by Linda Conrad
She knew he’d been concerned about the Taj showing up for dinner and getting a good look at his face. It was a chance they had to take. If her plan worked the way she hoped, no one was going to be paying much attention to Zohdi before he left the house anyway.
As they walked into the dining room, fashionably late, Eltsin was standing near the door, speaking quietly to the Taj Zabbar agents. All three men had drinks in their hands. She couldn’t make out their words, but everyone stopped speaking and turned to stare at her and Tarik as they came closer.
The expressions on the men’s faces were plain enough. The Russian and the two Taj agents silently gazed at them as though they were looking at two dead men walking. Or one dead man and one dead woman, as the case may be.
Shivering through the thin linen jacket she’d worn, Jass resisted the temptation to run. She would’ve preferred to wear a nice pair of jeans and running shoes for a quick getaway later. But that would not have worked well with her plan. Instead, she stabilized on her four-inch spike heels.
“Good evening,” Eltsin mumbled at last. “We’ve been waiting for you to arrive. Would you care for a drink before we sit down to table?”
Tarik kept his mouth shut. He was still worrying about the Taj recognizing him under his disguise. But that was okay, because his supposed angry silence would match her plan quite well.
She dropped Tarik’s arm and moved closer to their host. “I’m so sorry we’re late, Mr. Eltsin. Forgive us. We…uh…the Sheik and I were having a slight disagreement upstairs.”
“We’re serving caipirinhas this evening,” Eltsin said formally. “They’re delightful. Can I interest you in joining us?”
“Why yes, drinks sound lovely.”
The Taj agents remained silent in the corner as Eltsin turned to a servant and took a couple of drinks off a silver tray. He handed one to Tarik and then turned to hand one to her. When he did, the deadly look that had occupied Eltsin’s eyes before suddenly became a creepy leer.
“You look magnificent tonight, Celile. In the past I have heard much about your reputation in business. But I never heard anything about how beautiful you were. Welcome.” He lifted his glass in toast to her.
She lifted her glass too and gave him the most come-hither look she could manage. Toughest part of her job.
“Why, thank you.” She even forced herself to bat her eyelashes at the bastard.
Tarik stepped closer to both of them, turning his back on the Taj Zabbar. He cleared his throat to notify Eltsin of his presence.
Jass pretended to take a sip, ignoring Tarik. She even inched slightly to one side, lifting her shoulder to close Tarik out of the circle of the conversation.
“This is delicious.” She laid a hand on Eltsin’s chest. “But doesn’t it seem too warm in here? Would you mind holding the drink for me while I remove my jacket?”
Eltsin’s leer became more pronounced. “Of course, my dear. Would you like to have the fans turned on? We don’t want you to be uncomfortable.”
“Don’t trouble yourself.” She pulled off the jacket, revealing the silky halter top and matching tight skirt she’d worn.
Tarik hissed out a breath and reached for her arm. “Dress yourself, Celile.”
She reared her arm back and gave him a small shove with the other. “Don’t tell me what to do, Zohdi.”
Tarik spat out a curse in Arabic, something about her burning in a thousand hells, and threw the liquid in his glass at her chest. “Cover up!”
“Ahhh. Damn.” Jass’s specifically chosen top immediately became see-through. Instead of covering up, she narrowed her eyes at Tarik and threw back her shoulders. “How dare you? Get out of my sight, Zohdi. Now. Before it’s all over between us.”
“Gladly,” Tarik said in Russian. Then he pitched his empty glass against a wall and stormed from the room, being sure to keep his head down and allowing his face to remain concealed by the head scarf.
Jass made no attempt to cover up; instead she turned to Eltsin with a sheepish grin and her breasts clearly outlined beneath the sheer material. “I must apologize for the Sheik, Mr. Eltsin. He…he…” She sniffed and stepped in closer to Eltsin as though she would like to lean against his shoulder for support.
Both the Taj Zabbar agents walked closer to where she and Eltsin stood, shaking their heads solicitously.
