Hell's Corner

CHAPTER 78

^“I just came by to say I’m sorry.”

Stone was standing on the threshold of Marisa Friedman’s office in Jackson Place. The woman stared back at him. She was dressed in jeans, a T-shirt and sandals. Her hair was disheveled and there was a smudge of dirt on her left cheek. Over her shoulder Stone could see packing boxes.

“Okay,” she said. “But that wasn’t necessary. Op went wrong. Heads roll. That’s the nature of the beast. I anted in, and the pot went to someone else.”

“Unauthorized op,” Stone corrected her. “Because of me.”

She shrugged. “Doesn’t matter now, does it?”

“You moving?”

“Going out of business.”

“Higher orders?”

“It was never really my business to begin with. Uncle Sam was footing the bill. And keeping all the profits. If I’d really been in business for myself, I’d be retired on a cushy income by now.”

She fell silent and the two stared at each other. “I’ve got some fresh coffee brewing. You up for a cup?”

“All right, but I’m a little surprised you’re not pulling a gun on me instead.”

“Believe me, I thought about it.”

They sat at her desk. As Stone drank his coffee he said, “What now?”

“What now? Good question. My ticket got pulled.”

Stone’s mouth fell open. “Not permanently?”

“Yes,” she said quietly. “Fuat Turkekul was our only link to what my superiors referred to as the second coming of Stalin. And I lost him.”

“No, I lost him. And I told Weaver that to his face.”

“Doesn’t matter. I let you take him. Same difference. And I didn’t get the necessary clearance, principally because it would never have been given.”

Stone looked around the office. “What will you do now?”

“Well, I’ll spend about the next year of my life writing exit briefs and defending my indefensible actions to a top secret government panel that will be doing its best to find a way to do more than fire me.”

“What, prison?”

“Why not?”

Stone put his cup down. “You have any options in the private sector?”

She shook her head. “Damaged goods. All the guys that are hiring people like me used to work on the government side. They need to stay in their good graces. I’m persona non grata.”

“You have something else to worry about,” said Stone.

She nodded. “I’ve been outed. They knew what we were trying to do with Fuat. If they know that, they know about me. The Russians will try to kill me, if for no other reason than professional satisfaction.”

“And you have no tail coverage?”

“None. Agency cut all ties to me as soon as our little Bay of Pigs came to light. All those years of outstanding service didn’t provide me with a sliver of support when things went bad.” She smiled resignedly. “Why should I have expected anything more?”

Stone said nothing. He sipped his coffee and watched the woman.

She gazed around her office. “You know, as crazy as it sounds, I’m going to miss this place.”

“Doesn’t sound crazy.”

“I was a spy, but I was also a businesswoman. And I was actually a pretty good lobbyist.”

“I’m sure you were.”

She looked at him. “What about you?”

“What about me?”

“Come on, I could hear Riley Weaver’s screams all the way from Virginia.”

Stone shrugged. “I was out of the business a long time. So I’ll be out of it again. For good this time.”

“Weaver’s going to come after you.”

“I know that.”

“He will make your life a living hell.”

“I know that too.”

“I’m thinking about going to a deserted island where he and the Russians can’t find me.”

“Is there such a place?”

“Worth finding out.”

“That takes money.”

“I’ve saved well.”

“I haven’t.”

She eyed him. “So you want to tag along?”

“I’m definitely baggage you don’t need.”

“You never know. Us against the world.”

“I’d probably slow you down.”

“Something tells me that you wouldn’t. Two old spies on the road.”

“You’re not old, Marisa.”

“Neither are you, John.”

“Oliver.”

She rose and slid over next to him. “Right now, just let it be John.”

“Why?”

She kissed him.

Stone pulled back in surprise. “I just cost you your career,” he said.

“No. Maybe you just opened my eyes to the future.”

She pressed her body against his, nearly pushing him off the chair. Her scent wafted into his nostrils, and it was like a welder’s spark had gone off in the part of his brain that dealt with the senses.

He moved away from her and shook his head. “I’ve been all over the world and I don’t think I’ve ever smelled anything like that before. I actually felt a pop in my head.”

She smiled. “It’s a perfume I found in Thailand. Unavailable in the States. The English translation is roughly ‘two hearts as one.’ It’s supposed to have a visceral effect on men. And I’m not talking in the obvious place. More emotional.”

“Well I can attest to that.”

She leaned closer. “Don’t dismiss my offer so lightly.”

“I’m not. But frankly it would be pretty crazy.”

“Nothing is crazy if you want it badly enough.” She sat back up. “Don’t you think you deserve a little happiness? A little peace after everything you’ve been through?”

Stone hesitated. “I’ll think about it.”

She touched his cheek. “That’s all I’m asking, John. I’ve waited a long time for someone like you. I’ve lost my career. But maybe I’ve found something else to replace it.”

“You could have just about anyone you wanted. Why me?”

“Because you’re just like me.”