by It Girls
"Chloe, what is it?"
She looked at Emma, then at Renee. "I know who he is."
"The Duke?" Renee asked.
Chloe nodded.
Chapter 17
Chloe smiled at Porsche, who sat next to Emma's mother, their hands clasped in a death grip. "She's okay."
"You swear?" Porsche's eyes were bright with unshed tears.
Chloe crossed her heart, and then snagged Jack.
Frank stood up, his eyes full of questions. Chloe spoke to him first. "You go in with Emma, Frank," she said. "Do not leave her, and don't let anyone get close to her with a needle or anything else unless it's Dr. Scoffield himself." She passed him her gun.
"Damn right." He tucked the gun inside his suit jacket.
"Tonight, you get Mac to take your place. I promised Emma you'd video the Halloween Ball so she wouldn't miss anything."
That edict worried him. "You sure, Princess?"
She nodded. "He's saved her twice, Frank, and she trusts him. Give him the same instructions I've given you. She's awake now and that makes her more vulnerable." She looked from Jack to Frank, who nodded that he'd do what she said. "Go now, Frank." He turned, and she told Jack, "Come. I'll explain on the way." She headed toward the elevators.
He followed her. "Where are we going?"
"To the Halloween Ball— eventually." When they got outside, she got specific. "Renee verified she was the drunk driver who injured Julio," Chloe said, and then relayed the discussion that had taken place inside ICU with Emma and Renee.
Jack scanned the parking lot. "So where are we going now?"
"Gotham Rose Club," Chloe said, wary that the Duke might have sent in backup assassins, too. The police were still on the premises, but she didn't fool herself into believing he'd let that slow him down. He had to kill to save his own neck now. "Tatiana knows the Duke's identity. Emma says she ran."
"Then why are we going to G.R.C.?"
"Because we have to get ready for the ball, and because Alan can satellite-track Tatiana by her Rose pin."
"I doubt she's wearing it now when it's been inactive since she went missing, Chloe."
"You don't understand. She most likely deactivated the pin because she was at risk. If she hasn't been sold with the other women, once she's safe, she'll want the Roses to know it."
"Not if she's part of the cartel."
"She thinks she's too smart to be tied to the cartel. She just does their books. If her pin isn't active, then Alan can contact Tatiana's family. They'll know where she is."
"If she's in hiding, honey, they won't tell you. She won't want you to know."
"Oh, but she will, darling." Chloe nodded, adding weight to the claim. "She is in hiding, and she knows that if she doesn't reveal herself, the Rose agents will search for one of their own until hell freezes."
"I get it." The truth dawned in Jack's eyes. "In trying to rescue her, the Rose agents will lead the Duke right to her."
"Exactly."
*
Jack parked in G.R.C.'s private garage. Limousines were bumper to bumper, lining the street— Gotham Roses getting ready for the ball. Chloe released her seat belt. "Why hasn't Rubi called back?"
"Good question." Jack checked his watch.
Chloe phoned Rubi, but got no answer. "She's supposed to be back to cover the ball, Jack. Something's wrong."
"What do you want to do?"
Chloe tried Ashley, but her phone was still out of service. It should have recharged by now. As a last-ditch resort, Chloe dialed again, this time a different number, and this time, not sure she wanted an answer.
He picked up. "Hello."
"Erik, it's Chloe." The background noise was deafening. "Where are you?"
"On a plane, heading back to New York."
Her skin crawled. "You'll be at the ball, right?"
"Absolutely, we will."
"We?" God, she didn't want to have to ask.
"A group of us were in L.A. to celebrate Ryan's latest property acquisition. We land in about thirty minutes." He laughed. "I can barely hear you."
She believed that. Shouts and laughter carried through the phone. They were having one hell of a party on board the plane. "I asked who all is with you?"
"Ryan, Ashley and a couple others. Oh," his voice turned devilish, "and your favorite reporter."
Rubi. Chloe closed her eyes and whispered a silent word of gratitude. They hadn't been caught up in the slave-trade sales or he definitely wouldn't be naming them. "Don't be late."
"I won't." He laughed. "Chelsea would kill me."
If what Chloe suspected was true, she might have to wait in line. "Bye." She clicked Off, then told Jack, "They're with him. Thirty minutes out from New York."
