Page 47 of Undercover Infidel
The moment the wheels touched the tarmac, I checked my mobile. Nothing yet from Lex. However, a message from Viper provided an address—not MI6 headquarters, but a safe house in a Notting Hill mews.
I sent a brief reply.On my way.
As the plane taxied to a halt, I gathered my things, checked my weapon, and prepared to face whatever awaited me in London. Whether Lex would forgive me remained uncertain, but one thing was clear—I would do whatever necessary to keep her safe. Not just now, but for the rest of our lives if she’d let me.
14
LEX
While comfortable, the safe house in Notting Hill felt like a cage. After the sprawling grandeur of Blackmoor, the compact efficiency of MI6’s London accommodation did little to settle my restless thoughts. My mobile sat on the table, its screen showing multiple missed calls and messages from Con. I hadn’t answered any of them, needing space to sort through my tangled emotions.
I couldn’t ignore them any longer. We were in the midst of an investigation that could result in a third world war; childish pride had no place here.
I scrolled through his messages. Each one grew progressively more urgent.
Need to talk. Important information about Labyrinth.
Please make contact when you get this.
Credible threat against you. Urgent you make contact immediately.
The last message had come through just before my signal disappeared entirely, which meant my windowfor responding was closed until MI6 tech support secured another communications channel.
The landline rang, startling me. Few people had that number.
“Sterling,” I answered.
“Lex,” Viper’s voice came through. “Carnegie contacted me. He believes you’re being targeted by the consortium.”
“Who’s his source?” I asked.
“Kestrel.”
The name gave me pause. Even I knew his reliability was unquestionable.
“Con is flying in from Scotland. Should land within the hour,” she continued. “I’ve authorized his access to the safe house. You can expect him shortly.”
My heart did a traitorous little flip. “Thank you for the heads-up.”
“In the meantime, you should know we’ve picked up unusual activity at Canary Wharf. Equipment arriving via Thames shipping routes, being prepared for immediate outbound transport.”
“To Aberdeenshire?”
“Negative. We’ve also received reports indicating that compound has been abandoned. The timingsuggests they’re using London as a transit point. Final destination unknown.”
After ending the call, I began tracing possible shipment origins, transit routes, and destinations on a digital map. Most appeared random at first glance, but several were scheduled to arrive at London ports within hours of each other, despite originating from different locations.
My mobile buzzed again with a message from Malcolm Bennett, the SIS agent who specialized in Russian counterintelligence and who Viper had recommended join the investigation, reiterating a death had occurred during the op.
I sat back, processing whether something else was at play here. Did the Russian national’s death mean another entity had tried to take control over the AWIS development? If so, the list of who would was endless and wouldn’t be limited only to those who wanted it to advance.
A subtle alert appeared on my tablet—a notification that someone with authorized credentials was approaching the safe house perimeter. A glance confirmed it was Con who, given Viper’s estimated ETA, had made remarkably good time from the airfield. Still,safety protocols could not be ignored. I readied my weapon and got into position.
The subtle whir of the security system indicated someone had entered their access credentials. Moments later, the front door opened and closed with barely a sound. I kept my gun ready, moving silently toward the entrance hall.
“Lex?” Con’s voice was low, controlled.
I lowered my weapon as he appeared in the doorway. The sight of him—dark hair disheveled by the wind, jaw set with determination, those piercing blue eyes—sent an unwelcome rush of emotions through me.
