Allure (Mercenaries Book 1)

by Tony Lavely

  “May I enter?” A small, determined voice spoke outside.

  Beckie opened the door, waving the girl in. Beckie felt her jaw drop on seeing her in better light. She did not remember the newcomer. God, she’s tall! And her head… Why’d she shave it? Maybe… No. But she’s good looking, and young. Maybe seventeen? She put a more neutral expression on her face as the girl settled herself in the chair. Hey, that’s my chair—

  “Right. I’m Julia. Carol’s my sis. Nan said you likely ‘ad no place to stay and asked if we’d take you in, like.” A questioning look. “If you don’ ‘ave a place?”

  Beckie looked at her for a second or so, not sure exactly how to respond. She certainly needed a place to sleep, and while she guessed that Nigel would provide one if she asked, that would probably involve activities she’d want to avoid. But Julia was clearly working for Nigel, as was Nancy. She wasn’t at all clear where this’d lead. So, ticking her options off in her mind: take Julia up on the offer; ask Nigel herself; try to find Professor Stone; sleep in the park.

  “Okay—” she started to say.

  But Julia, perhaps sensing some of Beckie’s hesitation, spoke over her, “Nothin’s gonna go on, you know. Carol’d kill anyone who’d try anything with me, and she’s just as careful herself, being married back home, you know.”

  “Oh.” She felt her cheeks flush. “Well. Okay. I appreciate it, really,” she said with a little grin. “Just, you know, it’s kinda sudden.”

  The girls spent more than a few minutes talking over their situations, but Beckie didn’t share the reason for her presence. Carol, and therefore Julia, had come in from the country a week or so after Beckie and Melissa had left. Carol’s marriage was doing fine, contrary to Beckie’s initial fears, but the farm had had a disastrous spring, and they had no prospects of sufficient income on which to live. So she had “come up to town” to earn some money for them to live on. Julia, nearly a year younger than Beckie, had followed along, figuring that work was work after all, and this was both easier than farm work and paid much better into the bargain. And she’d be back in time for school.

  They had a very small flat some blocks away, but could fit Beckie in as long as she chipped in her share of the rent.

  Beckie wondered again about her mission, this time from a slightly different perspective. Julia. She oughta be as attractive to Werner or whoever as me. But she’s been here a month, more, without a hint of that kinda stuff. Damn.

  Since that line of thought led to no good conclusion, she abandoned it in favor of one that allowed that Julia was too tall or maybe too curvy, so had not been selected. It also meant she wouldn’t have to worry about Julia being kidnapped along with her. That was a relief.

  Julia also used the closet sized room; Beckie would have to share. She had to get past the unreasonable possessive feeling she’d had minutes before.

  Nigel had set Julia to dance first, then scheduled Beckie halfway through the rotation, keeping the two of them about as far apart as could be.

  “An’ you come straight back ‘ere, soon as you get off,” Julia admonished as Beckie followed Nancy for her first solo experience. She didn’t fumble sufficiently to concern the audience, and did remember to gather the discarded costume pieces as she left the darkened stage. Julia made sure she was okay, and Nancy followed to tell her she’d done better than expected and further, that Nigel hadn’t yet remembered her.

  That brought Julia’s demand for more information, which gave Beckie a chance to build her backstory, trying it out at the same time. By the time she was done, Nancy sent Julia up for her second stint of the night.

  Beckie used the second costume for her second dance. When she retreated to the dressing room, it was close enough to closing that Julia and Carol were ready to head off to their flat.

  “You gotta know, we’ll be leavin’ in another fortnight; I gotta get home,” Carol told her as they walked along.

  “That’s fine. Not sure how long I’ll be here anyway.”

  The trio arrived at the flat; even with advance notice, even after seeing the dressing room and the London alleys, Beckie was surprised at the smallness of it. Two rooms didn’t quite do it justice; the ‘loo’ was down the hall, and only one room had a bed. That was Carol’s; Beckie agreed to share Julia’s futon pad, spread on the floor beside a table and a couple of old chairs.

