The Mission (2 page)

‘Yeah, we’ll just take turns at watching for Nicko.’

‘Alright, cool. I’ve never been inside the casino before. What do I do?’

‘Well,’ said Ryan with a smile, ‘I’ll go get some change if you watch the door, and then we’ll play those pokies. It should give us a good vantage point.’

‘So do I watch for Nicko or Sal?’

For a moment, Ryan looked torn. He rubbed his jaw before replying. ‘Nicko is the one we want tonight, so if he comes out, follow him like I’ve shown you and call me straight away so I can catch up. Okay?’

‘Yep. Got it.’ Jaz walked towards the pokies Ryan had pointed out, and tried to remember Nicko’s features from the photo Ryan had shown her before they got into the taxi. Bald, mid-fifties, likes expensive suits and has a burn mark under his left ear. Shouldn’t be so hard.

As she was about to take a seat, she caught the back of a man walking near the door who was bald and in a suit. She quickly stepped to the end row of pokies and spotted the guy. She breathed a sigh of relief when she realised Nicko was older than this bloke. It wasn’t him. Back to watching the door. She spun around to make sure she hadn’t given time for the real Nicko to waltz out of the door when she collided with a man.

‘Oh, I’m so sorry,’ she said, looking up into the face of her victim.

Her mouth dried up when she recognised the expensive suit and coffee-coloured skin. And he was holding her arm.

‘No, I’m sorry. It’s my fault, I wasn’t watching where I was going,’ he said apologetically. His voice as smooth as silk.

Sal, the man Ryan wanted dead. Jaz was lost for words as she gazed at his piercing black eyes. How many kills had they seen? He was watching her intently and she realised she’d have to say something.

‘Well, that makes two of us then. Sorry, again.’ Jaz gently pulled her arm so he let it go. There was something weird about him, she wasn’t sure if she just felt funny because she knew he was this big scary bad man or the fact that he seemed so normal. He was being polite. He had a nice smile. She was so conflicted.

‘Can I buy you a drink? To apologise properly?’ He smiled again and she automatically smiled back.

‘No thanks, my partner is waiting for me. I’d better go.’ Jaz stepped past him and walked down the row of pokies. Her skin prickled and she knew he was watching her leave. When she got to the end of the row, she sat down and then very slowly checked to see if he was still watching. Gone. Relief flooded her just as a hand came down on her shoulder and she just about screamed. Swinging around, she saw Ryan. ‘Oh, it’s you, thank God.’ She breathed deeply, too many shocks at once.

‘What the bloody hell were you just doing?’ Ryan glanced at the door she was supposed to be checking. His face was flushed. ‘Shit, that’s Nicko. Come on.’ He pulled Jaz up off her seat and led her towards where he’d last seen Nicko. On the way, he passed the plastic container full of coins he was holding to an old lady with a short perm. ‘Here, next game’s on us,’ he said. They were gone before they could see the delight on the lady’s face.

As they made it to the end of the aisle, past the pokie players, Ryan wrapped his arm around Jaz, pulling her in close as they walked. Just like a happy, loved up couple. She wished.

‘He’s up ahead, past the guy with the green shirt,’ said Ryan. It was a busy night and they had to squeeze together to pass the groups of people.

‘I’ve got him.’ Jaz was too afraid to blink in case Nicko vanished.

‘Good,’ he said before his voice dropped to a grumble. ‘Now tell me what you were doing talking with Sal? Did I not explain how dangerous he is? Christ, Jaz. What the hell were you thinking?’ His breath rushed against her ear with each word.

Without taking her eyes off Nicko, who was making his way out of the casino, she talked through her teeth to Ryan. ‘I thought I saw Nicko, but it wasn’t him and as I turned around I ran into you know who. It was accidental. I didn’t plan it.’

‘He was touching you.’ His voice seethed.

‘I know. He was apologising.’ Jaz felt ridiculous saying that this awful killer was saying sorry. She felt like she was defending the man. ‘I got away as fast as I could without causing suspicion.’

Ryan let out a breath as they headed outside into the cool night air. Nicko had stopped and was waiting for someone. Ryan pulled Jaz into him, circling his arms around her. He dropped his head on her shoulder as if they were about to kiss.

Jaz’s heartbeat raced with anticipation, but she knew this was all for show.

‘What happens now?’ she said against his cheek.

