Sheba's Gambit

by Kristine Frost

  “No.”

  Sheba shot Slater a look that said, “Be ready.”

  He barely nodded, as she raised her hand pointing her index and fifth fingers at Assid. She held her other fingers with her thumb.

  “What you doing?” He demanded, suddenly nervous. “Put down your hand.”

  “Too late, Assid,” she said. “You should have let her go. She belongs to me.” She took a step forward, raising her other hand in the same way.

  Assid looked at Breckenridge. “Tell her to stop,” he screamed.

  Slater took a step toward Assid. “You’d better let her go, I can’t control Sheba. She’s scary when she gets mad.”

  Sheba took another step forward and moved her left hand forward. She began to mutter.

  “Stop.” He screamed. “Stop”

  Suddenly from the hall, Braden said, “Aunt Sheba, where are you.”

  Assid looked startled. As he turned his head toward the sound, Michael pulled his gun. “Let her go, Assid. Let her go or I’ll kill you.”

  Sheba took another step toward Assid as Braden appeared in the doorway.

  “Aunt Sheba,” he said as he rubbed his eyes. “That’s the blind lady.”

  “Get down, Braden,” Sheba shouted. “Get down.”

  Braden looked at Sheba, then dodged out of sight.

  Slater lunged toward Assid just as he threw the knife at Breckenridge who barely dodged it. It whirled past his head and stuck in the wall, wiggling back and forth.

  Assid thrust Helen at Slater, running from the room. Slater caught Helen as she stumbled, then thrust her into Sheba’s arms. He jumped a foot stool, running after him.

  Helen grabbed at Sheba. “I think he hurt Russell, but I can’t find him.”

  Sheba steadied her. “We’ll find him. Let me get you to a chair.”

  A few minutes later, Braden staggered through the open door to the grounds. He was struggling to carry Russell who lay in his arms, barely moving. “Aunt Sheba, I found him, but he’s bleeding.”

  “Sit here, Helen. I’ll see how bad he is.”

  Breckenridge walked into the hall. “Atkins, get Mick in here. We have an injured animal.”

  Sheba had taken the dog and had laid him on the rug that stood in front of the door. Every other rug in the room looked like it cost a billion dollars. “Stroke his head, Braden, while I check him out. That will make him feel better. Tears were running down his cheeks as he dropped to his knees and began stroking the dog’s head.

  Gently, Sheba moved the dog’s hair away from the wound. “He’s bleeding, but the wound isn’t gushing. I’m going to try putting pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding.”

  Braden pulled off his jacket. “Use this, Aunt Sheba. I saw this on NOVA. You need something to put on the wound.”

  She smiled her thanks, then pressed it against the wound.

  Helen began feeling her way toward them. Without being asked, Braden stood up. “I’ll help you to Russell.”

  A man dressed in jeans and a denim jacket strode through the door. He bent and patted the dog’s head. “Easy boy. I’m going to help you.”

  Braden helped Helen kneel by her dog.

  “Is he going to be okay?” She asked.

  “I can’t tell yet. I want to make him comfortable so that it will be easier to work on him.”

  “Oh, Russell, you’ve got to be okay.” Helen turned to the man as if she could see. “Mick, you’ve got to help him. You’ve got to.”

  The man said in a Scottish brogue, “Faith, miss. Calm down. Ye’ll be upsetting the dog, if ye don’t. I’ll do me best, I promise.”

  Braden took her hand. “My name is Braden. I saw you in Florida when you lost your dog. Don’t worry. I think he will be okay.” He said with a child’s faith.

  Helen smiled through her tears. “Hi, Braden. Thank you for finding Russell in Florida and thank you for finding him now. I think you must be his guardian angel, just like your aunt is my guardian angel.”

  Braden beamed, “If I’m his guardian angel then I’ll make sure he’s okay.”

  Mike carefully checked the wound. “It looks like the bastard swiped at him with a knife, but the blade missed the vital organs.” He began rummaging in his case. He pulled out a needle and some special thread. Then he pulled out a bottle of what looked like powder.

