When everyone was finished, she cleared up the remains while Nat showered. He emerged from the bathroom wearing the denim shirt and jeans he’d worn the first time she had seen him, his dark hair slicked down and curling the way it always did when it was wet.
Before she could look away, he caught her gaze and winked at her. The intimate gesture made her curl up inside, and she glanced at Alex. He was watching them both with a smug expression on his face.
Ignoring him, she settled herself on the couch again, feeling a rush of pleasure when Nat sat down beside her.
“Now where was I?” Alex murmured, looking up at the ceiling.
“You were telling us how you discovered that the material on the floppies was useless,” Nat reminded him.
“Oh, yes.” Alex reached for his beer and took a gulp. “Well, as you can imagine, I was in a state of panic. Here I was, due to leave for Washington the next morning to plead for a grant that would put the fuel project into production—and I had nothing to show them. I was shot down before I’d even started.”
“So what did you do?” Valeri asked impatiently, as Alex paused for another gulp of beer.
“I called my assistants.” Alex wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and put down the can. “I had a strong feeling that Sabhad must have questioned them about the disks, and of course, they both denied it. I told them that I would give them until midnight to tell me the truth. If I didn’t hear from either of them, I was going to call the FBI and the CIA to report the theft of government material.”
“I bet that got them nervous,” Nat said, nodding his head in agreement. “No one likes playing with the big boys.”
Alex smiled. “That’s what I figured. Anyway, about an hour later Simpson called me. He said he had information about the disks, but wanted to see me in person. He said he didn’t trust phones. He wanted to meet me in the lab at midnight. I asked him to make it earlier, since I had a plane to catch the next morning. He insisted that he couldn’t be there before twelve. I should have smelled a rat right there.”
“It was a trap,” Valeri said, beginning to feel a little queazy.
“It was.” Alex paused, his gaze on the floor. “I got there around eleven fifty-five. I let myself into the lab with my key card, but decided not to switch on the main lights, just in case. I was crossing the lab to switch on my table lamp when I tripped over something.”
Valeri caught her breath.
“Simpson,” Nat said, his voice hard.
Alex nodded. “He’d been shot. When I switched on the lamp, I thought at first he was dead. There was blood all over the place and his eyes were wide open and staring. But then he blinked.”
Valeri curled her fingers into her palm.
“Did he say anything?” Nat asked, his gaze intent on Alex’s face.
“I knelt down by his side, and I could see he was trying to say something. I leaned closer, but he was too weak to make any sense. I said one word to him—‘Sabhad?’ He nodded...and then he was gone.”
“Poor Paul,” Valeri muttered. “That butcher Sabhad deserves to die.”
“I went over to my desk,” Alex said as if he hadn’t heard her, “and that’s when I saw the gun. It was just lying there, right in front of my chair. At the same moment I heard sirens, and I knew I’d been set up. I figured Simpson must have called Sabhad and told him I was going to the CIA. This was Sabhad’s way of killing two birds with one stone.”
“You’re probably right,” Nat murmured.
“Well, I panicked. I picked up the gun, headed for the window and went down the fire escape. There was a Dumpster in the alleyway. It was stupid, I know, but I threw the gun in there, ran for my car and raced out of the parking lot at the back just seconds before the police cars pulled up in front. They never saw me.”
“But they found the gun,” Nat said, looking grim.
“Yes. They also knew what time I’d arrived at the lab. The key cards record names and times when people enter the lab. Simpson must have let the killer into the lab. The bastard probably waited until he saw my car, then shot Simpson and left the same way I did.”
“What did you do after you left the lab?” Valeri asked. “Why didn’t you come to my place?”
“And get you involved?” Alex shook his head. “I knew I had to get out of town until I could figure out what to do. I drove around for a while, then realized that by the next morning, Sabhad could be on his way back to Riyadh with my project. I couldn’t let that happen. This discovery could change the entire economy of our country. I couldn’t let them have it.”
