“Thank you, just put him through, please,” she asked politely.
She closed the door to her office and took the seat at her desk. She composed herself as the light flashed highlighting Sean was holding.
“Mr Fox, how can I help you?” asked Katherine as she took the call.
“Sorry I thought I was holding for Governor Brown?” replied Sean.
“As you can imagine the Governor is taking some time to mourn,” she replied sincerely.
“I’m scheduled to be joining the Governor on his trip to Moscow, he hasn’t cancelled, has he?” asked Sean a little too desperately, showing his hand a little more than he would have wished to.
Katherine liked the sound of what Sean wanted. It was exactly what she wanted, the Governor on the plane to Moscow.
“I’ll see if I can get…”
“Actually, it’s OK, I’m just pulling up outside as we speak, I’d rather see him face-to-face, thanks,” interrupted Sean, handing twenty bucks to the cab driver.
“Of course, that’s fine,” she replied calmly, while her mind raced.
She walked through to the entrance hallway and watched as Sean grabbed a bag from the trunk of the cab and walked into the mansion. Katherine watched Sean carefully as he first opened the door and walked into the hallway. Her mother had shown her every little detail to be aware of. To date, she had never been wrong. Katherine could identify exactly how to work a man from his physical actions and facial expressions within the first few seconds of meeting him.
Katherine walked over and offered Sean her hand. “Katherine, I’m the governor’s Chief of Staff,” she offered.
“Sean,” replied Sean, looking around the mansion’s stunning hallway in an attempt not to stare at what had to be one of the most beautiful women he had ever met. “Lovely,” he said. “A stunning room,” clarifying he meant the room and not Katherine.
“Thank you,” she said, knowing exactly what he meant. She watched Sean as his eyes had devoured every inch of detail in the hallway. It had taken him the briefest of sweeps but his eyes had moved far quicker than required, checking and double-checking before evaluating the next obstacle or exit. To the untrained eye, he was any other guy entering a hallway. To Katherine he was a finely tuned killing machine, who was aware of his abilities but not over confident. Tall and powerful, but walked like a man half his weight, lightly and easily. Minimizing the sound of every step he took.
Katherine dropped her pen and Sean’s hand reached out and caught it easily. His actions were so smooth, they belied their speed. The fluidity of the motion proved just how in tune Sean was with his body. His reaction time was exceptional, hand to eye coordination must have been off the charts. Katherine made an executive decision. There was no way her assassin could deal with Sean. He was going to have to be dealt with in Moscow. It also ensured she had an ally in helping secure the Governor’s agreement to visit Moscow, never mind the chance for her to bed what she concluded was quite an exceptional specimen. A tingle of excitement, one that she had not felt for many years, brought an unexpected smile to her face.
Sean smiled in return, a cheeky smile that suggested he was reading her just as she him.
“I’ll just see if the governor can see you now, if you wouldn’t mind taking a seat,” offered Katherine.
As Sean took the seat, he watched Katherine as she walked back to her office. Her body was toned to perfection. He knew because her shirt and blouse hugged every part of her tightly leaving nothing to the imagination. As Katherine had given him credit for, he had identified every risk and safe point within the hallway. If a gunman were to run through the door, Sean knew exactly where and what he would do. But when it came to Katherine, the only thing that had crossed his mind was what she would be like naked and exactly what he would do to her. After all he had been in Afghanistan for over a year and available women were not exactly falling out of the trees, not that there were many trees and that was the point. A year, first Katie and now Katherine, two beautiful woman and a year’s worth of pent up frustration. He spotted the water fountain and poured himself a drink. He needed to refocus his mind.
Katherine closed the office door and rushed to her telephone device. She dialed Surkov’s number. She didn’t have time to wait for a text reply.
“Katherine, my dear,” answered Surkov.
“We have a problem,” she was in a rush. “Sean Fox has arrived and I’m not sure I can deal with him before the trip.”
Surkov remained silent. Katherine continued, realizing he would hear her out.
“I don’t think the man I have locally is capable of dealing with Sean and, more importantly, it seems that Sean is going to help me convince the Governor to come to Moscow. If he does and then he subsequently dies, I can guarantee the Governor will be going nowhere. You can arrange for him to be dealt with in Moscow, no?”
Surkov digested every word and kept coming back to the same ones 'going to help me convince.’ Why on earth would he want to do that, thought Surkov. The question of which Sean Fox still survived suddenly became more intriguing. If he were his Sean, there was no way he would encourage the Governor to travel to Moscow and if he weren’t his, why would he care? Surkov loved it! “Fine, let him come, we’ll deal with him here! Just hold on a second.”
Surkov had realized there was one other potential wrench in the works. He called Borodin.
“Dr Surkov,” answered Borodin cheerily, still walking on air from his upcoming promotion.
“Call your man off Sean Fox,” ordered Surkov.
Borodin did not answer.
“What’s wrong?” asked Surkov.
“You may be too late!” replied Borodin cautiously. It seemed when it came to Sean Fox, he never got it right.
Surkov slammed down the phone and returned to Katherine’s call.
“It seems Borodin’s man may be an issue!” offered Surkov.
“Fox is here just now, it’s fine, just get Borodin to call off his man. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Katherine ended the call and replaced the device in the hidden compartment of her handbag. She checked her make up in the mirror on the wall and opened her door to see Sean Fox tearing out of the main entrance.
When Sean’s phone began to ring, he dug it out of his pocket and fully expected Vincent’s dulcet tones. When he saw the caller id said Katie, a smile instantly filled his face.
“Hi Katie!”
“Hi Sean,” she replied nervously, a wobble in her voice that instantly had Sean on edge. “Where are you?”
“I’m in Austin, what’s wrong?” he said, standing and looking out the window, irrationally hoping to see something.
“How would you like to pay us a visit?” she asked, trying her best to remain calm. Sean could almost see the vision of James being held while Katie tried desperately to sound normal.
“Of course, when should I come?”
“Now would be good!”
“I’m on my way!”
Katie gave him the address. “Oh and Sean,” she added. “Please don’t bring anyone else!” she pleaded.
He was already out of the Mansion’s door by the time he had ended the call. The governor’s car sat ready should the governor wish to go anywhere. Sean jumped in and gave the driver two choices. The driver seeing Sean’s size and agitated state took the healthier one and hit the gas.
Chapter 70
Sean quizzed the driver how far they were from Katie’s address. Just over 10 minutes he had thought. Sean used the time to check the weapons he had packed for his trip to Moscow, as the governor’s bodyguard. He replayed what Katie had said in his mind, over and over again, 'don’t bring anybody else’. Her final warning. Nothing, although she hadn’t said 'anybody’ she had said 'anyone’, one. She was telling him there was only one guy.