by Linzi Basset
“Is my playlist set up, Nurse Alice?” he asked as he scrutinized the X-rays. He’d explained that the music set the mood and helped him focus.
“Ready to rock and roll, Doc Brodie.”
“Good. We’re doing an awake craniotomy, ladies and gents,” Ethan explained to the students watching. His voice sounded over the microphone, deep and clear. The procedure was undertaken while the patient was primarily asleep, but at times aware, to extract a tumor from the brain. It was a delicate operation which required concentration and a steady hand.
The nurses readied the sterile space with the strains of a piano sonata mingling with the clink of surgical instruments. Soon, the sonata gave way to a George Gershwin tune, followed by Brazilian jazz and early Leonard Cohen, while Ethan waited for the patient to go under for the first part of the procedure.
Then the whir of a surgical saw slicing into the patient’s skull momentarily drowned out the music streaming from Ethan’s nearby iPhone and Bluetooth speaker.
Paige was so entranced watching Ethan that she started when Gloria, her PA, touched her shoulder.
“I’m sorry to interrupt, Paige but your mother is on the line. She says it’s very urgent and she has to speak with you.”
Paige suppressed a sigh. She’d been expecting her mother to phone at some point. With a final glance at Ethan, she quietly strode toward her office.
“Mom, how are you?”
“Have you found out anything about your brother, Paige? I thought you were going to phone me?” Susan Scott immediately raged in her ear.
“Because I’ve only just managed to find more information about his whereabouts.”
“What do you mean? Haven’t you spoken to him?”
Paige took a deep, calming breath. It was so like her mother. Her concern for her youngest child prompted her to not even bother to ask how Paige was doing.
“He’s on a six-month excursion in the Arctic, Mom,” Paige said shortly, having decided to stick to the story that Alex White had used on her. “There’s no cell phone reception there but his boss assured me that he checks in with him via radio every day and he’s fine. You can stop worrying.”
“Oh, thank heavens. I was going out of my mind with concern.”
Paige heard her convey the information to her father in the background. Her heart skipped a beat when she heard his deep voice grumble faintly.
“Your father says thank you for the trouble,” Susan said. Paige’s fingers clenched tighter around her phone when he rumbled something again. “And he says hello,” Susan’s voice cracked.
Paige’s throat closed up. It was the first time in thirteen years that her father had reached out to her, however briefly.
“Say hi to him from me too.”
“We miss you, my darling,” Susan responded in a teary voice.
“Not as much as I miss you.”
“You must come visit us, Paige. You’ve not been back once in years.”
“I will, Mom,” she promised in a thick voice.
“Soon?”
“Yes. Soon.”
Paige felt guilty for lying to her mother about Sean’s whereabouts. It was the first time she and her mother could talk without fearing her father walking in.
“No, it’s not for me to feel guilty. It’s up to Sean to tell them the truth about his career. Or, as much as he’s prepared to disclose to them,” she muttered under her breath.
“The staff head is waiting for you in the boardroom, Paige,” Gloria reminded her from the doorway.
“I’m on my way.” Paige found the folder she was searching for on her desk. Armed with her iPad and folder, she quickly made her way to the boardroom, her mind already on the upcoming discussion.
* * * * * * * *
Ethan ran his hand over the back of his neck, trying to ease the twinge that had developed over the five-hour operation. It had taken longer than anticipated but it had been successful eventually. It was already after six in the evening and he was looking forward to a long soak in the hot tub on the patio of his house.
“We were just about to leave,” Keon said as Ethan walked into his office, drawing his tired glance to the four men lounging in varying degrees of discomfort on the sofa and chairs in the informal meeting area.
“Yeah, it was a difficult procedure. What’s up?” Ethan asked somberly. He leaned against his desk.
Rhone, Keon, and Lance glanced at Alex, who was clearly the spokesperson for the meeting.
“How much do you know about Paige Scott, Ethan? Apart from the fact that she was a model during her younger years,” Alex began. He leaned forward with his elbows on his knees.
Ethan frowned. “What the fuck is this about? Spit it out, Alex, don’t take a goddamned detour all the way to Timbuktu.”
Alex glanced at Rhone. He sighed and sat back in the chair.
“Very well. Have you ever wondered what made her give up modeling at the height of her career? She was thriving as one of the most sought-after supermodels ever. She had offers from all over the globe and yet, she turned them all down.”
Ethan frowned. “During her interview she’d indicated that her career was slowing down and she felt she needed to diversify and find something challenging to do with the rest of her life. She learnt a lot about management while organizing modeling projects.” He shrugged. “Why is that so strange? Very few women stay on in the modeling business.”
“True, but to say no to such an opportunity?” Alex fiddled with his tie.
“Spit it out, Alex. You have something more,” Ethan straightened and folded his arms over his chest. “I haven’t known Paige long enough to have formed an opinion one way or the other, so stop pussyfooting around me.”
“Very well. When she walked away from modeling, Paige Scott was involved with Borak Saud. He had been funding one of the up and coming fashion lines at the time. They were together for two years, up until the day he left with his cousin, Prince Khalid Saud, and his new family.”
Ethan’s expression was impenetrable while fury threatened to explode inside him.
