“You’re okay,” Donovan said. “It’s me. It’s time to get up.”
She focused on him, as if trying to understand. Finally, she brought the sheet up to her neck with one hand and brushed her hair away from her face with the other. “What time is it? Did they call?” she asked, looking for the clock that would help her reorient herself.
“Not yet,” Donovan said as he walked to where she’d left her newly purchased clothes. He picked up the stack and placed them on the bed. “Get dressed. I’ll come back in a few minutes—we need to talk.”
“No,” she said. “Don’t leave me. It won’t take me long.”
Donovan turned away and heard Eva throw back the sheet, then she went to the bathroom and closed the door. Minutes later she emerged, pulling her hair out from underneath the collar of a simple black long-sleeved shirt. She’d tucked the shirt into a pair of equally dark slacks, then rolled up her sleeves. She looked at herself in the mirror, using one hand to arrange her thick hair. “I’m a mess.”
“You look fine,” Donovan said. “Let’s go.”
Moments later they were in William’s room. She curled her legs underneath her in a chair and sipped on a bottle of water. Donovan thought she looked frightened and fragile. He didn’t know what scared him most, that she would be too afraid to go—or that she’d place too much trust in them and be killed.
“Eva,” William started. “May I call you Eva?”
She nodded, her questioning eyes jumped from William to Buck to Donovan, as if she were somehow in trouble but didn’t understand why.
“We have a situation, as well as an offer we’d like to discuss with you.” William tried his best to disarm her with a smile. “It’s a rather delicate matter, but I want to assure you that we will be as concerned for your safety as we possibly can. I want you to listen very carefully as we explain, and I hope you can find it somewhere in your heart to trust us.”
“What has happened?” Eva asked, looking close to tears.
“When I talked to the kidnappers earlier today,” Donovan knelt down to be eye level with her, “they told us to have the money ready by ten o’clock tonight.”
“Yes, I remember,” Eva nodded.
“They also want you.” Donovan held her eyes with his, trying to keep her calm. “We want them to believe that you’re part of the exchange. I can assure you, you’ll be protected at all times.”
“How can you protect me from them?” Eva wrapped her arms around her legs and pulled them even closer into her body. Her eyes were beginning to fill with tears. “They want to kill me.”
“They also want three million dollars,” William said quietly, his tone designed to pacify her. “As I said before, we can protect you, we just need you to cooperate.”
“How will you protect me?” Eva sniffed and wiped the tears from her eyes. She stared at the ceiling, her lips trembled.
“How is not important,” Buck said with quiet confidence. “I used to be a US Navy SEAL. I’ll be with you the entire time. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“If you help us,” William added. “I’ll make sure you can have a new life anywhere in the world you want. Europe, the United States, anywhere you feel safe.”
Eva closed her eyes at the enormity of William’s words. She lowered her head into her knees, her hair tumbled over her face, small tremors shook her body as she cried.
“I’ll also give you one million dollars,” William added at exactly the right moment. “But if you won’t help us—I’m afraid we can’t help you at all.”
Donovan knew he’d just seen William do what he did best—mix diplomacy with shrewd manipulation. He’d done it with the silky smooth tone of someone who seemed to care a great deal about the outcome—making Eva believe that there was only one way out of her particular hell. They were all waiting for her to react when the cell phone on the table rang. Donovan and Buck glanced at their watches and thought the exact same thing—it was too early.
William answered the call, put the phone on speaker, and set it down on the table. “This is William VanGelder.”
“It is time,” a muffled and heavily accented voice spoke. “Is the money ready?”
“Yes,” William replied. “I need to speak with my niece.”
“In a moment. Let me tell you what I want. You put the money, Eva, and the man who took her from us, into a non-embassy vehicle.”
Donovan was helpless, there was nothing he could do but listen. Eva raised her head at the sound of her name. Her cheeks were damp with tears. Donovan saw the defeat in her eyes, the pallor of resignation on her face.
