teeth. “Sit down, Kevin.”
Kevin slumped into his chair, his cheeks dark red.
Megan turned away, facing the wall.
“I’m sorry,” Kevin said. “I shouldn’t have said that.”
Wolfgang opened his mouth, but then thought better of saying anything.
