Charade (22 page)

“I’ve planned every detail,” she said breathlessly. “We’ll sneak away from the others and go to your suite. You’ll kiss me as I’ve never been kissed before. Then I’ll pour you a glass of champagne, and you’ll sit back on the bed and watch me while I undress for you.” She paused for a long, amorous sigh. “You won’t be able to take your eyes off me, even when you’re sipping your drink. I’ll mesmerize you, peeling off layer after layer until I’m only wearing a wisp of panty.”

She smiled shyly. “I bought special lingerie especially for tonight, and it’s so beautiful.
So lacy.
Then I’ll come to the bed and pleasure you. You won’t need to do a thing. Just lie back and relax. Only when I’ve satisfied you like you’ve never been satisfied before will you start making love to me. And for the rest of the night, we’ll be lost in one another’s passion.
That,
” she finished with another sigh, “is my fantasy.”

He had been staring at her, his face expressionless. Now he came to a dead stop, heedless of the other couples dancing around them, and declared, “We are leaving now.” Before Sasha could say another word, he waved his hand in an imperious gesture and called out, “Nikko!”

“Are you sure we should leave?” she asked with feigned confusion. “Your guests—”

“I have honored them long enough with my presence. Now it is time to honor you.
And your fantasy.”

“I wish Nikko could stay and dance with someone. He needs some romance in his life, too.”

Vlad chuckled. “He could be dancing at this very moment if he would choose an acceptable partner. But he is in love with a servant. It was impossible to invite her tonight. She works for my sister. Perhaps you have seen her—”

“You mean Niski?” Sasha smiled with delight. “She told me she was engaged. What a perfect match! He’s so wonderful, and so is she. She made this gown, you know.”

“Did she?” Vlad pursed his lips,
then
turned to his second in command, who was waiting patiently a few feet away for instructions. Then the dictator began speaking rapidly in Kestonian.

Nikko’s eyes grew huge, and to Sasha’s amazement, he grabbed her hand and kissed it. Then with a final word to Vlad, he spun on his heels and half ran toward the entry hall.

“What did you say to him?” Sasha demanded.

“I have given them permission to marry.” Vlad flashed a mischievous grin. “He has been loyal. And this gown pleases me greatly. Why should they not be rewarded?”

“Oh, Vlad!”

“I imagine he will lose no time finding a
pralat
to perform the ceremony. He will have his night of love, and so will I.” The dictator’s eyes were shining with lust as he took Sasha by the elbow and suggested softly, “Shall we go?”

Jeff had stolen a Kestonian officer’s uniform earlier that day, along with a long wool military overcoat, boots and a hat. Striding now toward the tunnel that led from the living quarters to the offices, he tried not to think about Sasha’s impending seduction of Zelasko. She would handle it well, he was sure. But he would have felt better if he could hear what was going on, the way he’d always done for their ops. And he wished he could be in closer proximity, too, in case something went wrong.

Well, at least you’re in Kestonia,
he reminded himself.
Not that it was such a thrill for her, all things considered.

He was still kicking himself for the fiasco with the tape recording, but knew he had to get past that. He was a colonel in the Kestonian army, for now, and from what he had seen, those guys were virtual robots, emotionwise. It was time he embraced that role.

Arriving at the tunnel, he discovered that the gate had already descended—almost thirty minutes ahead of schedule—barring his path. Without a key card, he couldn’t gain entry this way. Fortunately, he had scoped out the exterior door earlier that afternoon to see what sort of resistance he and Teal might encounter when they exited the office hall.

He had liked what he’d seen. Two bored-looking guards seated on either side of the door. This entry also had a key card panel, but it had apparently been deactivated, because the light at the bottom had been green, and Jeff had seen the
guards
spring to attention and open the door whenever authorized personnel approached.

Without missing a step he continued down the hall that led from the gate to an exterior door. Stepping outside, he found that it was snowing heavily, giving him even more of a reason to adopt a no-nonsense, impatient demeanor as he hurried down the path. He had mastered a little Kestonian, which was very similar to Polish, so as soon as he reached the manned doorway, he barked at the two guards in their native tongue, “Do your jobs! You are a disgrace to your uniforms!”

As they bolted out of their stupors and fought over the honor of opening the door, Jeff saw one of them tuck a small metal flask into a coat pocket.

