The Paymasters is the fourth novel in the Cold War Warriors series about a couple of telepaths, Joshua and Rebecca, with maturing skills as telepaths and spies. Josh is sent out on a joint Franco-American mission. Only he is sent out with Simeon ‘the tease’ as his French partner instead of a pregnant Rebecca. To say the least that will cause problems. They are chasing the French Army-Algerian OAS who are attempting to assassinate the French President in retaliation for giving up Algeria. At the same time the French President is with drawing from NATO and forcing the American military out of France.
In this process Josh comes to realize that his American hands are not lily white, he finds he is also pursuing an a shadowy American organization known as the Paymasters. They have managed to penetrate not only into the FBI and it’s Division Five but into his own CIA. It turns out they are not only financially helping to sponsor the OAS in it’s attempts on De Gaulle but have provided the assassin.
Other novels in the Cold War Warrior series by Joe Travis:
The Gentleman Cowboy - Book 1
A border Incident – Book 2
A Wedding in Rabat – Book 3
The Paymasters – Book 4 and this book
Aftermath – Book 5
The Paymasters
Book 4 in the Cold War Warrior series
By
Joe Travis
Copyright 2011
The Paymasters is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2011 by Joe Travis – Author
All rights reserved.
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Published by Joe Travis at Smashwords.com
Contents
Authors Notes:
As is usual in this series, we are still dealing with telepathy and our group of protagonists trying to deal with it in a world that does not believe in its existence. We are also dealing with the limitations of the written word and in particular, with how to present these activities in a manner that properly expresses the immediacy and intimacy of these activities. As a reader, you are used to seeing novels written in omnipresent third person, and always in the past tense. As an author that is how I've always done it in the past, that's the conventional and accepted way of doing things. In fact, if you want to look on my computer you will find these same stories written in that manner. However, to my mind they don't have the "punch" or the "jumbled confusion" that this type of activity should deliver in the minds of the people actually experiencing it. In fact if someone actually says they are experiencing anything like this they are automatically assumed to be certifiable schizophrenics! My belief is that the only way to present this feeling is with a first person, present tense narrative.
The other major issue is how do you differentiate telepathic communications from normal verbal communications? This is not a normal method of communications obviously. To do that, I've put telepathic communications in single 'quotes and Italics' and with the subjects clear thoughts in Italics and no quotes.
As this story is told primarily in the first person of Rebecca and present tense as mentioned earlier, I have put the current name of the person telling the story at the beginning of each chapter as an aid for my readers. Josh/Roger/Vaquero starts this story as he does most of them. Rebecca is the cantor for the majority of the story however with Kim occasionally doing her part. The chapters concerning the plotting of the Company, I.E. Bill and company, are first person present tense. I hate moving between tenses as I've seen others do.
Josh and his names, Rebecca has always thought of him as Vaquero (Cowboy) and uses the first name Roger publicly when they are around Company people, and Josh when she's mad at him or around their many military friends. Joshua is the name on his birth certificate, Roger is the name on his older deceased brother's birth certificate that Josh used to get employment when he was too young legally do it.
Now to this series of stories, specific dates, times, locations, names, and events are referenced in this novel, a few of which are historical. However, this is a novel, an entertaining lie; it is not an autobiography or even a biography let alone a history book. The characters and story line are fictional and a figment of my imagination and not based on facts. It is important that I make that clear as my life got a little exciting early on for about twenty years. Those early adventures of mine are used to fill out both the characters and their actions in my writing of course.
With this novel I’m introducing the fact that during these longer missions it’s not uncommon for other emergencies to interrupt the linear flow of investigations, or stories, in real life. You will also find that because it is a relatively long mission it turns into a longer book (610+ pages in fact.) Therefore the book is also broken up into parts. In fact, investigations will be brought to complete halts, and the people sent off to do other tasks in the real world. World events often have more to do with how an investigation at these levels proceeds than the activities of the protagonists themselves. When I take you off on a side road I will start it with a new SubPart page and end it with a End of SubPart page. These are for the most part stand alone short stories. Only they happen during the time period of the bigger story and are therefore relevant to the mindsets our protagonists.
Oh, and one last little thing. The CIA along with the military use the twenty four hour clock as does most of the rest of the world. There is very little use of the twelve hour clock with AM and PM to observe day and night except between American civilians overseas. I will not put you through the Zulu time issue, that is Greenwich Meant Time, GMT, and all those conversions which were and still are used in aviation and maritime descriptions of time. Yes Josh, like myself, is going to be flying a great deal more in this story.
On that note, I invite you to dive in and enjoy the continuing adventures and life's struggles of Josh and Rebecca, along with their friends, enemies, and casual acquaintances.
Joe Travis
Author
Prologue
Well we managed to live through my first Christmas in France! We? That’s myself, Josh Saunders, and my wife, Rebecca. Well actually to be more precise it’s Your Royal Highness, Princess of Morocco, and Lady Rebecca Khadeeja Fatima Santos Saunders, wife of Sir Joshua R. Saunders, Du La Porte. It’s a mouth full and I’ll probably never remember it all and in the proper order. We just got married a couple of weeks ago and this has all become so official. Her uncle the King actually married us. Let’s just keep it simple for the moment, Josh and Rebecca. And yes, she insists on the Rebecca and not Becky.
