Smokescreen

by Iris Johansen

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Zahra said through set teeth. “Varak is dead.”

  “No, he isn’t. Not yet. But you’d be much better off if he was.” Jill added bluntly, “Because I’ll never stop going after him, and you’ll be caught in the cross fire. Pity, since you’ve been doing so well lately. But they’ll burn you at the stake once they find out how you’ve been coddling Nils Varak.” She paused. “But if you find a way to deliver him to me, I won’t care if he’s accidentally shot by you or one of your soldiers. Maybe you could set it up so that you’ll truly be a heroine. All I want is the monster dead and the story finished. I might even be able to persuade Eve that Varak dead is the primary goal, and we don’t want to spend years in courts just to tangle with your lawyers. As I said, you’re ingenious, and I’m sure you could figure out how to come out of a scenario like that in fantastic shape. Consider it a challenge.”

  “I consider this insanity.” Zahra got to her feet, her cheeks flushed. “And I’ll have to ask you to go.” Then she suddenly burst out, “You think you can do this to me? You’ll lose. I always win.” Her eyes were glittering with malice. “Just as I won from you before.” She took a step toward her. “Did what they did to you hurt, bitch? I told them it had to hurt.”

  “Then they did what you told them to do,” Jill said steadily. “I’ve already figured out that had to be Varak. Why do you think I want him so much? Give him to me, and he’ll never bother either of us again. Take the challenge, Zahra.”

  She turned and strode out of the office.

  Her phone. Jill had to have her phone.

  She quickly stopped at the clerk’s desk and picked up her belongings from the security basket.

  Don’t look to see if anyone is following.

  Just hope that Zahra was now turning on the TV in that office to watch Eve Duncan and make sure Jill hadn’t lied to her.

  Eyes straight ahead.

  Jill called Gideon as she walked out of the palace. “The Kiya statue. It has to be in full view, somewhere close to Eve, while the TV broadcast is going on.”

  Gideon cursed. “We don’t have time, Jill.”

  “Make time.”

  * * *

  Bitch! Bitch! Bitch!

  Zahra’s hands clenched into fists as she watched Eve Duncan’s face on the TV across the office. Eve was sitting at her worktable, and Zahra’s statue of Kiya was resting on the dais like a favorite ornament. Like it belonged to her. Zahra wanted to throw something at that image, which had no hint of the glamour or fascination that Zahra possessed. The only thing she could see in that woman was boring sincerity.

  Maybe no one was watching her damned announcement.

  But they probably were, and they’d probably watch her TV interview tomorrow, too. Jill Cassidy was right. Those news reporters were like hungry vultures.

  She felt a rush of panic. Things had been going so well. She’d thought she had everything under control. Now she had to deal with the scandal that might come if Eve Duncan came forward, with Jill Cassidy standing beside her. That was going to be a media and diplomatic nightmare to straighten out. How was she going to handle it?

  Her phone was ringing.

  Varak. She hoped he hadn’t seen that TV announcement. But the bastard always knew what was going on.

  She answered the phone. “Don’t blame me for this. It’s not my fault. I just found out about it.”

  “It is your fault. I told you to fix it. What’s that announcement the whore is going to make tomorrow?”

  “What do you think? According to Cassidy, they’re going to cause big-time trouble. I told her that no one would believe them, but she was raving about setting up permanent shop at Robaku to call attention to Eve Duncan and her reconstruction work.” She added the one threat that had frightened her the most: “And getting permission from the U.N. to tear down the schoolroom and build some kind of chapel. There’s no doubt that they’d find the treasure.”

  Varak was cursing. “If you’d gotten rid of them earlier, this would never have happened. You’ve stalled me and stalled me until we’re down to this. I can’t afford for even one person to believe them. It’s my neck on the line, you stupid cunt.”

