by Lisa Pietsch
Sarah handed him her mug. “My alias is having its very own coming out party? Sweet.”
He poured the last of the coffee into her cup and placed the empty carafe by the coffee maker. “I had a feeling that alias would come in handy. I’m glad I went with my gut on that one.”
Sarah pulled a cigarette from the pack Jason had left on the counter and lit it with the Zippo lying nearby. “So how are we getting to Riyadh—planes, trains, camel caravan?”
“Brian is going to fly us in, and a buddy of mine is hooking us up with a hard car from the airport.”
Sarah had never heard that phrase “hard car” before. “Excuse me?”
Will smiled and spoke slowly. “We’re going to use Vince’s helicopter to fly to Riyadh, and then we’ll pick up an armored car at the airport.”
“I had no idea Vince even had a helicopter.”
“Sweetheart, no self-respecting multi-millionaire with an island in the U.A.E. would be seen without one. Didn’t Vince tell you about any of this?”
Millionaire?
Sarah’s jaw dropped. “He’d mentioned the island, but I thought he was kidding. The rest of the stuff, well, you know, we really haven’t had much time…” Sarah’s words trailed off. They’d had enough time for plenty of mind-blowing sex but hadn’t talked a whole lot. She began to wonder how much she didn’t know about Vince.
“Oh, that reminds me.” Will pulled a bank card out of his wallet and handed it to Sarah. “Put this somewhere safe.”
She examined the card in her hand. “What is it?”
“The card you’ll need to access your money at that bank. Vince and I started the account with the money you gave us from the sale of Hassan’s jewels.
Sarah stopped him, confused. “We all worked that mission. It’s only right we shared the booty.”
Will’s blue eyes sparkled. “We’re both well fixed, as you can see,” he made a sweeping motion with his hand, “so we thought we’d get you started on a fallback plan. It isn’t much compared to the estate you just inherited, but it might be good throwing-around money for a shopping trip.”
Sarah hugged Will. Tears welled up in her eyes. She didn’t try to hold them back. These guys, who had barely known her at the time, cared enough to take the gifts she’d given them and set up an emergency bank account for her. Their thoughtfulness made her heart ache. “Thank you.” Tears rolled down her cheeks, but she couldn’t stop smiling. “You guys really do take good care of me, and I love you for it.”
“That goes both ways, pork chop. You’ve been doing right by us since day one.”
Chapter Nine
The two burly men each grabbed one of Vince’s elbows and pulled him out of the dark cell. He went along agreeably and eyed his escorts. The fresh air hit him like a slap in the face.
He figured the Australian had about three inches and fifty steroid-infused pounds on him. On a good day, he could take him but he hadn’t eaten since Italy, which he figured by his recent loss of appetite was at least three days ago. It wouldn’t even be a fight in Vince’s weakened condition.
The two men escorted Vince back to the parlor where Nikolai had questioned him the day prior.
At least he thought it had been the previous day. He had no way of knowing for certain what time or even what day it was. They’d taken his watch and his phone when they kidnapped him, and he was still groggy from whatever drug they were using to knock him out.
Good thing we all use code-names for our cell phone directories.
Vince gave a little internal chuckle. It would take a lot more work than anyone was willing to do before they discovered that Betty, listed in his cell phone as the waitress from Dave and Buster’s, was Sarah. He wondered how she was holding up.
Sunlight streamed through the windows now. Nikolai smiled behind an ornate desk in a large, tan leather chair, twiddling his thumbs and appearing rather pleased with himself.
Vince flopped as his escorts pushed him onto one of the plain wooden chairs in front of the desk.
Chapter Ten
Sarah zipped the slit closed on the Ralph Lauren shirtdress. “No sense unsettling the natives with too much thigh showing.”
Will called upstairs. “Sarah? Are you ready yet?”
