by Lynn Ames
Vaughn bit her lip and surveyed the room, spying what she wanted. That’ll do it. She picked up her previously discarded shirt and broke off one of the threads where a button had gone missing. It wouldn’t do to get wistful about how that button had popped off. There was no time for such sentimentality.
Vaughn picked up the briefcase, walked to the door, hung the “Do Not Disturb” sign and carefully placed the miniscule thread in the door-locking mechanism. A piece of paper would’ve been too obvious in this location. She didn’t want to tip off anyone breaking into the room that she was suspicious. Maybe this wasn’t about her, but she couldn’t discount the idea completely. Still, why else would anybody want to take Sage? On the face of it, it made no sense.
Vaughn was going to have to do a lot more digging to get to the bottom of this. And fast.
When she stepped outside the hotel, Henri was waiting for her. There was a good place to start.
The thirst was nearly unbearable, and the heat was stifling. Sage fought to stay upright. Sweat poured down her face and she was having difficulty breathing. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could go on.
With a shout, the caravan came to a stop. The camel knelt. Sage’s pulse raged in her temples as strong hands grabbed her jaw under the hood from behind. Foul breath made her gag. A voice spoke harshly in her ear, but she understood none of the words. She could guess at the meaning, however, when he tightened his grip as the hood was removed. She was unable to turn her head in any direction—unable to see the faces or even the bodies of her captors. She squinted her eyes in the bright sunlight. There was nothing in front of her but desert. This is it. They’re going to leave me here to die.
Within seconds, the hood was replaced with a blindfold. Sage rolled her eyes skyward and gave thanks. Well, at least I can breathe now. The hands released her jaw. She moved it from side to side and grimaced. That’ll leave a mark. Nearby, she could hear activity. It sounded like the party had dismounted.
Her head began to spin. If she didn’t get water soon, they might, indeed, have a dead captive on their hands. It was time to take a chance. She licked her lips. “Please, can I have some water? D’eau, s’il vous plaît?”
The talking around her ceased momentarily, then several voices began to argue. On the chance that they were trying to puzzle out what she had said, she mimed needing a drink by tipping her head back and opening her mouth.
More discussion followed before Sage felt something pushed against her lips. The foul breath was back. She tipped her head back as water was poured first over her face and then down her throat. She lowered her head, sputtering and choking as the overflow spilled out of her mouth. The motion sent a shockwave of pain through her skull.
The canteen was pushed against her mouth again, and she tipped her head back, more slowly this time. After several more sips, the water was replaced by something solid against her lips. Sage recoiled reflexively and sniffed. Dried goat strips and something else unidentifiable. Despite her repulsion, Sage knew she needed to eat something. She hadn’t had anything since dinner with Vaughn the night before. With a sigh, she opened her mouth and accepted what was offered. On the bright side, if they wanted you dead, they wouldn’t bother feeding you. It was small consolation.
CHAPTER SIX
“Good morning, Henri.” Looking for all the world as though she’d just awakened from a restful night’s sleep, Vaughn greeted the driver in the French of her youth.
“Good morning.” He held the car door for her.
As he pulled out into traffic, Vaughn started up a casual conversation. “I’ve been getting to see a little of your country.”
“Are you enjoying yourself so far?”
“I am, but my head is spinning. It seems like there’s so much to know.” Vaughn tried her best to appear overwhelmed.
“I’m sure Mademoiselle Sage can help you with that.” He peered at her in the rearview mirror.
Pay dirt. Vaughn noted that he said her name with great affection and not a hint of nervousness. Whatever happened to Sage, it was clear that Henri had no knowledge of it.
As if the answer didn’t matter to her in the slightest, Vaughn asked, “You like her? Mademoiselle Sage?”
“Oh, yes. She is very nice.”
“She’s been here a long time. I imagine there must be someone who doesn’t think as kindly of her as you do.” Vaughn raised an eyebrow as if to say, “C’mon, you can tell me the truth.”
