Arielle Immortal Journey (The Immortal Rapture Series Book 5)

by Lilian Roberts

  “I’m sorry for startling you. I knocked several times but you didn’t answer.” He opened his eyes to see Georgiana’s beautiful face looking at him with tender concern. He drew in a sharp breath and a rush of powerful emotions swept through him. She was leaning over his desk, her lips softly curved. He blinked and gazed into her green eyes for a long moment; the heat between them flared. Her eyes sparkled and her moist lips were sensuously parted.

  He dragged in a tight breath. “Hi…” he said softly, voice full of want, lust, and longing.

  “It’s almost five,” she said. “I’m getting ready to go home, is there anything you need before I leave?”

  Passion and desire made his head swirl. He fought to control his quivering body. “No…no, I don’t think there is anything,” he said, but his eyes were filled with hunger. He took another deep breath and shook his head. “Since I’ll be gone all of next week,” he said, barely suppressing a groan, “please keep me posted if something comes up.”

  She rested her gaze on his beautiful face. The heat in his eyes didn’t escape her. He slowly rose to his feet and walked around the desk to stand in front of her. He was several inches taller than she even though she was wearing high heels.

  “You do have my mobile number, right?” he whispered, and held her gaze. “I want you to call me,” he said. His words caressed her ears with raw desire.

  “I will,” she murmured, and lowered her eyes demurely.

  “What is it?” he asked softly.

  “Nothing, I’m sorry, I’ll make sure I call you if something comes up.” She turned to walk away without looking back at him. He closed his hand around her wrist and held her back.

  “Wait,” he said. He pulled her back and put one finger under her chin, lifting her face to his. Her eyes were wet.

  “What is it, Georgiana?” Again, she refused to speak. Her eyes searched his. She flushed as heat spread across her skin. He struggled to suppress the sudden desire that locked every muscle in his body. He bent down and brushed his lips against hers softly. He was stunned to find himself in her tight embrace, their lips locked in a voracious kiss. Her body pressed against his. The heat between them surged to a dangerous point. He lost complete control as he held her tightly against him. He had never experienced an amazing feeling like this. He pulled back gasping and stared at her beautiful face. It was almost impossible to let her go. He lowered his head once again and took her mouth in a deeper kiss, a kiss that stimulated their minds and stirred them to another orbit. She parted her lips and surged inside, tasting her sweetness, her innocence.

  The word “innocence” shot through his brain like ice water. He pulled back from the kiss and released her reluctantly, cursing inwardly that he lost control. She opened her eyes slowly, and met his gaze. She swayed lightly back and forth, her expression hurt and confused. She cleared her throat, straightened her jacket, and excused herself.

  Rainer stood still as the door closed behind her. His body was on fire, his mind in total chaos. He was enthralled, but he knew this wasn’t right. He would have to set firmer boundaries between them. He could not risk Georgiana's safety by becoming involved with her, especially not now when his life was at risk.

  He shook his head, jolting himself out of his paralyzed state. He shrugged into his jacket, picked up his briefcase, and strode out and down the hallway to the elevator. He refrained from looking at Georgiana as he walked out. He couldn’t wait to leave the building. The cool breeze that brushed his face as he made it outside was a welcome feeling. It chilled his still burning body. He slipped into his car and leaned back against the seat and headrest. Closing his eyes, he released a deep exhalation.

  Rainer was well-known for his high-quality work, but he was still nothing more than a high-class thug. He had been with many women in his lifetime, but they had all been call girls. The only good girl he ever dated was in high school, and that felt like centuries ago. Georgiana was a good girl, not someone he had the right to touch. He did not deserve someone like her. He had to find a way to stay away from her. He was determined to set things straight when he got back. Nevertheless, he couldn't get her off his mind.

  He sat in the car for a long time before flooring it out of the parking lot. He needed to get home and change clothes. He had promised to meet a few friends at 6:30 at the local pub, although he admitted to himself that they were not real friends, people who would help him overcome his fears and troubles; they were work acquaintances who were buried in the same dirty life as he was. The thought made him bitter.

