Bravura (Portentous Destiny Series Book 3)

by S. E. Rose

  As we head back to the apartment, my phone pings with a text message. I look down expecting to see Cody’s name, but instead, I see it’s my dad.

  Dad: Hey, sweetie. I heard you were in China. I hope you are having a good time.

  I stare at the message. This is the second time he’s sent me a fairly mundane text recently. If it were my mom, I’d not think twice. In fact, she’s sent me about a dozen texts since I arrived here, but my dad, well, it’s strange. I so desperately want him to be engaged in my world, but he’s been so far away for so long, I’ve given up hope, at least I think I have.

  I can’t bring myself to reply to it, mostly because of the childish fear he won’t respond. So, I close the screen on my phone and watch as Nanjing passes by my window.

  When Cody comes home that evening I excitedly tell him about my day exploring with Xu and that we are having dinner with Xu and his wife. Cody seems distant but assures me that he’s just had another long day of filling out more reports on the break-in which apparently happened in the unfinished part of the office as his finished office doesn’t seem to be missing anything. We order delivery, make love, and fall asleep early. Or at least Cody does. I’m left contemplating the break-in again. It’s late when my tired body wins out and I finally succumb to slumber.

  The next day I decide to have Xu take me shopping so I can cook an American-inspired dinner for his wife and him, although secretly I’m just ready for some American food. I decide on steaks, baked potatoes, and a salad. I find some good red wine and am happily cooking away when Cody arrives home.

  “Smells good,” he says as he leans over the counter and kisses me.

  I smile. “Xu and his wife are joining us in a little bit.”

  He nods. “I know. Xu mentioned this to me when he picked me up.”

  “Is it OK? I guess I didn’t really ask you, I’d only mentioned it, sorry.”

  He smiles and pulls me against him. “It’s fine, princess. Let me go change.” I nod and push the feeling that he’s stressed about something aside as I continue to cook.

  I go to find my phone and laptop in hopes of connecting music to the stereo system in the living room. I notice that my belongings have been rearranged in the library. Weird. Eventually, I find my tablet and plug it into the stereo.

  I’m finishing the meal when Cody walks back into the kitchen in a pair of dark jeans and a button-down shirt. He looks delectable. I smile at him as I hear the door buzzer.

  “I’ll get it,” he says as he gives me a quick kiss and heads to the foyer.

  Xu and his wife, Mei, are a lovely couple, and Cody finally seems to relax as I serve the second part of our meal. Xu tells funny stories of his time working in San Francisco and Mei gushes about her children and grandchildren. Mei teaches at a local university, and I ask if I can go visit. She says she’ll set it up for later this week. I guess my forest visit can wait till Monday.

  We chat some more over coffee and apple pie. Cody keeps his arm around me as we all sit on the comfortable sofas and discuss the differences in our cultures. It’s a fun night, and by 11:00 p.m., I’m exhausted. Cody and I see Xu and Mei out, and I place the last of the dishes in the sink as Cody comes up behind me.

  “Thanks, that was lovely,” he says.

  “You’re welcome. I just figured it was high time we had a nice American home-cooked meal, and I really like Xu, and Mei is so sweet. I’m glad we had them over,” I say as I place the dishes away. I hesitate for a second as I realize just how domesticated I sound. I also realize that this doesn’t freak me out as much as I think it should. It’s very unlike me. I push those thoughts down and turn toward Cody.

  “Let’s hit the sack, princess. I’m exhausted and you must be tired, too.”

  “I am,” I admit, and he takes my hand as we walk to our room. This time I do fall asleep, as the past few sleepless nights finally catch up with me.

