"I trust your instincts, babe. I'm on it." Jacob pulled out a binder and started thumbing through the tabbed documents.
Jason flipped through the contents of the folder and spoke over his shoulder. "He'll need someplace that is vacant. Close enough to drive to but far enough not to attract suspicion."
Tori's fingers flew over the keyboard as Jacob picked up a secure line. "This is Alpha One. We need Tango Team deployed to the New York City safe house. Call the ranch and have Alpha team members Three, Four and Five put on standby for imminent deployment."
The large screen to the right suddenly held maps and Tori used a laser pointer to pinpoint locations and draw the men's attention. "There are three places that I'd look at first. There is a building under renovation in New Jersey. The project is on hold pending inspection by the city, and that's bogged down. There is a factory in Queens that was just purchased. It's going to be demolished, and low-cost housing will replace it. The area is highly populated. And then there is a warehouse in the Bronx. This is the one I'd choose. The area has limited traffic at night. Hell, the warehouse doesn't even have power, but it is guarded. No homeless people in the building and security would be easy to remove or manipulate for the meet." Tori spoke as she dropped the pointer and started typing again.
Jason thanked God for the duo in front of him. They worked together seamlessly, each anticipating the other's actions and feeding off it as they researched the anticipated mission. Granted it wasn't strictly an overseas operation, but there was no way any King would be left out of this one. He and Gabriel had nearly been blown out of the sky by a Russian bomb. Gabriel's wife Anna was targeted that same night as were his wife and son. They were damn near incinerated in an explosion that leveled Faith's home in Savannah. Hell for that matter, Jared, Christian, Jasmine and Chad had all been targeted. It was personal on so many levels.
"That's a good start. Let's make sure we haven't overlooked anything. Alert Jewell and let her know we are starting our offensive tonight. Remind everyone, all contact with anyone in this operation is face-to-face or handwritten. No phones, no texts, no electronic communication of any kind is to be made, that fucking uber hacker they have will be fed what we want him to know via Jewell's mirror system.
"Jacob send word to Jared and Joseph. We have some payback to dish out. Those bastards will never know what hit them. Shit, don't forget to tell Jasmine. I'd be in a world of shit if she's left out."
Jacob glanced over his shoulder. "Time to kick some Russian ass, old school style."
"We've got it down to a science now. Let's get this shit shifted into high gear. I want Chief home safely and the Bravata leaders in jail or in hell. My preference is dead, but I'll work within the confines of the law." He mentally added 'for now'. Jason glanced one more time at his brother and sister-in-law who worked and danced around each other with precision and ease. Yeah, they'd get the bastards and bring Chief home. There was no other alternative.
Chapter Six
"The merchandise would be resold?"
"He stated he would be the 'buffer' so the buyers and the product would not be associated with our organization. The exact words were that you would lose access to a vast stream of unequaled income. He wants to meet you." Taty's voice cracked. She knew it sounded like fear and in a way it was. She feared the boss would never allow the introduction.
"That is unacceptable."
"Then you will lose him. He will not bend. He is unlike any man I have ever met." Powerful, dynamic, sexy.
"How much business?"
"He didn't say. It was an initial contact to make his demands known."
"Demands." The contempt rolled through the connection. "Go back. Get specifics. If the order is big enough, we will discuss his demands ." Her boss' accent grew stronger when it was tinged with emotion. The accent was definitely American.
"Yes, sir."
"And Anya, do whatever it takes to get the information we need. Understood?"
Taty closed her eyes and swallowed her fury. She'd been ordered to prostitute herself for information.
"Yes, sir. I understand."
Mike settled behind his massive desk. He grabbed a pen and started carding it through his fingers. The rhythmic action was a habit he'd developed in his childhood. Once when he was about thirteen, he witnessed a magician on television tumbling a coin through his fingers. That summer, he worked relentlessly until the motion became second nature. He did it now more out of habit than anything else.