“Would you like someone to walk you back to your room to change?” the Taj agent she’d met before asked.
Jass blinked and shook her head. “Thank you, but it’s nothing. I’m fine this way.” She threw her chest out and stood tall. “The material will dry soon enough. I wouldn’t want to ruin your dinner.”
The dinner you expect to be my last, you bastards.
Turning back to Eltsin, she glanced up at him with a shy smile. “You don’t mind if I come to the table slightly damp, do you, Mr. Eltsin?”
The Russian dragged in a gulp of air and reached for her hand. “Not at all.” Riveting his gaze on her chest, he gave her fingers a squeeze and then folded her whole hand between both of his in a too-familiar embrace. “Would you like me to send someone to bring back the Sheik?”
“Thank you, but no. He’ll probably sulk outside in the fresh air for a bit, smoking one of his smelly cigars. No doubt he’ll show up at the table in time for the dessert course. Do you mind entertaining me alone until then?”
Eltsin threw a quick glance at the Taj, then put his free hand around her shoulders. “Not at all. You are much prettier to look at than he is. Let us see if we can’t distract you over a meal until the Sheik returns.”
Yeah? And exactly who is distracting whom here? she wondered with an imaginary roll of the eyes.
Go bring the cavalry to the rescue, Tarik.
Chapter 13
Tarik turned his back to the wind and lit one of the Padrón panatelas he carried as part of the Zohdi disguise. Smooth and complex, the limited-version cigar was a true cigar lover’s brand. Not to his taste, but it would give him a good excuse for going off by himself and moving closer to the cover of the rainforest surrounding Eltsin’s mansion.
Once he felt comfortably alone, Tarik noiselessly clicked open the comm to Shakir and whispered, “You nearby, bro?”
Shakir’s deep voice flowed through the comm like a fine wine. “NVGs trained on your position. Location two hundred feet northwest in the tree tops. What’s up?”
“All hell is about to break loose. Taj have secretly procured whatever they came to buy and are taking off later tonight for parts unknown. We need reinforcements.”
“Got your back. Tell me what you need. We’ve been negotiating with one of Eltsin’s henchmen for info on the Taj deal. Should have him opening up within the hour. And there’s a scientist training his MASINT machines at Eltsin’s place as we speak.”
“A device for Measurement and Signature Intel on nuclear radiation? What’s your geek gotten so far?”
“Nothing.” Shakir made frustrated noises over the comm.
“Not surprised. I’m beginning to think that whatever is being traded here tonight, it’s not another nuclear weapon. I haven’t seen anyone who looked the least bit nervous or ill at ease as if they knew something radioactive was on the premises.”
“Bloody hell.” Shakir drew in a breath. “You have any other ideas about what’s going down then?”
“No, but I do know it’s something big. Eltsin gave the Taj agents his word he would eliminate all the other bidders once they were on their way out of the house.”
“All the other bidders? As in Celile and Zohdi, too?”
“That’s right,” Tarik confirmed.
“Must be costing the Taj a pretty penny for that kind of promise. How much time have we got?”
“Not long. What I need from your team are eyes and ears trained on the Taj agents. I’ll deal with Eltsin, but I don’t want to alert the Taj to what we’re doing. Someone needs to follow them. Preferably you.” He sighed deeply. “See where they’re headed. We can’t los
e contact with them. We have to find out what the Taj are planning before it’s too late to stop. It’s something huge. I can feel it in my gut.”
“Right. I’ll go down now to…uh…convince Eltsin’s chauffeurs and any outside bodyguards that our men should be the drivers for the Taj when they leave. You want anything else?”
“A car gassed and ready to travel in a hurry might be nice.”
“Your wish is my command. You…” Shakir seemed to hesitate about something, which was quite unlike his big brother. “You having any trouble with your partner?”
Tarik bristled but bit his tongue. “None. Why?”
“Someone overheard one of Eltsin’s men talking about the sexy female. About how he’d been told not to touch, that she was special. Eltsin’s private stock. You sure she’s a hundred percent, bro?”
