Chapter 4
The late afternoon sun was shimmering on the marble patio of the cafe. Most of the outside tables were empty, although several patrons had chosen to have a drink under the shade of the awning. Emma was seated at a table next to a thick stand of shrubbery, delicately sipping a cup of tea as she went over the plan of action in her head one more time.
Steed would be arriving any minute. He might be expecting to meet someone named Paulina, or he might just be expecting to meet a woman at a certain place at a certain time. In either event, he would not be expecting to see her. It was entirely possible that the first words out of his mouth would be "Mrs. Peel?"
If Mistress Leov had seen Steed's Ministry file, there was always a chance that it would contain some mention of "Emma Peel" in it, even though she wasn't in their employ. But even if Emma didn't show up in the Ministry records, a single phone call from Leov to The Ladja would reveal that a woman named "Mrs. Peel" had attacked her boss in hand-to-hand combat on two occasions in the past six months, both times ending with a well-placed kick to his groin. Emma smirked. Well, at least that part should please the Mistress.
Emma had to keep Steed from speaking the name "Peel". She intended to rush over and wrap him up in an embrace as quickly as possible. Still, with the microphone in her bosom picking up all sounds in a ten-foot radius, she dared not try to speak to him, even in sotto voce. Emma had briefly considered trying to press a finger to his lips to halt any remarks, but she would be standing in Leov's line-of-sight, and the action would be instantly suspicious.
There was only one possible course of action: she had to kiss Steed, suddenly and deeply.
Of course, she had kissed Steed on a handful of occasions during the past eight months, but never too seriously—and usually only as part of an undercover persona. A serious, passionate kiss would be so completely out-of-character between them that it would instantly telegraph to Steed the need to go along with the game.
Exactly why Steed would be meeting a prostitute named Paulina in a cafe was still a mystery. Emma felt she knew Steed well enough to rule out any actual commerce, so the object of the meeting must be something in the leather case that Leov had instructed her to give him. However, she couldn't open the case, or ask too many questions about it, without breaking her cover as Linda Herrington.
Emma knew she would just have to play it by ear, reacting to whatever Steed did, just as he would have to react to whatever she did. She smiled to herself. It should be a stimulating challenge.
The sound of footsteps on the patio disturbed her introspection. Steed had arrived.
He was dressed impeccably as always, with Cardin suit, oxford shirt, silk tie, and bowler. The ubiquitous umbrella was draped over his forearm; the rain in London could be sudden and persistent. The brolly also typically contained a sword blade, just in case.
Her joy at seeing him wasn't an act. During the events of the past two days, Emma had felt like an acrobat working without a net. Now that Steed was on the scene, they would provide mutual support to each other; she was sure of it.
In accordance with her plan, she rushed over to meet him, slipping both arms around his neck as she locked her mouth over his in a slow and impassioned kiss. Then she lingered afterward, tenderly nipping at his lower lip and flicking her tongue against his, just to make sure he wouldn't mistake her actions as casual. Finally, she broke off to give him a chance to speak.
"Hello," he said appreciatively, giving Emma a polite peck on the cheek that seemed incongruous and paltry next to her effort. "You smell nice."
"I'm not wearing anything," she answered curtly.
"Even nicer still."
Emma wrinkled her mouth as she imagined Mistress Leov gloating at the other end of the microphone. Steed held the chair out as a waiter arrived with the wine. Emma seated herself, trying to look as dignified as possible in what she now considered to be a hopelessly slutty dress.
"Miss Porzhisni," Steed beamed. "Or may I call you Paulina?"
"Paulina it is," she answered demurely. "I'm here to make you feel welcome."
Steed grinned. "You've been wildly successful already."
Emma looked deep into his eyes. The normal twinkle there seemed dimmed. Could that be suspicion she saw? Surely, he doesn't think this is real? After everything they had been through together, what possible reason could he have to doubt her? Perhaps it would be best if she put her cards on the table, as it were.
