Secrets of the Sapphires

by T. Sue VerSteeg

  The smell of microwaved chicken and cold broccoli pulled her from her reverie, turning her stomach. She stared down at the plate that had been placed in front of her at some point. Glancing at the empty seat across from her, she realized that Garrett had left. She hadn’t even noticed. After taking her untouched plate back to the staff area, she spied a relaxed Garrett in a poker game with some of the surveillance agents traveling with them. He’d removed his tie, undone his shirt partway, and rolled up his sleeves. She leaned against the partition, letting the view distract her from the awful memories that threatened to return to her mind. His dark, glossy hair and cerulean blue eyes were second only to the deep dimples gracing his face when he smiled at one of the other agents. His pectoral muscles peeked at her from the unbuttoned area of his shirt. She imagined the rest were just as sculpted. When she made her way back to his eyes, his brooding gaze locked with hers for a few seconds before shifting back to his cards. Nia turned away, shaking her head in an attempt to jiggle some sense into her addled mind.

  She returned to her seat and finished brushing out her wig. After placing it back on her head, she pulled a compact from her purse, studying the long, chestnut hair against her porcelain complexion. The loose curls were a huge change in the right direction. She shed the spotted over-shirt and un-tucked the black, capped sleeve shell, making her a bit more comfortable in her clothing, too. Modifying her outfits had become second nature. She prayed her other outfits were as easy to manipulate. Some of Lexie’s choices had bordered horrendous no matter what modifications were made. Closing her eyes for a nap, Nia felt a warm sense of relief at the thought of her sewing kit nestled in her suitcase.

  ****

  The plane touched down on a runway outside of London. Garrett and Nia were shuttled to the London Heathrow Airport luggage area for the commercial airlines. They were taken into the backroom where the baggage was sorted so they could enter and mingle with the regular passengers.

  Nia tugged on Garrett’s shirt, stopping him before they left the restricted area. “I have one cardinal rule. I expect my partners to agree to it before we start a mission.”

  “You waited until now to tell me something this important?” Garrett shook his head.

  “I’m serious. You don’t kill anyone unless you have no choice. None of the ‘Well, he’s a bad guy and deserves to die’ crap, got it?” Nia stood tapping a pointed toe, watching him contemplate her words.

  “Don’t worry; I’m not a trigger happy kind of guy.” Garrett grabbed her hand, tugging her through the door. They blended into the crowd of people who gathered around the luggage carousel as though they’d been on the flight with them.

  Garrett watched Nia push to the front of the crowd and couldn’t help but smile when she turned, scowling at the ones who’d tried to block her way.

  Her voice bellowed over the roar of the crowd. “Hon, kin ya come haul this for me?” followed by her hand waving for him over the heads of the others.

  Snaking his way through the same people, he came up behind her as she stooped to grab a smaller bag. He was fairly certain she wouldn’t blow her cover to punch him, so he couldn’t resist. Smacking her on the butt, he spouted, “Sure thing, sugar lips.”

  Nia slowly stood, turning toward him with a forced smile and clenched jaw. “Aw, thanks, puddin’.”

  With their luggage in tow, they made their way out of the baggage area, finding the limo driver holding a sign with their new last name on it. Garrett fought the urge to smile at the man and introduce himself. Instead, staying in character, he dropped the luggage at the chauffer’s feet, waiting for the man to acknowledge him.

  The driver looked down at the bags then turned his disappointed gaze back toward Garrett. “Mr. Nichols, I presume?”

  “Well, Mr. Nichols is my daddy. I s’pose I’ll allow you to call me the same.” He pulled Nia next to him, squeezing her shoulders. “And this here is the little missus.” Looking down at her, Nia’s eyes screamed endless curse words, even though her mouth curled into a sweet smile. He knew he’d pay for all of it later, but he was having too much fun to care.

  Grabbing a luggage cart, the driver loaded their bags, motioning for them to follow him. When the driver’s back was turned, Nia’s smile turned into a scowl, her eyes narrowing in yet another wordless threat. Waggling his eyebrows, he took pride in pissing her off.

