“Sweetie, just pretend you know what you’re doing, okay?”
“Back home, my aide would have prepared notes for me. He would have researched the interviewer’s background, so I could connect with him on a level of mutual understanding.”
Obviously losing patience with him, Taylor reached through the door, grabbed his elbow and pulled him into the lobby, where a receptionist ignored them as she spoke to someone on the phone.
“Look,” Taylor whispered, “if you keep using words of more than two syllables, no one is going to believe you’re a handyman.”
“I’ll try to remember that, honey.”
“And don’t show them your hands.”
He shoved his hands into his pockets. “Why not? You don’t like my manicure?”
“You lack calluses. You know, the kind that come from hammering nails?”
Their banter ended when the receptionist hung up the phone. Alex approached the young woman and shot her a warm smile. She noticed, her eyes brightening considerably until she noted Taylor’s presence at his side. “Yes?”
Taylor shook her head and muttered under her breath. “You just can’t help flirting, can you?” Then she raised her voice a bit louder so the receptionist would hear her. “Sweetie pie, you really need this job so don’t blow it, okay?”
Alex ignored her remark. He was just being friendly. “I’m here for an interview about the handyman job at the Vashmiran embassy.”
“The one with living quarters for a wife,” Taylor added. “We do so hate to be apart, don’t we, honey bunch?”
Honey bunch? The receptionist didn’t appear to pick up on Taylor’s sarcasm and gestured to the waiting area that consisted of several chairs, a cheap formica coffee table and a coffee cart stashed in a corner. “Please, have a seat. We’re running a little behind.”
Alex helped himself to a copy of Popular Mechanics and sat in one of the extremely uncomfortable chairs. He perused the articles in the magazine, finding a variety of fascinating topics that ranged the gamut from automobiles to technology to home improvement. He thumbed to the home improvement section and scanned the articles about furniture restoration, precise measurements, installing a brick walkway, a homeowner’s clinic and an expert’s advice on repairing concrete.
Beside him, Taylor picked up one magazine after another, flipped through the pictures, then tossed it back onto the low table. She fidgeted, helped herself to a cup of coffee without offering to bring him one and then paced, checking her watch every ten seconds and distracting him from his reading material.
“Will you please sit down,” he requested. “How can I read when you’re as jumpy as—”
The front door opened and a man walked in. Alex recognized Gil Nevins, the embassy’s protocol advisor, immediately. He and Alex spoke several times a day over the phone but had met in person only twice, once on the prince’s arrival, and a second time when they’d bumped into one another in the hall. Nevins didn’t appear even to look their way. He just headed straight for the front desk, but then he turned and spied Alex. “You look familiar. Do I know you?”
Chapter Three
Vashmira
King Nicholas stood behind his desk in his royal office, much too on edge to sit. Two palace guards stood outside new bulletproof double doors; another pair patrolled the private courtyard; security cameras overlooked the roof, the hallways and even his private balcony. He’d traded privacy for security and reminded himself that he still may not have done enough.
Nicholas told the other occupants of the room his sad news from the United States. “All the guards at our American embassy are dead. Even those who were off duty were killed as they slept.”
Twelve young lives snuffed out. Twelve families whose sons would never return. Tomorrow morning Nicholas and his queen would meet the plane that carried the dozen coffins. He would make a speech, declare a national day of mourning and hide tears of sadness and frustration.
“Your brother?” General Levsky Vladimir asked in English, his thick Russian accent harsh. One of Zared I’s most trusted men and one of the original revolutionaries, Vladimir had fought at Nicholas’s father’s side to establish the new republic of Vashmira. The general was first his father’s and now Nicholas’s right-hand man, one of the few people who knew that Alex had been in the United States at their embassy.
Nicholas forced himself to speak without revealing the icy fear that had gripped him since he’d received a phone call from a hysterical embassy secretary—fear that he would never see his brother again. “Alex has disappeared.”
