Hidden Agemda (Kate Diamond Adventure)

by Leighann Dobbs

  Crowder went through the same routine as the previous night; punching in the code, turning off the laser system, and then turning on the lights. They piled into the room where Crowder rattled on about each piece for the benefit of the new people. Kate and the others milled around, inspecting the other pieces.

  Kate tried to remain aloof just like the real Chyna Hunt would. She stood in front of the ruby, pretending to look at the piece itself, but really studying the case to make sure she could open it.

  “’Tis a beauty, no?” Kate turned to Carmen who had snuck up beside her.

  “It sure is.” Kate looked coolly at the other woman.

  “Will you bid on it?” Carmen asked.

  Kate shrugged.

  “You will get no competition from me,” Carmen added. “I only collect jewels I can wear. Like those.” She nodded toward the case with the jeweled crown, which Kate noticed had a matching necklace, bracelet and earrings.

  “Those sure are nice,” Kate said. “But I prefer pearls.”

  Carmen laughed. “So I hear. It’s good we will not compete. Maybe I can get my jewels at a bargain. I hear they were once in the possession of the ancestor of Katherine the Great.”

  Kate narrowed her eyes at the other woman. “And you don’t mind that they were stolen? Where would you wear them?”

  Carmen laughed. “Only to the most secretive of functions. But surely, none of us mind acquiring the stolen goods or we would not be here.”

  Kate nodded. “My grandfather has many such pieces …”

  “Who’s ready for supper?” Crowder’s announcement saved Kate from having to discuss acquiring stolen treasures any further and the two women headed toward the door where Crowder ushered all the guests into the hallway.

  As they headed off toward the dining room, Kate looked back over her shoulder in time to see the guard reactivate the alarm, then slip into the seat carved into the ice wall.

  They spread out around the table. Kate tried to keep as much distance between her and Westlake as possible. He didn’t seem to be paying any special attention to her at all, so Kate chocked up her earlier impression to nervousness. She’d be glad when everyone went to sleep and she could grab the ruby and get out of there.

  Everyone ordered drinks. Kate stuck to a glass of wine, from which she planned to take as few sips as necessary to blend in with everyone else—she didn’t need alcohol dulling her senses.

  Once again, the meal started with a soup—this time it was lobster bisque. Kate slurped along with the rest of them.

  “Isn’t this delicious?” Carmen, who had been seated next to Kate, asked.

  Kate half turned and nodded. She wanted to discourage conversation as much as possible. Carmen ferried the spoon to her lips and took a dainty sip, then grabbed her scotch on the rocks to wash it down. Kate noticed she was using a small straw—an old trick Kate had used herself to keep from smearing her lipstick.

  The straw gave her an idea.

  The rest of the dinner was uneventful. She made small talk with a few of the guests but most everyone kept to themselves, which suited Kate just fine.

  When the last of the decadent double chocolate cheesecake had been cleared away, Crowder stood up. “Would you all like to join me for drinks in the main room?”

  Mrs. Powell who had been overindulging in mimosas tittered an affirmative reply. Mr. White raised his glass full of something amber. “Here. Here.”

  Carmen swooped up her cocktail and headed toward the door. Simon, Smith and Westlake glanced around the table, but made no move to join Crowder. Kate got the distinct impression that they, like her, were not here for the social aspects.

  Kate patted her lips with her napkin and stood up. “I think I’ll just grab a juice and go to my room.”

  “As you wish,” Crowder said. “Anyone who wants drinks, head on out to the lobby. And don’t forget … the auction is tomorrow at noon!”

  Kate made her way toward the door to the kitchen where she was met by the same girl that had brought her the sandwiches.

  “I was wondering if I could have one of those juice boxes to take to my room?” Kate asked. “Apple if you have it.”

  “Of course.” The girl ducked into the kitchen, then came out with the juice and handed it to Kate.

  “Thanks.” Kate grabbed the juice, checked her watch, then hurried to her room.

