by Raye Morgan
“Though one of them did shoot at the van as I drove off,” he told his attentive audience. “Luckily, he wasn’t much of a shot.”
Security at the docks had been alerted but they hadn’t found the men.
“I’m calling out the army on this,” Monte said with a scowl. “I want someone charged and put behind bars. We have to nip this sort of thing off right away. We can’t have criminals running around kidnapping people.”
By now, Max had asked where Kayla was a number of times and no one seemed to know. And then a call came in from the dockyard police saying they had found Caroline’s abandoned scooter near the road to the docks, and Pellea and Max began to piece together different bits of evidence and get a vague idea of where she might be. Their conclusions were grim.
Once Pellea questioned the security guard who had been on duty that afternoon and found out someone had called in saying Max had been kidnapped, the picture became clearer.
“Kayla obviously saw the kidnappers taking you off and when she couldn’t get security to help, she grabbed Caroline’s scooter and went after you herself.”
Max stared at Pellea, stunned.
“They have her,” he said in a low, gravelly voice. “The bastards have her.” He turned to look for his keys. “I’ve got to go.”
CHAPTER TEN
“HOLD IT.”
Monte held a hand up and stopped Max cold.
“You’re not going anywhere.”
Max’s face darkened rebelliously. Right now he wasn’t in the mood to take orders from royals, no matter who they were. But before he had a chance to say anything, Monte continued and explained his position.
“I’m not trying to pull rank on you, Max. But we have to stop and think things through before we act. We need to be sure we are doing the smart thing to get the results that we want and not just more bloodshed. You swimming the channel in a burst of adrenaline, showing up on shore with a knife between your teeth, is just going to get you killed. We can’t succeed without a plan.”
“What sort of plan?”
“I say we go in at midnight.”
“Who’s ‘we’?”
“All of us royals. The warriors of the DeAngelis regime. We’ve got a very fast, very slinky boat that can enter areas without making a sound. I’m thinking four of us will take it.”
“Four?” Mykal asked the question.
Monte nodded. “Sorry, old man, but I don’t think we ought to risk you on this mission. You’re not healed yet. We’ll use you as a coordinator back home.”
Mykal nodded reluctantly.
“Okay, so we’ve got Joe with his special forces training. And you, Max—you’ve been in combat. David is the best strategic thinker I know of. And I’m a pretty good leader.” He shrugged. “What else do we need?”
“A plan,” Max answered, still restless and not sure this was going to work. He liked to work alone. That was what he was used to. And every minute they delayed was a minute more Kayla had to endure whatever they were putting her through.
“A plan would be good,” Monte admitted. “That’s why we’re going to take a few hours to think about it. We’ll meet at eleven and go over our thoughts and put something together.
Max stared at him, trying not to let his resentment show. He knew what Monte was saying was smart, but he wanted to go now. He clenched his jaw and kept his opinion to himself. Monte knew what he was doing and he was exhibiting good leadership. He had to let this play out. Still, he ached to go right into their castle and save Kayla. If someone was hurting her, they were going to pay.
“I’m preparing a message for King Juomo and his ministers,” Pellea said. “I’m telling the king that this nonsense has to end and that he’ll personally pay for anything that happens to Kayla.” She took a deep breath and looked around at them all. “You know it is possible that this is just a fringy, rogue element who has masterminded this,” she said.
“You think so?” Max challenged her. “You don’t think the king sending a poster saying I was wanted dead or alive was a little rogue, a little fringy?”
“Of course it was.”
“Yes. The whole Mercurian royal family has been cuckoo for years.”
“Which means you can’t base your estimates of what they might do on normal reactions. Be ready for anything.”
Max couldn’t face going back to his room alone and thinking any more. He wanted to take action. It killed him to wait. He had to do something to take his mind off it. So he stopped by Caroline’s apartment and asked to see Teddy.
Caroline was worried. He could see it in her face, and when he decided to take Teddy to Kayla’s and fix him some dinner himself, she readily agreed, but caught him before he left.
“Are you going to save my sister?” she asked earnestly. “Can you guarantee me that she’s going to be okay?”
He took her hand in his and gazed deep into her eyes. “I guarantee she’ll be okay,” he said gruffly. “Or I’ll die trying to make that happen.”
She stared back for a moment, then nodded, satisfied. “Okay,” she said. “I’ll hold you to that.”
“Come on, Teddy,” he said, looking at his little boy. “You want to go with me?”
Teddy gave him a steady gaze but didn’t look enthused.
“Go with Prince Max, honey,” Carolyn said. “I’ll bet he could fix you a nice scrambled egg for your dinner.” She said as an aside, “He really likes scrambled eggs,” and Max nodded, smiling as the little boy got up and came to him.
“I’ll bring him back in an hour or so.”
He bent down and picked him up and they said goodbye, but Teddy was stiff in his arms until he saw that they were going to his own apartment. Max realized he probably thought he was going to see his mother, so he began talking to him as they entered the room, keeping him occupied as long as possible, and it seemed to work out all right.