“Let me worry about Jass. You do your part and don’t let the Taj out of your sight.”
Shakir grunted a response. “Whatever you say. But watch out for yourself, brother. Things could go sour in an instant.”
Tarik clicked off and ground his panatela into the wet earth, thinking about Jass. Eltsin’s men were right about not messing with her. She’d as soon shoot their balls off as she would smile at them. But they didn’t know that.
Why would Eltsin warn them off? It was possible he wanted her for himself. Or, perhaps Eltsin could have another agenda.
Was something else happening behind the scenes that Tarik didn’t understand? Bouncing on the balls of his feet, he turned back to the main house, ready for anything.
He didn’t see his attackers until they were already on top of his position.
“Come on, you assholes,” he growled as he flipped the first man on his back and reached for his weapon. “Show me what you’ve got.”
“Would you like an after-dinner drink with your dessert, my dear Celile?” Eltsin hadn’t stopped leering at Jass since Tarik had left the table nearly an hour ago.
She was starting to itch. Most of the other guests had already retired. And the two Taj agents sitting beside her at the table also seemed ready to be on their way. They were about as fidgety as she was. Where was Tarik?
“Why yes, Mr. Eltsin, I would like another drink. Thank you.” It was all she could do to sit still and smile.
Eltsin patted her hand and told the waiter to bring her whatever she required. “Please call me Andrei, Celile. It’s a shame Sheik Zohdi has not returned to the table. But these gentlemen—” he gestured to the Taj agents “—and I have a little business we must attend to. It will only take a short while, but I dislike leaving you alone.”
“Don’t worry about me.” She waved her hand as though she was already tipsy and not quite in control of her senses. “You gentlemen go right ahead.”
She rose from her seat and all the men immediately stood, too. “If you don’t mind, I may step out on the patio for a moment and see if I can find Zohdi while you’re gone.”
Eltsin’s eyes took on a wary and dark expression. “All right, but don’t go too far. Your lover doesn’t deserve your concern. He doesn’t seem to show you the same respect.”
Jass nodded and deliberately stumbled.
“And stay on the patio.” Eltsin made the demand in a harsh tone, but then seemed to think better of it. “I wouldn’t want anything to happen to you. The jungle can be quite dangerous at night.”
So can your mansion, my dear creep.
She put a hand to her breast and wobbled on her heels as though the idea was a bit daunting for a woman who’d had too much to drink. The elder of the two Taj agents came to her rescue and put his arm around her shoulders.
“Aren’t you feeling well, Ms. Kocak?”
It was the perfect opportunity. The one she’d been waiting for. She slipped the microscopic GPS chip off her underarm and put her hand against the elder Taj’s, pretending to steady herself. From that position, it was a snap to secretly paste the extra chip to the elder’s wrist without him being any the wiser.
“I’ll be fine,” she told him with the imitation of a shy smile. “Do not worry over me. I simply need a little air. But I’ll stay where I can see back inside this room. I’ll know when you return to the table from your business.”
She turned to Eltsin with wide eyes. “Surely you will have another moment for me then, won’t you, Andrei?”
“Count on it, Celile.” Eltsin picked up her hand and kissed the fingertips. “Until then.”
Ewww.
Eltsin and the Taj agents left the room. She watched them go. Then she weaved her way to the French doors leading to the pool area, still acting tipsy for any watchful eyes. She had a bad feeling about this. What if Eltsin had already ordered Tarik’s execution? Her partner had been gone too long for comfort.
Jass hesitated at the patio door, while various scenarios raced through her mind. And then she turned to the nearest waiter.
Speaking to him in broken English, she said, “I’d like the use of a powder room before Mr. Eltsin returns. Is there one I can use that’s closer than our room in the other wing?”
The waiter directed her toward the foyer, exactly where she’d hoped to go. Once she was near the grandfather clock, Jass checked over her shoulder. When convinced no one was watching, she dug into her backpack. Again thoroughly checking her surroundings inside the grand, shadowy foyer, she pulled out the phony cell phone that secretly doubled as a communications unit direct to her handler. If anyone spotted her, she would say she was trying to reach Zohdi on his cell.
