by S. E. Rose
The man stops and tips his hat at me. “You OK?” he asks.
I shake my head. “Do you have a phone on you?” I yell across the waterway.
He nods and gets off his horse. Nervously, I glance around making sure we are alone. Can I trust him? Do I have a choice?
“Can you call a number for me?” I yell.
He nods and holds up his phone, waiting for my instructions. I give him Christian’s number first, but no one answers. Then, I have him call Anna.
He nods at me. “What shall I say?” he asks.
I contemplate it for a long moment. “Tell her she’s in terrible danger. I’m at Lara’s estate. My grandfather is here, and everything is compromised. Trust no one but her family. And get out of the palace, now!” I scream.
He gives my message to her. “She says stay put. She’s sending help.”
Nodding, I feel the tears sting my eyes as I try to blink them away. Utter relief building within me. There’s a chance, a real chance.
He hangs up and looks at me and then at the river. “Did you try crossing the bridge?”
I shake my head. “I…am in danger here. It’s not safe.”
He looks confused because no one is around us. “I could try to cross with Muffins,” he suggests, motioning to his horse.
“I don’t know how deep it is,” I explain, pointing to the rushing water below us.
“It’s not typically deep, but the water current is strong today,” he answers. I’m surprised when he lays down his fishing rod and satchel and mounts his horse. He grabs some rope from the side of his saddle and ties it to his horse’s neck. His horse begins to step into the raging river, one cautious move at a time. When it’s about halfway, he ties the loose end of the rope to a rock on the bank and throws it to me. I catch it and tie it around my waist. Slowly, I step into the water. It’s difficult to move but I manage to get about ten feet out from the bank, but then the depth drops, and I can’t move. I’m stuck, paralyzed with fear.
“Just a few more feet,” he encourages.
“It’s too deep!” I yell.
“You can do it!”
I look back to where I came from and then at the man. It’s my choice to make and it might be the only choice I get to make. I can either die trying or accept my fate and die at the hands of my grandfather. I close my eyes and step into the deeper water.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Christian
“Pete?” I ask in confusion as I step inside and search for the light. With a flip of the switch, I find it and I see Pete sitting in a chair at the small table in the kitchen.
“What are you doing here? Where’s Mia? Where’s the staff?” My questions rattle out of my mouth one after the other, a stream of consciousness emitting into the confines of the small space.
He sets a gun on the table. “We were good friends, weren’t we?” he asks, his voice numb, emotionless.
“We are good friends, Pete.”
He spins his gun in a circle. “It’s all lies, Chris. Everything is a lie.”
Confusion clouds my mind as I step toward him. He holds up a hand, stopping me. “You need to understand that this isn’t personal. It’s not what I would have chosen, but it’s how it has to be.”
“Pete?” my voice echoes again in the cozy cabin, although nothing at the moment feels particularly cozy.
“I’m sorry,” Pete says as he picks up his gun and points it at me.
“Why? At least tell me why?” I ask as my confusion gives way to panic.
Pete sighs as he runs a hand over his face. “My whole family is part of it; we always have been. Lucas, my parents, we’re a sleeper cell. And we’ve been activated. I’ve been training to do this my entire life.”
“What? No.” The words leave my mouth but I’m still processing what he’s said.
“Trust me. It’s better this way. Everyone will be gone by tonight.”
“Everyone?”
“Your whole family, Mia’s family, the royal family of Montelandia. It’s all part of the master plan.”
“What plan?”
“The one that King Ivan started seventy years ago,” he states as though I should know it.
“Pete, what the fuck are you talking about?” I ask as I stare in shock at the man who’s been my friend for nearly my entire life.
“Sit,” Pete commands, pointing to the chair across from him. I hesitantly take the seat and push it against the wall, putting as much distance as I can between us.
“My parents work for King Ivan. They always have. He doctored their resumes and got them hired by your grandparents, just before your father was crowned king. King Ivan is part of The 44. A secret part of it. One that’s been quiet and waiting for decades. King Ivan activated us recently. It’s time to end the monarchy.”
Fuck. It’s the only word that comes to mind. How can this be? How could Anna and Jack not see this, not find evidence of this?
“How?” I ask.
“The man who was blackmailing Mia works for King Ivan. We work for King Ivan. There are a few others at the palace in Montelandia. King Ivan is finishing what was started with his grandfather. We know nothing but our one task. And mine…is you.”
He waves the gun in his hand. I’ve never felt more mortally wounded by another human. To find out your friend was never your friend.
“But how did you and Lucas get involved?”
“Our parents were already involved. They primed us from birth but didn’t inform us of our duties until we were of age. We each met privately with King Ivan when they deemed us ready. It’s a great honor to be chosen by the secret society of The 44. You should feel privileged that I have been sent to kill you, Christian. Your death is clearly important to the cause.”
It’s with that last sentence that I realize just how insane Pete is. Flashbacks of my life play like a movie reel in my mind. What had I missed? When had he become like this, a monster?
My thoughts catch up with me and I realize that I’m not the only one in danger. I have to warn my family…and Mia. My mind blanks on the thought of Mia, the entire reason that I’m here. Has he already killed her? Is she safe?
