The Black Sheep and the English Rose (27 page)

“The goal is to get the sapphire back. And not put you at risk. Beyond that, I'm game for what you think will work best. You know more about the playing field at the moment than I do.”

“I'm afraid I'm already at risk. In fact, I'm not at all certain I'm not being intentionally used as a pawn. And while I understand that that is generally my role on this particular chess board, I can't say in this instance I like it overly much. Especially when I fear our Mr. Reese is something of a rook. Appearing to move to the side, when, in fact, he's still making forward progress.”

“Where does that leave you?”

“Somewhat out in the cold, I believe.”

Finn took her hand and walked over to the settee, where they both sat and turned to face each other, knee to knee. “Okay. So tell me what you need to, so that I can help figure this out. I can put Rafe on it, Mac, too, if you'd like. They are family to me, and you can trust them the same as me. I won't have to tell them anything that jeopardizes you. They don't even know who you are. Just what to dig for, where to go, or who to look at.”

“I'd like to say no, and not drag anyone else into what might potentially be a…difficult situation. You, included.”

“I'm not going anywhere.” He smiled. “And difficult situations are what we excel in.”

“Which is exactly why I'm going to do the wisest thing and pool resources. I don't know what the fallout will be, but it's a risk I'd take regardless of our personal situation. You do believe that.”

“I don't think I've ever seen you so spooked. So yes, I do believe you.”

“Okay, then.” She took his hands in hers. The steadying strength she found there made it easier to do what she'd never done before. “I work for M—”

“I'm still okay with need-to—”

She held his gaze intently. “This is my decision. What
I
think is best. And what I think is best is that you know. If it turns out I'm wrong, then I take the consequences. It's not your choice to make.”

He nodded, and she squeezed his hands.

“Are you sure, though, that you're willing to be privy to what I'm about to tell you? I know you want to help, but I honestly have no idea what I've gotten myself involved in here. It could be that my making this decision will put you at risk in some way I can't foresee, and—”

“Felicity.”

Her lips quirked. “You're quite patient with me, aren't you?”

Finn barked a laugh at that. “I'm certainly glad you see it that way. I feel like I've pushed you about as hard as a person can, and rushed you the whole way.”

“So,” she said, quite serious now. “You're certain? And you might be speaking for your friends as well, so—”

“I'm certain. They'd respond the same in this kind of situation. Have, actually. And I'd do the same for them.”

“Okay.” She took another steadying breath, and this time he squeezed her hands. She looked into his eyes and found exactly what she needed there. And then, it was suddenly quite easy. “I work for a division of our country's national security department known as MI-8.”

Finn grinned. “So, you are Jane Bond.”

She knocked his knees with their joined hands. “Very amusing.”

“Quite, and I rather like it. Go on.”

“Your accent is truly atrocious, you know.” He nodded, and she fought a smile. “This is quite serious business.”

“I know. But it's our business, and, as such, considering our past exploits together, not so shocking as all that. Would you rather I gasp and splutter?”

“Our
business?” she asked. “You don't mean to say that you also work for your government, do you?”

“No. I've already done my time with them. My partners and I operate entirely privately, getting things done that our system, wonderful though it is, sometimes can't. But you know the history of that. How did you get started? Did they recruit you?”

“In a manner of speaking, yes,” she said. “I was at a royal function in Copenhagen, doing Foundation work, and a man pulled me aside and asked if I'd be willing to help him out in the name of the Queen and national security.”

Finn grinned. “And you believed him?”

“I certainly believed the ID. And the gun he was carrying was quite persuasive as well.” She took some pleasure in the way his face blanched a little at that. “You know, you're right. It's not fun, but it's quite nice knowing that someone cares enough to worry.”

“Is lethal force often required in the types of jobs you do for them?”

“Rare to never. I'm employed more for my…diplomatic skills.”

“So, you helped, and I'm guessing someone was impressed and asked if you'd be willing to continue on a more routine basis?”

“I was invited to help them from time to time first, and then, yes, we made it a more formal agreement.”

“How often—” He stopped, lifted his hand. “Never mind.”

“Not, too,” she answered anyway. “In fact, it's been very occasional of late.”

“How do you square your time spent helping your country with your other duties?”

“I manage. It's not so frequent that anyone gets suspicious when I take a little trip. They usually think I'm shopping, or vetting potential future Foundation beneficiaries. It's really not as hard as all that. Outside of Britain, I'm not well known, except in certain circles. But I do have contacts, and experience that allows me to move pretty freely in those circles.”

“What's different this time? Have you ever been this confused by your directives?”

“I haven't always understood why I was being asked to accomplish certain goals, and, seeing as I was never asked to do anything I had a personal or moral issue with, I don't know that I cared, as long as it helped them get the job done. As you said, the thrill of it can be quite intoxicating, and a bit addictive. Which, given how staid and proper my regular life is, has been quite something for me. But it's also been a personal thing with me, something I can do that has nothing to do with commitments that were preordained by a fluke of birth.”

Finn smiled. “I understand that better than you could possibly know.”

“I'd like to hear more about that, you know. Fair being fair and all.”

“I promise to bore you with my family history at great length if you really want to know, but right now, you need to tell me what's gone wrong with this mission.”

