Dangerous Connections (Aegis Group Book 9)

by Sidney Bristol

  “What the hell is going on?” Silas demanded.

  Ekko never once looked at him. Her attention was on the older gentleman. He looked like a professor or a paper pusher. His face was ashen, his eyes wide and he still gulped down breaths of air. The man was terrified. Given Silas’ basic knowledge about how no one got out of Dauria, it made sense. Ekko was likely in trouble for just speaking negatively about her native country. This man had just fled while all eyes were watching.

  What would this mean to the UN team? What were the other implications Silas hadn’t yet thought about? The truck driver?

  He wished his best friend were there. Paxton always did think things through better. He’d probably know more about Dauria what with all the documentaries the nerd watched. But Paxton was off being a good boyfriend.

  “Ekko?” Silas pitched his voice louder.

  She still ignored him.

  Why should he think he’d get any more information out of her? She hadn’t offered up anything since this whole circus began.

  Keeping the two of them safe was his job.

  He glanced at the rearview mirror.

  A pair of motorcycles were a mile back cresting the top of a hill.

  Where had they come from?

  Silas watched the next few hills for a sight of the two bikes, but didn’t glimpse them again.

  The only place those two could have been was the border. There wasn’t anything else out here. No driveways or country lanes. Just a straight shot to the border.

  They had to get rid of this van. Change vehicles. Take a different route, even if it was a longer one.

  Silas juggled driving and his phone. In moments he’d plotted an alternate route to a large town to the west of their current path. They could pause and regroup there. Maybe get some damn answers.

  Satisfied with his temporary plan Silas focused on driving and listening to what he could hear of Ekko’s conversation, which wasn’t much. When the two did speak it was in a language Silas didn’t understand.

  Did his boss have any idea this was what was going to happen?

  No more favors. Ever.

  The sun was rising, chasing away the clouds. It was shaping up to be a beautiful day. At least he didn’t have to worry about bad weather on top of everything else.

  They finally reached the roundabout that allowed Silas to change their destination. He cut off a truck and gassed it, still watching in his mirror for the motorcycles. A short distance from the roundabout was a turn out. Silas whipped into it and slammed on the brakes.

  “Shit. What the fuck?” Ekko barked, acknowledging him for the first time.

  Silas ignored her and watched the mirrors.

  The seconds ticked by.

  One motorcyclist pulled around the roundabout, the helmeted head swinging this way and that. He knew the moment the rider saw them because the man gassed it and went another loop on the roundabout.

  They were being followed.

  Silas continued to sit there, waiting out the person.

  “Why are we just sitting here?” Ekko demanded.

  “Because I want to see what the men following us will do,” he said calmly.

  “What?” she yelped and turned around.

  “We’re being followed?” If possible Chayan’s face grew paler. His English was clear though accented.

  “Of course we’re being followed.” Silas tracked the motorcyclist headed away from them. “He just decided to head away from us.”

  He didn’t mention the other one that had to be somewhere out of sight.

  Silas gassed it and headed toward the town. He hoped they’d get there faster than the motorcycles and get lost in the people.

  “Are they still following us? How can you tell?” Ekko’s head twisted this way and that trying to watch their rear and look at Silas.

  Now she wanted to talk?

  He grit his teeth and focused on the road both ahead of him and behind him. Just when the roundabout was almost out of view a small shape zipped around the corner.

  The other bike.

  “How did you know we were being followed?” Ekko leaned forward between the seats.

  “Because all the vehicles at the border check were cars or trucks or vans. Two motorcycles stick out,” he replied.

  “They could have come from somewhere else,” she said.

  “Where? What road? Between the border and the roundabout there are no other roads. No lanes. No private drives. Nothing.”

  Ekko’s eyes widened.

  Had she really not thought about being followed?

  She’d helped someone escape. And not just anyone from the looks of the man.

  “They’re going to kill me,” the man said.

  “Chayan, right?” Silas met the man’s gaze in the mirror.

  Chayan nodded. “Yes.”

  “Chayan, I’m Silas. I’m not going to let anything happen to you, okay? But for me to do my job you’re going to have to do exactly as I say. Got that?”

  “Hey, I have this all under control,” Ekko said.

  “So you meant for that person to die in the park last night?” Silas glanced over his shoulder.

  Ekko’s eyes were wide and her face paled.

  “Sit back, hold on and we’ll discuss that later. When we’re safe.” He checked his mirrors again, but the motorcycle wasn’t in view anymore.

  Half an hour later he’d only glimpsed one of the motorcycles once. Whoever was on their tail knew what they were doing. But Silas was willing to bet he had more training when it came to slipping away.

  “What are we going to do?” Ekko asked as they passed the first buildings of the small town. “We can’t get away from them here.”

  Had she really thought her camera stunts would keep them safe? Against the kind of people following them?

  Silas turned into a busy parking lot outside what looked to be a supermarket. “Get out. Now.”

  “What? Here?” Ekko stared out of the windows.

  “We don’t want to be here when the bikes catch up. Now get out.” Silas left the keys in the ignition and got out.

