“CIA Officer Olivia McDonald,” he said. “It has a nice ring to it. I’d say to keep yourself safe, but it looks like you’ve figured that out already.”
She pulled him into a hug.
“I get vacations, you know,” she said.
“You know where to find me.”
CHAPTER 38
His Avignon apartment had at first been a place to slink and hide, but now it was a home. Sensing late autumn’s encroaching chill, Jake turned up the heat. Four weeks had passed since sinking the Hamza.
Settling into a kitchen chair in front of a laptop, he waited for his coffee maker to finish its filtration. He grabbed a cup and sat down again.
Reading the CNN homepage, he noticed a headline that startled him. He sipped coffee and glanced at a clock on his wall. It was just after eight in the morning, but he decided it was late enough to call his friend. With a two-year old son and a pregnant wife, Renard had probably been rousted at six.
He picked up the phone and dialed. He knew his conversation was being recorded but didn’t care.
“Allo,” Renard said.
“Have you read the headlines?” Jake asked in French. The language had become like his maternal tongue. It sounded beautiful and sweet.
“Yes,” Renard said. “Our friend made history today.”
“Not surprised,” Jake said. “We trained him well.”
Translating into French, Jake read the headline and sub-headline aloud.
“Battle-bruised Taiwan, nearing internal collapse, successfully tests nuclear weapon at sea. The submarine Hai Lang, or ‘Sea Wolf’, sank an aging Taiwanese Guppy class submarine yesterday with a heavyweight nuclear-tipped torpedo, bringing the supposed renegade Chinese province into the nuclear age.”
“Captain Ye and Lieutenant Commander Wu have much to be proud of,” Renard said.
“Captain and Lieutenant Commander?”
“The deeds of the men aboard the Hai Lang have not passed unnoticed,” Renard said. “They are Taiwan’s finest sons and are being rewarded for their skill and heroism. There were a total of twelve promotions on that ship.”
Jake reflected that the Hai Lang’s crew deserved its reward. They had been brave.
“Shit, Pierre. What happens now? I mean to Taiwan.”
“China has the might to overtake Taiwan based upon sheer numbers, but they must walk the delicate balance of preserving Taiwan’s value as a financial and economic center. If they destroy Taiwan while taking it back, then they have failed.”
Jake finished his coffee and held the phone to his ear while pouring another cup.
“We did what we could, right, Pierre?” he asked.
“Of course, mon ami.”
“But did we do the right thing from the beginning?” Jake asked. “You used me at first, with the Colorado, but I joined you out of spite. It wasn’t until later that I saw your grander vision. You really think we can make a difference. A difference for peace, don’t you?”
“I never would have approached you had I not. That is my ultimate purpose. I have armed our comrades — correction — we have armed our comrades in Taiwan to protect their own destiny, and it is at this point that we must back out of their affairs.”
“I hope they survive.”
“As do I, my friend.”
Jake listened and thought he heard a man calling out in Italian in the background.
“Where are you?” he asked.
“Oh,” Renard said. “You must have heard the postman. Marie is with him at the door. We are vacationing in Tuscany. I thought I had told you, but I might have told little Jacques instead. I talk to him so much, you know.”
“Are you at the safe haven? I mean the old one you had prepared for us?”
“It is no longer a safe haven,” Renard said. “It is just a haven. We are already safe. Your lady friend, she is arriving today?”
“Yeah. Just before lunch,” he said. “Thanks for reminding me. I’ve got to clean this place up. Give my love to Marie and Jacques.”
“It will be done. Give the same to Olivia.”
The doorbell rang. Jake jumped down the stairs, dodged the corner of his pool table, and reached for his apartment’s lower door. As he opened it, the sun shone behind the loveliest creature he had known.
Olivia held a box of chocolates and a red teddy bear.
“You going to let me in?” she asked.
“After what I went through cleaning this place this morning,” Jake said, “you’re going to inspect every inch.”
She extended her gifts. Jake tossed them onto the pool table and drew her to him.
“It’s good to see you, Olivia.”
“Let’s start this over again,” she said.
“It’ll be nice having the secrets behind us.”
“I think so, too,” she said and squeezed him in with a strength he had considered beyond her.
She sniffed, arched her back, and raised her voice.
“You wore Drakkar Noir,” she said.
“You said you were ready to try it. It’s part of starting over.”
“No,” she said. “It’s no problem. I don’t feel sick at all.”
She laid her head on his shoulder and clutched his shirt.
“In fact,” she said, “I think Drakkar Noir might be my favorite. As long as it’s on you.”
About the Author
After graduating from the Naval Academy in 1991, John R. Monteith served on a nuclear ballistic missile submarine and then as a top-rated instructor of combat tactics at the U.S. Naval Submarine School. He now works as an engineer in the Detroit area. He writes the award-winning Rogue Submarine series.