Free Noble Intentions: Season Three by L.T. Ryan

the road, and risk losing Jack. Or
continue on and pray that the man didn’t see her. She was already losing ground
to the sedan, so turning at the intersection looked to be the less attractive
option. She pressed the gas pedal. The little car shook and picked up speed.
    The guy now stood closer to the
entrance to the tailor’s. His head moved inches. His eyes did the heavy work,
scanning the street, the buildings. He looked relaxed, but aware. He’d been
spooked by Jack, but in the end, the government car might have aided Jack.
Perhaps the guy figured it was a regular shakedown. She knew he was trained to
spot anomalies and to take action immediately. And that was something Clarissa
could use to her advantage.
    So she made herself look like
everyone else on the road. She brought her left hand up to her head, cell phone
cradled in her palm, pressed to her cheek. Her right hand waved wildly in front
of her, animating her fake conversation. At the last second, she whipped her
head to the right like she saw something super cute in a store window. The
effort served to further conceal herself from view. After she passed, Clarissa
checked her side mirror. The guy stared off in the opposite direction. If he’d
noticed her, he hid his reaction well. Likely, he’d seen a woman in a car and
filed her away as a non-threat.
    She reached the next intersection
and slowed to a stop. A line of three cars approached from the left. Five from
the right. She glanced up toward her rear view mirror. The guy approached her
direction. Her eyes lowered an inch. The government sedan distanced itself
further. If she didn’t make it across the intersection soon, she’d lose them.
    “Come on, come on, come on.” She
tapped the heel of her free foot and bounced her knees.
    Knuckles rapped against her
passenger side window.
    Clarissa gasped, jumped, looked
over.
    The guy peered back at her over the
top of the sunglasses now perched atop his nose. He motioned with his hand for
her to roll down the window.
    She reached with her right hand and
pressed a button. The window glided down.
    “You’re Naseer’s lady, right?”
    Clarissa said nothing.
    “What’re you doing in this part of
town?”
    “I don’t answer to you.”
    He smiled, placed his forearms
across the window ledge. “What say you come have a drink with me?”
    She said nothing.
    “No? Perhaps I should dial up
Naseer and tell him you’re out and about clear across town from him.”
    “And while you’re at it, why don’t
you mention to him that you just hit on me.”
    The guy’s smile faded. He lifted
his head a few inches, worked his lips side to side. He muttered something
under his breath that ended in bitch .
    “What’s that?” Clarissa said.
    He shook his head, said nothing.
    “Yeah, that’s what I thought. Get
your grubby hands out of my vehicle, bitch.” She pressed the gas and pulled
away before he had a chance to fully disengage from the car. His arm or elbow
or hand collided with the door frame with a thud and maybe a crack. She glanced
up at her rear view mirror and saw him bent over, cradling his right arm.
    Her elation faded when she realized
that she’d lost sight of the government vehicle.
    And Jack.
     

CHAPTER 12
     
    “I’ve been watching you since you
arrived,” the guy told Jack. “We couldn’t believe your name flagged. Thought it
had to be a mistake, or maybe some other Jack Noble traveling from the U.S. to
London. I mean, why would Jack Noble travel under his own name? Really, why
would you?”
    Jack massaged his temples with his
thumbs. He took a deep breath, sucking in the stale air that carried the faint
odor of pine needles. His fear had been realized.
    “Why should I tell you?”
    “I’m Security Service. MI5, mate. I
already know a lot about you. Former Marine with CIA ties. At one time you
worked for an agency that shares an acronym with our MI6. You left long ago,
but still contracted with them for non-sanctioned hits, both foreign