Ira Hanuck, Chief of Palace Security frowned. “Majesty, what do you mean, he disappeared?”
Of late, Nicholas hadn’t been pleased with his security chief and had considered asking Ira to retire. His inability to keep up with the ever-changing, high-tech security business had lately proven a detriment to the royal family. Now Nicholas had begun to question the man’s loyalty, as well. As distasteful as he found the notion, he had to consider that someone very close to the royal family was mounting a conspiracy against them. First, there was the assassination of his father, then the failed attack on Alex and Tashya and now the assault on the embassy and his brother’s mysterious disappearance.
Hence, the need for the third man in the room. Hunter Leigh was a CIA agent and engaged to marry his sister. He was a man Nicholas trusted absolutely. Hunter had saved the lives of his sister and his half brothers, children of his father’s second marriage, at much risk to his own. Since he hadn’t been in Vashmira when the troubles started, his loyalty couldn’t be questioned.
Nicholas reached the west wall, turned and paced in the other direction. “Investigators believe Alex was attacked in his living room. DNA tests are being done.”
“Majesty, there was blood?” Ira asked.
“And slugs in his living room wall,” Nicholas informed them. “The good news is that there’s no sign of his body. There’s been no ransom note.” But no reassuring phone call from his brother, either.
“Has Alex been to America before?” Hunter spoke for the first time.
Nicholas shook his head. “He knows no one. He left behind his wallet with money, credit cards and identification.” Nicholas forced himself to go on. “The hospitals and morgues in Washington, D.C., have been checked. He’s not there. He’s not in the embassy.”
Nicholas paced, clasping his hands behind his back, a trick his late father had taught him to use when he wanted to appear in complete control of his emotions. He seethed with impatience, wanting nothing more than to fly his private jet to the United States to conduct a search. But since he’d assumed his father’s duties and been crowned king of Vashmira, his obligations were to his country first.
Although he couldn’t go himself, there was much to be done. “General, I want you to take your best men to guard our embassy. I want a show of strength for both our friends and enemies.”
“Yes, Majesty. I was to go soon anyway to speak with my American counterparts about allowing a U.S. air base in Vashmira.”
“You know my views.” As much as Nicholas wanted to maintain friendship with the West and to keep such a strong ally contented, he couldn’t afford to antagonize the Arab countries nearby. The balance of power in the Middle East was a difficult and ongoing problem.
“It will not hurt for me to listen to the suggestions coming out of the Pentagon, Majesty,” the crafty ex-Russian strategist told him.
Nicholas turned to his chief of security next. “Ira, I want you to go, too.”
“Yes, Highness,” Ira agreed without hesitation. “I handpicked the men who died. I’d like to make the arrangements for their homecoming.”
“That’s been taken care of. Your job in America is to stay at the side of Anton Belosova.”
Ira frowned in confusion. “Our secretary of state?”
“He’ll step in as our acting ambassador until we find my brother. Our relationship with the United States is too important to leave to anyone els
e. I want you to protect him.”
“Understood, Majesty.”
“Gentlemen, that will be all.” The general and security chief departed, but Hunter remained behind as Nicholas had previously requested.
“Majesty.” Hunter looked him straight in the eye. “There’s a very high probability that one of the three men you are sending to the United States is behind the attempt on Alex’s life.”
“You don’t mince words.” Nicholas didn’t know Hunter well, but he implicitly trusted his sister’s judgment about him. And Tashya thought he hung the moon. Besides, Hunter came with the very best recommendations from within the highest levels of the U.S. government.
Hunter kept his tone low and even. “Lives are at stake. By sending the general, the security chief and the secretary of state to America, you might be signing your brother’s death warrant.”
Nicholas’s stomach churned. He loved his brother, but he had a responsibility to his country and its people. Someone was trying to take over Vashmira, planning one assassination plot, then another. In addition to the possibility of a traitor attempting a military coup or a revolution that would tear his country apart, he had to weigh the lives of his wife, his sister and his three half brothers against Alex’s. “If I allow those men to stay hidden in Vashmira, we may never discover who the traitor is.”
