Royal Target (21 page)

Chapter 36

Eduard sat in the parlor, his head in his hands. The last of their guests had left shortly after three, finally concluding the longest luncheon he had ever attended. Now that they had survived the pretense that all was well, there was nothing to do but wait. He hated waiting.

Stefano stood by the terrace doors, staring out at the road. Lauren sat across from the king, quietly waiting for any news. No words of comfort were spoken, as none would be accepted. Silently, they each uttered their private prayers. Only time could give them what they wanted, just as time could steal that which was most precious. No more calls had been received from the kidnappers, but Eduard had instructed that the money be available for when the time came to negotiate.

Never before had Meridia paid a ransom, and that precedence warred within him now. No amount of money was more important than his wife’s life. If it came down to a choice, Eduard was afraid he would be the first to pay.

For thirty-five years, Marta had been his anchor. She worked tirelessly each day, always putting his well-being and the happiness of their sons above all else. So many times she had been his sounding board and his voice of reason when he had a significant decision to make. This was the first time since he had ascended the throne that he had been faced with a crisis without her by his side.

The fact that one guard had been killed brought home the very real fact that the kidnappers didn’t place a high value on life. Even now, Enrico was fighting for his life in the local hospital. According to the latest report, the doctors were still trying to determine if surgery would be necessary to relieve the pressure building up on Enrico’s brain.

Hurried footsteps sounded in the hall, and Martino rushed into the room, a telephone in his hand. “Your Majesty,” he said as he held out the phone.

Eduard took the phone, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. “Hello?”

“Fifty million dollars,” the voice said. “You will wire transfer the funds to the Grand Cayman National Bank.”

Eduard picked up a pen and scribbled the account number down on a pad of paper. The voice was being electronically distorted, so there was no way for him to identify the speaker. “I want to speak to my wife,” he finally said. “I need to be certain that she is okay.”

“Pay the money or she dies. You have four hours.”

Eduard slowly held the phone out as the line disconnected.

“Well?” Stefano asked urgently. “Is she okay?”

“I don’t know,” Eduard said wearily. “I just don’t know.”

* * *

The helicopter circled around a series of crossroads. Janessa could feel time running out, and she felt helpless as she kept her eyes on the ground searching for anything remotely suspicious. She was trying to keep her thoughts positive, but if they didn’t find the queen soon, they would have to deal with the ransom demand. She knew what the percentages were on successfully negotiating the release of hostages, and she didn’t want to entertain the possibility of being on the losing end of those numbers.

Knowing that Garrett was out there on the water looking for his mother made it that much more difficult for her to concentrate. Levi had informed her that Dan Peters was with him, but Janessa would have preferred for him to be safely back at the chateau. With a prayer in her heart, she continued to stare at the terrain below.

Stefano’s voice came back on the line, frustrated and impatient. “Pierre Dumond couldn’t recall any specific friends that Isabel has associated with consistently over the past few years. All he could tell me was that she is gone almost every evening, including Tuesday nights. He also said she has been doing a lot of sailing lately.”

“Sailing,” Janessa repeated, her memories tumbling over one another. “So Garrett has the right idea. The kidnappers may be trying to get away by boat.”

“Hold on a minute. Levi wants to talk to you,” Stefano interrupted.

A moment later Levi came on the line. “I think we’ve got something. A ransom call came in. We traced it to six miles southwest of your location. I already notified the local authorities. They will stop any vehicles in the area.”

“Got it.” Janessa quickly switched frequencies and gave the location to the pilots. Switching back, she spoke to Levi once more. “Have you heard from Garrett?”

“He hasn’t checked in for some time. I’ll call his cell phone and give him an update.”

“Thanks.” Janessa shifted forward eagerly. Below her she could see two police cars racing along the street. She pressed a hand to the window as the helicopter made a sudden turn and a plain utility van came into view. Excitement and trepidation coursed through her as the pilot found a spot along the road where he could land. He maneuvered to bring the helicopter directly in front of the van, effectively blocking its path.

The driver slammed on the brakes and made a sudden U-turn. The van traveled only fifty yards in the other direction before a police car cut it off. The second police car pulled up right behind the first, and the officers quickly drew their weapons and moved to secure the driver.

