Of course, there were people here. Lots and lots of people. Apparently it took an army to put on a fashion show. Women were running around with scissors, an extremely unsafe practice and flamboyantly gay men waved scarves above their heads.
Stark had been to a few circuses that were more organized and less garish.
Fashion. Bunny loved it, but to Stark it was simply a blur of color and odd shapes. And don’t get him started on avant garde. Why didn’t they just call it what it was? Intentionally ugly clothes you couldn’t wear?
He was half way across the room, trying to avoid stepping on long dress trains and the runway that ran down the middle of it all. Apparently the lights not working had brought all the designers out from backstage.
He’d never seen so many skinny women in the same place. The number of shoulder blades he could see was disturbing. They really needed some of his mother’s chocolate lasagna.
“IT guy!” a voice called out.
Stark turned around and scanned the crowd. No one stood out to him. He must have misheard.
“Guy with the computer bag!” the voice yelled.
He again turned around but couldn’t find the person associated with the voice.
This time he waited a moment and caught sight of a redhead in a green flowing dress. For a moment he thought it was Bunny, but this woman was taller and more buxom than even Bunny.
She teetered on four inch heels, rushing towards him, nearly knocking several other models over.
“Can I help you?” Stark asked.
“You are the system architect aren’t you?” the mystery woman asked as she tried to catch her breath.
“Yes…”
This was perhaps the strangest conversation Stark had ever had, and he’d discussed the best brand of fast food leftover oil to use in a bio-fuel car with Lopez.
“Sorry,” the woman said, putting her hand out. “I’m Cama Czerjan.” She flashed a model smile at him. Which did not lessen his distrust of her in any way possible. He’d known Tika was too cute for him and look what had happened.
And Bunny broke his heart on a nearly daily basis.
He was done with pretty women and their ilk.
“And what can I do for you?” Stark asked respectfully. Who knew? This could be the daughter of the man who ran the convention center.
“I just heard you were coming down to fix the lights, and I was wondering if I could tag along?”
Stark almost asked how Cama knew that he was the IT guy, but taking a glance around, it was pretty obvious. Stark was the only man not running around like a mad person with a tartan burette or black fingernail polish.
“I’m not sure what you’ll get out of it…”
“Oh, I just do this to pay the bills,” Cama said with a wave of her hand. “I’m a student at M.I.T.”
“The Michigan Institute of Techno-fashion?” Stark sneered.
“No, that would be the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.”
Stark had to do a double take. Cama had seemed remotely familiar. He’d thought it was because she had such similar coloring to Bunny, but in fact it was because he’d seen her picture on a few articles she’d written. Of course, she hadn’t had on nearly this much make-up or the flowing green gown.
“You are Cama Czerjan,” Stark said, finally taking the woman’s extended hand. “You are working on a practical nuclear fusion solution.”
The woman’s lips spread in a broad smile. “Yes, yes I am. And you are?”
“Stark.”
“Not the Stark.”
“The lights, player,” his mother said in his ear. Talk about a buzz kill.
“Sorry, but I’ve got to get the lights on,” Stark stated, hurrying away.
There was the click clack of heels behind him.
“I heard you installed a fourth generation blade server.” Cama stated.
That he had.
Instead of answering Cama, Stark simply urged her along.
This was going to be interesting.
CHAPTER 5
“I don’t understand your meaning,” Bunny told Rojas.
His sultry eyelids dipped down as he looked at the picture on Bunny’s phone. “You are aware of the claims of the Mormon church and others that Jesus visited South America after He rose from the crypt?”
Bunny nodded. She was a proto-Christian scholar, of course she knew all the rumors, and even some shocking truths about Christ and the religion that sprang from his life.
“This pendant is a symbol of the Brotherhood of the Seven Suns. They claim to have historical proof of his journey to South America in general and Peru in particular.”
Clearly that was the reason why someone had tried to steal it. It certainly wasn’t because it was a good luck charm for a newborn girl.
“This pendant was nearly stolen yesterday, and now today an embassy in Peru has been taken over by an unknown group. Is this something the Brotherhood would do?”
Rojas grinned. “If they thought it would get them this pendant back. They are quite militarized.”
Bunny sat down on a chair hewn out of a log. “What do they have to be militarized about?”
“What don’t they?” Rojas chuckled. “Depending on who you believe, the Brotherhood is protecting either a gospel written by Jesus himself in the new world or the fact that aliens visited Peru. Your call.”
And the hunky historian was funny on top of it all. Talk about a test of Bunny’s devotion to Davidson.
“I still don’t understand why they want the necklace so badly.”
Rojas pulled a book out from behind a display. “It is rumored the location of Jesus’ gospel was written down on a slab of limestone, then broken apart and dispersed to several of the Brotherhood. Only by putting them back together can the gospel be found.”
“So Lopez’s pendant is part of a map?” Bunny asked to clarify.
“That is how the legend goes,” the handsome professor said, opening a book up onto a glass case.
Bunny picked it up, accidently brushing his finger. Rojas smiled.
Damn it.
* * *
“Come on, come on,” Lopez said alternating between checking his phone and looking out the window.
