“Come on,” and led her into the bathroom. “If they have this room under surveillance, they’re sicker than I thought.”
He closed the door behind them, dropped the lid on the commode and taking Kenann’s shoulders, sat her down on top of the lid. He got down on one knee in front of her.
“This is the best I can do under the circumstances, but Kenann will you be my love and my life until death do us part?”
Tears immediately swamped Kenann’s eyes. “I cannot believe you love me.”
“Believe it. So, will you or not?”
“I am. I will.” There was a moment when they both looked at each other and absorbed the enormity of what had just happened. They were pledged to be married. It was so fast and under crazy circumstances, but it was right. And they knew it. Kenann stood and pulled Danny Mac up with her. He wrapped her in his arms. She wriggled her arms free, so she could encircle his neck and standing on tip toe with her fingers entwined in his hair, she pulled him in for a kiss. She thought she was prepared for the jolt of electricity and desire. But it was nothing compared to the reality. She was beginning to understand why God said the two shall become one flesh. If she could have taken him into herself, into her very core, she would have gladly done it. His strength didn’t scare her. She reveled in the force of his hands as they pressed her to him and deepened the kiss even further. She could feel the effort it required for him to reign in his desire, and to gentle his love making until he brought his hands up to frame her face.
“Without knowing it, Katerina has created a new torture for me.” Danny Mac sighed.
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah. You’re mine but not mine. It may be a blessing we are on video camera out there, or else my good intentions might get swamped by other more pressing intentions.”
“Well, there’s always the bathroom.” She laughed.
“Don’t tempt me,” and reached to open the door.
* * *
Judy turned more than a few heads when her long legs stepped out of the limo in front of the Cecil Hotel. She kept repeating her secret mantra, ‘this is for Kenann, this is for Kenann’ as she walked into the lobby of the Hotel and secured a room. She then made her way there to catch her breath and devise her own personal recon strategy. They had all been given the same general task. Mingle, listen, remember anything and everything, whether significant or not, and report back to command central in order to plan their next move. Judy had been provided with several beautiful outfits and laid out a dress for that night.
Jake and Moira also arrived at their respective hotel without incident. Moira was glad to see the two large beds in the bedroom of the suite. Sharing Jake’s bed would have been a bit awkward even at her age. Mrs. Gage and Blade were trying to learn what was being said on the streets- anything out of the ordinary going on in Alexandria which may have precipitated Danny Mac being brought to this place in particular. Mrs. Gage could not speak Arabic well enough to be convincing as a native, but she was passable on a receptive level. She made sure she stayed primarily in areas of the city around men because she knew they would never approach or speak to her dressed in her traditional robes, but if she ventured into the company of other Arabic women, she was sure to be spoken to and discovered. Blade was instructed to stay within visual sight of Mrs. Gage. Their first location was near the American Embassy. They were hoping to get a glimpse of Andy and follow him to his command post if possible. All were in place and now began the tedious task of waiting and watching.
Judy started out by going to the bar in the hotel. She was still trying to find her way with her character and had practiced an accent in front of the mirror. She finally came on the one she felt would be convincing as Eastern European and hoped Mrs. Gage’s genuine accent had rubbed off on her. She chose Prague if anyone asked her where she was from and hoped she didn’t run into some expert on the area who wanted to chat about familiar sights. One thing at a time.
She chose a corner booth in order to have the best view of the bar’s entrance and the lobby beyond and sat down to wait. She felt silly because she did not know what she was waiting for. Mrs. Gage had warned them how tedious this could become, and to not get discouraged. She concentrated on memorizing every face in the room and their language or accents as best she could guess. She lost track of time sitting there but felt it had been sufficient to one setting. She got up, paid her bill and walked out onto the street. She stuck her finger in her mouth and held it out to see which way the wind was blowing and followed that course. It beat flipping a coin. She ended up at a relatively quiet spot on a corner halfway between the Cecil and the Metropole, where Jack and Moira were staying. She went in and sat down at the only available place at the bar and ordered a glass of Chardonnay. She turned to scan the room and looked into the face of Andy O’Hanlon.
She froze while he stared at her and was about to speak when he beat her to it.
“Pardon me for staring, Mademoiselle, but your eyes remind me of someone I met recently, and it startled me.”
Judy took a deep breath and steadied herself. Show time, she thought.
“It is no problem. This woman, she is a friend?”
“How did you know it was a woman?”
Judy waved her hand. “Is it not always a woman?”
“Yeah ain’t that the truth.” and he grinned at her.
Judy felt like a rat to use the situation for selfish purposes, but there you have it.
“This girl. Do you like her?”
“Oh yeah, I can’t get her out of my mind.”
Judy felt herself grinning back at him.
“Pretty pathetic, huh?”
“Actually, it is very sweet.” and meant it. “Why are you not together?”
“I had to leave town in a hurry and she was pretty steamed at me when I left.”
“What do you do?”
“I’m in communications.” He did not elaborate, and she did not pursue. She was more interested in hearing how he felt about her.
“Will you go back to her and try to work this out?”