We spent Christmas eve and day with our friends André and Denise René and their children in their summer “Cabin” in the forest northeast of Orleans, France. “Cabin” is a non-Royal way of saying you have purchased or inherited a Royal Chalet with attached chapel in the forest. The French seem to be masters at understatement when it comes to their Royal heritage. How is it a twenty-seven room mansion with a “chapel” attached, that holds a hundred or more people, can qualify as a ‘cabin in the woods’ is beyond my understanding. Both structures would qualify for much more prominent if pedestrian names in our country, like mansion and church. What ever you manage to call them they are impressive and beautiful structures. We enjoyed our time there and will eventually enjoy being married in the Christian manner in that chapel.
I’m going to be working primarily with Andre and his analyst Simone until we can identify and cut off the OAS funds from an unknown assassin that is going to go after the French President, Charles De Gaulle. Of course I will also be working with my suddenly growing team of telepaths. Yes we are all telepaths on my team other than a couple of friends that the U.S. Army, 10th Special Forces assigned to the CIA and they assigned them to me.
As to the telepaths, we’ll start with Rebecca and I. We are like the majority of our telepathic friends in that we were born telepaths and encouraged by our mothers in practicing it at least in the home. We all were discouraged heavily from using it outside those spaces except in an emergency. In times not all that distant we would have been declared witches and burned at the stake for doing what we do. Now, our non-telepathic acquaintances, are willing to have us declared schizophrenics and have us locked up, usually forever. Everyone knows what we do isn’t possible. They are just sideshow and parlor tricks.
Well for one in ten million of us they aren’t tricks and for the most part we aren’t nuts. Different yes, nuts no. Common definitely not and only one in ten seem to be men that is according to my boss, Dr. Andrew Ross, DSO. That’s Director of Special Operations and not the Distinguished Service Order of the British services. So how come I’m finding all these telepaths so quickly when my boss has been hunting for over thirty years hasn’t found anyone but me. I wish I knew. If you’re wondering, I found Rebecca actually. We just seem to be finding what we need without trying too hard, so far.
Well, Andre will be here soon and my Princess is waking here beside me and as this will be our last chance to touch for at least a couple of weeks, good bye. See you later alligator.
PART 1
Finding out about the Paymasters and the OAS
Rebecca
The night has been a memorable one for Josh and I. Josh didn’t get as much sleep as he should have this the first day of his hunt for the financiers of the OAS (Organisation de l’Armee Secrete). I roll over to wake him at 0430 hours so that we will have time to say goodbye, and find he is already up and sitting at the desk writing something. he sees and feels me rolling over and quickly joins me. He is a little late getting down stairs to meet Andre at 0700! This might have been excusable, except that he had packed and laid out his clothes the previous night before we went to bed.
When Josh gets into the car and looks at Andre, and realizes Andre has not gotten much more sleep than he has! Andre takes off for his next stop, without discussion. When they come to a stop in front of a newer apartment building, he looks at Josh and tells him, “Apartment 3L.”
Josh doesn’t ask, he goes into the building and goes up to fourth floor and proceeds to apartment L. Europeans start there count of floors a G for ground and then 1 for the floor above, hence 3L. When he rings the doorbell, Charles and Simone answer. Simone has her handbag over her shoulder and a suitcase in her hand. Josh smiles at Charles, “Good morning Charles, Simone. Andre’s waiting for us Simone and it looks like you’re ready.”
“Yes I am,” she tells him, then turns, and kisses Charles goodbye.
As they separate, Charles turns and sticks out his hand, “Please take good care of her, my friend.”
“That I will definitely do, my friend,” Josh says as he shakes the offered hand.
Simone and Josh head down stairs to the waiting car. Josh is wondering why he is there. He knows Simone is one of the best analysts in the world. Why did they need him on this mission too? Do they expect him to do the shooting after she’s found the quarry?
Andre takes them to the Gare de Lyon to catch an express train to Dijon. The three of them get into a first class car and take a cabin. Simon spreads out on one seat and goes to sleep. She and Charles obviously also spent the night involved in strenuous activity, he thinks. What is she supposed to do on this mission, he wonders as he sits down beside Andre. He takes his eyes off her to talk to Andre and finds that he has already fallen asleep. Josh shakes his head in disbelief and lays his head back on the seat to think. He too is soon asleep.
No one bothers them as Andre has posted a sign on the door window before lowering the shades and locking the door. The ride to Dijon is way too quick as far as Josh is concerned. The changing of the engine and removing of some cars wakes them. Then they head due south to Lyon. Josh thinks they will all nap on this last leg of the trip also.
Andre has other ideas. He starts briefing his new husband and wife team. Josh looks across at Simone and wonders how that is going to work. She might not be the eye candy that Stephanie is but she is a whole lot more exotic. Then again if exotic was what is called for there is his Princess. He would just have to learn to live with this woman and keep his hands to himself. They are talking about something so he needs to listen.