“Are you saying she was involved in Jaxon’s kidnapping? That she helped them take my son from me?”
Alex shrugged. “We don’t know, Ethan, but we do know that Borak paid a substantial amount of money into her bank account the day he left. According to resources, she wasn’t heartbroken over him leaving.”
Ethan didn’t move. He stared vacantly at Alex who returned his stare enigmatically. Ethan was an excellent judge of character. So much so, that all of them depended on his opinion of people.
“Something doesn’t add up. The Paige I’ve come to know wouldn’t be involved with someone like Borak. He’s as cruel as the prince and a sadist on top of that.”
“Maybe she didn’t know that when they met,” Lance speculated. “Sadists can hide their true nature from others until they have won their trust.”
“There’s something else you’re not telling me, Alex,” Ethan observed.
“Fuck, you’re good,” Alex muttered. “Do you remember meeting Paige at a fundraising fashion show that you attended with Delia in Los Angeles eight years ago?”
“Yes, but we hardly spoke to her. It was a very brief . . . wait a minute. Delia had insisted we attend the fashion show. She’d known the royal family would be there,” Ethan made the connection.
“Delia had already met Khalid months before at another fashion show, Ethan. What I’m alluding is that in the year following that meeting, Borak and Paige had various get-togethers with Khalid and Delia. She must have known they were going to take your son away from you,” Alex concluded.
Rhone got up and walked toward Ethan. “Think about it. Why would Paige leave a well-paid job at the Mayfair Medical Group with huge opportunities for career growth, to come and work for you in a private clinic, for lesser money?”
“Are you saying she’d been planted under my nose to report my movements back to Khalid?”
“It coincides very convenient
ly with you surviving his torture, Ethan. She arrived in Washington a month after you returned,” Keon interjected.
“And Borak Saud has been depositing money into her account on the first of March—one million dollars—every year for the past seven years,” Alex continued.
The room went quiet as Ethan tried to make sense of everything he’d just heard. It didn’t paint Paige in a good light and yet, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t connect the woman he’d come to know over the past few days, to a conniving con-artist. He shook his head.
“Something is off, Alex. Everything you’re saying sounds legit but I’m not convinced that Paige is involved. No, I’ll get behind the truth one way or the other. I’m not going to be the judge and the jury and find her guilty without giving her an opportunity to at least tell me her side of the story. Which, you know very well, I will corroborate for the truth.”
“That’s all I wanted, Ethan. I didn’t want you to find out something later and blame me for not telling you what I knew,” Alex conceded.
“Very well. Now, what about Paige’s brother. Do we know when we’re moving?” Ethan asked curtly.
Alex briefly told them about the report he’d received from Sean in regard to the young girls being kept in captivity.
“We need to get those girls back home,” Alex concluded.
Ethan began to pace. “Are you saying that we should postpone getting Jaxon out? I'm sorry, Alex, but knowing that Khalid is involved in human trafficking, I’m not prepared to wait any longer.”
Alex sipped on the latte that Ethan’s PA had served them while they had been waiting on him.
“No, Ethan. What I’m saying is that I need you to bring those girls back at the same time.”
“That’s easier said than done, Alex and you know it,” Rhone said. A frown drew his eyebrows together. “We can get in under the radar and have Jaxon in the US before anyone realizes he’s gone, but an entire group extraction is a completely different cup of tea.”
“Yeah, we could be captured and heaven forbid, the operation could fail, which could put Jaxon’s life in danger and those women will disappear for good,” Ethan said in a sharp tone.
“From what I understand, the girls are kept in an underground prison in a remote compound, far into the desert. There’s no one around apart from a couple of guards. With Rhone’s chopper you should be able to get in undetected.” Alex hesitated. "But there’s a problem.”
“Spit it out, Alex,” Ethan said irritably.
“We have no idea how many girls there are. Sean mentioned that there were multiple hallways of cells. It might mean a couple of trips to get them all out.”
“Which is exactly what would get us caught. No, Alex. I’m going to get my son and bring him back. Then we can go to fetch the girls.”
“They’re being sold off day by day, Ethan and once they leave that compound, there’s no way to find them,” Alex said urgently. “Look, there’s no reason why we can’t do both. As soon as Sean confirms the day of their departure, we’ll coordinate our trip for the same day. If we arrive at the time the prince leaves for the airport, we have a window of at least five hours to clear them out.”
“Why is that?” Rhone asked.
“Because Prince Khalid demands that his entire entourage of guards accompanies him to and from the airport. It will mean that there will be the minimum amount of guards at the palace and because the compound is so remote, there are only two or three guards at any point in time. I’ll authorize five army stealth choppers to transport the girls while Ethan gets Jaxon,” explained Alex patiently.
“Parnell Oliver and Seth Harris have offered to assist us with the extraction. They have their own stealth choppers and they’ve worked with us on similar covert ops. They would be perfect to lead the extraction team to get the women out,” Rhone said.
Everyone became pensive as they considered Alex’s suggestion. Ethan was the first to speak. “It sounds viable but if we get our timing wrong, we’re screwed.”
“We won't,” Rhone assured him.