  The sisters took Beckie down the hall to introduce her to the ritual of the bath and visiting the toilet. Julia was quite clear: “Never go there alone, there’s some daft lads about.”

  “Yeah, unsavory, too,” Carol confirmed.

  Carol went back to the rooms while Julia and Beckie took turns washing up. Back in the flat, Carol had already pulled covers over her head so the girls were quiet as they got ready to turn in. Beckie took a long tee shirt from her pack to wear. They were soon curled up together on the futon.

  Beckie awoke about four in the morning, feeling strange. She slowly became aware that Julia was holding her much like the girl would have held one of the several stuffed animals Beckie had noticed piled up against the wall. She was reminded of spending nights with Melissa. She tried to loosen Julia’s hold, but stopped, afraid she’d wake the other girl. Sooner than she thought, she was asleep again.

  Beckie slept longer than the others. Once she roused, Julia kept up a running chatter about things going on in London and the country while Beckie dressed. Carol’s knowing looks of “I know you’re bored, but you’re being very nice about it” amused her, but she kept her feeling internal. They went down to the toilet, then out into London.

  Julia took Beckie on a tour which differed significantly from the few Jamse had provided. Almost all the stops were stores – predominately clothes, but also music, and finally for Beckie, because she’d not eaten since the crackers and peanuts on the plane, a fast food establishment. Beckie wolfed down two hamburgers (imported beef, the signs still said), fries and a soda. For a few seconds, she closed her eyes and imagined Melissa and Mike at the table with her.

  Early in the afternoon, she was ready to nap, and they returned to the flat. Beckie slept while Julia slipped on headphones and listened to her player. About eight, Julia shook Beckie awake. “Time to go.”

  Walking to the club, the girls stopped at an Indian takeaway for dinner; Beckie tried the curry and to her surprise, enjoyed the moderately spicy food. Another new experience. The evening went much as the previous night, at least until she ran back toward the dressing room after the second dance, about half past ten.

  Nancy stopped her to let her know she’d do one more dance when her turn came up. Beckie opened the door, then stopped short grasping her costume in front of her when she saw two men facing her. She forced her heart to start back up. Fuck! Sure did not expect to see… him.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Beth Talks to Sue

  SUE RAN ACROSS THE COURTYARD. The New Mexico sun shone off highlights in her brunette hair, but no one noticed; her white face and stunned expression attracted the attention. She slammed open the office door, bringing Jamse’s head up from the reports he’d been reading. “What is it, Miss Jinet? You look to have seen a ghost. Sit down, please.”

  “Sitting won’t make it any better, Mr. Jamse. I just got a call from Beth—” She stopped to gasp.

  “Ms Stadd?” Jamse shared her look of surprise. “I am amazed that anything of interest is happening at Nigel’s. Is she well?”

  “She’s fine. But she just saw Beckie there!”

  “‘Beckie?’ Rebecca? Our Rebecca? Where? Surely not at Nigel’s?”

  “Yeah, at Nigel’s. Beth said that Nancy is setting her up to dance, looked like.”

  “Damn!” He shuffled the papers. Sue could see he did it as a distraction. “How best—”

  “Beth said she could talk to her, keep her under her wing? She also said one of the other girls and Beckie have already, bonded, I guess.”

  “In that case, Ms Stadd should maintain her persona as dancer and continue to ke
ep watch. Tell her I shall arrive as soon as I can. I will attempt to make sense of the situation.”

  “Is it smart for you to do that alone?”

  Jamse scrubbed his hand through his blond hair, then faced her. “I will go. You and Kevin must keep things moving here—no matter our lack of success so far. But…”

  “Yes?” Sue prompted after many seconds of silence.

  “Rebecca must have eluded her parents as we did in April. As much as it dismays me, I believe that they should be aware.”

  “You… you think you should… tell them?”

  Sue saw that this was as distasteful to him as to her. Then she considered her role. “I apologize for helping her by example.”

  “That is both uncalled for and unimportant. We should—I should have seen her continued interest as an indication of her concern—assuming, of course, that she’s not at Nigel’s for entertainment,” he said with a wry smile.

