Allure (Mercenaries Book 1)

by Tony Lavely

  Beckie gave Jamse a smile, and the others a shy, sheepish grin.

  Kevin’s words brought her head back to face him. “Beckie, before Ian goes off on one of his formal explanations, I’ll tell you why you’re here. We’re going to debrief the action yesterday, and then we’ll do some advance planning.” He waved her to the chair between himself and Jamse. “We value your opinion and the background you get from being here might serve us all well depending on what happens tonight.”

  “Admirably put, Kevin,” Jamse said. He turned to Beckie. “Are you comfortable being here?”

  Beckie grimaced. “Comfortable’s not the word that comes first to mind, Mr. Jamse. You are all so good at what you do; it’s hard to believe I’d add much. And I’m still not sure what you plan for tonight. So, I’m pleased, amazed and overwhelmed to be asked here and I’ll do my best, though I’ll prob’ly just sit here quiet as a church mouse.”

  She saw a grin twist his lips before he replied, “We shall see. As Kevin said, we need quick action. Susan, the financial aspects?”

  “I haven’t talked to Rou yet so this is preliminary. We brought about $630 thousand in cash out, all allocated to expenses. First transfer of €154 million net of taxes has reached the Cayman account. The second transfer of €81 million is nearly to Zurich. That’s the money allocated for victims and expenses, as needed.”

  “Victims?” Beckie almost whispered.

  “Yeah. Anytime we can identify victims, like the girls here, and there are funds available, we try to make some restitution. My initial set-aside was a couple million euros per girl. We’ll set the final number later, when we know the expenses.” Beckie stared across the table at the woman, but her eyes were flooded, she couldn’t really see. “You okay?”

  “Yeah. Jus’…” She wiped at her cheeks. “You don’t haveta do that. And…” In a flash, she understood. Her glare now focused on Derek. “You woulda never left all those people back there, would you? No matter what you said!” Better never do that to me again!

  He was unconcerned. “It was a way to see if your already proven impetuosity was matched by compassion, sticktoitivness—”

  A faint gasp. Looking at Jamse, Beckie could have sworn he blanched.

  “… and quality decision making. I ‘ate to tell you, but you got ‘igh marks—”

  “Highest marks, Derek,” amended Karen. “She worked her cute little butt off in there; I’ll not have the likes of you taking it away.”

  Beckie nearly fell to the floor.

  “Okay, okay, Karen. I’m sorry.” Doesn’t show! “I’m pleased…” Smiling again, he gave a dip of his head to Karen before facing Beckie. “… to tell you, you got ‘ighest marks on every one of them. And you didn’t faint when faced by the tortured girls, or Erica’s redemptive attack on her… client.”

  She shuddered as the memory came back. “I did flash lunch. It was messy. She did that, not you?”

  “With ‘er own ‘ands. Probably would ‘ave done me in, too, if I ‘adn’t ‘anded ‘er to Erin,” he said with a chuckle. “So sometimes, Beckie, we only seem to be ruthless. Other times we really are. But those times usually warrant it.”

  Beckie sipped her iced tea, playing for time for her roiling thoughts to gel, coalesce in a reasonable fashion to a realistic picture.

  “With that settled, then, Susan, more?”

  “The accounts show over €3 billion, but I didn’t get the pass for them. Any substantial fraction of that would make a big dent in our retirement needs.”

  “Indeed. However, €150 million is not small change, either. Well done. Thank you.” He paused for a sip of iced tea. “To the debrief, then.”

  For the next forty minutes, the seven reviewed the events from Wendy’s IM to the departure, although they all focused on the action underground. Kevin took notes.

  Jamse poured a second glass of tea and sipped, then asked Sue, “Have you talked with Doctor Ardan?”

  She gave them a recap of the injuries and problems the doctor was attempting to cure, or mitigate.

  “This brings us to the next topic: the parents of these children. I would like to hold the children incommunicado for a week or more while we move against Herr Werner. Kevin, please consider if we should involve Sergeant Lamont in any way.