  “This might sting him a bit.” Mick said. “It’s antibiotic powder.” He looked at Braden. “We don’t want this great bloody wound to become infected, do we?”

  Very seriously, Braden shook his head. “No, we don’t. Do you want me to hold his head?’

  “Just keep stroking his head so that he’ll stay calm because he isn’t going to like this.”

  Braden began petting Russell’s head. But when Mick sprinkled the powder on the wound, Russell yelped, growled and then grabbed Braden’s arm in his teeth.

  Before Sheba could move, Braden said, “He isn’t biting me. He’s just holding on to me, like I held your hand when they had to sew the cut on my knee.”

  Helen looked toward Sheba, tears running down her cheeks. “Your nephew is a very brave boy.”

  At that moment, Breckenridge walked back into the room. His face was purple with anger, but as he watched the people, his color receded.

  Mick looked up at him, then back down at the dog. “Okay. I’m going to spray the skin with this. It’s a deadening spray so he won’t feel it when I stick him with the needle.”

  Braden took Helen’s hand and put it around Russell’s paw. “I think he needs you to hold his paw. I don’t think he likes this.” Braden had moved his arm so that Russell’s head lay flat, his teeth still around Braden’s arm.

  “There,” Mick said, “Now we’ll give it a minute. He won’t feel a thing.” He looked at his watch. When a minute was up, he carefully stuck the threaded needle into Russell’s skin. When Russell didn’t flinch, he quickly sewed the skin together. Then he placed some butterfly bandages across the stitches.

  “That will reinforce the stitches so he won’t pull them out. Now I’ll put a bandage on. He should be fine.”

  A few minutes later he said, “I think he’ll live. I would like to take him to my apartment. He’ll do better if he doesn’t feel the need to be helping you, miss.”

  Helen nodded. “That would be a good idea. He’s very dedicated.”

  Mick carefully picked up the rug with the dog on top. “Young’un, would you close my bag for me?”

  Braden looked at the dog who was still holding his arm in its teeth. “Maybe Aunt Sheba should do that. I think Russell still needs to hold my hand.”

  Sheba looked at Breckenridge who nodded yes. “You can go with Russell, just don’t get in Mick’s way.”

  He looked at her indignantly, “I won’t. I’ll stay with Russell.”

  Slater appeared in the doorway. There were deep scratches on his shaved head and his black sweater was torn in several places. Automatically, he helped his sister to her feet, but all of his attention was on Breckenridge.

  “I lost him in the damned forest.” He said. “I’ve got everyone available searching for him.”

  Breckenridge swore. “We’re got to have better security. I won’t have every little tin-pot dictator trying to tell me how to run my war.” He glared at Slater. “You’d better get this fixed my friend or you won’t be my head of security.”

  Slater’s jaw hardened and his eyes narrowed.

  I’d better get Helen away from these two, before fists start flying. Sheba thought. She placed Helen’s hand on her arm. “You look a little pale. Why don’t we find a place for you to sit?”

  Helen smiled, “I’m feeling a little weak in the knees. I’d hate to lose Russell. He’s more than my guide dog. He’s my friend.”

  “Well, if Braden has his way, Russell will be completely well by tomorrow.”

  Helen sighed. “If you’ll hand me my cane, I think I’ll go upstairs to my room. I really need some time to myself.”

  Picking up the wh
ite cane, Sheba helped her across the room, all the time keeping her ears open to what Slater and Breckenridge were saying.

  Slater snarled. “If you remember, you approved the instillation.” Slater snapped.

  “I remember that you agreed with me when I said the system was okay.”

  “You’re my boss. Of course, I didn’t argue with you. I’m not paid to argue with you.” It was clear that Slater was seething.

  Instantly, Breckenridge looked thoughtful. “You are right. I am changing your job description. You are now to argue with me when you think I am wrong. I will listen to what you say even though I might not act on it. We have the Norton system now, don’t we? Slater looked at Sheba. “This is a conversation we should be having elsewhere. I will check out some new systems. I’ll see what each system has. I want to stop a gnat as well as a tank.”

  Slater walked to a door set in a wall between two huge bookcases. “We should talk in your office.” He looked at Sheba. “You stay here.”