To Janessa’s surprise, a woman was pulled from the van, but it wasn’t Isabel. Instead, it was a woman Janessa remembered from the caterers, presumably Elina Lumere. Janessa pushed open the helicopter door and approached the van with the naval officer that had been sitting beside her. She glanced in the front of the van to find it empty. She then moved to the back as one of the policemen yanked open the rear doors. Janessa stepped forward, stunned as her eyes swept over the interior. She closed her eyes against what she saw. Nothing.

She moved forward to look for any sign that the queen had been inside just as her cell phone rang. She answered it to find Garrett on the other end.

Garrett skipped any preamble and immediately asked, “Did you find her?”

“Garrett, she isn’t here.” Weariness filled her voice as she looked once more at the empty van. “I’m so sorry. The driver was one of the women who worked for the caterers. We didn’t come across any other vehicles when we were flying overhead. I don’t know where she could be unless they took her by boat.”

“I’m already out on the water looking for her.”

“I think Isabel Dumond may have been the woman meeting with Manero. If I’m right, she’s who we need to find.”

Determination filled his voice. “I’ll find her.”

* * *

“How can we tell which one it is?” Dan Peters asked, looking out over the half dozen sailboats currently in view. He had taken over the boat’s controls ten minutes before so Garrett could focus on the boat traffic unhindered.

“It’s not that one. There are kids playing on the deck.” Garrett shifted his binoculars to study the other nearby boats.

“Only those two are flying Meridian flags,” Tim commented as he studied two boats to their starboard. One was cutting across the little bay, and the other was angling toward the open sea.

Garrett pointed toward the one moving out to sea. “Head for that one.”

Dan turned the wheel and increased speed. Beside him Garrett inhaled sharply.

“What’s wrong?” Tim asked.

“I think that’s Isabel.” Garrett continued to study the thin woman at the wheel with her dark hair streaming out from underneath a ball cap.

“Then that’s the one.”

* * *

“We should have heard something by now,” Roberto Lumere said anxiously as he came topside. He still wasn’t sure he should have agreed to this kidnapping scheme. It was one thing for him and his wife to use their jobs with the caterers to switch forgeries for real paintings inside the royal chateau, but the prospect of being involved with the queen’s death was quite another matter—one that left his stomach queasy.

Isabel glanced down at her watch. “Maybe your wife decided to skip out with the ransom.”

“That’s not funny.” He scowled. “We have plans for our share of the money.”

“I have plans myself,” Isabel commented lightly.

“I thought your only plans were to become a princess.”

She shrugged one shoulder. “It takes a great deal of money to live alongside royalty. Now that the American has left, perhaps Garrett will come to his senses.”

“You don’t really think that you can buy yourself into the royal family, do you?”

“I don’t need to buy my way in,” Isabel said confidently. “Once the queen is gone, the royal family will need someone to play the role of hostess. With my close association with the family, I’m an obvious choice. A little more time with Garrett, and I’m sure everything will fall into place.” Her tone turned haughty. “I would love to see my mother’s face when Garrett and I announce our engagement.”

Roberto wondered what drove her more, her hatred or her greed. “Was your mother really that horrible?”

Her eyes narrowed, and her tone filled with venom. “She took all of my father’s money, left him to struggle to make a life for himself, and never once tried to contact me after she moved back to the United States.”

Realizing too late that he shouldn’t have broached the topic of her mother, Roberto swiftly changed the subject. “Hurry up and get out of this tourist traffic. The sooner we make the drop, the better.”

“Why don’t you go downstairs and get ready?” Isabel suggested. “We’ll be clear in a few minutes.”

Begrudgingly, he moved below deck as a speedboat approached pulling a water-skier behind it.

The driver of the other boat took a path parallel to them, and the sailboat rocked as it hit the speedboat’s wake.

“Tourists.” Isabel shook her head. A moment later, she heard footsteps behind her and turned just in time to see a gun barrel pointed at her head. She stared at the gun several long seconds before she looked up at the man who held it. Her jaw dropped when she realized it was the man who had just been waterskiing beside them.

The speedboat came back around with several people on board holding weapons aimed at Isabel. She could only gape at Garrett when he climbed aboard.

“Where is she?” Garrett demanded.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Isabel attempted an innocent look but failed miserably.

Already Garrett was headed below deck as Tim secured Isabel’s hands. A pistol in his hand, Garrett pushed open one door to reveal a stateroom. He did a quick search only to find the room empty. He then turned and saw the man down the hall only a second before a shot was fired.

