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    The Russian Trilogy, Book 2 (Lust, Money & Murder #5)
    The Russian Trilogy, Book 2 (Lust, Money & Murder #5)
    The Russian Trilogy, Book 2 (Lust, Money & Murder #5)
    Ebook359 pages6 hours

    The Russian Trilogy, Book 2 (Lust, Money & Murder #5)

    By Mike Wells

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    When criminal mastermind Giorgio Cattoretti successfully pulls off the largest art heist in history--the spectacular theft of 15 Picasso paintings from the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia--U.S Secret Service Agent Elaine Brogan is sent there on a dangerous undercover mission to capture Cattoretti before the Russians do.

    Note: This book was previously titled: Lust, Money & Murder - Book 5, On Russian Soil

    "Fast-paced and packed with unpredictable twists and turns written in Mike Wells' "unputdownable" style, this fifth installment of the Lust, Money & Murder series delivers in spades." Graham Pritchard, Author & Book Reviewer, Syracuse, NY USA

    "What a fantastic book! Mike Wells did it again. This nove has everything: a spectacular crime, danger, friendship and much more! Highly recommended." Lady M.K, Canada (Ontario)

    "If you had plans for the weekend - cancel them! The story is so gripping you won't be able to put this book down. Not only you will feel like you are On Russian Soil, but you will feel like it is you who is in charge of catching the criminal and escaping the villain. I felt exhausted and exhilarated when I finished the story! Can't wait for Book 6!" - Lizzie, S.F. California

    "The book is technically accurate and well-researched, but what makes it exiting is the human element. The characters act in a believable way and their motivations are solid. I swallowed the book almost all in one sitting." -Barry L., St. Louis THE SHOW ME STATE.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMike Wells
    Release dateNov 26, 2014
    ISBN9781310434075
    The Russian Trilogy, Book 2 (Lust, Money & Murder #5)
    Author

    Mike Wells

    Mike Wells is an author of both walking and cycling guides. He has been walking long-distance footpaths for 25 years, after a holiday in New Zealand gave him the long-distance walking bug. Within a few years, he had walked the major British trails, enjoying their range of terrain from straightforward downland tracks through to upland paths and challenging mountain routes. He then ventured into France, walking sections of the Grande Randonnee network (including the GR5 through the Alps from Lake Geneva to the Mediterranean), and Italy to explore the Dolomites Alta Via routes. Further afield, he has walked in Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Norway and Patagonia. Mike has also been a keen cyclist for over 20 years. After completing various UK Sustrans routes, such as Lon Las Cymru in Wales and the C2C route across northern England, he then moved on to cycling long-distance routes in continental Europe and beyond. These include cycling both the Camino and Ruta de la Plata to Santiago de la Compostela, a traverse of Cuba from end to end, a circumnavigation of Iceland and a trip across Lapland to the North Cape. He has written a series of cycling guides for Cicerone following the great rivers of Europe.

    Read more from Mike Wells

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    Reviews for The Russian Trilogy, Book 2 (Lust, Money & Murder #5)

