Alveus (ABC's Inc. Romance #1)

by Lara Earlman

  “It is Rasha’s fault that you suffer, don’t you wish for revenge?” The young princess couldn’t seem to understand.

  “Fatiha, I take no pleasure in another’s sorrow. You’re the same way. Look how you’ve cared for me without thinking of the risks.”

  “But she is a nasty sow, and deserves to be taught a lesson!”

  “Maybe motherhood will change her,” Lexi insisted. “Aren’t you looking forward to holding a sweet healthy baby in your arms?”

  “I will consider your wishes, but now I must go.” She pulled the rope back up and tossed another bottle of water down. “Keep them hidden; I will try to come again soon.”

  »ɞ»ɞ«ɞ«

  “I know where she is!”

  Stefani came running into the room waving a sheet of paper. “I know exactly where Lexi is!”

  Dane caught the skeptical looks coming from her siblings and refrained from getting too excited. Apparently she was prone to be overly dramatic. Stefani didn’t miss their expressions and lack of enthusiasm, either.

  “Fine,” she said, “Dane?”

  “Um,” he cleared his throat, “sure Fani, tell us what you’ve got.”

  “Okay,” she threw him a hurt look; apparently he wasn’t very accomplished at hiding his doubt in her abilities as a sleuth. It’s just that they’d been working around the clock, getting nowhere. Here she comes breezing in with the announcement that she singlehandedly found Lexi. Anyone would be dubious.

  “When I was modeling…”

  “You were a model?” Dane blurted out. So, that was why she was so skinny.

  “I was, for a while,” she answered, haughtily. “But that’s not the point. The point is that I traveled around the world and met a lot of interesting models from a lot of interesting countries.”

  “And that’s your point?” Gretchen asked disdainfully.

  “If you will let me finish,” Stefani replied testily. “I remembered a model from Saudi Arabia and just happened to still have his number.” She looked around, waiting for another derogatory remark. Gleaning silence, she continued. “So I called him!”

  More silence. Everyone waited patiently.

  “And…” Stefan aided his twin with an encouraging nod.

  “Oh, and he saw her!” she proclaimed. “Rash (that’s his name, Rashid,) and his father were invited by the sheikh of Hejd to attend the official announcement of the next heir to the throne. It was a formal affair where Sheikh… uh,” she glanced down at the paper in her hand, “Saleh proclaimed that his eldest son Ahmad was to be the next ruler. And here’s the best part, he made a big flashy deal of lavishing the crown prince with a ton of outrageously expensive gifts, including a beautiful redhead. Those were his words, not mine – beautiful redhead,” she explained. “And he said she was not happy to be there, but ignored the pampered prince and stared straight ahead. If that’s not Lexi, I’ll dress Louis up as a cat and send him to the president!”

  “Louis?” Dane asked, confused.

  “Don’t go there,” Gretchen suggested, rolling her eyes skyward.

  Chapter Eleven

  “Camels, seriously?” Dane huffed out his exasperation. “Great, if you want to add another couple of weeks to our journey!”

  “Well, it’s not exactly stealth to land a plane on the sheikh’s private airstrip without his permission,” Gretchen growled back. “I can only get us as far as the United Arab Emirates; it’s at least another 250 to 300 miles to Hejd. If we try flying in unauthorized they’ll shoot us down and ask questions later!”

  They were all getting testy. Dane had decided to convene in the comfort of his apartment, that way the Carstens were only a short walk down the hall from their individual suites. Stefani and Stefan were off chasing down their own leads. Every idea the group had brought up was debated upon until they landed back at square one. Was there any more secure fortress than a palace in the middle of the largest desert on earth?

  “We’ll just have to find a way to get a royal invitation to the sheikh’s palace,” Dane said. “Find out what he wants and make sure we have it.”

  “Right… and what keeps him from coming to us instead, for whatever the hell you think he wants? I’ve had enough for today; I’m going to bed – goodnight!” Gretchen left, leaving behind a wake of the same frustration they were all feeling.

  “God, no wonder she doesn’t have a man in her life,” Dane grumbled.