Emma subtly rotated in her chair so that her back was both to the cameras and Leov's line-of-sight. She grinned mischievously as she held a finger to her lips. Then with a smooth motion, she hooked her thumbs over the neckline of the dress and tugged it downward, sliding her hands into a position to cover the tips of her breasts. Steed could clearly see the microphone and battery-operated transmitter nestled in her cleavage, affixed with flesh-colored tape. His eyes widened, and she realized that he could also see most of her left breast due to a miscalculation in her hand placement. Emma let the flimsy dress rebound back into position as she continued talking normally, conversationally, using her eyes to indicate the bushes where the cameras were located before turning back around.
She hoped that Steed would recognize that not only was she wired for sound, but that she was getting instructions through an earpiece, relayed through the device on her chest. Just in case he hadn't figured it out, she casually tugged on her right earlobe and gave him a wink.
Leov's voice suddenly sounded in her ear. "Tell him how manly he is."
Emma bristled at the input. She pretended to assess Steed as he poured the wine. "You're larger and taller than I expected," she complimented. "You must exercise a great deal."
He nodded. "I try to lead an active lifestyle. I have specially-weighted brandy snifters that work on my forearms."
"I like strong men," Emma commented vacuously. This is ridiculous, she thought.
"Would you like to admire my musculature?" Steed offered. "I have excellent conformation." He smiled exaggeratedly. "Fine teeth as well."
"Oh, you're well-bred; I have no doubt of that." She gratefully sipped the wine that he offered, happy to get some alcohol into her system. She was going to need it to get through this. Steed moved closer to her.
"I'm impressed that you fell in love with me just from my picture," he said. "Although I am very photogenic." He leaned forward so that his nose nearly touched Emma's as he lightly caressed her cheek.
"Get his shirt off," Mistress Leov advised.
Emma coughed so that she nearly choked.
The Russian continued, "We need to make sure he's not recording the conversation. Spill your drink on him."
"Oops!" Emma said, heaving her drink directly at Steed's chest. "How clumsy of me."
Steed rose from the table as she rushed to his side.
"Allow me to help you take that off," Emma volunteered. She quickly unbuttoned his shirt down to the waist, lifting his undershirt to expose his torso as she used her linen napkin to daub up the spill. Leov could clearly see that he wasn't wearing any sort of transmitter or receiver. Emma let her hands play briefly across his bare chest before rebuttoning the shirt.
Before Emma could return to her seat, Steed spun her around to face away from him and enfolded her in his arms.
"Paulina," he murmured as he pressed close to her. "Your eyes are crystal pools; your cheek, so warm and innocent; your shoulders of alabaster; your neck..." Steed gently slid his fingers up her right arm; Emma smirked as she playfully swatted his hand away from her shoulder.
"What was that?" Leov barked into her ear.
"My, the mosquitos are bad for May," Emma sang liltingly.
Steed wouldn't be denied. He slipped his hand around her waist again, just as she attempted to pull away. Had he not understood her signals? Or had she not understood his?
Emma felt his warm lips on her shoulder and she caught her breath. The sudden arousal was almost incapacitating; she closed her eyes and lost focus for a moment. More and more, any initimate physical contact with Steed, even if it was play-acting, had the effect of shutting down her brain. Why were they here? What was he trying to do?
"Steed," Emma moaned quietly, although it was more a plea to continue than a request to stop.
She could feel his mouth as it danced up the side of her neck, settling to nibble on her right earlobe. Emma had no control as she felt her nipples become sharply erect, plainly visible through the thin dress, and she mentally winced as she imagined the non-stop clicking of the cameras as they captured her image in the trampy outfit. She silently cursed Steed for playing his part too well. This wasn't the time or place for this, particularly if he was just teasing her.
Well, two can play that game, she thought smugly. She spun around to face him and pulled Steed's mouth down to hers. I'll show him what a real seduction looks like. While Emma kissed him in the way that only lovers do, she slipped one arm across his shoulder and the other over his hip, letting her hand wander down to give his backside a gentle squeeze. Then she pulled him even closer and pressed her lower abdomen against his, sexily swaying her hips. Steed jumped in startlement at the contact.