“You have a plan, Your Majesty?”
“In private, please call me Nicholas. We will be family soon.”
“Yes, sir.”
Nicholas hated to ask Hunter to leave his sister and go to the United States when they hadn’t even had a chance to officially announce their engagement. But he would. The American possessed law enforcement contacts and was well equipped to head an investigation into Alex’s disappearance. Besides, if Alex had survived, and if another attempt was made on his life, Nicholas couldn’t think of a better man to help his brother.
“I’d like you go to Washington, too.”
“To find Alex?”
“To help keep him safe and to ferret out the traitor.”
Hunter didn’t hesitate. He picked up two pieces of paper and a hole punch from Nicholas’s desk. He placed one sheet directly on top of the other, folded the paper then punched random holes. “Since we don’t know if the palace phones and mail are secure, I’ll send you a fax.” He unfolded the two sheets of paper and handed one to Nicholas. “Majesty, you need merely place this paper over my fax to read my message.”
“Clever.”
“It is extremely difficult to break the random code without the key.”
Nicholas folded his paper and placed it in his wallet. “I won’t lose it.”
“There’s one more thing we should discuss. Your sister isn’t going to be pleased that I’m leaving.”
“She’ll understand better than you think. Tashya may appear to be self-centered at times, but her loyalty to her family always comes first.”
“I know that. I’m just afraid she’ll demand to come with me, and I’d prefer she stay where she will be safest.”
“She’s lobbying hard for women’s rights in our cabinet. With the votes coming up soon, she won’t want to leave.” Nicholas took a deep breath and let the air out slowly. Although it did nothing to stop the acid burn in his gut, his pulse almost stopped racing. “However, after construction is finished, I’m taking the entire family to Washington to open the embassy. I hope you’ll have everything under control by then.”
“I’ll do my best, but…”
“But what?”
It wasn’t like Hunter not to speak his mind.
“If we don’t root out the traitor first, placing your entire family together would be ill advised. You’ll be giving your enemy an irresistible target.”
Washington, D.C.
WARY, TAYLOR EYED the well-dressed man who was staring at Alex with an I-know-you-but-I-can’t-remember-from-where look on his face. Taylor assumed the stranger had to be from the Vashmiran embassy. Did he recognize his prince, who had taken off his cap when he’d stepped indoors?
This would be a good test of Alex’s disguise. While she didn’t believe the embassy’s advisor on protocol was dangerous, she didn’t know he wasn’t, either. So very casually, she placed her hand in her pocket and gripped her gun. The continuing puzzled expression on the stranger’s face gave her hope that Alex’s sunglasses, overalls and new hair color were effectively disguising his identity.
“I am a handyman,” Alex told his fellow countryman. “Perhaps I have fixed your plumbing?”
“Mr. Nevins,” the secretary said, greeting the man with triple the enthusiasm she’d given to Taylor and Alex. “What can we do for you today?”
“I need a private word with Ms. Wilson.”
The secretary pointed to a door. “Just go right through there.”
After the door shut behind him, Alex spoke in a whisper and gave Taylor one of his approving looks over the rim of his sunglasses. “My protocol advisor didn’t recognize me. I believe this pretense may work.”
They didn’t wait long before Mr. Nevins exited Ms. Wilson’s office and departed without a glance their way. His business over, he didn’t appear curious about Alexander, and Taylor relaxed her grip on her weapon.
“You may go in to see Ms. Wilson now,” the secretary told them.
After introducing and seating themselves in Ms. Wilson’s office, Taylor realized that she didn’t have any more experience in this kind of job interview than Alex. Sure, she’d worked through school, but the kinds of work she’d taken at fast-food places hadn’t required a sit-down interview with anyone from an agency.
Taylor was beginning to be afraid that their forged identities would not stand up to the kind of thorough background check Ms. Wilson would probably do. But there was nothing to be done now, except bluff their way through.
