Rachel hid her surprise. She knew the name; she’d seen it on intelligence reports. Henry Walter was what they called a “black mark.” He was neither a government official nor did he seem to operate independently. Reading carefully between the lines, IFRT had concluded he was tied with the government and did the dirty work they didn’t want linked to them, hence his designation.
“Thank you. We will reward you for your service,” Rachel said, sliding an envelope across the table. “Every month, another envelope will arrive. Don’t flash it around unless you want to attract attention and get yourself killed. But take care of these good people—they deserve more. Your king is wealthy, far wealthier than ours, but he doesn’t take care of his people.” At least not the people hidden away from cameras. Adani flashed their wealth across the world with glittering media reports and news articles about their investments and developments, but the reality was a good portion of their country was living a very different life and struggling to get by.
The man smiled. “If we could cross the border, we would.”
Rachel nodded. “I need to keep moving. Thank you, sir.”
“Be careful, Miss Rachel,” he said.
“If you hear anything else, please contact us,” Rachel said. “We will take care of you in every way we can.”
The old man looked thoughtful. “I don’t know for sure,” he said, “but I’ve heard they’ve taken her to Sunset Castle in the heart of the desert. If people escape, they never make it out of the desert alive. I’ve also heard that’s where they take people they never want to be seen again.”
Rachel refrained from reacting. She knew all about Sunset Castle, and if Abi was there, Rachel didn’t think there was a chance of rescuing her. A ransom would have to be paid, and Rachel prayed Abi would survive until then.
“I can’t thank you enough,” Rachel said, sliding the man a second envelope “Please be careful.”
The man gave a toothless grin. “I know how to survive.”
Yes, you do.
Rachel strode from the hut. She could barely believe villagers were still living in huts in Adani—the wealthiest kingdom in the region. Their land was an underground store of minerals and precious stones, and their people were poor. But not their king: he was living the good life.
Rachel returned to her car where Daniel kept watch. They had one more person to see, and then they’d come up with a plan. Rachel looked over her shoulder to see the village boys watching her with curious eyes.
She’d already captured too much attention, and the faster she moved, the greater her chances of survival.
Rachel was at the car when she saw a luxury sedan pull off the highway. “This way,” she said quickly, darting for the nearest tree. Daniel was right beside her. Rachel looked over their car again, hoping it would pass for a villager’s car. They had purposely chosen an old car with a few scratches and dents so they’d blend in, but they’d switched the engine and added every modification they’d been able to organize in such a short time frame.
The village boys who had been watching her earlier ran to the protection of the elders.
Rachel had been hoping the sedan would turn off, but it continued toward the village. Rachel inched around the tree as the sedan pulled up next to her car. Two men got out and looked at their car then shrugged. When they didn’t open the hood, Rachel said a silent prayer.
She looked to Daniel, who nodded. They crept forward silently, careful to keep out of sight as they followed them into the village. They darted from hut to hut, tracking the men, while Rachel’s heart thundered against her ribs. As she suspected, they stopped at the hut of the old man Rachel had been speaking to.
One of the village boys looked directly at them, and Daniel shook his head, waving him away. Rachel’s back was flat against the side of the hut and her ears strained to listen.
“We heard you’ve had some visitors recently,” one of them said.
Rachel’s eyes narrowed. “Visitors” indicated they likely didn’t know, but they were guessing.
“There’s no one here,” the elder said.
“Was someone here before?”
“No,” the old man said.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. Search the village if you like—you’ll find no sign of anyone, nor any sign anyone has been here.”
Rachel knew the older man was calling their bluff. If they searched the village they’d find the money, and they’d realize the car was not what it seemed.
“Or maybe we can find out another way.”
A piercing scream echoed through the village, but it wasn’t that of the elder.
“Ten seconds,” one of the men said. “Convince me you’re telling the truth or he dies.”
Rachel realized they’d taken one of the village boys hostage. Her heart was in her throat, and she knew things were going to end horribly. It didn’t matter what the elder said, Rachel knew they’d kill the boy anyway.
“Four . . . Three . . .” the man began counting down.
Rachel’s wide eyes met Daniel’s. They had to make a decision, and either was going to have consequences.
“Two . . .”
“Go!” Rachel said, making the decision. They ran forward, coming up behind the men. She saw the backs of the two men and the young boy in front. Rachel raised her weapon, but Daniel beat her to it. He pulled the trigger twice, loading a bullet into the back of each man.
The young boy screamed and scrambled across the floor toward the elder, who just blinked at Daniel. His face was unreadable and Rachel knew he was in shock.
“It’s okay,” Rachel said, holding out her hands, taking a second to breathe.
She looked to the elder. “You need to leave the village. Move west to one of the larger cities. I’ll give you more money,” she said quickly. “But they will send more men, and we won’t be there next time. It doesn’t matter what you tell them, they will kill whoever they want. You can’t stop them.”
Without another word, Rachel ran to the car and retrieved ten envelopes. At this rate we’re going to be out of bribe money fast.
She ran back to the hut. “Start moving, now,” she said.
