Dark Operative_A Glimmer of Hope

by I. T. Lucas

  Annani was the one who’d drawn the original roadmap for the clan, she should have been the first one to be consulted about altering its course.

  “Kian, did you tell Annani what the assembly was about?”

  He lifted his head from his laptop. “I told her we need a vote on a new project.”

  “And she didn’t ask what it was?”

  “Of course, she did. But I thought it was best if she heard it from you. My delivery leaves a lot to be desired.”

  Bridget shook her head. “We should have a meeting with her prior to the assembly. If we can get her support on this, the clan will follow her lead.”

  “You’re right. I should have realized that. I’ll arrange a conference call.”

  “Not good enough. I think we should go talk to her face to face.”

  Kian grimaced. “Are you sure that’s necessary? Conference calls are so much more efficient. It seems like an incredible waste of time to spend a ten-hour round trip just so we can talk to her for an hour.”

  Syssi put her hand on his thigh. “She will be overjoyed by a visit. It will put her in a much more cooperative mood. Besides, I want to see that paradise you guys have created over there.”

  Sitting straight, Turner perked up. “Can I come?”

  “No,” everyone except Brundar and Callie said at once.

  “I’m sorry.” Bridget cast him an apologetic look. “No humans allowed.”

  “I figured that much, but it was worth a try. I can’t wait to meet her.”

  “Hopefully, one day you will.”

  Talk about a mood spoiler.

  The idea of getting Annani’s support had filled Bridget with excitement and renewed hope for the success of her presentation. But Turner’s comment had reminded her of how uncertain their future was.

  Chapter 21: Turner

  “I’ll see you later.” Bridget kissed Turner’s cheek.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to come?”

  “I’m sure. They don’t need another spectator in the room. Between you, Kian, Anandur, and Brundar, that’s already too many people. The Russians pose no threat. They are human females, how dangerous can they be? I would advise against bringing Anandur and Brundar along, but I know Kian won’t do it.”

  Turner had to agree. Less was more, especially since they were not going to employ any intimidating tactics. To coax as much information as they could from the women, it would have been better if Bridget joined them instead of the bodyguards. Women trusted other women more than they trusted men. Or in the Russians’ case, distrusted them a little less.

  “I think you should come instead of the bodyguards. The women will feel more comfortable with you there.”

  Bridget shook her head. “I’m not good at this. Vanessa would have been perfect, but no one thought to include her.”

  “She is the therapist, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “I have not met these women, but I know a thing or two about Russians, and a shrink would have raised their hackles.”

  “You have a point. Anyway, good luck.”

  He kissed her cheek. “I’d better go. They are waiting for me outside.”

  “I’ll be lounging by the pool.”

  “Have fun.”

  Kian and Syssi had invited everyone to stay in their vacation home, but Bridget preferred the hotel, and Turner was glad of it. Kian and his bodyguards were good company for about an hour or so, but he had no wish to spend entire days with them.

  As Turner exited the lobby, it took him only a split second to locate Kian’s rental even though he hadn’t seen it yet. Anandur’s unmistakable red bushy hair was visible through the window of an SUV idling a little further down the curb.

  “Where is Kian?” he asked as he got into the back seat.

  “Buying swim trunks. He claims that he forgot to pack them, but I think he did it on purpose. So does Syssi. That’s why he is in the store right now. “

  “Why? Is he sensitive to sunlight?”

  Anandur turned around and pinned him with an incredulous look. “Are you kidding me? Didn’t you see the sunglasses he whipped out the moment we landed?”

  “So did you and Brundar and everyone else. The glare here is strong.”

  “Yeah, but Kian’s are not normal sunglasses. He is extremely sensitive. Ten minutes in the sun and he looks like a boiled lobster.”

  “So why is his wife insisting on him getting out?”

  Anandur shrugged. “She said she is going to slather him in the strongest sunscreen protection available. If she doesn't force him out, he is going to spend the entire vacation working.”

  Turner had no doubt. The guy needed help, as in trustworthy people he could delegate work to. Except, he knew exactly how difficult it was to find such people, and Kian’s pool of prospective candidates was much more limited than his. No one had told him how many immortals belonged to the clan, but Kian had mentioned that the clan wasn’t big.

  Were there a few hundred? Several thousand?

  Turner had a feeling the clan numbered in the mid hundreds. If he were allowed to attend the big assembly, he could figure it out simply by physically observing those gathered locally and those abroad on the screens. According to Bridget, every adult clan member had to vote.

  “Okay,” Kian said as he pulled the passenger door open and climbed inside. “Mission accomplished.”

  Holding a large shopping bag, Brundar joined Turner in the back seat.

  Judging by the rattle coming from the bag, there was more than swimming shorts inside.

  “What’s in there?” he asked.

  Brundar put the bag on the seat between them. “Vodka.”

  “Good thinking.”

  Anandur chuckled as he eased into the road. “The fastest way to a Russian girl’s heart.”

  “You should know,” Kian said.

  “I can’t wait to see Lana.”

  Kian lowered the window shade and took his sunglasses off. “Don’t hold your breath. She probably snagged a new guy by now.”

  “Very likely.”