  The next day Xu takes me to visit Mei. Mei has set up a weekend class for a few of her students who wanted extra discussion time on world history. I get to sit in on one of her classes and meet students. The students are hilarious and very excited to meet an American. I must take about a hundred selfies with them. Xu shows me where to meet him after I finish with Mei as he has to go pick up Cody for an afternoon meeting. Mei takes me to the student cafeteria, and we enjoy the company of several of the other professors and some students. Afterward, I walk around the campus a bit and start to head toward my meeting location with Xu. As I’m walking, I get the distinct feeling that someone is watching me. It’s odd. The feeling comes out of nowhere. I chalk it up to the fact that I haven’t really been alone here yet. I look around and don’t see anything odd. There’s a lot of people on the campus as it’s bustling with late-afternoon activity. I stop and stare, but then tell myself I’m being ridiculous. I haven’t had an anxiety attack since Philly, and I’m not going to have one now. I’m safe and no one knows where I’m at except my family and Cody.

  Xu meets me right where he said he would, and I climb in next to him. As he meanders through the city streets, I still can’t shake the feeling of being watched. I look around and see nothing odd. Eventually, I notice a black sedan a few cars back that seems to turn whenever we turn.

  “Xu?” I ask.

  “Yes, Miss Greene?”

  “Do we have a security detail with us?”

  Xu smiles. “I am your security detail, Miss Greene.”

  My mouth falls open. “What?”

  Xu smiles and laughs. “I know I am almost fifty years old, but I assure you that I am well trained in several martial arts, and I used to be in the military.”

  “But…I…geez, I’m an idiot,” I finally manage to say.

  Xu’s smile disappears. “No, Miss Greene. You are definitely not an idiot.”

  I pat Xu’s shoulder. “Thanks, Xu, but I certainly feel like one.”

  As we turn onto the side street where the apartment building is, the car continues on straight, and I breathe a sigh of relief. I’m overthinking things.

  “Xu, on Monday, I wanted to go to Laoshan National Forest Park. I kind of want to do some hiking on my own. You know, some me time.”

  Xu tilts his head and gives me a good once-over before shaking his head. “Miss Greene, I’m under strict instructions to not let you out of my sight.”

  I laugh. “Oh really?” I want to groan. Cody can’t possibly think that I would let him dictate what I can and cannot do. I decide to tread lightly.

  “Yes, miss.”

  “First of all, Xu, call me Zoe. And second, what if I agree to have you accompany me to a trail, and I get to walk the trail by myself and you meet me at the other end and pick me up?” I suggest. “We’ll keep it between you and me.”

  He considers this for a few moments and then smiles. “I suppose that can be arranged. I’ll bring you a packed lunch.”

  I kiss his cheek and get out of the car. “Thanks, Xu.” I wave as I walk inside the building.

  I find Cody already at home.

  “You’re home early,” I say as I toss my bag on the counter.

  He nods at me from his perch at the kitchen island. He’s busy typing away on his laptop. I lean in and kiss his cheek.

  “Sorry,” he says. “I need to send these reports before midnight.”

  “Oh, OK,” I reply. Something about his demeanor troubles me. I feel as though he’s keeping things from me. I sigh. “Cody?”

  He looks up at me. “Is everything OK?” I ask him.

  “Yes, there’s just a lot of things about the operations out here that seem really wrong,” he says, clearly troubled.

  “Sorry,” I say as I come around his back and massage his shoulders. I lay a kiss on his head. “I’ll leave you to it,” I say.

  I order us some food and join Cody at the island so he can work and eat. “I’m off to bed early. I’m going hiking tomorrow,” I say to him as I clean up dinner.

  “Oh?” he says, finally breaking his gaze at the scre
en. “What time will you be back?”

  “I should be back by six or seven,” I guess.

  “Good, let’s do dinner at seven,” he says with a smile and then opens his arms. I walk into them and I can hear him breathe me in as he kisses my head. “Goodnight, princess.”

  “Goodnight,” I whisper and give him a peck on the lips before heading to bed.

  The following day Xu picks me up for my forest adventure. We drive out of the city, and I watch the buildings become sparser and the forest becomes denser. When we reach the national forest, Xu gives me a tour near the visitor center. We eat lunch together under a big tree. It’s lovely and the air is fresh compared to the city.

  “You’ll be careful,” Xu commands as we approach the trail I’ve chosen to hike following our picnic.