    4/5

    23 ratings8 reviews

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    • 4/5
      The author didn't promise too much. This novel was really "unputdownable".
      With lots of twists and interesting turns of events, such a well developed main character -- she almost felt alive. This makes the reader always ask for more and more and after finishing book 1, yes, I want more and I can't wait to read more about Elaine. I really hope she'll end up with Nick and they'll be fine. All in all, I enjoyed this novel a lot.
    • 4/5
      This book does a great job of introducing you to the series. It leaves you hanging and waiting for the next book. I recommend this book to anyone that enjoys reading stories that the plot thickens as you read. The author does a great job of pulling you into his world and acquainting you with his characters. He builds a bond with this first book and it is a memorable storyline. I enjoyed the author's writing style and appreciated the effort he put into creating something fun for the reader. I only gave it four stars, as I felt it was shorter than I would have liked. However, that's not really all that bad when you can leave a reader wanting more. It's a good book and I don't think you'd be disappointed.
      Laney Smith
      ~Author
    • 4/5
      This is the first in a series and as such I was disappointed that it was not a stand alone novel. You are in effect getting the first part for free and if you want the rest you need to buy the set. I assume like some eighteenth century novel, it is in three parts, but not as long, another Clarissa would be commercial suicide.The Prologue sets up the counterfeit storyline and proves that where money is concerned, people will go to any lengths. In contrast a father's love for his daughter, will illicit the same results. Going to any lengths to provide for her. From an ethical standpoint, we would condemn both, although the reader would be more sympathetic to the latter.Elaine's 'modelling' career shows her naivete and the way people can be taken in by the promise of a lucrative career. The writer demonstrates this through the shambolic nature of the agency, requiring ever more qualifications and sample photos.These chapters set up the motive for joining the secret service. The years of college are skipped over quite quickly, which raises the question why so much attention is given to the secret service training. How does it move the plot of the novel forward? It could be to show a diversity of knowledge and expertise, in addition to her tenacity and determination when dealing with difficult people.The sexual harassment at her first job, gives her a reason to move, but would a professional act in such a manner? In the UK sexual harassment was perhaps more prominent in the seventies, than in the power dressing environment of the eighties. Was America so different during this decade?The second job is based on her skills at detecting counterfeit bills. In one sense this is more believable. Every employee hopes that their skills will be recognised and they will be placed in a job that utilises their abilities. The fact that she falls for her boss, is again understandable. Their developing relationship and then the question over his integrity, sets up the suspense for the next book, but does not give a satisfactory conclusion for this book.Mike is a best selling author, his style is easy to read and the 'James Bond' type subject matter will undoubtedly appeal to a lot of people, due to the escapism. I have not had a lot of experience with this type of genre and it is very difficult to judge. It doesn't have the kind of imagery, or wider social themes that characterise a great, or classic novel. A charge made against Ian Flaming, by his wife, but it is very readable.
    • 5/5
      This is a story that combines several genres in a very satisfying way. It's a "coming of age"/goverment agent/romantic suspense, that keeps on giving . One warning, this is the first book in a series, and ends in a wicked cliffhanger ! Loved it!
    • 4/5
      An exciting, fast paced thriller that I was unable to put down!Synopsis:Elaine and her father live in a run down area of Pittsburgh. Despite not having a lot of money Elaine’s father does everything he can in order to send his daughter to a private school, and ensure she receives the best possible education. After spending two thousand dollars on modelling training from the Rising Star Agency, Elaine realises she has been the victim of a scam, threatening the sleazy owners of the company, they return her money. Feeling elated at having obtained the money she returns home and gives the money to her father. Days later the police arrest Elaine’s father for possession of counterfeit money. This ultimately rockets Elaine on to a career path to the secret service’s counterfeit money division, in order to obtain justice for her innocent father, but making it in the secret service is tough, and how does she know who she can trust?Review:Wow what a cliffhanger! This book is a wild ride, and you’ll be hooked from the first few pages. I sat down to read a few chapters before bed and before I knew it I was burning the midnight oil and the book was finished. It’s very fast paced and leaves you with such a shock ending, you’ll be desperate to buy books two and three.Elaine is a great character, she’s likeable she works hard and she is portrayed in a very realistic manner. I often think when you read thriller novels with secret service or FBI agencies they come off a bit over the top with James Bond car scenes and explosions. Lust does not follow that pattern, it’s exciting and fun but it doesn’t feel ridiculous, it’s extremely believable and Wells writes in a very detailed manner – I know very little about counterfeit money but everything seemed very well researched and informative – without being overly technical or dull.It’s a great little mystery that will keep you guessing, and I have seen many people compare this to the work of Sidney Sheldon. It holds all the key ingredients for a wonderful story, a great heroine, a touch of romance, a splash of mystery and all the interesting little tidbits in between. Lust is currently free via Amazon as well as the author’s website, so if you’re interested head over to Mike Wells’s Blog for more info, I promise you won’t be disappointed!
    • 4/5
      I found this book to be quick paced but engaging. The writing is clear and concise. Author Mike Wells manages to put a lot of story into a short novella without making you feel as if depth is lacking. Elaine’s father was a hard working man who wanted to give her the world but he was by no means perfect. This tale is always at its darkest when expressing the actions which her father thought were necessary. This was a poor man who wanted to give his daughter an expensive education and basically did this by whatever means necessary. One frustrating aspect of the story is Elaine’s naivete, especially as it relates to her father’s actions. When the story begins and starts to develop the reader almost expects the main character to be a streetwise, no nonsense girl. But, she remains innocent and naïve into her college years. This characteristic results in her ending up in a compromising position. And this is where her life begins to unravel. Ultimately, this story is about a young girl who is taken advantage of, has a tragic loss, and then perseveres.

