Sheba's Gambit

by Kristine Frost

  Sheba told her everything that had happened since she had gotten on the plane. “I don’t know who Tony is working for or with, but it isn’t me.”

  When Nagle began to speak, Sheba held up her hand even though Ms. Nagle couldn’t see it. “I know I don’t have proof, but it all adds up. Wyatt said he’d have someone watching Braden so no one could harm him. Well, that didn’t happen unless the man who is watching Braden was hired to scare him to death.”

  She reached over and turned on the TV. As she listened to news report her mouth dropped open.

  “Now Aaron Aschler is dead. It was just on the news. I don’t know who was responsible, but he is dead.”

  “Sheba, I think you are over reacting.”

  “If I don’t have Marshall here tomorrow by 5:00, I promise you that you will have my resignation by 6:00. I can get a civilian job at three times the pay by noon day after tomorrow. I will destroy all my notes, the diary and the other books and I will turn my back on Sheba.

  “Sheba, listen--”

  “No, you listen. You put the balance of power over the health and safety of my nephew. A very bad idea. I promise you that all hell will break loose if anything happens to him.”

  Nagle paused. Sheba could picture her closing her eyes and breathing deeply. “All right. Let me think about this for a few minutes. I’ll call you back shortly.” There was a click. She’d hung up the phone.

  Dropping into the Queen Anne chair, Sheba began taking Aschler’s notebooks out of the box. There were three small notebooks and a number of flat objects. She looked at each one before setting it on the bed.

  There was a knock on the door. “It’s me, Aunt Sheba,” Braden called. “Can I come in?”

  “Of course. It’s unlocked.”

  He pushed open the door. “I finished my homework. Mom said I should see if you need help to get down to dinner.” He looked over at her. “Are you okay? You look kind of angry.”

  She laughed. “If you were older, I’d think you were trying to find out what I was doing.”

  He frowned. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He looked at the box. “You got it open. I thought you’d need me to help you more.”

  “You got it open. All I did was lift the lid. There is something I need you to help me with after dinner, but for now will you push the box into my closet. I don’t want anyone to know about it.”

  “Okay,” he said as he pushed it across the room. After a struggle, he finally got it into the closet.

  “Braden, dinner is ready. Is Sheba coming down?” Theo’s voice called.

  “Quick, rub out those marks on the carpet.” Sheba raised her voice. “We’re coming.”

  When dessert was served, Ambassador Barrus said, “Ms. Bentley, I’m sorry to hear about your accident. I can send for Dr. Raymond, our family doctor.

  “Thank you, ambassador, I would appreciate that very much. The doctor on the train said I could get a cortisone shot that will make my knee feel better.

  Barrus said, “Bond isn’t much of a body guard if he lets things like that happen.”

  Sheba tipped her head. “I agree with you. Ambassador, but I can’t do anything about him.”

  “I think I’ll give Toby a call. We’ve never been friends so it may do more harm than good, but--”

  Once Sheba was back in her room, she got Braden to bring her his flashlight.

  “Why do you need my flashlight?”

  “Well, I need to find a place to hide the papers that came in the box. I’m afraid someone might steal them.” She said in his ear.

  He smiled a little smug smile. “I know a place, but you have to promise not tell my Mom I showed you or she’ll kill me.” He looked up at her, his dark blue eyes worried. “I really didn’t do anything. I just found it.”

  Sheba sighed to herself. Sheba, you idiot, you’re turning Braden against his mother. That isn’t good, but you need a hiding place so you’re going to have to go along with him.

  “I promise I won’t tell.” Her words were only as loud as her breath.

  Braden led her to her bathroom. He pulled at the kickboard under the long, porcelain sink. The board came away in one long piece. Awkwardly, Sheba got down on the floor by him.

  “See Aunt Sheba. I didn’t break it. I just found it one night when I was supposed to stay in my room but I got bored so I came in here to play with my remote car. The board fell over when I accidently ran the car into it.”

  “It looks like a workman didn’t nail it down.” She laid flat on the tile and looked in the hole. There were spider webs, but it looked dry. To one side was a pile of what looked like school papers. When she reached for them, Braden said, “Those are mine. Can we just leave them there?”

