by Andrea Kane
Aidan’s eyes narrowed. “Tell me exactly what you heard.”
Emma did just that.
“Damn,” Aidan muttered. “I wish I knew who the other guy was.”
“Check the new photos on your phone. They might answer that question.”
Without a word, Aidan opened his photos and checked out the zoomed-in shots Emma had taken. Given that Simone had provided him with full bios, photos, and background data on all the key players, he instantly recognized Ethan Gallagher.
He raised his gaze to meet Emma’s. “You’re a real asset, Artful Dodger. Casey is lucky to have you.”
“Promise to tell her that?” Emma asked with a smile.
“You couldn’t stop me.”
Four Seasons Hotel, Palo Alto
28 February
Wednesday, 10:15 p.m. local time
Aidan let himself into Simone’s hotel room after putting Emma back on the plane to Disneyland and calling their usual pricy but lightning-fast courier service. This package had to go out tonight.
He could hear the shower water running and Simone singing a lovely song in French as he walked in. As much as he would have loved to join her, he had urgent work to take care of first.
He locked the hotel room door and headed straight for the desk, whipping out his cell phone as he did.
“Yes?” Terri answered his call.
“I’ve got what we need off David Cheng’s phone,” Aidan said without preamble. “The courier service is on its way. You’ll have the copied phone first thing tomorrow morning.”
“I’ll begin the analysis as soon as it arrives.”
“I also need you to find out whatever you can on Ethan Gallagher.”
“Pennington’s assistant?”
“Yup. He was talking Nano business at the bar with Cheng. Could be a coincidence. Could be more.”
“I’ll start that process now.”
“Thanks, Terri.”
Disconnecting the call, Aidan sat down and took out a black box with two wires hanging out of it. He set it on the desk. First, he plugged the red wire into the phone he’d given Emma. Next he plugged the black wire into a new phone that Terri had provided for this purpose. He pressed the button on the machine. It came to life, the status light flashing orange. Fifteen minutes passed.
The status light turned green.
Aidan turned off the unit, disconnected the phones, and packed it up.
The courier service would be arriving shortly.
22
Two days left…
Farmers Market, Osijek, Slavonia
1 March
Thursday, 7:35 a.m. local time
This high-traffic location was their designated meeting spot.
A horde of people already swarmed the crowded market, weaving their way around Marc, Danijel, and Danijel’s informant, Valmir— whose name Danijel had provided after getting his permission during the long car ride from Zagreb. The offering of a name, plus the fact that the CI had dropped the hood of his work coat and exposed his face, were two key signs that the guy was starting to trust Marc.
Of course, the additional five hundred American dollars Marc had given him in the car hadn’t hurt.
As they waited for Valmir’s uncle to arrive, Marc surveyed the area, duly impressed by the volume of people and the extensive size of the market. All around them were tables with overhanging umbrellas, and despite the winter weather, the tables featured an astonishing array of fresh fruits such as apples, oranges, grapefruits, and pears, as well as imported bananas, pineapple, mangos, avocados, and coconuts. There were also fresh vegetables on display—spinach, carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and many types of local salads—not to mention goat’s and sheep’s cheese, homemade jams, and on the periphery in refrigerated cases, cured meats and fresh poultry. The wares spread out in a kaleidoscope of color, texture, and eye appeal, and the loud voices of the salespeople beckoning the shoppers to their wooden tables to taste and to buy were interspersed with conversations of friends who clearly met here on a regular basis, mothers with their children in tow, shoppers bargaining for a better price, and tourists who’d come to visit this regaled Osijek stopping point.
It was easy to remain invisible in a place like this.
“May I ask Valmir what to call his uncle?” Marc asked Danijel. “All I need is a first name. Since this man will be taking over from here, it sure beats ‘hey you.’”
Danijel’s lips twitched. He relayed Marc’s request to Valmir, who hesitated, then said, “Jozef.”
Marc nodded. “Hvala.”
Danijel’s brows rose as Marc thanked Valmir in Croatian. “Picking up the language, are we?”