"Did he mention Ryan or Brit?"
"Ryan, yes." She got out of the car and walked into Renee's brownstone. "Brit, no."
Olivia took their coats. "Emma's okay?"
"She's fine." Chloe smiled. "How are things here?"
"Busy, as usual. Samantha and Alexa have taken over preparations for you, and Becca is on her way in to help."
Jack touched Chloe's arm. "I'm going to take a quick shower and change while you meet with Alan. Be back in a flash." He headed up the grand staircase that Chloe believed led to Renee's private quarters.
Chloe nodded at Olivia, spoke briefly to a few of the non-agent Roses who were ready for the ball, then made her way to the closet and finally the secret rooms below street level.
Kristi was dressing Madison. "Have you seen Porsche?"
"She's at the hospital with Emma. She'll be here soon."
"Is Emma— ?"
Chloe smiled. "She's okay."
Relief flashed across Kristi's face. "God, if I'd had to hear 'no change' one more time, I think I'd throw up. I hate those words."
"Don't we all?" Chloe said and meant it. "Where's Alan?"
"Lab," she said around straight pins clenched in her teeth.
Chloe walked down to Alan's lab. He was dressed and ready for the ball in a great-looking tux. "Wow. You look awesome."
"Thanks." He smiled. "Glad to hear Emma's awake."
"Me, too," Chloe said. "I need for you to activate Tatiana's tracker. Emma says she ran. I need to know where."
"I've tried it off and on ever since she went missing, Chloe. It's dead."
"Try again, okay?" She shrugged. "Circumstances have changed."
He keyed something into his computer, and surprised, looked at Chloe. "It's active. She's in South America."
Satisfied, Chloe nodded. "Turn it off and lose the coordinates, Alan."
He looked shocked. "Why?"
Chloe gave him a deadpan look. "Because if the Duke finds her, he's going to kill her. And he is looking for her."
Jack came in just in time to hear that order. "Shouldn't we contact her first?"
"She activated her Rose pin," Chloe said. "She's not running from us, she's running from him. If we contact her, he'll know it. She'll be dead before we can say hello."
Jack nodded. "Where can she go that he can't find her?"
"There is no place," Chloe said. "Tatiana will be running until she draws her last breath— unless we bring him down."
As Alan deleted the coordinates, Chloe watched the screen. Tatiana wasn't a bad person; she just had screwed-up priorities. Somewhere along the way, someone had convinced her that what a woman was inside wasn't enough. She had to hold this special place in society, have all the right moves and looks and attitudes, or she wouldn't be accepted. Maybe there was a grain of truth in that, but it wasn't all of the truth. The inner woman was the one who mattered. The rest was just window dressing for her. In their circle, it was very glamorous, very fashionable window dressing, but still only window dressing.
The screen went blank.
Jack nudged Chloe's arm. "You'd better get dressed, or we'll be late for the ball."
Nodding, Chloe left and returned to the dressing area suites. She showered, styled her hair, did he
r makeup and slipped into the silver crepe Adelphio gown that Adele had designed just for this event. It clung to Chloe's every curve, draped perfectly. Chloe put on silver strappy Jimmy Choo heels— afraid to jinx her good luck until the cartel was in custody— and flecked a few silver sparkles on her cheek and shoulder.
The look in Jack's eyes was worth the extra effort she'd taken dressing.
"I have to say, Princess, you clean up nice."
"Is that your best pick-up line, peasant?" She lifted her nose.
"Unless you want to skip the ball, yeah, pretty much." He smiled and a sexy teasing light flickered in his eyes. "Beautiful…shoes."
"Aren't they divine?" She twisted her ankle to give him a better view of the spiked heels. "Jimmy Choo."
"Of course."
"Dual purpose. They make my legs and ass look great— "
"I'll vouch for that."
"And they're awesome for kicking out windshields, plastic barriers, front teeth— "
"Front teeth?"
"Samantha knocked out the front eight on the guy Marcus hired to bury you in the concrete foundation at Eleanor Towers."
"Love those Jimmy Choos." He pecked a kiss to her cheek. "Adele outdid herself on that dress."
Enormously pleased, Chloe smiled. "She did, didn't she?"