“Very well. As far as I know, the first leg is in Kentucky and that race is in twelve days. The horses should be here already to clear quarantine in time. If Sean knows horses, he’ll demand to start training them at least a week before the race, which means he might not leave at the same time as Khalid. How will we know his schedule then?”
“Khalid already told Sean they’ll leave together. He has other business to attend to as well. We’re hoping to catch him red-handed in the US. The quicker we expose the human trafficking ring, the better.”
“That means we have less than four days to get our planning airtight. Do you have satellite visuals of the compound, Alex?” Rhone queried.
“I’ll give you access to everything we’ve got. Thanks, Ethan, I know how important this operation is to you.”
Ethan didn’t respond. His mind was with Paige and the discussion they would have when he got home.
* * * * * * * *
The Royal Palace, City of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
“Where have you been?” Khalid barked as his beady eyes stared at Sean. He could see the distrust in their depths. He knew he had to tread carefully. Khalid was crafty and cleverer than he led on.
“I took one of the younger stallions for exercise to the dunes, Prince. You did tell me to continue training the other horses while we prepare for our trip. Since the race horses are gone, I’ve become a little bored. White Thunder has potential to become one of your leading race horses, provided we keep training him now,” Sean said without allowing the annoyed prince the opportunity to interrupt.
The news that he had another money generator on his hands soothed his suspicions. “That is good news but in future, you don’t leave the palace grounds without guards.”
“I can take care of myself, Prince Khalid. You have no need to be concerned.”
“Oh, but I am, Mr. Brown. You are the key to me winning the Triple Crown this year. I can’t afford something happening to you now. You need to be there to ensure the horses are ready for the race.”
“Never fear, Prince Khalid, I’ve worked hard to get the horses in top form and the short quarantine period won’t affect them. I trained them extra hard the week before they left to ensure they will retain their strength. A day or two and they’ll be back on track.”
Sean blew up his chest in a pretend show of pride in his achievements. The blatant gesture soothed the prince’s ruffled feathers.
“Even so, I believe we’ll leave earlier than intended. Get ready, Mr. Brown. We’re leaving in two days. The more time you have to work with the horses, the better my chances of winning.”
Sean grinded on his teeth at the sudden change in plans but didn’t show any reaction. “Of course. I’ll be ready. Just tell me what time we’re leaving.”
“I’ve decided that we’ll use my private plane, so be ready early morning.”
“I thought you said the US banned any private aircrafts from Islamic countries?”
“It’s none of your concern, Mr. Brown but you should know that I’m royalty and our oil speaks where laws fail. Everything has been arranged. Be ready to leave.”
Sean nodded, a little uneasy about the sudden shift. He had to get away from the palace to contact Alex White and warn him about their early departure. He never took a chance by making outside contact from inside the palace, in case his room was bugged. He trusted the prince as much as the prince trusted him.
Chapter Eleven
“What is this? I thought it was shepherd's pie but it’s not,” Ethan asked as he took another bite of the delicious dish.
“It’s what we call Bobotie in South Africa. Spiced mincemeat with subtle flavors of curry. I like to blend a variety of spices for some added flavor and serve it with boereboontjies—mashed potatoes with fried onions and green beans,” Paige explained with a pleased smile when he smacked his lips.
“Very tasty. It might become one of my favorite dishes,” he sa
id as he took another bite.
“You seem distracted. Was the operation a success?”
Ethan glanced at her. “I saw you when you entered the observation room. Didn’t you stay?”
“I was called away for a phone call and then had a meeting.” Paige took a sip of her wine. She stared at him with trepidation. She’d come to know his moods relatively well over the past three years she’d worked at the clinic. Something was bothering him and it wasn’t about work. The pointed looks he kept slanting her way made her believe he was struggling with anger. Her stomach clenched fearfully.
“It’s the trip to Saudi Arabia, isn’t it?” She continued to probe. “Have they heard from Sean again?”
Ethan finished the last of his meal and sipped his wine. He pushed back his chair and stretched out his legs.
“The governor wants us to extract sex slaves kept in captivity in Riyadh. It’s the reason your brother is there—to find them and uncover the link between a US crime syndicate and Prince . . . Saud.” Ethan deliberately hesitated on the name. He watched her closely and didn’t miss the flare in her eyes and the tension in her body.
Paige avoided looking into his eyes and kept her gaze locked on his chest instead. “And did he? Find out where they are?” Her voice sounded pitchy and strained.
“Why do you ask, Paige?” Ethan’s voice had a steely undercurrent that sounded ominous.
“I thought the reason for going there was to get Jaxon out. Why jeopardize that with divided focus? Wouldn’t that endanger all of you? What if you were caught?”
“No one would know we’re there,” Ethan said. His voice turned rough.
“How exactly do you intend getting into the country, Ethan? Of course, they’ll know you’re there,” she said passionately. Concern for his safety was the only thing that mattered.
“Why all the questions, Paige?” Ethan found it hard to keep the anger at bay. Had he been wrong in his assessment of her?
“I don’t want you to get hurt—any of you, for that matter. It’s dangerous, Ethan. Why can’t the FBI or the Special Forces deal with it? Why you?”