      When Elaine reaches adulthood and heads off to college the reader becomes more in tune with her personality through a series of fumbling sexual encounters. We have our first laugh out loud moment when she shares her experience with her roommate. After college Elaine is selected to become a Secret Service agent and we follow her on her difficult journey through their rigorous academy. There is a hint that we may now see some action when she has to take a martial arts exam however the action in that scenario is anti-climactic. I would say that my one complaint about the story is the lack of action. I can say from personal experience that the life of a law enforcement officer is much more mundane in real life then portrayed in the movies or on TV. But, since this novella is a fictionalized version of what law enforcement officers do I was hoping for some edge of your seat thrills. Her first assignment goes horribly wrong and she is transferred to Bulgaria where things heat up. It’s on this assignment that she really gets to do her job and show off her talents. This is also where she meets a fellow Secret Service Agent named Nick who she proceeds to fall madly in love with.

      I did enjoy this story overall. Elaine is a smart girl who you come to care about. Her journey is easy to relate to and you want to know what will happen to her in the future. bookie-monster.com
    • 3/5
      Lust, Money & Murder is really a teaser. It is part one of three parts that make up a complete book; therefore, this volume is short and didn’t take long to read.The author, Mike Wells, grabs the reader’s attention in the prologue, but then there is no connection with the rest of the story; perhaps that comes later. Some things are somewhat contradictory, such as this: Elaine looked down at it, unable to move. She abruptly rose. Later in the story, the man Elaine is falling for is somewhat cool toward her but then …. well, that changes abruptly, too.Lust, Money & Murder takes the reader through Elaine’s life from a little girl doted on by her father, to a coming-of-age young woman. She becomes super focused, though, on her libido, and does some crazy things for a crazier reason. Later, she applies herself to her future goal and becomes highly regarded in her chosen field – chosen for the purpose of revenge – through which she meets the rather secretive man she thinks she can truly love.Even though there are sections that could have been delved into more to extend the read, and the story could have benefited from more editing and development, Lust, Money & Murder is a good start. The groaner is the last line, which ended up being a cliffhanger mid-scene. (If you are tempted to get part one, please don’t spoil it for yourself by reading the end first!) The continuation is in book two, and since there are three parts it is likely the same thing happens at the end of book two as a lead-in to book three. Apparently, together they make one complete novel.If you enjoy reading suspense, thrillers, espionage, you may enjoy Lust, Money & Murder, book 1, by Mike Wells, and want to purchase books 2 and 3 to continue the story.
    • 5/5
      This is a fantastic mystery! It delves into a world of secret service agents and counterfeit money that normally could get a bit boring but here I felt glued to every page. I even feel like I might have learned a thing or two. Well researched. The main character is feisty and strong and I loved following her in this story. Definitely in anticipation for the sequel!

    Book preview

    The Russian Trilogy, Book 2 (Lust, Money & Murder #5) - Mike Wells

    Chapter 1

    Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, France

    Criminal mastermind Giorgio Cattoretti had finally surfaced.

    When Elaine Brogan received this unsettling news, she was sitting in her office on the second floor of her remodeled farmhouse in southern France. Raj Malik, the head of U.S. Secret Service operations in Europe, was sitting across from her.

    Apparently, Giorgio Cattoretti had stolen fifteen Picasso masterpieces from the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia. It was the world’s largest art heist.

    If that wasn’t shocking enough, the undercover assignment that Raj had proposed made Elaine’s head spin.

    Let me get this straight, she said. You want me to go over to Russia, pose as a member of the FBI Art Crime Team, and pretend to help them solve the case?

    Correct. They have requested our help.