  He opened the rear door and took Chayan by the arm. The man got out, but he was unsteady. Nerves and stress were taking their toll.

  Ekko got out on her own, glaring at him and dragging a small suitcase. She also had his duffle bag. He’d been ready to leave it, but having it was nice. He took his bag and left her rolling her case behind her.

  “Come on.” Silas marched them across the parking lot while tapping his phone screen.

  He didn’t like using ride share apps, but this was a pinch. They needed a way across town fast, and these apps provided an easy, fast mode of transportation.

  “What are we doing?” Ekko demanded as they reached the other sidewalk.

  “Waiting.” Silas glanced up and down the street.

  “Out in the open like this?” She gestured to the lack of pedestrians.

  “Yes.”

  A silver sedan turned on the lane headed toward them.

  “This is us,” he announced.

  “You know them?” Ekko asked.

  “No. Get in. Now.” He glanced back toward the van. Any moment now those motorcycles would reach the store and with luck they wouldn’t see the van.

  Silas nearly had to strong arm Ekko into the car. Chayan at least followed orders. The driver nodded and smiled, taking his directions from the app since he didn’t appear to speak English and Ekko didn’t bother to help.

  “Where are we going?” Ekko asked from the back seat.

  “The train station. Can we buy fares through an app?” He tapped away at his screen, firing off a text to Zain to let him know the situation was off the rails. With luck Zain or someone in the command center was following the news reports and already knew.

  Before Ekko or Silas could figure out if there was a way to pre-book tickets their driver pulled up to the train station. The town really was not all that large.

  “Ekko, can you tell our dri
ver there’s a cash tip in it for him if he’ll tell anyone who asks he never saw us?” Silas said as he looked at the young man nervously tapping the wheel.

  Ekko translated in a halting fashion. The young man darted a glance at Silas before jerking his head in a nod. Silas offered the guy a few folded bills before getting out of the car.

  Too bad the kid looked to be half the size of their new friend, otherwise Silas would have bought the kid’s coat off him, too. They needed to change clothes. It would be harder to spot them if they did that.

  Silas herded his two charges toward the station. “Come on, let’s get going.”

  Five people waited at the window. He wanted to shove them aside, but that would get them the wrong kind of attention. So they waited.

  “What the hell?” Ekko whispered.

  Silas ignored her.

  “Answer me,” she growled.

  He dropped his gaze to her beautiful face and didn’t answer. He couldn’t right now. He was too angry. He couldn’t risk saying the wrong thing to her.

  “Not here. Not now,” he said softly and passed her the cash. “Get us on a train to a major city with an airport.”

  Ekko glared at him, took the money and turned to speak with the attendant at the desk. Silas put his back to the woman and faced Chayan, sizing the other man up.

  “You hurt?” Silas asked.

  “Hurt? Not really.”

  “Okay, good.” Silas clapped the man on the shoulder. “I’m going to take care of you.”

  Chayan nodded though the worry lines creasing his brow didn’t go away.

  Ekko elbowed Silas and nodded toward the turnstiles.

  “And?” he whispered.

  “We’re on a train to Ulaanbaatar in a private cabin. It leaves in fifteen minutes.” She passed him a ticket.

  Something was finally going right. To make matters even better, their train was early.

  In short order they boarded and found their cabin. It wasn’t much, just a narrow compartment with two padded benches facing each other. But the door had a lock and the walls ensured privacy. For the first time since Silas had noticed Ekko trying to slip off last night he drew an easy breath. Well, maybe not easy, but easier.

  “I want answers,” Silas said as the two sat facing each other.

  Chayan clutched his briefcase to his chest and stared at the floor. Silas was fairly certain if he glared at the man he’d crumble. He was terrified. So why was he here? What was so important that he risk his life? Was it freedom or something else?

  Ekko just stared back at him, her nose up and lips pressed together.

  “Come on,” Silas snapped. “I’m clearly on your side in this. I just want to know what we’re getting into so I know how to keep you both safe.”

  The train lurched as it pulled out of the station. Silas gripped the railing overhead and remained standing.

  “I have everything under control,” Ekko said calmly.

  Like hell she did, but Silas knew better than to say that. She was in over her head and drowning. If he didn’t figure something out soon he feared she’d drown all three of them.

  Damn women didn’t know what help was.

  THURSDAY. SUPERMARKET, Sukhbaatar, Mongolia.

  Igney tried the driver’s side door.

  It opened. No resistance. No lock. Nothing.

  He stepped aside as he swung the door open revealing an empty seat.

  No traps. No one waiting for them.

  He reached out and placed his hand on the seat.

  The material was cool to the touch just like the hood of the van. If their targets were smart, they’d have stopped and gotten out immediately. It’s what Igney would have done were their roles reversed.

  He and Pasley had circled the town on their bikes, but after finding no sight of the van they’d doubled back. They’d wasted forty-five minutes finding the van. In forty-five minutes a trained person could make it quite a ways.

  He didn’t think Ekko had that kind of training, but they still didn’t know much about the man shadowing her everywhere. The one who’d given Igney a concussion last night.

