Elizabeth stared at Callum, shocked at his outburst.
He shrugged a shoulder, but it did little to damper her temper. She was as mad as Stefan. She felt violated. But Callum was right. They had to overlook the methods used and be glad that her father will get the help he needs.
"How was this diagnosis confirmed? I have never seen a combination of toxins like that. How do you even have an antidote?" Elizabeth asked.
Callum explained. His eyes never leaving hers as he spoke. She could hear the strain of stress in his voice. "I got a call that the diagnosis was confirmed last night."
So that is why Callum had to leave so quickly last night. It helped knowing.
"An expert physician from the National Medical Intelligence Center was put in the backseat of an F-15 Delta flying out of Andrews Air Force Base at 1200 Zulu. With one mid-air refueling, we expect him and the antidote in about three hours. A team is on stand-by to escort the King to a secure location where his medical team and our consultant can work together to get him better. With your permission we would like to begin the treatment immediately."
"Of course you have permission." Stefan stood up and paced behind his chair. "How did you diagnose this when our doctors couldn't?"
"Because we knew what to look for." Callum answered.
"And what does Victor have to do with all of this?" Elizabeth asked.
Edward crossed his arms on the table in front of him and explained. "A few weeks ago, we received confirmation that a debunked Soviet bioweapon program that concentrated on making unique combinations of toxins was up and running again. We had seen one confirmed case in Switzerland."
"General Phillips?" Elizabeth could not believe what she was hearing. Her gaze connected with Callum. Concern clouded his features. She had to look away to keep the emotion that was welling up in her at bay. She adjusted her position and concentrated on Edward.
Edward continued. "Yes, General Phillips also tested positive for a known Argent poison."
"The autopsy report said he died of a heart attack." Stefan pressed his fingertips into the back of the leather chair until they were white. "Are you also falsifying autopsy reports?"
"We did not want to cause a panic before we knew what we were dealing with. As far as we know, there are only a few vials available. We believe Phillips, your father, and the man who collapsed at the ballet were proof to potential buyers that the bioweapon exists. Phillips was the first proof, but when preexisting heart condition became known, we believe the buyer insisted on another display of the weapons power."
"My father?" Elizabeth asked.
"We think so. But your team whisked him away so quickly the buyers called foul. So, they ingested the man at the ballet with the poison. He passed away last night." Edward paused for a moment after relaying the sad news.
Elizabeth closed her eyes and said quick prayer for the man. She remembered how Callum tried to save his life and how strange Callum had acted that night. And all she did was try to get him kicked out of the country. But she did not know what was happening behind the scenes. Elizabeth knew Callum was in Corrannia for something other than the base agreement, but even in her wildest dreams she could not have imagined the scene Edward and Callum laid out. Her eyes found his again and he gave her a smile of understanding.
"Buyers? For what?" Stefan asked.
"We believe that someone has the Argent poison, maybe discovered them in an old Soviet stockpile, and is about it put them on the market to the highest bidder. The sale is expected to take place in the next day or two. We are tracking a Russian crime group, AP, who is organizing the auction. All of the links to date led us here, to Corrania."
"Links? Do you mean Victor? I don't believe it."
"We believe your bodyguard used your cell phone to make the deal with AP. He had direct connections to AP and access to your cell phone."
"My cell phone?" Elizabeth interrupted. "What does my cell phone have to do with all of this?" The she remembered the scene at the ballet where Callum demanded to know who had access to her cell phone. Her jaw went slack. "Is my cell phone somehow connected to this?"
"Someone contacted AP from your phone on five occasions." Edward explained.
"I have three phones that are connected to my personal line. A number of people, Victor and others have access to those phones. There is one I use primarily for my personal business, but I certainly don't hide them or lock them up."
"We can show you the intercepts, but which phone really does not matter at this point. It seems that whoever is contacting AP is using other means than your phone. The phone is what initially drew us here, but since then our analysts have begun working other links as well."
Elizabeth pictured Phillips, her father, and the poor, innocent man at the ballet. To think she might play a role in this plot, even if it was without her knowledge, left her cold. Then another thought raced through her mind. She hated that it even toyed with her when much more serious matters needed to be addressed. But once she considered it, she could not let it go. Callum was here for the bioweapon not for her.
It is what drew us here, Edward has said. A small part of her heart wished that he had attached himself to the delegation to see her. She did not even know she had hoped for such a thing until she knew it was not true. She felt so stupid. He had not made an effort to contact her for four years. Why would he do so now? The night before was a fluke.
A strange combination of emotion and desire. She, like Callum, needed to concentrate on the bioweapon and AP, and figure out what role her family and country played in the plot. Her feelings for Callum needed to stay in the past where she left them.
Unfortunately, last night brought back her desire for him full force. It was hard for her to sit across from him and not want to touch him, hold his hand, and check his wounds. But she found a way around her feelings for him before. She would do it again.
Callum must have sensed her distress. He shifted in his chair so his whole body was aligned with hers. The cuts and bruises on his face reminded her why she was there. Her personal life did not matter. She swiveled her chair away from Callum and focused on Edward.