Andre hands him new identity papers and then tells him, “You are dealing with a strained marriage, and she will be cheating on you with Charles every couple of weeks or so until this part of the mission is over, to pass information.”
Andre continues, “I recommend that you not try to get Simone into bed, regardless of what your papers say about you’re being married.”
“Understood, but couldn’t Charles have picked a little less attractive fiancée?”
“It would not have mattered as Simone would still have been the one picked for this mission, and you still wouldn’t be able to bed her.”
Simone takes his hand and smiles before saying, “I promise to make it as easy on you as possible.”
Somehow, Josh doesn't believe that. He's listened to my stories about Simone "the tease", and knows she may never let him do it but she's going to make him want to, period. Andre then stands up and changes cars, as they are no longer to be seen together. Simone and Josh start talking to each other so that they will know enough about each other to pull this off. He has done this same thing with Stephanie, only this time she’s not telepathic and there’s nowhere near as much time to learn. They have reservations at a hotel in Lyon, and they are to start looking for a house to rent as soon as possible. They are to make a public show of looking for the house already selected. The house supposedly belongs to one of the generals they are after.
They are soon in Lyon and Simon and Josh get a cab to the hotel. It isn’t a bad hotel room, it is just that it is a prewar provincial room. That means that the toilet and the bath are down the hall. The room does have a bidet, which Josh knows they will not be using, and a sink with hot and cold running water. It also only has one bed! Josh hopes the floor will not be too cold, and wishes he had his sleeping bag.
Simone suggests, “We have two choices, you can sleep on the floor, or we can share the bed.”
“That sounds like three choices.”
She looks at him questioningly.
“If we share the bed we have another choice, we can touch or not. That is one more choice than I want. I will stick with the floor for now.”
They will have separate bedrooms when they get into the house, and it will no longer be a problem. She shrug’s her shoulders and says, “It’s your choice.”
That decision made, they go out to find lunch and the agent that is to get them the house they want. Lunch is no problem as there are more good places to eat than they can get to in a year. Finding the agent to find them the rental property is a little more difficult. They follow Andre’s instructions and they do find him. He offers to take them around to see a couple of places. Josh notices he is wearing the Marquis Resistance lapel pin Josh saw the previous day at Andre’s summer cabin. He points it out to Simone when they are alone for a minute. She says she knows, and leaves it at that.
They go to several houses that are not much better than barns. They stop at a small café with their agent and Josh finally steps into the conversation. Telling the agent, in a rather loud voice, “My pigs, on the farm, are kept in better loggings than that.” He then goes on to say, “If that is all that France has to offer, I am going elsewhere. I am no communist peasant! I demand to see better.”
The agent then gets up and talks to the proprietor of the café. When he comes back he tells Simone and Josh that he has located a home that has just come on the rental market that might meet their expectations. As he tells them this, he rubs his lapel pin. Josh with a wink says loud enough for everyone in the place to hear, “I would like to see this house, and find out if it is just a better pigsty or if it is a real home.”
They go out to the agent’s car and drive off to the southeast of Lyon, into the countryside. As they drive the agent says, "This is the house Andre wants you to have."
It is the first time he has made any indication that he is who they are actually to be with.
As they approach the home through the rolling hills of grape vineyards the agent explains, “You will note as we approach the compound that unless someone is following you closely they can’t see you enter or leave.”
Fortunately, the tall solid wooden gate doors are open as they pull off the two-lane blacktop road onto the short drive and into the cobble-stoned courtyard. They pull straight through the courtyard to park in front of one of the garages. There are six.
Josh and Simone get out of the agent’s Peugeot with him to look around. Josh has noticed that the masonry wall that surrounds the compound is over a two feet thick and at least twelve feet high. He stops and looks again, make that three feet thick and sixteen feet high. They have come through the west wall and have stopped facing east. Josh estimates the enclosed area is roughly two hundred fifty feet by three hundred fifty feet on a south to north bias.
As Simone takes his hand, he turns to look at the house as his mouth falls open in awe. This is no small farm cottage! It is an L-shaped, two story, masonry structure with a partially exposed basement set into the south and west walls of the compound. a well manicured flower garden in front with red brick pathways. A yellow brick patio runs the length of the main south to north part of the structure, with several entrances. Above, are a number of balconies accessed through French doors on the second floor. The minor east to west wing is the kitchen area and apparently some sleeping rooms for the help. Light blue shutters for the windows and doors, and a red tile roof finish off the house. There are green hedges around the flower gardens. It is beautiful! Josh turns to the agent, “How big is this place?”
“It’s not that large, maybe 450 square meters. For a vineyard of this size it is considered about average.”
Josh stands there calculating that into American values and it comes out to just under 5000 square feet, furnished, for 5000NF (New Francs) or $1000 a month. Josh has a couple of questions, “Does that measurement include the basement?”
“No, sir, only the living areas.”
“How much are the utilities?”
“375NF to 400NF a month not including running the wine presses.”
“There are wine presses included?”
“Yes, sir. That building is at the north end of compound,” he tells Josh as he points off to their left.