  The drive to the castle was long. Factoring in the numerous hills, valleys, twists and turns on gravel roads, it seemed that much longer. A phenomenal orange and purple sunset fell on the hilly English countryside as they pulled up in front of Ludwig castle. A huge moat surrounded the ominous outer wall. Even in the dimming light, the new parts of the stone wall were obvious. Darker stones and more even patterns graced the new area along with a lack of creeping vines. The turrets at the corners of each wall stood a good twenty feet higher with flags flying on each one. As they crossed over the moat through the portcullis, Garrett turned to Nia.

  Her wide-eyed gaze scanned the surroundings. Jaw slightly dropped, she muttered, “Whoa, I was not expecting it to be this big.”

  He leaned in, whispering, “I get that all the time.”

  Nia scrunched her face, opening her mouth to speak as the driver rolled down the partition behind him. He announced, “The staff is waiting to take you to your room.” His hand regally motioned toward the huge stone archway to the right of the vehicle.

  Two older men stood staunchly upright in matching black suits with crisp white shirts and black ties. They scurried to the trunk, retrieving the bags without a word. One man waved them toward the entrance when they exited the limo, while the other stood behind him loaded with their luggage.

  Startled, Garrett felt Nia slide her hand into the crook of his arm. It took his overloaded brain a second to remember their cover. He wasn’t used to such an elaborate setting for his field ops and made a mental note to stop ogling the surroundings so he could concentrate on his mission. The time machine was somewhere in the depths of the enormous stone walls.

  Silently, they entered the castle, winding through the darkened halls lit only by huge candles mounted to the stone. Walking through a large room, a massive fireplace filled one entire wall, the roaring fire within its depths warding off the chill in the air. For late December, the weather was mild with the daytime temperature in the middle fifties. With night falling along with the temp, the fire was a welcome comfort. Heavy, ornate furniture filled the room. Garrett doubted its authenticity, but it fit the décor well. Tapestries hung on the walls depicting jousting knights, swooning maidens, hunting men upon horseback, and various other medieval scenes. Just outside of the room, the men took them up a narrow staircase, leading them down another hall open to the courtyard below. The cold breeze swept down the corridor. He felt Nia lean into him, shivering ever so slightly. He enveloped her in his arms—to stay in cover, of course—holding her close; an odd sense of calm trickled through him. The men stopped at a heavy wooden door. The one who’d lead the way unlocked it, pushed it open, and the other waved them in.

  A fire already roared in the fireplace. It was half the size of the enormous wall, spanning from floor to ceiling like its larger counterpart downstairs. The wall next to it had two oversized windows with huge wooden shutters closed against the night air. An overstuffed king-sized bed loomed in the middle of the room. Posters at each corner jutted toward the ceiling with a railing around the top sporting heavy, dark blue satin material to close off the bed. A matching comforter and shams made the bed look downright regal.

  One of the silent men opened a door next to the bed, motioning for them to inspect it. The bathroom was completely modern with medieval decoration. A huge tiled shower with two heads filled the entire end wall with a fluffy robe hanging on each side of the enclosure. A toilet and oversized jetted tub filled the outside wall with another shuttered window above them. On the opposite wall was a large marble topped vanity and sink with an enormous intricately carved wooden framed mirror hanging
over it.

  Nia’s jaw dropped again. She left the crook of his arm to sit on the edge of the tub. “Dibs.”

  “Okay, you can soak after we unpack, sugar lips.”

  “Uh, not so much, puddin’. I’m thinking now works.” She shooed the men away.

  Water was already flowing into the tub as Garrett closed the door behind him. He slipped each of the silent men a generous tip then followed them to the door, locking it when they left. He began his sweep for bugs and surveillance of any kind, pulled pictures, tapestries and mirrors off the wall, inspecting the backs and framework; felt the edges of drawers, behind pieces of furniture, even pulled out light bulbs from lamps and light fixtures. By the time he finished, Nia appeared in one of the robes. Her face was ruddy, her real, strawberry blonde hair swept up in a ponytail with renegade wisps stuck to her face and neck.