    Yes, I know, you said that. So while I’m conducting this masquerade, I’m supposed to secretly track down Giorgio Cattoretti and catch him before they do...

    That’s correct.

    And then?

    What do you mean, and then?

    What am I supposed to do with him if I catch him?

    Raj shrugged. Bring him in.

    "Bring him in? To where? We have no extradition treaty with Russia. And we have no authority to arrest him there."

    That’s exactly what makes this a challenging assignment, Elaine. If the Russians nail him for this museum theft, he’ll spend the rest of his life in a Siberian prison, and we’ll never get our hands on him. You need to lure him out of Russia, somehow—entice him or trick him into crossing the border into Latvia or Lithuania or Estonia. Any American-friendly country will do. You can drag him across the border, bound and gagged, hogtied, whatever it takes—I don’t give a rat’s ass how you do it. The point is, the moment you get him across, we can have him legally arrested and extradited to the States. Raj snapped his fingers. Like that.

    And how do you propose I work this miracle?

    There are lots of possibilities. We know he’s going to hold the paintings for ransom and try to sell them back to the museum—he left a note saying so. Which means he will try to arrange several exchanges of money for the paintings, to sell them back in small batches to maximize his profit. That will take time, Elaine. While he’s in the process of doing that, you can track him down.

    That sounds like a fuzzy plan to me.

    Raj shrugged again. You’ll figure out a way, Elaine, you’re good on your feet. You handled him well last time.

    She almost laughed. Yeah, that’s why he’s running around loose in Russia, she thought. This sounds like a CIA job to me. I’m sorry, Raj, but I have to respectfully decline. I don’t have the training for it.

    Raj rose from his chair and gazed through the window of the sunroom, out across the French countryside. You’re the logical choice for the assignment, Elaine. You’re the only law enforcement agent who’s spent any amount of time with Giorgio Cattoretti. You know how he thinks, how his mind works—you can anticipate how he’ll react in any given situation.

    Elaine honestly couldn’t imagine facing Cattoretti again—the thought made her blood run cold. He had beaten her, raped her, tried to strangle her, to throw her over a cliff. She would never forget their final confrontation, fighting tooth and nail on the cliff face, or the moment when she had desperately plunged the letter opener into his eye. She shuddered. She still had nightmares about it. Gouging his eye with the letter opener had been a heinous thing to do, even to your worst enemy, but at that awful moment Elaine had known it was either her life or his.

    Elaine groped desperately for excuses. I don’t know anything about art crime.

    Raj shrugged. It’s not that different from currency counterfeiting. Cattoretti used a fake copy of a painting to gain access to the museum.

    I’m out of shape, Raj. She pointed to her cushy desk chair and her microscope and other equipment. I’ve been sitting on my butt for the past two years checking counterfeits.

    He glanced at her toned body. You look in tiptop shape to me.

    My marksmanship skills are rusty. Not that they were ever very good in the first place. I’m a terrible choice for this assignment, Raj. I’m the worst possible candidate.

    He didn’t respond.

    "I have two kids! Little babies, for God’s sake!"

    Raj nodded out the window, down into Elaine’s military compound-like back yard. Security cameras and motion sensors were scattered atop the ten-foot rock wall. There were two well-trained Dobermans. She even had a safe room in the basement. Do you enjoy living like this, Elaine? Raj turned and eyed her. More importantly, do you want your children to grow up living like this? In constant fear of some bad man showing up to harm them?

    Go to hell, Elaine muttered under her breath.

    You can curse all you want, but you know it’s true.

    He was right, of course. A day had not passed in the last two years when she had not worried about Giorgio Cattoretti showing up and doing God knew what to her or Nick or the kids. Even Tony, her cook and housekeeper, was in danger—he had helped Nick escape from Cattoretti’s castle.

    But Elaine Brogan wasn’t a naïve, greenhorn Secret Service agent anymore. Raj Malik didn’t want to get his hands on Cattoretti to keep Elaine and her family safe—he wanted to bring in the Cat for his own reasons. Raj was losing sleep over the fact that there was a mole inside the KBA Giori factory in Germany that had never been flushed out. Which meant Raj’s ass was in a sling.