  “I know, right?” Greig agreed. “I love her, but sometimes I wish she would just chill.”

  “I don’t remember her being so bossy and argumentative when we were kids,” Dane reflected. “Well, maybe bossy…” he chuckled.

  “She wasn’t before the accident,” her twin admitted. “She took on the guilt of Mom’s death and I guess…”

  “Decided she had to take her place by telling you all what to do?” Dane finished.

  “Something like that,” Greig confessed.

  Dane got up to fix them a drink. He knew he could use one and figured since Greig was using his wheel chair, he wouldn’t have to worry about him getting too dizzy to make it back to his rooms. After a brisk knock on the door, Stefan poked his head in.

  “Ah, got one for me?” he asked, when Dane turned to hand Greig a glass. Dane offered Stefan the one he’d poured for himself and stepped back to the bar.

  “Make any progress?” he asked the younger Carsten. He took a sip from his newly filled glass before settling in on the leather couch. Stefan sucked in a breath after sampling his own beverage.

  “Yes I did,” he said matter-of-factly. “One of my FBI acquaintances is hooking me up with an ex-marine/former FBI agent, who is extremely interested in our mission. He heads his own elite team of skilled combatants whose main agenda is to crack down on human traffickers.”

  “I don’t know,” Dane admitted dubiously. “A bunch of renegade soldiers shooting their way into the palace compound seems like a sure way to cause Pips more harm.”

  The two brothers exchanged a look.

  “Who said anything about storming the compound?” Stefan reasoned. “I’m just talking about meeting the guy and hearing what he’s got to say. If he’s had experience he can share with us, what’s the harm?”

  “Have you ever met this guy, Stef?” Greig asked.

  “Saw him at the gym once,” his brother replied. “Looked like a giant Swede: blond hair shaved to the scalp, blue eyes, a quiet dude – seemed alright.” Stefan shrugged. He looked at Dane and then locked eyes with his brother. “I’m picking him up from the airport in the morning.”

  Stefan was spot-on with his description of the large man who followed him into Dane’s office. The one thing he hadn’t mentioned was the big guy’s eyes. They were blue, yes, but they remained veiled, hiding his thoughts as he absorbed every nuance of the room’s interior.

  “This is Dice Fuller,” Stefan announced. “He was kind enough to offer us his help in bringing Lexi home.” As he introduced the rest of them, Dice shook hands with Dane and Greig, and gave polite nods to Stefani and Gretchen.

  “Did he say your name is Dice?” Gretchen asked.

  “Yes, ma’am,” Fuller replied.

  “Is it a nickname?” Stefani wondered.

  “Yes, ma’am,” the newcomer confirmed, without clarification. Stefani giggled and unabashedly surveyed the man’s muscular torso.

  “Okay… now that we’ve got that settled, why don’t we fill Dice in on our progress,” Stefan suggested.

  Dane watched Dice as he quietly listened to the details of Lexi’s disappearance, subsequent kidnapping and resale to Sheikh Saleh of Hejd, and how they uncovered proof of that purchase. He was shown maps of the area and a list of airplanes at their disposal. Dice had remained silent through the entire account, nodding his understanding at several points. Finally he spoke.

  “Are there other private residences with airstrips close to your goal?” he asked Greig, reading from his monitor.

  “Yes,” Gretchen intervened, tapp
ing on her tablet. Bringing up the information, she held it out to Dice. The large man locked eyes with her before gazing down at the screen.

  “If we could befriend one of these,” he pointed to two that seemed to be the closest to Hejd, “perhaps we could procure their permission to land a plane…”

  “Oh my gosh,” Stefani shouted, “I completely forgot! Rash said that he had a friend whose family owns land adjacent to Hejd. We thought that if he could invite the sheikh’s family to a party or something, then we could sneak over and rescue Lexi! Rash says they all have small private airstrips, how else could they make trips into the city?”

  “You forgot to tell us this?” Gretchen loudly accused her younger sister.

