Cradle Of Solitude. Alex Archer

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СКАЧАТЬ frowned. “My men, sir?”

      “About a hundred yards up the road there’s a place where they can get off the main thoroughfare and wait for your return. I’ll leave several of my own men to stand guard with them. On a night like tonight, I doubt they’ll run into any difficulties.”

      Trenholm was probably right, but that didn’t make Parker feel any better about leaving his men in the middle of nowhere, particularly given their level of inexperience. Still, an order was an order.

      “Yes, sir. Give me a moment to explain the situation.”

      He returned to Sykes and let him know what was going on. The young lieutenant wasn’t thrilled with the situation, either, but there was very little that they could do about it. Parker ordered him to keep his eyes open and wait for his return.

      One of Trenholm’s men loaned him a horse and five minutes later they were under way. Trenholm led him a mile or so through the woods on a narrow track that was little better than a game trail really, until they came to a clearing. Parker could see that several campaign tents had been erected there and men in Confederate uniforms were moving about.

      Trenholm took him to a larger tent set slightly off from the others and asked him to wait inside.

      “Someone will be along shortly to give you further instructions.”

      Ever the dutiful soldier, Parker complied.

      He found the tent was sparsely furnished, with just a pair of camp chairs on either side of a makeshift table made from a few scraps of wood and a blanket-covered cot off to one side. It was warm inside, thanks to a camp stove that was burning in the far corner, and Parker soon found himself literally steaming as the heat sucked the moisture out of his clothes.

      He didn’t mind. Being out of the rain, even if only for a few minutes, was a welcome relief.

      When, after fifteen minutes, no one had yet arrived to deliver his new orders, he dragged one of the camp chairs closer to the stove and sat down.

      I’ll take a few minutes of rest, that’s all, he thought.

      He must have dozed off, however, for he came awake with a start when he heard someone enter the tent behind him. He leaped to his feet and spun about.

      He didn’t know who he expected to see waiting there for him, but President Jefferson Davis himself was not on his list of possibilities.

      So surprised was he that for several long moments all he could do was stand and stare. The president didn’t seem to notice.

      “Thank you for coming so quickly, Captain,” he said as he laid the books and papers he was carrying on the desk and hung his coat on the back of the other chair before dragging it closer to the stove. “Please, sit down.”

      Parker nodded, then found his voice at last as he waited for Davis to sit down before doing so himself. “Thank you, Mr. President.”

      “Don’t thank me yet,” Davis said, his expression darkening at some private thought. “Not until you’ve heard why I’ve called you here, at any rate.”

      An aide came in bearing two glasses of brandy on a tray. He gave one to the president, then offered the other to Parker.

      Drink in hand, President Davis turned to him and said, “I have a very special assignment for you, Captain.”

      3

      Paris, France

       Present day

      Annja came out of the dojo’s locker room drying her long hair with the towel she kept in her gym bag for just that purpose. She was startled to find a man waiting outside the door for her. He was of medium build, with a short, dark beard, and was dressed in a nicely fitted suit of a deep chocolate brown.

      He stepped forward as she approached.

      “Excuse me. Miss Creed?”

      He had a strong French accent.

      “Yes?” she replied.

      She searched her memory, but she was pretty sure she didn’t know him. Having strangers approach her was nothing new. People often recognized her from Chasing History’s Monsters, the cable television show she cohosted, but something told her this guy wasn’t a fan looking for a quick autograph.

      “Please forgive the interruption. I am Commissaire Laroche, of the Police Nationale.”

      Annja knew the Police Nationale was the main civil law enforcement agency in France. Commissaire was a commissioned officer rank, sort of analogous to a senior detective in the United States. In other words, this guy was a heavy hitter in the local police community. Annja was alarmed. She’d stayed out of trouble while on vacation and hadn’t done anything to elicit interest from the police.

      This time around, at least.

      Seeing he had her attention, Laroche continued. “I’m looking for some assistance with a—how do you say…peculiar? yes?—situation. Your name was given to me by Monsieur Garrison at the embassy.”

      That, at least, was a name she recognized. She’d met Billy Garrison at a press junket she attended on behalf of the show the last time she’d been in Paris. He was on the ambassador’s staff and had taken her to dinner a few nights later, but there hadn’t been any spark and she’d declined his offer for a second date.

      Being dateless was preferable to listening to Billy ramble on about French politics for hours again. Thanks, but no thanks.

      “May I see some identification, Commissaire?”

      He bowed slightly, an outdated but courtly gesture. “Of course, Miss Creed. And please, call me Henri.”

      He handed over a leather case that contained his badge and ID. She glanced at it, confirmed that the man in the picture and the one standing in front of her were one and the same, then handed it back.

      “Thank you. One can’t be too careful these days….”

      “Of course, of course,” he replied, waving off her apology.

      “So how is Billy?” she asked, more to gauge the inspector’s reaction to him than anything else.

      He didn’t disappoint. “Monsieur Garrison is as long-winded as usual,” he replied, giving her a tight smile.

      Yep, that was Billy.

      “So what’s this peculiar situation that you need help with, Henri?” she asked.

      Laroche hesitated, glancing over her shoulder as he did so. “Perhaps we might take this outside?” he asked.

      When she followed his gaze and found the rest of the dojo’s students watching their discussion, Annja readily agreed.

      She accompanied him out the door into the bright spring sunshine and fell into step beside him as he walked slowly up the street, explaining as he went.

      “For the past several weeks construction teams have СКАЧАТЬ