Retribution (Secrets & Lies #3)(26)
“She was wearing expensive designer labels, Miss Sands. I know you aren't into fashion, but I've learned a lot about this to help with judging customers.”
The cold ball in my stomach expands into a freezing cold wave that spreads through my body, and the only reason I don't break down crying in fear is Andrea and the loving look she's giving me. My sister, my family, my strength. Okay, I can deal with this. “Well Robert, did she leave any contact information?”
“Yes, she left a phone number and a name, a Miss Hayha. She said it was a Finnish name. I can e-mail it to you if you'd like.”
I shake my head. “No... you know I prefer to let you and Carson handle customer interactions. Actually Robert, I know it's disappointing to you, but if you could please tell Miss Hayha while I would like to find out more details, at the moment I'm not in a place where I can do serious artwork like this. It will have to at least wait until I get back to the farm. I can't really give a timeline on that, but it will be at least a month or more. You see, I've had a bit of an accident, and broke my left hand. It's nothing major, but I'm in a cast right now, and can't even begin to think about welding or anything like that.”
I can hear the disappointment in Robert's voice, but he's a professional, and he's worked with me long enough to know I can't be pushed into making any decisions. I've got more than enough money, and Robert doesn't understand that for me, my art is more than just money, it's a matter of life and spirit. “I understand, Miss Sands. Would you mind if I continued to speak with Miss Hayha to see if I can gather more information, maybe figure out what it is specifically she's looking for?”
“Of course, Robert. And e-mail me whenever you get more information. I can't call all the time, but I will be in touch. If you'll excuse me, I see Carson coming. Take care.”
“Take care, Miss Sands. And give my regards to Mr. Sands. Goodbye.”
Robert hangs up, and I take my hand from Andrea, nodding gratefully. “Thank you, Andrea. That helped a lot.”
Andrea smiles and raises an eyebrow. “Well?”
“Well, I think Isis Bardot came by MCS yesterday,” I explain, Andrea's eyes widening slightly, but she handles it well. We expected this, after all. “Robert said he'll send an e-mail with more information, I was thinking Katrina can have some fun with what he tells us. Nathan should know as well.”
Andrea nods and takes my hand again to give it a squeeze. “That's why you're awesome, you know that? Scared silly, and still thinking about how to help us out. Come on, lets get the rest of our stuff, and tonight we can go all Mission Impossible on the data.”
Later that night, we gather in the big central room, Katrina dissecting my e-mail from Robert. “Well, he was nice enough to include her information, but I know for sure it's fake. Disturbing, but fake.”
“What do you mean disturbing?” Carson asks, holding Andrea on the couch, cuddled together. The fire is romantic, and I've noticed Katrina and Jackson are also using their free time to just cuddle in front of the fire as well.
“Her choice of alias can't have been a fluke,” Katrina says, tapping away. “Simo Hayha was a Finnish sniper during the war between Finland and the Soviet Union in 1939 and 1940. Nicknamed 'The White Death', in just about a hundred days he sniped over five hundred Soviet troops. Sending a message, you think?”
“She always did prefer long-range fighting,” Nathan says, sipping his tea. He's sitting next to me tonight. “She's not as good as I was at hand-to-hand fighting, and considered close quarters battle to be too messy for her tastes. She thinks herself a surgeon, not a butcher.”
“She doesn't sound as... bloodthirsty as Orloff at least,” Jackson says, and Nathan winces, shaking his head. “What?”
“That is what makes her even more dangerous, Jackson. She’s more controlled. More importantly though, there is no way we can sway her to drop the contract. If Peter is able to pay the prices on our heads, there is no way she is going to switch sides.”
“So what do we do?” I ask, and Nathan looks over, giving me a reassuring smile.
“We do our best to keep living. And hope she makes a mistake before we do.”
Chapter Ten
Nathan
Sighing, I fire up Katrina's laptop, opening the special shell program she's set up for me over the past few days. Both of us are tired of the constant harassment.
Every day it's the same. Another e-mail from Isis, another malware that has to be excised, another picture attached, and another short message. Katrina's automated the whole thing now and taught me how to do it so she doesn't have to bother with it any longer. “Besides, I'm getting tired of seeing her strip via e-mail for you,” she told me yesterday as she watched me run the scripts and do the excision. “Seriously, this bitch is angling for you. It's actually very Fatal Attraction in its own way.”
“She's definitely playing head games,” I mutter to myself as I finish the script and see what's in store for me today. I gulp as the image pulls up, and I see that it's Isis totally nude from the neck down. Can't help it. I remember how good you used to be. Sure we can't get one last little fling in?