Diamond Legacy

by Monica McCabe

  Starting a stack on the counter, she headed for the bed. Yanking the pillow off, she checked between the headboard and the wall and found nothing. The heat began to build, adding to the discouraging circumstances, but she refused to acknowledge the despair that threatened to overwhelm her determination. Instead, she latched onto her earlier anger and tugged at the heavy cotton-stuffed mattress.

  She could shove it only a few inches and needed help. “Hank, give me a hand.”

  He didn't move, just sat blankly staring at the table.

  Patience left her, melting away in the rising heat. “Heavens above! Quit feeling sorry for yourself and get over here.” She knew she sounded harsh, but sitting around bemoaning their fate wouldn’t get them anywhere.

  Hank lifted his head with bitter resignation, and she thought for a minute he was about to show signs of life, at the very least yell at her for being ill-tempered, but instead he just stood with a heavy sigh.

  Together, they lifted the torn and stained mattress and came up empty handed. There wasn’t even a box spring to dissemble, just another ratty mattress atop a plywood frame. They let it fall back down, and she dropped to her knees for a search beneath the bed. Besides dust bunnies and more candy wrappers, it was another dead end.

  That was it. She’d covered it all. And it hadn’t taken long.

  No sooner had she stood and brushed off her hands, then the door opened and Bessault stepped inside, followed by a smirking Neil and a third guy who stood guard in the doorway. Like she’d make a run for it with all that firepower lurking around outside.

  “Neil tells me you’re a visiting veterinarian at Katanga.” Bessault spoke like they were having a Sunday afternoon tea instead of interrogating prisoners in a sweat box.

  “You shouldn’t have brought me here.” It’s all she could think of to say.

  He merely smiled. “I thought it a good idea at the time.”

  “Poor judgment on your part.” She wanted to wipe the superiority off his face. “How many agencies do you think will be looking for two missing Americans?”

  His smile didn’t falter. “Not enough to find you. It’s amazing how easily money influences law-abiding citizens and agencies. You will soon be forgotten.”

  “Don’t bet on it.”

  He laughed outright this time. “If you think your janitor friend will help you now, you are due for big disappointment.”

  So Neil had been blabbing about their time at Half Jacks. No surprise there. It didn’t matter. Both men had a major flaw that’ll cost them in the end. “Arrogance will be your downfall.”

  His smile turned reptilian. “How delightful, a woman with spirit.”

  A snort sounded behind him. Neil was puffed full of bravado now that he had reinforcements. “She’s mouthy and fool-headed,” he spat, “that’s what she is.”

  “And you’re a nasty little worm with delusions of grandeur,” she spat back.

  Hank groaned in the background as Neil’s face turned splotchy shades of red.

  “Shut up, doffie!” Neil started toward her, but Bessault grabbed his arm. And with a toss of his head, sent the worm back to the doorway. Neil obeyed, but his sullen glare clearly promised revenge.

  Bessault, however, calmly considered her with eyes as dead as his expression. “I admit what to do with you two is a bit of a problem. You see, I’m rather busy at present. I’ve little time to fool with nosy veterinarians. No matter how lovely.”

  She might be mouthy, but she recognized real danger when she saw it. Bessault was a deadly predator. She knew when to stop pushing. “Look, I didn’t ask to come here,” she reasoned. “If you had let me walk out of that stable, you would’ve saved us both a lot of trouble.”

  “Perhaps.” Bessault stepped closer. “Sometimes fate holds other cards.”

  He reached out to pull the band from her ponytail, allowing her hair to fall free to her shoulders. He put a finger to her chin and lifted her face for a better look. She stared right back, having learned long ago to never show an animal fear. It only sharpened their hunting instinct.

  His nostrils flared. “You are different than most.”

  She kept her silence.

  He took another step closer, and she took an equal step back.

  The chuckle he gave only served to infuriate her. When he reached out to touch her again, she slapped his hand away.

