Previous Chapter: Ah Monaco!
She’s as I remembered, and our time together was just as I’d been fantasizing about since we’ve been apart. As we lie together, she gives me a deeper brief regarding the target, his protection, etc. I’ve worked up an appetite by now and suggest dinner. She agrees, then adds that we should bring in Tessa, so she and I can meet. We shower, so as not to impose our actions together on Tessa, though we wind up lingering as a consequence. Finally, we leave for the restaurant.
I briefly looked at Tessa when I passed by earlier, but my focus had been on Isabel. I didn't note much beyond she’s a fit, tan, blonde, attractive woman who was in the midst of a stake out. Tessa is more along the lines of the skinny blonde I disparaged earlier. She’s certainly attractive. Absent my obsession with Isabel, there’s no doubt I would’ve given her second looks. I’m sure she has no problem getting attention whenever she wants it.
We meet at a restaurant a little off the beaten path and away from any tourists. The table is off to the side, the lighting is dim and gives us an excellent view of the surroundings. Just the way I like it.
"Hello Tessa, this is Seacay. I’ve introduced myself as Isabel."
Tessa raises an eyebrow at that. Hmm. I reach out a hand to shake hers. She has a firm grip, nice muscle tone and calluses that indicate she spends a lot of time in the gym practicing hand-to-hand combat. Were I not already obsessed with Isabel, I can see wanting to devote attention to Tessa.
"Isabel has given me some details regarding the subject and has been importuning me to get involved. I presume she’s told you my profession?" Tessa nods, "Normally I work anonymously, but since Isabel and I have a working relationship, I suppose this will do. I haven't committed to anything yet. Besides, I understand your instructions are still in flux, so it’ll just be research for now."
Tessa says, "We’re not finding a lot of freedom to act. The subject is difficult to reach and we have yet to find a circumstance where he’s alone. This evening, when Isabel was approaching you, I observed him going to a restaurant. He did so from the back and went directly into the building, surrounded by guards the entire time. He does make some semi-regular rounds, but we haven't seen any window large enough for us to operate. Isabel tells me you have amazing abilities to move around, perhaps you can find openings we haven't."
I respond, "Well, I’ve been blessed, at least in regard to my chosen profession, with dead average looks. I’ve worked to develop the ability to blend in and be nearly invisible in plain sight. That generally allows me to get superior intelligence as well as the ability to get close, if that’s what’s necessary. However, since the compensation for this work seems like it will be low, if not ‘pro bono' all together, I’ll likely be working long-range. It minimizes complications."
"I need to run this by my management," Isabel says. "They know about you from before, so I don't expect there to be resistance. However, there might not be any more funds forthcoming.” She smiles, “Hence my efforts to secure your services with my services."
We enjoy an excellent meal (I’m sure there has to be one or two lousy restaurants in Monaco, but they’re probably hard to find) and work out terms for recognition, distress codes, call signs, etc. Though it’s after midnight, since I had a long nap I decide I’ll do some investigating and will meet the lovely ladies tomorrow for lunch.
I stop back at my hotel room to get in disguise. Out in the cooler air blowing off the sea, I head to where the target is having dinner. Isabel showed me pictures of him, so when I swing by the restaurant I recognize him. Still ensconced in the back, he’d be very hard to reach without making a scene. I head around to the rear and eye the transportation. As expected, there are a couple of heavies lounging about. I decide to visit his residence and see what that looks like. Because the roads and sidewalks are still populated at this hour, midnight isn’t late here in Monaco, I’m occasionally forced into the narrow streets. The few cars are barely going faster than a walk because so many pedestrians spill off the sidewalks. I don’t stand out at all when I have to detour into the street to get around slow moving or stopped groups of people.
As I maneuver around the people, I keep getting little chirps of complaints from my paranoid brain. I’ve once again found myself engaged in a team job, and once again did so with essentially no resistance. I really do want to spend time with Isabel, and joining her on this project sure seems like a guaranteed way of getting that time, yet there was very little thought about it. If I’m honest with myself, none at all. Though Jeff and Eric were professional, I have no way of knowing if Tessa is any good, yet nary a pause in accepting. I’ve never felt this controlled by my “little head.”
It’s quite a house. Given the tiny land area of Monaco, this is a huge estate. I scout around the property, noting how close which neighbors are, what sort of security there is, etc. I expected the protection at the target's house to be light, since he’s out, but there are still several people easily visible. While I’m only spotting a few cameras, I feel sure there are additional ones scattered around.
Examining neighboring houses on higher ground, I see one whose roof looks like it’ll have a good view inside the target's compound. This house appears to have normal security (meaning cameras, alarms, high gates, etc. but no warm bodies). I decide to check it out in closer detail. With the current obsession of wireless cameras, I can easily tap into the various systems. The security and encryption on these things is a joke even for ordinary people. I can tune in and set it on a continuous loop for the few seconds I need to get past it, over the gate and past the alarm. My sensors detect thermal and acoustic scanners near the building, but they’re angled away from the obvious sources of false alarms, so I can easily work between them. Setting up a really good security system is hard to do: make one small mistake and you might as well have nothing. These systems are really just deterrents to keep out people too lazy to do their research.
I’m able to get to the tiled roof of my selected house and can now see fairly easily down into the target's compound. I set up a shield in case the target's security is using IR (infrared) to monitor the surrounding rooftops (I would) and settle down to wait for his return. If it seems like I ought to be carrying a backpack's worth of equipment in order to get to this vantage point, the reality is I use a good chunk of my exorbitant fees to pay for the most cutting edge technology from the best people in the world. If you imagine anything new to the marketplace has been part of my normal repertoire for five to ten years, you’d be just about right. The best arms dealers like to remain in the background, but by necessity they need to be available to anonymous buyers in order to make a living. I’m a regular patron.