A flustered Olivia rushed up to Chloe and Jack. "Before Tatiana went to find Emma and disappeared, she gave this envelope to Samantha and told her to give it to you right away, Chloe. Samantha couldn't find you and so she intended to just give it to you at the ball. Then she got here and discovered we've been searching madly for Tatiana and gave it to me to pass on."
"Did she say anything else?" Chloe took the envelope and broke the gold wax seal bearing Tatiana's initial.
"Only that she was sorry, and she had to go."
"Tell Renee to work up a cover story," Chloe said. "Tatiana won't be back."
"Won't be back?" Olivia frowned. "Why not?"
"Personal reasons." Chloe slid the stiff card out of the envelope.
"All right." Olivia silently returned to her office.
Jack adjusted his tie, waited.
Chloe read the card. "The Towers?"
"The building where Madison's uncle Bing was killed?"
"Yes." Madison's best friend, Claire, too. "Oh, my God." Chloe grabbed her evening bag and headed for Alan's lab. "Hurry, Jack."
He chased after her. "What is it?"
"It's the building Ryan Greene wanted so badly he could taste it, but Madison— well, Pruitt & Pruitt, but Madison handled it— beat him out of it. The one building Erik said screwed up Ryan's 100% success rate with the cartel. Renovations haven't begun and it's currently empty— the perfect place to hold someone where no one would be around." Chloe entered the lab, saw Alan sitting at the computer. "Alan. Serious weapons. Now."
In minutes and without question, Alan had Chloe and Jack outfitted with enough weapons to take down a small country. "Thanks," Chloe told him. "Not a word to anyone."
"Not even Renee?"
"No one." Chloe nodded. "I'm not positive that Tatiana was our only leak."
Bitterness burned in his eyes, but he nodded his agreement. You should look at Fluffy Peters's report. It came in the day Emma was attacked."
"We will. Vanessa suggested that," Chloe said, then headed upstairs.
Jack followed Chloe up to street level. "Whatever you've got in mind for us to attack, this has got to be overkill."
She frowned. How could he not realize what they were about to be up against? "I just hope we've got enough."
"Chloe, what exactly do you expect to find?"
Upstairs, she held up a wait-a-minute finger, then grabbed a full-length black velvet coat. "Olivia, I need a copy of Fluffy's report."
Olivia pulled the report and passed it to Chloe.
"Well?" Jack asked.
Chloe finished scanning. "She heard someone was funneling women through Hong Kong." Chloe grimaced. "Julio has studied international law," she told Jack. "He told me at the auction that he's overseeing Franklin's interests in Hong Kong."
"There's the connection," Jack said. He pulled out his cell and called Harrison.
Chloe turned back to Olivia. "Check travel to Hong Kong on Franklin, Ryan, and Julio Greene. Also on Erik and Brit Carouthers. Actually, make it any travel to the Far East in the last six months."
"You want me to do that now?" Olivia sounded frantic. "Before the ball?"
"I'm sorry, but I need to know immediately," Chloe said. "Call the info in to my cell."
She nodded. "Okay."
Chloe turned for the front door. "Jack, you've got to do something about your memory. I know you read the files, and you should know what all this means."
"There were a lot of files, Princess, and you were wearing that slinky French robe." He shrugged on his own coat. "So spare me, and just tell me what you think all this means."
"Darling, I adore you." She smiled. "I didn't realize until this very moment that you need me." Chloe smiled, feeling absolutely great. Positively, absolutely great. Maybe better.
"Granted. I need you more than life itself," he said, irked and baffled. "Now what the hell are you talking about?"
Chloe turned and stared at him. "Tatiana was the G.R.C. leak to the Duke. She did know the Duke's identity. And she's just told us where he's holding the Governess. At the Towers."
"Tatiana to the Governess is a leap. A gargantuan leap."
"I feel it in my bones." That's how she found Emma. How she'd known so much of the specifics on this assignment before it had been verified. So maybe her bones weren't as reliable as Emma's, but they were proving damned indispensable to her. "Where's the silver demon?"
"I had it switched out for my Lamborghini." He pointed half a block down to the black demon.
"Keys." She held out her hand.