This call was against orders, but she was sure the sting would soon be collapsing anyway. With the cell in her hand, she ducked into the powder room underneath the stairs and touched the button to raise Ed.
In less than two seconds, he answered. “Where are you?”
“Eltsin’s mansion. But the sting’s going south.” She hated saying this to Ed; hated hearing the disappointment she knew would fill his voice. “Kadir is missing, and we’re supposedly on Eltsin’s hit list for later tonight. Something’s bad with the whole deal. I need more men or we’ll lose our chance at the Taj Zabbar.”
“It’ll take too long to put a force together.” Ed’s tone did not sound disappointed, nor even surprised. Yet her old friend sounded less than pleased. “Scrap the mission. Find a way out of the house and put miles between you and Eltsin as fast as you can.”
“What about Kadir? I can’t…”
“Leave him and get out. He’s probably long gone by now.”
“He might be in trouble,” she said.
“Look, Jass, I told you the man has his own agenda. He wouldn’t give you a second thought if your positions were reversed. Leave now.”
Knowing her time was short, she didn’t argue. She ended the conversation and cut the comm line to Ed without asking all the questions rolling in her mind. Standing still for one more second to think, she tried to focus on what to do next. She didn’t believe for one moment that Tarik would leave her to save himself. More than that, something in Ed’s tone sounded way off.
Suddenly all the things that had been bothering her rushed to mind. But she was sure Tarik wasn’t keeping anything from her. She’d come to know him, almost too well, over the last few days. And he’d been open and honest with her. Jass assured herself she couldn’t care for him if he was anything but a good man. Her gut instincts on such matters had kept her alive many times in the past.
Yet, she was equally as sure that someone in this operation was betraying them. Someone she’d missed. First, the betrayal of the other night at Eltsin’s office. And now she was having a bad feeling that Eltsin already knew she and Tarik were covert agents. The Russian was playing a much bigger and more deadly game with them than he let on. The tentacles of his operation must be far reaching. Maybe even into the local CIA?
She needed to find Tarik. Despite what she’d said to Ed, she had no doubt her partner was alive and in control of his situation. Maybe he’d managed to reach his brother and they were working out a
plan.
Jass peered past the powder-room door and glanced into the adjoining room. She found the foyer and grand hall as quiet as when she’d come in. Eltsin should still be in his meeting with the Taj.
Now if she could make it through the front door without arousing any suspicions, she’d be free to scout around outside and locate Tarik. Together they would have no trouble overpowering Eltsin’s guards and could come up with a way of stopping the Taj Zabbar. The most important part of the whole mission was not letting the Taj agents get away with their prize.
She tiptoed across the shadow-filled room, snagged her backpack and opened the front door. But the telltale click of a silent security alarm alerted her to the glaring mistake she’d made before she could even set one foot outside.
Damn. The front door was armed. But there hadn’t been any alarms on that door earlier. Eltsin must have been expecting some kind of move from them. Things were turning from bad to worse by the minute.
Feeling it was too late to turn back, and hearing the running footsteps closing in from behind her, she scurried outside into the sultry night. She couldn’t outrun a turtle in these heels. Her best move had to be hiding.
Dashing to the left, Jass tried to stay within the shadows of the mansion while she headed for the forests. But almost instantly, glaring bright security lights lit up the entire night sky. Rats.
She wouldn’t get another twenty feet before Eltsin’s men caught up. Her breathing labored and heavy from the tension, she squeezed into a blind alcove and leaned against a half-hidden stucco wall. Reaching into her backpack to pull out one of Tarik’s specially made revolvers, she hefted it in her palm, getting the feel of a weapon that resembled her favorite Ruger .357 Magnum. Then she made sure the gun was loaded.
Now, which way would be her best bet?
Suddenly the sound of cars starting up caught her attention. The engine noises came from the garage area. Someone, probably the Taj Zabbar, was preparing to leave the mansion. She should stop them.