  The rest of the drive to the captain’s house passed in silence. Kian read reports, Anandur was deep in thought, probably thinking about Lana, and Brundar did his usual impersonation of a statue, thinking about who knew what.

  Turner itched to investigate the guy just to figure out what his deal was. It wasn’t as if Brundar was an important member of the clan with major decision-making responsibility. He and his brother were simple soldiers acting as bodyguards. Turner knew the type well. But the Guardian was a mystery, and as such he piqued Turner’s curiosity.

  Besides, he preferred speculating about Brundar’s secrets than thinking about his upcoming chemotherapy.

  He’d postponed it as much as he dared without incurring Bridget’s wrath, with the Hawaii trip providing a good excuse not to start yet, but he could come up with no more reasons for delaying it. Monday afternoon, Turner was meeting with his regular doctor to start the treatment.

  Bridget had offered to accompany him to his appointment. He’d turned her down as gently as he could, but her feelings had gotten hurt despite his best efforts.

  Nevertheless, it was something he needed to do alone. Like an injured animal that nursed its wounds in hiding, Turner preferred not to be seen in a weakened state.

  “You have arrived. Your destination is on the right,” the navigation system announced.

  The house Anandur parked next to was a modest dwelling in a middle-class neighborhood. Apparently the dinner-cruising business was not very profitable, or it was but the captain was a frugal lady.

  The four of them got out, with Anandur leading the procession and Brundar guarding the rear.

  “Are you expecting trouble?” Turner asked.

  Kian adjusted his sunglasses, pushing them further up his nose. “Not at all.”

  Anandur knocked on the door, which was opened almost immediately by a tall blond who looked like she spent hours lifting weights at the g
ym. The span of her shoulders was wider than that of most men.

  She embraced Anandur, kissed him on both cheeks, then shoved him aside to make room for the others.

  “Good to see you, Lana,” Anandur said.

  “You too, deck boy.” She dipped her head at Kian. “Hello, boss man.” She opened the door all the way then glanced at Brundar and Turner. “This one I know,” she tilted her head at Brundar, “but I don’t know this one.” She pointed at him.

  “This is my business associate, Turner,” Kian introduced him.

  “Nice to meet you, Lana.” Turner offered his hand.

  Hers was calloused and strong.

  Inside, five pairs of suspicious eyes zeroed in on him. As they pushed to their feet and stood in line to shake hands with Kian and the brothers, he noted that the other five were just as muscular as Lana. Except, she was pretty enough to still look feminine, while the other ones were not so lucky. Except perhaps for the brunette with the intelligent grey eyes.

  She approached him first. “I’m Geneva, the captain.”

  “I’m Turner.” He shook her hand, which was just as calloused as Lana’s.

  “And your designation?”

  “Consultant.”

  She lifted a brow and glanced at Kian.

  The guy smiled. “If you want Geneva and her crew to tell you anything, you’d better tell her exactly who you are.”

  Turner nodded. “I’m an ex-Special Ops strategist who is currently working in the private sector. I specialize in complicated rescue missions.”

  That seemed to satisfy Geneva who motioned for him to take a seat next to Kian on the couch. “Please continue,” she said when he was seated.

  “Kian asked me to investigate the worldwide trade of human slaves, the majority of whom are young women and girls who are either abducted or manipulated and then forced and coerced into sexual servitude. When I told him the problem was much bigger than I originally believed it was, he asked me what could be done about it. I had a few ideas. We are here because we need insider information about the nitty-gritty of the operation.”

  Geneva nodded. “I’ll tell you what I can. But I don’t know how much it’s going to help you. We only saw a small part.”

  “I’d appreciate any information you can provide.”

  Chapter 22: Anandur

  “Alexander lured the girls in with his good looks and his charm,” Geneva said.

  “Did he have a specific type he went for?” Turner asked.

  She nodded. “College girls. He liked blonds, or maybe they sold for more. I don’t know.”

  Listening to Turner as he threw one question after another at Geneva, and then to her dispassionate answers, Anandur found it challenging to keep his cool. It was essential that he did if he wanted to stay in the room, which he had to because it was his job not to leave Kian’s side.

  The anger bubbling inside of him was manifesting as it usually did, with his fangs elongating and his venom glands priming for a fight. The problem was that there was no one to fight with, and no one to take his aggression out on. Next to him, Brundar was having a similar difficulty. If they could step outside for a few moments, they could beat each other up to calm down.

  Unfortunately, that wasn’t an option either. They were both stuck inside Geneva’s living room, forced to hear every vile crime their clan mate had committed against innocent human girls. They’d rescued only a few, while countless other victims had no one to help them and were doomed to a horrible fate.

  Impotent rage was the worst.

  Somehow, Kian managed to look civilized. The guy either had remarkable self-control or was distracting himself by going over balance sheets in his head. It was probably the second one because Kian had a really short fuse.

  “He hypnotized them and drugged them, so they didn’t put up a fight. Sometimes he gave them sleeping pills and hid them behind the fake wall in the closet. I don’t know how they reacted when they woke up because he transported them still sleeping. Not all, but some. The others went willingly because of what he did to their heads.”