“So you decided to steal back the disks.” Valeri sighed. “It didn’t occur to you to go to the police with the truth?”
“You know how long it takes to get through all that red tape? There was a murder. With all this garbage about inadmissible evidence nowadays, the police have to be careful they don’t mess up. By the time they questioned me and I convinced them to search Sabhad’s mansion for the disks, he’d be long gone. In any case, the chances of the police believing me were pretty slim. Sabhad is an influential VIP, and they only had my word that Simpson implicated him.”
“How did you get into the mansion?” Nat crossed his ankles and leaned back as if he were thoroughly enjoying the story.
Alex grinned. “I must admit, that was a little tricky. But by the time I reached the house in the early hours of the morning, I’d heard on the radio that the police were looking for me for Simpson’s murder. I figured that my only chance was to keep Sabhad in the country long enough to prove my innocence. I didn’t think he’d leave without those disks. Now I had no choice. I had to get them back. Or die in the attempt.”
“Oh, Alex,” Valeri moaned.
“You’ve got guts, Alex, I’ll say that.” Nat glanced at Valeri. “Just like your daughter.”
Alex grinned. “She is a chip off the old block, isn’t she?”
Valeri made a face at him and his grin widened.
“Anyway, I knew the wall was electrified. Sabhad had told me that. But the gates weren’t. Besides, they were easier to climb. I left the car way down the road and hiked up the hill to the house. When I got there, the guard was sleeping. I bopped him on the head just to keep him that way.”
Valeri sat up. This was a side of Alex she would never have suspected.
“Don’t look at me like that, Val,” Alex said defensively. “I didn’t do seven years in the army without learning a few things.”
Nat looked from father to daughter, his face creased in amusement. “I get the feeling there’s some family secrets coming out today.”
“Obviously,” Valeri said dryly.
“Anyway, I got over the fence and found the kitchen window over the sink unlocked. It was a tight squeeze, but I got in all right. I had no idea where to start looking for the disks. I have to admit, if I’d stopped to think things through, I would probably never have attempted such a foolhardy stunt.”
Nat’s concentration was once more centered fully on the man on the bed. “Where did you find them?”
“I got lucky. The very first door I came to opened into an office. There was a computer on the desk, and right there in front of it sat my disks. Unfortunately, while I was checking out the labels to make sure, I dropped my flashlight. I don’t suppose it made that much noise, but it sounded to me like a bomb going off. I shot back into the kitchen and went out the way I got in. Not too quietly, I’m afraid. I’d just made it to the gates when all hell broke loose.”
“The guard shot at you?” Valeri went cold, thinking of how close her father had come to being killed.
“Right. There were bells going off and lights flashing all over the place. The noise must have revived the guard. Luckily he was still a bit groggy, and his shots went wild. I caught one in the shoulder just as I dropped to the ground. My glasses fell off, but I couldn’t stop to find them. I took off down the road and scrambled up the rocks to hide. I knew I’d never get down the mountain in my car without my gl
asses.”
Valeri shuddered. “I’m surprised they didn’t find you.”
“Oh, they looked. But by the time they discovered my car and realized I was still up there somewhere, I’d found a good place to hide between two rocks. That’s a lot of area to search. They went right by me and never saw me. I worked my way down the mountain, found the gas station, and you know the rest.”
“Well, I’m happy that it wasn’t any worse,” Valeri said feelingly. “You could have been killed.”
Alex nodded. “I was lucky, I guess.”
“You’re not out of the woods, yet,” Nat reminded him. “Sabhad’s not going to give up that easily. He’s already had men searching this town. It’s only a matter of time before he catches up with you. We have to get out of here, preferably tonight after dark, and head back to Sacramento.”
“I won’t be any safer there,” Alex said mournfully. “If the police don’t pick me up, Sabhad’s men will.”
“We have to go to the police and tell them the whole story,” Valeri said. “Now that we have the disks back, we don’t have to worry about Sabhad getting his hands on them.”
