The Eagle Page 7

  "What does that have to do with him if he was dead?"

  "Exactly," the man states. "We believe the people who hired him found out he wasn't dead and attempted to rectify the situation."

  "But no one knows for sure?"

  "That's correct. He disappeared without a trace and more than likely altered his face. Facial recognition software has come up with nothing."

  "Maybe he's living off grid?" the director suggests, although the way he says it isn't dismissive, more like he's playing devil's advocate.

  "He had to get in our country somehow to do the hit."

  "He could have been smuggled in."

  "Something like that would require help from others. The Priest doesn't work that way. He never has."

  "If he's truly alive, we need to find him before anyone else does. I want this played close to the vest. Get a team together. No more than four. And only those you trust explicitly. We can not allow this to leak until we know for sure."

  "What will we do if we find him?"

  "We take him out," the director says.

  I realize they are finished with their conversation, and I need to get out of here quickly before they discover me. I manage to sneak back around the corner, but have only taken a couple of steps when my foot collides with an empty can, making an audible noise.

  I hear the sounds of feet hitting pavement behind me, so I take off running.

  I can't get caught.

  I can't get caught.

  Please, don't let me get caught.

  I move as fast as I can back toward the entrance to the dinner party. Thankfully, no one is outside, so I barrel through the door and head straight for the ladies' room.

  I lock myself in a stall and attempt to catch my breath.

  Five minutes later, I text Ari.

  Me: I'm feeling sick and want to go home. Should I go without you?

  Ari: Where are you? I've been looking for you.

  Me: Bathroom. Can you meet me out front?

  He doesn't say anything when he sees me, just puts his arm around my shoulder and helps me in the car.

  As he's driving away, he says, "What's wrong?"

  "My mom worked for the CIA, and they think I'm dead."

  "What do you mean?"

  I tell him what I overheard in the alley.

  "And you think they were talking about you? It could have been anyone."

  I shake my head and lay my hand across my belly, my gut knowing the truth. "They were talking about me."

  "So what if they were. How does it affect you now?"

  I tell him about the locket and what Terrance found on it. About how whatever my mom was working on at the time got her and my father killed.

  "I had to study The Priest in school. They told us the folklore. Based on the jobs he managed to complete, he was the best. I wouldn't say I idolized him, because I don't think random killing for money is right, but there was a respect level."

  "There's nothing wrong with that."

  "Except that he killed my mother and if Terrance is right about our upcoming mission, we'll be sent to deal with him. It's what they've been training me for."

  "If that's our mission, we'll complete it," he states confidently. But Ari hasn't studied him. Doesn't know what The Priest is capable of.

  "I don't know if I'm ready," I reply softly.

  Ari is quiet during the remainder of our drive home, apparently thinking through this new discovery.

  When we pull in the driveway he asks, "Why didn't they say anything about your dad? You said he was killed a few days later."

  "I don't know. Maybe because he died differently?"

  "Or he's still alive."

  "No way. He was a good dad. He wouldn't have dumped me at Blackwood."

  "What if it was for your own safety?"

  I shake my head. "No. I don't believe that."

  "You got out of the car," Ari disagrees. "What makes you think he didn't?"

  "Because I watched the car blow up, and he wasn't out of it."

  Ari purses his lips in thought and just nods.

  Lorenzo isn't home yet, so I go straight to my room and take a hot bath.

  I need to calm down and think.

  Ari's right.

  Why does it matter if they think I'm dead? If the CIA doesn't know I'm still alive, I definitely work for a very powerful covert agency, who more than likely hid me away not only to train me, but possibly to keep me safe.

  But safe from whom?

  And why?

  MISSION:DAY THREE

  The Queen of Montrovia is having tea in the castle's parlor and reading the paper when a photo catches her eye, causing her to frown.

  Huntley Von Allister, who had all of Montrovia thinking she might be their future Princess, is holding hands with Daniel Spear while his father is sworn in as President.

  With a sigh, she picks up the phone and calls her son.

  "Hello, Mother," he answers politely.

  "Lorenzo, there is a matter that I need to discuss with you."

  "Very well. Would you like to do so now?"

  "Yes, I must. I fear you will not take the news well, however. Before your father passed, he issued a decree changing the date by which you must wed."

  "Why didn't he tell me?"

  "He liked Huntley and had hoped things would progress, so he gave it to me. He didn't want to put unnecessary pressure on your relationship. Speaking of which, where do things stand with you and Miss Von Allister?"

  "Things are--complicated."

  "By the fact that she is seeing another man? She is holding hands with Daniel Spear during his father's swearing in. Is it true that you are staying at her home in Washington?"

  "Yes. It is."

  "And where do you stand with her?"

  "Mother, we have only just recently met. We then went through something traumatic. It may take some time for us to work through the, uh, details."

  "So things will work between you?"

  "I honestly don't know."

  "Do you want it to?"

  "Yes."

  "Are you saying that you love her?"

  "She is unlike any woman I have ever met before. Would you approve of her if I did?"

