THE CHAMELEON (19 page)

CHAPTER 39

(Stephanous Petros: fifteen years old) Gregory watched the young boy carry the dog through the door. Tears streamed down his face as he laid the heavy load. Not much got to him, but knowing the love between the child and the animal, he had to swallow hard to get past the lump that choked the air from his lungs.

“There is something wrong with him.” Stephan’s eyes begged the man for help.

Staring into the animal’s eyes, he saw death was close. Placing his hand on Stephan’s shoulder, he shook his head. “Sorry, son. There are times that the only thing that can be done is to stay and be a friend as they pass on.”

Stephan ran his hand along the dog’s body rhythmically, lying down next to it as Gregory left the room. The animal reached out, licking Stephan’s face as its tail moved back and forth for several minutes. A short time later, a small whimper escaped the animal’s throat. Stephan gently closed its eyes before he pressed his own face into its hair, sobbing uncontrollably.

After finishing up his conversation with Aisling, Sakis stormed across the compound toward his office. This was going to be war if he didn’t get answers to his question quickly. Just as he reached the door to the home, Phil called out to him. By his side, Sakis recognized one of the inspectors assigned to his case.

Groaning internally, he plastered a smile on his face as he held out his hand in greeting, not willing to chance pissing off the Greek police, especially considering they liked holding so much power in keeping him detained. After an hour and a half of the same questions and stories of the past, Sakis was able to finally pull away.

He slammed his office door behind him and pulled together all of his files that he brought to Greece of the Boulos family. They landed with a thud as he tossed them onto his desk. After he dialed Odalis’s number, Sakis leaned back in his chair and rubbed his face with his free hand, worried that he may already be too late. Relieved when the call picked up on the second ring, he fought to remain civil. Twenty minutes later, he was glad he did. Odalis was just as shocked by the story Sakis relayed to him. The man was so convinced that Sakis had to be wrong that doubt invaded his mind. His fingers drummed the wooden desk, as Sakis questioned whether any of this was true or just a trick by someone they barely knew.

Aisling jumped when her phone rang unexpectedly. She was in the middle of downloading the floor plans of some of the Boulos warehouses and homes. “Sakis.”

“Odalis said that Nadir has spoken with Stephan directly after their plane landed. They are currently en route to the family compound as we speak.”

Pressing her fingers to her closed eyes, Aisling willed the headache away. Sakis’s tone said it all.
The world seems right, and you are the one who is fucked up.

“Sakis, were you able to reach the pilot of the airplane?”

“No.”

“Were you able to reach Stephan or Sophia?”

“No.” Aisling nodded her head, as Sakis said this more quietly.

“Odalis will be calling you back within the hour when Stephan doesn’t arrive as planned. Did you tell him everything?”

“Of course not.” This time it was Sakis’s turn to be defensive.

“Let’s continue with our original plan. I have two hours to landing and need to get ready. Let me know if you learn anything.” Disconnecting the call, Aisling rose to her feet, prompting the stewardess to come to her side.

“Do you need anything, miss?”

“My bags, please. All of them.”

Moments later, all of the bags were placed on the open space on the floor of the plane. She quickly pulled out her gear to wear, and then laid out all of her weapons so she could decide which ones to bring. She had to commend the stewardess for not even blinking at the cache of weapons that slowly emerged. Once everything was laid out, Aisling stripped down to almost nothing before, slowly and methodically, she began to redress.

First had to be the hair. She couldn’t afford to leave any trace of herself behind, and the hair would be the easiest to lose. In hand-to-hand combat, it would be the first thing her opponent would grab. Dividing her hair into two sections, she twisted each section before she methodically pinned them to her head.

Aisling didn’t like recording her jobs, but in this case, she would need evidence. Placing a metal band with a camera behind her head high on her neck, she secured it in place on her ear before she slipped on a mesh cap, pulling on the small string to tighten it around her scalp. She scrutinized her handiwork in the mirror. Smiling ruefully at herself, she had to admit she looked a bit like an alien. Next, the black wig went on. The small camera rested next to her eye, back just enough that she would not get distracted. Once she was on site, if it got too hot, the wig would go.

Grabbing several unscented baby wipes, she proceeded to wipe herself down, from the top of her forehead, all the way down to her toes. She wanted nothing on her that could come off if she ended up in a fight. It was amazing how much you could find out by the perfume or makeup someone wore. She slipped on the cargo plants with its many pockets, and then the black long-sleeved compression shirt. This was her favorite piece of the outfit. Even though it was tight to the body, she never felt hot or sweaty, somehow allowing her skin to breathe. It was brutally hot in Palm Springs; she didn’t need to be passing out from heat. The material did its job well.

