“Yeah.” His voice was hoarse with regret. “I’ll always wonder what would have happened if…”
“Me, too.” She walked past him to the door, then smiled. “Showtime?”
“Yeah.”
He surprised her by taking her hand and leading her to the stairs. Then she remembered that this was Ortega- the master. Hadn’t he taught her to stay in character at all times, even when she didn’t think anyone was watching? They were lovers again-publicly and privately. And in these roles, they were going to kick some serious ass, mission-wise.
She had attributed her amorous behavior to role-playing, too, but she suspected Ortega had also been right when he blamed some of her friskiness on the power pill. Jonathan had said it best, hadn’t he? With the drug, there was no baggage. Just the here. The now. Forget about the past.
She had to admit, it had been amazing. Absolutely no regrets over making love with the man who had once been her nemesis.
But holding his hand? She wasn’t sure what to think about that. But he was right about staying in character, so she went along with him, imagining how Jonathan would react when he saw the Brigadier in full uniform, including his pistol, and “Jennifer” in skimpy loungewear.
But when they reached the drawing room, Kell was nowhere in sight, despite the fact Ortega had ordered him to stay put. It worried her. And apparently, it really worried Ortega, because his voice was close to a growl when he asked, “What the fuck? Where is he?”
“We were gone a long time,” she whispered soothingly. “He probably had to use the rest room. Or get a drink of water-”
“I ordered him to stay here,” Ortega said between gritted teeth. “Not to move a muscle! This is fucked. We’re fucked.”
“Shh…the guards aren’t around. That shows he isn’t suspicious, right? Let’s check his laboratory. And the bathroom. You scared him so bad, his stomach is probably twisted in a knot.” She gave an encouraging smile. “He’s ultraphobic, remember? And you’re his hero. The last thing he’d do is cross you.”
“Okay.” Ortega nodded. “We’ll check the lab and the bathroom. If we don’t find him, we’re outta here. Right? I mean it, Miranda.”
“We can use the back passage to get to the lab.” She waited until he had drawn his pistol, then she led him along the rear hall. “If he’s in there, don’t scare him again.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Ortega growled. “Worry about us, not him, will you?”
They reached the doorway to the lab, and Miranda scanned the room, which at first appeared to be empty. Then she saw a sight that sent a chill down her spine.
Jonathan Kell, curled in a fetal position in the far corner of the room, was so pale it bordered on lifelessness. On the floor in front of him were two paper cups, and she knew before she sprinted over to him what was in those stupid receptacles.
“Oh, Jonathan, no! You poor baby.”
He stared at her through bloodshot eyes. “I w-wanted to save you, J-J-Jennifer. I tr-tr-tr-tried-”
“Shush.” She cradled him against her chest, rocking him gently. “Oh, Jonathan. You did this for me? Oh, sweetie, I can’t believe it. You’re my hero, do you know that?”
“I d-didn’t take the pill.”
“But you tried to take it. With your delicate system, and all the possible side effects? You still tried to take it? To save me? Don’t you know what that means to me? Ortega!” She gave the pseudo-Brigadier an accusatory glare. “Say something.”
Ortega leaned down and said simply, “Pull yourself together, man.”
“Ortega!” She stared in disbelief. “Have a heart.”
“Come on, Jonathan,” Ortega insisted, ignoring Miranda’s criticism. “We’ve been through worse than this, haven’t we? We survived then. We’ll survive now.” Yanking Kell up by his shoulders, he reminded him firmly, “Breathe. In and out. Just like we did when Carerra had us.
“And don’t worry about your precious Jennifer,” he added with a wink. “She’s got something I want, so she’s safe. As long as she does what I tell her to do.”
Kell grimaced but made eye contact with Miranda. “He didn’t hurt you?”
“Actually…” She bit her lip, then managed a flirtatious smile-for Kell’s sake. “Ortega and I came to an understanding, sweetie. So don’t worry, okay? We’re all in this together now.”
Miranda could only imagine what Ortega was thinking as they sat with Kell in his drawing room enjoying an impromptu dinner of sandwiches, fruit salad, beer and tea. The former SPIN director had traveled across an ocean. Left the sanctity of his mountain retreat. Risked his life. All to save her. And she hadn’t even said thank you? Instead, she was making a fuss over a lunatic who didn’t have the guts to save himself let alone someone else!
“My hero,” she crooned. “Have another sip of tea, Jonathan. Please? For me?”
Kell cuddled happily against her. “I’m fine. Just confused. I’m glad the Brigadier didn’t hurt you, but… He said you’re CIA-”
“She was CIA,” Ortega interrupted. “I’ve convinced her to join us.”
“Before you give your penis all the credit,” Miranda told her lover with a sniff, “you should know it was Jonathan who really changed my mind. He told me all about your new political philosophy, and it make a lot of sense.”
Ortega glared at Kell in disbelief. “You told her?”
“Nothing incriminating. Just philosophy, like she said.”
Miranda nodded. “It’s the lesson of history. Greece fell. Egypt fell. Rome really fell. Democracy had its day in the sun, but it can’t protect us anymore. The big, lumbering countries take weeks to act on a threat. We need a system that uses modern technology-lightning speed communications-to protect us.”
“That’s all I told her, Ortega. I swear,” Jonathan insisted.
Ortega nodded. “In a way, Miranda and women like her will benefit more from our new system than anyone. Look at her. The CIA used her as a whore. Do you know what her colleagues call her? The Sex Kitten. Because they use her to get information from horny guys.”
Kell blanched. “Did they send you here to seduce me, Jennifer?”
“No,” she muttered, annoyed at Ortega for portraying her so blatantly, even though she knew it was an effective tactic.
“The CIA sent her to me, not to you, Jonathan,” Ortega explained. “I always knew they’d contact me once they found out you were involved with the Brigade. They wanted to use me to get to you. To find out who the Brigadier was. They never once suspected I was he. Miranda didn’t, either. She came to my cabin and seduced me. Spent a week making love to me. Then she left without any information. Do you know what happened next?”
Miranda wanted to ask “what?” but left that to Kell, who quickly did the honors.
Ortega smiled. “She was tired of being the CIA’s whore. She decided to come here herself, without authorization, and try to discover the Brigadier’s identity. She hoped that if she could do that, they’d value her as something more than just a gorgeous piece of ass.”
Miranda made a mental note to strangle Ortega, but didn’t interrupt.
Kell gave her a wistful smile. “I don’t blame you for trying to improve your situation.” Turning to Ortega, he asked breathlessly, like a child hearing a bedtime story, “How did you find out she was here?”
Ortega shrugged. “She’s a beautiful woman. And great in bed, thanks to the CIA’s training. After a few days, I missed her, and tried to track her down. I found out she had disappeared, and I knew she must have come here. To solve the mystery of the Brigadier’s identity. I was proud of her, but I couldn’t allow it. I had to protect the Brigade. And I had to offer her a chance to join us. To save herself from the American hypocrisy that had stolen her dignity from her.”
Give me a break… Miranda looked down at her hands, trying not to laugh out loud.
“Ortega’s right,” Kell told her softly. “Your own country made a prostitute out of you. You have more reason than anyone to join us.”
She nodded. “Like I said, you’ve got me convinced that the era of huge, geographically limited governments is over. But still, you’re talking about the United States of America, with its massive military strength, not to mention the strength of its allies around the world. They may be bloated, lumbering giants, but they’ve got the manpower.