They sat on the floor and Max began putting together a set of fat train tracks meant for toddlers, while Teddy pushed the train engine and tried to make train noises. The tracks were going everywhere, and since the door was open to the coat closet, soon they were going there, too.
Max looked at the little boy he was playing with and he couldn’t help but smile. This child was his son. And then Teddy looked at him and gave him that beautiful smile again, and he felt it—the connection. Finally. This really was his son. He could feel it now.
He got up to go fix Teddy some scrambled eggs. He couldn’t eat anything himself, he was too tied up in knots, but he fed his boy. And then he paced the floor and thought of Kayla.
Suddenly he noticed a flash of light and he turned, puzzled. A sort of reflection was on the wall. He turned again, trying to figure out where it was coming from, and realized Teddy had pushed his toys into the closet and was pretending it was a cave. But something he was playing with had made that fantastic reflection, all dancing, shimmering lights.
He went into the closet and the first thing he noticed was his own denim jacket, lying on the floor. Realizing it must have fallen, he picked it up and put it on a hanger, then looked down at Teddy. The boy had a thick gold chain around his neck and he was playing with the pendant hanging from it. Max frowned and took a closer look, and then his blood began to pound in his veins and his heart did a flip in his chest.
“What the …?”
It was the artifact. He was staring down at a million-dollar diamond and his son was playing with it.
He turned away, struggling for breath. The historical artifact that threatened to ruin his life, the jewel-encrusted icon worth millions, was in the hands of a toddler. He turned back.
“Teddy, Teddy, where did you get that?”
Teddy didn’t seem to know, but Max looked at his own denim jacket and realized what must have happened.
“It was in my jacket all this time,” he muttered in hazy wonder. “And it took Teddy to find it.”
And Teddy didn’t want to give it up.
“Sorry, kid,” he told h
im. “I’ve got to take this from you. I can’t let it out of my possession again. Lives may depend on it.”
Looking at it, he was sure this was what the king of Mercuria wanted. He didn’t want Kayla. He didn’t even want Max. This was basically the crown jewels of the nation and he wanted his treasure back.
How had it ended up in his jacket pocket? Maybe someone ought to ask Princess Nadine that question. He grabbed his denim jacket and put it on, then slipped the artifact back into the hidden, inside pocket, making sure it was secure.
“Thanks, Teddy,” he said, picking the boy up and giving him a big kiss. “You’re the hero tonight.”
He got together the baby’s things and he felt as though he were walking on air.
“Okay, Teddy,” he muttered. “You’re going to have to go back and stay with Caroline, because I’m going to get your mama back.”
He knew he was supposed to wait for his brothers to go with him, but that was three hours away. He had to go now. Kayla was all alone and scared and he couldn’t wait any longer.
Max had lived in Mercuria for almost a year and he knew all the little inlets along the coast and he could find them, even in the dark. He pulled his boat into a cove and tied it fast to a stand of pilings, then went ashore. It was a short walk to the castle. Mercuria was an old-fashioned country. The new, modern methods of security and border entry hadn’t been introduced as yet. Very few people came to visit, because, after all, who cared about Mercuria? They had sat tight in their little isolated peninsula for decades and most people didn’t even know they existed.
Max knew certain passwords, certain door codes, and before long, he was in the central living area of the castle, smiling at his old friend Sven, doorkeeper to the royal family.
“Hey, Sven,” he said.
“Max!” Sven, a big, burly Swede, stepped out to clap him on the back. “Hey, good to see you, old buddy. It’s been a while. So you’re back?”
“Ah … yes, I’m back.”
“And you’re going into the royal center?”
“If you’re going to let me, yes, I am.”
“You don’t have a pass, I suppose.”
“Do I ever?”
Sven laughed. “No, can’t say that I’ve ever known you to arrive with the proper pass.” He shook his head with pure affection. “Come on in. Shall I announce you to anyone?”
“No, thanks. I’m going to go in and see who’s available. Hopefully, I’ll find the king isn’t busy and has time to talk to me.”
“Oh, sure. I think someone said he’s in the greenhouse right now.”
“Okay. I’ll just hang around until he gets back.”
“Sure.”
He’d given a lot of thought to where they might be holding Kayla. There was a guest room on the first floor, off the library. If they were being extra special nice, they might have put her there. He slipped around the kitchen where he overheard two kitchen maids gossiping, and headed straight for the library, then the guest room. Empty.
That left the women’s jail on the second floor. He took the stairs, hoping he wouldn’t pass anyone on the way, and came to the fortified area that had been built especially to hold female prisoners. He’d known a housemaid who’d been accused of stealing and had been kept there for weeks. He’d felt sorry for her, visited her often and finally won her release when the real culprit was identified. He knew the way in and the way out and he could pick the main lock at will. A few clicks and he was in.
Two cells faced each other, divided by a corridor between them. In one cell, just as he’d expected, there was Kayla, sitting on a bare cot and looking unhappy but otherwise unscathed. But what he hadn’t expected was to find Princess Nadine sitting in the other cell, face muddy with the effects of a lot of heavy crying. She looked up when Max entered, and her face brightened considerably.
