SEAL's Deception (Take No Prisoners Book 8) (9 page)

She nodded, touched his arm and slipped through the door, closing it softly behind her.

Ben stood for a moment, wanting to go after her, but knowing it would be a really bad idea for a man enter the private quarters of the female members of the royal family.

Instead, he turned and hurried back to the room he shared with Stingray and Irish, a poor consolation to kissing Yasmin.

His brothers hadn’t located the vials. But, they knew where to search next. The basement. Locked doors could be hiding storage facilities surrounded by concrete walls, perfect for containing dangerous biological weapons.

The secret door in the library? Ben shook his head. Surely, whoever had purchased the virus wouldn’t be stupid enough to store it that close to the royal family.

Unless they planned on using it against their relatives. The thought chilled Ben to the core. Yasmin was being considered for the position of third wife to a royal. Would she become a target? Maybe Khalid wasn’t the one who purchased the weapon.

Perhaps they were looking for the wrong thing. Instead of searching for the vials, they should be searching for someone who had a reason to use them. A motive so great, they would consider annihilating a family, a city or an entire population.

Y
asmin entered
the women’s quarters quietly and hurried toward her assigned guest room, tiptoeing down hallways, praying she didn’t run into anyone, especially while dressed as a man. She reached her door without incident, slipped inside and leaned against the solid wood paneling. With a sigh, she pushed the headdress and black band off her head.

“Please, tell me you aren’t a spy sent here to hurt Khalid,” said a voice from the shadows in the corner.

Yasmin spun in a crouched position, ready to take down the intruder.

A figure rose from a chair and moved into the moonlight streaming through a window.

Erin stood with her hands pressed to her chest, her eyes wide and worried. “Please, don’t do anything to hurt my husband.”

Yasmin threw the headpiece to the side and hurried toward the Irish woman. “Oh, Erin. I wouldn’t hurt him. He could be my husband, too.”

She shook her head. “You’re not here to marry him, are you?” Her gaze traveled over the white dress-like
thobe
, and her brows descended. “Why
are
you here?”

“I really am not here to hurt Khalid.” She reached for Erin’s hands, desperate to get through to the woman, to keep her from running to the prince with news his latest fiancée was wandering the palace dressed as a man.

Erin stepped out of reach, her frown deepening. “You don’t care about Khalid, his family or his culture. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be dressed as you are. What were you doing?”

Yasmin struggled with the need to keep her secrets and the need to reassure Erin she wasn’t out to bring down the House of Saud. She stared at the woman for a long time before saying, “Erin, I’m here to prevent something terrible from happening.”

Erin pressed her hand to lips. “You
are
here to hurt my husband. If not him, then his family.”

Shaking her head, Yasmin said, “No. I’m not. I need to find something that doesn’t belong here. That doesn’t belong anywhere. A danger that could potentially affect every human on the planet.”

Erin stared at Yasmin. “What is it? What could be so dangerous?”

“Biological weapons tested on entire villages in Somalia. A disease or virus that, if released, could spread across the planet and kill everyone.”

Erin’s frown remained firmly in place. “Why would someone bring such a weapon into the palace?”

“I don’t know. A recent raid destroyed the manufacturing facility in Africa, but intelligence reported a sale to a Saudi buyer. Someone connected to the palace.”

Erin closed her eyes, her lips thinning into a flat line. “Women and children live here.”

“Women and children were in those Somali villages. This weapon doesn’t discriminate. I have to find it before it’s deployed.”

Erin opened her eyes again and stared hard at Yasmin. “You could be the one carrying such a weapon. You could be here to destroy my husband’s family.” She crossed her arms over her chest, lifting her chin in challenge. “I should turn you in, let Khalid sort through your lies.”

Yasmin sighed. “I wish I was lying. I wish I didn’t have to come here to find the vials of this horrible weapon. But, I’m not lying. I’m here to keep those vials from killing the men, women and children of this country, or any other.”

Erin’s eyes narrowed. “Why should I believe you? Are you even Princess Aliya?” Her eyes widened. “Oh, sweet Allah, you aren’t,” she whispered. Then she made a dash for the door.

Yasmin’s heart leaped, and she grabbed the woman’s wrist. “Erin, listen.”

Erin struggled. “Let me go, or I’ll scream.”

Yasmin released her suddenly, but blocked her exit by standing in front of the door.

Erin staggered, regained her balance and glared at Yasmin. “You can’t keep me in here forever. I’ll get out sooner or later.”