His mind turned over the information he'd gathered from his brief meeting with the Bravata's representative. The woman wasn't only a messenger. He didn't know how deep her connections to the Bravata were, but they were strong enough that she would be trusted to contact him and relay information to her superiors.
Did she know what the merchandise was? Of course. She wasn't an innocent no matter how much he wanted her to be, and for some reason, he wanted her to be. She was an oddity he hadn't anticipated. The woman wore inner strength like a halo. Mike saw it in an instant. She'd tried to hide the emotions that churned in her expressive brown eyes. What prompted such unrest? He'd bet money she hadn't been raised in wealth. Her teeth were slightly crooked. One front tooth overlapped the other and accented her slight overbite. The flaws didn't detract from her appearance but were obviously never corrected by braces. Her awe of the library's enormity and grandeur had been genuine. Yes, the beautiful sprite in white leather intrigued him.
He sat forward and dropped the pen onto the desk. If he could entice her away from the Bravata, if she thought she was working for David Xavier, she might give up information on the people who ran it. Of course, there were other ways to get information. He could get close to her. That thought split into two distinct issues. The first, and most powerful was the fact he would do anything to put away the bastards she worked for and the second was the physical desire that filled him when he stood next to her in the library. Would he ever act on that need? No. He was a master of denying his desires. He'd been celibate for years. His spirit longed for the connection, but his mind and heart had yet to find the woman who could complete him. Desiree had been the closest he'd come to finding his life partner, but she was destined for another, as was he. Or so he thought. At this point in his life, he doubted he would find the one to fill his empty soul.
He pushed the image of Anya's over the shoulder glance and smile out of his mind. He'd use her if he must. It was a reprehensible thought on many levels, but she'd allied herself with the darkness of this world. A knock at the door interrupted his musings. A welcome interruption.
"Sir, do you have time to go through the travel arrangements for next week?" Joel stood at the door with his tablet in hand.
"Of course. Come in." He waited for his personal assistant to sit before he asked, "Meetings on the merger in New York, a conference with the Chinese ambassador, and…?" Chief leaned forward and brought up his calendar.
"Several meetings with your law firm, sir. An annual review of holdings, liabilities, acquisitions and contractual requirements for the upcoming year."
Mike groaned resulting in a smothered laugh from Joel. "Dry to be sure, sir, but necessary."
"I'll suffer through it. You know the drill, only the people necessary to accomplish the meeting."
"Yes sir, as a policy, your privacy is protected for every meeting. Before you travel to San Diego, there is an opportunity to attend a function in Washington D.C. A white-tie dinner for the charities run by your benevolent association. The invitation arrived today from the coordinator." Joel pulled up the email and scanned it before he spoke, "Ten thousand dollars a plate. The usual suspects on the invitation list. Politicians, actors, possible benefactors. I would recommend you not attend. There are several who have RSVP'd with whom Mr. Xavier had significant business dealings. The possibility for mistakes would be more than marginal"
&
nbsp; Mike glanced at the organization and felt a wellspring of affection for Christian and Anna's new shelter in D.C, but Joel was right. He didn't need anything to bring his cover under suspicion. "Decline the invitation, but buy two tables and send the tickets to the organizers to give away or resell as they see fit. Also, leak to the press that I may be attending. That will sell out the rest of the tickets."
"Very good, sir."
"Three weeks in New York and a month in San Diego, correct?"
"Yes, sir. Your yacht will be moored and at your disposal once you arrive in California."
"That works. I'll let you know when to make arrangements."
"Excellent. Also, the documentation you requested earlier is on the private server."
"Thank you, Joel."
"You are most welcome, sir."
Mike extracted the documents from the server and settled in to grind through the information when he felt his cell vibrate. He pulled it out of his breast pocket and read the text.
Vendor is interested.
No shit . He tapped out a response and hit send before he keyed his intercom. "Joel, inform the chef dinner will be for two tonight and inform the guards, Ms. Krupin will be returning."