Cutting edge technologies are sometimes referred to as “bleeding edge.” There’s a good reason for that nickname; sometimes it’s literal. Generally these things are all experimental, each implementation is different from every other. They can sometimes fail at the most inopportune time. I’ve been left in the lurch more times than I care to count. The edge they provide, though, is worth the risk. And, sometimes, a job is impossible without them. It’s important, though, to have the reflexes to drop back to the more primitive ways of getting things done. If something goes wrong with the new ones, those reflexes will keep you alive and free.
While waiting, I systematically scan his compound, as well as all the neighboring buildings, roads, alleys and so forth. I’m developing a comprehensive mental picture and start to develop some tentative plans. I also work through some what-if scenarios. For instance: what if I’ve been discovered and they’re working to flank me (as I worked my way to the roof, I left a few bugs for an early warning). Perhaps I’m under high resolution observation as I make my mine, is my disguise going to become a liability later?
The target seems to be arriving home, at least a car that looks like his is approaching. I use my image intensifier scope to get a close look; it’s him. I observe how the heavies work around him. They’re good. They do a careful scan of the area, even though they’re inside the compound. They form up around him as he steps away from the car. He very quickly moves from the car to the portico adjacent. A very tiny window indeed if I were to try and take him out from here. I switch to thermal and do a quick body count as the guards reposition themselves. They’re all clearly competent at their job. Even with this distant shot, he’s hard to reach.
I work my way back down from the roof; dawn will be here soon and I need to be away before motion attracts attention. Back past the “paused” cameras; it would take the best forensic work to even note that anyone had passed. Nothing will be able to connect it to me.
I start to think about assets I can bring to bear, timing, costs, etc. I head back to my hotel, figuring on a light snack and a short nap, then to meet the ladies to report. By now the sidewalks and streets are largely empty. There are enough stragglers, though, as long as I keep to the main thoroughfares I don’t stand out.
Now that I’m back to my on-the-job mentality I’m on high alert, and doubt Isabel would find it so easy to sneak up on me. After I get up and take a quick cool shower to finish waking, I head to our meeting place. It’s close to lunchtime and, as I’ve been doing some isometrics, I’m getting hungry.
Tessa is already there, but no sign of Isabel. I did a circuit around the block when I arrived and we’d already exchanged signals that indicate everything is fine, so I grab a seat next to her. Since the distraction of Isabel isn't here, I devote some attention to Tessa. As I already noted, she appears very competent. She’s clearly keeping aware of her surroundings, but is very subtle with her scanning. I’m sure only an expert would notice anything strange, and even there, her actions are low key enough that they might not draw the eye. It’s clear she’s more experienced in field craft than Isabel. While attractive, she doesn't have the flawless beauty that Isabel wears so easily. I’m sure Tessa didn't spend any time as a sex lure, giving her more time to develop hands-on experience.
We chat. She’s curious about how Isabel and I met. I’m vague, since I don't know what Isabel’s told her. I tell her about our sparring adventures; that seems harmless. I comment she’s probably an excellent sparring partner as well, which gets me a speculative raised eyebrow. I inquire into her past and get the expected vague story in return. She’s been with her agency for about a decade and a half, almost all of that field work. She doesn't have the knack for planning, organizing and managing people and is quite comfortable letting Isabel take the lead in that respect. She and Isabel have worked together several times over the last decade and Tessa says she has nothing but respect for Isabel and expects her to go far.
That quiet little voice straining for attention is quieted still further as Tessa seems increasingly competent. Intellectually, I keep thinking this is a mistake. Emotionally, I feel more and more comfortable I’m getting to spend time with Isabel. Though the voice is barely a whisper, it nags me whenever there’s a long pause in the conversation.
After about twenty minutes of chatting, Isabel shows up. It seems management is still undecided, but has okayed my involvement. It’s at a vastly reduced fee compared to the last time, but about what I would charge for a long-range solo assassination, so I’m content. Of course, I don't let on, just give a noncommittal grunt. I want Isabel to feel obligated to keep up her end of the bargain and hope we can spend at least a few days together once this is all over.
"Now that that’s settled, I need the right tool for the job. My scouting last night provided a small, but feasible, window to take out the target. I’ll need some distractions to get away cleanly. You should easily be able to do that without putting yourself at any risk. I have a contact just a couple of hours away who can get me what I need. Last time I paid fifty-grand, US. I trust you’re still covering expenses?" Isabel nods. "Then I’ll need to find a good place to practice. Normally I bring my own tools so am familiar with them, but in this case it’ll be new to me and I’ll want to get used to it. Are there any isolated old quarries within a couple of hours?"
"I’ll do research on that," Tessa says.
"I can get cash for you," Isabel says, "Does your contact prefer US dollars?"
"Don't worry about that, just add it to my fee. I already have a relationship that includes moving money around electronically. It’ll take me a day. Let’s meet here at the same time again tomorrow."
I head off to my room to get ready. Part of that is renting a car. No observers for this trip. I send a note to my contact, Agatha, telling her what I’m looking for and that I plan to be there in a couple of hours. I get organized while waiting for her response. There’s a small wrinkle: it seems she’s between boyfriends and desires some extra services in addition to the money. She’s attractive enough, so no problems with that. I sometimes have a tough life.