    KBA Giori manufactured all the printing presses used to print American paper money—over the past fifty years, the United States had become totally dependent on the company. Having a mole still working somewhere inside the German factory was a serious security risk. The employee inside the plant had helped Cattoretti steal the intaglio printing press used in his Milan counterfeiting operation. The German police and Interpol had conducted several investigations but had come up blank.

    If Raj got his hands on Giorgio Cattoretti, he could throw the book at him and offer a plea bargain—he could spend his life sentence in a more comfortable maximum security prison.

    Raj said, The man is taunting you, Elaine. Are you going to let him get away with it?

    Elaine frowned. Taunting me? How?

    The fingerprint he left behind at the crime scene in Russia. It wasn’t just any random fingerprint, but a single, perfect thumbprint. Do you really believe a criminal as meticulous as Giorgio Cattoretti would have made a mistake like that? Raj shook his head. He’s thumbing his nose at you, Elaine. He’s saying ‘come and get me!’

    She winced. That’s not a good reason for me to take this assignment. In fact, it’s a terrible reason! You of all people should know better.

    There are two sides to that coin. The emotional involvement may adversely affect your judgment, but on the other hand, it’s strong motivation for you to succeed. Giorgio Cattoretti’s printing operation set Treasury’s anti-counterfeiting technology back five years, and cost untold millions. I want that shady bastard caught and brought back to the USA to face prosecution. Sending you after him maximizes our chances of success. Raj motioned to her. For any other agent, it’s just another assignment. For you—yes, it’s personal, it’s very goddam personal. I don’t have any doubt you’ll give it one hundred and ten percent, and that you’ll succeed.

    There was a knock on the sunroom door. It’s meeee, Tony, Elaine’s housekeeper, sang.

    You can come in, she said.

    The skinny Italian bumped the door open with his hip. He was carrying a tray that was reserved for guests with a cappuccino and some pastry artfully arranged on it.

    With a rather effeminate flourish, Tony set it down on the desk in front of Raj. I thought you-a might wanna try this torte I made this-a morning. It’s-a still warm, right outta the oven.

    Why thank you, Tony, Raj said, that’s very kind of you.

    Elaine glared at Raj as he dug into one of the pastries.

    How long do I have to make a decision? she asked.

    Raj wiped his mustached mouth on a napkin. How does fifteen minutes sound?

    * * *

    A moment later, Elaine was standing downstairs in the foyer of her home, alone and agitated, debating what to do.

    There was nothing she would have liked more than to see Giorgio Cattoretti captured and put behind bars once and for all. She would finally be able to go back to active duty, at least half time, and stop being cooped up in the house all the time. It might get her out of this state of limbo with her marriage to Nick, too. Maybe Nick would come home if Cattoretti were caught and put in prison.

    But what about Tony and the kids? No way could she leave them here unprotected while she was gone. Raj had offered 24/7 Secret Service protection, saying he would assign a couple of agents to the house. But they were trained to protect presidents and prime ministers. If push came to shove, would one of them really take a bullet to protect the kid of some fellow agent they didn’t even know?

    It would be impossible to track Nick down at this short notice. Last she’d heard he was on an undercover assignment in the Philippines. Anyway, the mighty Nick LaGrange would go through the roof at the idea of her going after Cattoretti, would say she didn’t have the proper experience. And he would probably be right.

    Elaine stepped across the foyer and quietly peered into the kitchen. Tony was washing dishes, and the children were sitting beyond him, at the table, eating breakfast, or at least they were supposed to be. Ryan was sitting in his high chair, playing with one of his plastic toys. Amelia was in her baby carrier, nursing a bottle.

    Just looking at the two of them made Elaine feel helplessly overwhelmed with emotion. If any harm came to either of her children, she couldn’t imagine living through a single day.

    Elaine wandered through the downstairs of the farmhouse, lost in thought, racking her brain for a solution. Who did she trust enough to look after her kids while she was gone?

    She found herself standing in the exercise room. The red EVERLAST punching bag hung there from the ceiling, motionless.

    Suddenly, she had the answer.

    Chapter 2

    Silver Springs, Maryland

    When Luna Faye’s secure cellphone started ringing and vibrating on her dresser, she was already in a deep slumber. It was after midnight in Silver Springs, and these days she was usually in bed by ten.

