“Both of you go get some rest,” Ross said as he held the door for Brett to leave the office.
“I need to take care of a few things before I head out,” Brett said.
“Remember, you’re flying out early.”
“I’ll be fine.”
Instead of following him out, Zane turned to Ross. “Do you have a minute?”
“Of course.” Ross shut the door. “Want to go up top?”
Zane knew that was an invitation to journey up to the roof of the building. It was how the Oracle shook off stress and thought through difficult problems. He likely figured Zane was going to tell him something important, something that would require a clear mind. He was right about that.
“Perfect,” Zane replied.
After they both put on coats, Ross nodded at the kitchenette. “Can I get you something before we go up?”
“How about a cigar?”
“I was hoping you’d say that. I’ll grab two.”
Ross selected a couple of cigars from a humidor on the counter then cut the tips and tucked them into his coat pocket.
“After you.” Zane opened a small door that led to a spiral staircase.
As the two wound up the steps, Zane noted that Ross hadn’t poured his usual glass of Scotch, probably because of the seriousness of the situation at hand. Perhaps it was also out of deference to Carmen. It was difficult for any of them to partake in something that could be construed as celebratory when one of their people was missing.
“The view never gets old,” Zane said after they emerged on the roof.
Ross led Zane over to the side that faced east. Several modern office buildings rose up around them, and the sparkling lights of DC twinkled in the distance. Even though it was nearing midnight, there was still a fair amount of traffic below. New York was known as the city that never sleeps, but Zane believed the same could be said about DC.
“You’re right, it doesn’t get old,” Ross agreed. “And yet I must say at times I take it for granted.”
Ross lit his cigar then passed the lighter to Zane. After lighting his own, Zane leaned forward and put his elbows on the concrete ledge that encircled the roof. Ross did likewise, and the two smoked in silence as they took in the view.
After taking a few puffs on his cigar, Zane said, “I ran into someone interesting in Lugano. A woman.”
Ross looked over at him. “What woman?”
“She was staying in the cabin next to Carmen on the train. I saw her when I went in to look around. There was something about her that looked familiar, but I didn’t think much of it until I saw her about a half hour later walking through the Lugano station with her luggage.”
“What’s so odd about that?”
“First of all, single people — business professionals and commuters — don’t usually travel on the L1. It’s mostly families and groups, and they almost always have lots of luggage. This woman had one small bag.”
“Like she wasn’t there on vacation,” Ross said through the smoke of his cigar.
Zane nodded. “Anyway, my antennae were up, so I decided to follow her, and that’s when I realized my gut was right. Somehow, despite my best efforts to avoid detection, she clocked me and gave me the slip.”
“One of Brehmer’s people?” Ross asked.
“That crossed my mind, but I soon learned that wasn’t the case.”
Zane used the next several minutes to describe what had happened on the ridge overlooking Brehmer’s estate. He described seeing the reflection of light in the tree. He also detailed his attempt to circle around and determine who it was. He left nothing out, including the fact that the target had given him the slip just like the woman in Lugano. He wasn’t proud of the fact that it had happened twice, but it was vital to the story.
“You’re saying it’s the same person?” Ross asked when he was finished.
Zane nodded.
“What makes you so certain?”
“Same general appearance. The only thing different was the hair, but I think she was wearing a wig on the train. She’s actually a brunette.”
“Interesting.”
“More on that later. Anyway, the thing that really convinced me was the way both were able to slip away.” Zane looked at Ross. “You know my street craft is excellent.”
“You’re one of the best I’ve ever seen.”
“So you know that only a professional could have clocked me. And I daresay that only a professional with topflight skills could have given me the slip, not just once but twice.”
“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” Ross said. “That thing in the woods… my guess is she just happened to leave before you got there. In other words, I wouldn’t say she gave you the slip.”
“Maybe, but it still indicates how quietly she was able to move around. I was within twenty or thirty yards, and I never heard her come down the tree. It’s like tracking an animal that knows the woods better than you do.”
“Let’s get back to her appearance. You passed her on the train then saw her later on the streets of Lugano,” Ross said. “Did you note anything else? Would you recognize her if you saw her again?”
“Here is where we get to the most important piece of all.” Zane took a slow draw on his cigar then looked over at Ross. “I’ve seen her before… in Paris.”
Ross’s eyes widened. “You mean that Chinese agent who followed you and Danielle Holland?”
Zane nodded.
Less than a year ago, Zane had been sent to Grenoble, France, to investigate a group that was believed to be stealing US technology. While conducting surveillance on one of the group’s figures, Zane was captured and taken to a research facility outside Paris, where he was placed under heavy sedation. The drugs were so powerful that when he woke up, he didn’t know anything about himself, including his own name. The only thing he knew for sure was that the group holding him was conducting experiments using human subjects.
Using skills he didn’t even realize he had, Zane managed to escape from the facility along with another captive named Danielle Holland. Like Zane’s, Danielle’s memory was mostly a blank slate. After getting away, the two fled to Paris, where they were followed by a hit team sent to bring them in. During their time in the city, two pieces of information surfaced in Zane’s memory: a number and a name, which turned out to be an address in the 6th Arrondissement of Paris. Sensing it was important, the two traveled to the location and discovered it was a self-storage company. They also learned that Zane owned a safe-deposit box there. After entering the box, they found a number of items that suggested he was involved in espionage.
One of the items in the box proved to be important. It was a phone loaded with only one number. When Zane called it, he reached a man who identified himself as Dr. Alexander Ross. Because of his memory loss, Zane didn’t recognize the name but sensed Ross could be trusted. At the man’s request, Zane and Danielle traveled to a safe house on the outskirts of Paris. Ross told them to wait there until a team of US government operatives arrived to pick them up.
Still concerned about the hit team that had followed them, Zane booby-trapped the house with a bomb. It turned out to be the right move. The hit team came to the safe house before the US government team arrived. Zane’s trap worked, and the entire hit team was killed by the bomb.
But the intrigue wasn’t over. Zane soon discovered he and Danielle had also been followed by an Asian woman, who happened to be the same woman he had seen following them around Paris. She didn’t appear to be connected to the group who had held them captive, which led Zane to believe she must have been working for a foreign government, perhaps China.