“Are we crazy?” she whispered. “Other people would say we don’t really know each other.”
“Other people don’t matter. We know each other in the most basic way possible. The other stuff we’ll learn along the way.”
He kissed her then, the way she’d been longing for him to kiss her from the beginning. His mouth moved over hers tenderly, persistently. His tongue entwining with hers promised delicious delights and pleasure untold.
She moaned against him, wanting more. Wanting everything.
The ringing doorbell reminded her that not only did they have company coming, Liam had to leave.
They pulled away, breathless. The heat in Liam’s eyes matched the fire burning in her body.
“When I get home, we’re going to spend days and nights together, exploring all those things we don’t know about each other. Okay?”
“It’s a date.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Cartagena, Colombia
Sweat poured down Liam’s body. The air was so thick and wet, one could almost imagine rain poured from the sky, except that bright blue sky held a blazing sun that baked everything within seconds of exposure. He’d honestly never been this hot, and if hell was hotter than this, he was going to do his dead-level best not to end up there.
“I swear, Stryker. I ain’t got no notion where Drury could be.”
Tightening his grip on the creep’s shirt collar, Liam couldn’t prevent a laugh. When scared, Ronnie Wiggins lost his fake Spanish accent in a hurry. Hailing from somewhere in the southern US, Ronnie did his best to bring an international flair to his criminal activities. But when he figured he was seconds from losing his life, the Southern came out.
Liam much preferred him this way.
Pulling Ronnie closer, he spoke softly. “You used to be partners. Even though you parted ways, I’m willing to wager you keep tabs on each other.”
“Then you gotta know if I give him up, he’ll come after me.”
“Not if I take him out of circulation. He won’t be around to bother you, Ronnie. Just think, you won’t have to compete with him anymore.”
A gleam entered Ronnie’s bloodshot eyes. Yeah, he liked the idea of having to compete with one less slimeball. But fear overcame greed, and Ronnie shook his head. “He’d find out. He always finds out stuff. Even if he’s not around, he’ll get somebody to do the deed for him.”
“I can protect you.”
“I can’t risk it, Stryker.”
“You’re risking more if you don’t.”
“What’s that mean?”
“It means I’ve got a network of people who’d be glad to send out some information. Maybe spill that Ronnie Wiggins was behind the leak that got Drury locked up last year.”
“But that ain’t true!” Ronnie whined.
“Don’t you keep up with the news? Truth is in the eye of the beholder these days. Drury trusts you about as far as he can throw that tree over there. When he hears that news, no way he won’t believe it. That’ll tip him over the edge, and he’ll be after you for the rest of your life. You won’t be able to rest, won’t be able to sleep. You’ll be looking over your shoulder forever. You really want to live like that?”
“But…but…”
“Up to you, man.”
Worrying his teeth over his dry lips, Ronnie looked everywhere but at Liam. Any other time, he might’ve felt a tinge of guilt for leaning so heavily on the lowlife, but he couldn’t afford that feeling. Drury was directly responsible for Myron’s death. Catching the slug was one last thing he could do for him.
Plus, getting him out of circulation meant one less human trafficker. It would be a good day for all when he took the maggot down.
“I’m running out of patience, Ronnie.”
“How’d you even find me? I’ve been lying low. Hadn’t seen or talked to nobody but Drury.” His eyes narrowed. “You ain’t in cahoots with that arms-dealing guy, are you?”
“Arms? You selling illegal weapons, Ronnie? Maybe I should just take you in, let somebody else find Drury and tell him how you ratted him out. You’ll be locked up in prison, nowhere to go. I bet Drury’s got lots of friends there, just looking to do him a solid.”
“No, no,” Ronnie said rapidly. “It ain’t nothing like that. I’m just a go-between. I don’t do the bad, not like Drury.”
“Yeah, you keep thinking that, Ronnie. And now your time is up. You’ve got five seconds to tell me where he is or life is going to get pretty damn bleak for you.”
“You said you can protect me, right?”
“I keep my word. Now spill.”
“He’s in Bogota. I’m supposed to hook him up with the broker.”
“That right? Guess that’s not gonna happen. Where in Bogota?”
Eyes darting left then right as if he expected Drury to appear before him, Ronnie swallowed hard and said, “He’s got a woman he stays with there.”
“Her name?”
“Lucretia. Lou for short. She’s a bartender at Las Casa Mi. She’s a nice woman. I met her a couple of years ago. I don’t know what she sees in the man.”
Liam had to give the guy credit. Once Ronnie made up his mind to spill, he did that and more.
“You know,” Ronnie went on conversationally, “he’s only been in the trafficking business a few months, but he’s making tons of money. I told him for years he should. He’s got the gift for it.”
“And you don’t?”
“Ain’t my style. Too much work. People are real sensitive about that shit these days.”
“Imagine that.”
The sarcasm went right over Ronnie’s head. “Yeah, I know. Weird. Anyways, to each his own, I always say. Live and let live.”