  Zahra felt the fury surge through her. It was too much. He was talking to her as if she were one of the whores she provided for him. As if she didn’t have enough to worry about without these insults. “Then if you think I’ve done so badly, why don’t you take care of it yourself?” she spat out. “Maybe I was wrong to keep you from being reckless enough to take us both down. Get rid of all of them for all I care. Do what you like!”

  She cut the connection.

  She was breathing hard, panting, as her anger continued to rise. She should probably call him back and try to pacify him, but she couldn’t do it. It had gone on too long. The son of a bitch had actually almost strangled her the last time she’d seen him. Hadn’t Jill Cassidy said something about how dangerous it was to deal with him? As if she didn’t know that for herself. But she was smarter than Cassidy ever dreamed of being, and she could handle him.

  If she wanted to do it.

  Think. She slowly leaned back in her chair. The situation had turned critical. She could either face a nightmare of explanations and suspicions if Eve Duncan gave her interview tomorrow, or she could accept that in the end, Varak’s solution was best. Eliminate those troublesome people at Robaku who were a threat to her and Varak. And who’d had the nerve to steal her Kiya statue, she thought angrily.

  Or she could handle the problem in a way that was infinitely more pleasing and satisfying in her eyes. A little more difficult, but it would eliminate giving that son of a bitch anything he wanted.

  Take the challenge, Jill Cassidy had said.

  Zahra could meet any challenge.

  She just had to decide which way she wanted to meet it.

  But regardless, it would have to involve Varak. She reached for her phone to call him back.

  “I was angry,” she said the moment he answered the phone. “I’m still angry. But it’s clear something has to be done. You’ve been nagging me about your share of the treasure? Well, I’m ready to talk about it. But not until you give me everything I need before you fly out of here.”

  * * *

  Robaku

  “You could have called me when you were on your way back here,” Novak said curtly when he met Jill as she parked her car. “Would that have been too much bother?”

  “No, but I knew that you’d have someone monitoring the front gates of the palace and would know when I left.” She was walking quickly toward the museum. “And I didn’t know what kind of high-tech listening devices Zahra’s people might have. I took a risk even calling Gideon. I didn’t want her listening in when I chatted with anyone.”

  “It wouldn’t have been a ‘chat,’” Novak said. “And they don’t have anything that high-tech. Strictly low-grade stuff.”

  “I didn’t know.” She added wearily, “And I didn’t want to talk to you anyway. Zahra is never easy, and she was particularly difficult today. I had to concentrate on doing what I had to do.” She glanced at him, and said deliberately, “What I told you that I could do. Pressure, Novak.”

  “And did you do it?”

  “I believe I did. I won’t know until I see signs later. I lined up choices for her. I suggested she could kill Varak, which I’m sure she’d like to do. And I told her that schoolroom would be threatened by Eve and me, so she might order Varak out of his rat hole to attack us. She’ll be terrified that her precious treasury might be discovered. Or there’s the possibility she’s so besotted with the statue that she might get careless and go after it herself. But even then, she’d probably pull Varak into it in some way. Zahra might take one choice or none at all. But it might lead her to make her own choices, which might suit us as well. All we care about is getting Varak here.” They had reached the museum, and she put her hand on his arm. “How did Eve’s TV announcement go?”

&nb
sp; “Fine. She was warm, concerned, businesslike, appealing.” He grimaced. “And hating every minute of it. She doesn’t care for the media.”

  “I know. But this time it wasn’t my fault. It was her idea to get Gideon to set it up.” She paused. “I did everything I could to talk her out of it. It paints a big bull’s-eye on her chest.”

  “And you don’t have one? Be serious.”

  He was right. After that conversation with Zahra, she’d put everyone here at Robaku at risk. “We knew what we were getting into from the beginning. Eve didn’t.”

  “She knows now. She thinks you’re doing the right thing. She’s right.” He was standing looking at her. “Though I hate to admit it.” He suddenly kissed her, hard. “And I know you pulled it off with Zahra. We’re going to find out before this day is over that you changed the story to suit yourself.” Then he was releasing her and turning away. “I’ve got to get back to the village and make sure we’ve made Robaku look like a peaceful, helpless place that Attila the Hun would lust to get his hands on.”