“There’s still Simpson’s murder—” Alex shook his head “—it will be my word against Sabhad. I was there, apparently alone with Simpson, my prints are on the gun, and I had a motive. Simpson had stolen my project and I could have been trying to get it back. The fact that I have the disks only makes matters worse. Sabhad could simply deny that I was ever at his house that night.”
“But surely—”
“He’s right,” Nat interrupted. “Imagine what would happen if our police officers accuse a foreign dignitary of murdering a government employee and stealing government property, and then can’t prove it? They’re not going to take a chance like that.”
“Right,” Alex said, sliding his legs off the bed. “I’ve heard too much about innocent men going to jail for something they didn’t do. I’m not prepared to take that chance. Somehow I have to prove that Sabhad is involved.”
“It seems to me there’s only one way,” Nat said slowly. “We have to get Sabhad to admit he’s involved.”
Alex got off the bed and crossed the room to the bathroom. “It would probably be easier if I moved to Brazil.” He disappeared inside, and Nat looked at Valeri.
“I think I might be able to pull it off. I’ll wire myself with a recorder and pay Sabhad a little visit. I’ll convince him somehow that I’m on his side, and with luck I could trick him into saying something that would incriminate him.”
She shook her head. “It wouldn’t work. You know that Sabhad is far too intelligent to be taken in like that. How are you going to explain why you took off with me right under his nose, and played hide-and-seek with his men for two days?”
Nat shrugged. “I’ll think of something.”
“No, it’s too dangerous. I couldn’t let you do that. Alex wouldn’t let you do that.”
The bathroom door opened on her last words. “Alex wouldn’t let you do what?” her father asked, padding back to the bed.
Valeri repeated Nat’s suggestion.
As she expected, Alex emphatically turned it down. “I can’t let you take that kind of risk for me. Valeri’s right—Sabhad would never go for it. He’d figure it out in an instant, and you wouldn’t stand a chance.”
“Unless...” Valeri murmured, her skin tingling with excitement as the idea took shape in her mind.
Nat gave her a sharp look. “Unless what?”
“Unless I go back with you.” She was prepared for an argument, and wasn’t disappointed.
Both men spoke at once.
“No way!”
“Are you out of your mind?”
“It will work.” She leaned forward, her hand on Nat’s knee to emphasize her point. “Think about it. Suppose we tell Sabhad that you’ve decided to take me back to him, now that you’ve had time to think things over? You could say that you were suspicious at first because I kept insisting I wasn’t married to Sabhad. That part is true, anyway.”
“Valeri—”
“Listen to me, Nat. Tell him the guard acted as if he didn’t know me, and that’s why you figured something was wrong. But after questioning me, you weren’t convinced, so you’re taking me back to get your money.”
“Fine,” Nat said grimly. “Then what happens? Sabhad admits he’s responsible for the murder, then he just lets us go, right?”
“Nat’s right, Val,” Alex said, sounding worried. “Even if Sabhad were crazy enough to admit it, he’s not going to let you go after that.”
“Of course he’s not. But what if we set up a checkpoint somewhere, where the police can hear what’s going on? The minute they hear Sabhad implicate himself, they can move in and arrest him.”
“And how do you get him to admit to murder?”
“You wire me instead of Nat,” Valeri said evenly. “If Sabhad wants those disks badly enough to kill, he’ll have to make some kind of deal. If he won’t do it in front of Nat, he’ll have to deal with me.”
“Valeri, there’s no way I’m going to let you put yourself in that kind of danger,” Nat said firmly.
“It can work, Nat, I know it.”
“I might not be able to help you if you get into trouble.”
“Sabhad’s not going to do anything to me until he has his hands on those disks. The police will be there long before that.”
“We can’t be sure of that.”
