Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

Cole crosses the street just as Seraphina gets out of the taxi.  She does not see him as he rushes up beside her.  “Hey, Phiny.  Perfect timing.”  He offers her his arm and escorts her into the café. Seraphina asks the attendant for a secluded table in the back.  He tells her that is not possible.  She tells him they are on their honeymoon and slips him a nice big tip.  He smiles and leads them to a table in the back room of the café where no one else in seated.  As he leaves he stops a waiter and speaks to him while pointing in Cole and Seraphina’s direction.  The waiter smiles, nods and they both disappear.

Cole looks at Seraphina, quickly grabs her hand and says, “I am so glad I married you honey.”  She blushes, “That’s our cover in case Michael didn’t tell you, at least for now.  Sorry I couldn’t tell you earlier but I had to wait until I confirmed it was you.  I couldn’t do that until you asked me to dinner in those specific words. 

Just as she finishes, she sees the waiter coming towards them she quickly gets quite.  The waiter speaks, “here is a bottle of our finest champagne, compliments of the house for the happy couple.”  Cole and Seraphina thank the waiter as he ours them a glass and puts the bottle in the ice bucket.  “Are we ready to order?”  They both order and the waiter disappears again.  Seraphina movers closer to Cole.  “I know this might seem strange but if our cover is that we are newlyweds, we are going to have to act like it in public.”  Cole thinks for a moment, looks a Seraphina and says, “You mean like this?”  He leans in and gives her a nice long kiss.  When they finish, Cole looks at Seraphina who seems totally stunned.  She catches her breath and finally says with a smile, “Yes that will work!”

“Now,” she continues.  “I have some details for you about our mission.”  She pulls out her pocket computer.  “Here is our target,” she says as she shows Cole a picture of a gentleman.  “This is his family.  They are not to be harmed and we will eventually get them out.  We must first gather information that we believe he has.  He runs a major transport company.  You will breech his company as his new Chief of Operations in the Data Department.  He will mention a job opening for me as well about being his nannie.  When he does, you will give him what will be our home phone number for his wife to call me.  That is my way in.  I will get access to records at his house.  We are posing as a newlywed couple who just moved to the area, Donavan and Seraphina Maloney from Paris.

He has an outpost company there that you are transferring from.  We will get more information as to what to look for later.”  She looks up and sees the waiter coming with their food.  Seraphina slips her computer back into her pocket and leans over and kisses Cole.  They continue to kiss until the waiter interrupts them.  “Ah, young love.  There is nothing like it.”  He serves their dinner and refills the few sips of champagne they took.  “I will check on you in a few minutes.  Enjoy” he says as he leaves.

As they begin eating, Cole asks, “So where are we going for this mission?”  Seraphina takes a sip of Champagne, “We have to go to Rome.  We have a red-eye tonight so you can report for work tomorrow.  We will each have a bag to pick up in baggage claim that has things we will need.”  Seraphina looks at her watch.  “Our plane leaves in 3 hours.  So, we need to eat, get our things and head to the airport.  As you see, I brought my things with me so I will go with you back to your hotel to get your things then we can head to the airport.  Did you get all of the sweetheart?”

Cole was just staring at Seraphina as she talked. “Huh? What? Oh yes.  I got it dear.”  Seraphina laughs, “Are you ok?”  Cole shakes his head as if he is shaking out the cob webs.  “Huh? Oh yeah I am fine.  Sorry I was just thinking about how lucky I am to have a wife as beautiful and smart as you.”  Seraphina blushes, “Thank you but no one is around.  You don’t have to say stuff like that right now.

Cole takes her hand.  “I am not just saying it.  I am being honest.  I have been thinking about it since we first meet in the airport and talked on the plane before I ever knew we’d be working together.  It was very hard for me not to blow my cover several times just talking to you.  I had to really focus.”  Seraphina looks at him, “actually I did too.  SO much in fact I gave you the newspaper before I was supposed to, just hoping you would get up to receive the message just so I could compose myself.  I wasn’t supposed to give it to you until right before we landed.”

Cole is somewhat stunned, “Wow, I have a feeling this is going to be very easy and very difficult all at the same time, if you know what I Mean.”  Seraphina laughs, “Yes I certainly do and I agree.”  She kisses him as the waiter returns.  He clears their empty plates.  “The chef asked me to give you his congratulations and the dinner is on him.  You may stay as long as you wish.  Is there anything else,” he asks as he refills their glasses with the last bit of champagne. 