  Chapter Eight

  While everyone else was busy drinking, laughing, and—Kate hoped—falling into a deep slumber, Kate was busy preparing to steal the ruby.

  She’d spent the first few hours practicing the steps she’d need to get around the lasers. Then she’d checked and double checked all the equipment and laid out the special black pants and shirt—battery heated, of course—which looked like a normal shirt and pants to the naked eye, but were coated with something that would make her virtually invisible in a dark room.

  Finally, with only thirty minutes to go, she crept over to her door and cracked it open, sticking her head out into the hallway, straining to hear if anyone was out and about. Silence.

  She crept down to the lobby, the tension in her shoulders relaxing when she found it empty. Even the kitchen was dark and still. Perfect.

  Kate ran back to her room and emptied out her backpack, leaving only the laptop and other things she would escape with after making sure there was enough room for the ruby. She removed the jumble of combs and pins that held the wig in place, sighing in relief when she finally pulled the itchy thing from her head.

  She smiled, imagining the look on Crowder’s face when he found it on top of her bed. Somehow, knowing that he’d know he’d been faked-out by an impostor gave her great satisfaction. And it would also clear Chyna Hunt’s name in underground circles—according to Max, she hadn’t minded lending her name to the cause, but didn’t want people thinking she really was a thief. Leaving the wig would accomplish that nicely.

  She changed into the black outfit and pulled on a black ski mask that covered her entire face with only tiny slits for her eyes. Special battery heated gloves fitted to her fingers would allow her to work effectively without anything thick to impede her fingers, but still keep them warm.

  Reaching into the suitcase, she pulled out a box of tampons and selected one that she ripped apart to reveal the frequency jammer for the case the ruby sat in. She shoved it in her pocket along with a pair of high-tech wire cutters she had hidden in the camera case. They looked like regular cutters, but would disrupt the signal from the door wire and return the signal so the system wouldn’t be aware the circuit had been broken.

  Grabbing the perfume vial, she unscrewed the top, removed the side holding the needle and vial of serum, and placed it carefully on the table.

  Finally, she turned to the juice drink that had been sitting on the faux fireplace mantle. It was still very cold, in a slush-like state. Being in an ice hotel did have its advantages when it came to keeping drinks cold, but that didn’t matter to Kate, because she wasn’t going to drink it.

  Ripping the straw off the drink package, she loaded it up with the needle and vial, taking care not to prick herself with the serum—it wouldn’t do to knock herself out before she had a chance to get the ruby.

  Noting the time, she double-checked she had everything ready and just where she wanted it, then she made her way to the door. Resting her hand on the handle, she took a deep breath and let it out slowly, willing her nerves into a calm state.

  She’d have only one chance to get this right. She needed a calm mind and nerves of steel. She couldn’t risk screwing up because of shaky hands or a bad decision—not only because it would ruin the chances of recovering the ruby, but also because her life may depend on it. God only knew what Crowder would do to her if he caught her.

  ***

  Kate slipped out into the hall, checking both ways before she crept off toward the lobby. She flattened herself against the wall at the corner where the lobby turned into the hallway to the secured room. Taking another dee
p breath, she peeked quickly around the corner then drew her head back in a single motion.

  The giant was there, sitting in the ice chair with his head angled away from her, looking toward the door to the secured room.

  Kate looked at the straw in her hand. She’d only have one chance to hit the giant and she’d better make it count. Taking a deep breath, she lifted the straw to her lips, stepped out into the hallway and aimed.

  Kate’s heart skipped when the giant rose from his chair and turned to face her. She stood there frozen as he took one step toward her, at the same time his hand flew to his neck. She saw his eyebrows dip together … and then he crashed to the floor.

  Kate’s pulse raced as she ran toward him. Was he really out? Did anyone hear him fall? She flattened herself against the wall, straining to hear if anyone was coming, but there was only silence.