  “Not too helpless,” she called after him.

  “Be quiet, Jill,” he said over his shoulder. “You told us to do our job and let you do yours. You’re officially on the sidelines now.” He disappeared around the curve of the path.

  But she didn’t want to be on the sidelines. She was still on edge and needed to know what was happening. She opened the door and went into the museum to see Eve.

  “I’m glad you’re back.” Eve looked up from working on the Mila reconstruction. “I wanted to get rid of Novak. He was pacing the floor in here after I threw out that TV crew. That was the last thing I needed.”

  “But he said you did very well.”

  She shrugged. “As good as can be expected.” She smiled. “We had to scramble to get that Kiya statue displayed. Why did you want us to do it?”

  “I’m not sure. Instinct. The sight of it might be the final thing that pushes her over the edge. It seemed right.”

  “And your instincts have proved to be very good as far as getting people to make that final commitment. I’m evidence of that.” Her eyes narrowed on Jill’s face. “How did you do this time?”

  She smiled. “As well as can be expected.” No, Eve deserved more than that. “I wish I knew. It might have worked. Everything seemed solid. I appeared to be striking the right notes. We’ll have to see.” She looked around the museum. “All those skulls in their pretty boxes are gone. Where are they?”

  “I thought it would be better if we hid them somewhere in the jungle. Zahra knows they’re here and wanted to get rid of them. She could have Varak target them.”

  “Target,” Jill repeated. “That’s what I told Novak you were now.”

  “Of course I am. Now stop talking about it.” She looked back at Mila. “I want to finish this bit, then I want to call Michael and talk to him for a while. It will relax both of us.”

  “You told me that he…knew things. Won’t he realize that something is wrong?”

  “More than likely. But he’d realize it anyway. I’m not going to cheat either one of us today because I want to pretend everything is fine. I’ll just tell him I don’t want to discuss it, and he’ll accept it.”

  “That’s good.” The bond between mother and son must be as intricate as it was strong, but Jill knew that this call might not have been made if Eve hadn’t been aware how precarious was their position. “He’s a wonderful boy.”

  “Yes, he is.” Eve looked up and made a face. “Now stop fretting about us. I have no intention of dying today. I just don’t want Michael not to have heard my voice when he’s going to be worrying. Joe can’t call him right now, so it’s up to me.”

  “Where is Joe?”

  “Varak,” she said simply. “He went to keep an eye on the compound to see if there’s any indication that Varak might be going to take action. He promised to report back to Novak as soon as he saw any signs.” She met Jill’s eyes. “And that should tell us if your talk with Zahra worked. I really hope it did because Joe was not at all pleased about my little TV show today.”

  “I hope so, too.” That was a massive understatement. Jill dropped down in a chair and tried to relax her tense muscles. “I guess all we can do is wait to hear from Joe.”

  The call came from Joe two hours later.

  Jill straightened in her chair as Eve took the call. Her gaze flew to Eve’s face, trying desperately to read her expression.

  But Eve was listening and only said one sentence before she ended the call. “Then I’ll expect you.”

  She put down the phone, and her eyes met Jill’s. “Joe’s on his way back. You did it, Jill.” Her eyes were shining, and the excitement and triumph were all there in her face. “Varak’s on the move!”

  * * *

  Kiyani Presidential Palace

  10:40 P.M.

  Where the hell was Dalai?

  Zahra strode into her quarters and tore off her dress and threw it on the bench. “Dalai, get in here. I need you!”

  Dalai was suddenly in the room, her eyes wide with alarm. “I’m sorry, madam. I thought you’d be downstairs longer.”

  “You’re not supposed to think. Just be here when I want you here. I need to change and be ready to get out of this place. Get me that scarlet pantsuit and the black boots.”