“No, ma’am. Everybody adores her.” He seemed to search for words. “She has a special light about her. It is impossible not to like her.”
“She gets along well with the staff?”
“Oh, yes. And the authorities too.”
“Is that so? How do you know that?” Vaughn kept her voice light.
“My cousin is the driver for Jean Baldour.”
“Jean…?”
“He is the head of the National Assembly. My cousin tells me Baldour always looks forward to meeting with Mademoiselle Sage because ‘she understands the issues.’”
“He said that?”
Henri nodded his head solemnly. Then his face split into a wide grin. “He also says that she is nice to look at.”
The comment surprised a laugh out of Vaughn. “Does he now?”
“He is a man,” Henri said, and shrugged, as if no other explanation was necessary.
They pulled into the embassy compound.
“Will you be needing me later?” Henri asked.
Vaughn narrowed her eyes in thought. “Yes. I believe I will, Henri.”
“Here is my card. Just call this number.”
“Thanks,” Vaughn said and slid out of the back seat.
Ambassador Dumont shrugged out of his suit jacket. “Who is Vaughn Elliott?” He stood looking down at the daily schedule in the middle of his immaculate desk. His executive assistant sat across from him.
“The DS sent from Washington to oversee security for the upcoming congressional visit.”
“Ah, right.” Dumont rubbed his suddenly damp palms unconsciously on his pants. He hadn’t recognized the name.
“You’re meeting with her and Sage at 10:30 a.m.”
Dumont coughed at the mention of Sage’s name.
“Are you okay, sir?”
“Fine,” he choked out.
“Shall I get you some water?”
“No. I’m fine. Um, I’ve sent Sage on an assignment. A temporary replacement will be here tomorrow. In the meantime, please have all her mail and phone calls forwarded to me.”
“Sir?” The executive assistant’s brow creased in confusion. “I don’t remember seeing any paperwork on a new hire.”
“No, no. I’m sorry. My mistake. It was a last minute thing—came directly from Washington. I’m sure the paperwork will be here later today.”
“Of course. I’ll keep a sharp eye out for it.”
Dumont waved her off. His mind was still on the prospect of the morning’s meeting. He bit his lip. The last thing he wanted was to meet with this Elliott character. Maybe he could cancel.
“Is there anything else, sir?” The executive assistant’s voice sounded hesitant.
Elliott would probably be looking for McNally. He would have to see her and allay any suspicions. “Huh? Oh. No, no. That’s all.” He ran two fingers under his collar. God, I hate this.
“Hi. I’m wondering if you could help me?” Vaughn stood over the desk of some bureaucrat on the second floor. “I’m looking for Sage McNally’s office.”
“Oh, Sage is down that way,” the man said, pointing to the right. “Third door from the end of the hallway.”
“Thanks.” Vaughn wandered down the hall, making sure to appear as though there was no hurry. She checked out offices to the left and right for inhabitants. The offices on either side of Sage’s were mercifully empty. She ducked into Sage’s office and closed the door behind her. A broad-daylight search wasn’t what she normally would’ve executed, but there was no time to waste. She
would have to take her chances.
The desktop was well-organized, much as it had been in Sage’s home. Vaughn searched the in-and outboxes; everything seemed routine. She checked the drawers and found nothing out of the ordinary. Ditto the filing cabinets. C’mon, Sage. Help me out here.
She turned in a circle, trying to figure out what she might have missed. That’s when she noticed the desk blotter. It contained all of Sage’s appointments for the month, along with assorted doodles. Bingo.
Vaughn cocked her head to the side. She could hear footsteps echoing some distance down the hallway. Quickly, she tore off the top sheet, folded it, and put it in her briefcase. By the time the door opened, she was sitting nonchalantly in a visitor’s chair.
“Oh. Hi.” A tall, gangly man of about thirty stood with one hand on the door knob. In the other hand, he held a tray with two cups of what smelled to Vaughn like coffee. “Um, is Sage here?”
“Sorry.” Vaughn shook her head. “I was sort of wondering where she was myself.”