  Tossing the wig on the bed, she raised her brow, looking at him from the corner of her eye. “How’s the room?”

  “Clean, best I can tell.” He walked over to her and whispered, “We should probably keep our conversations in character unless we whisper though, just in case. I know there isn’t any video surveillance in here, but audio can be tricky to detect.” The scent of green apple impaired his senses, including common sense. “God, you smell good.” He regretted the words just as they left his mouth.

  Pinching his cheek, she graced him with an ornery smile. “Thanks, puddin’. I hear that all the time.” The pinch was replaced with several hard pats before she grabbed one of her bags and disappeared back into the bathroom.

  Within seconds he heard a loud groan and a thump. Reaching around, he slipped one hand on his gun, slamming through the doorway with the other, only to find her sitting on the edge of the tub. A long, flannel, neon-pink nightgown was in Nia’s hands, an awful grimace on her face. Garrett couldn’t help giggling.

  “Keep laughing, big guy. I’d check your suitcase before you get too invested in mocking me, though.”

  After digging through his bag, finding not one, but three pairs of neon paisley pajamas with matching robes, the laughter faded to a low whimper.

  Chapter Eight

  Dawn brought warmer temperatures, which made for better castle browsing. After modifying yet another outfit from frumpy to almost acceptable, Nia stared at her reflection in the mirror and thanked God she’d brought her own shoes. The black slacks looked great with her platform sling-backs rather than the flats with the large cluster of beads and bows at the toe Lexie had sent. Her top had been a gray silk shirt with sleeves slit from the shoulder to the wrist. A needle and thread had closed the gaps and now looked like a normal blouse with flowing sleeves; this was an outfit she could live with. Grabbing a jacket and tucking her 9mm in the back waistband of her pants, she followed a very loud clad Garrett out the door. There wasn’t much she could do with the patterns of his shirts; he’d left behind the belt buckle and bolo tie with very little convincing on her part.

  Nia ran her hand across the cool stone banister as she stared out over the courtyard. The entire open area was greater than two football fields. The sheer size of the castle nearly overwhelmed her. She imagined the rose trellises around the perimeter walls full and in bloom and the people who would’ve filled the area back in the glory days of the structure with their market tents set up to sell their goods.

  Garrett’s hand on her shoulder brought her back to present day. Looking up at him, she uttered, “I’m feeling a little intimidated by this place.”

  His hand squeezed the flesh where it lay, his face looking almost considerate with compassionate wide eyes. “It’s okay to be small.”

  A little disappointed—though not entirely surprised—that his niceties were fake, she punched him in the arm and swatted his hand away.

  After his hand landed firmly on her butt, his loud voice split the quiet morning. “Whoooeeee, I got myself a fightin’ filly here,” he squealed.

  Breakfast was set out in the area just off the room at the bottom of the stairs. An elaborate buffet was displayed on tables of old rough wood. The dining tables were ornate, polished English oak with high backed chairs to which most people in the room were accustomed. Everyone milled about, noses tilted in the air, discussing the economy and how little interest their money was making them.

  Stifling a giggle at the thought of how they could undoubtedly solve the economy problems just by spending their money, Nia slipped into character and assumed a similar stance. Hoisting her nose in the air and strolling in on Garrett’s arm, she gave each person she made eye contact with the same fake, forced smile they gave her. Making special attempts to gesture at things with her left hand to showcase her diamond studded watch and huge ring to all, she hugged Garrett’s arm with the other. Nia looked around the room for the men they’d been briefed on and spied two of them talking in a corner.

  Leading Garrett in that direction, when they got close enough, she gushed, “We simply gotta find those nice men who invited us here this weekend and thank them proper like.”

  Before Garrett could even reply, one of the men turned away from the couple he was speaking with and extended his hand to him. “Thomas Gentry, you must be Mr. Nichols.” The man exuded money in his impeccably tailored suit, though his pitted, scarred face hinted at a rough past. Recent hair plugs dotted his receding hairline. His smile never quite reached his eyes, which screamed Botox treatments.