Garrett dove into the room he had just searched as bullets whizzed down the hall. He could hear a door open, and he cautiously peeked out the doorway. His eyes widened when he saw the man dragging his unconscious mother out of the room, holding a gun to her head.

“Drop the gun and go back up those stairs or your mother dies.”

His heart pounding, Garrett evaluated the man in front of him for about two seconds. The man swallowed hard and panic shone in his eyes. Slowly, Garrett let his gun drop and stepped into the hall with his hands spread out to the side. “I just want my mother back.”

“Go on.” The man waved the gun in his direction briefly, his hand shaking as Garrett backed down the hall and he moved cautiously forward.

Garrett sensed someone behind him as he reached the stairs. “Please, just let me get her to the hospital, and no one will get hurt.”

The man shook his head, wordlessly moving forward. He dragged the queen with him, using her body to shield his own as Garrett ascended the stairs. With a prayer in his heart, Garrett stepped out into the light and moved back as the man followed him.

Garrett didn’t worry about where Tim and Commander Peters were, nor did he take the time to see that Isabel had already been moved to their speedboat and tied up. He concentrated only on the man in front of him. The man’s eyes shifted to the speedboat as he backed up to the railing.

“Get back on your boat, and maybe I’ll let your mother live.”

Panic shot through Garrett as he considered what the man was demanding. “I’m not leaving without her.”

“You don’t have a choice.” He pressed the gun firmly to the queen’s temple, the muscle twitching in his arm. A second later, Commander Peters emerged from his hiding place on the far side of the boat and squeezed off a single shot. He hit his mark, the bullet penetrating the kidnapper’s forehead.

Before Garrett could rush forward, the man fell overboard, taking the queen with him. “No!” Garrett shouted as he raced to the side of the boat and leaped into the water after them. He saw his mother facedown in the water and quickly stroked to her side and turned her over. He wrapped an arm around her, taking the time to find that she had a weak pulse. He then pulled her to the side of the boat, leaving the kidnapper’s body floating behind them.

“Is she okay?” Tim asked, reaching down to help Garrett lift his mother into the boat.

“She’s been drugged.” He climbed into the boat and looked past Isabel, who was tied to a seat, instead motioning to Dan, who was now standing at the wheel. “We’ve got to get her to a hospital fast.”

Tim helped Garrett situate the queen on the rear bench. Dan, who was already on the radio requesting a medevac helicopter, put the boat in gear and turned toward land.

Garrett sat on the bench, resting his mother’s head in his lap. He closed his eyes, praying silently.
Please let her be okay.
He heard Tim move toward them, draping a towel over the queen. Garrett looked up into his friend’s eyes. “Will you give her a blessing?”

Tim nodded. As he prepared to add his own prayers to Garrett’s, a helicopter sounded in the distance.

Chapter 37

The private waiting room was nearly full as King Eduard stood silently by the door. Security outnumbered the family and friends who were waiting anxiously for news of the queen’s condition as well as Enrico’s. Patrice and her family had already been informed that Enrico had a ruptured blood vessel, and they were all praying that the surgeon would be able to repair it.

Dan Peters had taken custody of Isabel and was dealing with the task of turning her over to Meridian authorities. No one had any doubt that she would spend the rest of her life in prison, but they didn’t care about that now. Their only concern was for the health and safety of those dear to them.

Garrett glanced across the room where Tim was sitting quietly with his wife and found himself envious of what they had together. He kept expecting to see Janessa walk through the door, but so far he hadn’t heard from her. Dan Peters had promised to bring her up to date after he finished reporting to the local authorities, but Garrett was starting to wonder if he should go outside so he could use his cell phone and call her himself.

His thoughts were interrupted when the doctor walked in.

“How is she?” King Eduard asked urgently.

“She’s going to be fine,” the doctor said with relief. “I want to keep her here for a day or two until all of the drugs are completely out of her system, but she is responding remarkably well to treatment.”

“Can I see her?” Eduard asked.

“For a few minutes.”

Garrett and Stefano followed their father down the hall into their mother’s room. She was sleeping peacefully, and already her color had improved from when Garrett had first found her. As Eduard sat beside his wife’s bed, Stefano tapped his brother’s shoulder and nodded toward the door. Silently they left the room together.