Once the base outfit was complete, she slipped on the boots. She loved her boots. Designed for tree climbing and linesman, she found them to be perfect for undercover. They were heavily stitched and built to support long stays, whether it was on a ledge or otherwise. The steel-enforced toe made it an incredible weapon and with the power behind her kick, she lost track of the number of skulls she cracked with them.

Guns were next. Staring at the many laid out, along with her knives, she frowned. Aisling really wished she had time to get the others from the safe deposit box before she left. She preferred to not wear the bulletproof vest but there was a hesitation as she set it aside. She had no idea what she was getting into but it would hinder her movement too much if she needed to squeeze into a tight spot. The knife was first to be placed. The scabbard was made specifically for her and her body type. Snapping it to her upper arm with the hilt facing down, it was the easiest spot for hand-to-hand combat and easily became her favorite weapon over the years. This knife would more than likely be used first as she worked her way from the outside perimeter to the inside.

Slipping the first gun holster under her breasts, she buckled it tightly, slid the gun in place, and snapped it shut. Because of her size, this too was custom made. The second she buckled tightly on her upper thigh. This was not her favorite weapon, preferring the small guns, but it worked when the going got tough. Eyeing the remaining weapons, she thought carefully. She should be prepared enough with what was strapped to her, including extra ammunition. Aisling knew that too much baggage would weigh her down, but not enough could get her killed. She still had a backpack to carry. Hearing her trainer’s voice in her ear, she picked up a third gun and strapped it around her back so it would fall under her arm.

The ritual made or broke the job. The ritual was what got her into the mindset of a warrior. The ritual was what had saved her life even when she didn’t think that there would be an issue. Her trainer was right. The success or failure of the mission would be based only on the preparation ahead of time. The last item she slid in the remaining side pocket. It was the GPS that would let her know where Stephan was when she landed.

Standing tall, she looked down at herself. Aisling felt not only prepared, but a true chameleon and ready for battle. Picking up the backpack with the other equipment, she double-checked all of her supplies.

“Ma’am. We are preparing for landing.”

Aisling nodded slightly and took a seat. She only had one thing left to do. Quickly sending her preset codes, her screen flashed in front of her, reflecting her own laptop through the camera’s lens. She waited patiently for the confirmation that she had connected to the other devices. Moments later, as the three confirmations came through, Aisling’s eyes narrowed and she smiled coldly.

This was going to be a live show, and Sakis, Nadir, and Odalis were all online. It might take them a few minutes to figure it out, but as she rose out of her seat, she felt confident that her backup would arrive on time.

CHAPTER 40

The building was stifling, with only an oversized fan to cool the space down. But instead of cooling, it just caused the already heated air to move around faster. Sophia seemed to be feeling the brunt of it. Her face was already bright pink and sweat exited from all of her pores as her system worked overtime trying to assist in the cooling down process. Stephan was worried that she would be dehydrated soon, if she wasn’t already.

They were both bound tightly and had been placed on folding chairs. Stephan had made several attempts to free himself, or if nothing else loosen the plastic, but only succeeded in cutting his wrist. The blood mixed in with his sweat caused a stinging sensation on the open wound.

“Are we going to die?” Sophia asked, terrified, as she stared at the four men at the card table playing poker. Military style weapons rested on their backs as they played. Two more guards were near the large door that obviously allowed for a car to pull in when needed. This was the door they came through. At the other door, a guard leaned his chair back against the wall, trying not to nod off to sleep. They were certainly outnumbered.

He wanted to lie and tell her everything was going to be fine, but Stephan couldn’t do it. It would sound false, even to his ears, so he chose to not say anything. Their captors didn’t take the time to blindfold or gag them. He had been in this business long enough to know what that meant. If you didn’t care whether people see your face, it was because you know that they would never have the opportunity to describe you to the authorities and if you were not gagged, there was no one close enough to hear your cries for help.

He wished he knew more about Palm Springs. There were other buildings around them, warehouse types, but he didn’t know how far away from civilization they were. To him, they seemed to drive aimlessly. Even if Sophia had not asked why they were driving around in circles, he would have already suspected it, having passed several landmarks a few times. He could only guess that it was to throw any tail that might be behind them.

Footsteps approached them from behind. Sophia twisted her neck to see who approached, her eyes wide with fear. Stephan chose instead to completely relax his body. There was no way he was going to show fear. If he were going to die, then he would die with pride and dignity.