He dropped them into her palm, and she grabbed his sleeve, stopped and took off her heels. "Run."
Inside the car, Chloe cranked the engine and buckled up.
"Be careful," Jack said. "This car has a lot of power."
"Great." She stomped the gas and left a quarter-inch of tire tread on the pavement. "We've got to get there before Tatiana gets a conscience and thinks she can better her survival odds by telling the Duke we know where the Governess is."
Jack tightened his seat belt. "Right."
Chloe spared him a glance. "Don't you trust me?"
"Chloe, the car was made to stay on the road, not fly." He grabbed the dash in a death-grip. "Slow down to warp speed, okay?"
She laughed and went faster. Luckily traffic was moving as they passed through Central Park and eventually got on the West Side Highway. "It's okay. Jimmy's trained me in high-speed and evasive driving."
"I hope to hell you attended those sessions."
"That is so not fair."
Her cell rang just after they crossed the George Washington Bridge and hit the exit ramp leading to the Towers. "Hello."
"Oh, God." Jack rubbed at his forehead. "Now she's going to fly and talk on the phone."
Chloe shot him a frown and held it so he wouldn't miss it.
"Chloe, it's Olivia."
She zipped past a Mercedes and cut into the right lane between a green SUV and a white limo. "What did you find out?"
"In the past six months, Ryan and Brit have been to Hong Kong three times— all private flights I found through the filed flight plans. Julio's been once— commercial."
"What about Erik?"
"He wasn't on any of the manifests, Chloe, and there was nothing on his passport records. So far as I can tell, he's never been to the Far East."
Then he really couldn't be the Duke. Not that he'd be lily white in all this, but he might not know what the cartel was doing. Ryan could be keeping Erik legitimate: a front that solidified the cartel's upstanding reputation. Knowing Erik, he hadn't questioned anything Ryan told him. If it raised his cash flow, he was for it. That both relieved her and pissed her off
. She'd warned him to stay away from Brit. Now it appeared, she should have warned him— and the Roses— to stay away from Ryan, too. Erik wasn't absolved, but it didn't appear that he was up to his crown in dirty deals with the Duke. "Thanks, Olivia."
"Um, Chloe, wait," Olivia said. "Renee is here, and she wants to know where you are. She thinks you're late."
No way. No handwriting apologetic notes for her. Not on this. "Tell her Jack and I are following a hot lead and Samantha, Alexa and Becca have taken over the ball." Since Chloe was sponsoring the Halloween Ball, it was her duty to prime the Roses and make sure everything was perfect on site. But this was far more important, and Renee would intuit it. Chloe made an instant, instinctive decision. "Tell her about Tatiana's note."
"Will do." Olivia hesitated. "Be careful."
"I will." She hung up and relayed the information to Jack.
"Erik's in, Chloe. Not in the worst of it, but some. I know it's hard to swallow, but— "
"I know." She turned off the headlights, drove down the road to the building, and then pulled up to the fence surrounding the Towers. According to Madison's report, there had been a Doberman on the loose here. The dog guarded against looters.
They got out of the car and Chloe lifted the hem of her gown and tucked it into the waist of her pantyhose; not very glamorous, but damned effective at keeping the dress out of her way. She strapped a Glock to her right thigh, a six-inch sheathed blade to her left, then put a small brick of C-4 into her fanny pack and looped it at her waist. With her favorite stun gun in her right hand, she whispered to Jack, "Ready."
"Move out." He headed for the fence.
"Doberman alert," she whispered, scaling the fence. "Madison's previous report. No sighting."
"Gone." Jack landed on the ground beside her. "Also noted in that previous report."
"Missed that."
He smiled. "Guess you need me, too."
"Guess so." She signaled that she'd enter the building, leaving Jack with the critical job of keeping clear egress. When he nodded, she moved in.
It was pitch black inside. Chloe reached in her fanny pack for a pair of night-vision goggles that looked like Gucci sunglasses and slid them onto her nose. The floors hadn't yet been put in above her head; she could see straight through to the roof. The first floor was stacked with bundles of shingles, pallets of two-by-fours and metal and PVC pipes that would likely become part of the plumbing system. She skirted down a long row of wood pallets stacked with sheets of plywood and Sheetrock.