“I’m coming!” She took one last look at herself in the mirror, liked what she saw, and turned to go. She walked out of the closet, which was more of a dressing room given its dimensions. Vince’s bedroom suite was total comfort. Oversized glass doors opened to a veranda overlooking the sparkling pool below and the sea beyond. The king sized bed was perfectly outfitted with a down duvet and pillows as soft as sleep itself. The cozy sitting area near the fireplace would be the perfect place to share a nightcap at the end of the day. She smiled and thought this island would be the perfect place for them to get away from everything when this was all done.
I’m bringing Vince back here and we are going to spend a week in this room.
“Hey, darlin’, we’re headed out to the hangar for preflight. Come on down when you’re ready.”
“I’m right behind you, Brian.” She picked up her garment bag and makeup case and walked downstairs to find Guinea and Chris playing video games on the huge plasma television in the living room. “I should have known Vince would have the largest television known to man along with every game system ever made.”
Chris glanced over his shoulder and did a double take with hungry eyes. “It’s about time we see you looking your glamorous self again, Sarah. I was beginning to have my doubts. We had a pool going on the sweatpants and ice cream.”
Sarah shook her head. “I’ve got a special bullet set aside for myself in case that day ever comes. You guys and Vince need me to be on the ball. I’m bringing no less than my A-game.”
Guinea turned to look at Sarah. “Shit. I ain’t never seen an A-game like that. I’ve been playing in the wrong league.”
“Thanks, Guinea.” She looked at the big screen and the game Chris had gone back to playing. “Don’t you guys have some work to do?”
Chris made a whip snapping sound. “Just taking a short break Mistress Sarah.”
She smiled briefly but it faded fast when she considered what she and Will were about to do. “Hopefully, we’ll get some good intel from Davidson tonight.”
“If anyone can do it, it’ll be you and Will.”
Sarah turned toward the door. “Thanks. Let’s hope so.” She walked outside and had her first good look at the grounds of Vince’s island. Palm trees were scattered about but there wasn’t much to the landscaping from what she could see. The path from the front door led directly to the helipad they’d landed on the night before. Beyond that was a large hangar. Will was sliding the left door open and she could see Brian and Jason rolling a helicopter out.
Damn. Vince really does have a helicopter? What else has he got that I didn’t know about?
Of all Sarah’s questions, the biggest one at the moment was what was on the other side of that closed hangar door? She walked over and peeked around the closed door. A second helicopter, a very big one, waited silently with all but the props hidden under a large tarp. She gasped.
Brian spoke as he rolled the first helicopter out. “Hey! We don’t open that door or take that tarp off unless we get confirmation from Chris that there aren’t any satellites overhead.”
Sarah quickly realized what kind of chopper was under the tarp. The helicopter they were rolling out was a lovely, luxury, civilian helo—the one they’d use to get around. When they went to get Vince, they’d be using the gunship under the tarp.
I just hope he got the ammo to go with it.
Jason appeared out of nowhere and tapped her on her good shoulder as she was about to step into the helicopter. His eyes sparkled as he spoke. “When you get back, I’m going to show you the rumpus room. I think you’ll like it.”
Chapter Eleven
Vince stretched his long legs as he waited in the uncomfortable chair.
Nikolai shuffl
ed through a handful of papers on his desk and then looked up at Vince with a sneer. “I trust your quarters are as comfortable as you expected?”
Vince mustered some sarcasm in spite of his hunger and agitation at being drugged. “Yes, that cot is lovely and the room is very quiet. Very restful. How long should I expect to stay in your Spartan spa?”
Nikolai’s sneer melted. “As long as it takes.” He picked up a gold pen from his desk and tapped it on his chin. “Now why don’t you tell me about Sarah Stevens?”
Vince consciously regulated his breathing. He knew if he appeared anxious, Nikolai would pick up on it, and Sarah would be in even more danger than she already was. “I already told you what I know.”
Nikolai remained cool but stopped tapping the pen and pointed it at Vince. “You didn’t tell me how you and she met in Italy. Victor told me about his meeting with you and how you had her with you. He said that you met her at a party in Milan. I thought it was an interesting coincidence after our chance meeting in Las Vegas.”
