Chapter 8
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Chapter 8“Yes, Marie,” Khalid said in an even tone of voice as he picked up the phone.
“We are fine my dear... I see... Have him come up, will you? And give him a room somewhere on this floor.”
There was only one person I knew who would have known where they were and who would have wanted to intrude on them, and that was Agent Mark Gilford.
“Don’t tell me. I already know,” Talya said. “I can’t believe that he couldn’t stay away,” she added with some degree (reaching the boiling point) of annoyance.
“If Mark is here, it is for a good reason. If you thought for one moment that CSIS was going to let us go on our own, you were deluding yourself. Even if we had gone directly to Cayenne, Mark would have followed us. We may as well get used to it – he is going to be with us for a long time.”
A knock at the door interrupted them.
“Mark. Good of you to join us, please come in... Have a seat,” Khalid invited when he opened the door wide to let him in.
“Khalid, Talya. I am sorry to disturb you...” He sat down across from them and looked around.
The Boisery Suites at the Hotel de Crillon are known for their comfortable and manly décor. The oak paneling enhances the warmth of the surroundings, while the shimmers from the chandelier and crystal sconces accompany the soft light delicately and unobtrusively entering the room from the French windows.
“Mark, why, why did you follow us?” Talya asked with undue aggressiveness it seemed.
“I said that I would be at your doorsteps in two weeks’ time...”
“Yes you did, Mark, but that was only a week ago. So why did you follow us? We are going to Cayenne the day after tomorrow and you told us that your next assignment would call for you to be in the South of France and to stay close by in the meantime. And unless the world-map has been changed drastically overnight, I don’t see Cayenne being anywhere ‘close-by’ the French Riviera.”
“I know, Talya, but the office in Ottawa thought I should follow you, so my assignment is to stay with you until further notice.”
When you are involved with the powers-that-be, you run into these kinds of inconveniences very often.
“We appreciate that you have your orders,” Khalid began, taking up where Talya left off, “but we are not intending to chase after Osnoir, nor are we in search of a stash of drugs at the moment. We have chosen to go to Cayenne for business reasons. As you are aware now, I’m sure; Carmine has a property in Guyana called Sinosetu. I am supposed to fly a work team out of the site in a week’s time, and that is what we plan to do. So, and as Talya said, we don’t see why we need a bodyguard on this journey.”
“Khalid, may I ask if you’re intending to stop over anywhere on the way to Cayenne?”
“You may ask, Mark, but you’re not getting an answer from either of us until we have had time to think of what the answer should be.”
“I knew it. I knew it!” Mark was obviously thrilled.
“Well, Mark, if your senses are so acute at the moment, they should also tell you that it is time for you to take your leave. Talya and I are not leaving the hotel for the time being, so you can retire to your room in all tranquility. We can’t leave until the Lear is ready, so you may go now. But I suggest you stay close-by just in case.”
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