“I know.” Yasmin drew in a deep breath and let it out. How could she convince Erin she was her side? “You can go out, tell the others I’m not who I said I was. I’ll be either deported or thrown in prison, and someone in this palace will carry out his plot to exterminate whole communities, maybe even entire continents of people.” Yasmin stepped away from the door and waved toward it. “You do that, and all of the people in this palace, including your husband, are at risk. All of the people in the world are in danger. Would you condemn the babies in the nursery, your husband, your family, to die?”

“I need to talk to Khalid.”

“Go ahead. If you do, he might take the matter to the rest of his family. We don’t know who purchased the biological weapon, it could be one of them.”

Erin’s brows drew together. “You don’t think Khalid bought it, do you?” She shook her head. “He would never do anything like that. He wants the world to know the real Saudi people, not the terrorists and zealots. Khalid loves his subjects and wants to move Saudi Arabia forward, not backward.”

Erin obviously cared deeply for her husband and believed he only had the best interests of his country at heart.

Yasmin latched onto Khalid’s desire to help his people. “Are there members of the royal family who don’t agree with his way of thinking?”

“Of course, there are.” Erin stared at the floor. “Many of the older princes are against any kind of change.” She glanced up. “Do you think one of them might be the culprit?”

“Again, I don’t know who bought the weapons, but I want to stop them from being used. That’s why I was dressed as a man. I need to search the palace. I have to find it before the purchaser moves the vials, or worse.”

Erin twisted the lapel of her robe and paced in front of the door. “I don’t know whether to believe you or not.”

Yasmin snorted. “I guess, if I were you, I’d have a hard time swallowing what I’m telling you. I’d probably want to go to my husband, too.”

She nodded. “I want to talk to Khalid. Perhaps, if I told him I heard it as a rumor?”

“I don’t think it matters where the information comes from. If the person who purchased the weapon thinks someone is on to them, we might not get to it soon enough to stop his plan.”

“I’ll tell him not to talk to anyone about the matter, but to check into it on his own.”

“Again, he might alert the wrong person.”

“I can’t just go on your word. I have to do something.” She threw her hands in the air. “These are my people, too. I love them.” Her eyes filled with tears, and she covered her flat belly with her hands. “And…and…I think I might be pregnant.”

Her heart squeezing hard in her chest, Yasmin closed the distance between herself and Erin. She engulfed her in a hug. “Oh, Erin. We have to find the vials. You and your baby deserve a long, happy life with your husband.”

“And we need to find the bastard who would bring such a horrible thing into our home.” She pressed her cheek against Yasmin’s chest as sobs shook her body. “How could he?”

Yasmin smoothed Erin’s hair. “Some don’t have an appreciation for the lives of others. They only want power…at any cost.”

“What should I do?

“I know it’s a lot to ask, but could you give me the benefit of the doubt and let me continue searching?” She held up her hand. “I promise not to hurt your husband.”

Erin pushed to arm’s length. “You’re very convincing.”

Yasmin smiled. “I can be, when it’s a matter of life or death.”

Erin stared into her eyes. “You promise you won’t hurt Khalid, or the women and children of his family?”

“I promise.” Yasmin’s pulse slowed a little, and she released the redhead. Hopefully, she’d gotten through to the Irish bride of the Arab prince. “I’m not here to hurt anyone.”

The Irish woman’s brows remained knitted. “Who are you working for? CIA, MI6, INTERPOL?”

“I’m working for every living person on this earth,” Yasmin answered.

“Where is the real Princess Aliya?” Erin’s eyes widened. “You didn’t hurt her, did you?”

Yasmin smiled. “You needn’t worry about her, or a third wife because she ran off, not at all interested in her parent’s matchmaking.”

Erin seemed to relax a little, but bit down on her bottom lip. “Okay, I won’t say anything, yet.” Her eyes narrowed again. “But, be aware…I’ll be watching you. If I see anything that makes me think you aren’t telling the absolute truth, I’ll go right to Khalid.”

With a nod, Yasmin held out her hand. “Deal.”

Erin shook her hand and turned toward the door. “Please, find what you’re looking for quickly. I feel like we’re sitting on a time bomb.”

“In effect, that’s what it is.”

Erin turned back. “If I can help in any way, let me know.”

“Keeping this,” Yasmin tugged at the collar of the white
thobe
, “between the two of us will help tremendously.”

Erin gave her a nod. “For now. But, if you are caught, I will disavow any knowledge of your activities.”

“As you should.”

The redhead left the room.

Yasmin eased the door closed and twisted the lock. Then she leaned against the panel, wondering if the woman was already on her way to her husband. Why should Erin believe her? Just because they spoke the same language didn’t mean anything. As she well knew.