“Yeah, you’re a real philosopher.”
“How much you gonna give me?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“I gave you some good info. It’s gotta be worth something.”
“It is. It’s worth your life. I told you I’d protect you. That’s your payment.”
“That ain’t right.”
“No. What’s not right is that people are being sold all around the world, and the only reason you don’t do it yourself is because it’s too much trouble. Now, take the protection, or get out of my sight.”
“Okay, okay. Whatever. Can you at least send me somewhere nice?”
“Oh, it’ll be nice all right.” Liam spoke into the mic on his lapel. “Come on in. He’s ready.”
Liam nodded at the two local men who’d come along to take Ronnie to his new digs. Who knew? Ronnie might turn out to be a changed man. The sisters of Perpetual Blessings had arrived in Uganda last week and had sent out an urgent plea for help. Ronnie might not appreciate the irony but Liam definitely did. No way would Drury think to look for Ronnie at a humanitarian rescue site in Uganda.
To save his own life, Ronnie Wiggins would be helping to save the lives of others.
If that wasn’t irony he didn’t know what was.
He headed back to his SUV and on the way pressed the call icon for Ash. “Hey, I got the intel.”
“How many of us do you need with you?”
“Not sure yet. I’ll do a check and see where we are.”
“Sounds good.”
“Anything on the other?”
He’d met with Ash before leaving and told him what Aubrey had revealed about her last day in Syria. There was something altogether hinky about her abduction, torture, and release. Without her knowledge, he’d asked Ash to do a deep dive into her family. The stabbings she’d endured had been meant to send a message. To whom and for what reason? Had she been taken as a punishment or a warning for someone?
“Not yet. Serena dug up some things but nothing that would raise more than a brow or two. We’ll get there, though.”
“Yeah, I know. Thanks for doing this. I know that—”
“Stop right there. What’s important to an OZ operative is important to us all.”
“Thanks, man
. I’ll call you as soon as I find Drury.”
“Sounds good. Stay safe.”
Liam pocketed his phone and climbed into his SUV. He wanted this over and done with. For the first time ever, he had someone waiting at home for him. Her name was Katarina Aubrey Starr, and he could not wait to return to her.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Cyprus
The tedious boredom would soon be over. He had put a plan into place that would keep him entertained for weeks, if not months. It had been so easy. With one phone call, life was grand again.
When the girl he’d known as No. 7 had died, he had been outraged. Giving the young ones drugs rarely worked out well. It had always been his policy to gain compliance through bribes and coercion. Mix in a little fear, and you get a perfect and well-behaved girl.
This one had been special. He had enjoyed her on numerous occasions and even considered bringing her into his stable full time. She was young and malleable. Once she had aged beyond his preference, he could have sold her for a nice profit. Instead, she had OD’d in one of his houses, which was infuriating.
Maybe if he hadn’t been so upset, he would have ensured that the girl was actually dead. When he’d told his people to dump her body, he had assumed they would make sure she was no longer breathing, like any fool would. Instead, the morons had taken her to the woods and left her. Not only had the girl still been alive, she had dragged herself to civilization.
Good thing he had a bevy of spies. Even though the story had been quickly covered up, the enticing tidbit that a young girl had been found on a hiking trail in upstate New York had caught the attention of one of his people. The woman had put two and two together and made an inquiry. Wasn’t long before she’d pieced together the mystery and contacted him.
No. 7 was still alive.
By the time his people had tracked her down again, she’d been too old to bother with. The girl had no clue of his identity, and he’d been prepared to look at her as the one that got away. And then he’d learned something exciting.
She had a younger sister.
Still a little younger than he preferred, so he had been willing to wait. He’d kept a watch on the family. And now…now, she was almost just right.
The family had changed their names, moved across the country to Iowa of all places. They thought they were safe, thought they’d hidden themselves. They were wrong.
When he’d learned that Aubrey Starr, that little busybody filmmaker, had visited the family, he’d known something was up. Had she found out something?
She was making a new documentary—like the one she’d done a few years back. That one hadn’t stepped on his toes. But if she was talking to No. 7, the new film might point toward him. He couldn’t allow that to happen.
His plan had been to silence her permanently. Problem was, she had some protection. Wasn’t that a kick in the ass? The girl who was trying to uncover dirty deeds had her own dirty little secret.
Maybe she didn’t even know—didn’t matter to him. But it did present some problems. He’d been told that taking out that producer, the money man, would fix things, that she wouldn’t be able to do the film without his money and backing.
To be sure, Ferante had sent someone to her house to snoop. And what had he found? Not only did she have a secret hiding place, she had disappeared, taking whatever she’d been hiding with her.
He’d told his people to make a statement. They’d sent a few photos to show him they’d done just that. He approved. That didn’t mean she was safe, though. He had eyes and ears everywhere. He’d find the little bitch and have her put down for good. He didn’t care who her contacts were.