“No!” William said forcefully. “That’s not part of the deal! We have the money and Eva. We’ll meet you wherever you want. The man you speak of is not part of the deal. Is that understood?”
“Then we have no deal.”
Donovan felt his anger burn. He’d always assumed that Buck would be the one delivering the money. He had the utmost faith in Buck’s skills to even the playing field. He had far fewer skills, giving the advantage to the kidnappers.
“You have until dawn to change your mind,” the voice said before terminating the call.
“It’s a classic tactic,” Buck explained. “They’re stalling. They want us to worry, to argue, to get no sleep. They want to wear us down with ever-changing demands—until we’re either too tired, or too anxious, to respond, hoping that we’ll make a mistake.”
“What’s your suggestion?” William asked.
“We tell them no,” Buck replied without hesitation. “I don’t want Donovan in the line of fire. I’m the one they’re going to have to deal with.”
“I’m going to throw this out there.” Donovan stood as he thought. “Buck, wouldn’t it be better on several levels, if you were the one who was mobile? They think they’ll be able to separate us, and have to deal only with me. I’m assuming they aren’t all that happy with what I did today at the airport. If I’m the delivery person, then you’re free to do all your Navy SEAL stuff and keep me out of trouble.”
“I don’t like it,” William said, shaking his head.
“If Donovan goes—then I will agree to go as well,” Eva said, her voice strained, a little uncertain.
Donovan turned to her. Her hands shook as she looked up at him. The silence in the room told him everyone was thinking—recalculating the equation. “It could work. With Eva’s help, this could work. If we retool our plan, and I go instead of Buck, they’ll think they have the upper hand. They, in turn, might make the mistake of underestimating us.”
Buck rubbed his eyes. “You make a good point—except that now you put two amateurs into the loop and take out the professional.”
“But that adds you to the surveillance and response team. Personally, I’m willing to take that risk, especially if it ensures that Eva will go too.” Donovan glanced at her, and she nodded her head in agreement.
“Now wait just a minute!” William said angrily, holding up his hands. “We’re not agreeing to anything. Let’s think this through. Buck, exactly how do you see this whole thing going down? I want to make sure we all understand what to expect.”
“I’m convinced more than ever that the drop will be here in the city,” Buck said with authority. “Everyone who has tried to get to Eva has done so here in Guatemala City. I don’t know how big this group is, but they’re at least three men short right now, and an urban setting is probably more manageable for them. My best guess is that we’ll get a call early in the morning—don’t be surprised if they try another delay tactic—I don’t think these guys are top-notch professionals. They could be doing what we’re doing, trying to decide the best way to handle the exchange.”
“Do you think it will be a drop?” William asked. “Or do you think there will be an actual face-to-face?”
“They want Donovan and Eva. They’ll also want to see the money for themselves. It has to be a face-to-face. In fact, we’ll insist upon it, which puts us in direct contact with the kid
nappers.”
“What do you have in mind?” Donovan interrupted. “How do you protect us?”
“I’ll be following you as best I can without being detected. My guess is they’ll run you around the city, drive you past their own lookouts to see if you’re being tailed. I assume you’ll be talking with the kidnappers on Eva’s phone—but we’ll be in contact as well. At some point there’s an ultimate destination. I’ll be in position when you arrive and deal with them however the situation dictates.”
“Eva,” William asked, “how do you feel about this? How do you think these men might react?”
Eva had been sitting quietly, seemingly trying to follow the conversation. She seemed startled at the sound of her name and responded. “I know they are bad men. They have been criminals for a long time. One of them used to be in the police, but I think he is not doing that anymore. They are dangerous because they hold no value for a person’s life. Which is why they want to kill me, and now I think maybe they want to kill Donovan too.”
“You’ll each be wearing a Kevlar vest,” Buck said. “Just as a precaution.”
“What is Kevlar?” Eva asked, her face clouded with confusion.