“Where’s Mia?” I ask.
“Probably dead by now,” he offers.
The words have barely left his mouth when something visceral takes over my body. I lunge over the table, grabbing the gun. His chair starts to tilt back as I pull back my arm to punch him. We struggle as we fall to the floor, the gun sliding across the floor. Pete and I are roughly the same size and we both work out regularly, making him a worthy opponent. I’m not sure if I can subdue him, but I’ll die trying.
Neither of us speaks as we punch and kick the other. Each blow radiates pain, but I don’t stop. We roll and battle, trying to get the upper hand as we inch toward the gun that lies on the floor a good fifteen feet away. I manage to get on top of him, pressing my hands to his neck. He attempts to get his arms between mine and push me away, but I close the gap between my forearms, applying pressure with my hands. Pete’s been trained by our best defensive teams. He manages to kick me hard enough to throw me off-balance. I release my grip to steady myself and he rolls us over. But I’m one step ahead of him. The defense classes he took as an adult, were taught to me starting at age ten. My parents knew the dangers facing us and made all three of us start martial arts training as children. Even Anna excels at it. She could take down a person twice her size.
I use the momentum of our roll to keep rolling, putting my body weight into the floor. Pete attempts to stop us, but there’s too much centripetal force and we don’t stop rolling until I’m back on top again. Pete stretches his arms out, looking for the gun or anything to use as a weapon.
It’s at this very moment that I realize my one advantage over him. This is my cabin. I know it inside and out. And what Pete doesn’t know is that just to my left is a loose floorboard. Inside it are three things. We each put one in there many years ago, a time capsule of sorts. Auggie put in a hawk fe
ather he found. Anna put in a pillow she spent a summer embroidering. And I put in a stone carving I made. I press one hand against Pete’s throat as my other hand fumbles with the floorboard. I manage to get the board loose while keeping my hold on Pete. Reaching inside, I feel around until I find it. It’s a rather large carving of a hippo. It barely fit between the boards. Grabbing it, I bring it up above my head. Pete realizes too late what I have as I bring the rock down hard against his temple. Twice more and he’s unconscious. I can still see his chest rising, but I don’t spend time assessing his vitals. I have to get out of here and warn the others. I reach into a drawer and pull out the burner phone, turning it on and quickly leaving the cabin. I dial Anna’s number first.
“Hello?” she answers.
“Thank God! You have to get—”
“Where are you? I called and called.”
“You have to get out of the palace? Where’s Logan?”
“We are. Mia called us, well, someone called for her. But we’re all safe. I have Auggie and Kate at a safe house. Dad’s plane is in the air. Jack has team members waiting to get him when he lands. Max and Marilyn have been taken into a safe house by Jack’s U.S. team,” she explains.
“What? How? Where is Mia?” I ask as I start running back toward the house while staying hidden in the forest. I don’t know who I can trust. Is Vince one of them? Is Cain?
“Where are you?” she asks as her voice becomes mumbled like she put her hand over the phone.
“I’m at the Summer Palace. I thought Mia came here.”
“Hold on, we’re—”
I drop the phone as I hear a gunshot ring out. I feel fire erupt along my bicep and look over to find I’m bleeding. Fuck.
I can hear running in the distance. Shit. Pete. I don’t bother trying to find the phone, I just take off toward the palace. Pete knows most of the secret passages, but not all of them. There is one that only my family knows about. My father had it built in secret. He didn’t want anyone on our staff to know it existed. It might be my best chance to hide. I duck into a hidden entrance on the side of the building, praying that I can remember how to get to the secret room, the safe room.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Mia
Dante is the name of my rescuer. I don’t ask until I’m safe atop his horse and we are several miles away from the estate. Dante is a retired teacher who spends his afternoons fishing in the river. He says he lives about ten kilometers from Lara’s property, just outside a small village.
When we near his home and have better phone reception, he hands me his phone and I call Anna.
“Are you safe?” she asks, her voice laced with concern.
“Yes. I came across a man with a horse and managed to forge the river. We just got to his home.”
There’s a pause. “You forged a river?”
“Long story.”
“I’m texting Jack now. He’s en route to you. Christian just called me from the Summer Palace, but we got cut off. He thought you were there.”
Fuck.
“Is he OK?”
“I think so,” Anna whispers but her voice doesn’t sound like she believes it.
I blink, trying to keep my tears at bay as I bounce back and forth with the cantering of the horse. “Where are you?” I ask.
“We’re safe. Everyone is safe. I just…I heard gunshots, Mia. And then he was gone. Jack is closest to you, so he’s picking you up and then going straight there. We have security forces on their way as well.” There are muffled voices in the background. “I have to go. Stay safe, Mia.”
She disconnects, and I take a few deep breaths. Christian has to be alright. He’s going to be fine.
A few more minutes go by and in the distance I see a barn.
“My property is just ahead,” Dante says.
I watch the barn grow larger. When we reach it, he brings his horse to a halt and helps me off.
As I’m thanking Dante, I hear a loud sound overhead. We both look to the cloudy sky. In the distance, I see a black dot, and when it comes into focus, I recognize the shape as a helicopter.
