by Delta James
“That would be most generous. But what I really want is an invitation to the wedding.”
Noah laughed. “I’ll see if I can’t make that happen.”
“All joking aside, Noah. Keep Zara close. If Abdal meant to kill her and not just scare her, he won’t stop. Recheck everything you have from him, Christian, and Zara as well.”
“I will. And again, my thanks for your help.”
Noah left his credit card number with the bistro owner, telling him to ensure that he included a large tip for his wait staff onto Ghazil’s tab. He got back into the SUV and called in to the firm.
“Well, if it isn’t the big bad himself…oh, wait, how bad can you be if you get taken out by a girl?” laughed Avery on the other end of the line.
“Not funny. I need you to secure Abdal and Christian and then get the team on the line pronto.”
“I’m messaging Baez right now, as he’s with Abdal. But Christian left us this morning. What’s up?”
“Shit! I just talked with Ghazil Assaraf. It seems good ole Christian isn’t what we were led to believe. He’s Abdal’s right-hand man…his heir apparent. He’s also the sonofabitch who put a hit out on Zara.”
“What? Stay close to your phone. I’m getting everyone gathered together, and I’ll see if we can’t pick Christian back up.”
Avery rang off. Her skills weren’t just limited to being the best pilot he’d ever known, but she was a keen strategic thinker. He had to get to Zara. Christian was loose, and if he knew anything about Mykonos, she was in more danger now than ever before. He glanced at his watch. If he floored it, he could possibly scoop her up at the airport.
Noah knew the worst-case scenario had been put into motion when he was prevented from getting to the airport. There had been reported gunfire, and the place was pandemonium. Noah got as close to the airport as he could then securely parked. He rented a scooter for an inordinate amount of money from a local and used back streets, alleys, and even sidewalks, to get closer to the airport.
Once he got there, he was on foot but moving fast. Tourists were panicked, and the police were unable to do much more than try to keep them from adding to the chaos of the shooter who had taken over the roof of one of the buildings.
He had made a mental note of the tail number of the plane Zara was on. He was relieved to see it sitting out on the tarmac. Noah snagged one of the golf-cart-like vehicles used to take luggage out to the planes and headed straight for her. The plane was buttoned up. Noah pounded on the door, shouting to the pilot that he was with airport security and they needed to get his passenger out. The pilot dropped the stairs, and Noah bounded up them. Scanning the interior, he saw Zara was the only passenger. Her look of shock mixed with fear and arousal was intoxicating.
Turning to the pilot, he said, “It’s madhouse in there. I’ll take your passenger and get her to safety. I suggest you turn this thing around and go back where you came from.”
“Gladly,” said the small man as he headed toward the cockpit.
“I’m not going anywhere with you,” said Zara defiantly.
“Wanna bet?” he jeered as he jerked her to her feet and tossed her over his shoulder.
He trotted down the steps with Zara beating at his back and cursing at him. He kept her pinned on his shoulder and managed to get the stairs back up so the pilot could take off. He dumped Zara on the seat beside him, locking his fist in her hair to keep her in place. He started the golf cart and made a beeline to the building closest to where he’d left the scooter. If they were lucky, it would still be there. If not, they’d have to make their way back to the SUV on foot. He was speeding and almost at his destination when a single shot rang out and the right front tire exploded, careening and spinning their transport like a child’s toy.
Zara screamed and clutched his arm. Noah got out and pulled her with him. Two more shots rang out, and she was able to separate from him. She ran a zigzag pattern toward one of the smaller outbuildings while Noah made it to a small private hanger.
Seeing she was pinned down, Noah looked around for some way to get to her. He had an automatic with him, but it was no match for the high-powered rifle. It didn’t matter; he had to get to her. Noah left his place of relative safety, barely getting to her in time to wrap his arm around her and swing her up onto his shoulder and out of the way of another of the sniper’s bullets. He held her in position and ran toward a different shelter. He burst through the doorway, automatic weapon in one hand and holding a kicking and struggling Zara with the other.
He checked the building to ensure they were the only two individuals within before setting her on her feet. He did not, however, release his hold on her.
“Let go of me,” she snarled.
“No,” he replied, flattening them both against the front wall so he could get a look out the window.
Zara reached down and bit his hand, drawing blood. “I said let go!”
Noah barely noticed the wound. “And I said no. You might thank me for saving your life…again.”
“I might, but I won’t. If you hadn’t followed me, I probably wouldn’t have come under fire.”
“You’re the target, Zara. Something you found or know, combined with whatever is on that thumb drive is dangerous to Abdal.”
“What are you talking about? It’s Springer who’s trying to kill me.”
“No, it’s not. We need to get out of here. I have an SUV about six blocks from here. Can you run that far?”
“Yes.”
“Good.” He stopped only long enough press a brief, angry kiss to her lips. “Then, shut up and follow me.”
They burst from the other side of the building and ran. Several shots rang out, but they were putting more and more distance between themselves and the shooter. They were able to find a hole in the fence and slip through it, running toward the scooter. Their luck was improving. It was still there. Clambering aboard, Noah gunned the small engine and headed for the SUV. They bumped over the cobbled streets and through alleyways until they reached Noah’s rented vehicle.