  Pretending to be startled, Sheba jumped a little and held up the book so Breckenridge could see the title. “This guy is nuts, but I want to find out if he has even one iota of proof that Sheba is in Yemen. So far, all he’s done is reiterate old rumors.”

  His face glowing, Breckenridge limped over to her. “What are you reading?”

  “Carr Carmichael’s book, “The Real Sheba.”

  “You don’t believe him?” Breckenridge asked.

  “No. Neither Dr. Aschler nor did Captain Seacliff. My sea captain even had a map in his log that shows some places he found in his explorations.”

  Chapter 20

  Sarah was monitoring the frequency that Sheba’s module was broadcasting on. “Ms. Nagle, I think you should hear this.”

  “What is it?”

  Sheba just finished breakfast. It sounds like something bad is happening.”

  “Put it on speaker,” Nagle said. She listened for a minute, then looked over to where Tony, Marshall and Sam were studying something on the computer and arguing over how to use it.

  “Tony, Marshall, you’d better listen to this.”

  They were standing by her in a second. As they listened to Assid threaten Breckenridge, Tony said gleefully. “We’ve got him now. By his own admission, ISIS is working for him.”

  “It sure seems that way,” Nagle said. She looked at Sarah. “Are you recording this?”

  Sarah nodded, “We record everything. You never know when a piece of information will be critical to an operation.”

  “I don’t hear Braden’s voice,” Marshall said softly.

  “He isn’t with them.” Sarah said, He was asleep so Slater put him to bed in the morning room. Sheba didn’t like it, but she didn’t say much.”

  Marshall said, “She must be trying to do what you said. I hope she just doesn’t act too disinterested or he’ll catch on.”

  They heard Braden’s voice then sounds of the fight. Then they listened to the dog being taken care of. Marshall frowned when Sheba let him go with the dog.

  “I wish she would keep them together,” Marshall grumbled. “If he gets separated, we’ll have the devil’s own time rescuing them.”

  Sarah said, “No, she did the right thing. The kid’s been kidnapped. He’s pretty fragile emotionally. I think she’s very smart to let him go with the dog. He needs to think that the dog needs him.”

  Tony said, “Sarah’s right. They don’t need to stay together until we get closer to zero hour. Breckenridge will be less suspicious if she is casual about Braden.

  They listened until they heard Slater say that the system was a Norton. Marshall said, “Did you hear that, Dean? The system he has is a Norton. Do you know anything about that type of security system?”

  “No, but I can find out. I don’t think it’s a top of the line system, though.”

  Tony said to a girl who had just come on shift, “Jamie, find out what you can about the Norton Security System. If you have to hack their system, do so. I want the info in an hour.”

  “What? I can’t hack a system in less than an hour. I’m good but not that good!”

  Tony laid his hand on her shoulder. “Jamie, you are better than good, you’re phenomenal. If anyone can hack their system in an hour, you can. We’re trying to rescue an eight-year-old boy. If you can get their security schematics it will increase our chances of saving him.”

  He pressed a button on his phone. A picture of Braden and Sheba appeared on the screen above their heads. “This is Braden and Sheba. For those of you who don’t know, they have been kidnapped by Nathan Breckenridge. Sheba has a Santran module embedded in her nose.” Several people gasped or shuttered.

  Tony added, “It was inserted while she was moving in a mobile command center. I underestimated her, but she has proved what we have only suspected. Breckenridge is not only funding, but coordinating ISIS and other factions in the Middle East. We need information if we are going to rescue them.”

  Jamie turned back to her computer. “I’ll break their system in under an hour if it kills me. I didn’t know there was a child involved. He’s my son’s age.”

  “You go, girl.” Tony said patting her shoulder.

  Dean said, “Marshall, what’s carrying our equipment. A plane won’t cut it in the terrain we’re looking at.”

  Nagle said, “I’ve got the army to cough up four Apache’s. They will be here by seven tonight.” She paused, “Dean, tell me what you need. I’ll get it for you if I have to steal it. I want Breckenridge and I want him bad.”

