by Jaclyn Hardy
“Don’t think you’re getting out of trouble, but yes. They’re well known for their caves. Why?”
Braden took a screenshot of his computer and emailed a copy to Stephen. “Check this out and tell me if you see what I’m seeing.”
There was a pause while he waited for Stephen to get back to him. Braden smiled at the sharp intake of breath.
“Looks like you’re right. I’d head there before anyone else can. I’ll check out those other spots on the map.”
“Perfect. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.” Braden hung up before Stephen could give him another warning to ditch Carlie. He already knew his bosses were ready to fire him because of it.
Braden closed his tablet and opened the door to go find Carlie. Her room was empty. The thought she could have left him crossed his mind, but she wouldn’t just ditch him at a friend’s house, right?
Voices came from a room down the hallway. Braden crept along the wall, making sure they wouldn’t hear him. It was Carlie, Chet and someone else that sounded vaguely familiar.
“And you’re sure it’s located there?” Carlie asked.
“We believe so, yes. But not for long. They’ll sell it to the highest bidder next week.”
Braden poked his head around the corner. The three of them stood around a table looking at a map. The other person he’d heard was the driver that had brought them here.
The others looked up when he came into the room. Carlie smiled, her face reddening. “Oh, hey, you’re awake. We think we know where the necklace is.”
Braden hesitated before approaching the table. Just by being here he was betraying his team. But collecting information was important, right? “I looked over the maps I had and wondered about the mountains up north.”
Chet shook his head. “No, those have been searched. See this temple here? It’s been abandoned. They’d planned to renovate it years ago but ran out of money. We believe that’s where the necklace is. I assume you heard the rest.”
“I did. And you’re sure?”
Carlie picked up a paper and handed it to him. “Frank got this letter inviting him to the auction. They’re selling a few other items as well, but this is the main draw.”
“Ed?” Braden read through the letter, his eyebrows raising. He knew several of these items on the list.
“Oh, sorry. This is Frank.” Carlie handed Braden another paper. “He was able to get invites for you and I as well. How’s your German?”
“Uh, I know some. Why?” Braden glanced over his letter. “Ah. I’m the German delegate. Great. And who are you?”
Carlie’s face turned red. “I’m your wife. We would have chosen others, but these two are crime partners and they’re the only ones who didn’t RSVP. Mostly because Frank intercepted their invitation.”
“Perfect.” Braden set the paper down. “It’s going to take a bit to get our costume and story put together. I’m going to see what my team can pull up.”
The others exchanged glances. Carlie cleared her throat. “You can’t . . . um, tell them about this. I’m sorry.”
Braden knew better than to expect any other answer from them. But he wasn’t about to get killed for turning on his own team. “So what am I supposed to say?”
“Let them think it’s in the caves. That was our first thought as well, so it’s not like they’ll suspect that you’re bluffing.”
The necklace was within arm’s reach. He could go with them, get ahold of it, and have it made. But he would be turning on the people who’d paid him the money to get the grants he needed for school. The ones who had kept him and Carlie alive through most of this trip.
“I’ll need to think about it.” Braden couldn’t meet Carlie’s eyes or he knew he would cave. “Can I get back to you?”
Chet pursed his lips but finally nodded. “Fair enough. But know that if you decide to turn us down, we’ll have to drop you off in the middle of town.”
“Got it.” Braden turned and left the room. His mind was a mess of emotions. As soon as he got back to his room, he dialed Stephen’s number. “Hey, what have you found?”
“We think the caves are the way to go. We’ve already sent a team to meet up with you. They’ll be in Bangkok by morning and I’ll call with the extraction point.”
Braden cursed under his breath. They were a good hour outside of Bangkok. “Sounds great. I’m going to need a new laptop and climbing gear. I had to ditch my bag in the marketplace.”
Stephen sighed. “This is the second time you’ve done that. I’ll make sure they bring you something.”
“Thanks.”
“And about the girl. Please tell me you’ve ditched her.” Stephen’s voice was a little harder than usual.
Not quite. “She won’t be a problem. Her team is already in place to take her home.”
“Good. Although I wish you would have lost her two countries ago.”
The line went dead. Braden dropped into a chair. He’d gotten himself into some pretty tight spots lately, but nothing like this. And all because of her beautiful eyes and intoxicating smile.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Carlie readjusted her wig and went through the list of German phrases Frank had told her to memorize. She knew the basics already, but this wasn’t her typical archaeological job. She was going up against crime lords from all over the world and she had to sell her part or it could mean death. Not could. They’d shoot her with no hesitation.
The black sequined dress she wore was a lot more revealing than she normally liked to wear, but apparently Frau Dagmar Mueller had no such reservations. The problem was finding a place to put her gun.
Her phone’s alarm went off, letting her know it was time to leave for the meeting. She wasn’t ready. But then she wasn’t sure she’d be ready for this no matter how much time she’d been given.
She slipped her gun into the holster on her thigh and put on her diamond earrings and necklace. The last touch was her stiletto heels—good luck trying to outrun anyone in them. She took a deep breath and walked out into the hallway to meet up with Braden and Chet.
