we?” Sam asked, careful not to point
blame .
“ She swore she’d never do it,” Christine said
defensively. “I personally met her and explained the situation not two
months ago. I guess she left the next day. I admit, I kind of lost
track there for a while but I got real busy with the rest …”
“ It’s not your fault,” Sam interjected. “She
knew the risks. She should have warned us .”
There was a pause as they
considered the situation. Christine was silent on the line .
“ We need to go there,” Christine said suddenly,
urgency in her voice .
Natasha appeared from nowhere
cupping a steaming coffee mug in both hands. She stood at the door
assessing the mood then slipped in and stood behind Black Jack, her slender
frame alert, her blonde hair still a little wet and dripping from the rain outside,
her large blue eyes dodging from Sam to the silent phone box, taking in the
situation .
“ Let me make a few calls,” Black Jack finally
said. “We’ll call you later today to set a plan .”
“ I’ll wait for your call then,” Christine
concluded. After another short silence she added, “Ortega called me from
Madrid today. Wants you guys to call him.
He may have a lead on the Rio boy .”
“ Thanks Chris. We’ll call him,” Sam said.
“Say hello to Natasha, she just walked in .”
“ Hey you,” Christine said, sounding a little relieved
to change the focus of the conversation .
Natasha smiled and waved
toward the phone. “Hi love, you OK ?”
“ I’ve known better days,” Christine remarked.
“The guys will fill you in. Gotta go. Bye .”
They heard a click, then a
buzz before Sam disconnected. Black Jack hurried to his office. Natasha
took his seat. She put aside the coffee mug and laid her long hands on
the table facing up, in question. Sam filled her in on the morning’s
events then they both called the Spaniard .
“ Chino,” Sam said when they finally tracked him
down, “you looking for us ?”
“ Si señor ,” the
Spaniard replied, “I may be on to something .”
“ I’m here with Natasha, go ahead .”
“ Ola señorita ,”
El Chino said. “We’ve found a travel agency which claims to have arranged train
tickets to Barcelona for the Rio family, mother and grandparents together with
an unknown child. They never actually saw the party but the kid who delivered
the tickets saw them at the hotel and swears they fit the description .”
El Chino paused for a few
seconds and they heard some background noise. “I’m in Barcelona right now
trying to figure where they went. They seem to have contacts everywhere .”
“ Are the Barcelona locals giving you a hand?”
Sam inquired .
“ They are but I need backup. We’re close
this time, I know it. Can you send someone ?”
Sam eyed Natasha
inquiringly. “What’s your schedule look like ?
“ Booked solid. I’ve got meetings at the UN this afternoon
then it’s on to Bucharest. One of the Romanian UN people wants to join
me. They think they can pressure the locals to cooperate .”
“ What’s Mai-Li up to ?”
“ Not a chance. She’s on her way to DC for at
least two days. She finally managed to convince Harley to see her .”
“ I get the picture,” Sam said. “Chino, you still there ?”
“ Barely,” the Spaniard said .
“ Where can I reach you later?” Sam asked .
“ I’ll call you in two hours,” El Chino said and
clicked off .
Sam shut his eyes for a brief
moment then met Natasha’s stare. Her look was kind, but without
pity. He could not stand pity in others but felt it for himself .
“ You should take today off,” she remarked .
A surge of deep sorrow washed
over him. There were instances where women like Natasha made him feel
sorry for himself and for everything he, his son and his wife, had missed in
ten years. Michelle still lingered large in his memory. He could
not imagine what little Sammy looked like. He gulped down
blame .
“ She swore she’d never do it,” Christine said
defensively. “I personally met her and explained the situation not two
months ago. I guess she left the next day. I admit, I kind of lost
track there for a while but I got real busy with the rest …”
“ It’s not your fault,” Sam interjected. “She
knew the risks. She should have warned us .”
There was a pause as they
considered the situation. Christine was silent on the line .
“ We need to go there,” Christine said suddenly,
urgency in her voice .
Natasha appeared from nowhere
cupping a steaming coffee mug in both hands. She stood at the door
assessing the mood then slipped in and stood behind Black Jack, her slender
frame alert, her blonde hair still a little wet and dripping from the rain outside,
her large blue eyes dodging from Sam to the silent phone box, taking in the
situation .
“ Let me make a few calls,” Black Jack finally
said. “We’ll call you later today to set a plan .”
“ I’ll wait for your call then,” Christine
concluded. After another short silence she added, “Ortega called me from
Madrid today. Wants you guys to call him.
He may have a lead on the Rio boy .”
“ Thanks Chris. We’ll call him,” Sam said.
“Say hello to Natasha, she just walked in .”
“ Hey you,” Christine said, sounding a little relieved
to change the focus of the conversation .
Natasha smiled and waved
toward the phone. “Hi love, you OK ?”
“ I’ve known better days,” Christine remarked.
“The guys will fill you in. Gotta go. Bye .”
They heard a click, then a
buzz before Sam disconnected. Black Jack hurried to his office. Natasha
took his seat. She put aside the coffee mug and laid her long hands on
the table facing up, in question. Sam filled her in on the morning’s
events then they both called the Spaniard .
“ Chino,” Sam said when they finally tracked him
down, “you looking for us ?”
“ Si señor ,” the
Spaniard replied, “I may be on to something .”
“ I’m here with Natasha, go ahead .”
“ Ola señorita ,”
El Chino said. “We’ve found a travel agency which claims to have arranged train
tickets to Barcelona for the Rio family, mother and grandparents together with
an unknown child. They never actually saw the party but the kid who delivered
the tickets saw them at the hotel and swears they fit the description .”
El Chino paused for a few
seconds and they heard some background noise. “I’m in Barcelona right now
trying to figure where they went. They seem to have contacts everywhere .”
“ Are the Barcelona locals giving you a hand?”
Sam inquired .
“ They are but I need backup. We’re close
this time, I know it. Can you send someone ?”
Sam eyed Natasha
inquiringly. “What’s your schedule look like ?
“ Booked solid. I’ve got meetings at the UN this afternoon
then it’s on to Bucharest. One of the Romanian UN people wants to join
me. They think they can pressure the locals to cooperate .”
“ What’s Mai-Li up to ?”
“ Not a chance. She’s on her way to DC for at
least two days. She finally managed to convince Harley to see her .”
“ I get the picture,” Sam said. “Chino, you still there ?”
“ Barely,” the Spaniard said .
“ Where can I reach you later?” Sam asked .
“ I’ll call you in two hours,” El Chino said and
clicked off .
Sam shut his eyes for a brief
moment then met Natasha’s stare. Her look was kind, but without
pity. He could not stand pity in others but felt it for himself .
“ You should take today off,” she remarked .
A surge of deep sorrow washed
over him. There were instances where women like Natasha made him feel
sorry for himself and for everything he, his son and his wife, had missed in
ten years. Michelle still lingered large in his memory. He could
not imagine what little Sammy looked like. He gulped down
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