  “Well, I just found out for sure today that they were in residence, and everyone was talking, and then Dice showed up and…”

  Gretchen put her head in her hands and shook it. Dane felt sorry for Stefani.

  “That’s a great job, Fani,” he said, pulling her into a side hug. “I don’t know what we would have done without your help. Maybe Rash wouldn’t mind talking with me about some of the details?” Stefani gave him a tearful nod.

  “We will need an appropriate airplane and a couple of ATV’s,” Dice said with authority. He turned to Greig. “If you wouldn’t mind continuing your efforts to crack through those email encryptions. I would be very appreciative. Stefan, I would like to work with you to be assured that you can handle any interference we may have, once we infiltrate the palace compound.”

  “Wait,” Dane challenged, “I will be the one going to the palace to get Lexi.”

  “And what about us?” Gretchen asked, surprisingly including her sister.

  “You’re staying here!” All of the men spoke in unison.

  “Not happening,” Stefani said, crossing her arms defiantly. “I’m the one who is friends with a friend you want help from.”

  “And, I am the one who can get the equipment for crossing the desert,” Gretchen chimed in, crossing her arms in solidarity with her sister.

  “I can get the equipment,” Stefan said.

  “I don’t know, dude,” Dane leaned in and whispered. “Your sister scares the hell out of me.” Stefan wavered and locked eyes with Dane. They both looked to Greig who in turn, shrugged his shoulders. The three of them turned to the spot where Dice had been standing – he was gone.

  »ɞ»ɞ«ɞ«

  Lexi couldn’t seem to stop shivering. How long had she been asleep? Had she been asleep? For that matter – was she still asleep? She checked the sun’s reflection on the wall – afternoon. Her heart sunk; she had another long cold night ahead of her. She had hoped to catch some warmth from the sun, and maybe another visit from Fatiha. Closing her eyes, she curled into a tighter ball, digging her toes into the sand.

  “Lexi, you must drink some water.”

  Lexi’s brows creased in confusion. “Mom?”

  “I’m here, precious. Drink some water.”

  “I don’t know where it is.”

  “It’s right in front of you. Open your eyes, sweet pea.”

  Lexi’s eyes were crusted shut. She rubbed her fist across them and tried again, blinking painfully as they resisted. The view wasn’t any better with her eyes open, dark had settled inside her prison. She reached out in front of her, tapping the ground for the familiar shape of her water bottle, disturbing Willie the lizard who had taken advantage of the heat from her body, before settling her fingers around the bottle’s neck. Shaking it, she figured there was only a few swallows left, so she took a measured sip and replaced the lid. Lexi really wasn’t looking forward to using the bottle containing her urine.

  “That’s my big girl!”

  “Daddy?” She gazed upward at the black sky. Where are the stars? Sitting up, she leaned her back against the wall, feeling Willie squeeze himself in behind her. Tucking her knees to her chest, a shiver climbed up her spine and it wasn’t from the cold. Something wasn’t right. She felt a wind spout stirring up the sandy floor.

  “Daddy, I’m scared.”

  “Be strong my angel, Daney will find you.”

  Daney – yes, Daney always finds me when I get lost.

  Lexi’s mind floated back in time to the gully where she’d slipped and twisted her ankle. They were playing hide and seek and she decided it would be a good place to hide, but after she hurt her ankle she couldn’t climb up the steep incline to get out. The night approached and she was frightened – and then Daney found her.

  »ɞ»ɞ«ɞ«

  Everything was in place. All the t’s were crossed and the i’s dotted – that is before Mother Nature threw a wrench into the works.

  “A major sandstorm has hit the UAE expecting to grip the country for two days creating a visibility of less than 500 meters. Wind speeds of 25-35 knots are expected.

  In Saudi Arabia, too, a government media centre warned that the kingdom would be hit by extreme climatic conditions over the coming three days. These sandstorms can last for several hours or sometimes even the whole day, bringing traffic to a standstill, forcing places of work and schools to close, and significantly increasing the number of hospitalizations. All airports will be shut down until further notice."

