by Grady, D. R.
“Took some training with him.” Vlad shook his hand. “Nice to see you again, Prince Aleksi.” With a final nod, he turned and left the room so silently he would have never noticed he left the room if he didn’t watch Vlad cross the room, open the door, and exit.
His obvious skills raised the hair on the back of his neck.
There was no doubt Vlad Wellington was even scarier now than he’d been in their youth. Back then he possessed a lot less skills than he apparently enjoyed these days and he was scary enough then. Still, just from this brief interaction he had learned some vital info. The first was that Vlad respected and missed Aleksi’s father.
The second was that Vlad’s respect had now transferred to the new prince. He wasn’t certain what to think about that. It was nice Vlad intended to give him a chance. Yet Aleksi wasn’t so certain he was worthy of Vlad’s respect.
The fact that Vlad didn’t know what was on the USB device but was instructed to hand it to him personally made him wonder what could possibly be on it. He took a deep breath and paced to his computer. There he slid the storage unit into a port. The screen for opening files popped up and asked for a password.
“He didn’t say there was a password,” he muttered. Yet he had been pretty certain there would be.
Now, out of all the passwords his father had used he had to figure out which one secured this device. Obviously the information contained here was confidential.
He entered each password and was denied.
His father had left him several confidential files. None of them had been left with someone. They had been stored in the family safe that as far as he knew, only he and his mother knew the combination to.
Still, it seemed odd to leave critical information in the hands of one person. What if Vlad had forgotten it? What if he was killed? And why had his father felt he could trust Vladimir Wellington?
“What is that?” Emerson’s interested voice asked from behind him.
“Where did you come from?”
“The secret passage, where else?”
A hidden panel had been added to the prince’s suite centuries ago to protect the prince in the event of war. Or, in more modern times, terrorist attacks. The only person who regularly used it and the ensuing network of tunnels throughout the palace was Emerson. He figured it amused Emerson and he probably stayed busy keeping them clean. He was the only man Aleksi knew who could pass even the strictest white glove test.
“What is that?” Emerson asked again and pointed to the USB stick.
“I was just going to ask that same question.” Maks stood on the other side of his desk.
“See,” he pointed out to Emerson, “Maks used this thing we call a door. You can find them throughout the palace.”
“Regular doors are boring.” Emerson used his chin to point to the USB device.
“Vlad just gave me this.”
Both of his friends turned their full attention on him.
“Vlad as in my brother?” Maks asked.
“The same.”
“What does it say?”
“I don’t know yet. It’s password protected.”
“And the list of your father’s passwords don’t work,” Emerson concluded.
“That is correct.”
They all stared at the USB drive.
“That means it’s important.” Emerson stroked his chin, his gaze assessing.
Maks frowned. “What could Vlad know that we don’t?”
“He seems to have trusted my father.”
“Vlad has always respected your father. I remember a big disagreement he had with the parents. Your father stepped in and Vlad didn’t argue with him. The matter was settled as far as he was concerned and my parents learned something.”
“What’s that?” Emerson asked.
“That if they wanted Vlad to do something, they needed to go through Prince Aleksandr.”
“I wonder why?” he asked this but he didn’t get an answer from either of his two friends and didn’t expect one.
His guess was that this USB drive was the key to discovering that answer.
Now he just had to figure out the password.
***
After he handed over the drive, Vlad headed down the hall. He was sorely tempted to return to the lab. In that room was the woman he longed to spend a lot more time with. There was so much they still didn’t know about each other.
Sure, he had kept up with her life while he was away. Still, he didn’t know all that much about her. She knew next to nothing about him. It had to remain that way. At least until they figured out exactly what they faced during the next few weeks.
It might be nothing. On the other hand it could be an all out war that Rurikstan, as it stood right now, wasn’t prepared for. In fact, they would definitely come out on the losing side as the military wasn’t competent yet. There weren’t enough men who were trained as they should be in order to win the type of battle he suspected was about to befall them.
On the other hand, perhaps the teams he worked with had managed to discourage the different factions they knew were watching Rurikstan and its wealth with greedy eyes. Yet he had lived long enough to doubt that scenario.
The device he kept in his pocket vibrated and he dug deep to remove it. He stepped into one of the hidden passages and then into a chamber that he doubted even Emerson knew about. He had found this room his eighth year. It was fairly spacious and only the former prince knew of its location. Aleksi might not even be aware of it.
The coordinates were likely on that USB stick, but for now Vlad was using the room as his communications center. “Hello,” he said into the device.
“Are you in place?” The voice that spoke was as familiar to him as anyone in his immediate family. More so because this voice had sometimes been his only contact in a few of his darkest hours. The only one he spoke to while he trained in the art of war. It had kept him encouraged, kept him alive, threatened him, helped him.
In essence, this man and his team had become Vlad’s family.
“I’m in place.”
“Have everything you need?” The voice was pure American.
He could name the state and the region where this man had grown up in America. He could do so with any American voice he heard.
“I’m fine.”