“Trying my best.” Marc touched his ear. “But I still need the benefit of a pro on anything more than a few words.”
This time the pro involved was Ellie, their second translator, who’d accompanied Philip to this meeting and would be talking in Marc’s ear. Despite the fact that Derica had more experience in undercover operations, Ellie spoke fluent Albanian as well as Croatian—an asset that Marc and Philip had agreed would be crucial given the players involved and the potential strategy that lay ahead.
Marc was keenly aware of the moment when Valmir’s chin came up, his gaze finding someone in the crowd.
“I think we’re on,” he murmured.
“Indeed,” Danijel concurred.
The men waited as Jozef zigzagged his way through the sea of shoppers and made his way over. Marc noted the family resemblance at once. Jozef had the same long face and prominent features as his nephew, although he wasn’t as stocky and his shock of black hair was turning gray.
He reached the group, glancing quickly around as he did a onceover scan of the area. He then hugged his nephew and turned to the other two men, greeting them with a nod.
Valmir spoke to him in rapid Albanian.
Ellie’s voice sounded in Marc’s ear. “Valmir is explaining which of you is which and reminding him that neither of you speak Albanian so they can talk freely to each other during this meeting without either of you understanding. Otherwise, they plan to use Croatian, for obvious reasons.” She gave a whisper of a laugh. “Valmir also told his uncle that you gave him five hundred American dollars in the car in addition to the thousand you handed him last night, and that there’s even more to come. He said they could both make out quite nicely from helping you out—not to mention avenging Valmir’s brother’s death in the process.”
Jozef was replying to his nephew, and Marc distinguished the name “Sallaku” in his response.
“Jozef is asking if Valmir is sure Zarik Sallaku’s people are responsible for the kidnapping,” Ellie translated. “He’s also making sure you specifically mentioned Slavonia as the region where the girl is being held.”
“Po,” Jozef replied with a nod. Marc didn’t need Ellie’s skills to figure out that meant yes.
Jozef ’s eyes hardened and he turned to face Danijel, switching over to Croatian.
“I loathe Sallaku and wish him dead.” Ellie’s voice resounded in Marc’s ear. “It’s the main reason I agreed to help you. The other reason is the generous payment I expect to be offered.”
Jozef waited for Danijel to translate and for Marc to nod his head in agreement.
“Good,” he said. “I reached out to my contacts after Valmir called and received information in return. Your friend here will need to come with me to the town of Đakovo. He’ll have to find a woman to go with him. Everyone there knows everyone, and a man who’s alone and who looks like a federal agent will— to use an American expression—stick out like a sore thumb. I have friends. They tell me there’s talk of strangers in the area. My friends are willing to help—also for the right monetary compensation. There are many abandoned farmhouses they can take you to.”
Danijel turned to look at Marc. “I assume you got all that, so I’ll just pretend I’m translating for you. Đakovo is about a forty-minute drive from Osijek. Can you arrange for a female teammate to accompany yo
u? Hopefully, one who speaks both Croatian and Albanian, since this is where I must step out of things. I’ve pushed my boundaries as far as I’m able.”
“I know.” Marc was well aware of how far out on a limb Danijel had gone for them. He was also aware that they were about to move into criminal territory, a reality they’d all known would ultimately be necessary in order to rescue Lauren.
“I’ll go,” Ellie volunteered in Marc’s ear at once.
“So will I,” Philip echoed. “It’s time for me to do recon.”
“My female translator just agreed to help us,” Marc told Danijel. “The one additional change is that Philip, not I, will be the one to accompany her. His background is best suited for this portion of the investigation.”
“His work in covert recon,” Danijel remembered Philip’s dossier aloud.
“Exactly. I know that neither Valmir nor Jozef have met Philip, so I’ll be here when we reconvene to make the introductions. After that, you and I will leave. I’ll be staying in Osijek, but you go ahead and return to Zagreb. We owe you a huge debt of thanks.”
“No thanks are necessary.” A corner of Danijel’s mouth lifted. “I’m pleased that it’s now Aidan who owes a favor to me.”
