That's all, folks.

Epilogue

"Well, I promised you a party. Did I deliver or what?"

Dru gazed from the crowd of dignitaries in black tie and glittering gowns back to Joe, her eyes huge. "Debt paid in full. Mercy, Joe, I've never been to a party like this in my life. It's - it's a little overwhelming! Wait until I tell the kids at school!"

"Not bad." agreed Joe, glancing around with a cocky grin. "Can I get you anything from the buffet table? You gotta say this for Galina. She really knows how to put on a spread."

"I'd love another soda. And some more caviar with lemon."

Joe made a face. "Ugh. Fish eggs. But whatever you say. Be right back."

Frank was at the buffet table as well, filling a plate for Callie.

Joe watched him scoop out some kind of shrimp. "Well, I guess all's well that ends well, huh?"

"That's one way to look at it." They both turned around in surprise, and looked directly into the pale grey eyes of the Gray Man. "But personally, I can't help but feel it would have gone much more smoothly if you'd taken my advice. Nice to see you're still breathing, Frank."

"No thanks to you," put in Joe, flushing hotly at the memory. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm everywhere, boys. Remember that." He winked at them, spreading some caviar onto a cracker. "And by the way - nice work."

Joe scowled after him as he seemed to disappear into the tuxedo-clad crowd. "That guy gets my goat. Wow. Check out that redhead."

Frank followed Joe's gaze to a shapely figure in a white sequined mini-dress, her red hair twisted onto her head. "Better not let Dru catch you staring at her. Whoops! Here she comes. I guess you just can't fight that Joe Hardy magnetism."

Sure enough, the redhead was making a beeline for Joe, moving with languorous grace. "You know, there's something familiar..."

"Hi, Joe," the redhead smiled.

"Uh - hi." Frank was right. There was something familiar about her. "Have we met?"

Her eyes danced. "Joe. I'm hurt. Of course we have. Y'know - like - we just spent, like - the most exciting time together!"

Joe choked. "You - Suzy?"

Suzy grinned. "I knew you couldn't forget me so fast."

"But you're not - you can't be fifteen."

"Nope. But being able to look that way comes in handy in my job."

"Your job? What do you do?"

"Oh, you must know. I just saw you talking to my boss. Excuse me. I see my husband over there." She winked, just as the Gray Man had done, and moved away.

Joe and Frank stared after her, open mouthed.

"Frank," said Joe after a minute. "Do you think - I mean, if Suzy works for the Gray Man, does that mean that all this time he was keeping an eye on us? Maybe even using us to flush out Kovran?"

Frank looked rueful. "Chances are."

"Man, that guy makes me mad."

"Don't worry about it, Joe." Frank put his free arm around Joe's shoulders and led him away from the buffet table. "We'll probably get a chance to get even. In the meantime, we've halted a potential international incident, we've got a great party, great music, all we can eat, and a couple of gorgeous blondes waiting for us. How does that make you feel?"

Joe looked across the room to where Callie and Dru were waiting and grinned.

"Just like James Bond, bro." He patted Frank lightly on the back. "Just like James Bond."

The End