Ghost Ship

“It gets worse. I knew the woman. She was my other target. I killed her three days ago.”

The line went silent for a few seconds, as the man on the other end mulled it over. He said, “But that was nowhere near here. Hell, it wasn’t even on the same damned continent!”

Andre nodded. “I know, I know…”

“What the hell does that even mean?”

Andre swallowed hard. “It means someone else knew about the contract, and they’re leaving me a dangerous message.”

“Yeah?” The man on the other end of the line said. “Well I’ve got a message for you. Sam Reilly’s best friend, Tom Bower, just called the Secretary of Defense. It appears your dead man’s still walking. What’s more, the Secretary of Defense has agreed to send a team in to retrieve him as we speak.”

“Do you know where from?”

“They’re landing at a small airstrip in La Spezia and Sam Reilly’s going to make his own way there.”

Andre grinned. “Then I’ll just have to make sure to beat him there.”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Fifty-Two Hours

Sam asked, “Do you have a car here?”

Catarina frowned. “I don’t have one. But you can borrow my motorcycle.”

“You ride a bike?”

“Always have. Don’t you remember?” She smiled. “Of course, you don’t remember.”

Sam grinned. “Can I ride it?”

“Sure.” She grabbed a set of keys and passed them to him. “Go for it.”

He smiled. “No. I mean, do I know how to ride it?”

She nodded. “Yeah. You can ride a motorcycle all right.”

“Thanks.” Sam paused. “I don’t think I can get it back to you. I’ll leave it somewhere near the airstrip at La Spezia. Is there any way you’ll be able to reach it?”

“Yeah. There’s a secret key safe beneath the fuel tank. Just make sure you leave the keys there and I’ll come pick it up in the morning.”

“Thanks. Really, I mean it.”

“You’re welcome.” She smiled. “Come on, I’ll walk you to where it’s parked. What are you going to do about the suitcase?”

“Good question. I forgot about that. I can’t exactly carry it on the motorcycle.”

“Wait here, I have a backpack you can have.”

Sam smiled. “Thanks. Again. I’ll get it back to you if I manage to survive.”

Catarina returned a few seconds later with a small backpack. Sam opened the suitcase and quickly transferred its contents into the backpack. He zipped up the backpack and threw it over his shoulders, making sure to connect and tighten the waist straps.

Sam opened the door and stepped outside.

It was heading into midafternoon. He breathed deeply, taking in the warm sea breeze. It felt good. He felt good. Things were far from making sense, but at least they were coming together. He had been on a mission when something went wrong. Someone intentionally erased his memory. Whoever that was, and why, could still be worked out. The important thing was that he would be meeting Tom Bower soon and would learn the truth.

He held Catarina’s hand affectionately as he strolled down the masonry path and stairs that meandered down to the roadway behind the set of buildings. He forced himself to stroll, taking on the appearance of a romantic couple on vacation, instead of a fugitive on the run for his life.

They reached the bottom of the stairs, turned east onto Via M. Caratino, making their way through the narrow street, heading uphill toward the city’s communal carpark.

Far behind them, and still high up on the masonry steps, back where they had come from, two people began to follow them. One was a big guy, the other a woman. He couldn’t make out a lot from the distance. But even at a glance, both moved with the speed and agility of professional soldiers. They might have been walking to catch a bus, but had that been the case, there was no reason for them to pick up speed and purpose, as soon as they had spotted him.

They were making a beeline straight for him.

No. One thing was certain, whoever they were, they were after him.

Sam’s eyes darted between his pursuers and Catarina. “Don’t suppose they’re friends of yours?”

“Afraid not. Any chance they might be yours?”

“Not a chance in hell. Tom Bower said that he’d meet me on the aircraft.”

“Then I suggest we get a move on.”

“Agreed. How much farther to your bike?”

“Not far. Come on, we’ll cut through this alleyway to the main street.”

Sam followed Catarina as they both picked up their pace to a run. Behind them, the big guy and the girl started to run.

Catarina said, “Through here!”

“I see it!” Sam said, as they ducked beneath a sandstone archway, cutting across the back of the Pizzeria Lercari Ercole — a pizza restaurant — and turned right onto Via Roma.

They entered the main street. Sam forced himself to slow to a fast walk to try to avoid drawing too much attention to them.

He scanned the Via Roma as they headed uphill.

The last train had left more than an hour ago, leaving the city nearly tourist free and almost deserted compared to the throng of people in the street earlier in the day.