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.Thirty-eight degrees Celsius.Been like this for days, but they say a storm’s coming.”“That’ll help with the bushfires,” Morgan said.He released his tie and stretched, gazing around the immediate surrounds.For a moment, he was thrown back in time as he saw the ANZAC War Memorial across Elizabeth Street in Hyde Park.The Art Deco memorial housed arguably the most moving tribute to fallen soldiers Morgan had ever seen, Hoff’s incredibly confronting bronze sculpture of a dead young soldier, held aloft upon a shield by three women: mother, sister and wife.“Anyway, I’m not sure about the lucky bit, mate.That remains to be seen.I better check in.How’s your knee, by the way? Boss mentioned you’d had surgery.”“It’s pissing me off, but getting better slowly.I’ve taken care of everything, bud.We’re booked in under the names we traveled here on.Get straight on up and see her if you want.I can get your bags sorted out.She’s in room 109.”“Cheers, Dave,” said Morgan.“But I think I’ll get a shower and straighten up first.”“Alex, I know you like this girl.I gather she messed you around some and you’re still pretty pissed about it.You think you can manage this? You know, stay on task?”“I’ll be fine,” Morgan responded cheerlessly.“I’m sure her intention is to keep it professional, too.I can handle that.”“OK.So, you want the word on Cornell and Lundt?” Dave asked, tactfully changing topic.Morgan nodded.“Cornell’s in Sydney.He’s staying at the Novotel, Darling Harbour.Know it? The New South Wales cops have got their eyes on him and they’ll keep me posted if he so much as gets up to go to the bathroom.”“Boss says you kept Cornell company on the flight out here,” said Morgan.“Oh yeah.You should have seen the look on the poor bastard’s face, man.He turned gray when I told him who I was.I think he was planning to hit on me.” Sutherland smiled.“Can’t blame him.”“There’s no accounting for taste.” Morgan laughed.“So what’s the score now?”“Well, bud, during the last sixteen hours of our flight, I took our friend Cornell through the surveillance reports and photos we have, documenting his movements in London over the past couple of weeks, including his call for help to Johnson.”“How’d he take it?”“Not well.” Sutherland smiled.“He had no idea Johnson had been pulling his strings all this time, said he’d been dealing with someone totally anonymous to him via some email procedure.Using star signs to identify themselves.Needless to say, Mr.Cornell is now more than willing to contribute if it means keeping his ass out of the electric chair.”“They don’t use the chair in England, Dave.”“Maybe they should,” Sutherland countered, meaning it.“Everything set for this to play out as per the plan?”“Sure is,” Sutherland replied.“According to Cornell, Johnson sent him out here to facilitate a meeting between Lundt and some guy who’s representing the alternative president.”“Sending Cornell all the way out here to set up a meeting sounds a bit unnecessary, don’t you think? Seems like something Lundt could have arranged himself.”“I agree.Sounds more like an excuse for Johnson to get Cornell out of England for a while.”“Never to return,” said Morgan.“Makes sense,” agreed Sutherland.“The key thing is to be sure we can cover wherever this meeting’s going to happen.Cornell doesn’t know the location yet.”“What about local cops?” Morgan queried.“Any support?”“Oh yeah.We’re partnering with the New South Wales Police Counter Terrorism and Special Tactics Command.Our contact is a guy named John Stojakovic.Police inspector.Good man.Steady.He’s already got surveillance teams organized and stationed down at the Novotel.Cornell told me his instructions were to stay put at the hotel and wait to be contacted from there.The cops will shadow Cornell, monitor his phone and internet, and report developments to me.I’ll then feed the info to your girl; she’ll feed it straight to Johnson – as per his instructions to her – and he’ll be none the wiser.”“As long as she can keep her wits.If Johnson smells a rat, there’s every possibility we’ll lose him and Lundt.”“So far, Cornell hasn’t met anyone, and hasn’t used the phone or the net.We have to hope he sticks to the plan.This is his only chance to walk away without a life sentence, and I’ve made that crystal clear.No word on Lundt yet, but the Australian Federal Police are watching the airports for us.”“How’s Ari dealing with the revelations about Johnson?” Morgan asked.“OK, considering.But I guess she’ll talk through that with you.Meanwhile, I’m about to meet Stojakovic for an update.”“Sounds good,” said Morgan.“You need me to come along?”“I got it covered, bud.You’d better get on,” replied Sutherland.“Chow later? Oh, and Alex …”Morgan picked up his attaché case and turned back to Sutherland as a porter came and collected his luggage.“I told her you were due in this afternoon,” Sutherland said.“So she’s expecting you, and even seemed keen to see you.Must be something wrong with her after all.Anyway, she’s pretty shook up about being sent out here by Johnson like a sitting duck.So go easy.”CHAPTER 50Morgan tapped lightly on the door of room 109.“Anybody home?”Inside, there was a shuffle of sounds.A teacup being placed back on a saucer, a remote being grappled with, music turned down.A muffled cough, a few seconds of silence.Then, the door opened and, instantly, it was as if everything stopped.Morgan stood transfixed, as the same dazzling smile and ocean-blue eyes he had farewelled weeks ago looked up and held him.“Hello, you,” Ari said eventually, her voice soft and gentle.She, in turn, was studying his eyes; the familiar deep pools of green and brown with dark specks that were the chapter references to his life.She opened the door fully, and hugged him.He immersed himself in the physical sensation of her body pushed up hard against his.She stood on her toes and nestled herself into his neck.Morgan smelled her hair and tightened his hold.Her thighs inched forward until she was completely pressed against him for a few seconds, but it was enough.Their bodies were meshed, neither wanting to let go.“So good to see you,” she whispered.“You too,” Morgan replied, wondering what the hell her story was.No word for weeks and then this.Jesus.Slowly, Ari peeled herself away, but remained close, looking up at him.Her arms were still clasped about his neck.She straightened his collar.Morgan kept his hands around her waist and held her gaze, smiling.She took him by the hand, closing the hotel door behind them.The room was furnished in standard four-star style, Morgan noted, as they settled on a comfortable sofa, Ari curling her legs up under her at one end.Morgan noticed a copy of The Count of Monte Cristo on the side table.He’d once told her it was his favorite.She was wearing lightweight gray track shorts and a fitted pale pink T-shirt with what looked like a 1950s image stretched tightly across her breasts.Her feet were clad in anklet sports socks and she wore no jewelry or makeup.“Don’t they let you wear anything else?” she chided, gesturing at his suit.“It must get pretty uncomfortable, especially for someone who prefers jeans.”“Ah, nice of you to remember.I am working, you know.” Morgan saw her expression change and he wondered if he’d intended the comment as a barb
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