  “Next, the plan to eliminate Werner. I propose to leave for Phuket tomorrow.”

  “Who would go?” Derek asked.

  “Except for Karen and Kevin unfortunately, all of us here.” Beckie, stunned, nearly didn’t hear his next words. “This is a stealth mission. We alone will go. The only weapons are knives and garrotes, the only target, Werner.”

  “You expect to finish in a week?” Karen asked.

  “The initial plan is based on one Kevin and I have used successfully before. Then, between four and six days accomplished our goal. This could require more,” he admitted.

  “You think?” teased Kevin. “How about I hitch—”

  Beckie turned and hit his shoulder with a clenched fist. “You show up and we will Fed-Ex you back to Shalin, whatever’s left of you! I’m damn well not gonna go through your test and not be able to ever work with you, that’s for sure!” No one said anything. Kevin looked thoroughly shocked.

  Well, that was embarrassing. Maybe someday he’ll talk to me again. Maybe I’ll learn to keep my mouth shut.

  Eventually, Jamse continued. “We can discuss the details of the plan enroute, once we are sure of Rebecca’s position. This leaves the young ladies. I am inclined to invite one set of parents, the Groves, Wendy’s parents, to act as ombudsmen for the group, especially if the psychological people feel obliged to recommend therapy.”

  Sue endorsed his idea. “Make sure, Kevin, when you invite them—”

  “What do you mean, when I invite them? You can see how feeble and debilitated I am!” Beckie giggled silently at his teasing. “Seriously, you met them before. You should tell them the short story and then, along with Millie, make the invitation. Then you can turn them over to me as host-in-residence.”

  Beckie wiggled uncomfortably in her chair before turning toward Jamse. “Mr. Jamse, I’m not sure quite how to say this, but… Lissa and I were talking, out on the beach and in the room, you know, and she’s talked to most of the girls on the plane.” A deep breath. “We’ll want to be careful with the girls who weren’t on the bus. Some of them think their parents gave them, or maybe sold them, to those people.” She turned to Kevin. “I’ll ask Lissa to go over all that with you, if you think it would help.”

  “Yeah, please do. Millie and the other doctors ought to know this, too, before anybody goes asking any questions.”

  “Susan, Kevin, I depend on both of you to communicate with Doctor Ardan; be certain that none of the people who will see these girls in a professional capacity have anything but a neutral attitude toward the type of situation with which we are faced. We will only do greater harm if we introduce a person with preconceived notions to this fertile field. Please ensure this does not happen.

  “This last item follows up on the debrief. Samuel reported earlier on the activity at RP following our departure. Following the plan, I alerted the authorities of the operation of a brothel, and of the location of several of the principals on-site. Also, I told them our belief that the facility itself had been destroyed. I apprised Samuel of this message and asked him to keep watch.

  “Apparently, Werner has longer arms than I believed. In hindsight, that was an error. Within ten minutes of the call, five vehicles approached the site. Samuel had dug in closer to the bluff, but showing the intelligence we hope all of us have and use, he stayed to ground. Two of the cars were marked as local or state patrols; three were unmarked, but of types associated with law enforcement in the region. Seven men were within them.

  “Samuel reports that they moved quickly, stealthily over the site, summarily dispatching all those we had brought out of the cavern. After checking at the location of all the doors, Samuel assumed, they gathered at the hatc
h we used, and attempted to force it open.

  “Some other time Derek, you, Karen and I will have to discuss the ingredients of the grenades you used. According to Samuel, they used a bar to force the door open, barely, he said, and the two closest were immolated by the flame blown out of the resulting crack. He is not sure exactly what happened next, but the top of the bluff collapsed into a pool whose shape approximates, I suppose, that of the room beneath. The other five men were trapped in the flame, molten rock and finally steam which exploded as water overflowed the surrounding rock.

  “Samuel considered it prudent to leave at that juncture, about 4AM. The first news reports contained nothing beyond the information that a lake two kilometers away had been surprisingly drained overnight. The reported working assumption is that an underground cavern was created by natural causes.