"So, what is our next step? And, Mr. Edward, I strongly urge you to work with us, and not in secret. This is a threat to our country. My family. I think we can get much further by working together than separately." Elizabeth said matter-of-factly.
Stefan pulled back his chair and sat down next to her. "Yes. My sister is right. We need to work together and quickly. My father being the first concern."
"Then we are in agreement. Time is working against us and there are still many unanswered questions. I have a large team in place who is working on AP links in country, as well as trolling the dark net to identify the time and location of the auction. However, we cannot ignore that whoever is connected with Argent is also connected with your family. Someone in your inner circle."
"I thought you said it was Victor." Stefan asked.
"We think so, but can't be sure until we question him."
"I want my men there as well. If Victor threatened my family, it is a matter for Corranian security." Stefan demanded.
"Of course," Edward conceded.
"What else?" Elizabeth asked.
"I want my men on the inside. Your family needs protection and we also need to be ready to act as soon as can. The threat could come from a million different directions. With your permission, Princess, I would like to move Callum into Victor's place as your bodyguard."
"What!" Callum and Elizabeth spoke at the same time.
"Just temporarily until this is over." Edward said.
Elizabeth took a sip of her now cold coffee and tried to compose herself.
"I don't think that is such a good idea." Stefan added as he glanced over at her with tenderness in his eyes.
She put her cup down and gathered the courage to look at Callum. He looked like he wanted to spit nails. His steel-hard glare bored into her. No one in the room could doubt that for Callum th
is was personal. Elizabeth saw the cuts and scrapes from the accident as his hands balled into fists.
Edward held up his hand. "Now hear me out. With Victor missing, AP might try to act on their own. They might assume that the Princess knows where Victor is and try to harm her for the information. Of course, you can appoint someone officially to take over in Victor's absence. They can walk around behind her and stand post as Victor would. When the Princess is out in public, Callum can just be in the area, and if need be, we will call in reinforcements to protect his cover. We will certainly have them at the ball. We will set-up cameras and alarms in both of your rooms. I am assuming Victor knows the security protocol of the palace."
Edward looked at Elizabeth and Stefan for confirmation and they both nodded in agreement.
Edward continued. "But, when you are not in your room or in a large crowd when we have eyes on you, Callum needs to be there. That's when AP will likely strike. If Victor is their inside man, they already have your itinerary and know the layout of your private quarters."
Stefan reached out and covered her hand with his.
"You really think that is necessary. Such an invasion of her privacy?" Stefan asked.
"Unless you know of anyone you trust as much as you do Callum with the Princess' life."
Elizabeth watched as the two men sized each other up. It would have been funny if her sanity was not on the line.
Stefan turned to her. "I will only agree to it if you do."
Elizabeth could not find the words, but nodded her head in agreement. What else could she do? If she made the call not to allow Callum inside her personal world, and something happened -- they missed the sale or worse, someone else died -- she could never forgive herself.
"We would like to put someone on your watch as well, Your Highness." Edward spoke to Stefan.
"If you think that best, I'm sure we can work out some arrangement." Stefan offered.
"You think Victor has the vials?" Elizabeth needed to refocus her mind on to the threat at hand. If she thought about Callum being in her room and around her all the time until this nightmare was over, she would scream in frustration.
"We intend to find out." Callum said with hardness in his tone Elizabeth had never heard before.
"If they don't get what they want, they will come looking for answers. Especially now that they know that Argent exists and works." Edward scanned the room making eye contact with each person. "I need you all to understand the gravity of this situation. This is not over until we find those vials."
"It’s not the vials that are the problem." Elizabeth said. Her mind turned the problem over and over as she tried to put all of the pieces in to place.
"What do you mean?" Callum asked.
"The vials are an issue, don't get me wrong, but the real threat is the recipe. How they did it. Someone might be able to reengineer the weapon from the sample, but that could take years. I am assuming that the buyers you are talking about are more impatient than that. No, I think what the buyer wants is the methodology - the way that they fused the toxins or viruses."
The room was silent as everyone digested Elizabeth's comments. Edward was the first to speak.
"I'll get you the reports and translations we have to date. We have some old recipes and notes from the Soviet scientists, which is what helped us make the initial connections."
"But if you have those, it is likely someone else would as well, correct?" Elizabeth asked.
"Sure." Edward looked at Callum who also seemed to agree with the theory.
"Something must have changed. As you said, why is this old recipe on the market now? Research and technology have come a long way since the Soviet days. I think the buyer is looking for new directions or maybe even new technology." Elizabeth knew she was right. Even if they were not talking about bioweapons and mass destruction, medical research worked the same way. Everyone understood the general science behind most solutions, but it was the way someone put the pieces together - how they broke the problem down and pieced it back together - that made the big money, received the patents, or won Nobel prizes.