  Sunday afternoon, he met Larue and Hahn at the airport, and soon they were on a plane to Brussels. The flight wasn’t long, but by the time they arrived at the hotel, registered, and got into their rooms it was way past midnight.

  Georgiana invaded Rainer's thoughts as he lay in bed. The thought of her lying in bed with him and them being intimate made him gasp with desire. He finally drifted off to sleep at some point, still thinking about her.

  Jorrit was a tall, well-built man in his mid-forties with curly, sandy hair and blue eyes. He was sitting at his desk with his door closed trying to get over a hangover and fatigue from being out half of the night. The morning paper was spread across the top of his desk. He was holding a half-eaten croissant with his left hand and sipping his coffee with the other. His office was one of the three the group occupied on the second floor of the old building located at Rue Bodenbroekestraat 47. The rooms were quite large but not very clean. The walls were light brown to hide the dirt; dust lingered in the air. The room reeked of cigarettes due to a large ashtray at the corner of the desk filled with cigarette butts. The other two rooms were crammed with desks, chairs, equipment, and people. Each desk had two computers back to back and guys sitting across from each other glued to those flat panel monitors. There were telephones, radio hookups, and huge screens along the walls for presentations. There were computer printouts, newspapers, folders, and books everywhere.

  The door to Jorrit’s office opened halfway and a guy leaned in. “Hey, boss, there are three guys here to see you. Are you here or not?”

  “Yeah…yeah…yeah… Let them in, they are my friends.” He stood up and walked to the door just as Rainer, Larue, and Hahn walked up the stairs. Jorrit gave each one a firm handshake and invited them in.

  “It’s good to see you guys, please take a seat.” He pointed at the sofa and the recliner as he took his seat behind the desk. Larue and Hahn sat on the sofa, letting Rainer take the recliner closest to the desk. They heard Jorrit's groan of relief as his sank into the armchair. His eyes looked tired and he could actually feel exhaustion coming out of his pores.

  “You look like you had a rough night, did you?” Rainer asked with a smile.

  “Yeah, it was my birthday, and I went out with the guys to celebrate. One more year and I’ll be hitting fifty. This job is killing me even though I enjoy it.” His voice sounded strangely serene.

  “Do you feel all right to talk?” Rainer snorted.

  “Yeah…yeah… I’m okay, no problem at all. I’m all ears,” he said, barely maintaining his smile.

  Rainer’s expression turned stern and kept his gaze on Jorrit’s face. “Jorrit, this is going to be a very tough assignment, but what makes it tough is not what we have to do, but that we can’t have any slip ups. This comes from the very top, the Prime Minister. Any mistakes will be severely punished, and you know what that means in our world.”

  Jorrit twitched nervously, but maintained an unyielding face. “Do you all want a cup of coffee, or something?” he asked, attempting to ease the mood.

  “No, thanks, we have had breakfast before we came here.”

  Jorrit glanced between the three men and allowed himself to breathe calmer. “So, what’s the assignment?”

  Rainer lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply. He sat back into the chair, and tapped his fingers on the armrest anxiously. For the next two hours, he gave Jorrit every detail of the assignment, including the names they chose to handle e
ach task. Jorrit listened without interrupting.

  “These guys work for you,” he stated firmly, “and that’s the reasons we are here.”

  “I’ll do whatever you need to help,” Jorrit said.

  “We have decided on two plans. We are going to work first on plan A, and if that fails we have plan B,” he said, throwing Jorrit a meaningful look.

  “Let's discuss plan A first,” Jorrit said quickly.

  “I want you to break into their computer security system. I want you to access all their passwords and lift all the information from the secret documents that we need to have.”

  “That’s easy enough,” Jorrit said confidently. “I’ll have my hackers start on this at once.” He jotted down some quick notes and then set the pen down. He leaned forward and glanced at the three eager faces across from his desk. “You said that you would stay here for a couple of days,” he continued. Rainer nodded in agreement. “Excellent,” Jorrit, said, and reached across his desk to grab a pack of cigarettes.

