he’s carrying a large tan leather bag. “Do you have a cricket?”
“Afraid not.”
“Crap. Time for a tactical pivot. I think you should follow him while I go after Emily.”
“Aren’t you going to need my help searching the ship?”
“That would be nice, but finding Ivan is the mission and two links to him are better than one. We’re operating as though Emily is on the Anzhelika and Ivan is with her, but those are both assumptions. One of us should stick with Michael until the other spots Ivan, and since he saw my face earlier today in London, it can’t be me.”
“Makes sense,” Jo said, her voice a bit hesitant.
“Familiarize yourself with the way he moves. He’s got a distinctive gait. Reminds me of a wrestler walking onto the mat. Recognizing it will make it easier to tail him if he employs counter-surveillance tactics. Under no circumstances are you to engage him, understood? He may appear to be a nice guy, but I know a carnivore when I see one.”
“Okay.”
“I mean it.”
“I understand.”
“We’ll keep our mikes live, and regroup as soon as one of us has something. Agreed?”
I saw a trace of fear in Jo’s eyes, but she said, “As you wish.”
Chapter 13
JO FELT A drop of adrenaline hit her bloodstream as she took up Michael’s tail. She’d followed hundreds of marks through the streets of Paris and Nice while running her scams, but this was different. This time she had a concealed weapon, and no doubt that Michael was lethally armed. A slick tongue and swift feet might prove insufficient if she slipped up and caught his eye.
With Achilles by her side, chasing Ivan the Ghost had felt like another training op, even though it was her first actual mission. Alone now, she understood that this was very different.
Another drop of adrenaline.
Port Hercules twinkled like a Christmas tree, with a hundred superyachts ornamenting the azure waters, all polished for show and festooned with lights. Twilight was a tough time to tail in any circumstances, with the setting sun and dancing shadows playing tricks on the eyes, but the perpetual motion and cascading contrasts of the Monaco Yacht Show magnified those effects exponentially. As the partygoers came in and the exhibitors went out, rolling cases of equipment and bags of all sizes, Michael’s distant form was bouncing in and out of focus with every other stride.
And then he simply wasn’t there.
“Merde!”
She’d forgotten that Achilles was live in her ear, so when he responded, it was like the voice of God. “What’s wrong?”
“Michael just disappeared.”
“Just this second?”
“Yes.”
“Keep walking as though nothing happened. The difference between tailing someone like Michael and one of your civilian marks is that he has been trained in countermeasures. His use of them doesn’t necessarily mean he’s spotted you. With time, countermeasures become reflexive. But this does indicate that his radar will be finely tuned, so whatever you do, don’t stop and look around as though you’ve lost your puppy. How far back were you when it happened?”
“About thirty meters.”
“Good. Keep walking while you search using your peripheral vision. Once you’re about twenty meters past the point he disappeared, stop and pull out your smartphone. Lean against a post or something, someplace that gives you the right perspective. Keep your face pointed down towards your phone, scanning for him only with your eyes. Got it?”
“Got it.”
“Good. Keep in mind that he might change his appearance. Everything is game — from his hair and clothes, to his apparent age and stride. If in doubt, check the pants and shoes. They’re usually the last to go. Just remember what they taught you at The Farm and you’ll do fine. You’re clearly a natural.”
“Thank you. Will do.”
“I just talked my way onto the Anzhelika as advance security for the prince, using the card you so brilliantly procured. Now I need to
“Afraid not.”
“Crap. Time for a tactical pivot. I think you should follow him while I go after Emily.”
“Aren’t you going to need my help searching the ship?”
“That would be nice, but finding Ivan is the mission and two links to him are better than one. We’re operating as though Emily is on the Anzhelika and Ivan is with her, but those are both assumptions. One of us should stick with Michael until the other spots Ivan, and since he saw my face earlier today in London, it can’t be me.”
“Makes sense,” Jo said, her voice a bit hesitant.
“Familiarize yourself with the way he moves. He’s got a distinctive gait. Reminds me of a wrestler walking onto the mat. Recognizing it will make it easier to tail him if he employs counter-surveillance tactics. Under no circumstances are you to engage him, understood? He may appear to be a nice guy, but I know a carnivore when I see one.”
“Okay.”
“I mean it.”
“I understand.”
“We’ll keep our mikes live, and regroup as soon as one of us has something. Agreed?”
I saw a trace of fear in Jo’s eyes, but she said, “As you wish.”
Chapter 13
JO FELT A drop of adrenaline hit her bloodstream as she took up Michael’s tail. She’d followed hundreds of marks through the streets of Paris and Nice while running her scams, but this was different. This time she had a concealed weapon, and no doubt that Michael was lethally armed. A slick tongue and swift feet might prove insufficient if she slipped up and caught his eye.
With Achilles by her side, chasing Ivan the Ghost had felt like another training op, even though it was her first actual mission. Alone now, she understood that this was very different.
Another drop of adrenaline.
Port Hercules twinkled like a Christmas tree, with a hundred superyachts ornamenting the azure waters, all polished for show and festooned with lights. Twilight was a tough time to tail in any circumstances, with the setting sun and dancing shadows playing tricks on the eyes, but the perpetual motion and cascading contrasts of the Monaco Yacht Show magnified those effects exponentially. As the partygoers came in and the exhibitors went out, rolling cases of equipment and bags of all sizes, Michael’s distant form was bouncing in and out of focus with every other stride.
And then he simply wasn’t there.
“Merde!”
She’d forgotten that Achilles was live in her ear, so when he responded, it was like the voice of God. “What’s wrong?”
“Michael just disappeared.”
“Just this second?”
“Yes.”
“Keep walking as though nothing happened. The difference between tailing someone like Michael and one of your civilian marks is that he has been trained in countermeasures. His use of them doesn’t necessarily mean he’s spotted you. With time, countermeasures become reflexive. But this does indicate that his radar will be finely tuned, so whatever you do, don’t stop and look around as though you’ve lost your puppy. How far back were you when it happened?”
“About thirty meters.”
“Good. Keep walking while you search using your peripheral vision. Once you’re about twenty meters past the point he disappeared, stop and pull out your smartphone. Lean against a post or something, someplace that gives you the right perspective. Keep your face pointed down towards your phone, scanning for him only with your eyes. Got it?”
“Got it.”
“Good. Keep in mind that he might change his appearance. Everything is game — from his hair and clothes, to his apparent age and stride. If in doubt, check the pants and shoes. They’re usually the last to go. Just remember what they taught you at The Farm and you’ll do fine. You’re clearly a natural.”
“Thank you. Will do.”
“I just talked my way onto the Anzhelika as advance security for the prince, using the card you so brilliantly procured. Now I need to
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