  “She was more comfortable than Melissa, but not that comfortable. Still, telling her parents—”

  “I could take the coward’s way out, and go without speaking to them, but Rebecca has great respect for her father. If I can persuade him to accompany me, we will all be well-served. Let Kevin know about this change. I will talk with Boynton and make arrangements.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  Ian Talks to Beckie’s Parents

  HAVING MADE THE DECISION, JAMSE formed his plan. Patrice was already slated to fly the newly leased Boeing 737-700ER to eastern Europe where it was needed to support another project. His schedule could be advanced by a day, allowing him to fly to Santa Fe and then to Minneapolis. Even with his best effort they arrived in Minneapolis just before ten PM; it was very close to eleven as they stopped in front of the Sverdupe’s home. Patrice would not join him at the door; instead, he waited with the car, “Close enough to pick up the pieces,” he had said with a sympathetic smile.

  Jamse found himself outside the house where he had waited for Beckie two months earlier, under the star filled sky. He shook his head. How shall we extricate Rebecca from this contretemps? And ourselves, as well? Is it time to move on? Can we leave the girls? Forget them? And the money?

  His rap on the door was answered almost before he dropped his hand.

  “Good evening.”

  “Good evening,” Jim Sverdupe said cautiously. “Would you be Ian Jamse? Susan Jinet called to warn us—”

  “I am Jamse. Warn you?”

  “Just that you were flying here for the sole purpose of visiting us, and that your flight would be late. She asked us to please meet with you.” After another moment, he stood aside. “Please come in.”

  Jim’s wife, Jean, directed him to the living room; Jamse spent a brief moment in pleasantries. He took an easy chair and they sat across the room on the sofa. With a sigh, and no fewer misgivings than he’d had all along, he said, “It is late, and I have another long flight to make tonight. Allow me to acquaint you with the facts as I understand them.

  “Where are your children?”

  “The kids?” Jean asked, suddenly apprehensive. “Mike is downstairs, with his girlfriend unless she’s left—”

  “No, her car’s still outside,” Jim said.

  “And Beckie is at a riding school, working on her techniques,” Jean finished with a smile.

  “My information is that Rebecca— Wait.” He leaned forward, seeking a more impressive position. “I should begin at the beginning.

  “Two years ago, we met, though you do not recall it. At the time, you were relieved to have been reunited with Rebecca and Michael, and I was acting as a security officer, making sure that nothing untoward happened.”

  “You’re the one who kidnapped them!” Jim exploded, rising in quick anger as the fear and impotence of those two days rushed back.

  “Between us,” Jamse said, holding up a hand to slow Jim, “I am responsible. However, please do not expect to involve Captain Versen or other authorities in any but a fruitless chase. Be assured that I have prepared as best I could to meet you tonight; I take every precaution no matter what I undertake. Also, in spite of your understandable animosity towards me, I am here to request not just your tolerance but your active assistance.”

  “You need our assistance! How much nerve can that take, after—”

  “Believe me, Mr. Sverdupe, I understand your concern and frustration. I will explain further, but time is pressing.

  “In April, I visited Rebecca and enlisted her assistance in resolving a problem eerily like the abduction she and Michael were subject to. However, in that case, the intent involved sex trafficking—”

  “How in God’s name would Beckie be able to help—”

  “Please allow me to explain. If you are to assist, you must have the relevant facts.”

  In a few minutes, Jamse had brought the Sverdupes through the salient events of the April vacation week, and those of the past days. Except for Jamse’s voice, the room was silent. Jim had listened quietly, hunched in his seat beside his wife, hands clenched, jaw set. However, any forbearance ended with Jamse’s description of Beth’s phone call.

  “How could you—” Jim launched himself across the room.

  Jamse rolled out of the easy chair he had taken, coming to his feet in a defensive posture. Jim followed, swinging fist after fist, growling in his anger and helplessness. He overturned a floor lamp and a side table in his attack. Jamse took a second to evaluate Jim’s ability, and chose to step inside his reach. Two of Jim’s blows caught him, one on the face, the other on his arm, but he was able to smother the man, pinning his arms.