Cole thanks him and says they are fine.  He thanks the waiter and hands him a nice tip.  The waiter wishes them the best and leaves.  Cole turns to Seraphina, “wow that was very nice.  I think I am going to like this cover if we get service like that.”  Seraphina smiles, “I agree.  We should get going now so we can get to the airport.”  Cole and Seraphina walk hand in hand back across the street to Cole’s room before heading to the airport.

As they board their flight, it is well past dark outside.  Cole and Seraphina are pulling off their role as a newlywed couple so well that everyone around them smile and some even comment about how sweet young love is.  As the plane lifts off the ground, Cole takes Seraphina by the hand and whispers, “I have never broken an agency rule before but I am afraid we are both in danger of breaking the cardinal rule about not getting to close to anyone.  We need to focus and work hard to not allow that to happen.”  Seraphina answers, “I have been thinking about that since dinner.  Knowing that we can trust each other is important but so is not letting our emotions get the best of us.  Hopefully when the mission gets going our training and instincts will take over and help us keep emotions in check but not so much that we don’t come off as a couple.  We still have to make it believable.  We just have to keep reminding ourselves of the mission.  It will be hard but it has to be done.”

Cole is stunned by her answer.  “Yes I agree.  Just needed to know you were up for this.”  Seraphina smiles as they both try to get some sleep.  They both have been up for several days and once the mission starts, sleep may be hard to come by.

The captain announcing they are making their decent startles Cole awake.  He looks in the seat next to him to see if Seraphina was awake only to find it empty.  He looked around to find her.  He finally spots her in the forward galley talking to a flight attendant.  Cole panics.  Had he let his emotions get the better of him?  Had he let his guard down?  Was Seraphina blowing the whistle or worse plotting against him?  He had to find out.

He took a moment to calm himself.  He carefully gets up.  Luckily Seraphina’s back was to him.  He walked right up behind her, threw his arms around her and kissed her cheek, “Hey sweetie, thanks for letting me sleep.  I really needed it.”  Seraphina turned and kissed him, “You’re welcome babe.  I couldn’t sleep so I got up to talk to Christie here.  We have worked together several times and always had fun together.  Christie, this is my Donavan.”  Cole sticks out his hand, “Nice to meet you, Christie.”  Christie shakes his hand and smiles, “You too Donavan.  Seraphina was just telling me about you and how you guys met.  I knew she was seeing someone but had no idea it was this serious.  You got a great gal, and the ring is gorgeous.”  Cole smiles, “Oh she’s not great.  She’s the best.  As for the ring, it had to be a gorgeous ring for a gorgeous lady.  Although it hardly compares to her.”  He leans over and kisses Seraphina.  “Wow Phiny,” Christie replies, “You got a good one.  Now you two better get seated.  We are landing soon.  Hey, I don’t have another flight for several more hours.  I know it’s late but do you guys want to get a drink or something?”  Seraphina looks at Cole, “Sure we’d love to but a short one.  Donavan has to report to his new job tomorrow and we want him to make a good impression.”  They agree on where to meet and Christie says she will be there as soon as she finishes post flight.

Cole and Seraphina take their seats for landing.  Cole leans in to Seraphina and asks, “So what did you tell her about how we met.”  Seraphina smiles, “I told her the truth exactly how we met the today but made it sound like it was several months ago and that you were based in Zurich and we got together as often as we could.  I said that you were being transferred and asked me to go with you and we got married.”  Cole smiles, “OK, I just wanted to know in case someone asks me so we’d be on the same page.  What’s this ring she was talking about?  I never knew you had one.”  Seraphina laughs, “Oh the agency made sure we had some so it would look authentic, see”  She holds up her hand and shows Cole a beautiful 1 ½ carat princess cut diamond with a diamond inlay band.  He smiles, “Wow I did do pretty good, but why so elaborate?”  “Well,” She replies.  “Your supposed job has you earning well into the six figures so they wanted to make sure that I had a ring to match.  I think it’s beautiful but too much for an agent.  I have to wear it.  Oh I almost forgot,” She pulls a small envelope out of her pocket.  “Here this is yours.”  She slides out another diamond inlayed band for Cole.  “You have to wear it.”  Cole looks at it and slips it on his finger.  “Guess it’s official now honey.”  Seraphina laughs and Cole takes her hand just as the wheels touch the runway.  “I guess so she answers.”