  "I would need to get to know her better and, of course, there is the law to deal with. Your bride must be a citizen of Montrovia."

  "Her citizenship is already in place."

  "When did that happen? How did it happen?"

  "I had it approved by the Prime Minister before the Queen's Ball and had planned to tell her once we were alone. I hoped it would be the first step in an official courtship."

  "And that was interrupted by the kidnapping?"

  "Yes, Mother."

  "So what changed things?"

  "I was nearly killed by my own cousin. Did that not shock you?"

  "Nothing shocks me anymore," she says with a sigh, the years of being in the spotlight having taken their toll long ago.

  "Not to mention Father's passing, the funeral, and the coronation."

  "I was told you gave Huntley use of the Royal Yacht, and Daniel Spear accompanied her."

  "That is correct. She had been seeing Daniel before we met. She thought that I didn't fancy her further."

  "Why did she think that?"

  "Because of how I behaved after the coronation. She thought we were over."

  "You are the youngest King of Montrovia in the last hundred years and, unfortunately for you, your reputation proceeds you. You are seen in the public eye as a playboy who only cares about his personal pleasures. When you were courting Miss Von Allister, that perception was starting to change, but the damage has not been repaired. The people need a King who they believe has their country's best interests at heart."

  "And I will prove to them that I am worthy of their respect."

  "You have two weeks to show progress with Miss Von Allister. If you are not together and publicly dating by the end of that time period, I will be forced to start arrangements for you
to marry."

  "Marry who?"

  "Lady Elizabeth Palomar."

  "Lizzie?"

  "Yes. She comes from a good family, and her father seemed amiable to the idea."

  "How would you know that already?"

  "Your father spoke to him before he passed. He had planned to tell you, but then you started dating Huntley, so he told me to let it run its course before we brokered the deal."

  "I am not in love with Lizzie."

  "She is beautiful, and you will learn to love her just as I learned to love and respect your father. Of course, producing heirs will be of utmost importance and part of her duties as your wife."

  He closes his eyes. "I won't allow it."

  "I'm afraid you don't have much choice, Lorenzo. The decree your father signed proclaimed you must marry by your twenty-fourth birthday. You have two options. Get engaged to the woman of your choosing, or you will be betrothed to Elizabeth."

  My sleep is fitful and filled with crazy dreams. I wake up starving and have breakfast sent to my room.

  I'm just finishing up when there is a soft knock on my door, and Lorenzo whispers, "Are you awake?"

  "Yes, come in," I reply.

  "Did you sleep well?" he asks, sitting on the edge of my bed.

  I push my tray away and pretzel my legs. "Not really. Did you?"

  "It is hard for me to get much sleep when I am in such close proximity to you."

  I wink at him. "Dirty dreams?"

  "Yes, the kind where our chess game wasn't halted."

  I smile. "If it's any consolation, telling you no that night was very difficult for me."

  "That is good to know," he beams. "This morning, I am meeting with business and government leaders to discuss the worldwide terror crisis. Then I'll be touring some of the Washington monuments this afternoon. Would you care to join me?"

  "I would love that. What time shall I be ready?"

  "Around two o'clock? We'll have a private tour of the Library of Congress and then go to the National Archives. I decided to have a monument built in honor of my father and thought those would provide some inspiration."

  I take his hand in mine and give it a little squeeze. "Lorenzo, that's such a sweet idea. What kind of monument?"

  "Much like you, my father loved history. I thought either a museum or library, where we could house much of Montrovia's history for the public to see. Right now, they get glimpses of history during the castle tour, but after the attack, it's been advised that I close the grounds to tourists."

  "It's sad, really. That people can't just get along."

  "It is," he agrees. "But the world has changed since I was a boy. Someday in the near future, I hope to have children of my own running around. My family's safety would be of the utmost importance. This would be a good compromise."

  I reach out and touch his face. "You are going to be an amazing King. Do you know that?"

  "History will be the judge of that."

  "Then I hope I am around to watch your history unfold."

  "You could be," he says. "In fact, if you play your chess pieces right, you could end up by my side, history unfolding for both of us together."

  "If we stay friends, which I hope we do, I will be."

  "That's not what I meant, and you know it."

  I tilt my head. "I'm trying to avoid that topic. There isn't much more to say on the matter."

  "That is where you are wrong, my dear. You merely won a battle, not the entire war."

  I laugh. "Regardless, I like your idea of a monument for your father."

  He glances at his watch. "I must leave, but will be back here at two to pick you up. We'll have dinner and then do a nighttime tour of the monuments. I'm told they are beautiful at night."

  "That sounds wonderful," I tell him as he gives me a kiss and departs.

  I work out with Ari in the house's gym. He's well-trained in boxing and martial arts, and it's fun to spar with him.

  "I wish we could go to a shooting range. I used to practice every day, and it seems weird not to. But I don't know what the public would think of Huntley Von Allister going to one."

  "Probably depends what kind of designer handbag you'd carry there," he teases.

  "Very funny." I grip his arm and whip him over my shoulder onto the mat.

