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The wine arrived and Crown said just to pour it.
Lana asked, Why plenty of French bread?
The mussels are combined with onion, butter, white wine, whipping cream and herbs. Usually thyme, parsley, bay leaves. The bread is used to mop up the juices.
Sounds delicious said Lana. I can't wait to try it. She emptied her glass of wine and Crown refilled it. Are you trying to get me tipsy Mr Crown?
The food arrived and they began to eat in silence.
This is really tasty. A good choice said Lana.
The main course arrived and they chatted about various situations in their work, but without focusing on the issue that was to dominate their time together. Perhaps they didn't wish to spoil the evening.
Crown noticed two men sitting opposite each other at the far side of the room. One of the men would frequently gaze in Crown's direction. Lana said she needed to go to
the ladies room. As she walked away, one of the two men left his seat and made his way quickly in her direction. He said something which made her turn around. They had a brief conversation before she continued her journey. A few minutes later she returned.
What was that man saying to you? asked Crown.
They are Russian security guys from the Embassy. They wanted to know about you.
What did you tell them?
Only that you worked for a communications company and I was interested In your work. He seemed to accept my story.
The waiter appeared and asked if they wanted a dessert.
Crown suggested to Lana to try the peaches poached in white wine and citrus fruits.
She agreed and it was ordered.
Dessert came and was enjoyably refreshing. It's difficult to talk here. said Crown. We need to meet up somewhere else, perhaps tomorrow. Any ideas where?
How about the beach near where you are staying?
Yes. I could make it for 6pm after getting home from the Embassy in Delhi. There's a rocky section on the left and I could take my colourful blue and white umbrella so you can identify me.
That's agreed then.
Shall we leave now and I'll get you home?
Crown paid the bill and they left the cafe. Siddique was waiting outside. Lana gave directions and they departed. On arrival at Lana's address, She turned to Crown and said how much she enjoyed the evening. She leaned towards him and kissed him on the cheek. She lingered for a moment and Crown resisted the strong temptation to return the kiss, with passion. I'll see you tomorrow Teen at 6pm.
He watched her climb the steps to her property and turn to blow him a kiss.
As Siddique pulled away he mentioned to Crown that they had been followed since leaving the cafe. He said it was a black Mercedes saloon. The occupants had come out of the cafe just after Crown.
Crown looked out of the rear window. Sure enough it was there. Ok Siddique, shall we have some fun?
Yes sir. Glad to oblige. I know those two guys. They use my taxi and never pay. Because they are Russian security, they think they can do anything.
Put your foot down and try to out manoeuvre them. The taxi picked up speed and the black saloon pulled up alongside the taxi. A window opened. A gun poked out. Crown shouted, Break Siddique! The taxi stopped. The Mercedes carried on past. Now reverse and turn left. Siddique did so and continued down another street. The black saloon reversed so quickly that smoke and a screeching sound came from the wheels.
It began to follow them again. Try to go as fast as you can Siddique and then do a sharp left turn. He carried out the instructions and when doing the turn, the rear end swerved to the right. The Mercedes tried to copy, but in doing so balanced on two wheels before somersaulting and ending up with wheels in the air. Smoke and steam appeared. An arm reached out of one of the car's windows. The door was jammed. A flame flashed upwards followed by a ball of fire. Crown and Siddique looked at each other. Crown said, Looks like they had a turn for the worse. We'd better get out of here. Take me home.

Crown again thanked Tarak and walked to his apartment. He inserted the key supplied to him by Tarak and opened the door. It was a luxuriously decorated room with French style door widows which he immediately opened and walked onto a balcony which had panoramic views across Juhu beach. He took a lungful of air and slowly exhaled. This would be the good life, he thought, if he was here on holiday, but he reminded himself of the task that lay ahead. Crown unpacked his case and then focused on the gun to ensure the mechanism was in order. A few practice manoeuvres and he was happy to place it in the shoulder holster for use if and when the time came.
After a quick shower and examination of the sleeping arrangements, he lay on the bed and within a short while was asleep.
Crown woke at around 8am to the sound of his apartment door being knocked. He climbed out of bed and opened the door. He was astonished to see someone from the past.
Dan Casey at your service. Mr Crown.
Dan. How great to see you. How did you know i was here?
Well as soon as i knew you were on this mission and a CIA man was needed to assist, I couldn't resist the opportunity. Stupid I know, because you always seem to create havoc wherever you go. But I'm crazy enough to follow you. Perhaps I like risking my life.
Well, it's great you're here. Come in.
As Crown got dressed they discussed their life since last together, and the current assignment.
Shall we get some breakfast and we can think better then about any plans.
Good idea Dan. I'm starving.