“I have no idea where this job will take me or for how long. That’s the other problem. She’s settled in one location and I’m always on the road.”
“People find a way to make that work all the time. If you truly have strong feelings for this woman, you should not let her get away without a fight.”
“Do you really think so?”
“Of course. People say all the time that life is too short, but it is true. We do not know what lies before any of us and we should not waste time by being timid. We should grab life.” Judy realized how passionately she truly felt these words. She had wasted her last minute of life feeling afraid or unworthy.
“You know, I think you are right. I’m going to call her and see if we can start building something while I’m on this,” he hesitated briefly, “job. All she can do is take my heart out, slice it up into little pieces and toss it aside, right?”
“Right.” and smiled with him.
“Hey, thank you. Seriously, thanks very much. You have been a good listener. Can I buy you a drink?”
“Why not. I can continue to help you with your lady friend could I not?”
Judy had a brain storm. “May I make a suggestion?”
“Shoot.”
“Excuse me?” Judy pretended to be ignorant of the meaning.
Andy laughed. “Go ahead and tell me your idea.”
“Do not call her or try to reach her by phone.” She won’t be there anyway, she thought. “Instead, send her an email. No woman can resist a love letter, even an electronic one.”
“You may have something there. That way I can’t go on and on and make a love-sick idiot of myself. I can polish it all I want before I hit send.”
“Precisely.”
“I just realized I don’t have her email.”
“I’m sure someone in communications would find this - a minor detail.”
“Oh, right. Man, it’s like my mind
goes right out the window when I think of her. You are very kind to help me this way.”
“Let us just say it makes me feel as good as it does you.”
* * *
Jake and Moira were in the process of checking out the Casino and Bars downstairs, when Moira spotted Kenann. She would have run to her if Jake had not put a gentle but restraining hand on her arm. Moira concentrated on breathing while Jake observed and mentally recorded what he saw. She was with Danny Mac but not with him. It appeared they had paired off to make two couples. The gentleman with Kenann was tall with black silvered tipped hair at the temples. He had a lithe athletic body for a man who was at least 50 and was giving Kenann his undivided attention. Danny Mac was watching him with intense scrutiny. Jake had seen that look on Danny Mac before. The boy was poised to attack at a second’s provocation. So, obviously no matter how amiable the foursome looked, this man was a threat to them on some level.
He noticed the lady standing by Danny Mac with her back turned to them. He was not immune to her curves and undisguised sexuality. It was not until she turned that he stopped breathing. That explained a lot of things. No matter how discreet his men were, he always knew when they had taken a lover. Danny Mac never mentioned his affair with Katerina, but Jake had known. They had worked well together in a way only people who have been extremely intimate could. He wondered what she had been into since waving good-bye to them at the airport in Kuwait City.
Jake said, “Wait here, Moira, I’m going to check in with Gabrielle. Don’t let Kenann see you in case she reacts before she thinks.” Moira nodded and continued to watch her baby smiling and acting as if she was on holiday instead of a victim of kidnapping. Something strange indeed was happening here.
* * *
Before their drinks were finished, Andy’s cell phone rang. He excused himself and turned away to answer it. Judy heard him say, “When? Where are they headed? Well, get on it and keep me posted. You’ve got the GPS, use it! If you lose them, you will be cleaning latrines by nightfall, am I understood?” Andy was visibly making an effort to control his agitation. Judy knew it had to do with Danny Mac and Kenann but had to feign casual interest.
“Problems?”
“Huh? Oh yeah. I’m at risk of losing a couple of my clients. I’ve gotta go, but thanks for everything, really. Hey, my name is Andy. What’s yours?”
“Inge. Good luck with your lady friend and with your runaway clients.” Andy paid for both of their tabs and smiling down at her a final time, left the bar. She waited until he had cleared the door before bolting off the barstool. She slowed her pace when she stepped out onto the street and looking both ways spotted Andy half running up the street. He jogged up the steps to the same hotel where she was staying.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
“We’ve had a profitable day. Let’s review what we know so far?”
They were congregated back at the villa in the main parlor. Mrs. Gage had a flip chart to record their information.
“We know that they are staying in the Metropole Hotel and Andy is set up at the Cecil. We obviously made wise choices in our locations. Andy is using the GPS device he had put on Danny Mac back in Memphis, so it has obviously not been discovered. Andy is probably at the Cecil because, as Jake discovered, our nemesis is known to him. And he to her. We know that for some reason both Danny Mac and Kenann are playing the role of willing visitors or guests and probably for the benefit of the gentleman with Kenann. We need to find out who and what he is. Jacob informs us that this Katerina Troika worked with them in Kuwait and we can only assume she and Angelo are in league together. For how long and to what extent, we do not know. We also know that according to their appearance and lack of accoutrement, the four of them were out for a holiday and not changing locations. We will maintain our original set up with the exception that Blade and I will be monitoring the Metropole in order to follow if Danny Mac and Kenann leave again. Between us - a little boy and an old woman- we should be able to get in about anywhere. Judy you are to stick to Andy as closely as possible. My commendations, by the way, on how you handled the situation earlier today.”