The elderly man nodded. “Thank you,” he said, but they both knew if he’d never helped IFRT, he wouldn’t be in this situation.
“We need to clean up fast,” Daniel said. He looked to the village boy. “Help me,” he said, and he was at his side in a moment. He called in his friends, and together they dragged the limp bodies to their car. Rachel carried the legs of one of the men and her mind reeled as she tried to foresee the consequences of this. One of the things they were trained to do in IFRT was to predict and prepare for—as best they could—the consequences of their missions. But right now, Rachel was struggling to think straight at all. Abi needed them and they were moving too slowly.
And now they had dead Adani bodies to deal with.
“We need to make this look like an accident,” Daniel said quickly.
Rachel nodded, glad he was still thinking straight.
Daniel threw his keys to one of the boys. “Follow me,” he said.
Daniel pulled on a pair of gloves and then got in the driver’s seat of the Adani car. Rachel’s eyes followed the car as he drove out of the village and onto the highway. The car was almost out of sight when Rachel saw it veer off the road and into a tree. A fireball erupted and Rachel’s breath caught in her throat. Her hand went to her heart as she gasped. What had he done?
The car the village boys were driving stopped near the blaze. Rachel squinted but she couldn’t see what was happening. Was Daniel okay? She felt sick. She couldn’t do this alone. She needed help. Abi needed help.
The car turned, driving back to the village. Rachel ran toward it as they turned off the highway. When it came to a stop, she almost cried with relief when she saw Daniel in the back seat. His T-shirt was torn and bloody, and his fingers were grazed, but he gave her a reassuring nod.
Rachel shook her head
. “Don’t do that again,” she said with hard eyes.
“If officials come, it’ll look like there was an accident and the car ran off the road. It was worth the risk,” he said without a trace of doubt.
The village boys got out of the car and Rachel slid in. Daniel moved into the passenger seat.
“Be careful,” Rachel said to the boys before she turned the car around. They had to keep moving. Every minute mattered.
“Adani officials are behind this—there’s no doubt of that,” Daniel said as Rachel veered onto the highway.
Rachel sighed. “Even the king, the peacemaker, surely won’t allow this. A war will follow. But right now, we need to work out our next move. Everything is taking too long, and meanwhile Abi is—”
Daniel placed a gentle hand on her arm. “Don’t do that to yourself. Focus on the mission. One step at a time.”
“We don’t have time!” Rachel half screamed, her emotions bubbling out of control. “We’re going up against Adani, and we have no clue where she is. On the chance that she has been taken to Sunset Castle, we’re all fucked. We’re not going to get her back, not without a ransom. And by then . . .” Rachel couldn’t finish the sentence. The words lodged in her throat like concrete. She pulled off the highway, needing a minute to collect herself, and she didn’t even know where she was heading. She needed to think with a clear head.
Rachel’s phone beeped and she grabbed it from underneath her seat.
Asher: Jesse is on his way to assist your team. I will send you his number. King Martin has given him full clearance at William Bennett’s request. Report everything back to him, no matter how small. Please bring her home.
For the first time since Abi had been taken, Rachel felt a glimmer of hope. They weren’t alone.
“They’re sending help,” Rachel said with a raspy voice. “Jesse is coming!”
Tears of relief stung her eyes and she wiped them away furiously. Now was not the time for tears. Now was the time for courage. She quickly typed a response.
Rachel: I’ll bring her home.
Asher: Be careful.
She passed her phone to Daniel. “Send Jesse’s number to the team with Asher’s instructions. We need to collect as much information as we can so that when he arrives he’s fully prepared.” She typed an address into the navigation system and lowered her foot on the accelerator, full of determination.
Abi
She glared at the man sitting across from her.
“I am locked in a cell. Where do you think I’ll be rushing off to?” Abi asked.
Her back was against the wall, her wrists bound. All she had left on was her underwear. The rest of her clothing had been stripped when they’d found the recording device.
“You’re not to be trusted,” he said simply, his eyes never leaving her.
Abi looked away, because looking at him made her stomach churn. Her gaze dropped to her legs—she was filthy. She’d been held on the floor of the hut and now she was sitting on the dirty concrete of the cells. She’d been blindfolded when she’d been dragged into the car, and since they’d removed the blindfold, she’d spent every second trying to work out where she was being held. But none of the surroundings matched intelligence IFRT’s captives had previously reported back.
Abi pressed her back against the wall—her only source of comfort came from knowing that no threat could come from behind her.
“Ironic, isn’t it?” she asked. “You don’t trust me, but it’s your government officials who can’t be trusted.”
He raised a lazy eyebrow, unfazed by her words. His eyes dropped to her breasts again and he made no effort to hide his interest. He’d been in the cell with her since she’d arrived and his eyes had never left her—not even when she’d had to urinate. But that was the least of her worries; she knew what was coming next.
Abi’s eyes darted to the empty cell across from her. She didn’t need to be an investigator to establish what had happened to the last prisoner—the fresh blood stain said it all.