    She groggily became aware of the noise and, after lying there for a few more seconds, finally climbed out of the bed and fumbled over to the dresser in the dark, muttering to herself. Who the hell was calling her on her company phone this time of night?

    She glanced at the display but it only showed that the call was coming from Secret Service Headquarters. She clicked the answer button.

    Fa— Her voice wasn’t working yet and she had to clear her throat. Faye here.

    Luna Faye? an unfamiliar male voice said.

    Yes, she said, a bit guardedly.

    Employee ID number, please?

    Luna frowned. What the hell? Nobody had asked for her employee ID number in years. She rattled off the digits.

    There was a pause, and then the voice said, You’ve been requested for an out-of-town security detail. Pack one bag—you’ll be picked up at your house in thirty minutes.

    But—

    The line went dead.

    The nightstand light came on. What’s going on? Walter muttered, squinting at her.

    Luna was standing there in her nightgown, dumbfounded. Heck if I know, she said. She set the phone back down on the dresser. Some kind of out-of-town security detail.

    Now Walter sat up in the bed, his gray chest hair spilling out of his pajama top. Security detail? What do you mean?

    I don’t have a clue, Luna said, in a somewhat bewildered tone. She had already stepped over to the closet and was pulling out a duffel bag. She hadn’t been assigned a security detail in over eight years. She was a marshal arts instructor at the Secret Service Training Academy in Laurel, which technically was part of the Human Resources Department.

    That’s crazy, Walter said. After all this time? They can’t send someone from your department on a security detail, can they?

    Luna silently stuffed some socks into the duffel bag. Walter, they can do whatever the hell they want. They’re the Secret Service.

    * * *

    Half an hour later, a black SUV pulled up in front of Luna’s townhouse, screeching to a halt. A man in a dark suit jumped out the passenger side and trotted up to the front door.

    The agent did a double take when he saw the muscular, six foot black form looming in the doorway. He started to help her with her duffel bag, but after another glance at her beefy torso, changed his mind.

    Let’s move, he said, glancing at his watch. We’re on a tight schedule.

    Luna followed him out to the SUV. She was still as baffled as she’d been when she had gotten the phone call. Requested for a security detail? Who had requested her, and why? She couldn’t imagine.

    She threw the duffel bag into the back and climbed beside it, now feeling even more bewildered.

    The driver glanced at her over his shoulder and they pulled away, a blue light now flashing on the dashboard.

    You guys want to tell me what this is all about?

    No idea, the one in the passenger seat said. Our orders are to take you to Wallops Island.

    Wallops Island? Luna said incredulously. Wallops Island was one of NASA’s oldest rocket launch sites. It was still used to put satellites into orbit and for testing experimental aircraft. What the hell is going on at Wallops Island?

    I don’t think anything is going on there, the man answered. That’s your transfer point.

    Luna looked uneasily out the window as they drove at over 100 mph past Annapolis and crossed the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. The main reason she had decided to become a martial arts instructor and transferred into the HR department was her fear of flying—her previous job as a Special Agent required constant air travel. Her phobia, which she kept a painful, embarrassing secret from everyone except Walter, had grown to the point where she thought she might have a nervous breakdown.

    Suddenly, Luna looked back at the two men and finally understood what was going on. She gave a knowing laugh.

    Ok, who put you two guys up to this?

    Neither man responded.

    It was Abby and Matt in HR, right?

    They still didn’t answer.

    Come on, guys. It was Abby and Matt, I know their type of pranks.

    Ma’am, our orders are to transport you to Wallops Island. That’s all we know. I assume you’ll be briefed on your assignment prior to your departure.

    Okay, she snickered. She’d roll with it, no problem. But those two rascals, Abby and Matt—she was going to get even with them for this.

    Luna’s smile began to fade when they started rolling through the security checkpoints at Wallops. Her smile disappeared completely when the driver of the SUV was directed through a gate and past some illuminated hangars. There was a strange-looking black aircraft parked on the tarmac, with a long, slender fuselage and stubby, almost nonexistent wings. Three monstrous engines were clustered at the tail.