* * *

Janessa pulled into the garage, turned off the engine, and let her head fall back in surrender. They had nearly been too late. She kept going over her actions in her head, second-guessing every move, every decision she’d made since she had found out the queen was missing. She still wasn’t sure what she should have done differently, but she knew she should have done better.

After the helicopter pilot dropped her off to pick up her borrowed car, she had swung by the hospital to check in on Queen Marta and Enrico before heading back to the chateau. She had missed Garrett and Stefano by a few minutes, but she had been able to see the king long enough to be assured that the queen was indeed going to recover.

She had also spent a few minutes with Patrice, who was still waiting to see Enrico. Patrice had been informed that the surgery had been successful but that it would take Enrico some time to fully recover. Despite the fact that her husband would be in recovery for a couple of hours, Patrice refused to leave the hospital until she saw for herself that he was going to be okay.

Janessa thought of the guard who had lost his life. Though she didn’t personally know the man, she felt the emptiness deep in her stomach that came with an unexpected death. She knew firsthand what it was like to lose a coworker in such a way, and the other guards would undoubtedly have some grieving to do in the months to come.

Wearily, Janessa opened the car door and stepped out. She couldn’t remember the last time she had been so physically and emotionally exhausted. Guilt was still eating at her that the queen’s security had been inadequate and that Marta had managed to leave the chateau in the first place without Janessa’s knowledge.

She started toward the door, turning when she heard a sound behind her. She turned a moment too late to prevent Eric Hennero from gripping her arm. The young councilman no longer looked interested in idle small talk about sailing. Instead his dark eyes hardened as he pulled Janessa closer. “Well, it seems you didn’t leave town after all.”

She flashed back to her first meeting with Hennero. “It was you.” Janessa’s voice was deceptively calm as her eyes swept down to see the gun in his hand. “You were the other man meeting with Manero.”

“Very good.” He nodded. “It seems Prince Garrett chose you for more than just your looks.” He glanced down at her left hand, and his eyebrows lifted. “Don’t tell me you really broke off your engagement over a few silly photographs.”

“Cynthia was involved too?” Janessa asked even as she tried to comprehend her situation.

“Not in the way you think.” Hennero let out a harsh laugh. “She was so sure you would leave if she could make you jealous that I gave her some suggestions as to how she might pull it off. I never realized it would work so well.”

Terror gripped her, and she chose her words carefully. “I was a bit preoccupied this morning. I must have forgotten to put on my ring.”

“Yes, that must have been difficult for you, finding out that the queen was gone.” Hennero nodded in understanding. He pulled her with him toward the car she had just climbed out of and reached into her purse to retrieve her cell phone. “Now, I need you to call Prince Garrett. Tell him to meet you here in the garage.”

“Why would I do that?” Janessa shook her head.

“Because if you don’t, I’ll kill you. Eventually I’ll get another opportunity to get to Garrett or Stefano.” Hennero’s voice softened. “I don’t want to hurt anyone. I just need some money so that I can get out of the country and start a new life.”

“What makes you think the royal family will pay a ransom?”

“I know the bank in Bellamo already had the money ready to pay for the queen. Prince Garrett can just go in and have the funds transferred while I keep you in the car for insurance. When my bank confirms the transfer, I’ll let you both go.” He held out the phone once more. “Now, make the call.”

Janessa watched as he set the phone on speaker and then pressed speed dial for Garrett. When Garrett answered, she tried to keep her voice calm. “Garrett, could you do me a favor?” She continued before he could answer. “I left my engagement ring in my room this morning, and I was hoping you could run it down to me. I’m in the garage.”

She heard a slight hesitation and hoped he realized that something was wrong. It would be obvious she was on speaker, but she could only hope he wouldn’t comment on the oddity of the request. Fortunately, his voice sounded perfectly normal when he asked, “Where are you going?”

“I wanted to visit your mother, but I didn’t want the press to see me without my ring. You know how important appearances can be.”

Another brief pause. “Are you going to be back in time for dinner with Mr. Rominez?”

“I’m planning on it,” Janessa said, relief flooding through her. She didn’t know how much Garrett knew about the Rominez assassination, but she was sure now that he knew something was wrong.

“Go ahead and pull up in front of the main entrance, and I’ll bring your ring,” Garrett suggested in a subtly commanding tone. “I’m headed out to the stables anyway.”

