Quantum Kill (Cobra Book 4) by Blake Banner

Author:Blake Banner [Banner, Blake]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-12-06T16:00:00+00:00

Thirteen

I was tempted to follow the brigadier’s advice and take Diana to the Tío de la Tiza restaurant, but I knew that when Frank called, I would have to either leave her unprotected, or bring her back to the hotel. So I opted for a tranquil night in at the hotel. I arranged a car rental at reception, called her on her burner and told her I’d meet her in the dining room.

The dining room was modern, shiny and gray, with marble floors and highly polished wooden tables with rush placemats and stiff linen napkins. I took a seat and ordered a dry martini, and for the heck of it told him I wanted it shaken, not stirred. The waiter, in a burgundy waistcoat, nodded gravely and went away to fetch.

As I was taking my first sip, Diana walked in. I had to pause and look carefully. The nondescript, expressionless woman from Irricana, east of Calgary, was nowhere to be seen. Lois Ethelbaum was a knockout. She looked like a million bucks all wrapped for Christmas, in dark green silk that hugged her like it never wanted to let go, and a slit up her right thigh that promised the impossible and made you believe it. Her red hair was pulled back with a black velvet bow, leaving a cute fringe, and her lipstick was an outrageous shade of red.

I stood as she approached.

“What did you do with Diana from Irricana?”

“I cannibalized her. It’s the kind of girl I am.”

“Good to know.”

Two waiters rushed to help her sit down and offer her a drink. She asked for a Bombay Sapphire and Schweppes with lime, not lemon, and a third waiter brought us a couple of menus that had been bound in old Bible covers.

As the brigadier, Alexander “Buddy” Byrd was paying, we started with two dozen oysters and a bottle of ice-cold Mumm Brut. She pleased me by ordering a sirloin steak rare with a simple salad. I said I’d have the same, and a bottle of Marques de Riscal Gran Reserva to accompany the meat.

The waiter went away and she sipped her G&T.

“Is it done?”

I gave my head a small shake. “I am waiting for a call. You want to know what I did with Diana from Irricana?”

She raised her eyebrows. “I was there, remember?”

“No. I disposed of her, along with Colonel Gilbert and his pals, in Lake Superior.”

She thought about it for a while. Eventually she gave a soft grunt.

“I’m not sure about that, Peter. I love the misinformation angle, but, unless I am mistaken, for that to work, you need to keep Frank alive.” She sipped her drink and set the glass down very carefully. Then she met and held my eye. “And I want him dead.”

I smiled. “Oh, we have change on multiple levels.”

“Not at all. This is me, always has been. I am a scientist, which means I am empirical from the tips of my toes all the way to the top of my head, and then through and through.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.