Ms. Wilson had a round face and kindly blue eyes and could have played the part of the grandmother next door, the kind who baked cookies from scratch and kept a dotty cat. She didn’t seem the least bit suspicious about the false work histories Taylor had given her. The forger had provided them with former employment records with businesses that had since gone under or filed for bankruptcy, making reference checks difficult.
“How long have you two been married?” Ms. Wilson asked.
“One year,” Alex said.
“Two,” Taylor replied at the exact same time, then turned and glared at him. This was her country. He should let her answer the questions. As usual, he responded to her annoyance with amusement, which made her want to get back at him.
When Ms. Wilson chuckled, Taylor turned away from Alex and added, “I’m counting from the time we eloped, not the official wedding ceremony that we had for his relatives.”
“You both understand that you will be required to live in the cottage and that visitors aren’t allowed.”
“That won’t be a problem,” Taylor ad-libbed before Alex could say more, sounding much braver than she actually felt about their new pretend marriage. “In fact, it’ll solve my father-in-law problems.”
Alex scowled at her. “My father is only trying to help you with our finances.”
Taylor smiled warmly at Ms. Wilson. “I assure you that we will welcome the privacy. Since we won’t have to shell out a good portion of our salary for rent, we can put a little money into our savings account.”
“Well, you both seem eminently qualified.” Ms. Wilson stood, walked to her copy machine and made duplicates of the false résumés for her files. “Can you start today?”
“Today?” Taylor hadn’t planned on moving this afternoon, and it seemed a bit too soon to prepare herself to play the role of his wife.
Alex stood. “Of course we can. Is there a reason for the rush?”
“Apparently there are some shoddy construction areas that need immediate repairs.” She frowned. “Holes in the walls were mentioned.”
Ms. Wilson might not be aware that those holes were due to bullets that had missed their target, o
r she wouldn’t have such a pleasant smile on her face. Or perhaps she was simply pleased to fill the vacancy and thinking about her commission.
Ms. Wilson also stood and shook hands with both of them. “It’s been a pleasure doing business with you. The guards at the gate will have your names on their list and will give you proper embassy identification. I hope you’ll find the new jobs to your liking.”
“I’m sure we will. Thank you,” Alex told her.
“On the way out, please stop at my secretary’s desk and fill out a few forms.”
A few minutes later they left the employment office. The muggy late-afternoon air was heavy with the promise of rain. Dark storm clouds scudded overhead and people hurried on the sidewalks as if sensing that the skies were about to pour down on them.
Alex placed his Redskins cap back on his head. His stiff movements and lack of expression indicated his displeasure. She’d have thought he would be happy to have gotten the job.
“What’s wrong?”
“That woman didn’t do so much as a cursory check of our credentials.”
Taylor thought the interview had gone amazingly well. “That’s good for us. We landed the jobs, didn’t we?”
“Yes, but do you realize how easily we infiltrated the embassy? We could be criminals. Terrorists. Suppose we were the enemy?”
“How many people have you hired?”
Alex threw his hands up into the air. “Cleaning crews. Construction people. Cooks. Telephone installers. Decorators. Carpet layers. The list is endless.”
For the first time since he’d mentioned the cottage, she was glad they would have a place separate from the others. A place where she could secretly install tight security and warning systems. “Once we’re inside the embassy, I can sweep the phones and rooms for bugs. Our primary concern should be to investigate people with a motive to want you dead.”
TAYLOR HADN’T EXPECTED the cottage to be a two-story Victorian that reminded her of an elaborate doll-house. She and Alex had returned to her office, picked up her car and driven to the embassy after stopping by her apartment to pack a suitcase and running a few more errands that included buying a tool belt and tools to complete Alex’s disguise. He’d handed their employment papers to a guard inside the embassy gate, and in return they had received a key to the front door of the cottage. The guard had issued directions to drive around the modern office building currently under construction, with instructions to watch out for the barricades.
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