  "You're in luck. Did you notice the spiral staircase over there?" he asks, still sprawled flat out on his back.

  "Yes."

  "It will take you below the room we are in now, which houses a three-lane bowling alley, a basketball court, and a shooting range."

  "Really? Can we go down there now?"

  "Yeah, sure. Come on."

  I follow him down the staircase, past the bowling lanes and the court to another door with a keypad. Ari says, "The code for all the doors in the house is 032872."

  "This is fantastic," I say, looking in.

  "It is," Ari agrees, moving toward the gun case, where there is a wide variety, from pistols, to rifles, to assault weapons.

  "If the house is ever under attack, we know where to go," I tease.

  "Why do you think he has a gun range in the basement?" Ari asks. "To me, that's a little odd."

  "He worked on military stuff. Was Ares ever in the military himself?"

  "No, but his father was a Marine. Maybe he taught him to shoot."

  "Probably. My dad did."

  "So did mine," Ari says, choosing a military grade black Glock G30.

  "Oh, I want to shoot this one." I pick up a limited edition Sig Sauer P220. "Isn't it pretty?"

  "Guns aren't supposed to be pretty. They're supposed to be lethal."

  "That doesn't mean you can't appreciate the beauty of this one. Five-inch barrel, lightweight alloy beavertail frame, anodized finish, adjustable target sights, and the rosewood handle is so supple. Shall we have a little contest? See which of us is best?"

  "Absolutely," Ari says, clipping on a target and sending it back.

  We grab the proper ammunition, put on our headphones, and shoot.

  When the targets are pulled back in, Ari looks at the tight circles and says, "You're better than I thought."

  I punch him. "Gee, thanks."

  After spending a few hours shooting a multitude of different firearms, my phone buzzes.

  "Terrance is on his way over. He got into my mom's locket."

  "Let's have him meet us down here. I scanned this room for surveillance devices and found none."

  "What about the rest of the house?"

  "Clean as far as I can tell," he says, which I find interesting as I run upstairs to greet Terrance.

  Once we're all in the range, Terrance takes out a small device and does another scan, just to be sure.

  "I feel comfortable talking here now," Terrance says. "Huntley, you were right. The passcode was Top Secret. I entered it, and everything opened."

  "And?" I ask hopefully.

  "There's a lot of information to go through, and I haven't had the chance to do that yet, just gave it a cursory glance, but I have to tell you, what I'm seeing doesn't make a lot of sense. I think it was just a junk file."

  He pulls up a photo of the Terra Project. "This looks similar to the one found in Ophelia's house, but the only indication of its location is the sand that surrounds it. So, if the Terra project is what got your mom killed, although I highly doubt it since it's a peaceful initiative, she must have been to a site where one was actually built. A quick computer search didn't tell me where that might be."

  "What else?"

  "That's where it gets a little strange. The rest is nothing but a bunch of conspiracy theories."

  "Conspiracy theories? Like what?" Ari asks.

  "Like we're being poisoned with fluoride in our water. That genetically modified foods are destroying our immune systems. There's information in here about chemical trails, crop circles, and terrorist attacks all being done by those who want to make the world one country. A new world order. I don't understand why she'd bother to save this info
rmation. It's not like you can't find all of it on the Internet."

  "Unless she had proof those things were true. Did you see any proof?"

  "No, I didn't. The only other thing on there were some random vacation photos. I'll have them printed out for you. I really don't think the disc has anything to do with how your mom died. I think she just wanted you to have the memories."

  "Thanks for trying, Terrance," I say, holding back tears. "At least now we know."

  At precisely two in the afternoon, Lorenzo arrives back at the house.

  "Don't you look lovely?" He takes in the Dolce & Gabbana lemon print dress I'm wearing along with low-heeled black zip-up booties and matching lemon print handbag. I have a supple black leather jacket thrown over my arm since it will be cooler this evening.

  I give him a wide grin, quite possibly melting a little.

  He escorts me to the limo, and we spend the first hour taking in the architecture at the Library of Congress.

  "I think your father's monument is going to be quite expensive if you want it to look anything like this," I tell him.

  "It's interesting how new your country is," Lorenzo states.

  "In Europe, I'm always amazed at how old everything is. Like your castle. Do you ever wish it were more modern?"

  "Although my penthouse in New York City is quite modern, most of my other homes have a lot of old world charm. It's what I feel comfortable in."

  "Because it reminds you of home?"

  He nods. "What was your home like, growing up?"

  "We lived a lot of different places. Traveled all over. But I loved the home we lived in, you know, when it happened."

  "What style was it?"

  "Cape Cod. It had worn wood floors, shutters, and felt a touch nautical."

  "My mother informed me that she'd like to move into my Uncle's home since it is empty. She thinks I will need the castle to myself for my future family."

  "And you told her that she is your family, right?"

  He smiles at me. "You are right. I also suggested that she build a cottage on the palace grounds instead."

  "Why does she want to move now? It's not like you're getting married soon."

  He grimaces slightly but hides it quickly. "She says she needs a fresh start."

  "But you think it's too soon?"