“I'll hold you to that, don't think I won't. But yes, things are getting rather critical, it seems, and I can't figure out what's really going on here.”

“Your job was to get the sapphire, bring it back, right?”

“Correct.”

“And now you think Reese works for them, too. Except he was trying to sell the piece to Chesnokov's agent.”

“Right. Here's the rest. The reason they want the sapphire is because they believe one of their own agents—” She stopped, her mouth dropping open. “Oh, my Lord. It's John! John is the one they suspect of treason.”

‘Treason?” Finn said, looking truly shocked. “How does a sapphire necklace, even one as old as this, have anything to do with jeopardizing your country's security?”

“I don't know. In fact, it's amazing to me that I know anything beyond just retrieving the piece. But I got information from a different handler this time, and he told me that it was a matter of utmost security, that they're trying to nail down evidence against one of their own, for using secure information for personal gain. Apparently the sapphire plays a dual role, in that it would be evidence against the agent, as well as whatever it is that makes it a matter of national concern in the first place.”

Finn was silent for a moment. “So, Reese selling the stone would play along with that supposition, that he's an agent, and that he's on the take. I just can't figure out what the stone would have to do with national security. Why would your country have been researching it, or tracking it, in the first place?”

“I don't know. I know prior to going on the market, it was owned by a Greek man—”

“Capellas,” Finn supplied. “Alexander Capellas.”

“He's not your client, is he?” Felicity asked.

“No. No, my client is a second generation American, Theodore Roussos. The stone rightfully belongs to his family and can be traced back to the Ottoman occupation. He's the final descendant. It's been the center of a feud between his family and the Capellas that dates back well over a century and was, at one point, used to destroy Theo's family's honor and, because of that, their financial security.”

“So, he wants it back to sell it to pay off family debt?”

Finn shook his head. “No, he just wants to clear his family's name. He plans to donate it to the Met. Where it will be on display forever, secure, and proving the provenance was his line, not the Capellas.”

“Sounds like it had quite the tempestuous history.”

“It did. Still does, apparently. If it's okay with you, I'll put Rafe on looking at a connection between Capellas and your government, see what we can make pop.”

“I don't know that it's important at this point. He doesn't have it any longer.”

“But your country wants it back. If they can claim treason for stealing it, then we should know exactly what it is we're dealing with. And it matters to my client, as well. He's been fighting Capellas in court most of his adult life, trying to get the stone back. I don't think he'd have much luck against your entire government if they think it's a matter of national security.”

“How did your client know the stone was surfacing on the market?”

“He's known all along who had it, but, as an American citizen, his success in pressing Capellas, who is a Greek citizen, to prove provenance has been limited. Capellas sent notice recently, in response to another attempt by Theo to bring him to court, that he was no longer in possession of the piece.”

“Did Theo offer to buy it?”

“He's in no position to do that financially. And, for him, it's about honor. He shouldn't have to buy what is rightfully his. It's as much about restoring the family name as anything, and, even if he could, simply buying it back wouldn't do that.”

“If the piece is at the center of a centuries long family feud, then what would provoke Capellas to get rid of it? Sounds like he was doing everything he could to hang on to it.”

“That's the part we don't know. When he got the notice, Theo was shocked. Capellas would give him no further information, other than that he'd sold it to a middleman who was going to sell it on the open market.”

“And that's when you came into play.”

“Well, the stone is rightfully, legally, his. Whatever leverage he had, though, was against the Capellas. Trying to go after the new owner would likely get him nowhere, and that was only if he knew who the owner was. It's an ancient artifact, and as such, priceless. Whoever could afford to buy it would likely be in a good position to protect it, financially and in every other way.” He paused. “Of course, your government could bring more pressure to bear, so that's a possible avenue, if we knew why they wanted it. But I would imagine the new buyer would be made aware of this, and it will disappear from sight. Who knows when or if it will ever surface again. As it is, Theo's legal bills are already staggering from the protracted battles he's waged thus far.”

“So, I take it you were the wiser investment.”

“We don't charge people for what we do.”

“Right. Your own Foundation, of sorts.”

“Yes, but privately controlled. We choose who we want to help. We're not a charity. It's more about—”

“Righting wrongs that would otherwise go unfixed. I remember. Lucky he found you.”

“His lawyer found me. I…still keep in touch with some of my former colleagues and adversaries.”

“Ah. They contact you with their lost causes.”

“Sometimes. So, what else do you know about it? Anything?”

“Well, now I know that—or strongly suspect—John is the agent they're after. It makes sense. And I spoiled his plan to sell it, initially anyway, but also managed to tip him off to the fact that I'm more than I appear to be.”

“Do you think he knows you work for the same agency?”

“I have no idea. I certainly had no idea he might work for MI-8. He might think just as you did, that I'm in it for personal gain.”

“What if the agent sold it to Reese? Or is just using him as middleman?”

“Could be,” she said, “but it makes sense that he might be working with them. It would explain why he's ended up in situations where he's walking a fine line with the blackmarket trade, and how he knows about so many items newly on the market. I'm not understanding why he'd want to pull a double cross, though. Especially if the item is critical to some other case.”