“Yet all others on board survived? How did that not kill all on board? Such crashes are usually always fatal.”
“I took over the controls and landed the plane” I grimaced. “Somewhat safely crashed the plane.”
“I was unaware you are a pilot.”
I shrugged. “I need more flight time and better schooling, but I’ve been trained enough to temporarily take the controls in an emergency.”
“You’re a man full of surprises, Mr. Alders. I look forward to finding out how else you will surprise me in the future.”
Unsure of what to say, I nodded. My thoughts returned to the more serious matter at hand: the oil tanker and how I’d gotten involved in the first place. “Do you know what they intended for the oil tanker?”
“We, my kingdom, that is, in its way regrets that their plan did not work. It would have done much at very little cost. Yes, we were able to determine what the rebellion wished to do. It is a cunning plan. One of His Highness’s contacts with the Middle East was on board the ship, and he planned for them to take a touring cruise of Maine’s coast following the delivery of the oil shipment. On board were explosives hidden within the oil tank compartments. Once His Highness was sufficiently far from shore, the ship would have exploded, killing him and several martyrs. The rest of the crew would have been safe on shore, as a full crew would not be needed for the short tour. It would have been a tragedy, but not an environmental disaster. While the rebellion desired revenge, they have ethics.”
I doubted I would ever fully grasp the situation—or be able to comprehend how any part of using a tanker as a weapon was ethical. “The tanker wrecking in France was an accident?”
“They did not have a skilled captain to chart a course and did not heed the navigational charts of the former captain. They killed the captain, and they planned to stage it as an unfortunate accident. He would’ve been declared lost at sea along with his Maine officers during a bad storm. That is not uncommon. It was not a bad plan, as far as they go—and this group wisely did not wish to be considered terrorists. The storm was more than they could handle, and they brought the ship too close to shore. It ran aground. One of the surviving crew started the timer to allow them time to escape in the chaos. It did not help them, as we have been keeping a close watch on all activity to and from Maine through the Strait of Hormuz. While we route our oil through different waters, we own many oil operations in other kingdoms. The Persian Gulf is a major shipping point for our oil industries located in Iraq and Iran. We have some operations in Saudi Arabia as well. Most of our shipping sails through the Mediterranean Sea, but both Iran and Iraq are close allies of ours.”
While I’d lived abroad, I’d done my best to avoid politics of all types. I had, however, known Turkey hadn’t bordered the Persian Gulf directly. “So, you own oil operations in Iraq and Iran, which ship from the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz, which is then taken to Maine following a southernly route beyond Africa before crossing the Atlantic Ocean?”
“That is correct. We would not cross the Atlantic Ocean from a northerly position; it is safer and more efficient to use the southern route. I’m pleased you have some knowledge of our trade.”
“We don’t see many tankers in that region, unless they’re heading for a port to deliver oil or gas, and never along that stretch of ocean. The navigation charts implied the ship’s original course was to go south of Africa.”
“They should have listened to the captain’s wisdom, and they should not have murdered such good men. We find this regrettable.”
“Was it your crude on board?”
“Some of the refined gas, some of the crude. It was a mixed batch. The refined gas is more unusual, but Maine has a limited number of refineries, and there has been cheap refined gas as of late. The tanker was of an unusual but decent design. It could handle carrying refined gas in addition to crude.”
“Ha. So I was right. There was lighter gas on board.”
“There was. It must have seemed odd to your talent.”
“I couldn’t figure out why the mix had such a variance in oil types. But if there was refined gas on board, that makes sense. The volume made it difficult for me to tell,” I admitted. “And there was likely gas on board to power the ship.”
“Correct. So, we will gift you the documentation that your kingdom requires to clean its succession and protect its interests. You will pay the price for this information through suffering, inconvenience, and a high probability of your addition to Maine’s succession. This settles a matter of honor for us in a way that will allow Maine to retain its sovereignty.”
“Why is your kingdom—Turkey, correct?—so interested in Maine maintaining its sovereignty?”
“You ask a good question. It is simple. The Middle East and surrounding kingdoms are always in a state of turmoil. There are many strong talents but only one ruling line. Fragmenting into many kingdoms would allow more ruling lines, but it would destroy us as a people. One of these lines, with a strong desire to rule, made an offer to His Highness of Maine—and to several others in the royal family. Bribes, of sorts. In exchange for eliminating troublesome members of the family or selling them into unwanted marriages, such as Her Highness would inevitably face, Maine would become their new seat of power. His Highness does not wish to rule, but he wishes for wealth and power. Selling Maine was a way for him to accomplish all of his goals.”
Melody’s uncle planned to sell Maine? My mouth dropped open at the thought of a royal even thinking about selling his kingdom to anyone. “He wanted to sell Maine to a royal family in the Middle East?”
“Precisely.”
I lifted my hand, rubbed my brow, and wished my ether-induced headache would rise up and bludgeon me back into unconsciousness. “And your solution to this is to poison me and force Melody to bond with me, so she is viewed as an appropriate successor, all while you expose other crimes within Maine’s royal family?”