  Someday he’d find this man and peel the skin from his body.

  Pasley opened the other doors, going through the odds and ends left in the van.

  “Anything?” Igney asked, keeping his voice low. Their accents alone would be enough to draw attention and this close to Dauria everyone would know who and what they were.

  Pasley shook his head. “No.”

  “Damn it.” Igney slammed the driver’s side door harder than necessary.

  Their targets were gone.

  He turned and stared at the sad little stone houses with their boring people coming and going.

  “Do we risk asking for them?” Pasley came to stand next to Igney.

  “No. No, there’s no use. They’re gone. Either stole a car or got on the train.” He turned toward the bikes. “They’ll head for the hotel. She’ll want to get him as far from here as possible.”

  “We can’t allow that.” Pasley matched Igney’s stride.

  No, they couldn’t.

  It had taken a matter of minutes to identify the man fleeing across the bridge.

  Chayan Harnut was a government employee and had access to something Igney’s superiors did not want to get out. Igney didn’t need to know what that was, only that it threatened their way of life and he was going to get to kill someone. Maybe even three someones.

  “Come on, let’s get to the city,” he said as he shoved his helmet on his head.

  He should have taken the shot earlier before the trucks crossed the bridge. If he’d done that Harnut would have never dared go across the border. At least now they knew what Ekko had been doing in the park and why a document forger was meeting her.

  A passport was a ticket to the rest of the world. Without that Harnut would be stuck at the border. But with one? He could potentially go anywhere he wanted. And that couldn’t be allowed.

  They’d get back to the city and start with the airports. He had to lay his traps carefully. He was going to capture that man and the traitors. When he did, he’d make sure they understood the error of their ways.

  5.

  Thursday. Train to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

  Ekko stared out of the window watching the scenery fly by. She desperately needed everything to slow down, if only for a moment, so she could think. Her thoughts were whizzing by just like the countryside.

  “When’s the last time you ate?”

  She glanced at Silas leaning toward Chayan. Silas was her wild card. She hadn’t known what he’d do or react when things started happening. Deep down she hadn’t expected him to stick with them. She was rather impressed that he had. And glad. Damn her.

  Once more she wished she’d done things different. He could have helped her. Now she didn’t dare deviate from their path.

  “I don’t know,” Chayan mumbled.

  Silas glanced at her.

  Busted.

  “We need to get food. Is there somewhere on this thing we can eat?” he asked.

  “I think there’s a café stand. It won’t have much.” She’d seen a map or something with that on there.

  “Okay.” Silas grimaced. “Chayan stay here and lock the door. Don’t open for anyone who isn’t me. Ekko, you’ll have to come with me.”

  She frowned at him. “I can get us food on my own.”

  Silas’ stare zeroed in on her and if she weren’t pressed against the wall she’d have shrunk back from him. It was not a kind stare.

  “If either of the men from the motorcycles got on the train and saw you, what would you do?” he asked.

  “They wouldn’t. There’s a lot of people...” Except deep down she wasn’t so sure crowds would stop motivated DSS agents.

  “We’re both going. Chayan will stay here,” Silas said, his tone hard.

  “Fine.” She gathered herself and stood.

  He tugged her sleeve. “Take your coat off.”

/>   “It’s cold.”

  “You need to change up how you look so you’re less obvious. Do you have anything in your suitcase you can put on over it? You’ll have to condense whatever you want to take with us in my bag. We can’t haul around a suitcase that large.”

  Silas stripped off his coat and dropped it on the bench. His black knit long sleeve shirt molded to his body, right down to the gun strapped to his hip.

  There was no arguing with him. And did she really want to?

  “Okay. You win.” She unzipped her wool coat and laid it on the bench. She had a hoodie in easy reach inside her bag and slid it on. Dressed, she smiled at Chayan. “We’ll be right back.”

  Silas opened the door and peered in either direction. He was so intent. Dangerous.

  He glanced back at her. “Come on.”

  Ekko spared Chayan one last smile before leaving the cabin.

  Outside Silas paused until they heard the snick of the door locking. He nodded at her and she glanced up and down the hall.

  “This way.” She edged past him and led the way to the front of the car of private cabins.

  “Hold on for a second.” Silas grabbed her elbow and stopped her before she could open the door between the cars.

  She glanced up at him then away. It was hard to look at him after last night and he stood so close. “What?”

  “What is really going on here?” His thumb rubbed a little circle against her arm. “Ekko, I need to know so I can do my job. That’s all I’m trying to do here.”

  “I have it all under control,” she said.

  “Then why are we running? Why did someone die last night? Why don’t you have any other backup with you?”

  “Because the plan was to stay with the UN team,” she snapped. “But I panicked and let you drive off with us.”

  “So this is my fault?”

  “Yes.” No, it wasn’t and she knew it. Why couldn’t she admit that?

  “Jesus.” He sighed and scowled at her. “You have no idea what you’re getting into. Clearly you’re smart enough to get this far, but do you really know what you’re up against?”

  “I have a plan,” she said calmly.

  “Mind sharing it?”

  Ekko swallowed.