They’ve been drinking? Perfect.

His only thanks to them was a disgusted grunt. Then he was inside the fortress again, headed for the office where Sasha had located Teal. If the kid was still there, this part of the op would be a complete success, especially if the anti-absorption drug had protected her from being sedated.

He had installed one of the NSA’s video cyclers on the feed for this hallway just a few hours earlier, so presumably no one was observing him. Still, he was careful to hide his movements as he affixed Svetlina Zelasko’s palm print to his own left hand. Then he set his briefcase onto the floor outside Teal’s doorway, activated the scanner, and when the light turned from red to green, he pushed open the door, grabbed his briefcase and strode inside.

One glance at the slender figure on the cot told him he might have his first serious problem. The kid’s eyes were open but vacant, and she barely moved an inch despite the shock of having a male visitor at this hour of the evening.

So carry her,
he reminded himself with a shrug.
It’s gonna attract a lot of attention, but that was bound to happen eventually anyway, so just get to it.

Kneeling next to the cot, he whispered her name in as gentle a voice as he could manage, trying not to alarm her. But he apparently didn’t succeed, because her fist shot out, slamming him in the chest, then she scampered out of the bed and positioned herself in the middle of the floor, assuming a martial arts stance and glaring at him through eyes that were now clear and cool.

“Stay back,” she warned him angrily.

“Look who’s wide awake.” He grinned. “I take it Sasha’s pills worked?”

“Sasha?”

“Yeah.
I’m a friend of hers. She was afraid I’d have to carry you out of here. Now—” he paused to rub his chest where Teal had punched him “—it looks like
you
might have to carry
me.
”

“Oh!” The girl flushed. “Did I hurt you?”

“It’s gonna leave a mark,” he teased her. “But I’m fine. Are you okay?”

“You’re Sasha’s friend?” she asked, as though the information was finally sinking in.

Then she surprised him again, this time by crossing to him and wrapping her arms around his waist. “Thank you. Thank you. I was so scared.”

“Hey.” He pried her face away from his chest and gave her a reassuring smile. “Everything’s fine. We’re gonna get you out of here. All you have to do is change into the clothes I brought for you. Okay?” Patting her hair, he added warmly, “It’s almost over, kid. I promise.”

Teal stepped back and bit her lip, her blue eyes shining with hope. “We’re leaving right now? Where’s Sasha?”

“She’s stealing a key card so we can get into that lab. We’re meeting her up there.”

“The lab?”
Teal’s face lit up even more.
“To get my eggs?”

“You bet. So here.” He flipped open his briefcase and pulled out jeans, tennis shoes and a long-sleeved knit shirt. “These are Sasha’s. Put ’em on. We’ll steal you a coat once we get outside.”

“Real clothes,” she murmured. “It’s been so long….”

“Yeah, I’ll bet it seemed like a lifetime. But it’s over now,” he promised, turning so that she could change out of her white hospital gown.

After a minute, Teal said softly, “I’m ready. What do we do now?”

“We’re gonna walk right out of here and down the hall to a door to the outside. It’s guarded by two men, but they shouldn’t be much of a problem. We’ll have the element of surprise. Plus, they’ve been drinking. You’ll take the small one on our
left,
I’ll take the big one.”

“You mean, fight him?”

“Yeah.
You need to knock him out. Should be a walk in the park for you,” he assured her with a laugh. “Just try not to hit him in the nose, okay? We’re gonna prop them against the wall, like they’re punchy from all the booze. It’ll be better if their faces aren’t bleeding. Use that left hook of yours to crack him on the side of the head, like this.” He touched his fist to her right ear. “Then slam him in the jaw or the upper chest.”

“What if I kill him?”

Jeff laughed again. “That’s okay as long as his face isn’t bleeding. Plus, you’re gonna wear his coat, so you don’t want it to have blood all over it, right?”

He could see the confusion in her eyes, and added reassuringly, “If it all goes south, just yell my name then jump back. I’ll step in. I promise.”

“Your name?”

Jeff winced. “Sorry, I should have introduced myself. Jeff Crossman, FBI.”

She gave a shy smile. “Thanks for coming after me.”

