by Lyn Stone
She cleared her throat, glanced to Cate, possibly for support, and then continued. "Never heard from them again. Years later I waitressed my way through Iowa State, took a job with one of the forensic labs there and eventually got a masters."
Cate grinned. "Valedictorian and magna cum laude. Tell it like it is."
Dani blushed. "I went for criminal justice out of rebellion. Because the police and the Rom are natural enemies," she went on to explain.
Ben's expression said he was interested but not shocked.
"So that's the source of my so-called gift, a piddly leftover from Mommy's psychic proclivities. Turned off yet?"
Ben smiled. "Fascinated! All I inherited was the ability to function without a calculator."
Cate clapped her hands in glee. "This is so much better than TV."
Dani looked confused. "Ben, you don't understand. My people were thieves. Grifters."
Ben wished he could show her how little he cared about that. "And the old nature versus nurture question pops up, huh? Some of my ancestors were transported from England for theft. Some were already here and went after their scalps. We all have ancestral skeletons to rattle, Dani. Who cares, really? You're not them, and race surely doesn't determine anything. I'm pretty sure you're not a thief, given our mission here."
Cate chimed in, caught up in the moment, "Yeah, surely you don't think Mercier would have hired you for the team without a thorough background check. We had to vote you in, you know, so he shared it���"
Dani shot her a frown. "What do you mean?"
Dumbfounded, Dani gaped at her. "I never knew he..."
Cate glanced at Ben who urged her wordlessly to continue. "Read your file if you want the details. Picture two illiterate kids roaming around the country with toddlers, living hand to mouth, getting work where they could, stealing when they couldn't. There was an arrest and you and' your sister went into the system, just as you remember. Your parents were allowed to say goodbye, then taken away. It was a minor theft, simple burglary, so they were released after serving a couple of months. But they simply didn't have the wherewithal or the education necessary to find and get you back. There's some evidence they tried... You're gonna have to forgive that failure, Dani."
Dani shuddered, her gaze fixed on her friend. "Are...are they still living?"
"Your mother died within the year. She must have suspected she was very ill before you were separated. Your father simply disappeared after that. No one knows what happened to him. He had lost the woman he considered his wife, his two children, and he had nothing else."
Dani looked distraught, suddenly fragile. "No... nobody told me. Why?" Ben went to her and put an arm around her, rubbing her back, smoothing her hair. She didn't object. She seemed numbed by the new information.
"We thought you knew." Cate got up and collected their cups, leaving them alone.
Dani ran a hand through her hair and shot Ben a look of defeat. "I should have looked into it."
She obviously needed time to absorb all this. "Why don't you take a break, Dani? I'm speaking here as a friend."
She nodded, looking terribly weary. "I think I'll go back there and try to get some sleep."
"Good idea," Ben said, giving her one last hug. She needed a friend right now, not a lover. "I'm sorry about your parents," he said. "At least now you know they didn't give you up by choice."
Her smile was weak, but she nodded. "Thank you, Ben. For that and the hugs. Sorry you had to listen to all this...personal stuff." She shrugged one shoulder. "I only wanted you to believe..."
"They gave you that gift, Dani, so they didn't leave you without some part of them."
Ben watched her go. He wasn't certain he bought into the premonition thing. But he had been to death and back, and you didn't venture that far without learning there's more to life than science could ever explain.
Chapter 12
Dani wept a little for the parents she could scarcely remember. Maybe they had cared. Maybe they thought she and Carol would be better off without them. Hopefully they were together now and in a better place than the cold world that had treated them so sadly.
She could not understand how blas�� Ben was about it all. Maybe he didn't mind her parentage, but she'd bet his mother would have a cow if she knew her little Benji was consorting with a Gypsy. Consorting. There was a great word.
The thought made her smile in spite of sadness. Cate and the others knew her story. None of them had ever discussed it or seemed to care.
Maybe she made too much of it herself. At any rate, it was good to have it out in the open and not have to worry that Ben would find out later and hate her for lying by omission. If there was a later.