  “Right away, madam.” Dalai flew toward the closet room.

  This wasn’t the time for the idiot girl to be this careless, Zahra thought. Everything tonight had to go precisely as she had planned. Dalai must not hesitate with performing even one order.

  And Dalai wasn’t the only one who had to perform faultlessly to Zahra’s orders. She dropped down on her vanity stool, reached for her phone, and punched in Varak’s number.

  “I don’t have time to talk to you now,” Varak said impatiently when he picked up. “The team I sent to reconnoiter Robaku just got back. I’ve been getting their report.”

  “What was it?”

  “It’s going to be a snap. We’ll be in and out in a heartbeat.”

  “Then you’ll take time to talk to me. I agreed to this madness, but I won’t go into an attack on Robaku blindly. I have to know what I have to deal with when all the smoke clears. It’s got to look like the attack was made by the same terrorist group that blew up the U.N. headquarters. You can’t be careless or messy, or I’ll never be able to justify the deaths. Duncan is too famous.”

  “I thought that you’d agreed never to give me orders,” he said softly. “When this is over, you might need another lesson.”

  Bastard. He couldn’t resist the threat even in a situation where he might be getting everything he wanted. Zahra instinctively raised her hand to her throat. “When this is over, I’m never going to see you again. You can take your share of the gold and go straight to hell.”

  “So brave now that you’re back in that fine palace. Perhaps I’ll get a palace of my own now that you’re doing the smart thing and giving me what you promised.” His voice lowered. “But how do I know that your Kiya’s treasure is worth my time? Maybe you’ve been lying to me. You’ve never actually let me go down there to see it.”

  And she wouldn’t this time if there was any other choice. “I told you that I’ll let you go down there tonight before you attack Robaku. You can check it out yourself.”

  “I wouldn’t have it any other way. It had better live up to expectations.”

  “You said you were in a hurry. I’m trying to give you an update on what I’ve done to protect us. Do you want to hear it, or would you rather threaten me?”

  “Both. But I’ll listen as long as it includes the release of that damn gold you’ve been promising me all this time.”

  “I have no choice. I can’t be careful any longer. And I have to get rid of you before someone finds out that Duncan is telling the truth at that press conference.”

  “How awkward. It would be a disaster for me, bitch.”

  “Don’t worry, I’ll get you safely out of the country
. I’ve arranged to have an army transport truck be driven to Robaku and parked a few miles down the highway. You can have your men drive the truck to pick up your share of the treasure after you’ve eliminated the problem at the village. And I want you out of Robaku and on your way to the airport within an hour.”

  “But you claim there’s such a lot of gold,” he said mockingly. “And it would go faster if I didn’t have to divide it. Perhaps I’ll arrange to get a second truck.”

  She stiffened. “Don’t even think about it. I have a private jet waiting at Jokan airport for you to get out of the country. If the pilot sees more than one truck driving up to be unloaded, then he has orders to take off and leave you to find your way through the jungle and out of Maldara on your own.”

  Silence. “You wouldn’t do that. I’d still be a risk for you.”

  “I won’t let you steal my share of Kiya’s treasure,” she said fiercely. “You caused me to lose the Great Beloved Wife statue. I won’t be cheated of anything else. You deliver my Kiya statue back to me and clean up that village. Then you get out of my country.”

  Another silence. “I’ll let it go for now. I can always come back.”

  “That would be madness. Even you wouldn’t run that risk again.”

  “Wouldn’t I? But I run through money so quickly, and the idea of your looking over your shoulder is so pleasant. I can just see—” He broke off, and said impatiently, “But I have no more time. I have to make certain I’ll have no problem with Robaku tonight. Give me the code to that treasure room.”

  “So you can steal it all and go on the run? You’ll get the treasure when I know that you’ve given me what I need.”

  “And how will you know that?” he asked sarcastically. “I can’t see you risking your neck and dodging bullets to come and check.”