  “La petite tigress.” He turned hunter and backed her up against the wall, grabbing a handful of hair and pulling to the edge of pain. “Make no mistake over the one in control here.”

  “Get your hands off her!” Hank chose that moment to finally show signs of life. He jumped to her aid, but before he laid a hand on Bessault, the guard from the door had him.

  The sound of pounding flesh made Miranda wince. Hank put up a fight and landed a couple ineffectual blows, but he was clearly outmatched. There wasn’t any doubt to the outcome. He fought a losing battle.

  “Stop him!” Miranda demanded.

  Her dismay only served to amuse him. Another hit and blood spurted from Hank’s nose. He slumped to the ground, and his attacker reached to lift him and deliver more punishment.

  “Please,” Miranda begged, “stop it now!”

  Bessault signaled to the other man, and he unceremoniously dumped Hank onto the bed.

  “I’d think twice before crossing me again.” Bessault grabbed her chin in his hand and forced her to look at him. “His remaining time on earth can be spent pleasantly, or it can be a living hell. The choice is yours.” He lowered his lips to hers, kissing her roughly before breaking it off and marching out of the shack.

  The door slammed behind them, and she was left in the semi-darkness again.

  Fear had finally caught up with her.

  Chapter 31

  “They have her, Nik.” Matt could hear the tinge of desperation in his voice. He didn’t care.

  “How?”

  “That’s the devil of it.” Matt paced, holding his cell phone to his ear. “She must’ve walked in on a deal. In the wrong place at the wrong time.”

  “Did you see it?”

  “No. Roz told us.”

  “The monkey again?” Nik sounded incredulous.

  “Yes, the monkey.” Matt knew how crazy it sounded. “Miranda managed to sign a message, and Roz delivered it immediately.”

  “Fascinating.”

  Matt stopped at the hood of his Rover and stared across Katanga’s parking lot. Jason exited the clinic garage and headed his way.

  He turned around and began pacing again. “I’m going after her, Nik.”

  “Back up a minute,” Nik said. “Roz told us? Who might us be?”

  “Letta and Jason were with me when Roz arrived.”

  “Who else knows she’s missing?”

  “Maybe Graham,” Matt replied. “He’s noticeably absent right now.”

  “Hmm.” In that one word Matt could tell Nik already weighed possible consequences. “We still may be able to keep this quiet. At least until after Council.”

  Too bad he had to bust Nik’s bubble of optimism. “There’s one more complication.”

  Nik sighed. “I knew this wasn’t going to be a good day.”

  “Someone was taken with her. Hank Meadows. He’s the staff director for the San Diego Zoo where Miranda works.”

  “Two missing Americans?” Agitation edged Nik’s tone, a sure sign he felt the pressure. Nik rarely raised his voice. He didn’t have to. His sheer size intimidated people. “You are going to be the death of me, Bennett. You realize what tonight is?”

  “Opening night of Diamond Council.”

  “And I have every available agent working security detail. I’m short staffed, short tempered, and one step from an international crisis.”

  Jason joined him at the Rover. “Letta’s all set,” he whispered.

  Matt nodded. She would stay here to keep watch, all night if she had too, with strict instruct
ions to call in the event of any activity.

  “Listen, Nik. I’ve got a plan.”

  “Don’t tell me over the phone. Get over here. Now.”

  Matt looked at his watch. Three in the afternoon and there was much to be done. Like borrowing a tuxedo for starters. “I’ll be there in less than a half hour. And open up wardrobe. I need a fancy outfit for the prom. All black, down to the last button.”

  * * * *

  Miranda doctored Hank’s wounds as much as their limited conditions allowed. Guilt assailed her as she used the rusty bottle opener to start another tear at the bottom of his shirt. If she hadn’t baited Bessault like she had, Hank wouldn’t be hurt right now.

  “You shouldn’t have stuck up for me like that,” she gruffly told Hank. “It’s my own foolishness that got me in the situation.”