“Oh, come on now, Nikolai. You know as well as I do that there is a certain type of woman who appreciates and seeks out the kind of life men like us can provide. We find them in Vegas, Milan, Monaco. They flock to places where power, money, and conspicuous consumption can be found. Don’t be naive. Let’s stop pussyfooting around, Nikolai. What do you want from me?”
“You’re right. I don’t need information on Sarah Stevens. She’ll be easy enough to pick up and question directly. It seems she was accompanying a gentleman at the Burj al Arab a couple of days ago. She’s American and unaccustomed to the culture here in the Middle East.
Vince’s heart warmed.
She’s here. She’s with Will. They know.
“Women go missing here all the time and nobody ever gives them a second thought. It’s only a matter of time before my men find her alone and grab her.”
Despite Nikolai’s certainty that he had the upper hand, Vince’s heart grew light with a sudden surge of optimism.
The boys won’t let anything happen to her. Leave it to Will to pick up my trail in twenty-four hours or less. That resourceful bastard. I’m going to buy him the biggest, oldest, most expensive bottle of Scotch I can find when this is all over.
Chapter Twelve
Sarah watched the activity on the island below as they lifted off.
Within moments, Jason had rolled the little trailer back into the hangar and closed the huge door.
Brian circled the chopper off the island, low and slow.
She noted their flight path against the position of the sun. “Brian, why are we going east when we should be heading west toward Saudi Arabia?”
“I’m flying low and staying off the radar until we get to another island. We’ll lift from there so nobody can trace us to Vince’s island.”
Good plan.
Sarah had been making plenty of mental notes lately about spy craft and covering her tracks. The aliases, the numbered accounts, the dummy corporations for purchasing real estate were all tools they used in their trade that blurred the line between the good guys and bad guys. This was turning out to be her most educational mission yet, but she had a sneaking suspicion she’d only seen the tip of the iceberg.
Will, always with a mind for the mission, turned in his seat to face Sarah. “Okay, so for our purposes, this is just a chopper for hire. Brian has no connection to us and isn’t any more than a cab driver.”
“Is he taking us all the way in to Riyadh?”
“No, we found some hitches with that plan. He’ll take us as far as the airport in Dubai. We’ll catch a commuter plane from there into Riyadh and then catch a flight back to Dubai in the morning.”
“What time is our plane to Saudi Arabia?”
“Not for a few hours. I noticed you packed lightly so I thought we’d do some shopping in Dubai.”
Sarah chuckled. “I’d forgotten how much you like to shop.” She nodded. “Sounds good to me.”
“Great!” Brian rolled his head for their benefit. “So I get to follow you girls around while you shop and talk about boys?” He clicked his tongue. “Not what I had in mind when I signed on for this gig.”
Will rolled his eyes. “We all have our crosses to bear, Brian. You could be stuck escorting La Signora to a stuffy old embassy party.”
Brian shook his head. “Jeez. Free booze and hot women in expensive underwear? Throw in a pool and that’s my element.” He turned to grin at Sarah. “Just another day in the life of Brian, right Sarah?”
Sarah returned his smile and then watched him switch gears from fun loving playboy to super spy as a nearby tower operator called him.
Brian slipped easily into Arabic as he spoke to the tower operator in Dubai. He spoke it so well and with such a perfect accent, that one might believe Arabic was his first language.
That was when it hit her. When he stopped speaking, Sarah had to ask. “Brian? Can I ask you a personal question?”
He seemed to know what she was thinking. “You didn’t think I got this great hair from British roots, did you?”
“But your father was a Navy SEAL and your mother is no Arab.”
“Dad changed his name from Al Han’ah to Allen when he came to the U.S. The ranch and all that Texas history are on Mom’s side of the family.”
“But weren’t you just a baby when he…”
Brian nodded. “Yeah, but Mom was pretty insistent that I learn the language and culture. I spent a lot of time with his family in Saudi Arabia while I was growing up.”