Simone tugs on his hand, “Why are you asking all these questions?”
“I’m thinking of going back to Paris and bring back Rebecca. Take this place over and make it profitable again. It wouldn’t take me more than a year, two at most,” he tells her quietly in English so that the agent won’t hear or understand if he does.
She gives him a very sharp look, “Andre wouldn’t approve, nor would I, you know.”
“I know,” he tells her as he turns to the agent, “I think we had better look inside.”
“Certainly, sir. She doesn’t approve of the idea of running the land?”
“No, she’s a city girl. If it doesn’t come out of a box, can or a bottle she doesn’t know what to do with it.”
“I’m afraid Rebecca would not be any better. That is the way it is with all these young women these days, Sir Joshua,” the agent says with a wink.
So, he knows me and he speaks English, Josh thinks. I suspect he is probably right about Rebecca. Besides, I won’t be here long enough to get the winery running anyway. Josh lets the agent and Simone lead the way.
I tell him at this point, 'I like the idea, and I'd do it with you if we weren't committed to doing something else. What are you really doing?'
'Trying to find out just how loyal Simone is going to be to us and how much she's going to be feeding to Andre.'
'Be careful there that you don't alienate her and cause what you're trying to prevent.'
'Will do, talk later.'
The house turns out to be a very nice newer home, of someone with moderate wealth and good if conservative tastes.
The master bedroom suite has his and her bedrooms with an interconnecting bath. It doesn’t matter what else the house has as far as Josh is concerned. He doesn’t trust himself with Simone. He is sure she could defend herself from him quite easily. He just doesn’t want to put her in that position.
The agent drives them back to their hotel, as it is getting late in the afternoon and promises to see them the next morning to get the papers signed. He wishes them a goodnights rest as he drops them off. Fat chance of that, Josh thinks, at the memory of that cold hard floor that awaits him.
When they get to the hotel, a message awaits them from Andre. They are to meet him at a café at 1900 that night. They go up to the room to change clothes and freshen up. They have just changed clothes when the phone rings it is Andre. They are to pack. They are off to Marseilles, immediately.
Rebecca
They meet Andre at the train station. As Josh walks up he asks, “What about the house we looked at this afternoon?”
Andre picks up his own bag to enter the train, “Why, do you want it?”
“Yes, I think it will be ideal for our purposes,” Josh tells him as he hustles to keep up with the older man.
Andre stops abruptly between compartments and turns on him, “Our purposes or yours?”
Startled Josh answers, “Ours! Why do you ask that?”
“Rebecca would never move down here to a vineyard with you, no matter how nice the home. She is a city girl.”
Josh turns and looks back at Simone. She shakes her head. As he turns back to Andre, “I was trying to pull Simone’s chain. But, apparently I got to your compatriot.”
“That you did, and it looks like you also, as you put it, ‘got to Simone’. I think that you will be more careful there in the future. She is not any more likely to betray you than Rebecca would.”
Josh looks back again at Simone. She is glaring at him. He will have to talk to her in private later. The comment about Rebecca had been a slip, but having made it, he thinks he will see if she passed it on. I hadn’t but the real estate agent had. So he knew now that he couldn’t trust the agent, whom he would probably never see again anyway, and he had learned nothing for sure about Simone.
Andre is moving again and they both follow until he points into an empty compartment. As Josh puts his and Simone’s bags up onto the overhead rack Andre drops his on the other seat and then sits down beside it. Josh realizes that Andre is forcing him to sit down beside Simone and he does so. Andre starts with, “Josh, if I didn’t think Simone was trustworthy she wouldn’t be here.”
“I’m sure that from your point of view she is trustworthy, but at this point I have no reason to believe that what I tell her isn’t going straight to you. As analysts working on the same project, we have to be able to discuss all possible scenarios. Some of those may involve you and others in your government. I have to know that what we talk about stays between us, and is not carried back to you or to anyone else.”
“Well has she passed your test?”
“No she hasn’t.”
“Why, even though I found out what had been said, it wasn’t from her.”
“True enough, but within a couple hours of making the statement you reacted by pulling us off that assignment. Even before, we had signed the lease on the house. Now we are off to Marseilles with no explanations. To put it bluntly I’m ready to call it quits and head back to Paris, unless you can convince me otherwise.”
“The reason you were pulled out of there so quickly is that a house that is perfect for our purposes in Marseilles is coming on the market tomorrow morning. It will rent within twenty-four hours. We have to move quickly to obtain it. The papers on the house in Lyon are taken care of. It is in your name. Does that help resolve any of your qualms?”
“All but one.”
“Yes, I see. Simone who do you work for and where do your loyalties lay?” Andre says to as he looks steadily at Simone, giving no clue as to what his thoughts are.
For her part, Simone hasn’t said a word since they had gotten on the train. However, she has been listening closely, “I work for Josh, and that is where my loyalties lie.”
Andre then asks her, “Where do I stand in this with you?”
“On your orders, I’m the liaison between yourself and Josh. I’m only to talk to you when he is present, unless he directs me otherwise, sir.”