“You are…”
“Oh, I’m sorry. Here.” Vaughn stood and took the tray from the man, setting it on the blotter. If he was unobservant, he wouldn’t notice that a page was missing. “I’m Vaughn Elliott. Diplomatic security from D.C.”
“Ah. Sage mentioned you’d be coming. I’m Donald Easton. Public affairs officer.” He held out his hand and Vaughn shook it. “Hmm. Odd that Sage wouldn’t be here. We start every day with coffee and share intelligence. It’s not like her to be late.”
“Every day, huh?” Vaughn’s mind was calculating. Could be a good source.
“Yep. Like clockwork. I bring the coffee. She usually brings something homemade to eat.”
“Sounds like a good arrangement to me.” Vaughn paused for effect. “So Sage didn’t mention to you that she wouldn’t be here today?”
“Heck, no. With the congressional visit coming up, we had a lot to talk about.”
Donald Easton seemed genuine enough. A nice guy, if a bit geeky. “Please, go ahead and drink your coffee. It’ll get cold.”
“Do you need some? I could go get more.”
“Thank you, no. I’m fine.” Vaughn crossed her legs, indicating that she was settling in for the long haul; she hoped he would take the hint. He might be able to give her a good lead, albeit inadvertently. She didn’t want to waste the opportunity. “What does a public affairs officer do?”
“Public relations, the media. That sort of thing.”
“You and Sage work closely together then?”
“You bet. The two positions go hand-in-hand.”
“Is that right? So you and Sage are tight?”
“We’ve worked together for a year-and-a-half. I’d like to think we’re good friends.”
“That’s nice, since you have to spend so much time together.”
“You’re telling me. It could’ve been a nightmare. I’ve had postings like that. But Sage is great. I love her.”
I just bet you do. Vaughn kept her face blank. Time to change the line of questioning. “You’re familiar with all of the political factions and the politics of the region?”
“Naturally.”
“Maybe you can fill me in a little bit while we wait for Sage.”
“Sure. Happy to help.” Easton sat down in the other visitor’s chair and unbuttoned his suit jacket.
Thank you, Lord. “Are there any volatile factions that might have a grudge against Americans?”
When Easton seemed to hesitate at divulging too much information, Vaughn pushed forward. “If I’m going to keep the congressional delegation safe, I’ll need to know if there’s any group in particular I should pay attention to.” And I need to know where to start looking for Sage—fast. It was all Vaughn could do to sit still, but she had no choice. Without knowing who was involved, the fastest way to find Sage was to gather as much information as she could.
“At the moment, everything seems pretty calm. Nobody’s feathers are especially ruffled. It should be a pretty uneventful visit, if you’re worried about protests and the like.”
“Well.” Vaughn gave him what she hoped was a relieved smile. “That ought to make my job a little bit easier.”
“Yep. It should be a walk in the park.”
“It’s never that easy, but it sure would be nice if you were right…” If he’s right and there are no obvious enemies, your chances of finding Sage quickly just went down the drain. Although she didn’t hold out much hope, Vaughn had to try one more time.
“For real, Donald? Nobody hates us this week? This must be the only place in the world where that’s true.” Give me something to work with, please.
“For real, and you can call me Don.”
“Okay, Don.” Vaughn checked her watch. According to the schedule she’d printed out at Sage’s house, she and Sage were due to meet with the ambassador in fifteen minutes. She made a show of frowning. “Damn. We’re supposed to meet with the big guy now.”
“Dumont?”
“Yeah. What’s he like?”
Don shrugged his shoulders. “He’s a nice enough guy. Career public servant who rose through the ranks. Now that he’s been elevated, he likes to think he’s a big fish, if you get my drift.”
“I do.” In other words, he’s a pompous ass. “Thanks for the assessment. I hate to go in cold.”
“I can’t believe Sage isn’t here yet. I wonder if she had a flat tire or something? Even if she did, knowing her, she would’ve run the rest of the way.”
