CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Saturday Evening
Sam guided Lucky off the elevator and let out a breath of relief because the place was as mind-blowing as Theo had suggested. The IT Tower didn’t appear much more than a cold office building from the outside, but the roof where a glass box had been constructed offered a breathtaking view of the city. “What do you think, honey?”
“I’m speechless; we can see all of Brussels from up here.”
“Nothing better than a birds-eye view,” he remarked as they followed the hostess who had greeted them in the lobby and escorted them to a table that occupied a corner of the glass box. “I’ll have to thank Theo for the recommendation,” Sam said as he took his seat.
“Absolutely,” Lucky replied as she spread a napkin across her lap. “Where did they get the idea for something like this?”
“I read there was a pop-up floating restaurant done a couple of years ago that was a huge success and, apparently, this is the permanent version of it.”
The waitress came by and they were offered drinks as well as a menu that listed the tasting menu they were being served. Once she left, Sam raised an eyebrow. “We may have to order room service when we get back to the hotel because I’m not sure what the hell we’re in for.”
“I’m sure it will be perfect.”
“You’re perfect, Lucky.” He took her hand and leaned forward. “I think you’re always beautiful, but the dress you’ve got on is making it difficult for me to remember why behaving is a good idea.”
Looking down, she smiled and then crossed her legs demurely. “This old thing?”
“I see you enjoy torturing me, so I’ll have to return the favor when we get back to our room.” Letting his eyes fall to the open slit of the black jersey dress that hugged her mouth-watering curves made him wonder what he’d done to deserve her company. “Tell me how it went at the bank today, so I can get my mind off the list of dirty things I’m going to do to you later.”
“You need a little of my geek-speak to get your mind right, Sammy?”
“Yes, please.” The waitress delivered two glasses of champagne and Sam picked his glass up and said, “Here’s to the woman of my dreams.” A pretty blush crossed her cheeks as she tipped her glass and then took a sip. “It’s true, Lucky.”
“Thank you.”
“Okay, that’s the last sappy thing I’ll say for the rest of the evening.”
“I like sappy, it’s just not something I’ve ever had much of in my relationships.”
“Well, get ready because I’ve got a lot to share with you.”
“You are a surprise.”
Clearing his throat, he looked across the restaurant. “I wish I hadn’t been a jerk when we met.”
“Me too, but I like where we are now, so let’s just leave that all in the past where it belongs.”
Feeling a weight slide off his shoulders, he nodded. “I’d like that.” Her hand tightened on his and he knew she meant it.
“Okay, are you ready to hear about the courageous and daring feat I managed to pull off today?”
“Absolutely.”
“All right, just don’t fall asleep while I tell you about it.”
“Heroes don’t always drop out of the sky with guns blazing to take out the bad guy. I think what you’ve done makes you the hero of this Vazov thing and, when all is said and done, it’s you we’re going to thank for making it possible.”
“That’s very sweet, but I’m just a small cog in what seems to be a massive wheel. All I did today was write code for a customized call-back dropper that I inserted into Trojan malware. Once I accessed the administrator account of the bank, I moved laterally through a backdoor and sent my gift into Vazov’s network. The information I passed on to you earlier should allow the Federal Police and the FBI to move with ease through Vazov’s network and gain access to anything that’s linked to it.”
“Lucky, what you did today was the equivalent of executing a HALO jump in the dead of night into enemy territory and decimating all the defenses so the SOF operators can go in clean the place up.”
“That sounds a lot sexier than what actually happened when I sat in front of my keyboard in an office building in the middle of the city.”
“As I said, heroes come in all shapes and sizes.”
“Thanks, Sammy. I hope this allows you guys to get ahold of Vazov and bring him in.”
“I’m guessing it will.” The first course was delivered and Sam thanked the waitress and then studied the plate. “It’s beautiful, but I’m not sure what we’re eating.”
“We’re eating art.”
“I guess so.” After they both tried the different things that were on their plates, he looked up and shrugged. “It tastes good, but I’m still not sure what it is.”
“Maybe we don’t need to know.”
“I guess.” Turning toward the window, Sam studied the view. “Brussels is a fascinating capital because not only is it the administrative capital of the EU, and NATO, it’s also the home to several powerful transnational criminal organizations.”
“A little something for everyone,” Lucky quipped. “I’m looking forward to seeing more of the city tomorrow.”
“It’s almost schizophrenic in its design because majestic art nouveau buildings sit next to rundown 1960 concrete developments, and regal nineteenth-century mansions are neighbors with the brutal glass buildings of the EU’s Gotham City.”
“That’s what makes it interesting.”
“I agree because it’s always the dichotomies that make you want to discover more.” The next course was delivered, and Sam let out an internal sigh as he studied two white squares that were sitting on top of a bowl of rocks. “I’m just not hip enough to appreciate this.”
Lucky lifted the white square and popped it into her mouth and smiled and he decided to do the same. This meal was like life and not knowing what you were in for often meant a great surprise was just around the corner.