Chapter 19
Parker drove past Nate's house and parked in the parking lot of the office building once again. She checked her reflection in the mirror and bit her lips to redden them. She hiked up the waist of her skirt to make her hemline higher then she pulled down the neckline of her green sweater. She fluffed her hair and caught sight of Nate's house in her mirror before she opened her door and exited the vehicle. He should be keeping watch for her and should be making his move now.
She walked slowly up the stairs and opened the door to once again smile into Rory's appreciative eyes. She began her mental count as she approached the young man.
1,2,3,4,5, Nate should be leaving his house now, 6,7,8,9,10, he should be making his way up the hill behind the house, 11,12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20…..
"I'm so sorry to bother you, hero, but my husband is asleep in the room and I was just so bored. I thought maybe I'd just go for a drive and wouldn't you know it I ended up here. "
Rory's deep, dimpled smile told her she was on the right track. She just had to keep the silly complimentary talk going and he'd be too distracted to see anything unusual taking place.
"Well, I'm glad to do what I can to make your stay a pleasure," Rory offered without a hint of innuendo and Parker graced him with a wide smile.
"Well maybe you can tell me a little about Galway's history. The tour guides just don't do it as much justice as those who live here," she leaned her head to the side and looked at him beneath seductively heavy eye lids.
"Oh, the history of Galway is best told around campfires and on barstools. It's thrilling, to be true…" Rory began excitedly and launched into an exposition about how Galway came to be.
…59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, he should be over the hill by now.
"Ok, stop right there," she teased softly and held up a slender finger, "I need to go to the little girl's room again." She laughed, "I have the bladder of a four year old."
She winked at him and walked toward the restrooms.
Instead of going into the room though, she walked lightly over to the men's room and took out a black hat and a thin black coat from her shoulder bag. She eased the men's room door open and dropped the hat and coat just inside the door. As she was easing the door closed she heard the creak of the old wooden door protesting as it was forced to open.
She pulled the men's room door closed loudly enough for Rory to hear and then she walked heavily back over to him.
"So where were we?" she purred and Rory's cheeks flushed with color.
"I was telling you about the cliffs," he answered proudly.
"Could you show me what you mean…I'm a very visual person," she asked and stepped closer to him and extended a hand.
Rory looked like he was just told a naughty secret as he reached out to take Parker's hand.
She led him outside and started her count anew.
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10, he should be in the men's room now, 13,14, 15, 16, he should be getting dressed….
"…and we locals call that Gordy hill," Rory pointed to a small hill barely visible against the night sky and dotted by a single house close to its peak.
"Wow…" Parker replied even as she stole a glance at the building's glass doors behind her, "and what's that down there?" She pointed to a group of large green stones that formed a crude alter. She walked further down the hill to get a better view inadvertently pulling the fixated young man with her- and away from the front of the building.
"Oh, there's a story that goes that used to be the prayer rock for soldiers going into battle and those that didn't stop there on their way into battle didn't make it back," Rory answered.
Parker took a step backward and away from him, "Wow, it's really pretty. Do you mind if I just run to the car and get my camera?"
Rory turned and smiled his agreement and Parker smiled back.
"Thank you, Rory." Parker winked at her smitten guide once more and turned to walk back toward the front of the building.
She ascended the stairs quickly, slipping into the glass door to find Nate walking out of the men's room, the black hat and coat disguising him perfectly.
She reached out to him for them to lock arms and when they walked out of the building Nate reached out to capture Parker's face. She in turn caressed his and they stumbled the short distance to the car like eager lovers, careful to keep Nate's face angled downward to avoid detection.
Once they were safely inside the car and backing out of the driveway, Nate felt a small chill of exhilaration. It had been a long time since he'd been on a con.
"Where do we meet Hardison," he asked a few minutes later, when the initial excitement began to wane.
"He'll be in the lot of the guest house," Parker answered without turning to look at him.
Nate finally understood what Alec meant when he'd said that Parker was different. She was cold, distant. Not that Parker would ever have been accused of being sociable before but this Parker was a different person.
He shifted in his seat and Parker sensed his unease.
"I know it's strange that I don't remember you," she began matter-of-factly, "but I don't remember very much of anything. I believe we can still work well together."
Her words were meant to comfort him, to make him less wary of her but instead they made him sad. Someone tampered with Parker. They took away the spark that made her so unique, so essentially…Parker.
He didn't show her his emotions though. He looked over to her and nodded his head, offering her a small smile.
They continued the rest of the way to the guest house in thoughtful silence, each happy to see Alec waiting for them in the darkened lot, so they could quickly be on their way.
Alec tossed their luggage in the back seat and sat down. He grasped Nate's shoulder firmly and the two exchanged an unspoken greeting, each acknowledging that regardless of how precarious their situation was, seeing each other again was momentous.
"It's really good to see you, Hardison," Nate smiled warmly.
"You don't even know, man," Alec squeezed Nate's shoulder once more.
"Are we still going to the trains?" Parker interjected.
"Yes," Alec answered, "the railways have the least amount of security. So we'll go as far Dublin, then we fly."
Parker put the car in drive and they started through Barna's dimly-lit main street on the way to the Irish Rail station, each of them concentrating on their own hopes for what their trip to London would yield.
"Danny," the cool voice on the other end of the line sent a chill down the bar owner's spine.
"Yes, Ms. Moreau?" he answered as he always did, using an economy of words lest she become impatient.
"Have you heard from Rory and Flora; have they completed their tasks?" Sonia's tone was light even though it held no frivolity.
"Yes- they've done what was asked of them and they confirmed that Ford and the others have left."
"Do you have any idea where they're headed?" she asked, her lightness tightening.
"No," he dreaded when she asked him a question he didn't have a good answer to, "but I can have someone follow them."
"That won't be necessary, Danny. Thank you."
Without waiting for him to respond, she hung up, leaving him to release the deep breath he'd been holding.