“Ididn’t ‘sell you out.’Ijust took the win.Youwould’ve done the same thing ifIhad been the one sleeping when the scientist showed up with that case.”
Hisgaze burns into me for a painfully long moment.I’mwaiting for him to fight back.Toargue.Butthen, he simply asks, “WouldIhave?”
Thenhe turns and walks back to the car, leaving me rooted to the ground, completely bewildered.Hisquestion, the way he asked it, that look on his face— it all feels enormous.Toomuch to process.
Hewould have done the same thingIdid, right?Thathad been his entire goal and what he’d been working toward while we’d been in that hovel in the forest.Thereason why he got close to me.Thereason we cozied up together for three days, swapping stories about our pasts.
Right?
Iwatch his backside until it disappears behind the treesand shrubs, thenIhear a car door open and close.Ican’t seem to get my feet to move.Idon’t know what to do with this information.Isit possible thatI’vebeen so wrong about him all this time?
Thisis too big.It’smore thanIcan take in.
CHAPTER 14
CONCRETE CRITIQUES AND CHEESEBURGER CHATS
LEDGER
Ifyou ever want to keep your self-esteem intact,Istrongly advise against having your handler, your intelligence operative partner, and your partner’s tech op ever discuss how your body matches up against others.Especiallyif they’re doing it as if you can’t hear every word they say.It’slike standing in front of a jury, wearing nothing but a unitard, and having your physical traits up for discussion.
Oh, and do it in a room where the walls are cement, the lighting is harsh, and the only mirror is warped and makes you look like a funhouse attraction.
Thelist of art enthusiasts who are invited toSavovic’sprivate auction that we got fromMilacontains sixteen names.Rightoff the bat, we eliminate eleven names because their body type is too different from mine, because their faces are too well-known, becauseSavovicorMonaLizaare close to them, or because they only speakSerbian, andIdo not.Forthe other five,Iget to hearPackstonandKellain my earpiece andZoein real life as they look at pictures of the men on the list and give their opinions of whoIshould impersonate in order to get a private showing.
Opinionslike, “Ithink we could fake the tattoo sleeves, butLedgerdoesn’t exactly have the build of an ultra marathoner.”And“Idon’t think so.Lookat that picture of the man rock climbing.IfLedgertried to impersonate him, he’d look like he was smuggling boulders under his climbing shirt.”And“Theguy’s a former ballet dancer—Idon’t thinkLedgercan pull off being that graceful.”
Iexhale loudly. “DoIreally need to be present for this conversation?”
Aftera littletoomuch discussion, we settle onTobiasRennertwho, according toKella, is a “hyper-animated tech mogul turned art investor fromToronto,Canada.”Helive-streams art experiences, which makes impersonating him both easier and more difficult.
FromwhatI’veseen of his videos and other intel they’ve gathered about the man, he talks at breakneck speed about the convergence of technology and art, is always sporting (and can’t stop talking about) his high-tech accessories, like smart glasses, he visits the gym often, and almost always wears a blazer over a t-shirt with some kind of tech joke.
And, from all the info we were able to gather, he andMonaLizahaven’t been in the same location,so my cover won’t be blown.Theguy is single, too, so we won’t have to explain why he’s showing up with his administrative assistant instead of his wife.
Hispersonality is a bit much, which is good because then impersonating him will help take the focus offZoeso she can place the tracker.Whichwe need since she’s the kind of woman who grabs people’s attention.Shegrabbed mine.Shestill grabs it every day, even whenI’mvigilant in distracting myself from thinking about her.EventhoughIknow she fakes feelings about people.Aboutme.
Wework with theCSAandCIAto come up with a plan to stall the realTobiasRennertfrom enteringSerbiabeforeIfinish pretending to be him.Wesettle on creating a situation where he’ll need to stop inBerlin,Germanyon his way fromTorontotoBelgradeto fix a manufacturing problem with an interactive art installation that uses his company’s technology.Theissue is happening on the eve of its unveiling, much to the consternation of the panicked organizers.Andby “panicked organizers,”ImeanPackstonembracing a role he “was born for.”
WeletPackstonand our agencies do their thing while we go gather everythingI’llneed to impersonateTobias.Butas charming asIam on the phone withMonaLiza,Ican’t get a private showing at the mansion scheduled until tomorrow morning.
Sincethere isn’t anything more we can do to prepare,ZoeandIactually have time to sit and wait.AndIhate sitting and waiting.Spendingfive minutes playing with a soccer ball with the local kids when the next step is readyto be taken is one thing.Butbeing held back from doing the next step is frustrating.
So, instead of sneaking into the mansion, disguised as someone else, and completing this leg of the mission, we order room service.Pljeskavicafor me, whichI’venever had but from what they tell me, is aSerbianburger made of spiced pork, beef, and lamb.Anda mushroom risotto forZoe, along withSjenicacheese.
Weboth sit on the bed to eat in our budget dungeon suite with the cement walls and floors because the only other place to sit in the room is on the cot they brought in for me.Andhonestly,Idon’t think it’ll hold both of us and stay in one piece.Andsince we are eating in bed,Imade the request to room service thatZoe’sfood be “Somethingthat makes a lot of crumbs,” just like she requested for me on the plane.Sothey sent the cheese with very crumbly crackers.
Itipped them extra.
Zoeunwraps the cheese, and immediately, a very assertive, earthy, pungent smell fills the space.Iput a knuckle under my nose. “Ican’t believe you brought that into our room.”
Zoejust smiles, cupping the cheese in the palms of her hands, like it’s precious, and smells it, breathing in deeply. “It’san art,Ledger.Thestinkier the cheese, the deeper the flavor, the richer the experience.Wantto try it?You’vebeen missing out on a whole world of taste.”
“Missingout?”Iraise an eyebrow. “Iprefer my food not to assault my senses beforeIeat it.Itsmellslike you’ve marinated gym socks in vinegar, put them in a gym bag, then left it in a hot car for a week.”
“That‘assault,’” she says, breaking a piece of the white cheese off and looking at it like it’s a rare gem, “is a symphony of history, culture, and a meticulous aging process.It’snot just cheese; it’s a story in every bite.”Sheplaces the piece of cheese in her mouth and closes her eyes, moaning at how good it is.
Icross my arms. “And‘the story’ is a suspense thriller where the plot twist is that everyone’s noses are the victims.”Thisis theZoeIfell for back inMoldova, andI’mfeeling drawn to her in the same way right now thatIdid then.Mybrain keeps sounding the alarm that shoutsDivertyour thoughts!AndIshould.IknowIshould.ButI’malso having fun.