  Turner nodded, keeping up the pretense that Alex was just a rotten human who knew how to hypnotize people.

  Anandur had to give it to the operative. The guy was very professional in his questioning. He never sounded condescending or accusatory, and little by little Geneva and the others were warming to him. They were practically talking over each other to give him the answers he sought.

  It was evident that the girls’ English had improved significantly since the last time Anandur had talked to them. Back then, Geneva had been their spokeswoman, now those who’d been practically mute before were confident enough to speak up.

  Lana rose to her feet and walked over to him. “Come help me in the kitchen. We’ve been bad hosts, and we didn’t offer drinks or snacks.”

  Thank the merciful fates.

  He lifted the shopping bag off the floor. “Lead the way.”

  “What you got in there?” Lana asked once they entered the galley style kitchen.

  He pulled out a bottle. “Good vodka.” He showed her the bottle of Grey Goose, then pulled out the other four. “Do you think it’s too early to drink?”

  She huffed. “Not for us. How about you?”

  “I’m good. You know I prefer whiskey, but I can handle vodka too.”

  Lana eyed the bottles with an appreciative expression on her pretty face. “Good stuff. I’ll get the shot glasses.” She pulled out a tray from one of the bottom cabinets and shot glasses from the one on top.

  “How are you doing, Lana?”

  “I love my new life. The boat is a lot of hard work, but the money is good. But what I love the most is not being afraid. We run a legitimate business, and no one is after us.” She took out a bag of pretzels, popped it open, and poured the contents into three small containers.

  “Speaking of love, do you have someone?”

  Her smile was radiant. “I have a boyfriend.”

  Anandur leaned against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest. He was a little disappointed that his plans would have to exclude Lana, but he was happy for her. “Tell me about him.”

  She shrugged as if it wasn’t a big deal. “His name is Jack, and he runs ATV tours with his brother.”

  “Does he treat you right?”

  “He is wonderful.”

  Anandur arched a brow. “Do I hear wedding bells?”

  She shrugged again. “Maybe.”

  “Get out of here. Seriously?” He uncrossed his arms and pushed away from the counter.

  She handed him the tray. “He didn’t ask me yet, but we spend all our free time together.”

  “Your English has improved a lot.” Anandur followed her out of the kitchen.

  “I listen to tapes, and Jack corrects me when I make mistakes.”

  “Excellent.”

  Lana distributed the shot glasses then poured Grey Goose for everyone. The small containers with pretzels went on the coffee table.

  “Do you know where he picked the girls up?” Turner asked Geneva.

  “Mostly at his club. They were excited about going to see his yacht. I don’t think anyone ever noticed that the girls were disappearing right after that.”

  Turner rubbed the back of his head. “A talented hypnotist can affect a crowd. If you watch a good performance, you can see how it is done.”

  Damn, the guy was a good actor. Not that what he was saying wasn’t true, there were some damn talented hypnotists out there, but Turner knew that Alex had used a thrall. And yet, the operative managed to lie with a straight face that looked absolutely sincere. Even his scent didn’t reveal anything.

  The guy was like an automaton. Not even Brundar could mask his emotions that well. Anandur always knew when he’d really pissed his brother off. The scent of his anger permeated the air. It was the subtler emotions that Brundar had under such tight control that not even his scent hinted at them.

  Lana tapped his shoulder. “I
need more help in the kitchen.”

  Anandur followed her, glad to get away from the living room.

  She leaned against the counter. “Tell me about you. Did you find anyone?”

  He shook his head.

  “Why not? You’re handsome, and you have a nice smile. I’m sure you can get any girl you want.”

  “I didn’t find the right one yet.”

  “Pfft.” She waved a hand. “You’re too picky. You know what happens to guys who keep looking for perfection?”

  He had a pretty good idea what she was going to say. “What?”

  “They turn into old bachelors. They lose their hair, grow a beer belly, and the number of women interested in them shrinks to very little.” She showed how much with her fingers. “You need to lower your standards and catch a nice girl while you still look good.”

  He chuckled. “I’ll take it under advisement. Any nice ladies you can hook me up with? I’m the only one without a woman on this trip, and I feel like the seventh wheel.”

  Lana made a face. “Marta is available.”

  “The one with the unibrow?”

  She nodded. “We took her to a beauty salon, and she has two now. She looks better.”

  Anandur peeked into the living room and took another look at Marta. The unibrow was gone, but she still looked like a female Neanderthal, stocky and square with a protruding forehead. He wasn’t that desperate.

  “Maybe next time I’m here.”

  Lana laughed. “You’re a nice guy, Anandur. I wish you luck.”

  Right. Not really. If he were a nice guy, he would have taken poor Marta on a date and showed her a good time. But he wasn’t that nice. “Come on, let’s get back.”

  By the relieved expression on Geneva’s face, the questioning part was done. She refilled her shot glass with the Grey Goose and offered to refill everyone else's.

  Turner accepted.

  Kian shook his head. “I’ve had enough.”

  Brundar hadn’t drunk the first one.

  “I want to thank you again for your help, Kian,” Geneva said. “Our dinner cruises are booked for weeks in advance.”