It wouldn't matter if they went their separate ways. Since when had the ifs sneaked in there? They would part. For sure.
She managed to sleep for an hour. She was too curious about what Cate and Ben were finding to discuss to stay out of the main cabin for long. They had plans to make before they landed.
When she entered the cabin, Ben was laying down a hand of cards. "Gin." He looked up at her. "Hi. You okay?"
Dani nodded and smiled at him. Nobody beat Cate at cards unless she let them. "What gives here?" Dani asked.
Cate grinned and collected the deck, shuffled expertly, then fanned them. "I played fair and he beat me. Goes to show you how stupid it is to play fair."
"Right," Ben agreed. "Use every edge you've got, I always say. Want to play a little poker?"
"With you counting cards? Get out," Cate said with a laugh. "Play with her. I'm going to wash up. We'll be landing shortly. You all want to go directly to the bank when we get there?"
They nodded in unison. "Might as well get the show on the road," Ben said. He glanced at his watch. "Should be there around four. Tell me it's not one of their bank holidays."
"Not," Cate assured him.
Dani knew they were giving her space to deal with this new knowledge about her past. They wouldn't bring it up again. Instead they were offering her the major distraction of getting down to work. "We should move in a hurry," she said.
"Are they aware of what we need?" Ben asked.
"Jack's already made contact and says they'll cooperate," Cate said. "They will provide records of the transactions if we prove the crime first. You know what sticklers they are for secrecy. I have the tape of the forced transfer at your bank."
Cate patted his arm. "It has audio. And I have a fax of the transaction that took place in the Cayman's transferring everything to Geneva. That'll be enough to freeze the funds, if the money's still there."
Dani held up a hand. "Ben thinks it might have been withdrawn and converted already into something less traceable and more easily transported, like maybe diamonds. They've might have had time if the deal with a seller was already agreed on."
Cate looked thoughtful. Then she shook that finger at them. "So what we'll be after is the one who withdrew it. That photo I will have before the bank closes. Count on it."
Ben nodded. "I'll try to pinpoint any major diamond deals soon as we get to the hotel and I can set up to hack a little."
Dani knew her duty. "I'll coordinate with the local authorities immediately. Also, we'll need clearance to carry weapons, two cars, maps and so forth. No rest for the weary."
Cate fiddled in her briefcase and handed Dani a small stack of notes. "Here's the skinny on the assets if you want to look it over before we land."
Dani thumbed through the lists. "Things are moving like clockwork so far. But there's always a fly in the ointment."
Cate rolled her eyes and inclined her head toward Ben. "Get used to her bad homilies and mixed metaphors."
His gaze turned her way. "I hadn't noticed that. There's truth in the trite and reassurance in repetition."
Cate laughed. "And where did that quote come from?"
"From me," he answered, giving Dani a conspiratorial wink. "So, we have our ducks in a row?"
Dani wanted to kiss him so
badly her lips ached. "Ready to hit the ground running," she said instead.
Their jet landed at precisely four in the afternoon. Cate, eager to reach the bank before it closed, took a taxi. Dani headed for the Ariel car rental where Jack Mercier had arranged by phone for transportation.
The auto proved to be a lower end luxury model, one good for high speeds and absolute reliability. She got behind the wheel; Ben didn't object. He simply opened the map and began studying it so he could play navigator.
"Ever been to Switzerland?" Dani asked.
"No, but it's awesome, isn't it? Flying in was a real experience." He had gazed out at the mind-boggling scenery that swept past during their entry.
The classically elegant Hotel Bellevue Palace was a five-star and located next to the Swiss parliament building. Their rooms had breathtaking views.
Jack had arranged for only two rooms, putting her in with Cate. No surprise there. The place was expensive and the COMPASS budget, while generous, was not without limit. Dani wondered if Jack thought he was doing her a favor by providing her with a chaperone.
She showered, changed into black wool slacks, a matching sweater and comfy flats. Then she went next door and found Ben already at his computer, tapping away. "Find anything yet?"
