Sheba's Gambit

by Kristine Frost

  He turned to Thomas. “Take her upstairs and lock her in her room. She can be thankful I don’t confine her to a cell in the dungeon.”

  As soon as he took her arm, Marshall released her. She glared up at him angrily rubbing her arms.

  “Be good,” he said with a smile as Thomas marched her out of the room.

  When the door had closed behind them, Marshall said. “I assume you have transportation that will get me to England quickly.”

  Breckenridge said, “Slater, arrange it. Thomas and a few men can go with him.” He looked at Marshall, “Remember, I meant what I said—two days or she dies.”

  “I’ll remember.” Marshall said firmly.

  Chapter 28

  Nagle looked from Braden to Dean in horror as they listened to the recording. “Has Marshall lost his mind?” She demanded.

  “No. He’s trying to save the whole situation.” Maitland said softly from the doorway. He had entered so quietly that no one realized he was there. He looked down at Braden who had tears running down his face. “He’s going to kill my Aunt Sheba, isn’t he?”

  Maitland said, “If he doesn’t get what he wants, he will. If you go back, he will keep her alive. Do you understand that?”

  Braden’s eyes were sad. “He’ll kill all of us when he finds Sheba, won’t he?”

  “He’ll try, but that doesn’t mean that we are going to let him.”

  Dean said, “We can still track Sheba so we know what’s going on there. I don’t believe for a minute that Marshall has gone rogue. I think the AWOL story is something he had planned from the moment Ms. Nagle told him he couldn’t go on the mission.”

  He looked at her, “Sorry ma’am, but he can think circles around most of us, that’s why he’s Captain. I think he knew better than anyone else what kind of a man we are dealing with. He wants to protect both his country and Sheba.”

  “So do we let Sheba know?” Nagle asked.

  Tony came back into the room. “Until Marshall contacts us, I don’t think we should. She made her bed. She needs to lie in it a little longer.”

  Braden said, “What does that mean?”

  “It means that she screwed up so she needs to suffer a little longer.” Dean said, his voice ringing with contempt.

  “No,” Braden said. “I want to talk to her now.” He glared at Tony.

  Maitland looked thoughtful. “Sarah, let’s find out what’s happening with Sheba. Turn on her frequency.”

  Sarah nodded and flipped a switch. All they could hear were sobbing breathes. Then Sheba said, “Oh Braden, what have I done to you?”

  Braden said. “You’d better let me talk to her.” He looked up at Maitland with eyes much too old for an eight year old. “My Aunt Sheba doesn’t think she’s worth much ‘cause Mom puts her down. I’m only eight but I know about things like that. A counselor in school talked to me about it. When I’ve messed everything up, I want to kill myself. Aunt Sheba will feel that way.”

  Maitland put his hand on Braden’s shoulder. It felt very skinny and fragile. “If you talk to your aunt, you need to get her to understand that she has to act the same way as she is now.”

  Braden said, “I think you should put that tracking thingy like Aunt Sheba has in me.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I need to be able to talk to you in case she can’t. Nobody pays any attention to a eight year old. They think we don’t know anything.” He paused for a minute, “Maybe we don’t know as much as a grown-up, but we do know stuff.”

  Maitland looked at Dean. “The tracker that Braden is talking about—how painful is it to inject?”

  Dean said, “I’ve never had one injected. It’s really tiny, but I think it probably does hurt a little. Sheba’s is her nose. Frank injected it in a moving vehicle. She said it hurt but she didn’t scream.”

  Dean said, “Since Braden is eight, we’d better let the doctor pick where it should go.” He looked down. “Braden, you can’t tell anyone about this, not Sheba, not Marshall, okay?”

  “Okay,” He looked at Dean. “I need to talk to Aunt Sheba?”

  When Maitland nodded his head, Sarah handed the mike to him. “Aunt Sheba, can you hear me? It’s Braden.”

  There was a pause in the crying. Finally, Sheba whispered, “Braden, is that you?”

  “It’s me. I’m okay, so don’t cry anymore okay?”

  “Braden, Marshall is going to kidnap you again. You need to run away.”