  “Jorrit,” Rainer said ruthlessly, his eyes narrowed to slits. His hand hovered over Jorrit’s, preventing him from taking the pack of cigarettes. Jorrit looked up and met Rainer’s gaze. He raised an eyebrow. Rainer’s face was shadowy and severe. His voice came out slow and harsh.

  “We can’t fail in this assignment, Jorrit. My head is on the block, and trust me, if I go down, you’ll go down first.”

  Jorrit’s face stiffened, but he remained silent. Satisfied that his warning had the desired effect Rainer pulled his hand back. He reclined quietly back into the big armchair. Jorrit picked up the pack, and took a cigarette out. He lit it with shaking hands. He took a deep puff, held it for short moment, and blew out a puff of smoke in the direction of the ceiling. He reached for his coffee cup. After taking a sip, he wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve.

  He cleared his throat. “You can watch the progress yourself since you will be here for the next two days,” he said.

  “I’d like that,” Rainer said, his facing softening.

  “So, if we can’t crack the security codes, you'll move on to plan B?”

  “Yeah,” Rainer said firmly.

  “Plan B is extortion,” he said decisively.

  Jorrit humphed and cracked his knuckles. Rainer watched Jorrit closely.

  “All right then, let me get started,” Jorrit retorted. “And if we need to move to plan B, then I’ll give my guys their assignments.”

  “Thanks, Jorrit, I’m under a lot of pressure. I’m sure you understand.”

  “I’ll try to have answers for you before you leave for Belarus. If not, I’ll call you daily and keep you informed.” He stubbed out his cigarette in the full ashtray.

  “Jorrit, we selected the guys we spoke of because they seemed perfect for plan B,” Rainer pressed on.

  “They are the best at what they do. I trust them with my life, because I know that they will succeed.”

  “That’s good news, because that’s exactly what you’ll be doing—trusting them with your life.” Rainer held a stiff smile on his face.

  “Hmm,” Jorrit sniffed, and rose to his feet.

  “Do you want to inspect the operation?” he asked, glancing between the three guys across from his desk. They stood up and followed Jorrit into the rooms next to his office.

  The two rooms were connected. They were buzzing with people talking on phones, typing on keyboards, and watching the screens on the walls for updates on different jobs. It was chaotic, but it didn’t seem to bother anyone. Jorrit walked up to one of the desks and took the chair next to a young man. During their conversation, he pointed a couple of times at three visitors behind him. The guy gave them a quick, uninterested look and a faint smile. It wasn’t long before Jorrit was back, smirking.

  “We don’t have to stay here if you don’t want to. Jon is already on it and he’ll keep me updated as he moves along.”

  “How does he know where to look?” Rainer asked, a little surprised.

  “All he needs is the name of the company and he starts with that. Everything else is a game with these guys.”

  “Does he work alone or do they team up?” Larue asked.

  “They team up when the time is right. They create absolute chaos as they infiltrate the targeted security system.”

  “Jorrit, let's go out to lunch and talk a bit about the second phase in case this doesn’t work.”

  The four of them walked out of the building and across the street to a neighborhood grill. They spent a couple of hours eating and talking. As they were finishing up, Jorrit’s mobile rang.

  “Jorrit, here.” His voice hard and dry. He listened for a few minutes and cursed under his breath as he snapped the phone shut and shoved it in his pocket.

  “What is it?” asked Rainer.

  “I don’t think the first phase is going to work, but they are trying different ways to accomplish the task. Jon is going to give us the details as soon as we get back to the office.”

  They left the restaurant and crossed the street in silence. Rainer racked his brain trying to figure out why expert hackers like these guys, experts who had infiltrated government systems, couldn’t break into a civilian company's system. Jon was waiting for them in Jorrit’s office.

  “What’s the problem?” Rainer asked.

  “This company has an amazing security system.” He looked truly astonished. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

  “What do you mean?” Jorrit glared at him.