He turned and gave her a warm smile, seeming to like what he saw. She liked her view, too. He wore gray flannel slacks and a black flat-knit shirt with the sleeves pushed to his elbows. His forearms were strong, sexy even. His dark hair glistened, still damp from a shower.
"How's it going?" she asked.
He got up, walked slowly over to her and put his arms around her. No groping or grasping, simply a gentle hug that felt wonderfully sweet. He nuzzled her neck just below her ear, then buried his face in her hair, inhaling deeply. She knew it smelled of plain old coconut shampoo and suddenly wished she wore perfume.
Dani reminded herself that she shouldn't want to entice him, not with perfume or anything else. She remained still, trying not to do something really stupid.
"Just needed a little human warmth. You mind?" he asked.
Dani moved a little closer. "N-no. It's okay."
Without comment, he released her and turned back to the screen. "I started with the Persand company. Hacked into the CEO's private e-mail. Found several interesting messages directed to Liechtenstein. They might be going after stamps instead of diamonds."
Dani quirked her eyebrow. "Postage stamps?"
"Smart conversion," he muttered. "You all have any assets to draw on in Liechtenstein?"
"You're kidding, right? The country's not much larger than a postage stamp. As far as I know, we have had no dealings there...but they are a part of NATO. I'm sure we can get cooperation. You know much about stamps?"
Ben shrugged. "Not a lot, but I'm learning fast." He nodded at the screen. "The ones inquired about are apparently extremely rare."
"Easy to trace then," Dani said hopefully.
"Not necessarily. Private collectors play it pretty close to the vest. Converting stamps back to cash would be a piece of cake when funds were required. Easy to transport to anywhere in the world."
A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.
"You order room service?" Dani asked.
"No."
Drawing her weapon, she pushed him to one side of the door frame and moved to the other. Loudly, she demanded, "Who is it?"
"Cate."
Both exhaled a little breath. Ben opened the door and stood aside. "So, how did it go?"
She presented him with a folder and smiled. "I always get my man. Bertrand Nicollier is our bank contact and he was very helpful. Mercier's influence is widespread and impressive."
Dani watched as Ben opened the folder.
Cate tapped the page. "We have a face. We have a name."
Ben spread out the information beside his laptop on the table. It consisted of several stills from the bank's video, a form with the client's information and a signed document of withdrawal.
Ben nodded thoughtfully. "You know, that's not a lot of backing, but it could still create major havoc. It's not as if 9/11 required a tremendous amount of money. Cate, you said you have photos from the Cayman bank that Mercier e-mailed you? I need to see them."
Cate produced another envelope from her briefcase. Ben opened it and studied the contents. With a shake of his head, he exhaled sharply and sat. "Okay, it's making more sense now."
"And what have you deduced?" Cate asked.
Ben sighed. "Might as well have a seat. This is not a short story." He massaged his forehead as if it pained him suddenly.
"What about the stamps?" Dani asked. "Aren't we in a rush?"
He motioned to the phone. "You need to get your COMPASS resources busy locating and tracking this guy," he said, thumping one of the photos. "They can do it faster than we can. We can intercept him after the buy if you intend to make the bust."
"You recognize him?" Cate asked, pulling one of the photos over to her.
"He's Andros Kelior," Ben said. "Served with me in Afghanistan." He produced the grainy video still that Jack Mercier had gotten from the bank in Grand Cayman. "And this is Ace Belken. He was there, too. I'd like to think he drowned when that boat flipped off Grand Cayman, but I'd bet my last nickel he survived, at least for a while. Somebody had to alert Kelior that we had escaped and send him to Toronto to bomb our flight."
"What does this mean, Ben?" Dani asked. "That all this has nothing to do with terrorist activities? That the theft was directed at you? At your bank?"