“So what’s our problem here then?” Andre asks as he sits drumming his suitcase.
“You apparently didn’t inform him of the situation before you left him yesterday, sir.”
Andre turns to Josh, “I do apologize for not telling you what the situation was and is. She is a cop, first and last. She reports only to her boss, and her partner. You are both of those for the duration of this mission. Do you now understand, and are you willing to move forward, Josh?”
Josh sits back in his seat for the first time, letting his right hand fall over Simone’s, “Yes, sir.”
Andre leans forward and hands Josh a note, “All the information is in there. I’ll try to make contact with you tomorrow night. If there are problems, Simone knows how to contact me. And one last thing, no more sleeping on the floor, Josh. Good night to both of you.”
“One last thing Andre for your own information. Rebecca is more than willing to follow me onto that vineyard, except we have made commitments to the Company that come first,” Josh informs him as he turns back to Simone. She is smiling at him.
With that, Andre leaves them again. Josh opens the note and reads it before passing it on to her. After she’s reads it, she turns to him, “Are you going to hold my hand all night?”
“No only as far as Marseilles. It’s comforting to me to know you’re here and not spying on me. Is that all right with you?”
'and if I object to you holding her hand?'
'I'll remind you that you are not here to let me hold your hand.'
“Yes it is. What are you going to do about the floor?”
'Yes, what are you going to do about the floor?'
“I’ll keep at least one sheet between us I guess.”
'Yes, that'll work in Lyon, I'm not to sure about Marseilles though.'
Simone thinks a moment before, “That should work.”
Josh leans back in the seat keeping his hand over Simons and asks, 'Why is that going to be a problem in Marseilles, which it wouldn't be in Lyon?'
'You will see my love.'
'Love you.' Josh already has his eyes closed and quickly falls asleep.
Rebecca
In less than three hours, they are in Marseilles, and headed for a new hotel. The plan has not changed only a new location added. The area of Marseilles they are to move into is heavily French/Algerian in nature.
Josh finds out that night, just before they go to sleep, in the same bed, Simone is from Marseilles and is of French/Algerian extraction. She is under the covers, and he is on top with a single blanket. It doesn’t really matter at this point, as he has had little sleep the six nights before with Rebecca, and very little the previous night with Simone, but not for the same reason. He simply passes out from exhaustion.
Josh hears the timers setting off the detonator cord above his head as he repeals down the shear rock cliff. The rope goes slack in his hands as he looks up and sees the puffs of smoke where the three ropes are cut by the det cord. All are now coiling in the blue sky high above his head. He knows what comes next, oh yes, the pain of hitting the sheer rock wall, followed by the tumbling world and then the darkness. Yes, he feels the pressure of that 400 feet of rope lying on him again. Am I back on that mountain in China on the border with Tibet? No, I’m not cold and there’s no pain. But, I can feel the pressure of the rope on me and it’s warm. Warm? “Simone?”
“Yes?”
“I’m not Charles,” he says as he slowly opens his eyes. Yes, she has one arm and one leg draped over him. The nightie she wares has probably come from the same place as Rebecca’s have. Nether of them really hide anything from his view. He closes his eyes. The nightie is sheer enough that there is no question in his mind as to what is pressing against his bare chest, without looking.
'You, see love it's a lot warmer in Marseilles than Lyon. Even one sheet can be too much. I would suggest you move her softly but firmly off you. You are already reacting to her.'
He softly but firmly takes a hold of her hand, he doesn’t want her to try to kill him as she awakes. He feels her stirring beside him, then, “I know that, but you’re so comfortable to be around.”
The heat of passion builds rapidly as she moves seductively beside and on top of him. She rubs her long leg over his lower body. Her long black hair is in his face, it smells of her perfume. Her warm breath is on the side of his face, as he tries to get out from under her. Then she blows softly in his ear before she whispers, “I do believe you’re reacting to my presence.”
“Yes,” he says as he lets go of her hand. Immediately he gets tickled for his efforts. She knew exactly how to turn him off also. Then she bounces out of bed, saucily flounces over to the bathroom sink, takes off her nightie, and proceeds to get cleaned up. She moves seductively over to her suitcase. Where she carefully pulls out each piece of clothing she is going to wear that day and places it on the dresser. She then carefully puts on each piece of clothing, all in full view. He finally asks, “Do you do that for Charles every morning?”
She looks at him and says, “As a matter of fact, yes!”
“How can he let you out of his sight?”
“Charles knows that no mater how much I might tease you I will only bed him.”
“It sounds to me like you have been talking to Irena.”
“Yes, I have talked to Irena about her warrior-priest, I've also talked to Rebecca about you several times.”
“I might be a priest but I am not a monk! So please don’t push me any further, or we will both be in trouble.”
With a wink, she promises not to do it to him again without his permission.
Josh gets up and dresses. They then go down to find some food. As they are eating Josh wonders just how long they are going to be pushed together like this. Andre joins them briefly at breakfast tells them that they will have some friends moving in with them soon. Josh has expected it, but it won’t be soon enough for him.