"Paulina—" he stammered.
Why so surprised? Emma thought. You started this by grazing on my shoulders. I thought you wanted to play lovers for the camera? Then it suddenly occurred to her that Steed's ear-nibbling wasn't a shameless attempt to arouse her; he was just trying to get a good look at the wireless earpiece, to help identify the opposition. Unfortunately, the instant his lips had touched her skin, she seemed to lose all ability to reason, and so missed his signal.
Still, Steed was smiling. He couldn't have been too angry at her actions. Leov's voice scratched in her ear, clearly pleased as well.
"You have exceeded all my expectations, Linda," she said. "Now hand him the case."
Emma reached for the leather handle beside her chair. This time, she was sure she could hear the click of a high-speed reflex camera from the bushes nearby.
"I have something for you," she said coyly. She brought the case up and set it on the table.
"Do you know what's in this?" Steed asked seriously.
Before Mistress Leov's voice could stop her from answering, Emma said, "No. Should I?"
"The real Paulina would know," Steed said evenly. "This has all been a trap, hasn't it?"
Confusion crossed Emma's face as four men in overalls suddenly appeared on the balcony. One hurled a fishing net over Steed while another approached with a long, stick-like weapon resembling a speargun. It emitted a low humming noise.
"Stand back," came Leov's voice in her ear. "You have done well, Mrs. Herrington."
The man carrying the weapon pressed it against Steed's side, and there was a loud crackle as the electric prod made contact. Steed's body spasmed wildly for a second, then his movements became sluggish as the men easily tightened the net and hustled him away.
It had all happened so quickly that Emma had no time to react. All she could do was stand dumbfounded as the men loaded Steed into the back of the van. Mistress Leov motioned for Emma to join her in the front seat; Emma sprinted over, not wanting to let Steed out of her sight. The instant she sat down next to Leov, the Mistress produced a small pistol and pressed it into her side. The game had taken an unexpected turn, Emma thought, but she could still gain control of the situation if she remained cool and watched for the opportunity.
The van hastily returned to Canary Roe, carrying Leov, her henchmen, and the two prisoners. From the corner of her eye, Emma watched over Steed's recovery in the back of the van. Steed had long ago convinced her that the two of them were invincible, as long as they worked together. She would need him to be at full capacity before she made a move against Leov.
Emma set her jaw with grim determination. If Steed had to be the bait to lure The Ladja into the open, so be it. She would make sure that nothing happened to him.
-oOo-
Mistress Leov strolled down the hall in the finished portion of the caviar-packing plant. She was dressed in her full leather uniform, complete with whip and stiletto heels. Several workers cowered in fear as she passed by.
She smiled to herself. It had been a brilliant move on her part to lure Emma Peel into being the sacrificial lamb in this operation, instead of a stranger. As the British saying went, it would kill two birds with one stone. Once his wife was out of the way, Pehlovich would belong to her exclusively. Pyotr would be furious, of course, when he found out. But by that time both Emma Peel and John Steed would be dead.
The Ladja was stationed on a catwalk overlooking the main vacuum-packing apparatus. She sauntered over to him and kissed him on the cheek.
"Good evening, Pyotr," she crooned.
Pehlovich took her in his arms. "Do we have Steed?"
"Locked in a cell, with two guards," Leov announced smugly.
Pehlovich nodded. "I trust you found a suitable woman to play Paulina Porzhisni?"
"The woman I found was perfect. She could hardly keep her hands off Steed."
"And what about the photographs and recordings?"
"I have just come from the darkroom. Once these pictures and tapes are forwarded to the Ministry, they will clearly see that the two were lovers."
"When you kill Paulina, make sure that there can be no doubt that Steed is the murderer."
"I have taken my own steps so that no one will doubt that he killed her."
The Ladja chucked her under the chin. "Showing some initiative, eh?" He slipped his hand down to her waist. "Once Steed is out of the way, perhaps I can have a little reunion with my wife."
Only at the funeral, thought Leov.
-oOo-