"Oh, it has to do with terror, all right," he told her. He touched his thumb to his forefinger. "First order of business is this. A front man is selected, someone who could be seen by the others as dedicated to jihad. Enter Andros Kelior. His father is Greek, but his mother is Iranian. He has the family connections and the contacts. We used that in our missions, and now he's using it for his own purposes."
"A traitor. You don't think he's in charge of this, though, do you?" Dani guessed.
Ben shook his head. "No, I'm pretty sure I know who's running the show. Now then, Kelior contacts all the other clients I had with sympathetic Middle Eastern ties and hits them up for funds for the cause of jihad. He promises them he has the perfect way to take their money, put it to use, and to get them reimbursed for it, to boot. Wouldn't they just love the irony? Even if these donors aren't all that inclined to give up the good life they've been living in the U.S., they can contribute without detection or loss and still get underground credit for supporting the jihad."
"Their money's insured, so they aren't out anything, yeah," Dani said. "Go on."
He ticked off on another finger. "Get another fellow, this one a true son of al Qaeda, the Taliban or whatever arm of Satan he's chained to. He has to be expendable and not wise to the big picture. That would be the guy who hit my bank. His motive is moving the money to finance the cause. Period. Got it?"
Cate and Dani nodded.
"Doesn't matter that he dies in the process, except that those in control will have to replace him if they want to do a repeat performance. His only job was to get the money where it was intended to go, the Cayman bank. That, and to help lay the blame on me."
Ben tapped a third finger. "Waiting there is Ace Belken. He's supposed to move the funds out of the Cayman bank. He takes his cut and sends the rest to Switzerland to another account in the name of the bogus company."
"But Fontenot was on to him," Dani guessed.
Ben nodded. "The move was suspicious to say the least. At the last minute, the brains behind the plan notifies Belken that I'm still alive and following the money. He knows me and would have been waiting for me to show up in the Caymans. He must have been watching the hotel and saw us heading for the boat. He and whoever was riding shotgun for him came after us, but not before he called Kelior as a failsafe���bomb onboard our plane in case we manage to get past Belken and try to fly over here."
He shook his head. "Kelior could easily have beaten u
s to Toronto if he flew directly from the States. He was Explosive Ordnance, the man with the right experience. He could have rigged the bomb easily and slipped it in that kid's bag."
Cate blew out a, soft whistle. "And now he's here, this Andros Kelior."
Ben went on, his voice hard. "Persand manufactures antiterrorist gear. Weaponry, vests, even owns several security companies that supply personnel. The terrorists act, the government reacts. They pay Persand to supply what they need, And they pay a hell of a lot more than three million. Of course, Persand doesn't even pay that. Federal insurance does." He slapped a hand on the desk, then fisted it. "Persand's CEO is behind it all. That he gets my hide in the bargain is just chocolate on his cake. I could have been killed in the bank robbery, or, if I lived, I was set up to be implicated in all this. A personal side bar to his main plan."
"You! It sounds like traitorous, big business greed to me! You still think this is personal?" Dani asked.
He got up, paced the carpet for a minute before answering. "I know it for a fact. I found out who Persand really is, who owns the company, when I first hacked into them in the Caymans. I just hoped there was some mistake, some explanation, that maybe he was being set up, too." He shook his head. "But with Kelior and Belken in on it, there's no doubt now who's in charge."
"Well, don't keep us in suspense. Who is it?" she demanded.
"The man who survived the same explosion I did in Afghanistan. Victor Bruegel. My lieutenant."
Cate's intense blue gaze locked on Ben. Dani could tell she had begun reading his every thought. "He wants you dead."
Ben nodded. "Not only dead. Obviously he wants me discredited, charged with theft, maybe even treason. The question is why?" He pounded a fist in his palm. "I trusted him. He was a good officer."
He sighed, a rough sound, pained. Then he walked over to the window and looked out at what would have been a magnificent view. But Dani knew Ben didn't even see the snow-covered peaks, the thousand shades of evergreen, the city below. His voice was barely audible when he said, "This has something to do with what happened on that last mission. But for all three of them to be involved..."