  “Of course,” I reply and roll my eyes.

  “Zoe,” he chides. I turn and give him a smile.

  “Yes, I’ll be careful,” I say. “You know, I have been walking for a few years now.”

  Xu rolls his eyes, and I laugh out loud as it is so unexpected. He mutters something in Mandarin under his breath.

  “I’ll see you in a few hours,” he says and taps his watch. I nod as we approach the trail entrance.

  “Here’s the trail, Miss Zoe,” he says after lunch as he walks me toward a well-worn trail.

  There’s a park map at the trail entrance. Xu again shows me the six-mile loop and promises to pick me up here when I’m done. He hands me some provisions for my backpack, including a compass, an actual old-school compass. I laugh at that. I assure him I’ll keep my phone on, and I’ll meet him back here in a few hours.

  I turn and begin my hike, alone.

  Chapter 25

  Zoe’s Playlist: “Roar” by Katy Perry

  Present Day - Evening

  I’m sprinting through the forest. I don’t look back to hear what made the twigs snap. I don’t look back toward the cave that I just came from a few moments ago. I just run as fast as I can with a sprained ankle. The pain is searing but I press on, afraid to find out what might loom in the dark forest.

  I’m not sure how long I run before I begin to make out a faint light in the distance. I keep checking Xu’s compass. I hope that it’s correct, and I hope that I can thank Xu in person for lending it to me. The cell reception here is horrible, and I haven’t gotten more than a single bar, not enough to call out or text. As I sprint toward the light, I begin to see a small building. I slow down as I approach it. My injured ankle burns as I begin to hobble toward the building. I see the Laoshan symbol on the building, and I know I’ve made it to the ranger station.

  I knock on the door and a young Chinese man opens it.

  “Nĭ hăo,” the man says.

  “Nĭ hăo,” I answer. “English?” I ask.

  He shakes his head. I hold up my map of the forest and point to where I should be meeting Xu. The young man smiles and shakes his head. He points somewhere completely different. He smiles at me, and I hand him the card with Xu’s number on it and flip it over to reveal the address of our apartment in Chinese. He nods, picks up the satellite phone that’s sitting on an empty desk next to a book and walkie-talkie and calls someone.

  He then points to both of us and points out the window. I look out and see a small ATV-style vehicle. He points to the main entrance to the forest on the map, and I nod. He’s taking me to the entrance.

  He gives me a helmet and sets me behind him on the ATV and wraps my arms around his body. It feels awkward, but at this point, I just want to get home or to the apartment or anywhere but here. We drive for a while, maybe thirty or forty-five minutes, if I had to guess. The moon overhead is in a different spot than earlier. The wind whips through my hair, and I feel the cold breeze. I remain latched onto this young man for both safety and warmth.

  Eventually, the small path we’ve been driving on opens into a larger path and that larger path becomes some sort of gravel road, and finally, I see lights ahead. The lights grow brighter, and then I see the main entrance building. There’s a guard out front waiting for us.

  “Miss Greene?” he asks.

  “Yes,” I say, relief palpable in my voice.

  “There car for you,” he says in bad English, and he leads me to the gate. I turn to the young man on the ATV and nod and put my hand out; he hesitates and then shakes it. He offers me a small grin, and I smile back at him.

  “Xièxiè,” I say, thanking him is one of the few things I know how to say in Chinese.

  He says something, which I can only assume is “you’re welcome or goodbye,” and then he turns his ATV around and heads back to his post. The other guard ushers me toward a waiting car. I get in and realize it is not Xu or his car.

  “Where’s Xu?” I ask the driver.

  “Xu is not here. I will take you,” says the driver. I nod and go to charge my phone only to see both my charger and my phone are about to die. I see texts come through and have just enough time to read the first one from Jack. I see about twenty missed calls and ten texts from Cody. Shit!

  Jack: Be careful. Mohammed is not dead. He knows where you are. He’s looking for the data on that drive. Call me.

