Ch2

"Newbie. This one has reddish hair."

Piers glanced at his twin sister as she trained the binoculars on the sea below their vantage point of a cliff road above the beach. "Can you see his face?"

"No, not really. Looks young. Full head of hair at least."

Piers raised an eyebrow and took the binoculars from his sister who sat beside him in the back seat of a Soft-top Jeep. "Definitely reddish hair, powering through the waves, strong swimmer."

In the driver's seat, Keg looked up from his paper. "Early twenties?"

Piers swung the binoculars to the beach. "Too far to see his face but he is pretty fit."

Piers put the binoculars down and threw a question to his cousin. "What do you think, Keg, time to go?"

"If you feel this is our target then yes, we should go."

Mia sighed in frustration. "This conversation is starting to sound like a B grade spy movie. Do you have any plans other than for me to go down there and tell the guy how much I admire his surfing technique?"

Now Piers sighed. "It is a perfectly good plan, and if doesn't tax your brain too much Mia, I will go through it with you again. You are to bait the target..."

"You mean chat up Gordon Tracy"

Piers put a finger to his lips. "Ssh, you don't know who is listening. I hear the target's father has spies everywhere. We will not mention any names. As I said, you are to engage the target in conversation, invite him to our place for a drink tonight, and we will take it from there."

"Too easy," Keg smiled.

"Nothing is ever easy Keg," Piers warned. "First up we can only hope the target likes brunettes."

Mia laughed. "Well if I don't turn him on, plan B is for Piers to try seducing Gord...I mean the target."

Piers took another look in the binoculars at the surfer. "I wouldn't mind it," he murmured.

Mia and Keg both laughed.



Gordon stayed out in the surf until his stomach reminded him that it was time to eat. In his excitement to get to the island, Gordon had forgotten to have breakfast. The young man caught a last wave into the shore.

Tucking his board under his arm, Gordon walked up towards his towel. Spearing the board into the sand, the young Tracy unzipped his wetsuit to his waist and started to rub his hair and torso dry.

"Nice abs."

Startled Gordon swung around to face where the voice had come from. A pretty brunette in white shorts and navy singlet stood behind him. She held her hands behind her back.

"Sorry?"

The girl smiled, her teeth very white against her tan skin. "I said, you have nice abdominals."

Gordon quickly glanced at his naked torso before self consciously bringing his towel in front of his body. "Uh...thanks."

"You're a swimmer, aren't you?" The girl's eyes travelled the length and breadth of Gordon's body. "Tall, broad shoulders, slim waist, killer arms, and those abs."

Gordon could feel his face redden under the girl's scrutiny. "Yeah I swim...a bit."

The girl's brown eyes narrowed. "Come on, a little more than a bit."

Gordon opened his mouth to speak but couldn't think of the words to say. He had never had a girl being this direct before at least not in the first thirty seconds of meeting her.

The girl giggled and produced a camera she had been holding behind her back. "Don't stress, I'm a photographer for the girls' surf magazine Liquid Blue," Mia flashed a brightly coloured business card in Gordon's face. "We like to have a bit of eye candy for the girls, and you fit the bill, that's if you're willing to have your photo taken."

Eye candy? Gordon had never considered himself to be eye candy. His brothers would have hysterics if they were witnesses to this conversation.

"Excuse me...ah?"

"Mia," the girl replied brightly.

"Mia, I'm flattered by the attention but I really don't think I want my photo taken," Gordon replied shaking his head.

"Oh, come on. You honestly don't know how many chicks you can pull after you get into our magazine."

Exasperated, Gordon raked his fingers through his hair. Meeting girls was on his wish list while chilling out on the island but, God; dad would kill him if he appeared in a magazine. 

Better nip it in the bud before Mia's pretty smile had him posing for the centrefold, he thought.

"No really, Mia, I have to say no." Gordon's voice was brisk as grabbed his board and started to move away from the girl with the camera.

Mia's face fell momentarily before her sunny smile reappeared. "Gee, I haven't had a guy turn down Liquid Blue before. You're not a wanted criminal are you...sorry, what is your name, by the way?"

"Uh..." Briefly caught off guard by Mia's sudden question, Gordon stumbled for a name before replying. "Cooper, Cooper Ward."

"Cooper," Mia repeated, her eyes never wavering from Gordon's. "Nice name, Cooper. I hope I haven't frightened you off with this." Mia held up the camera.

Gordon shook his head. "No, no, I just don't like having my photo taken. My mom wouldn't stop taking photos when I was young, guess I developed a bit of a photo phobia." The lies were coming out of Gordon's mouth thick and fast today and he hadn't even eaten yet.

Mia laughed. "She must have been proud of you, your mom."

Gordon paused, a barely remembered smiling face flashed into his head. "Yeah, I guess she was."

Gordon flung his towel over his shoulder and hitched the board up further. "Anyway, Mia, it was great meeting you, but my stomach is telling me I gotta eat. I hope you find some more eye candy."

"Yeah, thanks Cooper, I'll see you around." Mia gave a little wave and turned in the opposite direction.

Gordon started the short walk to his hut. He was almost at the door of the hut when a hand on his arm stopped him. After years of training Gordon's body automatically tensed to counter attack until he saw the hand was small, slim and tanned. Gordon turned to face Mia.

"Cooper!" Mia's voice was breathless. "I called and called."

Gordon angled his head and tapped on the side of it. "Sorry, must be water in my ears."

"Oh..."Mia patted her chest, and cleared her throat. "I'm so out of shape, running in the sand is against my religion."

Gordon laughed. "What's up?"

"I know we've just met but I was wondering if you would like to come to the Sunset Resort for a few drinks tonight."

"Mmm, I don't know. It is my first day here; I wanted to relax for a few days before getting into the party thing."

"Oh, it's not a party, just a few quiet drinks and maybe a game of pool. Just a couple of my friends. You'll be back asleep in your hut before nine."

"Nine, geez, that's late," Gordon joked.

Mia smiled again, and Gordon's decision was made. "Yeah, why not."

"Great. See you about...oh...six thirty?"

Gordon nodded.

Mia backed away. "You know the Sunset Resort?"

Again Gordon nodded. "I checked in there."

Mia backed further away. "The bar near the pool, okay?"

Gordon waved. "Yep, I'll see you tonight Mia."

Mia gave another wave before turning to run back up the beach. "See you Coop!"

Gordon made a face. Coop. Mental note, Gordon, do not reveal name of alias to Alan.