“Precisely. If there was a safer way to ensure you bonded with Her Highness, we would do this. The toxin we have selected is ideal for our purposes, as you have a decent chance of impaired survival even without treatment or an antidote. Obviously, we do not wish you to suffer permanent impairment, just as we did not wish lasting harm to the agent with you in the airport. That was an unfortunate accident.”
With a lack of anything else to say or do about the situation, I said, “I’m protesting the requirement for me to be poisoned.”
“You are not here as a willing participant, Mr. Alders. It would be strange of you to be willing to be poisoned like that. We will, in the future, offer you a form of compensation. We will do our best to find something appropriate as an unofficial apology for involving you in this situation.”
“And if I told you most believe we’re already bonded?”
“Then her work will be easier and you will find the toxin will have minimal effects. We’ve been very careful in our research on this, and Her Highness is a very talented doctor.”
“She’s already asked me about marrying her, too.”
“We are aware. This made it easier for us to make the decisions we have. My only regret is we did not have more time to plan. It’s only good fortune we were ready to come to Montana, as we had intended to take advantage of your original trip to Montana to arrange an accident, one that would have similar consequences. But that would have been more dangerous to you. This is better.”
I questioned his definition of better. “And you plan to just walk away from this, don’t you?”
“Oh, yes. I will be well on my way out of Montana when the RPS arrives. The onset time for the toxin is sufficient enough to ensure you’ll be in the first phases of poisoning upon their arrival. We have planned this very carefully. We will force you to swallow a time-release capsule. You will be bound out of necessity, of course. And you can describe me to your heart’s content, but I am not wearing my true face right now—nor have I given you my true name. They will find locating me to be diffi
cult at best. And you can tell them I’m from Turkey, and that I work for Turkey’s interests, and they will accept the truth of the situation: it is best for Maine if Turkey’s involvement remains buried. As such, we walk away without consequence, you join Maine’s royal line with a strong ally in the future, and everyone is happy. Mostly. His Highness will be anything but happy. But be aware. He will try to kill you—and Her Highness—should an opportunity allow, and he is not the only one with access to those with illumination talents. As such, I will leave you with a gift.”
I frowned. “What gift?”
“False suppressors, to trick any who might believe you helpless during your recovery. This will be a lure too great for them to resist. I trust you will be able to control your magic, even if it should flare. The toxin we chose will not interfere with your ability to control your magic.”
Melody would freak if she figured out the real suppressors had been swapped out for fake ones. “And the real suppressors?”
“We’ll mail them back to you at a later date. They are quite valuable, and we wouldn’t want Maine to suffer through more financial losses.” Ekrem smiled. “You are handling this situation calmly.”
“Do I have any choice?”
“No, you do not.” Ekrem checked his watch, and I bet it cost more than everything I owned combined. “In an hour, you will be dosed with a sedative to ease the initial poisoning. Should all go to plan, you will emerge from sedation shortly after your princess begins working on you. It will be unpleasant. You will experience a shortness of breath, dizziness, and pain. Convulsions due to muscle spasms are a possibility.”
“Not a seizure?”
“Technically, the convulsions will be purely muscular in nature and not neurological. The toxin is rather friendly to the brain compared to others.”
“Are you going to tell me anything else I’m not going to like?”
“It’s probable you’ll remain in the hospital for up to a week recovering, and you will require several transfusions to completely remove the toxin. But otherwise, you should fully recover. I assume you’ll dislike the recovery time.”
“You would be right.”
Ekrem grinned. “It could be worse, Mr. Alders.”
“Dare I ask how?”
“We could have tested your suitability first, but upon reflection, you have endured enough, so we chose the route of kindness. Good men with steadfast integrity are hard to find, and I wish we could have met on better terms. I look forward to returning to my home and telling my people of the honorable man who may one day rule Maine as an ally.”
The authority in Ekrem’s tone promised he was either a member of Turkey’s royal family or someone with a lot of power in the kingdom. I considered him, tilting my head to the side. “Should I be addressing you as Your Majesty or Your Highness? I assume you are wise enough to mask your age along with your face.”
Ekrem smiled. “Perhaps one day you shall find out, but that day is not today. Do give His Royal Majesty of Montana my regards, for that will annoy him even more, and I live to keep that young man on his toes. Few have such courage. You should do the same, in as far as he will let you. His is a dangerous gift, and it does him well to know there are people who do not fully fear him.”
Only a king would have such ego, the resources, and the confidence in his words. A prince might have the ego and the resources, but the confidence his word would do so much belonged to a monarch, one long used to obedience. “I’ll do that, Your Majesty.”
“I thought you were a smart one. What gave me away?”
“You called His Royal Majesty of Montana a young man. That makes you an older man, and only a king would have the ego required to waltz into another kingdom and do as you’ve done. Possibly a madman might, but a king makes more sense than a madman—and a king would have the resources and personnel needed to pull off a kidnapping in an international airport like you have. And you recognized who Alfred was. That means you’ve met him before—or have done extensive studying. I assume you’ve met him, though.”