Noah wasted no time in hustling her into passenger seat before going around, jumping behind the wheel, then driving away from the turmoil behind them.
Chapter 11
Zara watched Noah as he drove silently toward some destination she knew nothing about. She couldn’t help the way her arousal had spiked when he’d stormed onto the plane.
“Noah?” she said quietly.
“What?” he snarled.
No doubt about it, he was majorly pissed. A warped and completely inappropriate thought entered her mind, and she gave it voice before she could stop it. “What part are you planning to bite?”
“What?” he asked in a confused tone of voice.
“The last time I bit you, you told me that if I did it again, unless it was out of passion, you’d bite me back and in a place more sensitive than my hand. I was just wondering if you’d given that any thought.”
“No. The only thought I’m having right now is how to get you safe enough so that I can welt your ass for this stunt. And don’t you doubt for a minute that it’s going to happen. Nasty-tempered, foolhardy, pigheaded vixen.” He took a deep breath. “Are you all right?”
“I suppose that depends on how serious you are about taking your belt to my butt.”
“I don’t make idle threats, sweetheart. Once we’re safe, you and I are going to have long discussion about your behavior today. We’ll need to be able to hole up for a few days as you won’t be able to sit or walk when I’m done with you.”
“Ghazil,” she said concerned. “If they knew about my flight…”
“We’ve already moved Ghazil.”
Noah continued to put distance between them and the airport. He was headed for the harbor. Before they could continue their conversation, the phone rang through the car’s audio system. Noah used the hands-free feature to put it on speaker.
“Taylor.”
“Noah, it’s Avery. Are you secure? Do y
ou have Zara? We’re getting conflicting reports coming out of Mykonos.”
“We’re in the SUV. I think I can just make the next speed ferry back to Greece. That should put us ahead of anyone in pursuit. I have Zara with me.”
“Is she safe? Unhurt?”
“Safe enough and unhurt for now. They tried to take her out at the airport. We just barely got away. What do you know on your end?”
“Mac is questioning Abdal.”
“Get Croft to do it, and let him know Abdal’s at the heart of this thing—”
“He’s what?” asked Zara.
Noah turned to her. “I’ll fill you in later.”
Avery laughed. “I think that’s why Mac decided to do it. Croft is in almost as nasty a mood as you, only he can’t do anything about it. Finn is pretty upset by the idea that Christian is involved—”
“Christian’s involved?” asked Zara.
“Again, sweetheart, I’ll fill you in. Ghazil said he had a place up on the Amalfi Coast that he thinks is secure, but, at this point, I don’t trust anybody who isn’t us.”
“Agreed,” said Avery. “What do you need? Do you want me to bring the plane to get the two of you?”
Noah shook his head. “No. I think we need to have a presence closer to the action. And I need to have Zara with me.”
“We can watch over her for you.”
“I know, but, for right now, I need her close. She knows more than she’s shared, and probably more than she even knows.”
He turned to look at her. Zara couldn’t meet his eyes.
“But she’s going to tell me everything,” he said, stressing the last word. “Aren’t you, sweetheart?”
“I have…” she started.
“Rhetorical question, Zara. You will tell me everything one way or another.”
“I hate to interrupt your little love spat,” said Avery, “but where do you want to go?”
“Noah? It’s John. We’ve got the FBI outside with a warrant for Abdal. We’re going to have to give him up if he wants to go. We figure Christian’s the one that set them on us.”
“That would be my guess. You guys secure everything on your end. I’ll coordinate with Thom. I think he needs to stay in London.”
“I agree. Check in when you can, and keep Zara safe.”
“You guys stay safe, too.”
Zara watched him disconnect before turning back to her.
“Did I cause this?” she asked quietly.
The idea that not listening to Noah had somehow started the snowball that had avalanched into this mess was upsetting. His hand came to rest on her thigh.
“No, sweetheart. This is Christian’s fault. He involved Finn who talked to you. All you did was what you had to do.”
“I could have listened to you,” she said.
He surprised her by laughing. “You could have, but you didn’t and probably won’t in the future.”
“It’s not funny, and I feel somehow responsible.”
“You aren’t,” he reassured her. “And now that we know there’s a whole lot more in play, we can act accordingly. Abdal could have asked to leave at any time. There’s not a whole lot we could do to stop him. The FBI is just a show of force on his part and Christian’s way of ensuring we wouldn’t try to hold him.”
“Christian’s involved.” She shook her head in disbelief. “How could he involve Finn like that?”
“First, Finn isn’t some naive neophyte. Had it gone down the way Christian had thought, it would have been over and done with and none the wiser. But when it started to go sideways, Springer grabbed Finn. My guess is he thought to use her as a bargaining chip to take on Christian. What neither of them counted on was that Finn, like you, is not inclined to take orders and has a nose for a story. Want to clue me in about what you know that you’ve been withholding?”