  I go to type back, and my phone goes dead. Double shit!

  We drive into Nanjing through a part of the city I haven’t been to yet. It looks industrial, and I begin to worry the driver is lost.

  “Sir, I think my apartment is on the other side of town,” I say.

  He nods. And I begin to think that tonight may be a very long night if he gets us lost. We come to a stop outside a nondescript-looking office building surrounded by warehouses. It’s close to the river, and I can see containers from a ship lined up in a large loading dock area further down the lane. There are a few security lights, but otherwise, the buildings appear to be unoccupied at this late hour.

  The driver gets out of the car and walks around to open my door. I’m frankly getting nervous at this point. I shove a bunch of stuff from my bag into my pockets before he gets to the door, in case I need to run. I have a bad feeling, and I also have a feeling that those mysterious puzzle pieces that I’ve been trying to put together in my head every night are about to be rammed together.

  “He’s waiting inside, miss,” the man says.

  “Cody?” I ask. I don’t budge as I look at him. He only nods and escorts me inside the building. There’s a security guard standing by a loading elevator. He nods to me and opens the elevator. My driver leaves and now I’m in an elevator with a giant man who isn’t saying a word to me. Why would Cody bring me here? None of this makes sense and my gut is telling me to run but to where?

  We exit on the fourth floor, and he leads me down a plain white hallway which is poorly lit by fluorescent bulbs, several of which are flashing in the telltale way they do right before they go out. We pass several metal doors with no windows. There are numbers above them, but otherwise, there is nothing to denote one door from another. At the end of the hall, the giant man opens a door with the number four-twenty-two above it.

  I don’t expect what is on the other side of the door. The floors are a dark wood. There is a Persian rug in the middle of the room, with a giant mahogany desk on it. Two matching chairs upholstered in leather sit in front of it, but my eyes are drawn to the man sitting behind the desk, a man I’ve only seen in photos, a man I just learned is very much alive.

  “Miss Greene, thank you for joining me at this late hour,” he says and motions to the chairs in front of his desk. I’m momentarily stunned and remain still until the large man behind me nudges me in the back. My body involuntarily starts walking toward the closest chair, and I sit.

  “How rude of me, I don’t believe we are acquainted,” he says and gets up from his chair to walk around the desk. He offers me his hand. I hesitate in accepting it. “Tsk, tsk, Miss Greene, where are your manners? I am Mohammed Salib. I believe we have several mutual acquaintances.”

  “What do you want from me?” I ask, pretending I have no idea.


  “Oh, Miss Greene,” he says, leaning back against his desk. “This playing innocent is not becoming of you.” He pauses and taps his fingers on the desk. “I think you know what I am looking for, don’t you?”

  I swallow. “I thought you were dead,” I manage to whisper.

  “Ah, yes. My plane did have an extremely unfortunate incident with one of my half brothers on board. I was lucky enough to have had a last-minute change of plans that day.”

  “So, what can I do for you?” I ask again, my adrenaline giving me newfound courage.

  “Miss Greene, I believe you or perhaps your boyfriend have some files that belong to me. I will be needing those back.”

  “I don’t have your files, Mr. Salib,” I answer curtly. “Now if you don’t mind. It’s late, and I am tired, and I would like to go home.”

  “You are a long way from home, Miss Greene,” Mohammed says.

  “Well, I’m sure you’re aware that I have a place here.”

  “I am,” he answers.

  I stand, and he stands. “Sit down, Miss Greene. We aren’t done discussing my issue yet.”

  “Your issue?”

  “Yes, my issue. You see, I’m fairly certain you have now opened my files and know what’s inside. This is extremely unfortunate. I blame my brother mostly, for not having fixed the issue to begin with. You see in the chaos created by your cousin back in Colombia, I’m afraid a very important file was inadvertently placed on the wrong drive. However, only a few individuals would know what to make of them. Now, I’m not quite sure how much you and Cody know. So, I think you’ll stay with me for a bit to give him some encouragement to stay quiet until certain transactions are done.”