"Daddy! I got an invitation to Marcus' birthday party today!" Jason bent down to catch his son Reece as he catapulted across the living room. "You did? That's great! What are you going to get him for his birthday?"
"He likes Transformers, too!"
"He does? Well, then we need to go buy him some Transformers."
"Uh huh! His party is Saturday. Can you come? The invitation says bring your parents." Reece grabbed a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket.
"I don't know, buddy. I'll try. Did your mommy see that?" He took the proffered invitation and grimaced at the tattered mess.
"Yep! She put it on the chalkboard in the kitchen." Reece wiggled to get down. As soon as his feet hit the hardwood floor, he started running down the hall. Tippy launched from the couch and danced around the little boy, barking with delight. Jason took off his suit jacket and hung it on the hall rack. "Faith! I'm home!" He'd never make the mistake of not announcing himself again. The last time he snuck up on her he'd almost died of pepper poisoning.
His beautiful wife popped her head out of the kitchen and smiled. "I'm not packing pepper tonight." It had become a running joke, but damn his bride was a klutz and when she struck, he usually paid the price.
He pulled her into his arms and got the kiss he so desperately needed. It had been one hell of a day. The meeting with Gabriel, Jacob, Tori and Jared had examined every detail of what they believed would transpire next. There was no way of knowing exactly what cards Chief would play, but the extensive pre-planning they'd done gave everyone a good idea of where Chief would try to lead the Bravata.
Reece and Tippy raced by, this time Reece had his Superman cape on and held a model of an F-15 in his hand making jet noises.
"He's happy." Jason loved that little man with all his heart.
"He got invited to Marcus' birthday party."
"I heard."
"We were invited too. Saturday at two." Faith walked with him into the kitchen and handed him a plastic tumbler full of soda.
"Yeah, about that."
"Don't worry. I've already told Sullivan. Lima team has the address, and I've asked Marcus' mom for the invitation list so I can "make personalized cupcakes." Faith air quoted the words. She smiled up at him and popped a pecan into her mouth. "I'll give Sullivan the list as soon as I get it. We'll be fine."
Guardian would be able to run the guest list to make sure there was no threat to Faith or Reece. Lima team had adopted his family as their own. He trusted them to ensure nobody came near Faith or Reece. "How did I get so lucky to find you?" Jason sat down on one of the bar stools and tugged her between his legs.
"You had the good sense to listen to Gabriel. Besides, we are the lucky ones." Faith picked up another pecan half and popped it into his mouth.
"I beg to differ."
Faith's eyes lit up, and she moved close enough to lean forward and whisper, "I'd rather be the one begging."
Well, shit. How the hell was he supposed to think now?
Chapter Seven
Tatyana followed the huge armed security detail through the labyrinth-like halls of the chalet. The text she'd received left little doubt her presence at dinner was a requirement and not a request. She shivered at the chill in the air. The palatial opulence notwithstanding, the place had the feel of a mausoleum. Cold, lifeless and empty. Her simple, black, silk dress gave little warmth as they made their way through the massive residence. Her coat and purse were waiting for her at the guard station. She'd been scanned prior to entering this morning and scanned just as thoroughly this evening.
She'd tried to keep track of where the guard was leading her, but it was hopeless with all the twist and turns. Finally, he paused at a door and knocked. A muted response from inside beckoned them in.
The guard opened the door and stepped inside. Taty followed him in. Warm air immediately wrapped her. A huge fire blazed in an enormous fireplace. Its golden hue flickered over the small table set for two in the center of the room. David Xavier stood from one of the high wing-backed chairs facing the fireplace.
The intimacy of the setting wasn't what she'd expected. The thought of discussing the purchase of the merchandise over a meal disgusted her, but not enough to stop what she was doing. She would get to the man at the top of the Bravata, and she'd use David Xavier to do it. Turn around was fair play, after all. He'd sought out the Bravata. He was purchasing the product that the Bravata harvested from under the noses of countless law enforcement agencies. She had no problem using him to get whatshe wanted.