"Excellent point. I will mention it to my team. See if you see anything interesting in the documents I will have sent to you. Our scientists didn't, but that does not mean that they didn't miss something. In the meantime, I need you both to act like nothing is wrong. Keep to your schedules. Go to the ball tonight. Callum you stay with the Princess and let me know the minute something seems out of the ordinary."
"We have a large team in the country that is primed for this mission. We will coordinate with the Corranian teams you supply and hope we can lock this down before the auction takes place. Prince Stefan, please come with me and we will organize our teams so they can begin to question Victor. I hope to hell he talks and talks fast. Right now he is our only lead."
Edward, Callum, and Stefan stood and began to walk toward the door.
Elizabeth watched as Callum nodded his head and accepted his orders with no visible emotions. Elizabeth was sure her feelings were written all over her face. Callum as her bodyguard again. The idea did not sit well with her for about a million reasons. But Argent and her father were more important.
"You will get the antidote to my father?" Elizabeth asked as she stood as well.
"As soon as it lands. We can check on the plane's location on our way out." Edward said to Stefan.
Stefan walked over to Elizabeth and pulled her in to a firm hug. "You can do this, but if it gets too much, call me and I will arrange something else. Okay?" He whispered in her ear.
She shook her head in agreement as he pulled away.
Edward left the conference room with Stefan at his side. Elizabeth moved to follow, but Callum stepped in her path and blocked the doorway. His tall frame took up most of it.
"So, you see why I had to leave so abruptly last night."
"I had no doubt it was a national emergency of some kind."
He eyes pleaded with her for something. Understanding, maybe. But she already gave him that. There was nothing else to give.
"We have to work together and I don't want anything hanging over us. We need to be in sync. If something should happen, I need to you react. Not question me."
"I can follow orders as well as you can, Callum. I am grateful that you and your team do what you do. You saved my father's life and my family will be forever grateful. I have never doubted that you are a true hero."
Callum rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. "Damn it, Elizabeth, I don't want to be a hero. I want . . ."
She looked him squarely in the eye. "What do you want?"
Then she saw it. The doubt. Just for a second. Just for a second it seemed as if Callum Evans had no idea what he wanted and Elizabeth felt sorry for him. She suffered from the opposite fate. Elizabeth knew exactly what she wanted, but there was no way she would ever be able to have it. She resigned herself to her fate. Which one of them was the bigger fool?
Elizabeth brushed by him. "I need to freshen up. I will meet you at my car in ten minutes. When we get to the palace, Maya will give you my itinerary for the day." She turned back and looked at him. "I am sure you are well versed on how to act as a proper bodyguard."
Callum leaned against the conference table lost in thought Sam walked back in to the room.
"Where's is everybody?" Sam asked.
"Edward took the Prince to the briefing room to begin coordinate the line of questioning for Victor and Elizabeth went to freshen up." Callum offered. His mind still unsettled from his most recent set of orders.
Sam leaned on the table next to him. "So, what's next? We have Victor in a room downstairs. He's not happy."
Callum turned his head and gave Sam a look. Sam raised both of his hands. "Don't look at me. We didn't touch him. He went willingly. Although I don't think he knew we spoke Russian and understood exactly what he wanted me to do with a bull."
Callum felt his lips curve into a smile even through his mood remained sour. He longed for s
imple orders like go find this bad guy and take him out versus go play bodyguard to the woman you love but can't have. Watch her every move. Protect her. But don't touch her. Callum had made that mistake once. He would not do it again.
"You look like someone just kicked your puppy. What's up?" Sam asked.
"Edward wants me to be Elizabeth's bodyguard while we kept Victor busy."
Sam barked a loud laugh and stood up. "Are you kidding me? Man, that guy has a solid steel set on him."
Callum could not argue with that. But he was too emotionally involved with this mission to trust his own judgment. If Edward believed he should act as Elizabeth's bodyguard then he would. He doubted he would trust anyone else with her safety anyway. Even his own team. Maybe Edward understood that.
"So, what are you going to do?" Sam asked.
"Watch her. Make sure no one hurts her. Pray that Victor spills his beans so we can wrap this up and get out of here."
Sam raised his eyebrows.
"Really. Soon as we know she is safe and we lock this mission down, I'm leaving. I need to get back to my world."
"Maybe she is your world?"
Callum looked away.
"Well, at least say good-bye this time."
Callum winced at Sam's comment. But, he had no defense. He took the coward's way out four years ago. Would he do the same this time?
"I don't know."
Callum rubbed the back of his neck hoping to release the tension he felt there. "If you asked me three days ago when we were lying face down in that ditch waiting for our target if I believed I would even see her again I would have said no. Now, I am stuck with her day and night. I have to walk behind her and that boyfriend of hers tonight and act like I'm invisible. Man, I don't know what I'm doing from one moment to the next and that is uncomfortable as hell."
"You want me to take over. I will watch her like a hawk. You know that."
Callum had always felt like Sam was the brother he was never lucky enough to have, but this moment topped all others. He stood up and slapped the side of Sam's arm. This was the emotional equivalent of taking Sam taking a bullet for him.
Princess Bodyguard Page 12
