The Oslo Affair (Shadows of War, #2) CW Browning (sci fi books to read TXT) 📖

“Not very exciting, is it? Are you regretting coming along now?”

Anna grinned. “Not in the least. I think is all sounds thrilling! I can’t wait to see how everything unfolds. Oh look! Here’s our dinner.”

Evelyn looked up as the waiter approached bearing a platter with their dinner and breathed a silent sigh of relief as Anna turned her attention to the food. As he laid out their plates before them, Evelyn felt that same chill go down her spine again and she looked around, scanning the restaurant casually. She might be new to this whole business, but something wasn’t right. She couldn’t see anything, but she could feel it.

They were being watched.

The hotel lobby was quiet when they emerged from the restaurant after a delicious dinner and dessert. They had lingered over the latter, neither woman in a hurry to go back to their room, as spacious and comfortable as it was.

“Tomorrow I think I’d like to explore the city,” Anna said as they walked towards the lift. “If you haven’t heard from your friend, would you care to join me?”

“If I can, I’d love to.”

Evelyn smiled at the lift attendant as they approached and he nodded back. He was just closing the gates when she saw a tall man move across the lobby from the direction of the restaurant. He was walking towards the front desk and, as he passed into her line of sight, Evelyn’s stomach dropped and her gut clenched. Her breath caught in her throat as she watched the nameless Soviet agent from Oslo cross the hotel lobby. It was him! There was no doubt in her mind and, as the lift churned into action, he turned his head and looked directly at her.

Evelyn’s heart pounded in her chest and the blood rushed in her ears as she stared at the man through the ornate metal gate. Within seconds, the lift had passed out of sight of the lobby and she exhaled silently, her heart still pounding.

Why? Why had he followed her? When she got into the taxi outside the boarding house, she knew he was watching. Yet, she assumed that when it was clear that she was leaving Oslo, that would be an end of it. Why would he pursue her beyond Norway? He had witnessed nothing to make her an object of interest. She had assured that by evading him for two days. And yet, here he was.

Who was he? And why was he so interested in her?

“Are you feeling all right?” Anna asked in concern, glancing at her. “You’re suddenly very pale.”

Evelyn swallowed painfully and forced a bright smile.

“Am I? How strange. I feel wonderful. Far too full of good food, but wonderful just the same.”

Anna laughed and nodded, turning back to watching the floors roll slowly by. Evelyn gripped her purse in her hand, feeling the trembling in her fingers, and forced herself to take a deep, silent breath. Panicking was not going to accomplish anything. She had to find out who the man was and why he had followed her all the way to Stockholm.

And then she had to find a way to get rid of him before meeting with Risto Niva.

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RAF Duxford

Miles opened the door unceremoniously without knocking and strolled into the bedroom with his hat in his hand and a cigarette in his mouth.

“What in blazes is taking you so long, Young Robbie?” he demanded. “We’ve finally got a night off and you’re wasting it. We’re supposed to have left half an hour ago!”

Rob looked up from the desk where he had the evening’s post spread out, a letter in his hand.

“Good Lord, I’m sorry,” he exclaimed, looking at the clock. “I lost all track of time! Are the others waiting?”

Miles tossed his hat on the bed and dropped onto the foot of it, lounging back on his elbow.

“They’ve gone on ahead. I told them we’d be along when you finally emerged from your closet. What’s so interesting that you forgot all about dinner in London?”

Rob snorted and tossed the letter onto the desk with the others.

“Hardly interesting. It’s all estate business. Well, except that one from my mother.” His eyebrows came together in a sudden frown. “I wish I could get a few days leave to go check on her.”

Miles raised an eyebrow and sat up. He leaned forward with his cigarette and Rob obligingly held out an ashtray for him to put it out.

“Everything all right? She’s not ill, is she?”

“No, nothing like that. She’s fine.”

“It’s not Evelyn?” Miles asked sharply, drawing a grin from Rob.

“Fear not. As far as I know, Evie’s just fine as well.” Miles visibly relaxed and Rob chuckled. “Lord, she’s really got to you, hasn’t she? Never thought I’d see the day Miles Lacey fell like a rock. Haven’t you had a letter recently?”

“No.”

“Never mind. She’s insanely busy as well, by the sounds of things. My mother said she’s only had one letter from her herself.”

“If no one’s ill, what has you so bothered?” Miles asked, returning to his lounging position across the foot of Rob’s bed.

“It’s probably nothing,” Rob said, picking up the letter again. “She said there was a break-in at the house last week.”

Miles’ eyebrows soared into his head. “What?”

“Someone broke into the study,” Rob said with a nod. “I don’t know if you remember, but the study is on the ground floor.”

“Yes. It faces the terrace at the back.”

“That’s right. Thomas, our butler y’know, saw a light in the middle of the night and went to investigate. It was some ungodly hour and he assumed someone had simply left a lamp on. He turned it off and went back to bed. The next morning he saw the window had been forced.”

“Good Lord. Was anything missing?”

“That’s the strange part. Nothing was taken. They’ve gone through all the rooms on the first floor and absolutely nothing is missing. Mother even checked her and Evie’s