But Abi knew death wasn’t in her cards. A ransom would be issued to her father, but not immediately—they would make her suffer first, would try to break her before they released her. But she would not be broken, and she tried to mentally prepare herself for what would come. She knew it was inevitable if she didn’t find a way to escape.
She wriggled her hands behind her again. The rope was loose—she’d managed to cut through some of it in the hut, but she needed a moment alone. A few seconds, that’s all she needed to get her hands loose and activate the last device she’d concealed on her body: the pin behind her ear. It couldn’t record sound, or provide any intelligence other than coordinates. But coordinates were enough; her team would receive the alert and they would come for her.
But to activate the device, she needed to get her hands out of the rope, and she couldn’t do that while being watched. This device was her last chance, and she wasn’t going to blow it. She would be patient and wait for the opportunity.
She returned her gaze again to the man sitting in her cell, comfortably on a nice, clean chair. He thought he was so smart—they all did. They thought by stripping her of her clothing they’d searched her for all devices. They had explored her body cavities but not the delicate skin behind her earlobe. The pin was still there; she could feel a tender spot when she pressed her earlobe to her shoulder. Her bun had unraveled, her hair falling messily around her shoulders. The pin would never be seen.
The man narrowed his gaze.
Abi looked him dead in the eye, refusing to back down or look away. They could only intimidate her if she let them, and she was not about to do that.
“No one is coming for you,” he said with a smirk.
Abi stared back, her face blank. She didn’t respond—no tears nor any vicious words, even though they were on the tip of her tongue. She knew silence was her best weapon right now.
He stood and Abi refused to show any fear. He took one step closer to her and then another. He sat back on his heels in front of her, looking at her like she was a toy. A prize.
He leaned in, just inches from her face. The back of her head was pressed against the wall and she had nowhere to go.
He placed a finger on her lips, ran it down her chin, between her breasts, stopping at the top of her underwear. He smirked.
When he grabbed her panties, she knew this was the best opportunity she was going to get.
His vulgar mind was distracted, too eager to see what was underneath. Abi pressed on her heels and managed to lift her ass in the air. She fell down quickly but her knees rose, landing underneath his chin.
He howled, turning his head and grabbing his jaw.
Abi counted the seconds, knowing she had only a few before more guards came to check what was happening.
She pressed her wrists together and then jolted them away with as much force as possible, praying it was enough. The rope cut her hands before it snapped. Her finger went straight to her earlobe and she pressed on the pinhead as his hand connected with her face. She blinked, her vision blurred, and another blow followed. Something hard hit her temple, and darkness enveloped her.
Abi awoke, shivering. She was face down on the dirty cell floor, and it took her a moment to remember what had happened. Her head pounded relentlessly, and when she opened her jaw, pain shot through her ear.
She went to move her arm and realized she couldn’t. Her hands burned when she moved them, and she knew they’d bound her wrists with fresh rope. She was lying on her side, and the side bearing all her weight was throbbing. She didn’t know how long she’d been out, but figured it must’ve been some time.
She shivered again and wondered if the cells looked darker, or if her senses were off due to the concussion. But it was definitely colder, of that much she was sure. Abi couldn’t see a window—she couldn’t see anything but dirty cell walls and bars. She had no idea if it was day or night.
Where was her team? Without removing the pin, she couldn’t t
ell if she’d activated it correctly. She tried to press her earlobe to her shoulder again, and when she felt the familiar sting she was sure the pin was still there and the guard hadn’t found it.
She heard voices outside the cell and strained to hear what they were saying.
“She tried to bite me,” a man said. Abi knew his voice—it was the guard who’d been in the cell with her.
Abi had done no such thing, but she wasn’t above it in future, if the opportunity presented itself.
“How did she get close enough to do that?” someone asked.
The voices became muffled, and Abi couldn’t make out what they were saying.
“Lamberi is on his way. Do not touch her again,” someone said very clearly. A warning.
The blood in her veins froze.
As far as she knew, she was the only prisoner in these cells, so they had to be talking about her.
Not Lamberi. No, no!
Lamberi was a warlord responsible for the mass killing, mass rape, and pillaging of villagers. Abi’s team had statistics that indicated over half a million civilians had become his victims. Reports even suggested he gave his soldiers pills to encourage them to rape more women. He was brutal, powerful, and Abi knew if she was handed over to him, he’d never kill her. Torture was his game, and he’d make sure she lived a long, painful life.
Abi fought against her restraints. If she was passed into Lamberi’s hands, she would never return to Santina. IFRT had never been able to locate a single hostage taken by Lamberi, and the few intelligence reports they’d been able to obtain from villagers who had worked for him had been horrifying.
She had to escape, and she had to do it now.
She couldn’t wait any longer.
King Martin
His chest heaved and croaked as he coughed. Emilia passed him some tissues, and he wiped his mouth. His eyes fell on the blood-stained tissues. It had started yesterday, and he knew the decision to change the succession hadn’t been made a moment too soon.
Martin needed every minute he had to help prepare his son for the throne, and he didn’t know how long he had left. Regardless of what the doctors had told him, he knew something wasn’t right—his blood-stained tissues only confirmed his fears.
Blood, Love and Lies Page 20