“A bullet-proof vest,” Buck explained. “You wear it and it protects you. If someone shoots you the bullet is stopped.”
There was no escaping Eva’s drawn expression, and the look of deep fatigue in her red-tinged eyes. Eva held little resemblance to the confident woman he’d seen stride into the hotel bar. He wondered if she would hold up until morning.
“Buck,” William broke the silence. “Give it to us straight up. What are the odds of pulling this off without any of our people getting hurt?”
“Hard to put it into numbers,” Buck replied without hesitation. “All the plans in the world shift the moment someone goes off script. The side that reacts quickest in a fluid situation usually prevails. In this case, I have to think the advantage is ours.”
“Donovan.” William pressed the tips of his fingers together, contemplating his next words. “Obviously, I don’t want you involved. I believe I’ve made myself clear on this issue. I’d feel better had they requested that I deliver the money rather than you, but right now we are not in charge, they are. I need to make certain you’re sure about this. If not, I fully understand, and we’ll try to force the issue in another direction.”
“I appreciate what you’re saying.” Donovan knew that William’s speech was more for Buck and Eva. William knew he wasn’t going to back away from this. He looked at his longtime friend and gave him a gentle nod to show he understood. “We have Eva on board, and I think that the sooner we get this resolved—the better it’ll be for everyone. So, to answer your question, yes, I’m in.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Donovan glanced at the luminous dial on his watch: four-thirty in the morning. He hated waiting, it left him with far too much time to think. He wasn’t sure, but he thought maybe he’d closed his eyes for a little while, but the dream of Meredith had awoken him with a start. One moment they were together, happy, then moments later, she was gone forever.
He’d been anointed in the rituals of death since he was a boy. He’d watched both of his parents die when their yacht had sunk during a storm in the Pacific Ocean. He’d clung desperately to a piece of wreckage. The image of his mother slipping beneath the waves had forever imprinted on his fourteen-year-old brain. Death changes life, alters everything it touches. Donovan knew he’d been changed violently and permanently by death’s cold hand.
He found himself not caring what happened to him this coming day, only that he succeed. The only feelings he allowed himself were anger and determination, the two essentials to the mission. If he failed, if Stephanie were murdered, he knew it would change him yet again. He wondered how many times a man could be changed by death, until all that was left was a shell waiting for death’s final embrace.
A hand touched his shoulder and Donovan, startled, looked up to see William standing over his chair, dressed in a suit.
“It’s time to wake up,” William whispered.
Donovan nodded and looked over at Eva, curled up on the small sofa, her shoulders rising and falling with each breath. Earlier he’d covered her with a blanket, and she’d given him a small smile, a hopeful smile, but one filled with apprehension. Donovan had no idea where Buck was. He’d left earlier, advising Donovan to try and get some sleep. When Donovan had told him the same thing, Buck had shrugged and told him SEALs didn’t need sleep.
Eva raised her head and found Donovan. “What time is it?”
“Almost five,” he said as he walked to the window and opened the drapes. Raindrops streaked the window and clouds hung low, brushing the tops of the buildings. “Time to get up.”
Eva nodded and headed to the coffee pot on the bar.
As she ran the water, Donovan went to the door that led out to the hallway and peered out the peephole. Instead of the embassy guards, he saw Buck standing outside the door. The former SEAL was dressed and ready for combat. Donovan opened the door.
“I was just going to wake you,” Buck said. “Let me get the rest of my gear and I’ll be there in a second.”
Donovan waited as Buck went into his room, moments later returning, carrying a duffel bag and two weapons. He held the door open as Buck strode through and placed everything on the sofa. Buck extended his hand toward Donovan. “Hand me that Sig you’ve been carrying around.”
Donovan pulled it out from under the cushion of the chair he’d slept in and gave it to Buck. The former SEAL popped the clip and extracted the round from the chamber. He ran his practiced eye over the weapon, and then in a blur of motion reloaded it and handed it back to Donovan.