  “Aunt Sheba, we heard everything that happened. If Marshall doesn’t get me then you and Mom and me and Marshall all die.”

  “I’ve screwed everything up so much that I don’t deserve to live.”

  Maitland reached for the mike. “Sheba, this is Director Maitland. Your reaction to Breckenridge was a normal response. We need to come up with a plan that keeps everyone safe. I don’t think any of us realized the kind of sociopath that we are dealing with.”

  Sheba said, “What about Marshall. He seems so different, now.”

  Maitland said, “We think he’s faking it so he can keep you safe.”

  Sheba whispered, “You think? Don’t you know for sure?”

  “Sheba, it’s Dean Rawlings. I’ve been Captain Marshall’s second in command since he was given his own unit five years ago. I know he’s trying to protect you.”

  “But to go AWOL. That’s really bad.” She said.

  Maitland said, “Once this is resolved, we’ll work it out. You need to worry about how to get back in Breckenridge’s good graces.”

  Tony said, “He doesn’t have any good graces that she can get back into. She’ll have to play everything very coolly. You are dealing with a true sociopath who thinks he is Sheba’s heir. You will just have to play to his lead. He may decide to treat you like an honored guest once he gets Braden back.”

  “Hold on,” Sheba said. “There’s someone at the door.”

  “We’ll be here,” Maitland promised.

  Sheba heard the key turn. She got to her feet and smoothed her dress. The door opened a few inches and a soft voice said, “Sheba, can I come in?”

  “Helen. Of course you can come in. I’m glad to hear a friendly voice.” Sheba hurried over to open the door wider so Helen could use her white cane to enter the room. “Here, let me guide you to a chair.”

  “I don’t dare stay too long.” She said. “I talked to my brother, but he won’t do anything to interfere. He says that it would ruin his relationship with his boss. He’s afraid that Nathan would take it out on me.”

  She shook her head. “I don’t think anything could affect my relationship with Nathan.”

  “I guess you know that your husband sent Marshall to get Braden back.”

  “I tried to talk him out of it, but he wants him to control you. He isn’t going to kill you, you know. He won’t admit it, but he needs you to help him find Sheba.”

  The door opened and Breckenridge walked in. “Helen, what are you doing in here?”

  “Helping Sheba understand that you have no intention of hurting Braden. I wanted her to know that she needed to keep helping you rather than going mental like she did yesterday.” She smiled up at him. “I think she had one too many shocks last night. She’s had a rough couple of days.”

  She picked up her white cane. “Nathan, I think the future King of Sheba would be generous to one of his subjects. Especially one who has given you so much information..”

  Breckenridge looked at Sheba. “Are you trying to keep me from Sheba? I’m beginning to think you are stalling even though you claim that finding Sheba has been your dream. Why?”

  “To keep myself and Braden alive, of course.” She responded instantly.

  He frowned. “How did your country find us?”

  Sheba’s eyes went wide. “I-I don’t really know.”

  “Don’t you?” He sneered.

  “Tell him the truth, Sheba.” Maitland said in her head. “Tell he’s been under suspicion of terrorist activity. You work for the NSA so you’d
know that.”

  She swallowed. “I’m really not supposed to tell you this. We take an oath of confidentiality at the NSA, but since I quit, I guess it doesn’t matter. They have you flagged as being a person of interest.”

  “A person of interest.” It wasn’t a question.

  “Yes. They think you are behind some of the terrorist activity in the Middle East.”

  He raised his eyebrows. “Only a person of interest and they raided my home and took Braden.” He shook his head.

  Sheba sighed. “You forget, my sister is the assistant US ambassador to Great Britain. The Foreign Service would move heaven and earth to protect one of their own.”

  “I see. So I’ve moved up from a person of interest, then?”

  It almost sounds like he wants to be infamous. She thought. “Well, I’m just a low level decoder so I don’t know much about what goes on in the rest of NSA. You could be number one on their top ten list for all I would know.”

  “I see.”

  “Do you want to be on their top ten list?” Sheba asked incredulously.