  She bent down to check the giant. The makeshift dart had hit him in just the right spot in his neck, and she gave a silent prayer of thanks for her childhood education at the hands of her parents and their friends. She’d learned a lot of unusual skills that had come in handy over the years, and shooting darts out of a straw was one of them. He was out like a light, but still breathing.

  Taking out the wire cutters, she bent down in front of the door and attached them to the wire, holding her breath and waiting to hear the alarm that would raise the others. No alarm. She pushed the door open and stepped inside.

  The room was pitch-black except for the eerie white lights coming from the platforms the ruby and jewelry sat on and the red laser beams that crisscrossed around the room.

  Kate went through the steps in her head as she stared at the lights, double-checking that the movements matched with where the lights fell. Satisfied, she stepped forward, raising her right leg over a beam of red light. Then she spun, angling her left hip upward as she raised her leg to the knee, threading her calf, thigh and then entire body in-between two beams of light. Next, she bent at the waist and crawled forward through more beams.

  To anyone looking in, it might have looked like some strange kind of dance or an odd game of twister. Except no one looking in would actually be able to see her. The black outfit and stocking mask made her all but invisible. Of course, the sleeping giant in the hallway might give away the fact that things were amiss. Kate picked up the pace. She needed to grab the ruby and get out before someone woke up and found him.

  Finally, she got to the case that housed the ruby. Taking out the jamming wand, she applied it to the case. The lights on the wand flickered … then came on strong, indicating it had done its job. Holding her breath, Kate lifted the top—slowly at first, then, when no alarm sounded, she whipped it off, grabbed the ruby and stuffed it in her backpack.

  Repeating her strange dance in reverse, she made her way back to the door. Opening it, she looked out into the hall. It was empty except for the guard who lay snoring on the floor.

  She slipped into the hall, tiptoed over the guard, and ran for the front door.

  Chapter Nine

  Outside, there was nothing but silence. Kate had a moment of panic, wondering what she would do if Sal wasn’t there with the ski-cycle. But then she rounded the corner and saw him at their meeting spot. She whistled her best imitation of an owl hoot—their designated signal—and Sal gave her the thumbs up, then swung the cycle around to meet her.

  She grabbed the puffy down jacket from the back of the bike to keep her warm during the ride and shrugged into it. Swinging one leg over the back of the bike, she settled into the seat, a bubble of triumph rising in her chest. She’d pulled it off! She tapped Sal’s arm in a signal to take off and the cycle rushed forward.

  Kate was surprised at how quiet the machine was. The snowy landscape was like a blanket dampening any other sounds and Kate marveled at the nighttime beauty of Antarctica as they raced across it. Pulling off her ski mask, and looking upward she realized the stars really were brighter here—just like Gideon had said. She felt a pang of regret that she hadn’t been able to get any penguin pictures for him.

  Her pulse started to creep back to normal and she relaxed on the back of the ski-cycle, the dark, silent night almost lulling her to sleep.

  Thwack!

  Kate’s nerves snapped to attention. What was that?

  She felt a rush of air blow past her cheek, then her heart stuttered as she saw something rip through the sleeve of her coat and embed itself in Sal’s thumb.

  A dart? Why would someone be shooting darts?

  Kate thought about the dart with the knock out serum she’d shot into the giant guard and her heart froze. What if these darts had something worse on them … something deadly?

  She didn’t want to find out.

  “Someone’s shooting at us! Put up the shield!” She tapped Sal on the shoulder and pointed to the dart in his thumb wondering how he could possibly not have noticed.

  Sal pressed the button and the back shield rose up, causing the bike to slow. Kate glanced back to see a row of snowmobiles in the distance. Three … no four … and they were gaining.

  “Faster, Sal, they’re gaining!” She could hear the motors now as whoever was chasing them pushed the vehicles to go faster.

  “We’re almost there,” Sal shouted as Kate watched the black specs grow larger.

  Thwack. Thwack.

