Reign of Coins by Aiden James Read Free Book Online Page B

Kaslow’s odds quite a bit higher for knocking us off.”
    “I’d prefer to believe your football team has better chances,” I said, lifting my wine glass in salute. “May Christian Morrow be stopped and Viktor Kaslow choke on his crystals!” I laughed, hoping our mood stayed this cheerful.
    “I’ll drink to that! But, who is Christian Morrow?”
    “Just a bad guy who happens to be very rich.”
    “The name sounds familiar,” he said, frowning as if searching his mind for a connection. “Well…hopefully we’ll kick his ass and get something worthwhile out of this misadventure after all.”
    We clinked our glasses together.
    “And, may the CIA finally leave us the hell alone!” I added, pausing to pour wine into both of our glasses. “Better yet, may they forget I’m Judas Iscariot.”
    “What?!”
    Oops.
    In all seriousness, I intended to tell him straight away what I learned about the leak of my true identity that afternoon. But, I just couldn’t find the right moment to spring the news.
    “You didn’t mean what I’m thinking you meant, Pops…or did you?”
    “Unfortunately, it’s exactly as it sounds,” I said, grimacing. “Apparently, my former employers have known this information for quite some time. Roderick seems to think it happened roughly around the time you became paranoid about leaving the coins in the bank’s safe-deposit box.”
    “That was right after we returned home with the coin from Portugal…I remember it quite well.” He nodded thoughtfully. “I actually started feeling weird about it two years earlier, when I thought someone had rifled through the box in our absence. I should’ve allowed you to build the damned vault back then.”
    Yes, you should have, my dear boy. You didn’t want to be saddled with a bulky safe in your new condominium. But, who’s keeping score?
    “Well, the important thing is to improve our wariness as we go forward, and hopefully I’ll soon learn the identity of who betrayed me,” I said. “I have a strong suspicion this person is also responsible for Kaslow’s sudden interest in me and my whereabouts.”
    “All right…and here’s my counter proposal in light of what you’ve shared tonight.” He leaned back in his chair after lighting his pipe. “If we hear from Roderick tonight or early tomorrow morning, we go with whatever he tells you, Pops. However, if we don’t hear from him in a timely manner, then I say we shouldn’t sit around waiting for him to call us. Either you call him at that point, or you can join me on a trip around the islands tomorrow afternoon.”
    “We’re done with the sightseeing,” I advised, adding a touch of surliness like a good father should. “There will be no trips anywhere tomorrow, unless it’s to the airport. Do you follow me?”
    “And, if Viktor Kaslow or this Morrow guy never show up at our door, that’ll give us one more reason to call this vacation a frigging disaster from hell!” He got up from the table and moved over to the sliding door to our balcony. He opened the door slightly, and immediately the stream of smoke following him seemed to hurry toward freedom outside. “I’m serious, Pops, snorkeling and an evening tour of the city is what you can look forward to doing—along with waiting to fly back to the States until Saturday.”
    “Are you insane?!”
    “No more than you!” He came back to me, holding his pipe in the lecture pose that had long been his habit. “I think you’re being a little too paranoid—especially about some rich businessman hiring Viktor Kaslow to knock us off. How preposterous!”
    “I’d never forgive myself if something happened to you, Ali,” I said, picturing Viktor’s fine cutlery I got a close up of in Iran.
    “Nothing will.” He smiled confidently as he patted my shoulder. “And, again, if Roderick calls early enough, I’ll do whatever he says. But, if things turn out like I think they will, we switch to my game plan. Fair enough?”
    Not