  He looked at her like she was crazy. “I am the grandson of the queen of Sheba. I should be well known.”

  Wow, Sheba thought, This guy’s not just one brick short of a load, his ducks aren’t in a row, and he only has one oar and his boat is rowing in circles.

  “Wouldn’t finding Sheba make you famous enough without kidnapping and terrorist activities?” Sheba asked hesitantly.

  “My activities are a means to an end. When I become King of Sheba, I will have the army I need to realize my destiny.”

  Mentally, Sheba shook her head. Heavens, he’s so flaky he has his own box of cereal.

  She looked up at him, “I’m sorry I fell apart last night. I wish I understood why you wanted Braden back. I’ve already agreed to help you.”

  “Easy, Sheba. Don’t lay it on too thick.” Tony said.

  She could see Breckenridge chest swell. “I wanted Braden back because he is good for Helen. She hasn’t been this happy since our children were little.”

  Chapter 29

  Maitland looked at Dean. “We’ve got to make this look good, just in case Marshall has gone over to Breckenridge’s side. Let’s get Braden injected with the tracker first. Then you need to get the marines ready for Marshall. I’ll get Braden’s mother sent to an emergency conference. I want Braden at the embassy no later than 5:00 p.m. tonight.”

  While Braden was being injected, Maitland called Barrus. “Ambassador, we need to bring Braden home. Is his mother there?”

  “She is. She is co-hosting an exhibit opening at the Children’s Museum, but Braden can go with her to that.”

  Maitland frowned. “I would think that she’d stay home the first night she gets him back.”

  Barrus said, “I don’t see how she can. She has been spearheading this exhibit for several weeks.”

  “We’ll have him back to the embassy by 5:00. I want to have my doctor check him over first.”

  “I’m sure she wants him back now.” Barrus said. “She can take him to her doctor if she thinks he needs to be checked.”

  “Okay,” Maitland conceded. “I’ll get him home ASAP.” As soon as he hung up he turned to Dean. “Braden’s Mom has an exhibit opening at the Children’s Museum tonight. She is planning on taking Braden with her. Will that mess with Marshall’s mission?”

  “Actually, I think it will work better for us. He’d have a better chance to snatch him at the museum. The security won’t be as tight as at the embassy.”

  Maitland went in search of Braden. He found him in the medical compound. A man in a white lab coat was just withdrawing a needle from his nose. Tears were running down his cheeks.

  “How much longer before Braden is finished? His Mom wants him back.”

  The doctor said. “Give me five more minutes. I want to make sure he doesn’t have any side effects. We’ll need to calibrate it.”

  Maitland looked at Braden who wiped his face with the back of his hand. He told him the plans for that evening. “So we think there is a good chance that Marshall will grab you at the Museum or right after that. He’s only got a few hours to do it.”

  Braden sighed, “I wish my Mom would just stay home with me tonight.”

  A short time later, Dean walked into the room. “We’d better be getting this young man home. Marshall probably has this place staked out. I would if I were him.”

  Twenty minutes later, Dean walked Braden to a black SUV. They were followed by six armed men. Two got into the car with Dean and Braden. The other four got into an identical black SUV. They pulled out onto Chelsea Bridge Road, turning left toward the U. S. Embassy.

  They were just turning right on to the A4 when it happened. A large semi that had been traveling on the A4 cut right in just after the first SUV had turned on to the busy street. Dean looked back in time to see their escort diverted.

  “We no longer have our escort.” The man in front grabbed the radio. “This is Dragon Egg. This is Dragon Egg. Horntail has been diverted. Copy? Horntail no longer following.” He listened for a minute, then looked at Dean. “They are sending backup. It should be coming up the A302 any second.”

  “Too late,” Dean said. A Humvee painted in grey, white and black camouflage pulled up on the right, forcing Dean to swerve to the left. The Humvee kept pushing the SUV across the road until Dean was forced to take an off ramp. Once off the A4, the men in the Humvee, put a bullet into Dean’s front tire.

  Frantically, Dean fought the skid. Just as he pulled out of the skid, the back tire went flat. As Dean got the SUV under control, a rocket launcher was shoved out the open window of the Humvee.