  “Sure,” she said. “I won’t look at them.”

  “Promise?”

  “I promise.” She said, adding, “Will you bring me the papers out of the box? We’ll put them in your hiding place.”

  “Okay.” He ran into her bedroom. He was back in a second carrying her cell. “Someone’s calling you.”

  “Thanks,” she said.

  She pushed the button. “Hello.”

  “Sheba, this is Alexandra Nagle. Sorry it took me so long to get back to you, but it took Director Maitland a long time to make a decision. He has decided that you don’t have enough proof that it was Tony that hurt you. He wants you to continue to work with him. He thinks that the man Braden saw was Wyatt’s operative. He says that eight-year-old children have great imaginations. Braden may be using that to keep from getting in trouble for not doing his school work. Braden is trying--”

  Sheba looked at Braden who could hear every word.

  “No,” she interrupted. “Braden isn’t making this up.”

  “I’m sorry, Sheba. I believe you but Director Maitland doesn’t.”

  Sheba pulled Braden to her. “Everything goes to Breckenridge tomorrow. The diary, the map Aschler gave me. Aschler’s papers that he sent to me. Everything. I will e-mail you my resignation.”

  “Sheb--” Sheba pushed the off button savagely.

  Sheba pulled Braden to her in a tight, hard hug. “Braden, I’m so very sorry. I’ve put you in danger even though I didn’t mean to.”

  The phone buzzed. Sheba looked at the screen and then tossed it out into the other room. “Put the board back, please sweetie. We won’t need to hide the papers.”

  Braden hugged her back. “Aunt Sheba, I don’t want you to lose your job.”

  “Sweetie, I can find a new job here in London so I can be with you. We’ll have great fun. We can go on the London Eye and we can go to the Harry Potter Park here in London.”

  Braden’s face lit up. “All right!” He said pumping the air with his fist. “We can read the first Harry Potter book. I got it from the school library.”

  Leaning on the sink, Sheba got to her feet. “I need to let the marines know that Tony isn’t to be admitted. That will make Ambassador Barrus happy. You need to get ready for bed, then we’ll read the first chapter of the Sorcerer’s Stone.”

  They were reading Harry Potter when there was a tap on the door.

  Chapter 14

  Theo walked in. She was dressed in a gauzy, tomato red cocktail dress. She sat down on the bed. “Sheba, what’s going on? Ambassador Barrus is on the phone with Toby Maitland. The ambassador said that you told him not to admit that horrible Tony Bond. I thought you were working with him.”

  “It’s nothing important. I think Tony was the one who hurt my knee. He didn’t want to work with an amateur so he decided to get me out of the way. Maitland wouldn’t believe me so I quit. I can find a job here so I can be with you and Braden.”

  Theo looked relieved. “It will be fun to have you here in London. I don’t know if you can stay at the embassy though.”

  “I’m sure there are apartments for rent, although I think they are called flats here. I was offered a job by Allred Security a few months back. I turned them down, but I’ll call them first t
hing in the morning.”

  Braden frowned. “But you promised to go to school with me tomorrow.”

  “I know. I’m keeping that promise.”

  He looked at his Mom. “She’s my show and tell.”

  Theo looked at the book Sheba was holding. “What are you reading?”

  Sheba turned the book to show her the cover. Theo laughed. “You’re going to turn him into a Harry Potter fan, are you?” She paused, “Are you sure they’re, well, suitable for a young child. Braden’s only eight.”

  “Trust me. They’re suitable. It’s a classic battle of good and evil.”

  She thought for a minute., “I’d like to go the theme park here when you go. I’ll read the books with you.”

  Sheba closed Braden’s door behind her as she limped out into the living room of their suite. Ambassador Barrus and her sister were waiting for her. “I promised Toby Maitland that I would talk to you about your decision.” He said softly.

  Sheba could feel Braden come to stand by the door. She thought for a moment, then opened the door. “Come on out, Braden. This concerns you too.”

  Theo started to rise, but Sheba put up her hand. “I think you both should know what is going on. There have been enough secrets.”

