“I don’t think you can get there in time, do you?”
“No, but I can put out a BOLO and see if we can’t get the Sûreté to pick her up.”
“I don’t trust those guys. It wouldn’t surprise me if Fariq had several of them on his payroll. Besides, I’m not sure they’re good enough to pull it off. She’s been doing this a long time and was with a guy from NATO intelligence for several years. He gave her some interesting skills.”
“We might be able to get there to snatch her, but it would be iffy and probably not go very smoothly.”
“Does she have a connecting flight?”
“Yes, to Marrakesh.”
“Gotcha!” For the first time, Noah felt like he would be able to stop her from getting herself killed.
“Does that mean something to you?”
“Yeah, she’s headed for Ghazil Assaraf. She’s used him in the past for deep cover.”
“Don’t you know him?”
Noah laughed. “I do. In fact, the firm has used him successfully on several occasions and has him on a general retainer. Shit!”
“Now what?”
“She took my secure cell. Can you patch me through to a number via a secure line?”
“Puhleeze, do not be insulting.”
Noah grinned. “Sorry. I know better. I’m just worried about Zara.”
“What’s the number?”
Noah gave it to him and was quickly speaking with Ghazil.
“Ghazil? Noah Taylor. How are you, my friend?”
Noah could hear laughter on the other end of the line.
“I was having a lovely, quiet vacation in Mykonos, but it seems to be getting more interesting all the time.”
“Mykonos is never quiet,” Noah chided. “And if you think it’s interesting, my sweetheart must already have talked to you. I would remind you she doesn’t pay you, and the firm has you on a rather large retainer.”
“There is no need for your reminder, and I’m glad you called. I have been debating on whether I should call you as Zara did share with me, she was on the lam from your firm and you in particular.”
“What’s to debate? That should have been a clear call for you to make.”
“She promised lurid details, and you know how much I love steamy erotic stories.”
“Knock it off, Ghazil. As I just reminded someone else, that’s my woman you’re talking about,” Noah snarled.
“N-Noah, I didn’t know…”
“I didn’t mean to bite your head off.”
“You’re worried about her.”
“I am. She could be in way over her head. We were going to talk to you anyway. When is she scheduled to meet you?”
“We’re to have dinner tonight at about eight in my hotel room at the Kensho. I have one of the rooms with a panoramic view of the ocean and a private rooftop seating area. It’s yours if you like.”
“Thanks, Ghazil. I’m going to connect you back to Thom. He’ll get all the particulars from you and set you up in a different hotel. The firm will pick up the tab.”
“That would be very nice, Noah. I appreciate that.”
“But, Ghazil? That’s my woman, and she’s in danger. You do anything to alert her that I mean to catch up with her there, and you’ll answer to me… personally.”
“My dear Noah, the moment you referred to Zara as your woman, I had no intention of getting in your crosshairs. I shall be the soul of discretion. In fact, if I might, if you’re in need of a safehouse close by, I have a small place on the Amalfi Coast where you might take refuge. I can give the coordinates to your man, Thom.”
“Ghazil, you are a true gentleman, and both the firm and I appreciate your assistance.”
“It is my pleasure to hasten the course of true love,” he said poetically.
Noah snorted but reconnected him with Thom. With a credit card number to use, Noah chartered a private flight directly from a small airport closer to the cottage than Cardiff to take him directly to Mykonos, which should arrive a couple hours before Zara.
Noah pulled his things together and got the cottage ready for the next user. He reinstalled the starter relay in the Range Rover and drove to meet the chartered jet. The flight was uneventful, and he used the time to write and send a report back to the firm. He shook his head. Not only was he never going to hear the end of falling for Zara, once she was safe, they would take fiendish delight in needling him about letting her get the drop on him.
When he landed, Noah picked up the new secure cell phone, credit cards, and luxury SUV Thom had arranged. Noah had asked Thom not to disengage the cell phone Zara had taken. He didn’t want her stranded without any way to call for help.
Noah spotted Ghazil at the small bistro in Little Venice, surrounded by adoring women. Ghazil was usually surrounded by adoring women. It was part of his persona. Most didn’t know Ghazil was gay. Not that there was anything wrong with that, Noah just felt bad that most of those who thought they knew him didn’t know him at all.
“My friend,” he called as he saw Noah and shooed away his newest entourage.
“Ghazil.” Noah sat across from him. “Again, my apologies for snarling at you earlier. I am more than a little annoyed with Zara.”
“I’m not sure whether I am envious of her or not.”
Noah smiled. “I’m not sure if you should be or not, either. My biggest concern right now is keeping her safe. How much did she tell you?”
“Not much at all. Just that she wanted to talk to me deep cover and had managed to make the radar of your firm and you in particular.”
“What have you heard about Fariq Abdal’s organization?”
“Nothing good. They say one of his men went rogue, and Fariq had him killed. Then there was a small altercation in Las Vegas that was quickly hushed up. Fariq has disappeared, and one or more of his lieutenants is looking to take over.”
“The altercation was a simple K&R gone bad, the brother of the photojournalist, Finlay Reid, a friend of Zara’s. After we got Finn back, she went to Zara and got her involved. Springer sent a hit team after Zara. I snatched her, and we ended up at one of our safehouses.”
Ghazil shook his head. “No, it wasn’t Springer. I’m not saying he wouldn’t have done it, but he’s too busy trying to see if he can snatch Fariq’s operation. If anyone is trying to tie up loose strings, it’s Fariq himself.”
“That can’t be. He’s been in our custody since Vegas.”
“Twenty-four-seven? Unless you have eyes on him at all times, believe me when I say it’s not only possible, but also probable. Was the ransom monetary in nature?”
“No. Information on a thumb drive in exchange for Finn’s brother.”
“Finn’s brother?”
“Yes, he’s an international banker, a glorified accountant. He stumbled across something and, when Timon Springer found out, he moved against him without Fariq’s approval.”
Ghazil shook his head again. “That, too, is not possible. Timon was a lackey. I doubt he ever had an original thought to call his own. He would have been following orders.”
“We figured that… they came from his brother.”