  Jean had jumped up in fear; she was reaching for a heavy vase when she realized that Jamse was only fending her husband off. “Jim, hold on—”

  “This is fruitless and you are intelligent enough to realize it.” Jamse spoke quietly but with intensity. “My goal is Rebecca first. You can assist if you can temper your feelings about what is past.”

  A door slammed and they heard someone rushing to them.

  “Mom, Dad, we heard a lotta noise and—” Mike stopped short on seeing the two men. Melissa peeked around until she, too, stood amazed.

  “He’s right, Jim,” Jean said, ignoring the interruption. “Beckie’s not yet in danger, he says. If we can help keep her safe, let’s focus on that.”

  Jamse loosened his hold. Jim stepped back and shook his head. He ran a hand through his greying hair as he caught his breath.

  “Of course. Damn. It’s so seldom that we can do what feels good.” He walked to the sofa, but remained standing. “No apologies, but I’ll certainly work to bring Beckie back.” Jean took his hand and smiled up into his face. “What do we need to do?”

  “We will return to the airport with my pilot. He will fly us to London, if you are willing to come with me.”

  “What! What’s going on?” Mike shouted. “What’s happened to Beckie?”

  “Nothing has happened, Michael. Your father and I will make sure nothing does.” He turned back to Jim. “We should go.”

  For the first two hours of the flight, Jamse elaborated on his earlier, truncated explanation. Jim began to understand the April trip, the reasons and the benefits. And the downsides, too, especially when Jamse described the news broadcast about the girls in California. By the time Patrice parked at Gatwick’s general aviation terminal, they had exchanged sufficient history that they were almost friends.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Beckie and Dad

  “HI, DADDY. YOU’RE MAYBE THE last person I thought I’d find in my dressing room. Even Mr. Jamse,” Beckie said as she glanced at him, “would have been more likely.” She paused, determined to keep her voice calm no matter what her mind was doing. “You see the show?” Her fears were confirmed as her father slowly nodded. “I hope you… Well, I don’t know—”

  “It certainly wasn’t what I expected to find you doing, even after Ian told me what… I should expect.”

  “And how,” she asked Jamse, “did you find out I w
as here?”

  “You must have forgotten that, in case Nigel attempted to reestablish Werner’s trade, we arranged for Ms Stadd to work here, much as you and Melissa did. Unlike you, she remained to keep track of Nigel’s activities. You can imagine her surprise yesterday when she saw you with Nancy, being prepared for appearances on stage.

  “Even after your injury, I thought that you had adapted better than Melissa.” He held off Jim’s interruption. “However, I did not expect to find that you had returned here, even allowing that it was the scene of major accomplishment.”

  “Well, then, Mr. Jamse, you can perhaps realize how important finding those missing girls is to me. No matter what it looks like, this really is not my favorite way to spend a vacation.”

  “You looked very…” Jim paused as if searching for the correct word. “practiced up there. And lovely, of course. Mom and I saw Cabaret the other night. I had to remember ‘Don’t Tell Mama’ as I watched you. But I didn’t like your music.”

  “Dad, com’on. Talking about Cabaret?” Beckie tried to soften her tone. “I don’t bel—” Now she cringed internally as his look of disappointment turned to confusion.

  “I don’t understand why you are so concerned about those missing girls.” Jim shoved his hands in his pockets. “More than any of us are, I mean. And even if you are, why do you think your doing this will help bring them back? Can you—?”

  Julia’s entrance, also nude and carrying a few bits of lace interrupted him. The room was now decidedly crowded, with the two men trying to keep some distance from the two nude girls. “What’s this, then?” Julia barked. “You guys too starstruck to even let ‘er get some clothes on?” She pushed first Jamse, then Jim, toward the door. “Go on, out with you. We’re not goin’ anywhere.” Once the men were on the other side of the door, she turned to Beckie. “Guess they caught up with you, eh?”