“Okay, I’ll see you in a few minutes,” Janessa said and then watched Hennero end the call. She looked at him now, hoping to stall. “This family trusted you. Why would you steal from them?”

“For the money, of course.” He laughed. “Unlike my partners, I was smart enough to take my payments in cash. If Tratte and Manero hadn’t panicked and bombed the embassy, no one ever would have known a thing.”

Just keep him talking,
Janessa thought to herself. “And the fire at the gas station?”

“Manero was convinced someone had seen him on the night of the bombing. He was falling apart.” He motioned for Janessa to take her place behind the wheel of her car. “It was only a matter of time before he started talking.”

“But why set bombs here at the chateau?” Janessa slid into her seat, praying for guidance.

“You know what they say about a woman scorned.”

“Isabel?” Janessa’s eyes widened as he slammed her door shut.

“With some help from Tratte.” Hennero climbed into the back seat, keeping the gun trained on Janessa. “After all, we couldn’t have an American for a princess, now could we?”

“Apparently not,” Janessa agreed numbly.

* * *

“It’s got to be Councilman Hennero,” Levi said as he stood in Prince Garrett’s sitting room. “He’s the only person the guards didn’t record leaving.”

“At this point it doesn’t really matter who it is.” Garrett finished pulling on his riding boots and stood anxiously. “Are you sure those bullets will penetrate the car doors?”

Levi nodded. “I’ve seen them work before.”

“Are you ready?” Tim interrupted, tugging at Garrett’s riding jacket himself to make sure Garrett’s bulletproof vest wasn’t visible.

“Yeah.” Garrett nodded, habitually picking up his cell phone and slipping it into his pocket. “I just hope this works.”

“Me too. How good are these snipers of yours?”

“They’ll hit their target,” Garrett said, not sure if he was trying to reassure himself or his friend.

Tim stepped toward the door and turned back to face Garrett. “They’d better.”

* * *

Janessa gripped the steering wheel, her breathing coming in shallow bursts as she pulled up in front of the chateau. She closed her eyes, praying that Garrett would keep a safe distance. For the first time in her life, she couldn’t see a way out. If she refused to cooperate, Hennero would just wait until Garrett went to the garage to abduct him. With his mother in the hospital, there was little doubt that Garrett would
use his car within the next twenty-four hours.

He knows something’s wrong,
she reminded herself. She thought of Garrett’s reference to Rominez and wondered how much Garrett knew. Rominez was the ultimate example of how the best security could fail. She prayed that this wouldn’t be one more such example. Still, the mention of Rominez’s name made Janessa feel certain that Garrett knew they were in danger.

She looked up as the front door opened, and a new wave of panic enveloped her when she saw Garrett step outside. “No,” she whispered to herself without realizing she had spoken.

The voice from the back seat was quiet but firm. “Just do what I tell you, and no one will get hurt.”

Janessa watched him coming toward her. She didn’t notice his subtle analysis of the car, only the way he seemed completely at ease as he strode toward her. When he reached into his pocket, she swallowed hard. Surely he hadn’t really brought her the ring!

What would happen if she tried to drive away? Would Hennero be able to get a shot off at Garrett, or could she possibly get far enough away that he could flee to safety before it was too late? She reached forward to put the car in gear just as she heard her cell phone ringing.

She gasped, and her movement stopped immediately. Her heart raced as she tried to listen for any sound from the man crouched behind her seat. He still had her phone, so she had no way of answering it, but Garrett was so close he would wonder why she didn’t reach for it. Suddenly, she realized who was calling. She turned her head back to look at Garrett, realizing that his hand was still in his pocket, the same pocket where he normally carried his own phone.

With a subtle movement, she tilted her head toward the back seat. Garrett took another step and nodded to his right. Then suddenly gunfire erupted.

Hennero made a strangled cry, and Janessa screamed. Garrett started forward, but Tim and Levi rushed out of the chateau, and Tim grabbed Garrett to keep him back. As Janessa pushed open the car door, Levi aimed his gun at the floor of the back seat. She pushed out of the car, refusing to look at the now lifeless body behind her.

The moment Levi signaled it was clear, Garrett pulled free of Tim’s grasp and rushed forward to Janessa. He took her by the shoulders, his eyes scanning her as though making sure she was still whole. Then without a word, he drew her close and just held on.