Around The World

     She knew she was running late. It didn't matter, she had to make it. She grabbed her things and headed out the door. As she weaved her way through traffic she had only one thing on her mind. She didn't know where she was headed, but she would soon find out. After leaving her car at the designated area she discreetly made her way into the airport. Large sunglasses and a wig helped to disguise her. It only would hurt her in the long run if someone was to recognize her. She made her way up the escalator and found her way into the women's restroom. Third stall from the end, right where she was told it would be. She removed a small envelope from the back panel of the toilet. Inside- her confirmation. She went to the airline help desk  to print her boarding pass. She entered the code from the contents of the small envelope. It printed - she was going to Rome. As she passed through security she nearly ruined everything. She had almost handed the officer the wrong passport. She had six altogether, but for today's purposes she was Katherine Van Lew. After a short time she was able to board the plane. Once at her seat she removed a small disc from her bag and adhered it to the bottom of the seat next to her. Minutes later a handsome, middle-aged man sat beside her. He gave her a brief smile and nod and went about his business. Katherine tried to relax, it was going to be a very long flight.

     It was two hours into the flight and she couldn't take it anymore. She had to know. "Who are you?" she quickly turned and spoke to the man with the peculiar mustache occupying the seat next to her. "Johnny" he replied sternly, then quickly turned to gaze out the window. "Why are you here?" she asked. He replied hesitantly, "On my way to The Correctional Institute of Rome. It's my uncle.. I must see him". "Oh" she replied with suspicion, but before she could say another word the flight attendant interrupted to pass out dinner for passengers and when she asked if he wanted some mashed potatoes he began screaming irately then stood up and ran to the bathroom. "Wait! JOHNNY!" she exclaimed. But it was no use. She did not see him again until a half an hour before they arrived in Rome. She couldn't find the words to ask, so they sat in silence for the rest of the flight.

     While waiting at the baggage return she could not get over the nagging sense of curiosity about this man. She walked over to Johnny and asked if he wanted to get some lunch. Oddly enough, he replied "sure".

     Upon exiting the airport the two hailed a cab, threw their luggage in the trunk, and took off for the Via Condotti to grab a bite to eat. The entire way there Katherine peered out the window as her mind raced with questions for this bizarre character who made such a scene on the plane.

     They arrived at a small café across from the Spanish steps, Johnny gave the driver twenty euro to pull around the corner and wait for them to finish. The driver obliged and sped off to park down the street. Katherine's bags sat perched in the trunk of the cab on top of Johnny's.

     During lunch, Katherine questioned Johnny's problem with the mashed potatoes. He had no excuse for her. He just sat across the table gazing deeply into her eyes wondering what she was getting at. Katherine's disguise was no match for Johnny's experience as a member of MI-6. He knew who she was and he'd caused a scene on the plane to pique her interest. He questioned why she was coming to Rome. Her answers were vague and skirted around the question. The only thing she came up with was "business", which technically wasn't too far from the truth.

     Inside the cab around the corner, the driver phoned a man with a deep voice whose only words were "where are they?"

     "Café Piazzo"

     "Stay with them, DO NOT leave them."

     Johnny's BlackBerrry buzzed in his pocket. When Katherine got up to go to the bathroom, he slid it from his pocket and looked at a text message from MI-6 head quarters. He was being followed.

     A minute later a loud buzzing noise came from the trunk of the cab around the corner. The driver, confused, exited the car and popped the lid of the trunk. As he peered into his trunk, a bright light seered his retinas and he fell back onto the street.

     Johnny, quickly got up from the table as he heard Katherine coming back. He exited out the back door of the restaurant, through the kitchen. The driver heard the door slam shut and looked up to see Johnny sprinting down an alley near the restaurant.  Determined not to lose him, he closed the trunk, got back into the car, and sped after him down the narrow streets.

     Meanwhile, Katherine returned to the table to find Johnny gone. After rifling through her purse for what seemed like forever, she found enough money to pay the bill and hurried back to their cab only to find it was gone too!   

     "DAMN IT!!!" 

     She began to panic- everything she needed for her mission was in the trunk of that car.  How could she be so stupid?! As she paced back and forth on the sidewalk, she tried to figure out what she should do next.  She began to panic even more when her phone rang-headquarters calling. How did they know she screwed up? she wondered to herself.  Trying to shake her worries, she answered the phone with forced confidence. 

     "Katherine Van Lew speaking."

     "Katherine it's Johnny. We don't have much time-you need to listen to everything I say."

     Confused, she asked, "how'd you get this number?"

     "We don't have time for that. Meet me at the house with the bright yellow door.  Look down the street, can you see it? It's the only one on the street.  There's a key taped underneath the flower box on the window. Let yourself in and lock all the doors. Wait for me there."

     "But Johnny!?"

     Click.

     She raced down the street and entered the house just as Johnny said. The next thing she knew Johnny burst through the door in a panic and the cab came speeding after him. He drove right through the house! The driver got out of the car and the three of them stood there staring at eachother for a split second.

     Katherine pulled out a gun and aimed it at the cab driver. "Don't move, and give me your keys" she demanded. She took the keys and popped the trunk. But there was nothing in it. "WHERE IS MY LUGGAGE?"

     The driver looked puzzled and told her he had no idea.

     "They're gone." Johnny said. "I activated the self destruct function in my luggage when I realized something fishy was going on. It must have gotten yours too".

     "You're not really here to visit your uncle are you." Katherine stated.

     "Katherine I.." but before Johnny could finish the cab driver interrupted "I am his uncle"

     "WHAT? ..Uncle Frank!?" yelled Johnny. Suddenly both men pulled out guns and aimed them at eachother.

     "That's right Johnny. You probably don't recognize me after all these years. I'm an old man now, but did you really think I'd let you get away with sending me to jail?"

     "No. That's why I am here" Johnny said.

     BANG!

     Katherine turned around and went home.

---

It was a brisk day in Paris, the streets had cleared out and the shops and cafés were packed on every corner with Parisians hoping to get out of the cold.

Katherine was walking the streets alone, she'd just arrived and it'd been many years since she had been to Paris and she loved the city. It was her time to be alone and gain her thoughts from the past few weeks. She didn't know what happened in Rome. It'd been such a whirlwind that she just needed to get away. She didn't know what was happening with Johnny or his uncle, and she'd been too scared to go back into the house that night. She didn't want to see.

Paris allowed to her gather her thoughts and gain some composure. Could she live this life for the rest of her life? Or was it too much, should she bail now?

Then her cell phone rang.

Restricted.

"Damn it" she thought, God only knows who this could be.

"Katherine, turn around"