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.All attendants have been previously removed from the scene.Five minutes to read the orientation materials on the walls, plus listening to the recorded introductory spot, puts us at oh ten-ten tops.First room goes in five minutes.Second in two.Third in four.That puts our time mark at twenty-one minutes past oh-ten hundred.Fourth room is ground zero.Sixty meters by sixty meters, good cover on front and left sidewalls.Extraction team is already in position.Power is scheduled to be yanked sixty seconds after they hit ground zero.Seven shooters with flex optics and laser-guided dart rifles.Aim points are neck, arm, or thigh in case of body armor.Our guy in the power room commences his five-second countdown as soon as the video feed shows the last muscle in the party cross Room Four threshold.Code word 'red' comes over our headsets one second before power is cut.Fire to commence on that one-second mark to prevent any reaction that might foul the shots.You take out main target while I drop the guy on his hip, with the other shooters dropping the man in their prescribed sectors, flowing outward from main target.All muscle and main target down in two seconds.""Exit?""Two passages branch off east and west from that cave.West circles back to the entrance.East passage is two hundred meters long and empties to an emergency exit that takes us to the other side of the quarry.There's an egress road at that point.Wheels waiting in the form of an ambulance.Gurney is stowed in the east passage.Target loaded on; that'll take no more than thirty seconds.The same to get him down the passage.Wheels roll as soon as the ambulance doors clunk shut.Private airstrip is forty minutes south of here.Wheels up as soon as the aircraft door closes.Target and extraction team are out of French airspace before his muscle wakes up in a dark cave and wonders what the hell just happened."He nodded appreciatively."Then on to the next job," said Shaw."Story of my life too." She hesitated, glancing at him."What?" he asked, noting her trepidation."Just scuttlebutt.Always wondered if it was true."Shaw looked at her inquiringly."What?" he said again."Did you really shoot Mr.Wells in the head?""We had a little misunderstanding."She smiled."I like your style.""Frank's actually not a bad guy once you get past the two hundred pounds of anger and dysfunction.""Really?""No, not really."CHAPTER20THE NEXT DAY Shaw watched with interest as the mystery lady did her shopping in Gordes.Men of all ages stared as she walked by in a sunhat and knee-length skirt that the sneaky breeze would occasionally catch and pitch upward around her thighs.Then the men would stare with even greater focus.While seeming to window shop along the street, Shaw watched as men approached her speaking French, Italian, Greek, and English, at least by his count.They were offering to help her with her shopping, the language, or perhaps assisting her off with her clothes in the privacy of their room.She politely declined all offers.She in fact needed no help.She spoke fluent French and she knew the prices of things.And she could bargain.Shaw had watched her haggle over a blouse, a decorative blue-and-yellow plate, a bottle of wine, and a dozen zucchini flowers presumably to later fry up, until arriving at the prices she wanted.That night, he was sitting at an outdoor cafe in Gordes contemplating what to have for dinner when he was surprised by her walking up to his table."Parlez-vous francais?""Oui, je parle francais." But he added, "Mais mon anglais est meilleur."She smiled warmly."My English is much better than my French too.Do you mind if I join you? I've eaten alone the last few times, and while it started out kind of fun, it grows old fast."He indicated for her to take a seat."Please."She took off her hat and set it on the seat next to her before picking up a menu."What looks good?" she asked, lifting up her Maui Jims though the setting sun was dropping a bucket of glare right at her."Chicken puttanesca, or you can never go wrong with the old steak and pommes frites with salad.""Shall we order wine?""We're in Provence.I think it's the law."They gave their orders to the waiter, who promptly brought the selected bottle of red and two glasses.He poured and left them alone."I'm sure this seems very forward of me," she said."Coming over to you like this.""I'm not sure there is such a thing as 'forward' anymore for men or women.""First things first, I'm Jane Collins.But Janie to my friends." She held out her hand.With an amused look Shaw shook it."Bill.""American?"He nodded."You?""What it says on my passport.""I'm from D.C.""And what do you do in our nation's capital?""As little as possible.I was a lobbyist, but I sold my practice and decided to see a little bit of the world beyond Capitol Hill.""Do you have a family?""Let me play the proud dad." He took out his wallet and handed her the picture of a girl and a boy, that Frank had provided him."Michael and Alli.They're back in the States."She handed the photo back."Beautiful.So your wife's not with you?""We're divorced." He slipped the photo in his shirt pocket."The picture's a little old.They're both teenagers now.""You must have started early, you don't look that old.""Keep drinking wine, I like the effect on your vision.How about you? What's your story?""Nothing very exciting.My dad made huge amounts of money.He and my mom died way too early and I was the only child.""Sorry to hear that.I guess the money doesn't make up for it.""I never thought it could, and I turned out to be right.I was young when they passed away, but I still miss them.""I can understand that.""But life goes on," she said, staring off for a moment before looking back at him and managing a weak smile."I'm rich, I like to travel, see different places.It's so beautiful here.So how long have you been in town?""A few days.""And after this?""Italy and then Greece.But I'm taking my time.My whole life has been run on a tight plan.I'm sort of into winging things now.""Where are you staying?"Shaw shifted uncomfortably in his seat."Well, maybe there is such a thing as forward after all."Her cheeks reddened."Okay, I guess I deserved that.I tend to ask too many questions and volunteer too much about myself to complete strangers.""I would agree with that.The part about you being rich is not something you want to blab about.Too many lowlifes who'd take advantage of that information."She looked like she'd been scolded."I guess you're right.""How come you're solo? Don't you have any friends who'd like to travel with you? I'm sure you go first-class.""Friends have jobs.That's the downside to not having to work for a living
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