  “Susan, you and Kevin must discuss this with Doctor Ardan. It seems that none, or few, of those who perpetrated this indecency will be brought to justice in this world. Werner will not appear. To the extent that they or their families require retribution as part of the healing process, they will be disappointed. Unless a four meter wide pool atop a bluff will serve. The doctor, and all who would treat with them, must understand and accept this.

  “Personally, I believe that their best hope is to put the immediate past behind them, going ahead to fulfill the promise their young lives hold. Raised in the American belief that God and the government will both provide revenge in the name of justice, they may not all be able to do this, especially when local law enforcement comes to call on their return, as they surely will. For them, my counsel would be to say nothing of the missing time. Only embarrassment awaits, as the police flounder about attempting to make good on their previous failure and again discover nothing.

  “Kevin, you must discuss this with the Groves, obtaining their advice and counsel once you have presented all the facts and my view as well as your own, should it differ. I hope that this will give them sufficient grist to think on whilst we are engaged with Werner. With some risk, you may hold out the hope of more information upon our return.”

  None of the group had moved beyond breathing as Jamse talked. Even now, Willie merely nodded, a faint motion.

  Beckie’s head snapped around as Kevin broke the silence. “We’ve got the only proof that the girls were in that place, don’t we? If the cavern is burned out and flooded, they’ll look for the missing people, and unless those guys cleaned up before creating their own hell on earth, there are bodies around.”

  Jamse nodded. “Indeed, the missing police, corrupt though they may have been, will occasion a search, even if the bullets in some of the bodies match weapons they were issued. Samuel does not believe anything of value will be recovered from the sinkhole; the temperatures were too high.”

  Derek shook his head. “Good thing we didn’t slip, eh?” he said to Beckie who was herself remembering almost dropping the cylinder twice.

  “It prob’ly wouldn’t have hurt much, I guess,” she mumbled.

  “Or for very long,” agreed Sue.

  Kevin grinned at them, then turned to Jamse. “As long as the doctors are rational, and the Groves, I’ll be able to help them understand the situation. I assume we would never have an interest in bringing this particular episode up?”

  “Some effort should be made to prevent the displaced clients from trying to patronize another similar establishment. Perhaps… No, that idea will not work.”

  “Yeah. I’ll give it some thought.” Kevin said.

  “As far as the children are concerned, this is a non-event.” He paused, looking around. “Without extremely compelling reasons, we would not admit to them that we have such evidence. Nor to any other party. On review, I expect that we will destroy all evidence that the place ever existed.”

  “Good. That topic’ll not arise.”

  There were no disagreements or questions; the group broke up. On the way to dinner, Jamse told Beckie that Sam had found the horses and led them back to the stable on his way out.

  Conversation around the dinner table led Beckie to believe the cuisine that Shalin laid before them was excellent, though she was nervous to the point of not being able to taste it.

  The meeting flowed out of the dinner more easily than Beckie believed possible. Everyone else left them seated at Kevin and Shalin’s large table. Shalin did offer a smaller room, but all were comfortable, at least physically. Beckie wasn’t quite settled in her mind; she expected her parents were discomfited as well.

  Beckie saw Shalin through the archway bringing a fresh pitcher of tea. Glad of the chance to move, she stood and took it from the woman, thanking her. She set it nearer Jamse after offering it around. He nodded his thanks.

  Looks like he’s not sure about where to start, either.

  Almost as if he’d heard her, he turned and smiled, an attractive smile that faded as he turned back to face her parents. “I am uncertain how to begin. I find myself in much the same position as when I visited you two weeks ago: asking your assistance and acceptance when there is no good reason for you to trust my motives.

  “I have been in a quandary since April. Then my problem was our joint deception of you during Rebecca’s vacation week.” But it was my idea not… A gesture stilled Beckie’s silent protest. “If we ask, Rebecca will tell you it was her idea, that I did not suggest it. That is true. However, I certainly had the power to refuse her, and I did not. You were completely justified in your reaction when I met with you two weeks ago. I was surprised that you held off as long as you did.” Now, Jim tried to say something; again, Jamse stopped him. “Neither the meeting nor the explanation would have been necessary had we been able to complete the rescue of the girls from California. In that event, Rebecca would have been satisfied, and had this meeting transpired, it would have been later, when discovering your injury might have been less acrimonious.

