Page 10 of One Knight Stand

“What? Are you kidding me?”

She didn’t have time to answer, because someone pounded on the door. I opened it to find Wally standing on the other side. “Angel, did you hear? The school is closing for a week.”

I opened the door wider, ushering him in. He crossed the threshold and came to an abrupt stop when he saw Kira.

“Kira! You’re here,” he stammered. “Not that that’s weird, because you live here, so naturally, you’d be in your suite.” His face turned beet red and he turned to me, obviously looking for help.

I came to his rescue. “Kira just told me about the closing. Asbestos remediation. It’s kind of random they just discovered it.”

“I heard it happened after two students got into a wrestling match in Bondurant Hall and punched a hole in the wall,” Wally said. “They did an inspection on all the campus buildings and found unsafe levels in a bunch of them. So, out we go for at least a week until it’s fixed.”

“Are you going home or to the hotel?” Kira asked him. “Apparently we have to tell them tonight so they can move us tomorrow.”

“Me?” Wally pointed to himself, apparently surprised she’d asked him. “Ah, I’m not sure what I’m doing. Angel, what about you?”

“I’ll probably go home. It’s a good excuse to check up on my mom and see how she’s doing since Gwen is in Brazil. What about you, Kira?”

“I’m going to the hotel. It’ll be like a mini-vacation.”

“I think it kind of sucks,” Wally said. “We just get to UTOP, and now we have to move to a hotel. Then we’ll come back to the campus, and in two and a half more weeks, we’re off again for Thanksgiving, followed by Christmas break. It’s too much downtime.”

“Listen to you, Wally,” I said, grinning. “Complaining because you can’t have school.”

“Fine. Make fun of me because I like spy school. Except the driving-with-Frankie part. I don’t know what I have to do to get out of that next time, but I’m prepared to fall on any sword to do it.”

“No kidding,” I said with feeling.

“I’m sure the honeymoon with the school will wear off,” Kira said, setting her salad aside and standing. “But having said that, I’m in full agreement with you, Wally. So far, spy school is pretty awesome.”

“Right?” he replied with a big smile. “Wow, look how compatible that makes us…and I can’t believe I just said that aloud.” He turned to look at me with a mortified expression. “Is there a way for a graceful exit after that?”

“Nope.” I shook my head and shoved him toward the door. “Just head out and we’ll forget you said it.”

“Right. Goodbye, then.” Wally threw open the door and dashed out. I closed it behind him and shrugged. “Sorry about that. He’s got it bad for you.”

Instead of offering a flippant remark, Kira just smiled. “He’s cute and kind of sweet. I’m not sure he even realizes how smart he is. I like him.”

“Well, what you see with Wally is what you get, which is why he and I get along so well.”

“I understand that.” Kira picked up her plate, headed for the sink. “He’s the best kind of friend to have.”

“He really is,” I said with a smile. “Quirks and all.”

Chapter Seven

ISAAC REMINGTON

Isaac pulled into his circular driveway, which was flanked by bare trees that ringed the perimeter of his brick colonial house. He hated the period between autumn and winter when the leaves and color were gone and the suburbs of Virginia were a cold, gray, and drab place to live.

When his burner phone rang, he answered it. “What did you find out?”

Sampson responded, “She works as a pharmacist five days a week, with Thursdays and Sundays off. She goes to the gym on Mondays and Thursdays, is punctual, and rarely strays from her routine. It’ll be a walk in the park.”

“Good. Is the plan in place?”

“It is, and we’re ready to execute today.”

“Don’t fail me this time. We’ve got too much at stake.”

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