Ronan stepped back and crossed his arms. Heshook his head and laughed at himself. “This is all assuming he iswhere we think he is hiding, and that he is even there at the timeI go looking for him… again assuming that he is even in thearea.”
Nicolas stood and gave him a manly pat on theback, “Or we could just hide inside like sitting ducks and wait forhim to make a move.” He laughed and they headed out of the office.“I’ll be your lookout. Let’s go grab some radios.”
After a long day of planning, going overevery eventuality, and distracting themselves while they waited,Alain arrived in the large parlor with wine and snacks beforedinner. “I find that I’ve worked up quite an appetite.”
As soon as the snacks were on the coffeetable, Payson filled up a small plate with fruit and gorgeous freshvegetables, hard cheeses, dried meats, and a chunk of steamingfresh baguette. The fruit looked amazing; she’d never seen freshberries as plump and juicy as she had here. Ronan sat down on thecouch next to her and tried to steal a piece, but Payson deftlymoved the plate out of his reach. “Hey, this is mine.”
Enjoying the return of her easy banter, hepopped the stolen raspberry in his mouth and reached for the wineinstead. “Is this your own?” he asked Nicolas and Alain, studyingthe label.
“Yes. I will be sure we send a few crateswith the shipment of antiques. It is the best in the region.”Nicolas held his own glass for Ronan to fill and sat back into thefacing couch next to Alain. Ronan smiled, appreciating that hishost took such obvious pride in his work.
He turned to hand a glass to Payson. Sheshook her head, “No, thanks. I’m still jet lagged. The wine wouldknock me out flat. I’ll stick with water. My stomach is still alittle off from the traveling anyway.” She was babbling again. Sheonly babbled when she was nervous. Ronan felt terrible for bringingher into this stressful situation.
He nodded, leaning back with his glass andpulled her against him, needing to hold her close. “Find someinteresting pieces today?”
Payson smiled, enjoying the change insubject. “Yes, Alain has some truly beautiful pieces. Your sisteris going to go nuts.” Turning to Alain, she told him about Maddyand her weakness for antiques. “I have to invite her over for firstdibs whenever I receive one of your shipments.”
The foursome enjoyed easy conversation forthe next hour, mostly avoiding talking about the elephant in theroom, aka the impending mission. Ronan enjoyed talking and laughingwith their hosts, but he noted Payson had gone quiet sometimeduring the evening. Leaning against his shoulder, her eyes drewclosed and her breathing slowed. She was sound asleep. Apparently,she hadn’t even needed the glass of wine to knock her out.
Looking down at Payson, Ronan placed a softkiss on her head. He whispered to his hosts, “I hope you don’t mindif we miss dinner, but I think we’ll call it a night.” Ever thegracious hosts, they nodded and rose to clear the snack trays.Ronan lifted Payson into his arms and carried her to theirroom.
Holding her against him as he fell asleep ather side in the plush bed, listening to the accelerating rainfall,Ronan was absurdly content despite his pre-dawn plans. Wrappedaround her, he didn’t think he could survive without her. If hecouldn’t find a way out of this, maybe she would consider hidingwith him. Not that he would even consider asking it of her; hewasn’t that selfish.
He could see why she’d been wanting to come;her friends were truly amazing people. Generous, kind, and theyhadn’t even been fazed when he’d told them about the danger he’dbrought to their home. At least something had gone his way thisweek. He could only hope the next steps would go as smoothly.
29
Night crawled slowly by. The rain came and went, butthe sky was dumping buckets by the time Ronan slipped on his blackrunning shoes in the dark bedroom. Behind the horizon yet, the sunwas but a dream away. Payson sat up in bed, watching as Ronan satat the side of the bed to tie his shoes.
Payson wrapped her long limbs around him,trapping him for an extra minute. Whispering softly against hisback, she complained, “It’s a stupid plan. He shot you with theintent to kill you last time. I’d rather run with you, forever ifwe have to, than risk him getting you in his sights again.”
Ronan gently stroked her arms that werewrapped firmly around him, holding him in place. His voice quiet,the lights still dark, he needed to explain. “This is what I’m goodat. The sort of thing I trained my entire life for. Please, trustthat I can do this. I am done, ready to settle down. But… if I’mever to have any peace, I need to find those weapons and preventthem from getting into the hands of someone that will usethem.”
Her voice still sleepy, she leaned her headagainst his back, “And I’m to stay here while you’re out there?Sleeping soundly in bed like a damsel?”
“Nicolas will be watching the vineyard; Alainwill be running security inside the house. Why don’t you getdressed and ready, in case we need to run? Be ready to call thepolice if necessary?”
Resigned, she released him from her irongrip. Ronan turned and kissed her softly, briefly, whispering,“I’ll be back. Soon as I can. If you need updates, find Alain. Stayaway from the windows.”
Ronan stood with his hand on the knob, readyto leave. Dressed in black from head to toe, heading out on amission, Ronan felt a desperation that he hadn’t felt during an opin years. Never had a mission been so vital. Trusting another wasnever an option, but he couldn’t help but place his wholeheartedfaith in Payson to see this through with him. He was stalling, heknew it, but he wanted to be sure she was ok before he left.
Her emotions raw, she held strong withdeliberate posture and voice unwavering as she whispered one finalworry, “With no good hiding points for such a wide berth around thehouse, won’t he see you coming?”
Ronan flashed her an arrogant grin, “Theynever see me coming.” He enjoyed the clichéd lines, knowing itwould at least make her smile, if not convince her.
Swiftly moving out the door, he dashedsilently down the stairs at the same rapid pace. His mind raced amile a minute, calculating each step, each turn. Driveway clear, heran straight out the front door without pause, eyes scanning, hecircled wide around the outbuildings on the path he’d mapped in hishead.
Pitch black, not even the stars were out tolight his path. Just as he wanted.
Biting rain soaked him until he was cold tothe bone, starkly contrasting the dripping sweat and burningmuscles from his sprint around the vineyard. The contradictorysensations drove him faster. Splashing through a puddle at the farside of the vineyard, Ronan rounded the last bend and descendeduntil he could just make out the silhouette of the crumblingwatchtower.
Nicolas was right, that’s where he wouldchoose to sit and wait if he were watching the house. If he’d timedit right, asshole would be getting some quick shuteye before thehousehold awoke. Ruling out luck, as counting on things to go hisway was just asking for trouble, he tucked himself in a cluster ofenormous oaks behind the tower. He didn’t want to risk being turnedinto Swiss cheese if naptime was already over.
Watching, waiting for signs of movement, hisadrenaline, steady, unrelenting, continued to coarse through hisveins. Deep beyond the horizon, a soft purple glow cast the firsthint of dawn across the vineyards. From the upper window, he sawthe briefest flash of movement.
Pulling out the high-tech radio Nicolas hadgiven him, he notified Nicolas of his position, speaking quietly,“He’s here, in the watchtower as expected. I’m in position.”
A clipped Parisienne accent returned, “Beready, I’m running the diversion.” On cue, the lights from the nextfield over flicked on and the loud crack of a single gunshot echoedacross the vineyard.