“If you’re comfortable using this, it looks like it’s in pretty good shape,” Buck said as he leaned over and unzipped the black duffel bag. He pulled out two bulletproof vests, handed one to Donovan and the other he laid out for Eva. “Put these on under your shirts. They’re pretty thin, I don’t want it obvious that you’re wearing them.”
Donovan stripped down to his undershirt and pulled the small but surprisingly heavy garment over his head. Buck helped pull the Velcro straps tight, and Donovan rotated his arms until it felt comfortable. He slid into his shirt and buttoned it up to the next to last button.
Buck stood back and checked it out. “Perfect.” He turned to Eva, instructed her to turn around and remove her shirt. Buck repeated the procedure, making sure her long hair wasn’t trapped beneath the vest. She buttoned up her shirt and turned to face them.
“It’s a little more obvious on her.” Donovan saw that the outline of her breasts were muted by the shape of the vest.
“This isn’t a beauty contest,” Buck said, then turned to William. “We need to get the money ready.”
“It’s in the bedroom,” William replied.
“Do you need help with the money?” Donovan asked.
“I’ve got this. We still need to divide the cash.” Buck allowed William to lead him to retrieve the cases of money.
Donovan took a steaming mug of coffee from Eva. “Thanks,” he said and tried to offer her an encouraging smile. She looked a little less frayed than last night. He hoped she would be able to hold it together once they started.
“Did you get some sleep?” Eva asked.
“I’m fine, though I’m ready to get this underway. I hate the waiting,” Donovan replied. “How are you feeling?”
“I don’t know.” She shrugged and wrapped two hands around her own cup of coffee. “I trust you, but I also feel that I have no choice. I don’t understand why all of this is happening to me, and I feel out of control.”
“Hopefully, that’ll go away once we start. I think the waiting is the worst part.”
“I feel that you are not a patient man,” Eva said, bluntly. “I mean, you seem like someone who is used to getting what you want. Will that go away once we start?”
“You’re not exactly seeing me at my best.” Donovan r
an his hand back through his hair.
A small look of surprise came over Eva’s face, as if she’d just remembered something. “I forgot to tell you. Meredith called yesterday when you were at the airport. I’m sorry.”
“You spoke to my wife?” Donovan’s eyes darted toward the nearest phone. “Yes, her name is Meredith, yes?”
“No.” Donovan felt his stomach knot up. “You misunderstood. My wife is Lauren. What did she say?”
“She said she would call back.” Eva shrugged. “I’m sorry, I was asleep when she called and I forgot.”
“It’s okay.” Donovan thought of Lauren calling his room and finding a sleeping woman. He only hoped that with William and Buck’s help, he’d be able to explain.
“She is a very lucky woman,” Eva said.
“I’m not so sure she feels that way right now,” Donovan said, as Buck and William came into the main room carrying the two suitcases of money. Buck snatched a black duffel bag from the sofa and went back into William’s room. He emerged moments later and the bag looked heavy.
“It’s all here,” William said. “Three million dollars.”
Buck hoisted the duffel bag. “Here’s the other million. We’ll hold onto this until we get back.” He looked at Eva. “Then we can figure out what you want to do with this much money.”
“Where did the guards go?” Donovan remembered the empty hallway.
“I’ve given them their assignments,” Buck said. “We have four men, two from the Diplomatic Security Service, and two from the Canadian embassy. William has a single driver from the embassy in the event he needs to travel. Everyone should be in strategic positions shortly. I’ll be in radio contact with them at all times.”
“What about us?” Donovan asked.
“You’ll have your phone.” Buck said. “Dial my number and leave the connection open. The key is to let me know where you are at all times. I don’t know how many gyrations these guys are going to put you through, but I’ll be able to stay on top of everything without being seen.”
Donovan nodded that he understood.
Aftershock: A Donovan Nash Novel (A Donovan Nash Thriller) Page 17