“Nat’s right, Val.” Alex shook his finger at her. “Forget it. I won’t let you risk your life for me. If anything happened to you, I’d never be able to live with it. No, you’re not going. I’d rather take my chances with the police.”
“You can’t stop me.” Valeri lifted her chin. “If Nat won’t go with me, I’ll go back alone.”
“That’s ridiculous.” Nat surged to his feet and began pacing around the room. “There has to be another way.”
“There is no other way.” She watched him, willing him to agree with her. “You know it, Nat. It could work. This is my father’s only chance.”
After a minute or two, Nat halted, and looked at the other man. “I hate to admit it, Alex, but she’s right. I guess it could work.”
“No!” Alex looked pale as he got to his feet. “What if something goes wrong?”
“I’ll take care of her, I swear it,” Nat said quietly. “You’ll just have to trust me.”
Alex looked from one to the other. “I don’t like it. I don’t like it one bit. Sabhad is evil...he has a lot of men—”
“So do the police.” Valeri shoved herself off the couch. “We’re wasting time talking about it. Let’s do it now.” She looked at Nat. “What do you need to wire me?”
“A mike and a transmitter. CB radio. The old guy at the garage probably has what we need.”
“Right.” Valeri looked at her father, her excitement growing. “We’ll take you back to the gas station. It’s close enough to Sabhad’s mansion to pick up a strong signal. At a given time, you call the police from the call box and tell them you’re ready to give yourself up. When they arrive, you tell them to listen to the broadcast. With any luck, they won’t have to wait too long to hear Sabhad incriminate himself.”
Alex shook his head, his face creased in worry. “What if they won’t listen?”
“You’ll just have to persuade them—the way you persuade senators to give you a grant.” She turned to Nat. “Tell him it will work, Nat. Tell him it’s his only chance.”
Nat’s look of grudging respect warmed her through and through. “Let me know if you ever need a job,” he murmured.
Alex still didn’t seem convinced. “Mr. Thome?”
Nat sighed. “The name’s Nat, remember? I think we have to go along with it, Alex. I haven’t known your daughter long, but I do know that once she’s made up her mind, nothing I can say or do will change it.”
Valeri sent him a swift glance. He was looking at Alex with a perfectly innocent expression. She had to wond
er if he was referring to her rejection of him the night before. But this wasn’t the time to worry about it now.
“How long will it take us to get set up?” she asked Nat.
“I’ll go down to the garage and get what I need.”
Alex glanced at his watch. “You’d better make it fast. Harry locks the place up tight at five.”
Nat wasted no time in leaving. The door closed behind him, and seconds later the pickup roared out of the parking lot.
“I suppose you’re determined to go through with this,” Alex said unhappily.
“Wouldn’t you do the same for me?” She had to admit, now that the decision had been made, she was getting butterflies in her stomach just thinking about it.
“Of course I would. But I’m a man. Men are supposed to take care of these things.”
She looked up sharply. “Come off it, Alex. You’ve known me long enough to know that argument will get you nowhere.”
“I’ve known you long enough to care very much what happens to you.”
Her face softened at once. “I know. Please try not to worry. I’ll be in good hands.”
“You must think a very great deal of Mr. Thorne to put your life in his hands.”
“I’ve seen him in action. He’s pretty awesome. If anyone can get one past Sabhad, it’s Nat. And I wish you’d stop calling him Mr. Thorne.”
Alex grinned. “Sorry. It’s just that I find him somewhat intimidating.”
She smiled back. “That’s good. Maybe Sabhad will, too.”
She watched her father climb back onto the bed. He tried to conceal the wince when he laid back on the pillows, but she could tell his shoulder was hurting him.
“Let me look at that,” she said, pulling aside his shirt collar to take a look. She caught her breath when she saw the ugly gash. It had started to heal, but she didn’t like the look of the reddened skin around it.
“This settles it—” she let his collar fall back “—we go tonight. That shoulder needs attention and the sooner the better.”
The Mercenary And The Marriage Vow Page 18