Chapter 3

Montpellier , France

“est-ce que je peux vous aider ?”, Jim asked the old man.

It was an hypermart located in the center of Montpellier,a place known for its medieval architecture. Tourists flocked the place throughout the year, many among them English. So he was not surprised when the rented Renault drove in. But what did surprise him was the guy who got out of the car.

“ Ben ? “, he couldn’t stop asking himself.

Raptor was dressed in a black t-shirt and beige trousers. There was absolutely no reason why he should be in that particular place today. But there he was, walking towards his shop without any kind of announcement.

“Hi Jim”, Raptor extended his hand towards him. Jim shook them with right earnest.

“Ben, dude. What brings you to France ? How’s Amie ?”

“Amie is fine Jim”. There was a noticeable strain in his voice.

“Is everything ok ?”

“We need to talk Jim. “

“Sure thing man. Lets go into my cabin. Come on.”

“We need to talk in my car.”, Ben stressed.

Jim looked at the car. It was a dark blue Renault Scenic.

It was pretty odd for Ben to arrive unannounced. Even if it was damn urgent, Jim knew Ben wouldn’t take the huge risk of meeting him in person.

They walked towards the car in silence. Jim was wearing a dark blue blazer over a white T shirt. It was a pretty cold day for November.

Suddenly Jim quickened his pace. He walked towards the car with a ferocity that startled Ben. He doubled up as well.

“Jim, wait”.

But Jim had already opened the rear passenger door. In a flash he had drawn out his Beretta Px4 and pointed it at whoever was sitting there.

“Who the damn hell are you buddy. What business do you have here. Spit them out before I put a bullet into your head.”

The man inside the car only smiled. The bulge on his blazer indicated the spot where his pistol was holstered. Jim even thought he had caught a glimpse of the grip. But the man neither looked alarmed nor showed an intent to draw the gun.

“How are you Jim, or should I say DC, or better still Falcon ?”, the man asked. Jim noticed he had a small scar on his face. His lips smiled, but his eyes were cold.
Ben had reached the scene by then.

Jim looked at him. Ben nodded.

“What are we getting into this time around BV ?”. Without waiting for a reply, DC got into the car and sat alongside the man with the scar.