Read Online Robert Ludlum's (TM) The Bourne Ascendancy by Eric Van Lustbader - Free Book Online
Authors: Eric Van Lustbader
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consider.” He lifted a forefinger. “But for you, maybe a special deal can be secured.”
Sara laughed again. “What a charmer you are!”
He winked. “It’s how I make a living.”
At that moment, a knock at the back door precluded any more banter. Two longs, a short, three longs.
The diamond cutter rose. “It is past time I made sure my patrons are being treated well.” He took her hand, kissed it briefly. “It’s been a pleasure, madam. Come back and see me when you decide to get married.”
“You think I’m getting married soon?”
“I think you have come here for more than business.”
Sara’s pulse pounded in her ears. “How can you possibly know that?”
He smiled. “My dear, if I can hear the beating heart of this diamond, surely I can hear yours.”
Sara waited until he had vanished into the front of the shop before opening the back door. There was Levi with Bourne.
As the Mossad agent stepped in behind Bourne, she held out her hand. “My business is private.”
“Protocol dictates I don’t leave you alone with an outsider.”
“He’s not an outsider.”
Blum frowned. “Do you know something I don’t know, Rebeka?” This was the name by which Sara was known inside Mossad, where it was unknown that she was Eli Yadin’s daughter, who to the outside world was dead.
She leveled her gaze at him. “Guard the alley, Levi.”
Glumly he nodded as Bourne closed the door, stood with his back against it. She faced him, silent, waiting for him to speak. She had set up this rendezvous after hearing about the massacre at the Al-Bourah during her initial briefing with Blum.
When he remained mute, she said, “Aaron is dead.”
“You knew him?”
She nodded. “He was a friend. But he was also what we call an occasional.”
“You mean between your small talk about art and film and music he slipped you interesting tidbits of product.”
“Now and again. The arrangement suited us both.”
“Really? What did he get out of it?”
“You must know. Aaron was half Jewish. He despised the gathering French anti-Semitism. He always said that when he got married and his child was of age he’d move out of the country.”
Bourne watched her carefully. She had revealed another facet of herself: recruiting people she knew. Did he think she had done this with him? She could sense this made him wary. Time to return the subject to more familiar territory.
“Levi briefed me the moment I arrived. How did you escape the massacre?”
Bourne told her.
“You and Soraya—”
“Worked together,” he finished for her.
“And you were close.”
“That was a long time ago,” he said, “in another lifetime.”
“Are they hurt?”
“Not so far as I could see.” He had deliberately omitted telling of his torture at El Ghadan’s hands. She already had enough on her plate.
She stood no more than a hand’s breadth away from him. She could feel his breath on her cheek, that familiar masculine scent she so adored. She wanted to ask if El Ghadan had hurt him, but immediately she checked herself. They had had their two weeks’ reunion following her stint in the hospital, and a more kind and gentle man she could not imagine. But now, a year later, they were both at work in the field. Moreover, in a red zone, teeming with the enemy. It would not do to be running on emotion. She also knew that if he sensed any sign of personal emotion he would take it as a flaw in her character and be repelled. That was a thought too terrible to contemplate.
“Okay, then.” She nodded. “So we go from here.”
* * *
“The second lesson to learn about horses,” Hunter said as they walked Starfall out of the paddock toward the empty ring, “is just how stupid they are. Forget Trigger or whatever other ideas Hollywood has put into your head. Horses are herd animals. They need to be led. If they sense you’re afraid or reluctant to take charge, chaos will ensue.”
“Chaos?”
“They’ll do whatever
Sara laughed again. “What a charmer you are!”
He winked. “It’s how I make a living.”
At that moment, a knock at the back door precluded any more banter. Two longs, a short, three longs.
The diamond cutter rose. “It is past time I made sure my patrons are being treated well.” He took her hand, kissed it briefly. “It’s been a pleasure, madam. Come back and see me when you decide to get married.”
“You think I’m getting married soon?”
“I think you have come here for more than business.”
Sara’s pulse pounded in her ears. “How can you possibly know that?”
He smiled. “My dear, if I can hear the beating heart of this diamond, surely I can hear yours.”
Sara waited until he had vanished into the front of the shop before opening the back door. There was Levi with Bourne.
As the Mossad agent stepped in behind Bourne, she held out her hand. “My business is private.”
“Protocol dictates I don’t leave you alone with an outsider.”
“He’s not an outsider.”
Blum frowned. “Do you know something I don’t know, Rebeka?” This was the name by which Sara was known inside Mossad, where it was unknown that she was Eli Yadin’s daughter, who to the outside world was dead.
She leveled her gaze at him. “Guard the alley, Levi.”
Glumly he nodded as Bourne closed the door, stood with his back against it. She faced him, silent, waiting for him to speak. She had set up this rendezvous after hearing about the massacre at the Al-Bourah during her initial briefing with Blum.
When he remained mute, she said, “Aaron is dead.”
“You knew him?”
She nodded. “He was a friend. But he was also what we call an occasional.”
“You mean between your small talk about art and film and music he slipped you interesting tidbits of product.”
“Now and again. The arrangement suited us both.”
“Really? What did he get out of it?”
“You must know. Aaron was half Jewish. He despised the gathering French anti-Semitism. He always said that when he got married and his child was of age he’d move out of the country.”
Bourne watched her carefully. She had revealed another facet of herself: recruiting people she knew. Did he think she had done this with him? She could sense this made him wary. Time to return the subject to more familiar territory.
“Levi briefed me the moment I arrived. How did you escape the massacre?”
Bourne told her.
“You and Soraya—”
“Worked together,” he finished for her.
“And you were close.”
“That was a long time ago,” he said, “in another lifetime.”
“Are they hurt?”
“Not so far as I could see.” He had deliberately omitted telling of his torture at El Ghadan’s hands. She already had enough on her plate.
She stood no more than a hand’s breadth away from him. She could feel his breath on her cheek, that familiar masculine scent she so adored. She wanted to ask if El Ghadan had hurt him, but immediately she checked herself. They had had their two weeks’ reunion following her stint in the hospital, and a more kind and gentle man she could not imagine. But now, a year later, they were both at work in the field. Moreover, in a red zone, teeming with the enemy. It would not do to be running on emotion. She also knew that if he sensed any sign of personal emotion he would take it as a flaw in her character and be repelled. That was a thought too terrible to contemplate.
“Okay, then.” She nodded. “So we go from here.”
* * *
“The second lesson to learn about horses,” Hunter said as they walked Starfall out of the paddock toward the empty ring, “is just how stupid they are. Forget Trigger or whatever other ideas Hollywood has put into your head. Horses are herd animals. They need to be led. If they sense you’re afraid or reluctant to take charge, chaos will ensue.”
“Chaos?”
“They’ll do whatever
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