“Little hot in here, isn’t it?” a voice asked brightly. When he snapped his fingers, the guard sitting by himself rose and stepped through the door. Seconds later, a blast of cold air could be felt from the ventilation system. Stephan figured the person who placed the order to abduct them was on their way. Their time was almost up. He reasoned the only person who could have arranged all of this who had something to lose had to be Nadir. Odalis was too old school. What he couldn’t figure out was why. Why the deception with the gun deal? Seemed a pretty complicated way to kill him. He could have just as easily arranged something in Boston.
Hell. The guy should have killed him when he had the chance in Sakis’s office, instead of executing Alicia.
Stephan thought of Aisling.
Sweet, confused Aisling.
He wondered whether she was worried when he didn’t call.
God, he missed her.

A high-pitched screeching filled the room as the large door rose, allowing access to the vehicle. The white sedan’s windows were tinted dark. The driver stepped out and without looking at either Sophia or him, walked around the vehicle to open the back passenger door.

His eyebrows jumped in surprise as a woman rose. Her white linen pants were immaculate, as was her top. The tunic style shirt had embroidery around the cuffs and the slit in the top at the throat. He recognized the maker, and knew that it cost a pretty penny. Her head was wrapped in a colorful scarf, which she proceeded to unwind as she walked toward him. Stephan’s eyes narrowed as her dark eyes stared into his own. He knew without a doubt that this was his mother. He actually saw himself reflected in her features: the skin color, the eyes—even the way she carried herself. She had an arrogance about her that was tangible. As beautiful as she was, there was something distinctly cold the way she pursed her lips.

The steward walked over to her, bending slightly as she whispered in his ear. He shook his head before he stepped away.

“My name is Yasmin Boulos. You have wanted to find me, even though you were warned to stop. So here I am.” She held her arms wide and turned slowly in a circle.

Bitch.
Stephan knew better than to voice his opinion right now. He had questions he wanted answers to. But first, he wanted Sophia safe. Gesturing with his head toward Sophia, he figured it wouldn’t hurt to try.

“Let the woman go. She has nothing to do with any of this and knows nothing of my search.”

Yasmin didn’t even bother to glance at Sophia. “No one will go. You both will die today.”

“Why do you hate me so much?” Stephan asked with more pain in his voice than he intended.

“Ah. My dear son—I do not hate you. Hate would mean that I feel something for you. I feel absolutely nothing. You mean nothing.”

Sophia gasped at the cruelty of the woman’s words.

“Interesting. So if I mean nothing, let the two of us walk out of here. Now that I see you and realize that there was nothing to look for to begin with.”

Throwing back her head, she laughed loudly and continued to chuckle as she stepped closer. “We can’t have that now, can we? See, I want no one to know who I am. If someone should happen to find out, I will lose everything that I have worked for my whole life. Then, there is the small thing called inheritance. Nadir would think that he owes you something. His long-lost son. If that happened, what would become of my own sons?”

“So Nadir has no clue about me?” Stephan spat out, realizing the level of this woman’s deception. She could be starting a major civil war right now, and she had no idea.

Rage filled Yasmin’s eyes.

“And he never will. Sammy tells me that you have fired the one you call the Chameleon, something about a photo of her over a nun’s body.”

“Sammy? Aisling’s Sammy?”

The large man bowed and grinned from ear to ear. “So you have heard of me?”

“Only because she trusted you with her life. So, you were the one who killed Sister Katherine.” It was not a question but more of a statement. Everything slid into place, piece by piece.

Yasmin’s phone rang and her face blanched at the number. As she walked away from the group, she lowered her voice to avoid being heard.

Sammy watched her step away before he turned back to Stephan. “I did. But if it makes you feel better, I made sure it was quick.”

“You set up Sakis.”

Bowing his head slightly, he acknowledged Stephan’s statement. “And you did the one thing I wanted you to do. You believed your eyes when you saw the pictures of her in glorious Chameleon disguise and dismissed her. Ironically, she was the only person I thought could cause a problem for me in getting to you, but I knew your arrogance and rich pride wouldn’t allow for her to help you. Well, you fucked up because she is so much more than what she appears and is fantastic at her job.”

“Wow. You actually sound like you respect her.”

“Hell yeah I do. This is business, nothing more. Aisling knows that work goes to the highest bidder.”

Glancing at Sophia to check on her, he worried at her pallor. Between the heat and the conversation, she was slowly starting to unravel. He wanted to beg for her release, but he knew that neither of them were going to be leaving here alive unless someone came and rescued them. And that wouldn’t be happening because no one knew they were missing. He had never felt completely at a loss as he did at the moment.

Returning to the small group, Yasmin stared at Stephan again before she turned to Sammy. “Nadir has called twice, asking where I am. I think I was able to hold him off by telling him I was shopping. He sounded stressed. I think they have realized that he is missing.”