But for now he had other fish to fry. He wanted No. 7’s sister. Now. Immediately. What if the parents got antsy and disappeared? He couldn’t afford to lose the girl. She was still a little young, but he could wait her out. Wouldn’t hurt to do a bit of training while he waited.
In just a few days, she would belong to him. Who knew, he might actually keep this one for himself.
Happy for the first time in a long while, he picked up the phone and made a call. “Have my yacht readied. I want to leave in two hours.”
Not bothering to wait to hear that his command would be obeyed, he ended the call. Leaning back in his chair, Ferante smiled. There was nothing that made him feel more like a king than being at the helm of The Jewel. All 199 feet of her was his, and she obeyed his every command.
In fact, that’s where he’d have his newest acquisition brought. Being surrounded by a mile of ocean with no place to run would encourage compliance in record time. And if it didn’t, he had other ways.
The other side of the world
Rudolph Ulrich sat at the large oval table, surrounded by people he didn’t trust. They had been together for years, brought together for one purpose. He knew them better than he knew anyone else, including his own son.
But today, because of that son, he was facing them as adversaries.
The meeting hadn’t been called for him to argue his son’s case. Those kinds of meetings didn’t exist for this group. No, they were here for one reason only. They were going to render judgment. And though he already knew what had been decided, he couldn’t resist trying to change their minds.
“I’ll speak to Marc Antony. Let him know in no uncertain terms that he has gone too far. I can make him stop.”
“If you could make him stop, why haven’t you done so before now?”
They were all at the same level, but the man who’d asked the question had a tendency to pretend to be the leader. He wasn’t, but people rarely challenged him.
Appealing to his or anyone’s humanity would do no good. They had taken an oath years ago, and that was the only code by which they lived. Eschewing any kind of personal life for the greater cause, they were of one mind. He was the only one who’d dared defy his oath to have a family.
All right, not really a family. He hadn’t even known he had a child until a woman he barely remembered contacted him and told him he was a father. He had thought about having them both killed—he didn’t need the hassle—but had changed his mind when he’d seen the boy. Instead, he’d had only the boy’s mother taken out of the picture. He didn’t want her interfering. Then he’d given the child over to a couple he knew to raise him. Thanks to him, the boy had never wanted for anything. Problem was, the more he got, the more he wanted.
When Rudolph had brought his son, Marc Antony, into the organization, he had believed he would be an asset. And he had been. Unfortunately his unusual tastes had often interfered with his responsibilities. Rudolph had warned him numerous times, but to no avail. Marc Antony wanted what he wanted. And now it could cost him everything.
“I do believe your silence tells the tale.”
He inwardly sighed. There was no need to argue. They wouldn’t change their minds. It wasn’t like he had any kind of affection for the boy. But Rudolph didn’t take failure well. Failing at fatherhood wasn’t really failure, though. Not really.
“I will take care of the details,” Rudolph said.
“That’s not necessary. It’s being handled.”
Showing weakness and subservience was not in his best interest. These people would chew him to pieces given the right incentive. He refused to give it to them. Rudolph Ulrich was a wealthy, powerful man in his own right. He bowed to no one, especially this man with his arrogant condescension.
“I said I would handle the situation and I will.”
They stared at each other for several long seconds. No one spoke and the room was filled with an explosive tension. Finally, the other man gave a nod of his head and said, “Then do it.”
And that was that.
He watched the men and women stand, and without the socializing one might see after an ordinary business meeting, they dispersed without speaking to one another.
He stood and wasn’t surprised to feel lighter than he had when he had arrived. Within a few hours or a few days, the biggest mistake o
f his life would be no more. There were advantages to having no emotions. This was one of those times.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Iowa City, Iowa
The night was dark and peaceful. A distant train and the closer noise of a howling coyote were the only sounds to compete in the stillness. Houses lined up in rows, filled with sleeping families who were unaware that danger had arrived in their city, on their street. A danger no one would see until it was too late.
Blueprints of the house had been easy to obtain. They had been studied and memorized. There would be no escape, no way out. The family consisted of parents and three children—an older teen girl, a boy of about fourteen, and the youngest, a girl of about eleven. The youngest was their target.
The team was set. Two women would enter the house. The goal was to take the girl without anyone knowing. If they were discovered, two men waited on the outside. They would come in and handle the situation. Killing them all was an option that had been given to them, but he hoped it wasn’t necessary. Making it more complicated often caused issues. Simple was best.
Get the girl, get out. That was the goal.
The man spoke into his mic: “A and B, are you set?”
A female voice answered: “A and B ready.”
“Go.”
He watched from a safe distance. He wouldn’t participate unless things went awry. They shouldn’t. He had trained these people. They knew what to do.
Two barely discernible shadows slipped in through the garage door. Surveillance had revealed that the family, though apparently safety conscious enough to have a security system—which his people had easily dismantled—the lock on the garage door leading inside the house was a standard one. His people could quietly break that lock within seconds.
Confirming his thoughts, B whispered, “We’re in.”
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