  Darts bounced off the Plexiglass shield and Kate reminded herself to thank Gideon for installing it … if she ever saw him again.

  Kate turned forward, her stomach sinking when she saw the dart in Sal’s thumb. “Sal, your thumb! We need to get that dart out!”

  Sal waved her off. “Don’t worry, it doesn’t hurt.”

  “But it could be poison!” Kate’s gut wrenched. What would happen if Sal passed out—or worse—while he was driving? The bike would stop and the bad guys, whoever they were, would catch up to them. Then where would they be?

  But Sal only pushed the cycle faster. “It’s only a half mile more!”

  Kate looked back again, her heart pounding in her chest. They were getting closer and she realized the big flaw in her plan—she didn’t have a weapon to defend herself.

  “Hold on!” Sal shouted and Kate whipped her head forward in time to see the black ocean approaching. Her gut tightened as it got bigger and bigger—it was coming up at an alarming rate and she wondered if the ski-cycle was built to splash into the ocean at this speed, or if the whole thing would sink. The ocean was frigid and she wouldn’t survive in there long, but that death was probably preferable to what would happen if her pursuers caught her.

  “Geronimo!” Sal shouted as they approached the edge of the iceberg.

  Kate’s heart jumped into her throat as the bike sailed off into thin air.

  Glancing down at the black, cold waters below, Kate realized the iceberg was only about seven feet off the water—but it felt like seventy, because time had slowed down. Kate felt a sickening sensation, like she’d left her stomach back on the glacier as they shot out into oblivion. She stared at the dark, star-studded sky ahead of her and noticed it was nearly impossible to tell where the sky ended and the water began—it was all just black except for the light of the stars and a few moonbeams that danced off the waves.

  And then they were losing altitude. Her stomach apparently caught up to her and then proceeded to crowd into her throat. She heard a click, and the flotation platforms shot out of the side of the cycle.

  Maybe she wouldn’t die, after all …

  As the ski-cycle headed down toward the water, she risked a glance back at the glacier. The snowmobiles had stopped at the edge—they couldn’t follow them into the water. She noticed the men jumping off and aiming something at them just as they disappeared from her line of vision.

  She looked down to see how close she was to the water. And that’s when she saw them. Penguins. Dozens of them floating on an iceberg.

  She pulled the Tic-Tac camera from her pocket just before the ski-cycle splashed into the cold arctic waters. She was det
ermined to get pictures of the penguins for Gideon … even if it was the last thing she did.

  ***

  Kate climbed up the ladder and heaved herself over the side of the boat, thankful that getting pictures of the penguins wasn’t the last thing she ever did.

  “Katie!” Her father rushed over, crushing her in a bear hug. “I’m so glad you’re okay—we saw you being chased through the binoculars.”

  Kate wriggled out of her father’s grasp.

  “Sal got shot … well, darted! We need a tourniquet, bandages maybe even hot water!” Kate ran over to Sal. “You better lay down.” She waved her hand at one of the teak lounge chairs on the deck of the boat.

  Teak lounge chairs?

  Kate did a quick survey of the deck, noticing it looked more like a pleasure ship than a research vessel. Her parents and several of the Golden Capers retirees stood around.

  Did they have drinks in their hands?

  Kate’s brows flew together as she noticed her mother was handing her a martini. She looked over at Sal.

  Why was everyone just standing around and not tending to him?

  “Sal needs help. Why are you all just standing ar—?”

  “This?” Sal cut off her words, holding up his thumb with the dart still sticking out of it. “It’s nothing to worry about.”

  Kate’s eyes went wide as he reached over with his other hand and removed the entire thumb, dart and all.

  “You have a prosthetic thumb?”

  Everyone laughed and Kate felt relief, then anger. Relief that Sal wasn’t hurt, anger that everyone was laughing at her.

  “Yeah, I lost my thumb back in Berlin when we did the Covsner job.” Sal’s eyes got a faraway look. “You remember that one, Vic?”