    Luna’s legs felt rubbery as she climbed out of the back of the SUV, staring open-mouthed at the ghastly aircraft. It looked like a gigantic dart. It seemed to be moving at 1,000 mph standing still.

    A leathery-faced man jogged towards her across the tarmac wearing an olive U.S. Air Force jumpsuit, and with a horrible sinking feeling, Luna understood that this was no practical joke. Far too many people and too much expensive equipment was involved.

    This way, Agent Faye, he said, and with his hand lightly on her shoulder, guided her over to a movable metal stairway that led up to the aircraft’s cockpit.

    You don’t really expect... was all she could utter as she went up the stairs. The pilot helped her into the copilot’s seat, which was directly behind his own, and strapped her in. Hand me her bag, he said to one of the other men, and he secured it somewhere behind her. With a feeling of unreality, Luna glanced around the cramped space—the interior was raw and unfinished, with wires and conduits visible, and reeked of jet fuel.

    It’s a smaller version of the SR-71 Blackbird, the pilot explained, as Luna looked around bewilderedly. Hypersonic. He slipped a helmet over her head, then pulled an oxygen mask around her face. You need to keep this on at all times. Cockpit’s pressurized but the system’s been acting squirrely lately.

    The pilot lowered himself into the front seat, strapped himself in, then leaned forward and banged on the instrument panel a couple of times. A needle on one of the pressure gauges jumped up. There we go.

    Oh, God, Luna wheezed, her voice muffled by the mask. She was sure her pulse had skyrocketed to at least 200 beats per minute—she could hear it in her ears. Surely this was a bad dream, a nightmare. Any second she would wake up in her warm bed, snuggled up to Walter.

    I can’t do this, Luna said, but her voice was drowned out by the eerie whir of the aircraft’s gyros coming up to speed. The pilot had already started flipping switches. The great mechanical beast was waking up. Hey! she yelled. I really can’t do this!

    The pilot finally glanced over his shoulder. Don’t worry, we’ll pull a few G’s after takeoff but I’ll give you a smooth ride. The weather is clear all the way across the Atlantic.

    "The Atlantic? Luna squawked. Where—?"

    France. Istres-Le Tubé Air Base. He glanced over his shoulder at her again, looking a little surprised that she didn’t already know their destination, and then glanced at his chronometer watch and made some adjustment on it. We’ll be there before you know it. Total flight time is just a little over an hour.

    An hour? Luna thought numbly. Was that even possible?

    The plane began to taxi beside the runway, and she tried to get her mind off the horror of the situation by trying to figure out who in the hell had requested her for this assignment, whatever it was...but could not recall ever providing security for any French dignitaries or politicians...

    The jet rolled across the stripes at the end of the runway, the nose pulling around and pointing down the two long rows of lights.

    There’s a barf bag just in front of the seat, the pilot called. If you feel sick, I would appreciate you using it.

    Before Luna even had a chance to look down, the jet’s engines roared. A split second later it felt like God’s hand had descended from the heavens and shoved her forcefully back in her seat.

    Seconds later, the aircraft arched steeply upwards, thundering into the night sky far above the Atlantic Ocean. The only other time Luna had experienced these kinds of forces was as a teenager, when someone had talked her into riding the biggest roller coaster at Six Flags.

    She screamed deliriously, although the din from the engines was so loud she could only feel the vibration of her voice in her throat.

    It turned out she didn’t need the barf bag. When she finally got up the courage to gaze through the window and saw the slightly bent bluish band along the horizon, she realized that they had rocketed so high she could actually see the curvature of the earth.

    She passed out.

    Chapter 3

    Elaine stood in the field behind her farmhouse, waiting for Luna to arrive. She was tingly with anticipation. Though they had spoken a few times on the phone, she and Luna Faye had not actually seen each other in person for seven years, since the day that Elaine had graduated from the grueling Secret Service training program.

    Elaine was already exhausted from all the preparations for her undercover assignment in Russia. Raj had given her a two-hour, nonstop brain dump on everything he knew about art crime so she could—hopefully—pass herself off to the Russian police as a detective from the FBI Art Crime Team. He also provided her reams of information already sent by the Russian police to digest on the flight over. Elaine’s head was so packed full of new information she was already feeling overwhelmed.

