An intercom crackled to life. “That you, Dodger?”
The voice was accented, and it made her jump.
She eased away from him, pushed at his shoulders. It wasn’t a shove—she wasn’t strong enough for that. She still wanted and craved what he was giving her but knew she hadn’t the control to protect herself. “We better focus on saving the free world,” she whispered.
“Yeah. The fight for freedom never rests.”
He pressed a button on the wall. “Yeah, mate. It’s me.”
“What is taking you so long?”
She shouldn’t have grinned at that, but she did. He met her gaze and said, “None of your business.” Under his breath he added, “Cheeky bastard.”
He took her hand and led her through a steel door that buzzed open for them and delivered them into a beautiful living area. “I’m in here,” the male voice called out.
She followed Dodger into a room that was filled with electronics. Computer monitors, CPUs, and a couple of tables. A large screen was hung over the desk and shelving units where wall panels opened on either side. Incongruously, there was a pinball machine at one end of the panel of high technology.
In the middle of it all sat the cutest nerd she’d ever met. He had a wealth of curly black hair, shocking cobalt blue eyes, and a crooked smile. “This is the lovely Anna?”
Dodger cuffed the back of his head. “You are a nosy wanker, aren’t you?”
“Hi, lovely lady,” he said. “Now I know what took you so long.” He ducked as Dodger cuffed him again.
“This is geek extraordinaire, Vlastislav Mach, but I call him Mouse.”
She reached out and shook his hand. “Okay, what’s with the secret Bat Cave?”
He laughed softly. “She’s funny too.”
“Mouse works for MI-6.”
Her heart went into her throat and she stepped back. “Dodger…”
Dodger leaned against the desk where Mouse was seated. “Relax. He’s got our backs.”
Mouse nodded. “No worries, Anna. You’re safe here.”
She relaxed her shoulders. “You got anything to eat here, Mouse?” Anna asked.
“Plenty. Help yourself. There’s leftover pasta and some pizza I made. Good choice of wine too.”
“You can cook,” she asked.
He shrugged. “I don’t get out much, so I’ve got to fend for myself.”
“Come on,” Dodger said. “I’ll show you.” They picked up their bags and he walked across the expansive living space to four doors. “Mouse’s room is the last door on the left. You can choose whichever one you’d like.”
She opened the closest door, and it was a sumptuous bedroom complete with a bathroom. “Wow.”
“As much as I’d like to share a bedroom with you, I think you’re right. We need to focus, and sleep is what we need to be able to focus.”
She was disappointed, but she nodded. “Duty first.”
He opened the second door and dropped his bag inside. She did the same and they walked back to the kitchen.
After taking care of their hunger, Anna pulled out her laptop and the thumb drive. “Let’s see what intel we can get from Miller’s computer. I doubt he has the activation code on it, but we’ll see what we can find.”
“Mouse. Everything good with the satellite system?”
“Yeah, up and running,” he called back.
“So, even if the killer got the laptop, they haven’t been able to access it or as you said, the code isn’t on there.”
After searching the files for twenty minutes, Anna leaned back. “No luck. The code is definitely not on there.”
“We need a clue to where he would have hidden it. Any ideas.”
“None,” she replied, but then something niggled at her. “But he said something before he died. I suspect it was a coded message?”
“What did he say again?”
“Typical SEAL. Break down doors, rawwww!” She nudged him with her shoulder, and he ran his hand down her arm.
“Hey, I’m a door kicker and pipe hitter, mate. Not a bloody analyst.”
“He said, ‘The saintly King of Enlightenment centers his span of healing and prophecy on the foundation of his home with a key to the meaning of everything.’ I thought he was just spouting nonsense.”
“What does it bloody well mean?”
“I don’t know yet. Let’s break it down by what we know about Miller.”
“Which was what?”
“A spycraft enthusiast and a history buff.” This country is steeped in history. Her own words came back at her. “History, Dodger. How is that shown?”
“Monuments?”
“Bingo.” She pulled up her search engine and typed in the monuments to kings. “There’s King Charles, King Karel, and King Wenceslas. They all have monuments.”
“But he said the ‘saintly King of Enlightenment.’”
“True. Wenceslas was righteous, a martyr and saint. Sounds like enlightenment to me.”
“Okay, so you think Miller planted something at Wenceslas Square?”
“I think it’s hidden somewhere on the monument.”
“We have no idea if he gave this clue to his killer.”
“The way Miller was, you can bet he did tell everyone so that he could giggle in the afterlife knowing we’re all chasing our tails to find the clues.”
“The smartest, most enlightened of us wins?”
“Something like that.”
“Do you want to give it a shot? We can go now if you want to.”
“Yes, let’s rule it out.”
“Okay, while we’re gone, I’ll have Mouse find the back-door Miller used to access the satellite system.”
Back in the car, they drove to the square and parked. The great monument depicting the king was in the middle of the “Square,” which referred to the entire boulevard that flowed from the king on his majestic horse all the way down to the metro station, opposite the National Museum.
It was late and traffic was light. They walked to the grassy area across from blooming flowers where the statue had been erected, the illuminated memorial loomed over them, throwing shadows across the ground.
High above them on a tiered base sat King Wenceslas on his prancing horse. Placed below the impressive figure were four other statues of saints at each of the four corners of the second tier.
Anna looked around, and they climbed up each tier until she couldn’t reach.
“Give me a boost,” she said.
He made a cradle with his hands and when he lifted, she grabbed the lip of the concrete and climbed up the slab. She’d read that one of the statues below the king was Saint Agnes of Bohemia. A Bohemian princess was both charitable and pious. She figured that was a good place to search.
She got down on her hands and knees and searched around the base of the statue but found nothing. As she leaned back, disappointed, she saw something white peeking from the hem of Saint Agnes’s robe. She dipped down and her hand encountered something solid encased in plastic. She pulled it and it detached.
It was an iPad mini with a waterproof case. She pocketed it in her jacket and zipped it closed.