With that, he turned and explained the situation to Jozef and Valmir.
The men exchanged glances, and Jozef gave a quick nod of agreement. He then ascertained in Croatian that, once their business today was over, Valmir could ride back to Zagreb with Danijel, after which he’d be free to go. Danijel provided that reassurance.
“Very well,” Jozef continued in Croatian. “Valmir can come home with me for breakfast. Meet us back at this same spot with your two new people in an hour. They’ll receive their instructions as we drive to Đakovo.”
“We’ll be here,” Danijel replied.
Palo Alto, California
1 March
Thursday, 12:05 a.m. local time
Jia li Sung was lying, weak-limbed, in bed, still shivering with the aftermath of her climax, when the arrival tone of a text message sounded on her cell phone.
Reluctantly, she rolled away from her lover, propped herself up on one elbow, and plucked her phone off her nightstand.
“It’s Xu Wei’s private line,” she murmured.
“He’s too smart to call from Jítuán,” the man beside her replied, hoisting himself into a sitting position and tucking a pillow behind his head. “There can be no corporate record of this.”
Jia li nodded and then opened the text, quickly scanning to make sure that what she’d received were indeed the anticipated photos. She didn’t pause to study them more closely, given that she had no training in this area. Instead, her gaze dropped to the accompanying message.
Our experts have examined these and found them to be genuine. Please verify.
“I believe these are what you’ve been waiting for,” she said, handing over the phone.
He scrolled through the photos, his brows knit in concentration as he did. “These appear to be authentic. But I’ll need a while to study the details a little more closely. If I’m satisfied, you can text Xu back and tell him we need the rest immediately.”
With that, he turned and gave her an intimate smile, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “After that, I’m all yours.”
Four Seasons Hotel, Palo Alto
1 March
Thursday, 12:32 a.m. local time
Aidan and Simone were just finishing up room service and reviewing the day’s events when Aidan’s cell phone rang. He grabbed it on the first ring.
“Yes.”
“It’s me,” Marc replied.
“Where are you?”
“Hotel Osijek. I’ve got to be on the move again soon.”
“Then talk to me.”
Marc didn’t waste time. He swiftly filled Aidan in on the rapidly escalating activity at the Croatian end of the investigation.
“This guy Jozef is homed in,” he concluded. “When he heard what I had to say, he zeroed right in on Đakovo. I think he knows exactly where he’s sending us and who can take us there.”
“Not a surprise. These three OC groups probably keep a watchful eye on each other’s activities and locations. That’s how they survive.”
“Yeah, well, my gut is telling me we’re coiled to strike.”
“So does mine.”
Aidan slid back his chair and walked over to grab a duffel bag, tossing articles of clothing into it as he spoke. “I’m hanging up and alerting my pilot. It’ll take me thirteen flying hours to get to Osijek, not to mention the bullshit at either end. So I’m outta here ASAP. Do you have all the gear we need?”
“Yes,” Marc confirmed. “Philip took care of that in Germany. We’re armed and ready to move as soon as Philip locates the right place, completes his recon, and you and I come up with our tactical plan.”
“Okay. I’ve got a shitload to tell you at this end, but I’ll call you when I’m airborne—right after I talk to Abby and let her and Emma know I’ll be away for a day or two.”
“Where are you now?”
“Palo Alto with Simone.”
“How are you going to handle Vance’s morning call with Lauren?”
“I’m not. Simone is. She’s going to have to be my stand-in babysitter. Susan and Vance are coming apart at the seams. I can’t count on them to be rational.”
“Go call your pilot and get your ass here. I’m about to head back to the farmers market with Danijel. After that, Philip and Ellie will go with Jozef to Đakovo, and Danijel will return to Zagreb. I’ll be here at the hotel, waiting for Philip’s updates. I’ll pass all his recon on to you during your flight so we can formulate our tactical plan. I’ll meet the Gulfstream when it lands in Osijek, and we’ll drive straight to Đakovo.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
Aidan hung up and turned to Simone, who was just disconnecting her own phone call.