I could, upon reflection, come up with a long list of reasons supporting my belief that I spoke with a king, but I figured I’d save my breath. I didn’t want to know what his talent was, that he felt confident in being left alone with me.
The suppressors and side effects of ether exposure likely added to his confidence, though.
“I have. I was regretful when he was with you and not a lesser agent. Montana will be gifted anonymously for all costs of his care, and should there be any complications, my kingdom will make inquiries and offers for a potential agent to replace him. For all we must do these deeds for the greater good, it is for the good we work, and I would mourn what would become of your kingdom should the rebellious royals take it over. The Royal States would rise again in civil war, and I will not have so much blood on my hands.”
I narrowed my eyes and considered his choice of words. “Are there members of the rebellion in your family line?”
“Yes, there are. And I will see that they face the harshest punishments possible for their crimes and the sins they have committed against you and yours. That is our way. Our people, and yours, deserve better, and I would not see the peace forged between my people and yours shattered through the actions of a rebellious group of narrow-minded children.”
“You’re really confident Turkey will emerge from this unscathed.” I marveled at the man’s audacity. “But I do appreciate your care about Alfred’s wellbeing. And mine.”
“You are both honorable men, and that is important to me—and my people. But yes. His Royal Majesty of Montana will see the necessity of it when he sees the gift your poisoning will bring. And it will bring many gifts. And he will know I have moved in the shadows.”
“The shadows? I wouldn’t call this in the shadows. I’d call this on the front lines.”
Ekrem’s smile widened to a grin. “I have done both. You’ll get used to it. In time. I will enjoy seeing what you do in the future. In you, I see the makings of a good king.”
“Don’t count the chickens before they hatch, Your Majesty. I’m not qualified to be anywhere near a crown.”
“I said such things when I was but a boy, and my father said it was because I held myself to a higher standard than my brothers or sisters, that the crown would be mine, and that my duty was to do everything in my power to avoid shaming my family’s name. That advice is advice I would give to you. You are a man who would lay down your life for what you believe in and the greater good, and that is why Maine would do well for you to be the husband of their queen, for you will treat her with the same regard you would treat the kingdom in your care. It seems to me that you are the most qualified man for those reasons alone. But for now, you must finish earning your bride and your kingdom. Your duty in the rest of this is simple. Survive. The rest will fall into place without any work on your part. But do keep a wary eye around you. The giant will take time to fall, and he will wish to crush you before he does.”
That I could believe.
Chapter Twenty-One
I had to give Ekrem credit; he staged the log cabin so anyone entering would believe I’d put up a fight before being subdued. The illusion wouldn’t last long, as I’d escaped without bruising, although contact with the ether-soaked rag hadn’t done my skin any good. I’d gotten lucky; I only suffered from a few patches of ether-induced frostbite.
It would heal, and I’d likely emerge without scars.
Once tied up to Ekrem’s satisfaction, he filled a syringe with a clear fluid, cleared the needle of air, and injected it into my arm. Once the sedative began to kick in, he ripped off the duct tape and switched my suppressors. Before I blacked out completely, he pried open my mouth, popped in a capsule, and forced me to swallow with the help of some water.
As warned, I woke to a living hell filled with pain, and I struggled with every breath. Despite filling my lungs with air, they burned with the need for oxygen. Like most children, I’d held my breath to s
ee what would happen and how long I’d last, but my childhood experimentations hadn’t prepared me for the terror of slowly suffocating.
A roar filled my ears, one that drowned out most sounds, although the occasional word cut through the din, which I identified as curses.
I wanted to curse, too.
The hard edge of a mask pressed to my face, and shortly later, I fell into a painless void.
I suspected hospitals made monitoring equipment beep to wake patients. I found the sound both comforting and annoying. According to the machine, my heart was doing what it was supposed to be doing at a tolerable pace. The lack of shriller whistles and alarms promised my vitals were acceptable. If Melody had anything to do with my care, I expected the machines would complain the instant my body even thought about doing something she considered to be unacceptable.
It took longer than I liked to put myself together enough to attempt to open my eyes. The sterile white of a hospital room surrounded me. Logically, I understood why most hospitals used white; it was easiest to clean—and bleach—as necessary.
Patients tended to make a mess of hospitals, a reality nurses and doctors faced daily. I didn’t understand why doctors insisted on white coats; it made them blend in too well with the background. It took me a shamefully long time to realize Melody examined the nearby equipment. Her hair ultimately betrayed her presence, which helped me focus my eyes better on her.
“You’ve checked his vitals ten times in twenty minutes,” His Royal Majesty of Maine said, his tone amused, drawing my attention to him. The king stood near the white wall, also wearing a white coat, which helped him blend in. My eyes finally began cooperating with me, and the man looked tired and worn. “My patient is watching you.”
“He’s actually watching you, but unless he’s still doing that five minutes from now, I’m not going to get excited. And he’s my patient.”
“He’s my patient. I’m just letting you observe him and handle most treatments under my supervision.”
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