They find the agent without problems this time. Like the last one, Josh met him Christmas day at Andre’s home. The routine follows the same pattern as the one in Lyon, down to the show in the café. They then go to see the house they are supposed to rent.
They both actually like it! They dicker on the price with the owner this time and get it reduced some. They then sign the paperwork, and move in late that afternoon. They will be sharing the bedroom at this house but they have separate beds. Josh feels that might work out all right. Simone is just too vivacious to share a bed with and not expect to get into trouble.
Josh decides he needs to talk to Simone about what Irena has told her. After they have gone out and gotten some food and wine, they settle in for the evening in the living room. Josh asks her, “So, what did Irena tell you about me?”
“That you were probably as close to a gentleman as I’m ever likely to be assigned too. She explained about Ingrid, Beth, Rebecca, and Stephanie. She also told me that you appeared too actually be in love with Rebecca, and asked me to please not mess that up. She also told me about all of the gunfights that you have been in, including Cuba, and how they had all happened.”
“I, need to know as much about you. But, I don’t have an Irena to tell me. So you are going to have to do it.”
She looks at him for some time. Then she gets up, goes into the kitchen, and brings two wine glasses of wine and the bottle. She sits down beside him on the couch, putting the bottle on the floor in front of them, and starts talking. She talks for about the next two hours, only pausing to refill the wine glasses and then continuing the story. When she finishes Josh asks, “Have you ever told Charles these things?”
She looks at him rather incredulously, “Of course not!”
“You should before you’re married you know, although, you might want to leave out most of the lovers. He really doesn’t need to know about them.”
“Why does he need to know about any of it?”
“Because he needs to know just how fortunate he really is that you are there for him.”
“You can’t be serious?”
Josh turns and looks at her.
“Your serious about my telling him aren’t you?”
“Yes, very.”
She reaches down and picks up the empty bottle of Rhone valley rosé and takes it to the kitchen.
“I’ll think about it,” he hears distantly from the kitchen. He smiles to himself as he knows she has no intention of ever telling Charles about anything she has told him
They go off to their separate beds, with a sigh of relief from me. Josh, like me, thinks that he now believes they can work together as partners, without the sex thing getting in the way. She is definitely a flirt, but he thinks he can handle that, as he now knows where it is coming from. He sleeps well that night, not from exhaustion, but simply because he feels, he has a handle on the situation at last.
The next morning when Josh gets up he finds that Simone is already up and fixing breakfast. He kisses her on the cheek and jokes, “Now all I need is the morning newspaper, and a couple of kids and I will have this married thing down.”
“The paper is on the table, and I can arrange for the kids if you really want them.”
The papers were the Wall Street Journal, The London Times, and the Paris Monde. So they both have papers they can read.
Josh picks up the Wall Street Journal, “Were did they come from?”
“They were delivered to the front door this morning. Do you really want children and a home?
“Yes of course, why do you ask?”
“You don’t seem like the type of man that would want to settle down.”
“I’m not at the present time. But I’ll be ready by the time I’m thirty though. Yes, definitely by thirty. I will have done all the wild stuff that any man would want by the time I’m thirty, and if I’m still alive I will be ready for a wife and children.”
“You told Rebecca that you want the child she’s carrying now. Is that a lie?”
Josh stops and looks at Simone, “First, it’s not a child but twin boys. Second, that which I create I will love and support with my whole being. Lastly, for someone constantly pushing me sexually you seem to know my wife very well.”
“And have you talked to her since we left Paris?”
“We communicate several times a day and she is always aware of everything that happens to me. Kim also watches over me the same way.”
“So that’s why the long pause when I asked if you wanted children?”
“No, the question was how soon to start bringing you up to speed as to what is really going on. You see they not only know everything that happens to me they report it all to Bill and Irena. That’s what my team does, find and report information to my superiors as we find it. Because of our rather unique view of things, we also do analytic work far beyond anything before we came on the scene. And now you know the other side of the story.” he tells her as he looks away.
She pushes him again, “Then you were not telling the truth before about not wanting children until you are thirty?”
“No, I was telling the truth. But she made her decision and said we needed to be young enough to keep up with them. I can’t really argue against having children on financial grounds, I just can’t. So now, she’s pregnant and we will have two rug rats to love and raise. I’m sure she’ll want more, and not long down the road after these two are walking.”
“Why would she do that?”
“She’s not Kim, having children and specifically my children, is very important to her, and she knows how much I want them. Unlike Francine, she’s not afraid of my dying on her and she not being able to raise them on her own. She can take her career in any direction she wants and already has enough funds to live independently if she chooses.”
Simone stands there staring at him intently with hands on hips, “I’ll ask it again, why is she doing it now, and not later on?”
“That’s not the same question, and I choose not to answer. Ask her if you really want to know.”
“You know, and you’re not going to say, are you?” She demands of him as she continues in the same posture and starts tapping her foot.
“No.”