  “You’ll get him,” Marshall said. “He really blew it when he took a little kid even if it was by mistake.”

  Sarah said, “You aren’t going to believe it, but I just found a magazine article that shows pictures and a diagram of each floor of his house.”

  Nagle said, “Sarah, you’re a genius. Can you throw it up on the screen?”

  “Sure,” she said. “Here it is. This is a diagram of the first floor.”

  Dean said, “There are a lot of doors and windows so there are a lot of access points.”

  Nagle said, “I hope this isn’t a stupid question, but I’ve never run an op like this before. I’m assuming that lots of access points means you need more people?

  Sheba’s frequency buzzed. “Quiet everyone:” Marshall said.

  Chapter 21

  Slater said, “Why don’t we finish our discussion so I can get started on updating our security system, then you and Sheba can confer on Sheba’s location.”

  “If you’ll show me your Sheba info, I can get started putting our information together.”

  “You’ll have to show me some of your information before I show you mine.”

  Sheba said, “Are you against our being partners or do you think I really don’t know anything? She looked thoughtful. It would be better if I gave you an idea of the things I do know.”

  She paused as if thinking, “Do you have any maps of Turkey? Aschler showed me a map where he had done some exploration work. I could write some of the names on the map.”

  Slater said with a sneer, “It’s too bad that you destroyed it.”

  “I have a photographic memory. If I have a map, I can start recreating what he showed me.”

  Breckenridge looked hard at Sheba. “You put some names on the map and then I’ll be more inclined to believe you.” He pulled open a cupboard. Inside were slots filled with dozens of maps. He pulled one out, unrolled it, then allowed it to roll back up. He pulled another one from a slot and unrolled it. “This should work. It is fairly clean so you should have room to write on it.” He pointed across the room. “You can use my desk. There are pens and pencils in the top drawer.”

  Slater opened the door and waited until Breckenridge walked through. He looked over his shoulder at Sheba. “Don’t do anything stupid,” he said. “Remember that we still have Braden.”

  As soon as the door shut, she jumped to her feet, tiptoed across the room, putting her ear to the door.

  Sl
ater looked at Breckenridge. “It might be wise to take her as a partner. She would be more likely to give you all the information.”

  Breckenridge frowned. “I don’t like partnering with a woman. They are too emotional.”

  Slater looked at the door. “Don’t kid yourself. Her brain is more like man’s than yours is. She’s emotional when it suits her.”

  Breckenridge walked over to the command center. “What kind of security system are you thinking about? Slater sat down and began typing on the computer.

  As the men moved away from the door, she walked back to the bookcase and put the book away.

  Then she unrolled the map, putting a small lamp on one corner, a bronze statuette on another corner. Then she noticed two paper weights on the side of the desk. She put them on the last corners. She opened the center drawer and took out a blue and an orange fine point marker.

  As she started to write, the door opened. Slater said, “Did you find everything you need?”

  She glared at him but didn’t say anything.

  He laughed and closed the door very quietly.

  When she was sure that the door was shut, she said softly, “Marshall, why is Tony talking in my head? I don’t want him in my head. I don’t trust him inside my head or out.”

  “It’s okay,” Marshall said. “Things have changed. He’s working with us.”

  She frowned as she wrote a word on the map. “I still don’t trust him.”

  Nagle said, “You can trust him. We’re all one big organization now. Toby is the director of both the NSA and CIA. Tony’s on probation so if he wants to keep his job and his head, he won’t betray you.”

  “If he wants to keep his life, he won’t betray you,” Marshall said. “We’re wasting time. Tell us what’s going on.”

  “You know as much as I do. You’re hearing what I’m hearing.” She paused to write another name. “Tony, I need you to tell me names on the map. Okay, start on the west side with Antalya and go east.”

  He started saying and then spelling the names. Finally, he said, “That’s not where Aschler thought Sheba was.”

  “I can’t give Breckenridge too much or we’re are dead. I can show him where the sea captain thought it was, but tell him that he wasn’t a geologist. He doesn’t need to know, yet, that Aschler had it pin-pointed down to the latitude and longitude.”