“I never thought it was relevant to anyone’s safety. Gerold Springer is a German nationalist with fascist leanings. He didn’t impress me as the guy Abdal would groom to take over. He’s basically a thug in a Saville Row suit. The rumors are that there is an heir apparent, but he is very elusive. How did you find out about Christian?”
“Ghazil knew.”
“He didn’t tell me.”
Noah barked a short laugh. “Sweetheart, if you know Ghazil at all, you know he keeps secrets. He keeps less from us because we have him on a rather large monthly retainer.”
“That rat! That’s how you knew where I was going to be.”
“Only because I asked the right questions and, frankly, let him know you were my woman. For all his faults, he really does have a romantic side.”
“I’m not your woman.”
“Yes, you are, and you know it. One of the things that’s going to be included in that long discussion you and I are going to have.”
Noah said nothing more, but checked the mirrors of the SUV several times. They barely made it onto the speed ferry, which would take a little over two hours to get them back to the mainland. Noah had tipped the man directing cars to let him have the last place in the corner. After turning off the engine, he faced her.
“Is that all of it?”
“Pretty much…”
“All of it, Zara,” he grumbled at her menacingly.
“It’s nothing I know for sure…”
“You have good instincts. Let’s hear it.”
“It’s just that none of this makes any sense unless there is something big happening…like 9/11…something of that size. Nothing goes on in global arms dealing without Abdal being a direct part of it or without, at least, his tacit agreement. And the guy who coordinates that? Some shadowy figure he’s grooming to take over. And now we know that figure is Christian.”
“But why?”
“That I don’t know…maybe he was radicalized when he was in school, or maybe he just wants the kind of power and money Abdal has. I don’t know. And we don’t know that for sure. But where does Springer fit in?”
“My guess,” said Noah, “is he planned to use Finn against Christian. And Abdal is just sitting back to see who comes out on top. If Christian can’t handle a thug like Springer, he’d never be able to hold Abdal’s organization together.”
Zara nodded.
Noah continued, “We may not have enough to take to the authorities and have him arrested, but we know enough to safeguard ourselves and move against him.”
“Or maybe you just let them go and stay safe.”
“They sent a hit team after you in London; they had a sniper in Mykonos. You can’t hide forever. And my guess is Finn isn’t safe either. No, we need to take them down, or at least cripple them so they are no longer a threat.”
“Do you think you’re the first people to try and take Abdal on?” asked Zara.
“No, but we’re the ones who don’t have to play by the rules. Abdal took on the wrong set of men and damn sure came after the wrong women. We’ve always prided ourselves on just getting the job done, letting law enforcement worry about bringing them to justice. The flip side of that is you screw with us and we won’t wait for law enforcement to take you down. We’ll come after you with everything we’ve got. It’s part of why we can do what we do so effectively.”
Before the conversation could continue, the phone rang again.
“Taylor.”
“Noah, it’s Thom. Are you guys on the ferry?”
“Yeah. What have you got for me?”
“We’ve got a man who is going to pick up your vehicle on the ferry and turn it in for you. There will be a car waiting that’ll take you to a private airport outside of Athens. They’ll fly you into Monaco. We have an old fishing cottage outside of town that should work well. I’m headed there to finish up the communications setup and general security.”
“But it’s private and secure, right?” asked Noah.
“Yes, very. But also very defensible.”
“So, you’ll be there and gone before we arrive?”
“No, is there an issu
e?”
“I just need some time alone with Zara. We have a few things to iron out.”
Zara was listening to the conversation and didn’t like the sound of that at all.
“What I’m going to do is just finish work and fine-tuning. The majority of the security system work has already been done. I was planning to get there later today, but I can come tomorrow afternoon if you’d prefer,” said Thom.
“That sounds good.”
“If he doesn’t think it’s secure…” started Zara.
“We can change our flight plan and head back to Wales. I’d rather we go to ground quicker than that, but if you prefer Wales…”
Thom laughed on the other end of the line. “I’ll leave that to you two. Let me know if I need to make other plans. Otherwise, I’ll see you late in the day tomorrow. Why don’t you send me a list of things you need once you figure it out—you know pantry items, extra pillows…”
Zara reached up and punched the button, cutting off the conversation. “Does it bother you at all that I’ll never be able to look this guy in the face and not be absolutely mortified?”
“Why? Because he knows you answer to me? Trust me, it’s no different than what he sees every day. We don’t try to rub anyone’s nose in it, but we’re a small, tight-knit family, and there are very few secrets. But you do get points for thinking about seeing Thom in the future.”
“I thought you said you didn’t want to humiliate me.”
“I didn’t humiliate you.”
“He’s not stupid, Noah. He knows you plan to spank me.”
Noah smiled. “Of course, he does, but that shouldn’t be humiliating to you. If I wanted to humiliate you, sweetheart, I’d wait until he was there and do it so he could hear your caterwauling as my hand repeatedly connects with your ass.”
Zara rubbed her temples and slumped in her seat. “You really are infuriating.”
“What I am is pissed and when we get to Monaco, you’re going to understand just how pissed. Jesus, Zara, you tranqed me.”
“Sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. You shot me in the ass first, remember?”