Josh asks me to call her and gives me the number. Simone starts cleaning up, pushes Josh out of the kitchen, and she asks no more questions. Josh wonders what had brought all that on. Nevertheless, there are things that you don’t say to anyone, even if you do know, and he doesn’t for sure. He goes into the living room and starts scanning the papers that Andre left with them the previous day. They were intelligence reports from both the French and American intelligence services. He would have Simone interpret the French reports for him, and he would do the same for her on the American reports. Nether of them was that good at reading the others languages. He thought about Francine in this process. Should he send her copies in Paris to have them translated, or should he have her brought down. That was after all what he was paying her for. He went back to reading to see how big a problem it was going to be.
The telephone rings and Simone rushes in to the living room to answer it as Josh looks up and smiles. "Hello," she says as she looks at him.
"Hello, Simone, the answer to your question is I was afraid one of us is going to die before this is over. As I'm safely tucked away up here, I was afraid it was going to be him. With the twins I will have a piece of him at least when this is all over. It wasn't until I was pregnant that I found out it's not going to be him or I that dies. Don't tell him anything about this, alright?"
"Rebecca, he knows. He must have been listening. You can see it on his face," Simone says at a whisper so Josh won't hear.
"I'll talk to him later. Now, there's one other little point I need to make clear to you. Don't ever push him again like you did this morning."
"Why because you tell me he will kill me trying to take me where he takes you when he makes love to me. I don't believe you on that one," Simone says rather bitterly but still at a whisper into the mouthpiece.
Josh responds from across the room, "Simone, I'll hate my self afterwards but you'll still be dead. That's just the way it is whether you believe it or not."
Josh has finished talking to her. I'm sure he will have to be pushed hard, and it will have to be after we are separated for a lot longer than two weeks before he will do it, but he will do it if provoked enough at the wrong time.
Josh returns to finishing reading his peoples reports first and starts looking over some of Simone’s reports. He soon realizes that the French reports used the working language of a French intelligence service and that he had no idea how they were using that language, what it really meant, and would know even less if Francine translated them. He looks back at his reports and realizes that they were done in the same manner only he knew how his people used the language. They were going to have to interpret for each other. He got some writing paper he had seen in a desk drawer, and a couple of pencils. When he gets back, Simone is sitting there reading his American reports. She has finished her talk with me and is in a greatly subdued mood from earlier. It is obvious to him that she has run into the same problem. He hands her some paper and a pencil. He tells her his plan and she agrees it is the only way to get through it quickly.
Andre shows up at noon, hungry of course, and asks, “How are you two coming with the reports I left you yesterday?”
Josh turns to him, “As neither of us reads the others language that well, and we are dealing with technical language here, we are interpreting for each other. What we are going to need is to be able to chart this situation out so that everyone understands what is going on.”
“Do you think that is possible?”
“Yes, I’ll make out a list of materials that we will need after lunch. Maybe you can tell us where we can find them.”
“Make the list and I’ll pick them up for you. That should be no problem. By the way, your first houseguests, Jim and Frank, will be arriving later this afternoon. You will be getting two more guests, tomorrow afternoon, from the Gendarmerie National. I’ll be bringing them by to introduce them.”
“That sounds good. As soon as we have the teams in place here, I’ll take Jim and his partner up to Lyon and get them started there.”
“That sounds good. You are going to have two primary tasks that you will be doing. Well actually three tasks. First, you are to find out who is generating the funds for the OAS. Second, you need to find out where and how those funds are to be paid along with to whom. Lastly, you are to interview all of the English-speaking nationals living in the Marseilles and Lyon areas on these lists. Both of our intelligence services believe that your quarry was in one of the two locations, and is an expatriate of the United States, or the British Commonwealth.”
Before they can ask where that is coming from, he hands them the reports and the lists of names, so they can read it themselves.
When they have read the reports, they start comparing notes. Andre objects, saying, “These reports are already translated and by the best.” They point out several differences between the reports. He stops objecting to the way they do things. They seem to have things under control. They tell him their fear is that their own people will hold back information on them that is embarrassing to their governments. Their hope is that the other side will see it and pass it along eventually. By doing what they were doing, they are getting a much better picture.
Josh doesn’t like what the annalists are concluding and tells Andre, “I don’t believe, from what I have seen so far, that the analysts are reading the information correctly. I think, whoever we are looking for is already in Paris and is waiting for the money to be paid before doing the job.”
“What do you think you should be doing then?”
“Right now, I think, we should find out where the source of money is coming from and cut it off. It would also be nice to know where it is going and find out how much has already been paid into it.”
“Anything else.”
“Yes, if we haven’t been able to locate and cut off the source of funds by May then I am going to back to Paris to find the assassin there.”
Simone steps into the conversation, “Why May, and would you just leave us here?”
“Yes, I would just leave you here. The problem is that a pro would not leave this kind of a mission to serendipity. Not having a known spot to shoot from would be leaving too much to chance, that is, serendipity. That means that our quarry either already has his locations picked or is looking for them right now. He will not actually prepare them until he is ready to use them. However, he will have it picked out by no later than next month. He will also be working on his method of escape from those spots, Paris, and then France.”
Andre is perturbed, “Then you feel this is a waste of time?”
“No, definitely not! If we can cut off the source of funds early enough, then it will stop or slow down the assassin. We need to be concentrating on the people that are supplying the funds. They are a much bigger and easer target.”