  Dane sat staring at the report, incredulous. What… the… hell? Someone had paused the screen. The room was silent. After what seemed like several minutes, he pulled his eyes off the screen and looked around at the occupants in the room. Each one was watching him as if they expected him to go ballistic, or something. He narrowed his eyes at them, ending with Greig who hastily tapped at his tablet.

  “It’s confirmed,” the eldest Carsten said. “We won’t be flying in there tomorrow morning as planned.”

  Dane closed his eyes, getting a grip on himself. It was no wonder the Carstens were tiptoeing around him, his emotions were in turmoil. He’d never experienced anything similar in his life – and he didn’t like it. Dane preferred to be in control, always, and in every situation.

  “Alright,” he said. “There’s nothing we can do about it. Call whomever you have to in order to reschedule, and then get some rest. As soon as we get the go sign, we’re heading in.” He opened the door to usher them out. “And don’t forget to keep Pips in your prayers.”

  Lying in bed that night, Dane rehashed the plan for the hundredth time. He could find no flaws in it.

  A Dr. Badr owned the adjacent property to Hejd and was very hospitable to their needs. Since he was moving his family back to the city for the winter months, it was their tradition to throw an end of season party, inviting neighbors and friends over for a farewell bash. The timing was perfect. Rash would bring the Carstens as his guests, where they could keep an eye on the royal family, while Dice and Dane unloaded the gear from the plane and drove the ATV’s to the edge of the sheikh’s compound. There, Dr. Badr would have men waiting with horses, providing a more stealth entrance onto the palace grounds.

  They would all be outfitted with radio communications via earbuds; keeping in touch should anything go wrong. Greig was staying in Frankfurt, watching their progress via satellite, listening in and keeping them informed on each other’s progress. Rash had given them as much description as he could about the palace grounds, which Greig made into a sketchy map to guide Dice and Dane. The idea was to steer away from the royal areas, which was pretty much everything on the map, and find their way into the servant’s wing. Rash pointed out where he guessed would be the concubine housing.

  Dane hated the thought of anyone touching Lexi. Strange how empty his bed felt, as his thoughts replayed the memory of her sleeping beside him. His Sleeping Beauty. Whose bed was she keeping warm tonight?

  Unable to rest with his mind churning up images of Lexi and what she was being forced to do, Dane pulled on a pair of sweatpants and headed to the gym. He was in dire need of something to punch!

  Two days later the team flew into the UAE, rendezvoused with Rash, and transferred to a small plush private plane, heading for the Badr properties. Every
thing was going according to plan, with the exception of a small confrontation between Gretchen and Dice over who would be piloting the craft. Gretchen won – of course.

  Dane and Dice were on the last leg of the trip, riding horseback. Dusk was falling, turning the sky above the desert sands into rich shades of ocher; the only sound was the crunch of the horses’ hooves in the sand. It was a companionable silence the two men shared, each in their own thoughts. Dane focused on the challenge of the mission, and on keeping his emotions out of the equation. He turned to scrutinize the man riding beside him, curiosity surfacing.

  “How did you come about the nickname of Dice?” he asked. The big man didn’t acknowledge Dane’s question, just checked on the third horse he was leading and then returned his gaze straight ahead.

  “Ever heard of the phrase ‘dice with death?’” he finally responded.

  “Meaning, to take serious risks,” Dane ascertained, “the marines?”

  “My men decided that I put myself in unwarranted danger to get them out of tight situations. I figured it was my job, that’s all.”

  “But you kept the name,” Dane stated the obvious, encouraging an explanation.

  “Like it better than the one I was given at birth.” Dice ended the subject.

  They rode in silence again; stars were beginning to appear in the evening sky. Dane, still uncomfortable with his thoughts, spoke up again.

  “So, what’s the deal with you and Gretchen?” Again, Dane thought his quiet companion wasn’t going to acknowledge his question, but after a pensive space of time, he answered.

  “That woman seems to have an affinity for being impossible.”

  Dane laughed, “Yes, she does,” he agreed. “Gets under your skin, eh?” He heard a kind of rumble come from his companion. Dane wasn’t sure if it was a snicker or a growl.