“Well, I wouldn’t worry. I’m sure she’ll turn up.” Vaughn stood. As soon as I find her. She held out her hand. As Don shook it, she said, “Where can I find you if I need anything else?”
“Next door.” He jerked his thumb to the left.
“That’s handy. Thanks.”
“Good luck.”
Vaughn picked up her briefcase and stepped into the corridor. “Which way?”
“Up,” Don said. “Stairs are over there.” He pointed across the way. “Go to the top and make a left.”
“Got it. Thanks, again. Send Sage up if you see her.” Vaughn waved and set off for the third floor.
“Ah, Ms. Elliott, good to meet you.” Ambassador Dumont rose and came around the desk to shake Vaughn’s hand.
His hands were clammy, his eyes were beady, and he had facial hair. Vaughn took an immediate dislike to him. “A pleasure to meet you, sir.” She made a show of looking around. “I thought your political officer, Sage, would be joining us. I stopped by her office on my way up here but was unable to locate her. I was hoping she was already with you.”
“With m-me? Ah, good heavens, no.”
Vaughn studied the ambassador. Her gut was screaming. He’s definitely nervous. “No?” She raised her eyebrows innocently.
“Sage is on assignment.” Dumont turned away from Vaughn and walked back behind his desk.
Vaughn’s jaw clicked shut just before the ambassador turned around. On assignment? It was all she could do not to come across the desk and shake him. Instead she said, “I was under the impression that Sage’s assignment for the next three weeks was to be the control officer for the upcoming congressional visit.”
“Exactly right,” Dumont agreed. He looked everywhere but at Vaughn.
“She was supposed to liaise with me.” Look at me, you scumbag.
“True, Ms. Elliott, but there are other aspects of the congressional visit that fall within Sage’s purview as well.”
“Do you mind telling me what assignment you gave Sage and when I might expect her back?” Vaughn kept her tone inquisitive, an effort that took all her self-control.
“Not at all.” Dumont bit his lip and shuffled some papers on his desk. “There are two school visits planned during the course of the delegation’s stay in Mali. I sent Sage to meet with officials from both schools.”
On the face of it, the story would’ve seemed plausible enough, except that Sage had spent the night with Vaughn and hadn’t said a word about g
oing out of town. More than that, Vaughn had seen the sneaker, the blood, and the drag marks with her own eyes.
“When did she leave?” Vaughn knew she needed to be careful. She didn’t want to tip her hand, and it wouldn’t do to be impertinent to the ambassador. Still, she needed to play this out.
“I-I’m not sure. I gave her the assignment yesterday. I assume she either left last night or this morning.” Dumont sat up straighter, seemingly taking umbrage at being questioned by Vaughn. “I realize Sage’s absence may leave you feeling adrift, Ms. Elliott. But there are many details that need to be attended to in the coming weeks.”
The ambassador clearly intended to take some measure of control over the meeting. “Please don’t be concerned—I’ve taken your needs into consideration. While Sage is gone, I’ve sent for another expert to assist you.”
This time Vaughn couldn’t keep the surprise off her face. “You—” You didn’t waste any time, did you? “Is there a way to get in touch with Sage while she’s…away?”
“I’m sorry. No. Cell phones are useless outside of the city. Please don’t worry, Ms. Elliott. I’ve taken care to make sure you have everything you need and our full cooperation. Obviously, the security of the delegation is our first concern, but there are others, as well. As a result, it was my opinion that one control officer would not be sufficient to cover all of the many bases that need to be covered in such a short period of time.”
Don’t be concerned; don’t worry; I’ve got every detail covered. Vaughn mocked him in her mind. She balled her hands into fists and stuck them in her pockets. It wouldn’t do to throttle the ambassador on her first assignment. Washington might frown on that.
“You’re right, I’m sure, Mr. Ambassador. Who is my new contact and when will I get to meet him or her?”
“Tomorrow morning. I can’t recall the name at the moment, but I’ll have my executive assistant set up a meeting for the two of you.”