He followed her into the bedroom and watched as she pulled two suitcases out of the closet. Her hands deftly found what she was looking for, and she pressed simultaneously along the top and the side. The suitcase's interior opened, displaying an area the length of the suitcase about three inches deep. She opened both sides of each suitcase. “Okay, half the money in one, half in the other. Even amounts for each country, that way, if we have to leave one suitcase, we’ll have money. After the money is stacked, you can secure it with these straps.” Val lifted the Velcro straps and put a stack of bills in one, securing it tightly. They worked quickly, securing all the money between the two cases. “Next, we secure the weapons. Hold on.” Val jogged to the bathroom and came back with a can of hairspray.
She dropped the can on the bed. They positioned the weapons to ensure they fit and placed the det cord, explosive pins, and three small blocks of C4 into the vacant areas.
“How are we going to secure these?”
She smiled and winked at him. “Watch and learn.”
Val took the top off the hairspray and shook the can. “Pick up the .45.” She nodded to the gun in his bag. He lifted, and she sprayed the contents on the patch where he’d had the handgun. “Set it down.”
Smith watched as the foam from the can blossomed around the weapon.
“It will harden and keep the weapon from shifting. It’s non-reactive, so it’s also safe to use with the explosives.”
“Won’t this be seen at any security checkpoint?”
“No. Check it out.” She held up the flap. “This is called high-Z foam. It shields everything in here from X-ray.”
“But when they see the X-ray is blocked, won’t they do a hand search and realize the luggage is too heavy?”
“That’s what this is for.” She lifted the cloth and showed him a light film. “This duplicates the appearance of translucency. I’ve never had a problem, and let’s face it. Security going into Russia isn’t that big of a deal. Gettingoutof Russia will be our issue.”
Smith lifted each item as she pointed to them and then placed them back. When they were finished, the suitcases were lined with everything they’d loaded into the picnic basket. He glanced at his watch. “We have an hour.” He hadn’t realized the time that had passed as they worked.
“Let’s get packed up. Once we run the table on the op, we’ll probably be leaving.” She put her hands on her hips. “Sorry about cutting the vacation short.”
Smith moved to the closet where she’d placed his clothes. “I believe capturing Komal is more important.”
Val stopped pulling her clothes from the dresser in the room. “We aren’t capturing him.”
He digested those words as he placed the clothes on the bed and started to fold his shirts exactly how he’d been taught in the military academy. He removed the hanger from another shirt and folded it, placing it carefully into the suitcase.
“Aren’t you going to ask?” Val said as she placed her clothes in the suitcase.
“No.” He knew exactly what her comment meant. He was internalizing once again being asked to take a life.
Her hand landed on his forearm, and he stilled. “Smith, if you can’t or don’t want to do this with me, tell me now. This is what I do. If we find Komal, he won’t live to hurt anyone else. I will see to that personally.”
He glanced at her hand. “I understand, and I haven’t changed my mind. I’ll go with you.” He reached for another shirt to begin to fold it. His mind was a swirl of activity. Activity that hadn’t been fine-tuned in years.
She pushed in front of him. “Don’t do that. Tell me what’s going on.”
He stared at her for a moment before listing the things churning through his mind. He’d killed before. He’d never been caught. Suspected, yes. Any evidence that could be used against him? No. The killer he’d been in the past slowly awoke from several years of … slumber. He slipped into his enforcer’s role as one would slide on an old worn pair of jeans. There was no effort, and he, unfortunately, felt comfortable knowing what was required. “I’m considering the ramifications of killing a person on a train. It's a contained area, which means limited access and limited egress. I’m also thinking about the staff onboard. How do we walk off that train without anyone knowing we’re complicit? What are our emergency escape routes? How many men are guarding Komal? Will they be eliminated, or will they be a continued risk after we take him out? Where are his allies? Are they on the train? Are there others trying to do the same thing we are doing? Who is supporting Komal on his trip through Russia?”
A slow smile spread across Val’s face. “Mr. Young, I should warn you that intelligence like yours really turns me on.”
He blinked and then laughed. “I doubt it.”
She slid her hands up his arms. “Don’t. You are the most amazing man. Sexy and smart. A hell of a combination.”
Smith lowered his eyes, wishing she wouldn’t play with him like that. He wasn’t sexy. He was just … big. He would let her play her games with him because, in all honesty, he was incapable of denying the woman anything. But he knew all too well that at the end of the mission or when someone more suitable was found, he’d be cast off like the street trash he was. “We should finish packing. Perhaps there’ll be time for us later.”
She sighed as if she were put out. “Why do you have to make sense?”
“Because one of us must.” He stepped to the side and took another shirt off its hanger. As they worked quietly, he internalized the need he’d developed for Val. The fondness that had somehow turned to more. He was a pathetic example of a man. He’d started to fall for a woman who only wanted a good time. A woman whose heart was buried with a man better than he’d ever become. A woman he’d known only a short time. He folded his slacks and jeans before placing them carefully into his suitcase. But he would have the memories of her, and perhaps through time, that would be enough. It was more than he had now.
Only moments after they’d finished packing, there was a knock at the door. Smith made his way to the entrance and opened the door, allowing Harbinger into the suite.
“I come bearing gifts.” Harbinger lifted a canvas pouch in one hand and a takeout bag in the other. “Fish and chips. You’ll have to ring up room service for the beer.”