“Meanwhile, you only care about succeeding if it seems fun.Orif it doesn’t interrupt your ability to have fun.Doyou even care about completing this mission?”
Myeyes narrow atZoe.Icare about winninga lot.JustlikeIdidn’t take thatCinEnglishLitback then,Idon’t settle for mediocre now.Iwant a win in my columnevery single time.ButIdo have a lineIwon’t cross.AndIcould argue my points all night.But, instead of saying somethingImight regret in the morning,Ijust say, “Goodnight,Zoe.”
ThenIturn and walk into my room.
CHAPTER 10
TALES FROM THE SPY SIDE
ZOE
“H
aveyou ever disarmed a bomb in a moving vehicle?”IaskLedger.
Henods. “OntheAutobahnin a sports car.Thebomb’s timer was linked to the speedometer, soIhad to keep it above one hundred kilometers per hour while figuring out how to disarm it.You?”
Inod, too. “OntheTokyoBulletTrain, weaving through passengers while deciphering a foreign language manual.”
“Thatwas you?”Ledgerasks with enough awe in his voice that it makes me smile.
MaybeIwas in need of sleep last night, too, becauseIdefinitely woke up this morning in a better mood thanIwent to bed.Iwas still annoyed thatLedgerwent for a run first thing when we had a mission to plan, though.ButIdid take the opportunity to pound out a couple of miles onthe hotel’s treadmill while he was gone and still got showered and ready to go before he returned.
Fromthe research we got from both of our agencies and our own brainstorming, we decide that getting ourselves onto the guest list is going to be nearly impossible.
Soinstead, we decide that we need to find an employee ofSavovic’swho we can turn into an asset.Andthen we need to get that asset to do one of two things: either shut off the security system long enough for us to place a tracker on the sculpture, or get us a copy of who’s on that guest list already so we can schedule a private showing in their name before they arrive inBelgrade.Eitherway, we need to turn an employee.
Theplace is a fortress, though, so we are currently sitting in the car thatDamjangot for us, staking out the back entrance where the day shift employees are likely to exit from, trying to pass the time.
Fromthe backseat,Damjansays, “I’vegot oneIbet neither of you have done.Haveyou ever posed as a circus performer to surveil a target?”
Ledgergrins. “Ijuggled fire inRio’sCarnivalwhile keeping tabs on a diplomat.”
Okay, that’s pretty good.I’msmiling, too, but inside,I’msmiling way bigger. “Iwent undercover inCirqueduSoleilinVegas.”
“You’vegot to be lying,”Damjansays. “There’sno way.”
Ishake my head. “Verymuchnotlying.Ihad to plant listening devices, and because of an incident at acraps table between aSpidermanfrom a superhero convention and aKlingonfrom aStarTrekconvention that turned into an all-out brawl,Icouldn’t get there before the show started.SoIdressed in costume, then tightrope-walked and swung across the stage and audience while planting the bugs.Nota soul suspected the high-flying operative among them.”
“Isthere anything you two haven’t done?”Damjanasks. “Oh!I’vegot it.Howabout swimming through shark-infested waters to complete a mission?”
“Offthe coast ofCuba,”Ledgersays.
“I’mcalling bull,”Damjansays.AndIhave to admit,I’mpretty impressed, too. “Aren’tthere tons of sharks in those waters?”
“Nearlytwenty percent of the world’s shark species,”Isay. “Howdid you stay safe?”
“WhosaysIstayed safe?”Ledgerchuckles. “ButIdid have homemade shark repellent and a flare gun for company.”
Inthe rearview mirror,Ican seeDamjan’seyes narrow. “Homemaderepellent?”
“FromJuliaChildsherself, before she became a culinary icon.”
“You’remaking this up,”Damjansays.
ButI’mintrigued. “Copperacetate mixed with black dye, right?”Iask.
Ledgerlooks surprised and maybe a bit impressed thatIknow.Henods.