Quickly stripping out of the white robe, Yasmin folded it neatly and packed it and the headdress into the secret compartment of one of her suitcases. When she finally lay on the bed, she dropped into an exhausted sleep, troubled by nightmares. She woke in a panic several times.

Eventually, Yasmin fell into a deep, dreamless sleep and woke to a sound and the sun shining through the window.

Someone knocked on her door. She suspected that was the sound that had drawn her out of her sleep and into the new day. Yasmin flung back the covers, stood and stretched. Then she wrapped a silk robe around her body and answered the door.

Nahla stood there, a tray loaded with tea things and a plate of scones balanced in one hand, her other hand fisted to knock again. In Arabic, the older woman said good morning.

Yasmin responded, also in Arabic.

Nahla continue to speak in her native tongue.

Though Yasmin understood, she held up her hand, pretending she didn’t. Understanding the language was one of Yasmin’s secret weapons. “I only know a few words. But, I’m sure I’ll learn quickly.” She held out her hands. “Please, let me hold that. It must be heavy.”

Nahla allowed her to take the tray and carry it to a low table in the sitting area of her room. “Your escort into Riyadh will be ready in thirty minutes.” She backed toward the door.

“Thank you.” Yasmin’s brows twisted, and she smiled gently. Nahla’s face appeared lined with wisdom. If she only had more time, Yasmin was sure she’d learn a lot from the older woman. “Won’t you stay and have tea with me?”

Nahla shook her head. “I must attend to things.”

Yasmin nodded. “Thank you for the tea.”

Nahla backed out of the room and closed the door.

If Yasmin truly was the prospective bride of Nahla’s son, she would have insisted on breaking bread with her future mother-in-law. The sooner the mother of the groom accepted the bride, the happier the entire family would be.

Frankly, Yasmin was glad the woman didn’t stay for tea. At least she didn’t have to rush her out the door in order to be ready by the time her escort came.

Thirty minutes later, dressed in the black
abaya
Nahla had given her the day before, Yasmin waited by the door for her escort, her pulse picking up at the thought of all she needed to accomplish while in Riyadh. She hoped she wouldn’t have to keep the palace escort close at hand.

A knock sounded. Yasmin opened the door to a palace guard, dressed in the white robe and red-checkered scarf. Her gaze only briefly skimmed the guard and then shifted to the man standing beside him.

Ben nodded, the corners of his mouth twitching as if he held back a smile.

Yasmin was glad for the veil over her face that hid the answering grin. Just seeing him standing there made her heart flutter. She wanted to ask where the other two SEALs were, but she held her tongue as they passed through the hallways and out a side entrance of the palace. A large white SUV parked near the doorway. Stingray and Irish stood beside it.

As Yasmin approached, Stingray opened the rear door.

Yasmin gathered the fabric of her
abaya
and slid into the SUV. She didn’t like how the outfit limited her vision, making it hazy, decreasing her peripheral acuity. She
did
like the anonymity it gave her. She could be any other woman on the street, escorted by her man.

The three SEALs climbed into the back of the SUV with her, the escort slid into the front passenger seat and the driver drove through the gates onto the highway.

Within twenty minutes, they had entered Riyadh and were navigating the narrow streets near the center of the old part of the city, as she’d requested, saying she wanted to experience traditional shopping, not the specialty or superstore experiences.

When the vehicle could get no closer to the busy market, the driver pulled to the curb and got out.

Ben exited the vehicle, rounded to the driver’s door and spoke to the chauffeur. He returned to hold the door for Yasmin. “I instructed the driver to leave us here and wait until you’d completed your shopping.”

Yasmin leaned closer to Ben and whispered, “Any chance of losing our escort?”

“I hope so.”

“Phone first?” she asked.

Ben nodded. “The guys are splitting from us in search of the shop we need.” He tapped his ear. “We can communicate.”

They entered the marketplace filled with every kind of shop Yasmin could imagine, selling everything from Persian rugs to strange and familiar produce. She pretended to admire a rug for several minutes and then moved on to a shop with tunics, hijabs and pashmina scarves. The escort stood with his back to her and the shop in what Yasmin could only assume was his way of respecting her privacy.

Ben leaned his head around the corner of the shop. “There’s an alley,” he whispered. While the escort had his back turned, Ben ducked down the alley.

Yasmin followed.

On the next street, Ben weaved in and out of the crowd, putting distance between them and Khalid’s escort.

Yasmin glanced over her shoulder. “Go into the hookah shop. Our escort just made it to the corner, but he hasn’t spotted us yet.”