“For now.” The voice took on a grim note.
His heart plummeted. “What have you heard?” His own voice reverberated with the same edge.
“The same old. But we’re hearing it from enough different places that we’re a little nervous.”
“And rightly so.” While this wasn’t unexpected, he still hated it. “It’s not enough to deploy a team though.”
“No. If you need anything—”
“You’re the first person I call.”
The voice lightened. “You know my admiral will send us as soon as there’s need.”
“Thank you. I’ll call as soon as things look like they’re about to blow up.”
“Right, Welly. Do that.” The command in that voice was so familiar he straightened.
“I will, Captain, now shouldn’t you go command someone?”
“Cheeky…” The transmission broke up before he heard what his former commander called him, but that was okay. He had time to think up a few favorites. Maybe if he thought long enough he could come up with something especially amusing.
He fired up his equipment and started to do what he did best. This was the culmination of his extensive training. The reason for his entire life… and no one here in Rurikstan even knew.
Chapter 5
“So that was Vlad,” Tia murmured as Helena struggled to slow her heartbeat.
Unfortunately, her efforts weren’t effective.
“That was Vlad.” Her voice was far too dreamy. Combined with her rapid heart rate, she was definitely in trouble.
“He’s…” Tia frowned. “I’m not certain there’s a way to describe him.”
“I’ve never come up
with anything suitable.” Not besides Mine, but she didn’t share that with other people. It sounded so possessive. The main problem in that little scenario was that Vlad did get free will and so far he didn’t sound like he was committed to their relationship. Such as it was.
“The thing is, Vlad reminds me of someone I know.” Tia chewed on the inside of her cheek.
“Maybe Aleksi,” she ventured with a bratty grin.
Tia swatted her. “Yes, he reminds me of Aleksi. They could be brothers. Vlad also reminds me of Maks, obviously. But I’m thinking of someone who doesn’t live in Rurikstan.”
Her eyebrows soared. “Oh, right. Who?”
“I don’t know. That’s why it’s bugging me.”
“Maria at three o’clock.” She barely managed to warn Tia before Maria halted in front of them.
“I still can’t believe you didn’t tell me you’re dating my son,” she alleged instead of the usual greeting.
“Maria, again, I don’t know if I’m dating your son. I’d like to know myself.”
Some of Maria’s fire abated. “Okay, I can understand that. Vlad is my simplest child, and yet he’s very much my most complicated.” Maria flopped onto a stool, her shoulders hunched.
“Try dating him.” She dropped beside her.
“I’m engaged,” Tia piped up. She and Maria both turned baleful stares on her. She grinned. “Don’t you think the two of you are making this more complicated than it is?”
“No,” she and Maria answered at the same time.
“I think you are.”
“Who cares what you think?” She tapped the benchtop. “I’m not certain if I have a boyfriend, but I’m desperately attracted to a man who might or might not be attracted to me.”
“He’s attracted to you.”
She turned abruptly to Maria. “How do you know that?”
“He’s my son. Vlad has been attracted to you since you hit puberty.”
“Explain, Maria,” she demanded.
“I might not know him well, but he is my son.”
Tia frowned. “How can you not know your own son?”
“If your sons turn out like Vlad, which could happen since you’re marrying a de Leos and Vlad is also of that line, you’ll know.”
“Maria, it would help if you spoke English,” Tia replied.
“I did.”
“What Maria is trying to say, but isn’t doing very well, is that there’s a weird gene or something in the de Leos line that every once in a while produces men like Vlad.”
“It pops up randomly?” Tilting her head like that, Tia looked more like a model at a photo shoot than a scientist, but there was no doubt the woman was all brains at the moment. She recognized that deep-thinking face.
“That’s what genes do, love.” Maria smoothed a hand through her already sleek hair.
“So you think Vlad is a throwback from another generation?”
“Oh no.” She shook her head. “He’s definitely a man of this era. His skills are probably pretty impressive—it’s just that he’s so complicated.”
“I’ve never understood Vlad. He’s very different from my other children.”
Her stomach twisted. “The problem is he’s always been aware of the fact he didn’t quite fit in here.”
“And Graham and I worked very hard to make him feel like a part of the family.” Maria’s voice was so sad her stomach twisted again.
“Did Vlad know?” Tia’s innocent question didn’t ease the pain.
Maria’s smile tried to wrench her stomach or heart, she couldn’t figure out which organ, right from her body. “Of course he knew.”
“Wow, and I thought growing up with the Apes was bad,” Tia said, referring to her three older brothers.
***
Tapping out another command at the main computer, Vlad watched the screen. Helena’s face filled it. Then she turned and headed to the huge sterile hood. There were no cameras there, because he didn’t want to compromise the sterility and use of the hood.
The entire purpose of the cameras was to maintain the safety of the personnel who worked there. Not spy on the lab staff, even if one of them was the woman he wanted above all others. He yanked his attention from her and moved on.