Simone plops down beside Josh, “What should be done in Paris, while we are here?”
“I will be setting up trip wires, which can lead us to a possible quarry. Like younger English speakers getting rooms in buildings fronting areas where President De Gaulle will be appearing on Bastiel Day. I don’t like sitting out here in Provence harassing these old men,” he says while shaking the list of names in Andre’s direction.
Andre doesn’t hesitate, as he looks at them both, “Simone, what do you think about what Josh is saying?”
Simone looks away from her boss, “I agree with Josh.”
“Are you going against me too?” Andre says bitterly as he looks at her sternly.
“No, I, like Josh, will do what I am asked to do.”
Andre turns his stern look onto Josh, “Are you going to continue?
“Yes, of course I’ll continue. But, I will be gone come the end of April, if we haven’t found and taken care of the source of the money.”
“Is that enough time to accomplish what you want?”
“I think it is, if we can spend enough time on it. However, not if we have to track down and interview everyone on these lists. That could take years.”
“Josh, you said something about your setting up trip wires in Paris to start looking for our assassin. How are you going to do that? We are a long way from there.”
“What was the reason Bill gave you for Rebecca and the rest of my people staying in Paris?” Josh asks as he probes to find out if his boss spies have told Andre what they told him they had. So far he hasn’t found Simone having the information she should have had. That indicates that the problem is Andre not knowing or not telling her what she was involved in with his team.
Andre stops and thinks about it. He was at Josh’s luncheon and is aware of the telepathy but has no idea what that means to his investigation and has ignored what he doesn’t know. “We never discussed it. It’s not a part of my investigation. What little I’ve heard from your people talking in my presence is they seem to be involved in training people and preparing some analysis for your internal use. Why?”
“That’s what I suspected,” Josh says as he looks away and says, “Rebecca, call Simone now, and tell her what she did yesterday morning when we were getting up. Then tell Andre what he has said since he has been here. Thank you, love.”
Josh turns back to Andre, “We normally do this strictly telepathically however I wanted you all to know what is happening….” The phone rings, Josh stops talking, and points to Simone. She rises and answers the phone for the second time that day. The expression on Simone’s face is one of shock that deepens quickly to one of deep sorrow as she continues to listen and tears start running down her face. Josh knows what she’s being told not because he can read Simone’s mind ten feet away from him but because he and I are always connected and know what either thinks or is doing if they are interested in listening and he is now. He’s rather surprised at the venom in my voice. He stays out of it for now. As he looks over at a worried Andre that really wants to know, and never will, what’s being said on that phone. Josh says, “It’s your turn, boss.”
Andre looks at him worriedly and then moves over to take the phone from Simone. She says into the phone, “I promise nothing like that will ever happen again, Rebecca. I had no idea. Oh, Andre is here now.” She hands the phone to Andre as she shakes her head in despair. Then she sits back down beside Josh, making sure not to make physical contact in any way. Josh is watching his boss’s expression as he listens and hears about everything he has said or done since he arrived. At that point he sees part of what Bill hasn’t told him about Josh’s team. Then Rebecca tells him about how they are currently set up to report what they know about what Josh is doing. Andre’s eyes move to Josh’s and he sees’ a friend there holding his future daughter-in-laws hand and comforting her as he keeps up with what Rebecca is talking to him about….
Andre ends the phone call with, “Thank you Rebecca. None of us will ever underestimate you or your people again.” Josh had risen and moved over to the phone beside his boss as Andre hands Josh the phone. Josh stands there almost expressionless as he and Rebecca communicate at a very deep level until a smile crosses his face and he hangs up.
He turns to Andre, “Sorry about that, telephones allow us to merge which at these distances we can’t do without them. Anyway, she thinks that you know more about us than what you think you know. First, from Simone’s reaction you should have realized that what we mean by merging has nothing to do with sex. Yes, it adds greatly to sex, but more importantly it means that we are in continuous communications, including what we think, see, hear, and our emotions to what ever is happening around us. We can often even smell what the other smells. When you are talking to me, you are also talking to Rebecca and to Kim to a slightly less degree. We are expanding our teams capable of doing the same things. We are using this mission to build those teams and find out which of our various abilities is useful and how to use them to legally bring the bad guys under control, what ever that is supposed to mean. I would suggest you stop and think about what you know now and if you want to stop, or change things, that’s up to you. Now, as to the trip wires, we are going to use the tripwire exercise as a training mission for our trainees. They have to learn to work together as a team with one in the field and one in the office as observer and partner.
“I can promise nothing, but, I’ll talk to the people running the show about giving you more time to do what you feel necessary,” Andre tells them as he picks up his briefcase to leave. It is obvious that Josh’s argument has gotten to him.
Simone silently goes back to studying her reports. Josh goes to check what types of beds are in the spare bedrooms. He had not looked at all the rooms when they first saw the house. He finds that there are three spare bedrooms. One has two twin beds, one has bunk beds, and one has a single standard sized bed. He feels he can run a small hotel out of here. He is no longer worried about houseguests.
Rebecca