They’d taken a cargo plane to Peru. It was the fastest way for them to get to the embassy, but not fast enough for Lopez.
Maria was progressing quickly through her labor. She could be having the baby at any moment. Anxiety wafted off Lopez like bad cologne. Davidson had never seen the man look so upset.
If this was what having children did for you, perhaps Davidson would pass.
The plane put its nose down, preparing for the landing.
“Finally,” Lopez sighed.
Davidson couldn’t disagree with his friend. It had been a long nine hour plus flight from South Carolina to Lima.
Bunny had informed them of the necklace’s significance. They couldn’t exactly explore the historical aspect. At least not until they freed the hostages from the embassy. Davidson glanced over to the new man, Ki.
He seemed asleep, as was Brandt. Like Davidson said. It was a boring flight.
They were supposed to get their fifth man any time soon. Davidson didn’t know who it was or how they were going to rendezvous. He assumed Brandt would tell them if they needed to know.
Lopez checked his phone again.
“Any progress?” Davidson asked.
Lopez shook his head. “She’s stalled out at nine centimeters.”
“So it could be a long labor?” Davidson queried.
“Looks like it,” Lopez said, leaning forward as if he could hurry the plane’s landing by the action. His fingers went to the necklace, sliding it up and down the leather cord.
Davidson knew that Lopez wasn’t nervous about the upcoming conflict. Lopez could rescue embassy workers in his sleep. No, it was about the baby. His baby girl. Nice to know Lopez was human under all that need for speed bravado.
After what seemed like the lon
gest descent in the history of descents, they were on the ground.
* * *
Brandt felt an elbow in his side. Rebecca. He roused to find them landed. Brandt found the best way to survive a long flight was simply to sleep through it. By the frown on Rebecca’s face, she didn’t necessarily agree.
“Get some rest?” Brandt asked.
His wife scowled at him. He already knew her answer. How could she sleep with the news she was pregnant? Brandt grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze.
“Everything’s going to work out.”
While Rebecca didn’t retort, she didn’t have to. He knew his wife’s many looks. She was still clearly pissed off about his super sperm. Was it his fault that having good swimmers was his super power? The twins had been conceived while Rebecca was on the pill and the ring.
What could he say? He wanted a big family.
Ki rose and turned to Brandt. “Plan, sir?”
Brandt stood up, stretching. “We’ll head to the Peruvian field command center and offer our assistance.”
Their new point man nodded and followed Davidson and Lopez as they hustled off the plane. Lopez certainly seemed to be in a hurry to get this mission over. Which meant it was going to be a wild ride for them all.
“Ladies first,” Brandt said, sweeping his arm for Rebecca to head into the aisle first. As she passed him by she punched him in the shoulder. At the least, it showed him she still loved him.
Exiting the plane, Brandt expected oppressive humidity and sweltering heat. Instead it was a pleasant seventy-two with a light breeze. Past the squat airport, palm trees bowed in the wind. Far off in the distance you could see a shimmer of water. The Pacific Ocean.
“It truly is beautiful,” Rebecca said beside him.
His wife was absolutely correct. Lima was a large city, the sixth largest in the Americas, boasting over nine million souls. The capital metropolis of Peru stretched out nearly as far as the eye could see. While there were a few modern skyscrapers, the vast majority of the city was composed of two story historical buildings. Some were limestone. While others were colonial, reflecting the Spanish influence after the conquest.
“Yes!” Lopez announced, pumping his fist up and down. “A Grieve!”
Ki looked the driver up and down. The new guy better get used to it. Lopez was into his cars.
Brandt had no idea what a Grieve was, but he was sure Lopez was going to explain.
“This baby was specifically made for the Peruvian conditions. Bad roads and difficult terrain!” Lopez exuded.
“How fast can it go?” Ki asked.
Wrong question. Ki would learn.
“How fast?” Lopez retorted. “You don’t care about speed in Lima. You care about power and Herra, here has it in spades.”
“Herra?” Ki asked. “I thought it was a Grieve?”
Lopez sighed. “Herra is the car’s name, now get in.”
Ki clearly didn’t know what he’d done to annoy Lopez so much, but wisely got into the car without another word.
Brandt held the car door open for Rebecca.
“So we’re really doing this?” she asked.
He didn’t bother to remind her that she was the one who had insisted on coming along.
“Apparently.”
* * *
Rebecca normally would have leaned her head against Brandt’s shoulder as they drove into Lima, but she didn’t want him to get the impression she wasn’t still mad at his sperm. Granted, the man probably couldn’t control that, but still.
While they were only going the speed limit, the Grieve’s engine rumbled under the hood. You could just hear the power and the extreme effort it was taking Lopez not to exploit it.
At some point Lopez was going to see exactly everything the Grieve had to give. But not now. It was rush hour and they were in a long line of cars trying to enter the capital.
Buildings flowed by. The unique feature of Lima is the balconies. The city had more balconies per capita than any other city in the world. Lima lives were lived out on their patio balconies. Dinner was eaten there. Proposals were made there. Heck, even the weddings were held there. The Lima citizens took great pride in the balconies. Flowers overflowed from planters. Patio sets were made of cast iron or wicker. Each beautiful in their own right.