He clicked another series of keys and another camera scene popped up. Emerson was in the kitchen, speaking with one of the many employees. No matter what time of day, it seemed someone was up and about in the palace. It was a vast place with as many priceless antiques as prestigious museums. Most of these antiques had been passed down from generation to generation, and yet were in pristine condition.
Just these items, not to mention their gems—some of the best in the world—made Rurikstan a very tasty morsel. If you factored in all those and added his brother Maks’ genius with investments you had a formula for disaster. Thinking of Maks caused more key tappings. Vlad next watched kids playing together in the nursery.
Apparently Tia had been surprised to learn there was no formal childcare program here and she quickly established a daycare like he had seen often in America. Now most of the staff with children participated and it worked very well. Emerson and Maks both had kids in the program. That left their wives free to work or attend to other things on the days they chose to participate. Emerson’s wife, Karis, was a nurse practitioner and Sara, Maks’ wife, was a college professor. Sara returned to teaching on a part-time basis.
He typed the commands to return to the lab cameras. One area of concern was the lab. In an attack, there weren’t many escape routes for the lab personnel. They had to flee across the hall for the nearest route. That wasn’t acceptable. Frowning at the screen, he checked out each camera’s view and reassessed every area of the lab. In the back corner there was a storage closet that none of them much used because there was a stainless steel table in front of the door.
But one of the closet walls contained a secret panel that emptied onto a small antechamber that in turn offered at least two, but possibly three different escape routes. Over the last week or so Vlad had seen every one of them use that table, so the table was more important than the storage closet. Yet hadn’t he seen at least one hazard in the current storage closet? It was a lot smaller and cramped, and subsequently crowded with reagents and supplies.
Why did they use that area rather than the much larger one? He scanned both areas again. Ah, that was why. The smaller one was located closer to the center of the room, while the larger was on the outskirts of the lab. It would take more effort to use the larger. Still, the table they all used would work better in the center of the lab.
Now all he had to do was convince the four of them that they needed to use the larger closet, and somehow show, without showing, the secret escape route. His mother, girlfriend, and the soon-to-be princess all worked in this space.
It was ripe with potential to unscrupulous men who needed money. How much would Aleksi pay to get Tia back?
His heart dropped. A lot. How much would he pay to get his mother or Helena back? A lot.
Operation Closet Changing suddenly became his top priority.
***
Helena’s heart stuttered when Vlad entered the lab again. Twice in one day. Once this morning and now again this afternoon. Her palms turned sweaty as she swung around to stare at him head on.
“Can we help you?” Her voice was a little too eager she decided.
“Vlad, love, what are you doing here again?” His mother’s voice was every bit as eager.
“Hello, Mother, Helena.”
Vlad didn’t seem to mind in the least that they were eager. In fact, his eyes crinkled at the corners just the way she liked. His lips kicked up and she discovered that was because she was grinning like an idiot.
He glanced around the room. “Where are Jorge and Tia?”
Oh, too bad. He hadn’t come to ask her on a date.
“They’re out taking water samples.” Maria had the presence of mind to answer, thankfully.
She swallowed, si
nce her mouth seemed to have filled with a lot of saliva. Once she accomplished this she smiled at him again.
“I see.” Vlad sent her a slightly searching look.
To cover herself, Helena hurried to the supply closet. She needed a moment to gain control of herself. This was ridiculous. She was nearly thirty years old. There was no reason to be an idiot about all of this. She was an adult.
Maybe she should start acting like one.
Anyway, she did need more pipets so she opened the closet and paced to where they were stored on the top shelf. Since she couldn’t brag about her height, Helena grabbed the step stool and crawled on top. From the top step she could just reach the shelf. Snagging the box she saw it was empty.
“Hey, who used all the 1 ml pipets?” She stared dubiously inside the box but it was still empty.
“Is that bad?” Vlad asked from below her.
With a shriek she jumped, because she didn’t know he had followed her into the closet. Oh, a closet, and Vlad. All she had to do was close the door and she could jump him. Except that his mother hovered in the doorway.
“That box was full yesterday. I only took one package from it.”
She upended the box. “It’s not full now.”
“And I just got that box from the big closet yesterday. We use a lot of that size so I’m not surprised.”
“We do use a lot of these. And we already moved that table yesterday.” She glared at the door across the way.
“I’ll help,” Vlad offered and she turned a beguiling smile on him.
“Thank you.”
Maria offered her own effusive thanks.
“Let’s move that table.” Then without any warning whatsoever, Vlad circled her waist and easily lifted her off the stool. No easy feat because she was curvy. She was too surprised to shriek again. That was just as well, because it wasn’t all that ladylike.
Instead he floated her to the floor and she was hard pressed to say she didn’t enjoy the ride. To brace herself, she placed a hand at each of his shoulders and enjoyed the bulging muscles there.
For some reason her mouth filled with too much saliva again.
By the time her feet connected with the floor, Maria had already tapped her four inch heels across the lab and stood in front of the table. “Really, this time we should just take all of the 1 ml pipets and move them to the other closet. Since we use so many of them.” Her hands planted on her hips, she nodded.