  “Unfortunately, especially for the girls, neither we nor anyone else was able to free them. Our progress was far too slow; I was convinced we were working toward a devastating end. Then I was confounded to learn that Rebecca had taken it on herself to pursue our problem in London. That news demanded my action.”

  I can’t tell if that’s good or bad. Mom’s looking at him kinda funny.

  “Why did you come to meet us?” Jean asked. “It seems so counter to the way I believed mercenaries typically operate.”

  “I suppose it is,” Jamse replied. “However, my goal was freeing Rebecca from what I believed was an inappropriate and ineffective attempt to advance our task.” Inappropriate and ineffective? Wow. That stings. Except… damn. He’s right on both counts! Oops, still talking. “… knew from our earlier conversations that she had great respect for you.” He waved toward Jim and Beckie thought, Yeah, with a blush she could feel. “Both of you, of course, but… I believed James would speed her extraction.”

  “Of course,” Jean replied. “And Jim was a better choice for where you were headed, no matter what.”

  “Indeed.” Jamse took a deep breath. “My explanation is by way of an apology for things I can no longer change. For behavior which I think was less than honorable—”

  “But we did get Cari back! I think that outweighs any ‘dishonor.’”

  “Yes, but the… We are drifting far afield. You and I may have a chance to debate the moral cost of my action and the balance our success provides, but for tonight, accept that it is a concern for me and for your parents.”

  Beckie sat back in her chair, closed to his position.

  “As I said, I am apologizing to you, both for my actions in April and for not succeeding here in time to prevent your fear and trepidation over the past two weeks. However, I feel obliged to admit that having arrived, were I to do it again, I doubt that I would act differently.”

  That’s ‘the end justifies the means.’ He’d do it again. Well, so would I!

  Jamse stopped to pour some tea. He looked at each of the three as he sipped. “To cases. I wis
hed to talk with you even before Rebecca reinserted herself in our operation yesterday because, from our first meeting in the tiny aircraft in Hawai’i, she has impressed me, and not only me, but all of my team who have worked with her. That is not to say that Michael is somehow deficient, or Melissa—”

  “At the least, her commitment is higher,” Jim said. “We talked about the April situation before, and I appreciate your feelings. I do have a couple of questions. Maybe Jean does, also.” He waited for Jamse’s nod before continuing. “I’d like to know if Beckie put you up to this meeting, and second, should Mike and Melissa be here, too?” He turned toward Beckie and said, “I expect you’ll tell them everything, anyway.”

  Jamse held off Beckie’s protestations. “Rebecca did not put me up to this, as you put it. In fact, I suspect some of her discomfort in being here is that she, like you, is unaware of my purpose. If anyone put me up, it was the combination of my team leads, Kevin, Susan Jinet, Derek Hamilton and Karen Estwan.”

  Now certain that this meeting was to chastise her for her actions of not only yesterday, but the whole past month, Beckie felt like sliding off her chair to sit on the floor: out of sight; out of mind. Or to slither out the door, maybe.

  But Jamse brought her head up again. “On the question of Michael and Melissa, do you tell them everything, Rebecca?”

  She sat back in her chair, uncomfortable, unsure of the correct answer. Her mind went back to Sue’s words in April. Tell the truth. “Yes. Most everything.”

  “You’ve never told them how much you envy their relationship,” Jean rebutted, “or the reason you left them when you went to London.”

  “That’s not…” She’s right. “Well, maybe. But the reason I didn’t take them was like I said: Lissa was getting over an attachment to me, and Mike was a big part of helping her to do it.” She stopped, a hand to her mouth. Oops. I don’t know if I ever told them that about us. With a grin that she was sure showed her embarrassment, she continued. “So it was more important for them to be together and working those issues than running off with me on, well, on a wild goose chase that upset everyone and cost a lot of money and time.”