  “Pull over,” Marshall commanded, “Or someone will get hurt.”

  Dean pulled to the side of the road. Before he could get the car stopped a dozen men had surrounded the SUV, their AK-47’s in firing positions, their index fingers on the triggers. When Marshall got to Braden’s door, his men split and let him come up the middle. He was carrying a pistol in one hand.

  He yanked open Braden’s door. “Get out.”

  With shaking hands, Braden fumbled with his seatbelt. Marshall grabbed him, shoving him into the hands of one of his men. Then smiling fiendishly he put his pistol to the back of Dean’s neck, pulling the trigger. Then he fired at the other two men who instantly slumped to the floor.

  Horrified, Braden started to struggle, but the man picked him up easily, tossing him to another man sitting in the Humvee. Marshall and his men were back in the Humvee in seconds. The Humvee was turning right on the A302 before Dean’s backup could reach them.

  Braden was in tears. “You killed Dean. Marshall how could you do that?”

  The man sitting next to Braden said, “Shut up, kid.”

  “Go easy, Carl. Breckenridge wants the kid in one piece.” Marshall said.

  “Aw who cares? He’s just a runt.”

  From the front seat, Marshall shot the man who slumped against the door. “I care,” Marshall said quietly. He turned his seat. “Do any of the rest you have problems with our orders?” He asked, his pistol pointing toward each man in turn. When no one said anything, he smiled. “Good.”

  Twenty minutes later, the Humvee pulled up next to Breckenridge’s Global Express Jet. All but the driver and the man Marshall had shot got out. Marshall carried Braden to the plane. After handing Braden to one of the men, he pulled the door shut. He picked up a telephone that was just inside the door.

  “Take off. We don’t want the Feds on our tail.”

  The plane began moving down the taxiway. It paused for a moment at the head of the runway, then the pilot shoved the throttles forward.

  Once they were airborne, Marshall carried a TV dinner back to Braden, pulled down his seat table and set the container of chicken nuggets in front of him.

  “I don’t want it,” Braden said, trying to push the food away.

  Marshall picked up a phone that was next to Braden’s seat punching in several numbe
rs. “Atkins, let me talk to Ms. Bentley.”

  “Certainly, sir. I will get her.” Marshall could hear him put the phone on the table. There was the sound of a door. “This is Sheba.”

  Marshall said, “Talk to your nephew. Tell him to eat his dinner.”

  Sheba said coolly, “All right.”

  Marshall handed the phone to Braden. “Talk to your aunt,” he commanded.

  “Aunt Sheba, is that you?”

  “It is sweetie. Are you all right?”

  “I guess so,” he said with a sob. “Marshall killed-d Dean.”

  “I’m sorry, love. Please, sweetie, just do as Marshall says. You’ll be here in a few hours. Okay?

  Braden said, “I’m not really hungry, though. It looks kind of gross.”

  “What are you supposed to eat?”

  “Chicken nuggets and mac and cheese. I don’t like mac and cheese especially not TV mac and cheese. But there is a brownie.

  “Then eat the nuggets and the brownie. Sweetie, it’s probably best if you just do what Marshall tells you to do. If you eat, then try to take a nap, you’ll get here faster.”

  “I don’t have to take naps anymore. I’m almost grown up.” Braden protested.

  “Well, you’ve had a rough time so your body could probably use extra sleep, but if you can’t, just close your eyes and rest, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  He picked up a nugget and bit into it. “I’m eating the nugget. It tastes good.”

  “Good. I’ll see you soon. Mr. Breckenridge is waiting for me to help the geologist look for Sheba.

  “Aunt Sheba, will you please hurry and find it so we can go home.” His lip quivered although she couldn’t see it. “I kind of miss my Mom.”

  “I know you do. We’ll find it soon. I love you, sweetie.”

  “Love you too.”

  After hanging up the phone, she walked back into the library where Caldwell and Breckenridge were arguing about the best place to start looking. There was a flash of sunlight moving on the wall. She looked at it and noticed for the first time that there were three pots in a glass case in the corner of the room.