Mrs. Gage winked at Judy. She had set Judy up at her office computer, so she could monitor her emails. Andy had wasted no time in tracking down her address. The letter he had written had been fraught with nerves, which made it all the more endearing to her. Her reply was as encouraging as she dared be without giving herself away. Judy smiled back at Mrs. Gage, obviously pleased with her discretion.
“Gabrielle,” Jake interjected, “Can we try to make contact with the kids?’
“Yes, I have considered this, and I need everyone’s feedback. What do you think?”
Moira spoke first. “It might give them great encouragement to know we are near.”
Jake responded, “Or it may distract Danny Mac because then he will feel responsible to keep everyone safe.”
“But Darling, don’t you think he will leave that to your capable hands once he knows you are with us.”
Jake smiled proudly down on Mrs. Gage. “Yes, I suppose that is right.” He was warm inside at hearing her call him darling.
Judy spoke up, “Why don’t we keep with what you told us at the beginning Mrs. G?” Mrs. Gage smiled at her new moniker. “We can all be responsible to use our judgment at the time. Let’s not force the issue but when the time is right, and we need to declare ourselves, we can. Agreed?”
All were in agreement. Blade was considered an equal member of the team with full voting privileges and gave his assent as well.
“Let’s all have a spot of dinner and then we can return to our respective posts.”
“Gabrielle, I’ll not have you and Blade sitting out on the streets at night.”
“Oh, you dear man, I have no intention of doing that. We will observe from the comfort of a luxuriously appointed car and pursue in same, until such time we are required to follow on foot. Is that better?”
“Yes.” He looked a little sheepish for trying to strong arm her. They all relaxed and enjoyed easy banter at dinner. A sense of relief had descended on them after making visual contact with Danny Mac and Kenann.
Mrs. Gage coordinated their return to their respective hotels and they settled in for the night. Except Jake, who positioned himself in the Casino, in an effort to catch another glimpse of Danny Mac or Kenann if possible. He felt his body tense when they walked through the lobby. They continued to look the part of four friendly tourists coming in from an afternoon of sight-seeing, but Jake observed that Kenann looked strained. Danny Mac obviously noticed it too because his gaze never left her as they walked through the lobby.
The gentleman with them was the only person who appeared none the worse for the day’s activities. Even Katerina looked tense. Danny Mac appeared to take charge before anyone else could initiate their agenda. Jake overheard him.
“Thanks for our great tour, Pierre, and the offer of a nightcap but I think we’ll head up to our room.”
“Do you wish to take a break from your big brother’s watchful eye, Mon Ami?” The man asked Kenann.
“Not tonight. Actually, I am very tired. We had a busy day and I’m still not used to the heat here. But thank you.”
“We must all meet in the morning then and bring your swimming clothes. I know a private beach we can use for the day. Shall we say 9 o’clock?”
Katerina jumped in before Danny Mac had a chance to refuse. “That sounds lovely, doesn’t it darling?” and turned to Danny Mac.
“All the more reason to turn in. We’ll meet you here in the lobby at 9 then. Good night,” and taking Kenann’s arm, led her toward the elevator. Katerina hurriedly said her good byes to Pierre and jumped in the elevator before the door closed.
“What are you two up to?”
“Katerina we are tired, and we have had quite enough of playing the happy tourists for one day.”
“You will play whatever role I want you to play. And you will come to my suite, so we can discuss our strategy.”<
br />
Danny Mac knew he could bully his way out of her demands but did not have the energy for the battle. He turned to Kenann.
“Will you be alright for a while?”
“Sure. I’ll probably be asleep when you come in.”
“If anything happens, scream bloody murder. I can be there in a matter of seconds.”
She smiled at him reassuringly. “I’ll be fine.”
Katerina sent her a smug smile as she locked her in the room to take Danny Mac back to her suite. She had plans for him and wasted no time in trying to seduce him. But no matter how subtle or blatant her behavior, she elicited no response from Danny.
He outlined his plan as he saw it in its early stages and remained completely focused on that, despite her wandering hands. These he calmly removed from his person at each overture from her. His plan was very simple, and he relayed it to her in a matter of fact manner. Since they were constantly followed as they toured the city and surrounding sites, Danny Mac planned to stage a car bombing on a rural road. The bomb would be strategically placed to take out the driver since he was in Pierre’s employ. By the time his bodyguards made it from the second car, Pierre would be killed swiftly. His death would appear to be the result of the bomb blast. The rest of them would be equipped with articles to fake their own injuries thus sealing everyone’s alibi. Of course, Danny Mac had no real intention of finalizing these plans, but he needed something in order to pacify Katerina and buy all of them some time.
Katerina stopped her assault long enough to ask how he planned to bomb their car without killing all of them. He explained that the bomb would be more ‘smoke and mirrors’ than real explosives and the driver could be quickly dispatched if it did not take him out. He could detonate it by remote control when they were stopped to avoid danger to them. Pierre would meet his end due to blunt force trauma strategically executed for a swift demise. Danny Mac had already worked out most of the details in his mind but indicated otherwise in order to make his escape for the night.
Once, a Long Time Ago Page 13