“I spoke with Stanley,” she said, referring to Stan Trumble, the Zermatt pilot. “He’s taking care of the flight plan and assorted details as we speak. You should be ready for takeoff by the time you finish briefing me and arrive at the airport.”
A corner of Aidan’s mouth lifted. “You’ve developed quite the rapport with Stan. He used to take his orders directly from me. That’s twice now you’ve broken that chain of command.”
“And I always make sure he knows I’m calling on your behalf,” Simone said with a smile. “Since you’re the one traveling, he can verify his information when you get there. But since time is of the essence, I took the liberty of overstepping. Is an apology in order?”
“Nope.” Aidan tossed a few toiletries into the duffel bag. “A thank you is. And as for briefing, we need to talk—fast.” He repeated all the information that Marc had passed along. Then, he glanced at his watch. “There aren’t any commercial flights from here to Reno-Tahoe until morning. You can’t wait that long.”
“I’ll call right now and arrange for car service. It’s a four-hour drive. I’ll leave when you do. I’ll be there well ahead of Vance’s scheduled videoconference.” She paused. “What else do you need?”
“For you to be with the Penningtons as much as possible.”
“That’s not a problem. I’ll dress in business attire and bring my briefcase. I can fly to and from Nano with Vance today. It will look like we’re wrapping up a hectic week of work for McKinsey.” She rose and walked over to the wardrobe closet, selecting her clothes as she spoke. “And don’t worry about explanations. Once I tell Vance that you’re flying to Croatia because Lauren’s rescue is imminent, he’ll behave. He and his wife will be understandably frantic, but I can handle that. You just take care of business at your end. And Aidan?”
“Hmm?”
“Be safe.”
23
Đakovo, Slavonia
1 March
Thursday, 10:08 a.m. local time
Philip and Ellie sat in the rear seat of Jozef ’s 2005 VW Golf, each one of them taking in
their surroundings as they drove through the suburbs of Đakovo.
Side-by-side rows of compact houses lined both sides of the street, most of them made entirely of brick, although a few had painted, plaster-covered fronts and brick sides. The wooden-shingled roofs were green-tinged from the moss growing on them, and patches of grass and squares of concrete that served as driveways were the only things dividing one house from another.
The road continued that way, pretty much a straightaway, until Jozef slowed down, turned the steering wheel, and pulled onto the concrete pad of an all-brick house, parking alongside an old-model Audi A4 sedan.
“We’re here,” he said in Croatian, unbuckling his seat belt as he did.
Ellie and Philip followed suit, climbing out of the car and waiting politely for Jozef to precede them.
Ellie translated as he spoke.
“My dear friends, Ivan and Helena Flego, live here. They are also Croatians with a proud Albanian heritage, but they are not part of my world. Do you understand?”
Philip waited for the translation. Once it came, he easily read between the lines. “They have no ties to organized crime and you want to keep it that way,” he deduced.
Jozef watched Ellie carefully as she supplied Philip’s reply. He was visibly pleased by what he heard. “That’s right. So here’s how things will go. You will hear the explanation I give them and what I’m asking them to do. You will act accordingly. You will do what you’re told and not ask questions or offer information. Is that clear?”
Ellie relayed that to Philip, who nodded again.
Satisfied, Jozef led the way to the door, which was opened by a round-faced woman in her late forties wearing a white blouse, dark, slim-fitting jeans, and a scarf wrapped decoratively around her neck. She greeted Jozef with a kiss on each cheek, then beckoned them inside and introduced herself to Philp and Ellie as Helena Flego. Ellie followed suit, providing the introductions for both herself and Philp. Handshakes followed.
A murmur of voices made Philip glance inside. Two teenage girls were seated at a table in the adjoining room, heads bent over what appeared to be their schoolwork. In between reading their textbooks and jotting down notes, they paused to point out paragraphs to a man who was obviously their father. When the girls spoke to each other, Philip could make out phrases of English, and he realized the girls were conversant in the language.