There was more color in the modern section of the city, but the deeper they approached downtown, the more uniform the buildings became. A light tan from the adobe finish.
Traffic slowed to a snarl as they approached the international district. Cars were being diverted around the embassy area. Obviously in response to the hostage situation.
“We’ll get out here,” Brandt said.
“I’ll find a way to get into position,” Lopez stated.
Rebecca didn’t doubt it.
Brandt opened the door and glanced over his shoulder at her. The question was clear. “Are you coming?”
Um, hell yes.
They emptied out of the car and stepped onto the curb. While the sidewalk was wider than most American sidewalks, there was actually very little room to actually walk. Most of the area was used as outdoor patios for the shops along the street. There was probably just a foot of pavement for pedestrians to use.
The rest was filled with racks of clothes or perfumes or outdoor seating for the cafes. Which made trying to go against the foot traffic a little difficult.
Ki, their new point man was doing a pretty good job of dodging the pedestrians and moving them forward.
Finally they came to an alley and Ki took a left. At the end of the alley was a blockade with armed guards. They were all in civilian clothes, so the guard stopped them.
“Lo siento, pero tienes que dar marcha atrás,” the guard said.
Basically “sorry, but you can’t go this way.”
Brandt pulled a badge out of his jacket. “Necesito ver a su comandante.”
Not that she should have been surprised, but the Spanish that flowed out of Brandt’s lips sounded as if he were a native. Not that Spanish was all that unusual, but it still impressed her how many languages the team as a whole could speak.
The guard gave a sharp nod and moved the saw horse barricade for them to pass.
Rebecca knew from experience, this was where it got interesting.
She glanced over her shoulder to find Davidson gone.
No worries. That’s what he got paid to do.
* * *
Davidson scanned the crowd from his perch. There hadn’t been a whole lot of options near the Lithuanian embassy. Most of the buildings in the embassy district had been constructed in deference to Lima and its architectural heritage. They were two story buildings with Spanish facades. Only the Chinese embassy was four stories and built with a more modern aesthetic.
And luckily with a flat roof with a small retaining wall. A sniper’s best friend.
The rest of the team filed down the street to a pretty typical field command center. In this case a beige canopy and six tables arranged in a U pattern. A bunch of tech equipment was spread out, although to Davidson’s eye it looked more Edison era than current day. Stark would be appalled.
Good thing the IT guy wasn’t here.
The Peruvians might be underwhelming in the tech department, but they had a strong physical presence. There had to be at the least a hundred soldiers in the surrounding few blocks. After the 2012 market riots, the Peruvian government took any violence in the capital very, very seriously.
The problem was that all of the soldiers were facing inward. In toward the embassy. Toward the obvious threat. No one was pointed outward. Davidson counted at least a dozen armed men in the crowd just outside the barricades. And those were just the men Davidson could make out. There were probably five or six other checkpoints that Davidson couldn’t see. So there were probably dozens upon dozens of enemies, within spitting distance.
All hundred soldiers would probably be mowed down within moments after those gunmen opened fire on the soldier’s backs.
“Brandt, we’ve got at least thirty armed gunmen in the crowd,” Davidson reported as their newly minted First Lieutenant strode up to the Peruvian commander.
* * *
“Copy that,” Brandt responded.
Why was he not surprised by Davidson’s news?
Rebecca glanced over a hint of worry covering her normally lovely features. She should know better. These missions were never what you thought they were going to be. Still the mother of his children…and the mother of his unborn baby… was in danger. He should have insisted that she stay with Lopez.
Okay, on second thought, maybe being by his side was the safer spot.
As Brandt approached the commanding officer, he noticed that all the Army men were carrying PKM automatic rifles. Russian. Interesting.
The guard escorted them past a ring of bodyguards and into the command “center” proper. Brandt had been to picnics with better equipment, but he wasn’t here to judge.
“Comandante de felicitación,” Brandt said, his hand extended to the dark man with the thin mustache.
“No need. I speak English,” the commander stated, shaking Brandt’s hand. “I understand the Lithuanians do not trust us to free their people and have called upon their American friends?”
Okay, great. The guy had an ax to grind with his country. This might not go so well.
“You will swoop in and take all the credit for any rescue?” the commander challenged.
Brandt was about to open his mouth when Ki stepped forward.
Despite the fact that the commander spoke English, Ki continued in Spanish. Very, very fluent Spanish.
“Sir, we wish only to help resolve this situation. We will wear Peruvian gear. Carry Peruvian arms. No one will know we were here. We only wish to resolve this situation peacefully and with the greatest honor bestowed upon the Peruvian nation.”
Brandt looked Ki up and down. It appeared that not only did they obtain a new point man, but a diplomat as well.
The commander rattled back in Spanish, “That is not the American way.”
Ki bowed his head. “It is our way, commander. Let us help.”
The 3rd Cycle of the Betrayed Series Collection: Extremely Controversial Historical Thrillers (Betrayed Series Boxed set) Page 29