‘We wait.’ Ryan pulled back and laughed aloud. Jaz went along and giggled. ‘Come here, beautiful,’ he said, before pulling her back into his arms. ‘He’s getting into a black car. One Foxtrot Echo Golf six five nine. Can you remember that?’

Jaz decided now was not the time to let Ryan know that her memory wasn’t the greatest. Cramming for her exams never worked, so she highly doubted she’d remember the number plate. But just for good measure she repeated it over in her mind a few times.

‘Let’s go,’ he said, holding her hand and pulling her to the taxi stand.

They jumped into the back of the first one. Ryan held the door open for her, still playing along. She realised just how important it was to keep up appearances. Who knew who would be watching? Maybe Sal? She shivered with the thought.

‘You cold?’ asked Ryan after he climbed in. He pulled her in close and rubbed her arms. Then he paused, as if realising how close they were. He dropped his hands and sat forward, trying to spot the car. ‘Can you follow the black car that is turning right up ahead please? Our friends are in it,’ he said to the cab driver, who smelt like old cigars and sweat.

Jaz relaxed back in the comfort of the taxi and left the watching up to Ryan. His aftershave smelt divine and she missed the warmth from his arms. At least pretending to be his partner she could be close to him. It was better then when he was away on missions doing God knows what with God knows who.

After thirty minutes, Ryan told the taxi driver to take them home.

‘Why?’ she asked as he sat back after giving Pax’s address.

‘He’s gone straight home. Nothing exciting tonight. We were hoping he would stop by a warehouse or meet up with someone.’

‘He could have been meeting Sal? And what if he leaves later, in another car?’

‘I will let them know about Sal being here tonight and don’t worry. Someone is already watching Nicko’s house.’

‘Oh, okay.’ Jaz felt like a very small piece of the puzzle. But it was also reassuring to know she had joined something real and that there were others working hard out in the field to bring these bad people down. The rest of the car trip was in silence, and when they arrived back at Pax’s place, outside The Ring, Jaz felt better. She was home and safe. Ryan paid the huge taxi bill and followed her inside the big flat white building. The sign stating the ‘The Ring’ was still a fading blue and red, which she should repaint one day. Inside, the smell of leather, sweat and plastic mats welcomed her. She’d been coming to this gym since she was a baby. It started with her mum teaching her karate, and then the rest of the guys, like Bags with boxing and Tick with street fighting. She loved it all.

Inside the office light was on. Pax was sitting by his computer still at work or, more likely, waiting for them.

‘Great, you’re back,’ said Pax, pushing his steel-rimmed glasses onto his head. He held out his arms to Jaz and she hugged him. His teddy bear body wrapped her up warm and soft. Just how an adopted grandparent should be. ‘You don’t look like my little Jasmine anymore,’ he said letting her go. ‘All grown up. It’s so hard to believe.’

‘Pax, come on,’ she said, embarrassed that Ryan was a witness to this display.

‘So it all went okay?’ Pax asked, looking to Ryan for an answer.

He nodded. ‘A relatively quiet night really. Look, I’ve gotta go and report and then see what our next move is. I’ll see you all later.’ He turned to leave but Jaz called out to him.

‘Ryan, will you still be around? Wanna come for a spar sometime soon?’

His smile was tight. ‘I’d love to, Jaz but I’m tied up for a while. I might not be around for weeks or months. But I’ll be in touch when I get back. I hope all goes well tomorrow for your briefing. Good luck.’ Ryan lifted his hand as if he was going to touch her shoulder, but then it morphed into a wave. Jaz felt ripped off. ‘Bye.’

He shared a nod with Pax before he turned and left. Jaz was still gazing into the dark when Pax spoke.

‘Come on, I’ll make you a cuppa while you go and have a shower. You’ll feel better.’ Pax’s warm arm came around her shoulders and together they headed to his house, which was attached to the end of the gym. Pax locked up The Ring and then set the alarms. Jaz always thought it was because The Ring was in a bad neighbourhood, but now she realised it was to protect all the computer stuff he used for the Agency.

As Jaz walked into Pax’s dark house, feeling for the light switch, she couldn’t help but feel abandoned. She just hoped Ryan was back sooner than expected. Until then, she would go into this briefing and be the best agent she could. She was going to have her very own mission and she wanted to make them thankful for selecting her. And maybe she wanted to make Ryan proud too.

Jaz woke to the sound of Pax whistling an old Elvis song while he made breakfast. She could smell coffee and cinnamon. What better reason to get out of bed. She threw back the covers and put her ugg boots on. There were two single beds in this room; one was hers, the other belonged to her lifelong best friend Anna Johnson. Pax was Anna’s great-uncle and the reason they’d become friends.