  She sat down on the loveseat with a plop. “Getting down is harder than getting up,” she said with a smile. She motioned for Braden to sit by her. She was silent for a moment. “It all started when Dad’s obsession.” She told them everything that had happened, then said to her sister, “Braden will be in danger until I give Breckenridge what he wants.” She looked at Barrus, “When Maitland wouldn’t back me, I decided it wasn’t worth fighting any more. I didn’t want to work with Tony—if I can’t trust my partner, I’m in big trouble.”

  Barrus looked at the far wall. “I’m glad you told us about this. I never had an idea the Nathan Breckenridge would be involved in something like this, but it does validate the feeling I’ve had about him for some time.” He got up. “I told Maitland I’d talk to you. Now, I’m going to tell him that I support your decision and he’s an idiot.”

  He looked at Braden, “We’ll do our best to protect this young man. I hope that you are wrong but we’ll trust your instincts and keep him safe.”

  When Barrus had left the room, Theo put her arms around Braden. “I’m sorry I didn’t believe you. You do what Aunt Sheba says, okay?” She groaned, “I’ve got to get back to that blasted party. Be careful.”

  Sheba tucked Braden back in bed. He patted the covers. “Aunt Sheba, are you sad to give up finding Sheba?” He said, his blue eyes serious.

  “In a way, I’m sorry. Dr. Aschler was a very nice man. I feel like I’m letting him down because he hated Nathan Breckenridge.”

  “Me, too,” Braden said.

  “But I’m not sorry to give it up to protect you.” She gave him a hug, “But I did something really stupid.”

  “What?”

  “I told my ex-boss that I was sending everything to Breckenridge day after tomorrow if they didn’t send Marshall to protect you. Since I quit but I think Tony might steal the papers so I can’t send them to Breckenridge.”

  Braden tipped his head. “Why don’t you hide them? They would never find them because we could nail the board.”

  “We could except they might hurt you.”

  Braden whispered. “What if we hide them then you burn papers in the fireplace and tell everyone that you burned them. I have a bunch of papers that my Mom said I have to throw away. We could burn them.”

  She started to smile. “Braden, you are an absolute genius“

  “We’ll need to hurry. Mom will kill me if she finds me up” He quickly jumped out of bed. “You go in the bathroom. I’ll bring the stuff to you. Let’s keep the lights off so no one can see us.” His eyes were twinkling. It was plain that he was having the time of his life.

  Sheba got down on the floor in the bathroom and neatly stacked Dr. Aschler’s papers as he brought them to her. When they were done, Braden shoved the kickboard back in place. “Do you think we need to nail it?” He asked barely above a whisper.

  “No. It’s really tight. Remember, you had to pry it lose.” She struggled to her feet.

  When she got back into the bedroom, he said. “I’ll go get my papers.”

  She lit the fire, then she put Braden’s papers on the flames. “Get the copy of the diary from my nightstand, please,” she said out loud. “I don’t want to forget that even though it’s not a very good copy.”

  Once everything was well burned, she stirred the ashes until they were nothing but dust. “Braden, you’d better get back in bed. It’s getting late and we’ll both get in trouble if we don’t get up on time.”

  He nodded and ran to his room. She dialed Nagle’s number. The call went to voice mail. “Ms. Nagle, I just wanted to tell you that I won’t send the papers to Breckenridge. I burned them instead. I couldn’t be that disloyal to Dr. Aschler’s memory.”

  Quietly, she checked to make sure Braden was asleep, then she quietly pulled off the kickplate and began reading the papers they had hidden.

  The next morning, Sheba staggered out of bed when the alarm went off. Anxiously, she tiptoed into Braden’s room. He was nearly dressed. “You’re up early,” she said.

  “I wanted to make sure I was ready on time.” He looked at her then said softly, “Did anyone break into your room?”

  She shook her head. “No. Why?”

  “Well on the spy shows I watch, the bad guys bug their mark’s rooms. I figured if the room was bugged they wouldn’t come last night because they would know that you burned the papers so I guess I was right.”

  He looked at her robe. “You’d better get dressed. I can’t be late.”

