Oath of Loyalty (Mitch Rapp #21)(64)
“Probably because she’s schizophrenic,” Rapp said.
“The medication’s done wonders.”
He let out a long breath. “So, let me get this straight. You’re proposing that Sadie and I go back to the house in South Africa, and we use her to draw in Legion.”
Kennedy nodded. “Also, we bring in Bebe as your new live-in help.”
Bebe Kincaid was yet another misfit—a former FBI agent with an honest-to-God photographic memory. That, combined with the fact that she was overweight, middle-aged, and blessed with extraordinarily unmemorable features, had made her the best surveillance operative in the business. The problem? Her inability to forget made it increasingly difficult for her to differentiate recent memories from distant ones. And that was driving her slowly insane.
“So, we keep Sadie inside the walls and let Bebe go out,” Rapp said.
“Exactly. If anyone’s watching you, she can be counted on to notice.”
“What about Anna?” Rapp asked.
“She’d stay here with Claudia. Based on the state of the house, it’s perfectly reasonable that you wouldn’t bring her back with you. The idea is that you’d be working on getting renovations started. Not really a safe or healthy environment for a girl her age.”
Claudia, who had been uncharacteristically quiet during this, finally spoke up. “No. I don’t want someone standing in for me. What if she gets killed?”
“Then Legion moves on,” Rapp said. “We still have a lot of problems, but at least one’s off the table.”
“That seems callous, even for you,” Claudia said.
He shrugged. “It’s just Sadie. I doubt she’d care.”
“No reason to speculate,” Kennedy said. “We can ask her. In fact, Claudia, why don’t you do it? Give her a full reading of the risks and ask her if she wants the job. She’s a private contractor, so if she doesn’t, she can say no. If she does, she can name her price.”
CHAPTER 29
CAPE TOWN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
CAPE TOWN
SOUTH AFRICA
RAPP stood with his back against the wall of the arrival hall, studying the people flowing past. Some were meeting loved ones, others went straight for the doors, and still others were collecting around the rental car agencies. So far, he’d only noted a single familiar face—one of the American surveillance operatives keeping tabs on him. Infuriating, but likely harmless in the short term.
Legion, on the other hand, wasn’t so benign. It was almost certain that they’d had someone watching him since his return home, but who? One of their team? Members of a local gang? A legit private eye? There was no way to know, but he’d be surprised if they made a move that day. The chances of them going for something like an improvised rifle shot were around zero. Making their assassinations come off as accidental or natural was a big part of their secrecy protocol.
He’d been back for three days, removing remaining rubble, getting the rest of the plumbing and electricity rigged to work, and buying up a patchwork of furniture from local showrooms. The last thing on his list was to get the annoying rattle out of the dishwasher. He suspected it was a bullet being thrown around by the spray arms but so far hadn’t been able to locate it.
The house still wasn’t pretty, but it was livable, and getting better by the hour. Bebe Kincaid had settled into one of the guest bedrooms the day before and was unleashing the full force of her OCD on the place. Surfaces were being scrubbed, holes were being spackled, and hastily purchased knickknacks were being put into place with the aid of her personal ruler.
Rapp frowned as he continued to study the airport through dark sunglasses. Not only was he about to be living with two of the craziest people he’d ever met, but they were crazy in exactly opposite ways. One wandered indifferently through combat situations that she forgot about the next day. The other traveled with her own measuring devices and remembered everything.
He pulled his phone from his pocket and pretended to scroll through the screen. After a few more minutes, he spotted Sadie in the flow of people coming from baggage claim. He didn’t react immediately, instead evaluating her in his peripheral vision.
She was wearing the same style and brand of sunglasses that Claudia had bought a few months before. Her hair was exactly the right cut and color but much of it was hidden beneath a floppy straw hat. Her loose-fitting dress wasn’t familiar but definitely reflected Claudia’s style—a subtle red that descended to midcalf before meeting a pair of leather boots. Even more interesting was the fact that Sadie’s face had filled out enough to hide her sharp cheekbones. From what he’d been told, it wasn’t makeup; it was the result of a crash diet of six Big Macs a day with accompanying fries and milkshakes.
The overall effect was incredible. With twenty yards of distance still between them he had no criticisms of her appearance and only minor ones relating to the way she moved—something Legion would have no way to gauge. It was so good that he was starting to feel a glimmer of hope that this could actually work.
Rapp made a show of spotting her and pushed himself off the wall. A moment later they were in a warm embrace and he was taking charge of her rolling suitcase. It seemed crazy, but she even smelled like Claudia.
They walked through the doors and into the sun, Sadie nuzzling his shoulder in a way that would make it impossible for anyone watching to get a full view of her features. She chatted amiably as they walked to the parking area, speaking with a French accent that was virtually identical to Claudia’s. He responded appropriately, asking vague questions about Anna’s well-being and detailing his progress on the house.