Back home, both girls had rooms three times the size of this one, with queen-size beds and expensive plush carpets. But that was never something they missed here with Pax. They loved the small room with its old patterned carpet and all the little personal bits they’d kept here over the years. From the stuffed animals Pax had brought them to the things they’d made with him, like the computer cable curtain which hung over the doorway, and the light cover, which was made from parts off a motherboard, that glittered in the light. Pax’s place was certainly a world away from the glitzy life they had at home. But it was his love that made it so homely.

As Jaz walked down the narrow passage towards the kitchen in her blue pyjamas, she wondered if Pax was the reason they weren’t stuck-up snobs like the rest of the girls at their fancy expensive school, St Christian’s. He came from wealth yet turned his back on it.

‘Morning, Jaz. How’d you sleep?’ said Pax, handing her a cup of coffee. He gestured for her to sit at the table where fresh pastries were laid out. Pax’s favourite, which meant he’d been out to the Vietnamese bakery down the street already. He had on his old Kmart runners with his threadbare jeans and a big brown polo shirt that stretched across his podgy middle. Jaz found his non-brand name clothes refreshing and real. He may seem like he was poor, to the untrained eye, but Jaz knew the computer equipment he had was state-of-the-art, as well as printers of all types. She had also seen one of his bank statements and knew he was as rich as his brother’s family. After all, the Johnson Computer Empire was a well-known business in Perth, but Pax had taken a different path. One that finally made sense to her now.

‘Like a log, Pax. Thanks,’ she replied, before sipping her coffee. ‘Ahh, that’s better.’

Pax sat across from her at the seventies-inspired table, his focus set on her. ‘Now tell me all about last night. Did you see Nicko?’

‘Yes, we did. He didn’t do anything out of the unusual. But this guy Sal was there, which sent Ryan a little loopy.’

‘Sal?’ Pax said loudly. ‘The bad boss Sal? Did you see him?’ His eyes grew wide. Sal’s name really provoked fear and rage in people.

‘Yep. I actually ran into him by accident — ’

‘WHAT!’

Jaz ignored Pax’s outburst, which was just as overprotective as Ryan’s, and continued. ‘And when Ryan saw us exchanging words, well, he blew his stack just like you’re doing now.’ She smiled at Pax who was looking a little pale. If anything, he looked green, like he was about to be sick.

‘What did he say? Did he look at you? Do you think he’ll remember you? Please tell me you didn’t tell him your name.’

‘Geez, settle down, Pax. It was nothing. I said sorry, he said sorry and that was it. I must admit, it was rather strange meeting him.’

‘W-why?’ Pax stuttered.

‘I don’t know. It was like he was a normal person. It’s so hard to picture him as a drug-trafficking hard-blooded killer.’

Pax breathed deeply and pushed his plate away from him. She must have shocked him. He hadn’t touched his pastries at all, and nothing usually stopped Pax from his favourite treat.

‘Jaz, one thing you’ll soon find out is that everyone has a secret. People aren’t who you think they are and people are really good liars.’

Jaz pushed her own plate away, suddenly losing her appetite. ‘I guess I’m one of them now too. Lying to my friends and family. Hiding secrets.’

‘Some choose to lie and other do it to protect. Don’t feel bad, Jaz. You and I, we want to traverse this world with our eyes wide open. And sometimes that means we see the world for what it really is. The human race can be disappointing; people have no conscience and greed and power rules them. I believe in what I’m doing, and I know you do too, otherwise you wouldn’t have said yes to joining.’

Jaz smiled. ‘You’re right, Pax.’

‘Right about what?’ asked Anna as she walked through the door. ‘Oh yum, pastries.’ Her strawberry-blonde hair was pulled back into a neat ponytail but it still slipped over her shoulder as she reached for the plate Jaz pushed towards her.

‘Here have mine. It’s the apricot one.’

‘You don’t mind?’

Jaz shook her head. ‘Go for it. I’m happy with just coffee. So what are you up too? Miss me?’

‘Yep. Thought I’d swing by and say hi,’ said Anna, giving Pax a hug and kissing his balding head. ‘Wish I could have stayed over too, but I wasn’t sure how long I’d be stuck at Dad’s big work dinner. Who wants to celebrate a new merger with another company, not me, that’s who.’