Braden stood there in a tux and bowtie, his hands shoved into his pockets. He definitely looked more professor than top crime lord. Carlie reached up to fix his bowtie and collar. She avoided his eyes, conscious of how close they were to each other. His cologne tugged on her senses.
“There,” she whispered.
“You look beautiful,” he whispered back.
“Thanks.” Carlie cleared her throat and stepped back, determined to get this over with. She could deal with her fluttering heart later.
Chet chuckled. “Okay you two lovebirds. We need to get out of here or we’ll be locked out of the meeting.”
Carlie was too flustered to respond. They walked out to find a limo waiting there. Of course. There’s no way the Kramers would show up in a cramped car. She took the drivers hand and climbed in. This was definitely better than the ride there. Frank sat inside already, holding several papers in his hands.
“You two have everything you need?” he asked.
“I think so.” Carlie felt for the gun on her leg. “And we’re sure the Kramers aren’t coming? It could get very bad very quickly if they do.”
Frank frowned. “I’d like to say we’re sure, but we can’t guarantee it. Just be ready to get out of there if things go south.”
“And you couldn’t have told us this before now?” Carlie’s stomach twisted with fear. She was so out of her league.
Braden reached over and took her hand. “We’ll be fine. We rehearsed everything all week.”
“Thanks.” Carlie squeezed his hand. “And your team?”
“Off in northern Thailand going through caves. We’re fine. We just need to run by the train station to grab my supplies and then I’ll be good until it’s time to go home with necklace in hand.”
Frank leaned forward. “You’re sure they won’t be there tonight? I find it odd that they weren’t invited.”
“My group
had a falling out a few years back. If they’ve heard about it, I would have known.” But Braden didn’t sound as confident as Carlie would have liked.
Franks’s phone rang and he answered it, giving Carlie a chance to speak to Braden. She leaned close to whisper in his ear. “So how much trouble are we really in?”
“I honestly don’t know.” He ran his thumb across her fingers. “Listen, if they come after me, I want you to get out of there. Don’t look back. Understand?” Carlie opened her mouth to protest, but he put his finger to her lips. “Please. I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you because of me.”
Carlie’s anger flared. She could take care of herself. She’d done it plenty of times before. But the pleading in his eyes told her that she should listen. She finally nodded. “We just won’t let that happen.”
Braden grinned. “Sounds good to me.”
***
The old temple stood out among the homes around it. While others were lit, this building was still dark, attempting to disguise what was going on inside. Carlie took deep breaths to calm herself. As much as she loved the adventure, this was completely out of her league. She readjusted her dress and checked again to make sure her gun was in its holster.
Frank clapped Braden on the back. “Ready or not, right?”
“Right.” Braden wrapped his arm around Carlie’s waist, sending flutters through her.
Even though Carlie knew it was part of the act, she still felt herself calm down with him so close. She forced herself to relax as they walked inside, her senses on high alert. This was just another job. No different than going through traps in the middle of a pyramid.
Two large guys stood on each side of the door, looking rather imposing. Frank went first, handing his papers over to one of the guards. They read through, glanced between him and the letter, then moved so he could walk in.
Braden pulled Carlie in tighter as she wrapped her arms around his waist, more for comfort than to play her role. She recognized the guy on the left as the one who had come after the necklace. With her makeup and wig, he shouldn’t recognize her, but there was no guarantee.
The guards studied them, took in Carlie’s dress, then nodded them in. Carlie let out a shaky breath as they walked past. The room was large, but it had seen better days. It was clear that they didn’t plan to stick around for long. Several others already sat at the table speaking in low voices. Carlie and Braden took their seats at the end, sitting as close to each other as possible. Frank sat closer to the middle of the table, ready to create a distraction so Carlie and Braden could go after the necklace.
“Ah, I see the Kramers made it after all.” The man’s thick Russian accent meant he had to be Vladimir Igorevich, the leader in this operation. “I was told you were doing a job in France.”
“We finished early.” Braden’s German accent had improved drastically over the last few days. “We would not miss this chance to get the necklace.”
Carlie ran a finger down Braden’s cheek seductively and nuzzled his neck. It was all for show, but she couldn’t help hoping he actually enjoyed it as much as she did.
“You will have to wait a little longer. Necklace comes last.” Vladimir flicked his hand, signaling to his guards. “First, we start with emerald recovered from shipwreck. We went to great lengths to get this and lost two of our finest in process.”
Murmurs erupted until Vladimir tapped the table. This emerald was valued around $4.5 million and supposedly been sold already. Carlie had gone to see it on display in New York not long ago. How had they gotten their hands on it?
Once the bidding started, Carlie and Braden took a turn bidding so they wouldn’t raise suspicions, but then let the others fight over it. Carlie stood, ready to make her move. As much as she wanted to stick around to see the other artifacts, it was only a matter of time before they realized she was an impostor. She ran her hand along the backs of each of the men at the table, bending over to look closer at the stone. The bidding continued, although most of the people’s attention was now on her.