  He was still lying on the bed where the goon had tossed him, a torn strip of fabric pressed against his bleeding nose. “I couldn’t very well let him manhandle you,” he muffled through the cotton. “I had to do something.”

  “Yeah, well being a hero has consequences.”

  She ripped the shirt again, and he winced when she used the strip of cloth to bind his knuckles.

  “A hundred-dollar Armani shirt reduced to bandages,” he moaned nasally.

  “I’ll try and behave myself, and maybe your T-shirt will be spared.”

  She ripped a few more strips of cloth and stacked them on the bed, then stood. “Stay lying down until the bleeding stops.”

  “No problem, Doctor.”

  He did sound bad, and she hoped his nose wasn’t broken, but she’d done all she could for him under the present circumstances.

  Sitting idle was impossible, and nervous energy had her prowling the room again. Even now, locked in a shack with little hope of escaping alive, her only regret besides Hank’s busted nose, was how this would hurt Matt. Did he know by now that she was missing?

  Even if Roz had managed to get her message through, he’d have no way of knowing where to find them. But God, how she wished he were here. She wanted nothing more than to feel his arms around her and hear him say everything would be all right.

  She sighed heavily. No point wishing for the impossible. Truth was, they were on their own as far as rescue went. She paced over to stand by the window, but the view didn’t offer any encouragement. Quite the opposite. From all appearances, they were smack in the middle of a major weapons shipment. More vehicles were arriving and the only people she could see were hardened men who carried enough firepower to take out a battalion.

  The view clearly spelled “end of the road” for her and Hank.

  She pushed against the window screen. It would be nothing to knock it out. Under the cover of darkness, they could easily escape through it. As long as no guard stood outside, that was. The trick would be getting through the maze of well-armed smugglers. That might be an insurmountable challenge.

  There was every chance they’d die trying.

  * * * *

  IDS headquarters building was a testament to modern technology. Designed to be an architectural showpiece in Gaborone’s skyline, it lived up to its promise with relish. Not only visually pleasing, it came well equipped with all modern technology could offer. As work places went, it was the pinnacle of locations.

  Too bad he didn’t actually work there. Instead, Matt drove around the trophy building and down the block to a nondescript complex in the shadow of its grand neighbor. He parked the Rover, and a few determined strides later, he and Jason entered the long building.

  Both men were silent. For Matt, the gravity of the situation, along with the horror of his past, threatened to crush his ability to function. He’d spent the better part of the past half hour trying to shut down inside, to disconnect from the fear that robbed his focus. Miranda’s life may very well depend on his success.

  He led the way to the middle of the building and crossed through double glass doors that contained the nerve center of IDS. Jason followed him down a series of desks, all buried under mountains of paper. Several agents called out a greeting as they passed, but Matt merely nodded and kept moving. He didn’t even slow down for the industrial-sized coffee maker, despite the aroma of a fresh-brewed pot.

  He finally came to a stop in front of an office door and, after a quick rap, he pushed his way inside.

  Nik was on the phone, but gestured to the chairs. Neither man took him up on the offer. Matt was too keyed up to sit. Instead, he circled the office like a caged lion. Jason hung back, casually leaning against the closed door, but his relaxed look didn’t fool Matt. He knew the kid spoiled for a fight.

  As soon as Nik hung up the phone, he came around to sit on the front of his desk. “I am greatly concerned about you, Matthew Bennett.”

  “Don’t worry about me. I always survive.”

  “Do not flatter yourself. I am speaking on behalf of IDS. Rash moves make for dead agents, and your objectivity is gone in this case. Perhaps you should be pulled.”

  That stopped Matt in his tracks. “Do what you must, Nik, but realize I’ll continue with or without your blessing.”

  Nik stared hard at Matt. “I knew it would come down to this when you let the girl get involved. And now we have another.” Nik nodded toward Jason. “Who is this?”

  “Jason Harvick,” Jason answered for Matt. “San Diego Zoo intern and friend of Matt and Miranda. And Hank,” he added, almost as an afterthought.