“Whoa!” Dante says, settling his horse as the chopper lands in the field next to his barn.
As Jack Ross opens the door and steps down, he looks every bit the international man of mystery that he is. He’s wearing all black, a Kevlar vest, boots, and a black helmet with sunglasses built into it. He takes it off and runs over to me.
“Are you alright?”
I nod.
“We have to go, now!” he yells, reaching for my arm to pull me toward the waiting helicopter.
“Thank you again, Dante,” I call out to the man who just saved my life.
“Uh, sure. Best of luck,” he replies, his calm voice doesn’t match the confused and slightly panicked look on this face.
I wave as Jack helps me into a seat and buckles me in before he jumps inside and presses some buttons and pulls a lever back. We rise into the air. Jack’s the pilot? I glance over at him in shock, but he doesn’t say a word as he flies us toward the Summer Palace.
“ETA in t-minus ten minutes,” he says into a microphone on his helmet.
“Roger that. Ground’s arrival is estimated in five minutes,” a voice answers.
“Roger. Have the west field cleared for landing,” he states and then looks over at me.
“We have security forces arriving at the estate now. King Ivan is being placed under arrest as an international criminal.”
“You know?” is all I manage to say.
He nods. “I had the burner phone you were using decoded. It took some time, but we traced it to a Cohen Herbert. He was arrested yesterday. And through our interviews with him, we learned he worked for King Ivan. We sent special forces to Skogdal overnight. We learned King Ivan was here this morning just as you were calling Anna. We breached Skogdal’s royal server and found all of King Ivan’s employees, which include a family that has been living at the Royal Palace for decades.”
I feel the blood drain from my face. “Pete.”
He nods. “Lucas has been arrested in Montelandia. He was planting a bomb at the palace. It’s been disarmed and everyone is at a safe house. We arrested seven other staff members in Montelandia.”
“Sir?” the voice from earlier comes over the speaker.
“Yes?”
“Royal Jet One has gone missing over Germany.”
“When?” Jack asks calmly.
“Three minutes ago.”
“Contact Germany, send planes up, contact me when you learn more,” Jack says.
“Roger that.”
“Jack?” I say his name because I don’t know what to think. Is that King Michael’s plane? Has it crashed? Oh, God!
Before I can say anything else, the Summer Palace comes into view. And Jack starts barking orders to someone who I assume is on the ground there.
I can make out police cars and unmarked black SUVs lining the driveway. I see smoke coming from the east wing and my heart leaps into my throat. It’s like déjà vu all over again. It was only two years ago that the palace was bombed, and we all nearly died.
Jack expertly sets the chopper down behind the stables. He removes his helmet and turns to me.
“Stay here.”
Before I can say another word, he shuts his door and goes running toward the palace.
I know I should stay here. The smart part of my brain screams at me to stay put, but my heart doesn’t listen. I have to find him.
Think, Mia, think. I go through the places I would hide. I narrow it down to two. One is the safe room in the palace and the other is the cabin. But he came looking for me, so why would he go into the woods? But maybe he thought I was hiding. No, that doesn’t make sense. If I came here out of anger, I’d go to my room. I only know about the safe room because Christian told me about it a month ago when we were worried about The 44. Ironic, because right now, it feels like déjà vu.
I look up at the stone walls of the palace, smoke visible fro
m the other side of it. I guess I’m going inside.
I run along the outer wall. I can hear men shouting from the front and back. I manage to make it unseen through a small wooden door hidden behind bushes. I close the door behind me and lean against the cold wood. Closing my eyes, I try to remember how to get there. Christian showed me once, in case of an emergency, but these secret passageways are narrow and confusing. My first attempt lands me in the kitchen. I can smell the smoke from here. I run back through the maze. I can hear people inside the palace. I go upstairs and down more corridors. What floor was it on?
Third? No, the first floor. I get turned around and have to start all over. This time I go a different way. I pass Christian’s suite and head toward the king’s room. The smoke is thicker here, but I know I’m close. I recognize a marking on the wall. I remember Christian saying Auggie marked the path because he always forgets which way to go.
There’s more yelling. I can hear water. The fire crew must be here. The smoke is almost too much to bear, but I keep going. I have to find him. There’s no going back now. Two more turns and I reach a giant metal door. I run my finger over it before I find a small box on the sidewall. It’s for fingerprints.
Please be in here, Christian. I place my hand on the scanner and wait. The buzzer tells me it didn’t read my prints. I take my shirt and rub it over the screen, placing my hand back on it, willing it to work. He said he added my print. It should work.
This time a green light appears, and I almost cry out in relief. The steel door begins to slide back and I step to the side, anxious to see Christian, to hold him in my arms. To tell him I love him, that I’ve always loved him, that I will never stop loving him.
Suddenly, the power stops. I feel the building shudder. A bomb? Without the power, the door can’t move. I step forward, trying to wedge myself inside it.
“Christian?” I call out as I push on the door, hoping he’ll hear me and come help me. “Christian?”
I wait with bated breath. My heart pounding. Please, please answer me.