  A few minutes later she walked into the living room, fully dressed.

  “Is this okay?” She asked.

  He nodded with a smile. Putting his hand on her crutch, he walked her down the stairs.

  Braden waited for the marine to open the door. “Thanks, Mike,” he said politely. He walked out stopping suddenly. “Aunt Sheba,” he said ominously. “Look!”

  Sheba limped out behind him. Tony’s grey BMW was parked in front of the steps. He was leaning against the fender. Sheba looked for the limo that normally took Braden to school.

  “I told the limo driver that I was taking you to school,” Tony said. Acting like nothing had happened, he opened the door.

  Sheba looked down at Braden then at Tony. “You aren’t taking us to school. I quit and don’t need you.”

  “You quit because of me.” He said bluntly. “Maitland told me that I’d better get you to change your mind or I could join you in the unemployment line.”

  “So who are you really working for? Maitland? Or Wyatt? Or Breckenridge? Are you the mole in the organization that has made it possible for Breckenridge to stay two steps ahead of all our, I mean, Maitland’s agents?” She demanded. “Because I know you’re not just working for Maitland. Just like I know you injured my knee.”

  “Did you really burn all the papers?” He demanded, ignoring her questions.

  “Yes, she did,” Braden shouted. “I helped her.” He looked up at Sheba, “I don’t want to go with him.”

  “Me, neither. Why don’t you ask Mike to call for our driver? He needs to learn that we give the orders, not someone off the street.”

  Braden went back in the embassy.

  “Go away, Tony,” Sheba said. “I’m not buying your tear jerker. Maitland can’t fire you. You’re the CIA’s top agent. Just how dumb do you think I am?”

  “Pretty dumb,” he snarled. “Don’t you realize that you’ve put yourself in a dangerous position? Without my protection, you and your precious nephew ate sitting ducks.”

  “Maybe so, but I think we’re safer without you than with you. I noticed you didn’t deny injuring my leg. Why did you do that, Tony? Because Wyatt wants me off the case. Well, he got what he wanted, but I suspect that my burning the papers was more th
an he wanted.”

  “Well, that won’t make you popular with the powers that be in the government.” He sneered.

  She laughed. “You told me if Sheba was in the wrong place, they’d bury my research. Well, I just buried it a little sooner than they wanted. Go away, Tony.” Sheba said sweetly, as Braden came out the door.

  “Raphael will be here in a minute.” He said.

  “Good. Thanks, sweetie.” Sheba said to Braden. Then she turned back to Tony. “Like I said, “Go away.”

  Tony glowered at her then said through gritted teeth, “You are really going to regret this. You don’t have a clue who you’ve offended.”

  Chapter 15

  The embassy limo pulled up behind Tony’s BMW. Putting a hand on Sheba’s crutches, Braden began walking toward it.

  Sheba looked back at Tony. She smiled wolfishly, “Don’t threaten me. It could be hazardous to your health.”

  Raphael opened the back door for them. As soon as they were in the car, Tony roared out of the driveway, barely pausing at the Maddox Street stop sign.

  Raphael said, “The man said you were going with him. I’m sorry I wasn’t here to get you. We’ll have to hurry to get you to school on time.”

  While Raphael was breaking speed laws, Sheba texted Nagle, telling her about the conversation with Tony. She finished with: he didn’t deny working with Wyatt or with Breckenridge. If he is working for Breckenridge, then you are in big trouble. Sheba

  Twenty minutes later, Sheba and Braden got out. Braden looked at his watch. “I only have three minutes to get to class. We’d better hurry. My first professor is really mean. If I’m late again, he’ll fail me.”

  “Go. I’ll follow as fast as I can.”

  Leading the way, Braden nearly ran to his class, he walked up to the professor just as the first bell rang. “Dr. Johnston, this is my aunt, Sheba Bentley. She’s visiting from the United States.”

  Sheba held out her hand. “I appreciate your letting me visit your class. Braden tells me that he really likes it.”

  “Miss Bentley.” A smile barely touched his lips. “You can sit over by Braden. Maybe you can keep him from talking to himself.”