  Nik nodded to him in acknowledgment but responded to Matt. “Since when have you ever worked with a partner?”

  “These aren’t normal circumstances.”

  “And I’m not a normal intern,” Jason added.

  “Fill me in,” Nik said.

  Matt relayed the details of Miranda and Hank’s kidnapping as he knew it. “Neil Vernel is involved, but he didn’t take both alone. He’s too scrawny. He does hang with dangerous company, however. Breaking into Neil’s circle is an angle I started to play, but time’s run out. He’s just a middle man, and I can no longer afford to wait.”

  “Miranda can’t afford it either,” Jason said. “I hope you have enough on this investigation to blow it wide open, because the gig at Katanga is over.”

  “Doesn’t matter,” Matt replied. “Getting her back safe and sound is the only important thing right now.”

  “Let’s not forget Hank.”

  Matt’s jaw hardened, and he glared at Jason.

  “Hey, I don’t like him any more than you.” Jason held his hands up to ward off Matt’s evil eye. “He’s white-collar administration all the way. But the man gives me a paycheck, and he needs to go home.”

  He agreed. It was what he’d take with him that bothered Matt.

  The phone rang again, but Nik ignored it. “Time slips away. Its opening night of Council you see, and you mentioned a plan.…”

  “I’m going straight to the top,” Matt said. It was the only course available at this point. “Weston will give me the answers I need.”

  Nik’s brows drew downward. “Weston is busy preparing for his commencement speech tonight.”

  “Exactly.”

  Nik was on his feet in an instant. “A public spectacle at the council is absolutely not permitted.”

  “I’m certain Weston doesn’t want it either,” Matt replied. “In fact, I’m counting on it.”

  “His plan sold me.” Jason thumbed toward Matt. “Especially since it involved wearing a tuxedo. Kicking ass GQ style has always been tops on my must-do list.”

  “I will not allow a hothead access to an international event,” Nik growled.

  Jason’s glib manner turned harsh, and he stared Nik straight in the eye. “How about a weapons trained army brat dead set on rescuing Miranda and Hank? Whatever the cost?”

  Nik dropped his head into his hands with a groan. “This is not good, Bennett.”

  “No, it isn’t,” Matt wholeheartedly agreed. “But it will go a lot smoother w
ith IDS clearance. I will get to Weston one way or another.” And in the process, he’d take down other, bigger fish. He just had to get Miranda safely away first.

  “You really believe Weston will volunteer Miranda’s whereabouts?” Jason asked.

  “He will or risk total exposure as the fraud and criminal that he is.”

  “Won’t he get that anyhow?”

  “Guaranteed,” Matt vowed, “but it’s all in the timing.”

  “Every available law enforcement agency from Cape Town to the Congo is either patrolling our streets or working security detail. I’m the only agent left.” Nik walked back around his desk and pulled open a drawer, searching inside. “I’m going with you. Someone has to keep control of the situation.”

  He tossed a set of keys onto the desk. “Let’s go over the plan before suiting up. This kind of surprise gives me heartburn, and I need to know exactly what you have planned.”

  Chapter 32

  Dusk rolled in with a heavy hand as Matt and Jason pulled around back of the National Assembly. Security blanketed the area, from the highly visible officers on the streets to the camouflaged men that Matt’s trained eye picked out on neighboring rooftops.

  Diamond Council strained Gaborone’s resources. From manpower to luxury hotels, shortages hit every sector. A perfect situation if you were looking to move an illegal shipment of weapons across Botswana’s borders.

  Matt squeezed the Rover into a spot clearly marked No Parking Zone. It was the closest to the back door, and he tossed an IDS marker onto his dashboard to avoid getting towed. A glance in the rearview mirror revealed Nik pulling in behind them.

  “It’s show time.” Matt reached across, opened the glove box, and grabbed a small pouch. He climbed out and used the door frame to prop his foot up and strap the derringer to his ankle.

  Still inside the Rover, Jason watched his actions with a wry grin. “You realize that metal will set off security sensors.”