“Max,” she said, jumping up and going to the bars. “You came for me! Finally!”
But his attention was all on Kayla.
“Max!” She reached out her hand and he took it in his, pulling as close to her as he could.
“Are you all right?” Kayla asked anxiously. “How’s your head?”
He’d forgotten all about his head wound. He touched it gingerly. “It’s okay. How about you?” His gaze ran over every inch of her, searching for any signs of wounds. She looked a little mussed and had a bruise on one cheek, which made him swear softly. Her hair could use a combing. But she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. “Did they hurt you?”
“No. Well, they did stick me with a tranquilizer dart.”
He grinned at her. “Me, too.”
She grinned back. “But other than that, they’ve been okay.”
“Max!” Princess Nadine called, sounding like the spoiled child she was. “Come see about me.”
He looked over his shoulder. “Why is she in here?” he asked.
Kayla shook her head. “I’m not sure. I think her father put her in here as a sort of trap for you when you returned to get her.”
“Get her?”
“They seem to think you two have a love affair going on.”
“In her imagination, maybe.”
“Or maybe her father is just mad at her.”
“I’m not mad at all, young lady,” said a deep, sonorous voice.
Max turned quickly. King Juomo was coming down the center aisle. Dressed in eighteenth-century royal garb of brocade and velvet, he looked splendid and ridiculous all at the same time.
“My daughter is incarcerated for a very specific purpose.” He smiled and made a slight inclination of his head toward Max. “I’m glad you made it. We’ve been waiting for you. Now we can get on with things.”
“Your Majesty, with all due respect, I would like you to release Kayla right away. You have no right to hold her here. She has nothing to do with any of this.”
He batted that pesky demand away. “I hear you’re a prince now, my friend. What a lucky occurrence that is. Now my daughter will be doubly royal, won’t she?” He put his head to one side, thinking hard. “Not to mention the unbreakable ties our two nations shall have with each other. Won’t that be lovely?”
“Your Majesty,” Max said bluntly, “I’m not going to marry your daughter.”
“Oh, but I think you are. You see, I won’t release your little friend here unless you do. It’s quite simple, really.” He smiled. “I’ve had the men in to fire up the old torture room in the dungeon. Quite a few nice old-fashioned machines in there. Can tear a body to ribbons, you know. I don’t think your little friend will like it much. We will strive for historical accuracy, but still, her screams are going to be hard to take.”
“Wait a minute.” Max stared at the man as though he could hardly believe he was sane. “You’re threatening to torture Kayla if I don’t marry Princess Nadine? Are you crazy?”
“Not at all. I’ve been tested. I’m quite sane.” He threw a dour look Kayla’s way. “And not mad, either.”
“I meant angry,” she told him quickly. “Which is what I’m beginning to get. This is so absurd. I don’t believe for a minute that you plan to torture me. You know very well international law forbids it.”
He frowned. “Since when?”
“You don’t keep up much with international affairs, do you? It’s been that way for years. You can’t get away with it. They’ll string you up.”
His laugh was jovial. “They’ll have to catch me first.”
“Really? And exactly where will you run to?”
He looked at Max. “I quite like your friend. She has a lot of spirit. Maybe I’ll marry her myself.” He giggled. “We’ll have a double wedding.”
“Daddy!” Nadine was sobbing.
“Hush, child. You wanted him and I told you I’d get him. Now he’s here for you. Show a little gratitude.”
“Tell you what,” Max said sensibly, “I don’t think anyone is marrying anyone at this point. But I do have a bargain for you. I might be able to produce your hi
storical artifact.”
“You’d certainly better produce the artifact. If you don’t, you’re all going to lose your heads.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake,” Kayla muttered just loud enough for Max to hear. “Now he thinks he’s the Red Queen.”
“If I can produce it,” Max went on doggedly, “I’m sure you’ll be gracious enough to let us both go free.”
The king’s eyes widened. “You and Nadine?”
“No. Me and Kayla.”
He was frowning. “How does that help my little daughter? She loves you so.”
“Daddy!” Nadine called.
“Hush. I’m negotiating here.”
“But Daddy, I don’t want him anymore. I hate him.”
The king turned and glared at his daughter. “What?”
“I hate him. He didn’t come back the way he was supposed to. I waited and waited.”
“Well, he’s back now. I went to a lot of trouble to get him for you.”
“I know.” She pouted. “I used to think he was really cute. But not anymore.”
Max and Kayla exchanged significant glances.
“I don’t understand,” the plump man blustered. “I thought you couldn’t live without him.”
“Yeah, well …” She made a face. “He’s not as cute as the new stable boy. Daddy? Please? I want the new stable boy.”
Kayla grinned. By now she’d pretty much decided this whole thing was a thinly disguised farce. She couldn’t believe anyone this silly could run a country.
“Maybe I ought to take a look at the new stable boy,” she said brightly. “Who knows? Maybe I’ll like him better, too.”