He patted her arm. “Let’s get going. We need to walk fast.
Like we own the place.
There shouldn’t be anyone in the hall, but if there is, just keep walking. I’ve got a pistol,” he added. “A shot will attract attention, so I don’t want to use it if we can avoid it. But one way or another, you’re leaving this place right now. And you’ll be out of Kestonia by midnight. So?” He walked over to the door and rested his hand on the knob. “Ready?”

When she nodded, he pulled open the door and stepped into the hall, checking to be sure it was deserted. Then he motioned for her to follow him and without another word, he headed toward the exit.

He knew she would have trouble keeping up with his long strides, but he maintained his pace for two reasons. The first was to get her blood pumping, so she’d be physically ready for the fight ahead of them.

The second reason was an emotional one. If Jeff hesitated, he might start focusing on what a sweetheart Teal was, and he’d offer to take out both of the guards himself. He could undoubtedly handle them, but he had no idea how many adversaries they’d encounter at the lab or at the border. He might really need her then, and this preliminary bout would give her some practice while also bolstering her confidence.

They reached the exit in less than ten seconds, and he gave her an encouraging grin. “Ready?”

She exhaled then nodded, and Jeff pulled open the door. Then he winked and motioned for her to precede him.

She didn’t hesitate. Instead, she strode up to the smaller guard, who had jumped to his feet, and she struck him so hard on the side of his head Jeff could actually hear bones crunch. Grinning, he grabbed his own victim by the lapels and slammed the guy against the stone wall of the fortress, then watched in satisfaction as he slid down to the ground.

Turning back to Teal, he saw that she was already pulling the wool overcoat off her unconscious prey, and he couldn’t blame her. Not only had the temperature been plummeting, but an icy wind was roaring down the mountain, striking them full in the face.

“Here.” He shoved a stocking hat into her hands. “Hide your hair under this, and make sure your ears are protected.”

“Okay.” She put it on quickly.

“Hey, Teal?”
He touched her cheek. “Nice job.”

“Thanks.”

Jeff put the guards back in their chairs on either side of the door, then propped them up against the wall. “We’ll head up to the lab now, okay? There may be more guards, so be ready. Just follow my lead.
Right?”

“Right.”
Teal stuffed her hands into the pocket of the oversize coat,
then
gave him a dazzling smile. “I’m ready.”

“Yeah, I can see that.” He took her by the arm and led her into the shadows as he scanned the twisty mountain path to the lab. There wasn’t a soul in sight, so he nodded with satisfaction, then turned to his super-partner and suggested briskly, “Let’s get it done, shall we?”

“Jeff?”

“Yeah?”

“You’re sure Sasha’s okay? You said she’s stealing a key card. That sounds dangerous. Especially if it’s from…” Teal winced expressively. “She’s with Zelasko, isn’t she?”

“Yeah, but don’t worry about her. She’s got him wrapped around her little finger. Believe me, I know the feeling.”

“Because you’re in love with her, too?”
Teal’s eyes were suddenly shining. “I sense it every time you say her name. No wonder she didn’t think Zelasko was handsome. She was too busy thinking about you.”

Jeff cleared his throat. “At the moment, she’s pretty mad at me. And she’s gonna be
really
pissed if we’re late to the party, so…” He urged the teen onto the snow-covered path.

“Okay, okay.” Teal glanced back at the fortress with concern. “He’s such a scary man. Nice one minute, mean the next.”

“Hey.” Jeff shook his head in warning. “Don’t do this to me. I’m jonesing to rescue her as it is. But we’ve got a plan and it’s a good one. Plus, I’ve got complete faith in Sasha. So we’re gonna head up to the lab. Got it?”

“Got it.”
Teal gave another, longer sigh. “It’s soooo romantic.”

“I’m glad someone thinks so,” he said with a rueful chuckle. For a brief moment he wondered if it would be so bad for him to burst into Zelasko’s suite, knock the jerk out cold, grab Sasha and the key card, and just head for the border with Teal in tow. Wasn’t that what his instincts were telling him to do? Hadn’t his gut been warning him for hours that a vicious animal like Zelasko could never really be seduced by a woman, even one as charming and clever as Sasha Bracciali?

“You’re a rotten influence,” he muttered to Teal. “Are we gonna stick to Sasha’s plan or aren’t we?”