  Accepting his hand, Garrett beamed at the man. “Nah, name’s Stephen and this here is my wife, Toni.”

  Mr. Gentry extended his hand toward Nia. Grasping his fingers, she was taken aback when he lifted hers to his mouth, kissing each one. He spoke to Garrett, his gaze never leaving hers, “You are one lucky man, Stephen.”

  Nia batted her eyelashes and tried to blush even though she found him rather creepy and repulsive. Plucking her hand from his gently, she said, “Thank you for having us this weekend.”

  “Toni, having you here is my pleasure.” Mr. Creepy’s gaze narrowed into bedroom eyes and bottomed out at disgusting when he winked at her. “You are nothing short of stunning.”

  Nia turned and looked up at Garrett, hoping to convey that her ick-factor had hit overload.

  He winked, leaned in, planting a quick kiss on her lips. It took a few seconds for Nia’s brain to register what Garrett had done and why, though her body had reacted immediately to the intimate gesture. Backing away, he held her hands and looked at her at arm’s length. “That is one thing I’m sure of. My little lady is a precious jewel.”

  After shaking off the sensual jolt from his kiss, she decided to play on Mr. Creepy’s obvious attraction to her. Sliding back into agent mode, Nia curled her hand into the crook of his arm and dialed up the charm. Giving him her best sideways glance accompanied with the biggest smile, she asked, “Would you be willing to show me your massive…,” she paused, trailing a finger down his tie while dragging her tongue along the crease of her glossed lips, “…castle?”

  With mouth agape for a few seconds, the man finally composed himself and replied, “Of course. Will your husband be joining us?”

  Nia’s head whipped around, she tossed Garrett a pleading glance. He returned a look of contemplation, bringing his fingers to his chin and rubbing an imaginary beard so Nia answered for him. “I don’t go anywhere without ma’ puddin’.”

  Winking, Garrett exclaimed, “Let’s go see us a castle, sugar lips,” smacking her butt again to punctuate his words.

  Making a mental note to kick his ass again later, she turned her attention back toward Mr. Gentry. Dropping her chin, she looked at him through her lashes and purred, “I’m so excited now.”

  He cleared his throat, extending an arm toward the doorway. “Shall we?”

  Nia nodded her head, grinned, and hugged his arm to her side, allowing her breast to accidently rub against his arm while she bobbed in giddy excitement. With her pride curled into the fetal position, it would take some coaxing—and a large portion of chocolate—to get it back in
check; yet another casualty of the job.

  Leading them around the perimeter of Ludwig Castle, Mr. Gentry extolled the virtues of the six hundred year old keep. He told of the history, battles, and family changes throughout the centuries. Nia couldn’t help being enthralled with every word.

  Mr. Creepy turned somber as he came to a stop. “The family who actually built the main castle spent all of their money in doing so. They were run off from the village to grow their own crops to stay alive, the king taking it as payment for their taxes.”

  Losing reign of her mouth, Nia sputtered, “King sounds like a real upstanding guy.”

  Mr. Gentry’s lips curled in an evil smile. “That particular family is still working on retribution.”

  Garrett interjected, “Six hundred years later?” He gave Nia a knowing look. They both turned toward Mr. Gentry, who had a malevolent look contorting his face.

  “It’s,” he paused, regaining his composure before he continued, “complicated. Shall we move on?”

  They continued the tour in the courtyard. Right outside of the renovated dining hall was a ballroom. The glossy wooden floor, extravagant chandeliers, and luxuriously cushioned seating areas weren’t true to the time period. They were, however, true to the investor’s tastes.

  Mr. Gentry opened the huge double doors and waved them in. “This is where our ball will be held tomorrow night. You will be staying for it, won’t you?” He grabbed Nia’s hand and attempted to suck her fingernail polish off again while giving his bedroom eyes another shot.

  A disturbed chill ran down her spine, and she swallowed back the bile in her throat. “Wouldn’t miss this shindig for all the tea in China, would we?” She turned away from Creepy Guy, pretending to gag at Garrett, causing him to stifle a laugh.