Read Online Down to the Wire by Shannon Greenland - Free Book Online

roof.
    I cranked the knob on the window and let in the fresh cool air. I wished David were here.
    A knock on the connecting door brought me out of my thoughts, and I opened it.
    TL stepped in. “Upload intel.”
    Fishing my laptop from my backpack, I quickly connected to the satellite and keyed in the scrambler code. “Nothing new.”
    TL nodded. “The Museum of Modern Art is a ten-minute walk west of here. There’s a café right across from it. Get some breakfast. I have calls to make. I’ll meet you two there.”
    Wirenut stuck his head in. “Did someone say café? Food?”
    I laughed. “Let’s go.”
    We left the hotel and walked around the corner to the shadowed side alley. We headed west, away from the sparkling sea. Minutes passed as we strolled, and I trailed my fingers along the stone buildings bordering the street. The texture ranged from gritty to chalky to smooth. The narrowness of the cobblestone path prohibited cars. Only bicycles and the occasional moped zipped past. The city seemed to be waking up, with people opening windows, sweeping their small doorsteps, shaking out blankets.
    Pipe music drifted from a couple of the windows. Must be a popular type of music from this area.
    Ten minutes later, we neared the café. A green canvas awning billowed out, covering a dozen or so empty wrought-iron tables. Wirenut and I chose one in the center and made ourselves comfortable. Yawning, I closed my eyes, enjoying the early-morning breeze. The scent of fresh baked bread and strong coffee floated through the air.
    Wirenut inhaled long and loud, bringing me from my sleepy haze. “Nothing compares to traveling. Seeing cool places. Meeting different people. Trying new foods. Speaking of which…” Wirenut signaled the Rissalan waitress.
    Before joining the Specialists, adventure was absolute last on my list of things to do. I had to admit, though, being somewhere different did excite me. It made me feel like a completely different person.
    Smiling, the waitress wound through the outdoor seatingarea, her long flowery skirt blowing in the dry, cool air.
    She stopped at our table. “Naz o jimo zua? ” May I help you?
    “Oh, yes.” I slipped an English/Rissalan dictionary from my back pocket and flipped through it. “ O. ” I. Flipflipflip. “ Xuamf. ” Would. Flipflipflip. “ Moli. ” Like. Flipflipflip. “ E. ” A. Flipflipflip. “ Hmett. ” Glass. Flipflipflip. “ Ug. ” Of. Flipflipflip. “ Odif. ” Iced. Flipflipflip. “ Duggii. ” Coffee.
    I beamed a grin up at the waitress, proud of my bilingual abilities.
    “You could’ve just said ‘odif duggii ’ and she would’ve gotten it.” Wirenut pointed to the chalkboard menu sitting on the cobblestone walkway. It displayed a breakfast special. “ Qmieti. ” He held up two fingers.
    With a nod, she made a note on her order pad and headed past us. Wirenut discreetly glanced over his shoulder, looking the waitress up and down as she swerved around a table and entered the restaurant. I smiled to myself and thought again of how much I missed David.
    “Mmm-hmm.” Wirenut approvingly mumbled of the waitress.
    “Hey,” I laughed, throwing my napkin at him. “You’re here for a reason, remember?”
    Grinning, he settled back in his chair. Behind his shades, he surveyed the two-story white stone building that stood across the cobblestone walkway. The Museum of Modern Art.
    It wasn’t a coincidence TL sent us here. Plenty of time to eat, drink, and get the museum’s layout.
    A bank stood to the left of the museum and a jewelry store tothe right. A sliver of space separated each stone building from the next. Just like both sides of the whole street. Building after building after building. Houses, offices, businesses. It wasn’t really beautiful, but more interesting, unique. I’d never been in such a crammed space before.
    Sounds of laughter drifted with the wind. I blinked out of mission mode and glanced around. We’d been alone when we first