As I quickly jog up the steps that lead from the underground metro system station called Paddington, I get the urge to return to the air conditioned halls. The humidity of London hits me square in the face and makes my clothes stick to my body. People push pass me to rush and catch the next underground train even though another will be along merely minutes later.
The streets are loud with not only the chatter of people and clicking of shoes but of the construction work that surrounds the park. Trucks charge by with their trailers full of rubble while diggers pry the old cement and tarmac from the ground and lower large new pipes into the holes. Water works it has said on a flyer back down into the belly of the station.
I chose this station deliberately as it's a short walk to the park, I get to assess the situation and location. With merely a pair of sunglasses on, I blend in well with the crowds. A bright but cloudy day means most are wearing the same. I head out of the station and head south heading towards the park which, on a map, is below the station. Red buses and black cabs litter the roads and people of all nationalities go about their day.
At the back of my mind, I tell myself to keep an eye out for The Huntsman. If Charlie could track him to the hotel there's no doubt he could be tracking me. Everyone who gets too close to me receives a stare and a scan, my eyes searching for those dark hazel ones. I turn right down Bayswater road, the park the other side. The footpaths are busy, I'm pretty safe from any on lookers who have been shown a picture of my face and told to look out. I keep my hands deep in my pockets and my head low as I slide past people. The signs of a construction sight begin to show as more and more people in yellow jackets and hard hats appear. Same carry shovels and tools while others carry clipboards, they wouldn't want an accident in central London now would they?
My outfit consisting of my black trench coat and dark skinny jeans with ankle boots matches the monotonous appearance of the grey scale buildings to my left as I stalk the edge of the park. I lift up my head and scan the area in front, a large group of people seem gathered but my suspicions are soon answered as I realise they are merely waiting to cross the road. I mentally criticise myself for being too quick to judge, that's a bad habit I mustn't get into. Just as I join the back of the group, they begin to move as they flood the streets heading both ways. I stay at their speed and move quietly along.
As the group disperse I can see that I have made it to the west end of the park. Large old trees are scattered about in the park but they don't conceal the bench that holds Charlie. I look cautiously to him as I continue to walk along the sidewalk. He's alone and is glued to a small laptop on his lap. His fingers flow across the keyboard as he does whatever it is that he does. I pull out my phone from my pocket and glance at the time, it's exactly 10am and I highly doubt the guys will be late. I pass an area of construction to my left and my view of Charlie is obstructed. I pass a man on his phone as he walks at a agonizingly slow speed and emerge the other side.
It's here I spot Becker. He's at my 10 o clock leaning against a tree pretending to be on his phone. I didn't see him at the hotel, he looks quite the same, a little more tanned maybe. He looks up from the phone and does a 180 degree scan at the crowd in front of him. His eyes sweep over me as I blend in seamlessly and he resumes his position on his phone. I'm not really surprised to see him, it would make sense to have two on lookout while the other two talk to Charlie.
I note his position and then begin to look for the other look out. He's probably on the opposite side, Becker probably has his back to him so together they would have a 360 degree view. I divert my attention from Becker and walk normally forward, my focus now on a lookout spot of my own.
Cafes and restaurants seem like a second home to the locals so they are literally everywhere. However, they seem too obvious so I look elsewhere. I smile when I see a possibility appear right in front of me. Just like in the movies, there's a newspaper kiosk placed beside a portable coffee stand. Combining the human traffic, the construction work and the angle, this is a perfect lookout. I approach the kiosk and rummage in my pocket for a few loose coins. I approach the kiosk and pick up the first paper I see, I set the coins on the table and the man nods thankfully before scooping it up in his hands. I take a seat on one of the metal chairs curtesy of the kiosk. I open any random page and pretend to be reading but in reality, I'm doing what everyone in the movies are doing, I'm watching the meeting in front of me.
Charlie is seated around 150 metres to my front, his left side facing me at an angle. My eyes drift past him and spot Derosa in the background doing the same thing as Becker. To the untrained eye they look normal and nothing out of the ordinary but to a trained one, they are basically screaming 'I'm an undercover agent'.
I float my attention back to Charlie who has kindly been joined by the remaining two agents, Grant and Jackson aka the boss and the muscle. The trio sit normally on the bench, Charlie continues to click away at his device while Jackson whips out a newspaper like mine and begins to falsely read it. Grant is doing all the talking, he enjoys talking and he thinks he is quite good at it. It's gonna get him killed one day I think.
Instinctively I glance around every so often to check for threats but even i wouldn't see one coming with the amount of people around. This makes me slightly anxious, The Huntsman could easily come up behind me and kill me and i wouldn't see it coming. I think this is the reason why I decide to get up and move on. I leave the paper on the table for a stranger to pick up and rejoin the constant flow of people. I don't need to be here, I'm a sitting duck if I stay. So just like that, I leave. I don't look back as I confidently stroll along the sidewalk. I can reconnect with Charlie later so I don't feel any obligation to stay. I've seen all I need to see. But then a strange thought pops into my head, is that really the reason I'm leaving? Or am I scared? Do I feel threatened by the hitman on my trail? I didn't feel this emotion at all during my days with Grant, they didn't threaten me. But this guy, The Huntsman, there's something about him that bugs me.
I am worried.
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YOU ARE READING
The Girl Behind The Bullets
Action~BOOK TWO~ It's been five and half months since the events in Cuba, since me, The Black Swan, escaped again. I left The Company, it was the best decision for me and the company so now I'm free lance. People pay me to get the job done and that's h...