    Now Elaine could hear the sound of a chopper in the distance, and she looked up at the sky. After a moment she spotted the aircraft, and a moment later it floated down fifty yards from her and settled into the long, dry grass.

    The door popped open. A strong-looking black hand tossed a duffel bag out onto the ground, then, a tall, dark, solidly-built figure emerged, ducking under the slowing rotor, moving with the uncanny grace of a tiger.

    Luna! Elaine called, trotting towards her.

    The muscular woman was dressed in blue trainers and a warm-up suit. Luna looked just the same as she had before, in tiptop physical condition. As she picked up the duffel bag and took two steps towards Elaine, she staggered for a second. The normally chocolate tone of Luna’s face seemed to have turned green.

    Elaine took her thick forearm, steadying her. Are you all right?

    "They flew me over here on some kind of experimental, hypersonic…I don’t know what the hell it was. Luna smiled weakly. Would it embarrass you if I got down on all fours and kissed the ground?"

    Elaine laughed. I’m sorry...

    Luna grinned and gave Elaine a bear hug. Hell, when I found out it was you who’d requested me, why—I would have ridden on ten hypersonic jets to help you out, baby-doll! Luna stepped back and peered Elaine up and down. Look at you, girl! Two kids and you’re in better shape than I am.

    I doubt that, Elaine said, glancing at the woman’s torso. Even through the warm-up suit her bulging shoulder muscles were evident.

    Raj was approaching them, walking through the grass with his stiff, military gate. He merely nodded to Luna and went on to speak with the helicopter pilot, who was just climbing out of the aircraft.

    Luna looked back at Elaine, staring. Is that who I think it is? Before Elaine could reply, she said, Girl, you’ve made some friends in very high places.

    I wish, Luna. I’ve only made some enemies in very low places.

    Luna raised an eyebrow, but Elaine didn’t elaborate. Raj had already warned her not to discuss any details of her assignment with Luna. Everything was top secret and on a need to know protocol.

    Elaine picked up Luna’s duffel bag and hoisted it over her shoulder. Come on, I’ll show you around the farmhouse.

    * * *

    When they entered the back yard, Elaine made sure the two Dobermans, Romeo and Juliet, understood that Luna was a friend. They sniffed her and licked her hand. Then she took Luna inside, to the foyer, where the main security console was located, and showed her how it all worked.

    There’s a duplicate down in the safe room, Elaine explained.

    The what? Luna said.

    The safe room. We have one in the basement.

    Okay...

    Elaine led Luna down to the cellar and flicked on an overhead light. They crossed the stone floor and stopped in front of a heavy steel door that might have belonged to a bank vault.

    The walls are made of three inch iron plate, including the floor and ceiling, Elaine said. She keyed a six-digit code into a pad. There was a loud click and the door slid open. Nick built it himself.

    I see. Luna was looking at Elaine like she was some nutcase who anticipated all-out nuclear war on a daily basis.

    The back wall of the safe room housed the duplicate security system console, but was also covered with flat screen displays which simultaneously showed every room in the house, along with views of the outside of the property, including the front gate. Elaine showed Luna how to switch between the cameras.

    There’s plenty of ventilation through those shafts, there, and enough food and water to live here for a week. The phone line runs underground, so there’s no way to cut it.

    That’s good, I guess, she said, giving Elaine another odd look.

    What is it, Luna?

    Who the hell is this guy, Elaine?

    At first she thought that Luna was talking about Nick, but then realized she was referring to Giorgio Cattoretti.

    You know we’re not supposed to discuss this.

    Yeah, Luna said reluctantly, we better stick to protocol.

    Elaine took her hand again. Come on, I can’t wait for you to meet my children!

    * * *

    When Ryan caught a glimpse of Luna, he looked scared to death. He didn’t know what to make of the big, black tower of power, as Luna had been known by her class back at the training academy.

    They were in the kid’s upstairs bedroom. Ryan stood there unsteadily, gazing up at the woman’s looming form, looking tiny, his mouth agape. Mommy...

    Luna smiled and squatted

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