"Anya, please come in and warm yourself. This chalet is beautiful but cold and drafty."
"Thank you." She walked across the room taking in the lavishness of the appointments. Flickers of flame danced inside golden sconces around the room and accented Monet paintings on the wall. Original, no doubt. Everywhere her eyes darted, wood surfaces gleamed in the firelight. Vivid arrangements of red, white and yellow roses softened the dark wood side tables. As she approached him, she noticed a slender silver vase, a work of beauty, sat as the only adornment on the table between the two chairs. It held a single red rose. The simple beauty of the flower muted the sensory overload and allowed her to focus on her reason for being here. She took the seat he gestured at and crossed her legs. His eyes traveled the length of her exposed calf and thigh before he moved his eyes up to her face.
"May I offer you a drink? Dinner will be served in about twenty minutes."
"I'll have whatever you're drinking." She noted the warm amber liquid in his crystal balloon goblet. He nodded toward the side of the room, and a uniformed butler moved from his location against the wall. The man poured her drink and topped off David's.
"That will be all until dinner is served."
The man bowed slightly and exited like a ghost.
She took a small sip and hummed in appreciation. "This is very good."
"My guilty pleasure. Cognac of this caliber is a treat for the soul." His warm, inviting smile and the innocent joy of his comment surprised her. He swirled the liquid in his glass before he sampled it.
"I assume you can afford any treat you desire," Tatyana said it more to remind herself the man was the Bravata's client more than anything else.
His expression closed off immediately. Gone was the openness and the tactical businessman from this morning reappeared.
"What did your contacts instruct you to say to me?"
"That they were interested."
"Indeed." He focused his attention on the fire that blazed in front of them. Taty swirled the liquor like she'd seen him do and caught a delicious aroma wafting toward her. She sipped the drink again and closed her eyes. The flavor was unlike anyth
ing she'd ever had before. Devine.
"What else did they instruct you to do?"
Taty's eyes popped open, her boss's instructions to do whatever was necessary to get the information from him was alarming fresh in her memory. "I'm supposed to get the information they desire by any means necessary."
"Ah… well, your means are quite enticing, Anya. Exactly what information had you planned to pump out of me?"
The double entendre pushed up a small smile. "I'm to find out the number you require and what the follow-on orders will be. They will consider a meeting should your business be of sufficient size to benefit them."
"Then let's get the business out of the way so we can focus on the enticement portion of the evening, shall we?"
Tatyana put her crystal glass down and folded her hands in her lap. "That works for me." She moistened her lips deliberately and watched his eyes track her tongue's movement. She wouldn't mind a night with the man in front of her.
"I want fifteen units delivered to me in New York in two weeks' time. The particulars will be given to you, and you will relay the request. Additionally, from this point forward, you will remain in my company until the first shipment is received and inspected. You will then be given the second order. I believe the number required at this point is thirty-two, but that number may increase. I anticipate semi-annual orders after that. I will guarantee the price of ten units each order, and whether or not I place those orders is a moot point. I will consider it a retainer."
Taty's brain did a rough calculation. The man was willing to spend close to a hundred million dollars to acquire the leverage he spoke of this morning.
"Why would I need to stay?" Her mind raced. How could she work these requirements to her advantage?
He leaned forward and pinned her with his obsidian eyes. "You will be the single point of contact with the vendor until we meet. There will be no electronic trail, no emails, no documentation and no final payment until I am satisfied. You will give them the account number for the down payment, verbally, after you have memorized it. There will be no written, electronic or video evidence. The money will be deposited in shell corporations with no connection to me or my holdings. The Bravata will receive the final account numbers only when the merchandise is received and inspected. The first time I will inspect. The second, you will do the inspection while I have a face-to-face with your bosses. You have quite the reputation, my little concierge." He swirled his cognac and smirked at her before he took a drink.
Chief (Kings of Guardian Book 7) (The Kings of Guardian) Page 5