“Good to know.” More mental notes ticked away in Sarah’s mind.
~~~
The upscale shopping center in Dubai was bustling with people. Every race and color milled about in Arab garb as well as Western style clothing.
Hard to believe we’re in the heart of the Arab world.
Sarah made use of her bank card and allowed herself to relax with some power shopping. She took comfort and a sense of security in knowing Will was never far away and clearly on alert. She had just purchased a black silk Ralph Lauren Black Label dress to replace the one she’d ruined on the tarmac as well as some new accessories, fragrances and a few pairs of shoes. Her hands were full of shopping bags as she made her way across the wide, palm-lined hall to the cafe where Will sipped an espresso.
Suddenly a man in traditional white Arab robes appeared from nowhere and stepped in front of her. She tripped, stumbled, and scrambled to catch her bags.
The stranger stopped and looked her in the eye as he handed her a bag that had fallen. “Excuse me, Miss Stevens.” He flashed a menacing smile and disappeared into the crowd before Will had time to spring from his table.
Sarah’s stomach turned with dread and a chill ripped up her spine.
“Are you all right?” Will grabbed her arm. “My God, what did he say to you? You’re white as a sheet.”
Sarah barely managed a whisper. “Will, he knew my name!”
Will gripped her tightly with one hand and flipped his phone open with the other. “Okay, let’s get out of here.” He hit a speed dial on his phone and waited for an answer as they made their way to the exit. “We’re coming up to the east entrance. Be there a minute ago.”
Brian pulled up to the curb just as Will and Sarah dashed out of the shopping mall.
Sarah opened the door and they both tumbled in without a thought to how they must have looked to other shoppers.
The Mercedes sedan lunged into traffic before Will had even closed his door. Brian checked all the mirrors to see if they were being followed. “What the hell happened in there, Will?”
“Apparently Nikolai was expecting us. Got to hand it to the man, he’s got a well-organized operation.” Will searched Sarah’s shopping bag. “Did he touch you?”
Sarah knew Will was worried about a possible bug. “No. I’m clean.”
Satisfied the bag and the goods inside were clear, Will opened his phone and pressed another speed dial number. “Chris, Sarah just got made in t
he shopping center. You guys make sure you have the security system up twenty-four seven. Keep the place buttoned tight. We’re going to travel plan B and Brian is coming to Saudi with us. I’ll call you when we get to the embassy.”
Chapter Thirteen
“Sounds like you have a pretty efficient operation, Nikolai. A small time crew couldn’t pull off that sort of legwork. Red Mafia by any chance?”
“We prefer not to use Italian words to describe an establishment so Soviet. It is bratva. The brotherhood. Now that you know about my business, perhaps it is time for you to be more forthcoming about yours.”
Vince shrugged. “There’s nothing to tell really. It is a very small operation. I broker small arms deals and that’s about it.”
“Oh, please.” Nikolai took a long drink of ice water as he eyed Vince. “Don’t be so modest. It seems to me that you and Sarah Stevens keep showing up just before my associates start dying. Did you know that Hassan was also an associate of mine? I have it on good authority that he was quite smitten with Miss Stevens, much like Victor was. I find it difficult to believe that is just an unfortunate coincidence. There must be a story to it.”
Vince shook his head. “Nope. Just coincidence. It would seem Miss Stevens likes the bad boys.”
Nikolai’s phone rang. “Excuse me a moment.” He pointed to someone standing behind Vince. “Get Vince some cigarettes and something to drink.”
A large, beefy hand set a pack of Marlboro Reds, a lighter and a glass of water on the bench next to Vince.
Vince glared at the big Australian. “Thanks, meat.”
Nikolai spoke into the phone. “Da.”
A smile crossed his face. “Shopping? Well done. That should make her nervous enough to bring the others out of the woodwork.”
Vince listened intently as he lit his cigarette.
“Are you sure she was with Will Adams?” He smiled at Vince. “Keep me updated.” He hung up the phone and chuckled.