“I need to visit the ladies room. Would you boys please hold off on making any offers while I’m away?” She ran her hand down Vladimir’s cheek and pouted.
“We must keep going. You hurry back.” Vladimir’s eyes lingered on her before going back to the bidding.
Carlie sighed and sauntered away. She leaned against the wall as soon as she left the room. Flirting with all of those criminals was not something she enjoyed doing and hoped she wouldn’t have to do it again any time soon. She smiled at the guards and applied the lipstick Chet had given her. She kissed each of the men and walked away as they fell to the ground poisoned.
It would be another minute or so before Frank detonated the smoke bomb so that Braden could leave without anyone noticing. Carlie pulled off her stilettos and took the heel off of one. Inside one was a dart gun that she used on the next few guards she met.
According to Chet, the room off to the left was where they kept the items up for auction. She stepped over the bodies of the guards and crept to the far end of the room. The necklace was kept in a wooden box. She cursed when she noticed the lock. This was going to be harder than she’d thought.
Cries came from the other room followed by gunshots. The smoke bomb must have gone off. Carlie grabbed a bobby pin from her hair and tried to unlock the box, but it wouldn’t budge. She’d have to take the entire box then.
Footsteps sounded in the hallway, so Carlie hid behind a column. Frank stepped in looking around and let out a whistle before having to turn to fight off a guard. They’d been compromised. It was time to find another way out. The large windows opened onto a river several feet below.
Carlie threw a display through the glass window, then stepped up on the window sill. Holding the box tightly to her, she jumped. The cold water enveloped her and it was a moment before she was able to kick back up to the surface. She glanced up at the window and had to duck under when someone shot at her. Bullets hit the water around her as she swam quickly away.
She shivered as she climbed out and ran toward town. People stared as she went past, but she kept going. As soon the crowd thinned, she ducked down a street and found an open window to climb into. A small family lived there, judging by the pictures on the walls. Carlie went to their clothes line and grabbed some clothes to change into. She left the dress hanging there as payment, then slipped back out. She couldn't bring herself to steal their food.
It was late enough that most stores were closed, but she had to find a phone to let them know where she was. Police went flying past her toward the old temple. It was too dangerous to be outside right now. Especially with the box hidden in her coat. She ducked into a small convenience store and dug through the pockets of the coat. There were a few tissues and old bus tickets, and thankfully, a few coins. She shoved them into the pay phone and dialed Braden’s number, but there was no answer. Frank’s also went to voicemail.
The store employee stared at her suspiciously. She smiled at him and turned away praying that Ed would answer his phone.
“Hello? Please tell me that’s you, Carlie.”
“Hey, yes. It’s me. Have you heard from anyone else?” Carlie shivered. Her body still hadn’t warmed up after the swim, even.
“Chet contacted me. Told me the whole thing seemed to be a setup from Braden’s crew.” There was a pause. “How much do you actually know about this guy?”
Carlie turned to see if the employee was still staring. He was. It was time to leave. “Enough. Think I could get a ride? I’m stranded here.”
“Did you get the necklace?”
“Yes. It’s locked.” She knew she wasn’t helping Ed much, but with the employee listening in, she had to keep things vague.
“That's perfect. Sometimes they'll put a tracker with it. I’ll see what I can do. Stay out of trouble and contact me again as soon as you can.”
“Thanks.” Carlie hung up and dug around for another few coins. It was only enough to b
uy a candy bar, but at least it was something. She paid and left the store, heading further into the city, sticking to alley ways.
Getting back to Chet’s wasn’t an option at this point, so she’d have to find somewhere else to stay. Ed’s voice echoed in her head. Braden’s suspicions about his team knowing where they were had apparently been right. But what if he was the one who’d led them there?
Carlie pushed away the thought. She could worry about that later. At this point she was a moving target holding a multi-million dollar necklace in the middle of a country she had no business being in. Braden would have to wait.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Braden coughed, trying to clear his throat. The last few hours had been a blur. The last he’d seen of Carlie, she was slipping out the door to find the necklace. Frank had let off the smoke bomb, and then everything had gone crazy.
The last thing he remembered was Stephen standing in the doorway as members from their team flowed past to break up the meeting. As far as he knew they now had all of the items in their possession. Braden just hoped that Carlie had been able to get away with the necklace.
The room they had Braden locked in was bare with no windows. He was locked to a table in the center of the room and had been stuck there for hours.
“Hungry?” Stephen walked in and dropped a burger on the table in front of Braden. He sat down on a chair and stared at Braden. “You lied to us, man.”
Braden didn’t answer as he picked up his burger. There wasn’t anything Braden could say that would get him out of trouble.
“Was she worth it?”
“You have no idea.” Braden could see her eyes, her smile. The way she’d curled up in his lap that night.
Stephen shook his head. “Hate to tell you this, but we’re going to have to stop her. She has the necklace.”
Braden did his best to keep his face straight. She’d escaped. That’s all he needed to hear. “Good luck finding her.”
