Nobody’s Hero (Ben Koenig #2)

Chapter 18

Koenig had hoped for a military flight, but Smerconish wanted them in London as soon as possible. That meant flying commercial. He’d gotten them the last two tickets on Red Velvet, a Virgin Atlantic Airbus. The flight would take seven hours, but because of the time difference, they’d land two hours after they’d taken off.

The Virgin Atlantic check-in officer told them he had one ticket in Economy and one in Upper Class.

‘I’ll take the Upper Class,’ Koenig said.

The check-in officer hesitated.

‘Problem?’ Koenig asked.

‘People pay thousands of dollars for Upper Class tickets, Koenig,’ Draper said. ‘They don’t want to sit next to someone who looks like he owns a will work for food sign.’

‘I need space to think. I won’t get that in Economy.’

‘Seat allocation is an airline decision, sir. I’ve already put Miss Draper in Upper Class,’ the check-in officer said.

Draper looked at Koenig then nodded. She planted her elbows on the counter. ‘Mr Koenig has a diplomatic passport,’ she said. ‘How long do you think you’ll have a job if you stick him in Economy? Do the math.’

The check-in officer did the math.

*

Koenig sat with Draper in the departures lounge. They had found an ice cream parlour. Draper was having a coffee. Black. Koenig was having a chocolate milkshake. He’d paid.

‘Tell me about Jane Doe,’ Draper said, nibbling at the Italian biscuit that came with her drink.

‘What’s to tell?’ Koenig said. ‘I met her once. I needed to make sure she understood the risks.’

‘And she did?’

‘Honestly? I don’t think she cared.’

‘She was suicidal?’

‘More resigned to a course of action.’

‘How did she come across?’

‘I thought she was very impressive.’

‘She murdered two men in cold blood.’

‘Apparently.’

‘She abducted an elderly academic.’

‘If you say.’

‘ I don’t say. Until they were slapped with a D-notice, the Brit tabloids ran with it for almost a week. There’s a lot of information out there.’

‘We’ll get a full briefing at the embassy.’

‘You aren’t curious?’

‘I’m desperately curious,’ Koenig said. ‘Jane Doe took an extraordinary risk when she faked her death. That she’s reappeared like she has means something’s gone wrong. I want to know what. But the SOG always worked best when we were briefed by the right people. In this case, our contact at the embassy is the right people. Anything else is white noise.’

Twenty minutes later their flight was called. Draper called Koenig an asshole when Upper Class were invited to board first. He was shown to his seat, but only after his ticket had been checked by three different members of the cabin crew. He declined the complimentary champagne but accepted an apple and a bag of pretzels. After he’d eaten, he removed his boots and wedged his jacket behind his head like a pillow. Sleep first, think later.

By the time Draper’s seat was called, Koenig was asleep.