The day passed quickly and it was soon early evening. Crown had said farewell to Casey for the moment and decided to make contact with the taxi driver, Siddique. He arranged to be picked up at 7: 30pm for his meeting at 8pm with agent Teen. Siddique arrived on time and he knew Rick's cafe Parisienne very well. After arriving at Rick's, Crown instructed Siddique to return after a couple of hours to collect him. He then looked up at the cafe's frontage which displayed it's name in large gold letters on a dark green background. Crown entered the building and the aromas of cooking were pleasurable. He told the man who approached him that he had a table booked for two people in the name of Crown.
Ah yes Mr Crown. I will show you to your table.
After sitting down, Crown said his guest would be here soon and then they would have the menus.
At 8pm the cafe door opened and in walked a strikingly beautiful lady. Crown stood up and made himself conspicuous. She looked across at him and began to approach.
During the previous day, Tarak had agreed a greeting in the form of a question and answer to establish their identities.
Crown asked, Are you here for an affair?
She replied, You mean a Crown affair?
They both laughed with some relief and Teen sat opposite him.
Well it's good to see you Teen. I got here a bit early to ensure I found the place,
A waiter gave them a menu each and departed.
Are you feeling hungry Teen?
I was a bit anxious before getting here, but feel better now I am with you.
They examined the menus and Crown knew what he would order, and took the opportunity to examine Teen while she was studying the food choices. Her dark hair was really long and sleek and her eyes were brown and beautifully clear. Her skin looked silky smooth and her mouth was sensuous with definite red lips. Her dress was white with a plunging v neckline which showed a small amount of cleavage and the firm looking proud breasts that were concealed but outlined in the almost transparent dress material. Round her neck was a gold chain leading to an amber coloured stone. His mind was interrupted by the waiter.
Would you like to order now sir?
Yes please. I'll start with moules mariniere, with plenty of French bread, followed by the grilled marinated chicken breast with courgette ribbons. And a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc.
That sounds great said Teen. I think I'll have the same.
Thank you sir and madam. I'll bring the wine.

Crown's taxi arrived byat Heathrow airport and the driver wished Crown an enjoyable trip as he unloaded the suitcase and placed it on the pavement. Crown gave him a substantial tip and proceeded to the passenger lounge. He avoided the usual formalities and headed straight for the security section where he spoke to a customs officer who escorted him to a private room where the officials had received clearance from his department to proceed without any checks. His firearm was contained in a small case which he carried, and his main luggage went through in the normal way. He boarded the Air India flight at 8am and it would take approximately 8 hours 50 minutes to complete the journey to Mumbai.
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Crown coped with the journey by reading and sleeping. He was desperate to stretch his legs and when the flight end was in sight he was so relieved. When the plane landed and he exited the craft, the hot air hit him like the opening of an oven door. He quickly made his way to the luxury of the air conditioned lounge and waited for his luggage to be available. He noticed a large powerfully built man start to approach him.
Are you Mr Crown? He asked with a broad smile.
Yes.
My name's Tarak. I'm so pleased to meet you Mr Crown.
Nice to meet you Tarak.
If you would follow me, I have a car waiting. He gestured to another man who picked up Crowns suitcase and followed them to the lounge exit.
They climbed into the rear of the vehicle as the luggage was placed in the boot. Well I hope your journey was good. I've managed to arrange a meeting with this agent Teen for 8pm tomorrow evening. She will
meet you inside a French restaurant I selected and hope that meets with your approval. It's called Rick's cafe Parisienne.
Yes. That sounds fine. I love French food.
I've also found some accommodation for your stay. It's close to Juhu beach. I think you'll like it. Oh, and I would recommend you hire a taxi for the whole of your stay.
I took the liberty of engaging Siddique. He's reliable and knows the whole of Mumbai.
Just ring him and he'll be at your service.
You've been working hard Tarak and i appreciate what you're doing.
I'm glad to help. I know Noon, your head of the service, well and we spent time together in the military. We were good friends. I dislike the Russian regime intensely and always glad to throw a spanner in their works.
The car pulled up at an apartment block near to a beautiful sandy beach. This is it Mr Crown. Hope you like it.

Don't miss the next episode and the meeting with the glamorous Lana, plus VIOLENCE.

Jack Crown in action BLUE9
A blog by Crown Productions.

Crown drove home with thoughts swirling in his mind. He had worked for PRISM ( Personnel Responsible for Intelligence and Secret Missions ) for 5 years and had many successfully completed assignments. He had never visited India and was looking forward to this new experience and challenge. He had encountered many women in his exploits and sometimes they had complicated matters. But in this case he was dealing with an agent who was risking her life and he had to ensure that she was protected. Whatever happened in that process, he couldn't predict.
When he arrived home he packed his bags and checked his gun was properly functioning. It was a Colt model 1911, semi automatic with a Nexus suppressor. He used a shoulder holster for concealment.
He had a quick meal and set his alarm for 6am. He then went to bed and soon fell asleep.
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The alarm woke him on time and he went for a shower before putting on a dark blue lightweight suit, pale blue shirt and navy silk tie. He had booked a taxi the previous evening, and this arrived as scheduled. Destination was the airport and the long flight to Mumbai, and Chattrapathi Shivaji airport.

Next episode is part 6 and the meeting with other characters.

Jack Crown BLUE9

Not to be missed.

She woke up and it was cold. She looked at her watch. It was midnight. She panicked. She must get home. She kissed the man on his shoulder and climbed out of bed. She rushed downstairs and opened the front door. Her motor bike was parked close by. She straddled the seat. It was freezing. She realised she was naked and forgot to get dressed. The front door was shut and locked.
Part 2 episode available soon. Don't miss it.
Everyone is talking about it.


A great thriller featuring Crown at his best
And introducing the beautiful agent Lana
5 Star rating from the Daily Moon.
BLUE9 Jack Crown soon in action.
Uncensored.

...with my 10 year old Vietnamese student as an exercise in numeric thinking and logic. These puzzles are not so easy unless you have a little insight.

Give it a go! It is only level4. For a 4*4 square the numbers are 1-16 so each row, column and diagonal adds to 16*17/8 =34
This is an even numbered magic square so it gives some additional properties about the 4 corners and the centre quadrant which make this one much easier.
He does pretty well at these, but I think we should jump to level 6.
As a hint to start with, we know the sum of R1C1+R4C1 so we immediately know the number in R2C1.