  “There are absolutely no security holes in the whole system. The software they use destroys intruders without exception, and then comes right back for a second cleanup just in case. Unbelievable…I’ve never seen anything like it. Every single person on this floor tried to infiltrate that system to no avail. We tried every known way to enter and each time we were blocked. They have installed a foolproof system with unbelievable antispyware software that protects them from receiving any unwanted program threats. The people that designed their system are brilliant… very impressive…” he said. “However,” he continued, holding a hand up, “give us a bit more time, and we’ll try some other avenues and see what we can accomplish.”

  A moment passed and then Jorrit waved him to the door. “Okay, Jon, take all the time you need, keep me posted.”

  Jon glanced quickly at Jorrit and nodded in agreement. When the door closed behind him, Jorrit heard Rainer curse under his breath.

  Jorrit studied his face and frowned. “Rainer, you have to have patience,” he said confidently.

  “Patience I have,” he said glumly. “Faith is what I’m lacking.”

  “Let’s give them a little more time,” Jorrit offered. He hadn't lost hope yet that his guys would succeed.

  Rainer shook his head. “This assignment is do or die. No negotiations and no outs.” His voice was ice cold, intended to send shivers Jorrit's spine. Raising one hand, he raked his finger through his hair and shifted in his seat. Deep lines creased his forehead and turning his head, he fixed his gaze on Jorrit. “Last year’s fiasco was Nikola’s failure, and that pissed him off pretty badly. This year he is putting the whole job on my head, and if I fail, I’m a dead man. So we can’t fail.” A long moment went by before he finally rose to his feet. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he walked to the only window in the room and looked out into the busy street.

  His head throbbed. He took a few deep breaths to try and wash away the dreadful thoughts that invaded his mind. “We have to succeed,” he said firmly, still looking out the window.

  “We will, Rainer,” Jorrit called out. “You need to relax, man, and leave the job to me. One way or another we will get it done. Stop worrying.” He picked up the phone and made a couple of calls.

  Rainer turned away from the window and studied Jorrit for a long moment. “Whom did you call?” he asked.

  “I called the four guys you chose. I asked them be here first thing tomorrow morning,” Jorrit said optimistically. He clearly was trying to make Rainer
feel better by getting people ready for the second phase of the assignment in case his people's attempts to destroy the computer systems failed.

  Over the next two days, they went over the details of the assignment with Jorrit’s people. Plan A was officially a bust. The security codes and documents were safe behind the amazing system Sebastian’s people had in place.

  “Don’t worry, Rainer, we aren’t going to fail the second phase. I’m putting my best guys on the job. You saw their records, so you know that they are good. I’ll keep you posted,” said Jorrit, and clapped Rainer confidently on the shoulder.

  “I have to trust you, Jorrit, but don’t let me down,” he said quietly, but his tone was laced with warning. Jorrit winced but remained quiet.

  “I’m going to meet Vasily in Belarus, so call me on my mobile. I need to keep Nikola updated daily. He’s going to have our asses if we can’t get this done.” He chuckled bitterly.

  “Don’t worry, buddy.” He patted Rainer on the back again and smiled.

  They left Jorrit’s office and went to the hotel to pack and then rest before the next day’s flight. Rainer didn’t get much sleep thinking about the assignment. The next morning, they arrived early at the airport ready to board their flight.

  They landed in Belarus at 10:30. They pulled out of the car rental lot prepared to discuss the last part of the assignment with Vasily. Rainer hoped that Sebastian would give up the documentation before it came to the last resort, but if needed he knew that Vasily would carry his part successfully. He had several previous personal experiences with Vasily and his work, which filled him with confidence. He smiled as he pushed on the gas and drove onto the expressway.

  Vasily was waiting for them, his face showing enthusiasm. He was a tall, lean man in his mid-thirties, well groomed and exceptionally well dressed. His office was clean and elegant. To the average individual, this handsome man in the expensive three-piece suit looked like a successful businessman, not a highly paid thug for hire. Larue and Vasily exchanged heartfelt words of greeting. They had both been well educated with promising careers ahead of them in their younger years, but money had led to their downfall.