The Sadian Chronicles: Book 3: Deeds of the Unforgiven

On the Road Again: Part 2

Early that same morning Mike waited inside the airport. Julia Donner's flight was due any minute. He looked up at the clock. The flight was already five minutes late, and he was getting impatient. He looked out the window to see a plane coming in for a landing.

"This better be good," he said quietly to himself.

He looked at the time again and then back at the terminal. A good twenty minutes went by as he waited patiently until the first of many passengers came through. One by one they walked passed him but still no Julia. The crowd soon thinned out and he then spotted a smartly dressed brunette with shoulder length hair. She wore a brown business with a white silk top under her jacket and three inch coco colored pumps.

He had only seen Julia Donner twice in person and never paid that much attention to her, but he remembered the scent of that French perfume she always wore. It was the same scent he was smelling now. He was positive that it was her. She approached him cautiously as he was staring her down.

"Mister Logan?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said. "It's about time you got here."

"Blame it on the airlines," she said. "I almost didn't make it. The security is tight since the last terrorist threat."

"Things never change," he said as they walked towards the baggage claim.

Mike led Julia out to a car he had waiting. It was a rental. It was nothing fancy or flashy, because he didn't want to draw any unnecessary attention. Once they were in the car he started it up and the heavy metal station was blaring out of the speakers. He liked the music loud. It helped to drown out the rest of the world. He noticed Julia holding her ears which made him chuckle. He reached over and turned down the volume.

"Here," he said as he pulled out of the parking lot. "Is that better?"

"Yes, thank you," she said.

"You can change it if you want," he said and she looked relieved.

She welcomed it and flipped the station to classical. It was typical, he thought. She looked like the kind of woman who liked Chopin. So did he, but he wasn't about to let that get out.

"So, is our recruit still in town?" she asked as he drove down a residential street.

"For the moment," he said. "I checked earlier this morning and she's still at her residence."

"Good, because I need an expert on this case," she said. "Someone who can handle themselves if the mission becomes confrontational in an aggressive way."

"You mean a fight," he said simplifying her words. "One thing that woman is good at is aggressive confrontations." He was half mocking her, but she just smiled at his banter.

Mike approached the apartment building that Marianna and her son were living in and pulled into the parking garage. He had been watching the place for several days and learned the access code to get in.

Once he found a parking space and he got out of the car followed by Julia. "So, do you know which apartment is Marianna Faigon's?"

"Of course, I do," Mike said. I've been watching her place since I realized she was here."

"So tell me, Mister Logan," Julia said as he led her to the elevator. "What is you fascination with this woman?"

"That's my business," was all he would say. He hit the button that led to Marianna's floor. Julia looked puzzled, but he tried to ignore it. He knew she was a smart woman, and he didn't want to do or say anything to tip her off about his true connection to Marianna Faigon or her son.

Finally the elevator stopped and Mike was relieved. One more minute, and he feared she would have figured out the connection he had to the dark-haired beauty. There was more to Julia Donner then she was willing to admit. Why else would she be working for Martin Drell?

"So, which one is Hers?" Julia asked.

"The one at the end of the hall," he said and hid behind the wall that led to the stairwell. "I'll stay here, while you go talk to her."

"Why don't you want to come?" Julia asked. She looked at him suspiciously. Why did this woman have be so nosy? He wondered. He was frustrated but come up with a fast excuse.

"It's better that Marianna doesn't know I'm here," he said. It wasn't a real explanation, but the only one he was going to give. Julia opened her mouth as she was about to say something. Mike pointed a finger at her and added, "That is all you need to know."

He left it at that, and Julia gave up the argument and headed towards Marianna's apartment door.