“Guess Jonathan will get his prosthetics after all.”
“Some more news. Your adversary, Abdul Wahab, has managed to make himself indispensable to the intelligence community. They’ve taken him to Yemen to help counter al Qaeda activities there.”
“Abdul Wahab lands on his feet like a cat.”
“You’ve landed well too, my friend.” Jacob directed his gaze at the seaside villa and the yacht, then pointed to the mountain. “Is that Lucinda’s palace up there?”
“Yes.”
After what seemed like a long moment, Jacob said without looking at him, “Hayden, everyone we know is getting into the fight. Afghanistan is going to be a protracted campaign. There’s talk about going into Iraq. The jihadists are spreading their influence throughout the Horn of Africa.” Jacob moved his face close to Stone’s. “You’ve chosen the soft life.”
“I’ve put in my years of service. I’ve done my part.”
“I suppose there’s no getting you back?” Jacob asked.
They didn’t speak as they returned to the motorboat. Jacob said he’d stop by occasionally. The motorboat left as quickly as it came.
Lucinda insisted they drive into town and shop at a men’s store. “Why did Jacob drop by?”
“He wanted closure on the African affair.”
She slowed the Maserati. “Isn’t the matter closed? You were instrumental in preventing a catastrophe, and now you are retired here.” She took a deep breath. “With me.”
He leaned over and kissed her cheek. Was she hinting he’d miss the intrigue, the danger?
After a relaxing dinner in the village of Èze, Stone changed into his pajamas and then heard a buzzing sound. He thought it was a faulty electrical circuit, then guessed he’d left his electric razor on. On his way to check, he saw the secure cell phone he’d neglected to return to the CIA when he departed Cameroon. Colonel Frederick’s name appeared on the caller ID.
“Hello, Gus.”
“Stone. What other CIA equipment haven’t you handed back?”
“Pay me a visit and I’ll personally turn the phone over to you.”
“Right now, Hayden, I’m on a plane above you, looking at the lights of Nice. We’re headed for Yemen.” A pause. “You live well, my friend.”
“Yes. I do.”
“Have to sign off. Oh, Sandra Harrington is sitting next to me. She says, ‘Get off your ass, Stone.’” The line went dead.
Hayden Stone went out to the balcony and peered at the sky. Among the many stars he was certain he spotted the lights of the plane carrying his comrades southeast to the Arabian Peninsula, to Yemen, the land he knew so well.
Turning, he looked back into the bedroom, where Lucinda was slipping on her negligee. No other woman was like her. If he left and joined his colleagues, would she welcome him back?
He shook his head in disbelief at what he was about to do. He looked down at the cell phone and redialed the last number.
Glossary of Terms
AGENT/ASSET Person obtaining intelligence for an intelligence agency, under control of a case officer
BLOWN/BURNT Spy who has been exposed
BRUSH PASS Momentary person-to-person contact to pass intelligence
BUG Covert listening or recording device
CANADIAN SECURITY INTELLIGENCE SERVICE Canada’s foreign intel service
CASE OFFICER Staff officer of an intelligence agency
COS Chief of a CIA station posted to a US Embassy
COUNTERSPY Intelligence officers charged with uncovering spies. FBI. MI5.
DOUBLE AGENT An agent believed to be working against a target country but is actually loyal to that country
DRY CLEAN To evade surveillance
EXTRAORDINARY RENDITION Kidnapping of spies or terrorists for interrogation
LEGAT Legal attaché, FBI agent attached to a US embassy
LEGEND Life story created for a covert agent
MOSSAD Israel’s spy agency
MI6 British Secret Intelligence Service (external)
NOC Non-official cover, CIA equivalent of Russian illegal agent
PAROLE Password used to confirm identity between agents
RSO A US Embassy’s regional security officer
SAFE HOUSE Place where spies can hide from hostile security services
SLEEPER Deep cover agent
TARGET Person, place of intelligence interest
TRADECRAFT Mechanics of/proficiency in espionage
Acknowledgements
I want to thank the members of my writing group, especially Betty Webb, for their support over the years. My ongoing thanks goes to my readers Judy Starbuck, Deb Ledford, and Virginia Nosky, who read and critiqued every page of the completed manuscript.
This book would not have been written without help from my publisher, Diversion Books, in particular Mary Cummings, Sarah Masterson Hally, Brielle Benton, and especially my editor Randall Klein, whose patience and assistance with the manuscript was invaluable.
My associates in the Desert Sleuths chapter of Sisters in Crime, Society of Southwestern Authors, and the International Thriller Writers have been most supportive of my writing. Special thanks to Nate Deason of the Phoenix Herpetological Society, in Scottsdale, Arizona for extending to me his knowledge of African reptiles.
Of course, thanks to my agent, Elizabeth Kracht of Kimberley Cameron & Associates, who works so hard on my behalf.
Finally, I want to express my gratitude to my wife, Donna, for her love and support.