She closed the door and leaned her back against it. "You're late."
He made for the bar and poured rum into a tall, frosted glass. "I'm sorry, Selina." He turned to face her, making his voice contrite. "It couldn't be helped." He offered no other explanation. He watched her come away from the door and saunter toward him. He saw the way her high breasts swayed under the pajama coat and knew she wasn't wearing a bra.
She was close to him now, and her eyes glowed with unconcealed passion. She forgot everything except that he was here, and she wanted him. There was an ache in her loins, and it would go away only after a session with the man in front of her.
She took his glass and put it aside. She moved even closer and her arms snaked around his neck. They kissed, and her eager body was tight against his.
He breathed in the perfume of her warm, pliant body and wanted her very badly. It would be their last fling till he got back — if he got back. Nick knew how she felt about him, which was why he wanted to break away from her, but there was something magnetic about Selina. He knew the affair couldn't last. He would have to find a way to stop their relationship without hurting her. It was going to be difficult. With a wry grin, which she couldn't see, he realized that there was one sure way to end the affair — to get himself killed.
She finally pulled away and took his hand and led the way into the bedroom. She took off her pajamas and climbed into bed and waited impatiently for him.
Nick piled his clothes on a chair and joined her. They kissed and his hands roamed freely over her eager body. He stroked her high, firm breasts and ran one hand down the length of her, over her decorative navel, onto her creamy thighs.
"My breasts," she moaned. "Nick. My breasts."
He bent his head and kissed her.
Her luscious thighs parted and she pulled him down to her, welcoming his hard-muscled body.
The consummation was complete and very satisfying. There was a fine dusting of sweat beads on Selina's forehead when they finished. Gently, Nick rolled away from her.
They lay on their sides, facing each other, Nick's hand on her hip.
Nick knew she was a passionate creature. He wondered if she would practice celibacy while he was gone. Probably not. Even though she loved him, or thought she did, she was realistic and hot-blooded.
She looked good, lying there, her breasts lightly touching his chest. It would be nice if she just stayed that way, naked, waiting for him while he completed his mission. What a joke to inject her with Store, the suspended-animation drug Editing had given him. It would last exactly seven days. But there was no guarantee he'd be back in seven days. There was no guarantee that he would ever be back.
He didn't want to think of the mission. Time enough for that.
"Nick," she murmured.
"What?"
"You love me?"
"As much as I'll ever love any woman."
"You're honest," she said huskily. "I wish you weren't so honest."
He didn't want to kid her along and told her so. Soon ne would be telling her goodbye. But not just yet. There was still time…
He drew her tight against him and she felt his evident excitement.
"So soon?" She was surprised but delighted.
He kissed her hungrily, and soon he was lost in her arms.
Chapter 2
The huge blue-and-silver bird landed at Kai Tak Airport and Nick checked his suitcase in a locker. He fingered the pen in his breast pocket. It was no ordinary pen. In it was Store, the drug that brought on a state of suspended animation, and also the antidote. It was the only weapon Nick had.
A taxi took him to the Peninsula Hotel. Yes, Mr. Danzig was in, the desk clerk said with a cheerful smile. An elevator took Nick up to Hans Danzig's floor.
Hans Danzig was a baldish man of fifty with a horseshoe of white hair. He had on a linen suit which seemed too snug for his stocky body. He invited Nick to sit and asked him if he wanted a drink.
"Nothing for me."
"Just to be sociable." Danzig picked up the phone and asked for room service. He looked at Nick and lifted his eyebrows.
"You talked me into it. I'll have a B and B."
Danzig spoke into the mouthpiece and then hung up. He sat down on a sofa and contemplated Nick with mild, pleasant eyes. "I don't envy you," he remarked.
"What does that mean?" Nick said dryly.
"I can guess your mission."
"Very interesting." Nick leaned back and stretched his legs. "I was ordered to see you. That's all I know."
"And I was ordered to brief you — about Agent Z." Danzig stopped as if waiting for a reaction. There wasn't any. "Exactly what did Hawk tell you about Agent Z?"
"You know, Mr. Danzig, I'm a funny cuss. I hate to talk. All I like to do is listen."
"You mean you're suspicious of me? How amusing." But Hans Danzig didn't look amused. He looked annoyed.
"I'm not suspicious of anyone," Nick said calmly. "It's just that I wasn't told to mention to you any conversations I might have had with anyone. Discretion, Mr. Danzig. You know how it is."
Before Danzig could reply, the boy arrived with the Benedictine and brandy. He tipped the boy and handed a glass to Nick and kept one for himself.
Nick sipped his drink and then asked Danzig exactly who he was.
"Just someone passing through the Orient. A scientist" Danzig tasted his drink. "I can be as closemouthed as you. But we won't get anywhere that way. Well, never mind. You needn't tell me anything. It isn't really necessary."
"Just what is Agent Z?" Nick asked.
"A combination of synthetic drugs that can change a man's whole personality. Can even change his thinking."
"I believe Hawk did mention that," Nick said, loosening up.
"That's a lot to admit to," Danzig mocked the AXE agent "You may get a bad report card if you say any more."
This may be a joke to you, sir, but it isn't to me. You must see the position I'm in. If Hawk had introduced us, or if we had met before, I wouldn't be so cautious. But as it is…"
"I understand." Danzig nodded sympathetically. "I don't envy you, my friend. It's a hard business. What did Kipling call it? The great game, I believe. But it isn't a game, really. Not in the true sense, is it? High stakes, yes. We play for high stakes." He sighed.
Nick wanted to have lunch before he caught his plane. He pointedly looked at his watch.
"All right, my friend, I'll get to the point." Danzig put his glass aside. "Agent Z has a great potential. Imagine, if you will, enemy agents infiltrating a cabinet or a parliament of a government by using Agent Z on the members of the cabinet or parliament. They take over the minds of these officials and make them do what they want. Soon they are in control of the country."
"It's rather frightening," Nick commented. "But the agents would have to get close to these officials."
"You think it can't be done?" Danzig grinned without humor. "Remember how fast Philby was rising before he was found out? A few more years and he might have been head of British Intelligence. When the CIA found out he was closely associated with Burgess and Maclean they refused to have anything more to do with him. What if Philby, or someone like him, had had Agent Z and was under orders to use it?"
Nick saw Danzig's point. In 1949 Philby was the SIS representative in Washington, working in liaison with the FBI and the CIA. SIS was the British Secret Intelligence Service or MI-6. Philby had come in contact with many top officials. With Agent Z in his possession, who knows what damage he could have done.
Nick knew the whole thing sounded fantastic but in his years with AXE he had been involved in many fantastic situations.