Polar Opposites (In Aeternum Book 4) (28 page)

A picture, maybe?
The item had some weight to it as well.

He rested it on the table and began to remove the wrapping paper. A frame came first and he knew it was a photo. Ivan turned it over and smiled. It was an image of the Scarlet Sails celebration. The ship was a frigate and had the vibrant red sails—it was night-time and in the background of the image were exploding fireworks. Their reflections lit up the water around the ship. The artwork was breathtaking.

Thank you, Bailey.

Seated in the corner of the frame was a folded note and he opened it.

Here’s to you. I wish I could have been there with you on your birthday. Enjoy your day and I hope you like the picture.

~Bailey

The writing wasn’t hers but it didn’t matter. The words were. He immediately got to work hanging it up. Once it hung in his living room, he made his way to bed. His dreams that night were filled with images of Bailey. The woman who’d come to mean so much to him.

He woke and called her number.

“Hello?”

“I’d like to leave a message for Bailey, please.”

“Go ahead, sir. I’m ready.”

“Tell her thank you for the gift, it is beautiful and thoughtful. Also I look forward to seeing her soon.”

“Anything else, sir?”

“No, that’s all.”

“Very good. Have a nice day, sir.”

“You as well, thank you.” He hung up.

It was his day off and he didn’t have to get in to work any time soon. But he did want to make it to the market, so he showered and dressed.

Ten minutes later he was strolling through the street, picking up food and taking in the overall feel of the market.

* * * *

The diagrams on his computer spun slowly as he tapped his pencil. Trick sat across from him and they waited on Chrissy.

“I think this will work, Trick. In theory all the pieces fit together. At least they do on the computer.”

She smiled and nodded.

“I know the final piece is supposed to arrive today, then we can put them together and give it a go.” They were trying the bracelet again to see if they could remove the tingle along the wearer’s skin.

Chrissy knocked and entered. “Sorry. It’s crazy up there. More trucks than I can ever recall. So, it took me a bit longer than expected to make my way down here. Security is tightened.”

“No problem, we were just saying that in theory all the pieces fit.”

She laughed. “On the computer?”

“Absolutely. I’m looking at them now. Given we’ve added in a micro version of Trick’s genius, hopefully there won’t be any more danger to the wearer.”

“That’s good. We don’t need the wearer catching fire or anything like that just because they have it on their wrist.”

“Unless we ship it to the enemy.”

They shared laughter then made their way out to the lab and began assembly. While they’d been waiting for the last piece to arrive, they’d dismantled the other one and were comparing every step to each other.

Trick noted down the differences while he assembled the new one and Chrissy did the older version. The work was tedious and long but they kept at it, breaking to take lunch then getting back to it.

Once they both had been reassembled, they handed off the notes to two other workers who would type them up for them while they took a break. All three were back in his office when the printouts came.

Ivan always preferred printouts. He could write on them much easier than he could the tablet. He wanted the hard copy in hand—it was one thing he wouldn’t waver on. Those who worked with him now understood that and he never had to ask anymore, they just gave him paper.

With one copy for each of them, he settled back in his chair and reached for his pencil. “Let’s figure out what’s the same and what the changes are and where they happened.”

An explosion rocked the room and yellow alarm lights began to flash.

“What the hell was that?” Chrissy jumped up, followed by Trick.

He hadn’t any clue. They were far below ground, so to feel this couldn’t be good.

“An earthquake?” he wondered.

“That was an explosion, not a quake. I lived in California enough to know what a quake feels like. That wasn’t it.”

People were running toward the exit and he didn’t move. Their way out was an elevator. They couldn’t use one if the ground itself was shaking.

Ivan reached for his phone and called security. “This is Dr Vinokourov. What just happened?”

“Something exploded topside, Doctor. We don’t have all the answers yet, our cameras went down with the first explosion.”

“So we need to stay put?”

“Yes, the elevators have been shut down. No one is going anywhere until we figure it out and assess the situation. I have to go now.”

Another explosion rolled through the walls, shaking everything and everyone within them. Ivan glanced at the women with him. Neither seemed panicked but they weren’t pleased either. He relayed what he’d been told.

“We should stick together. Go to your offices and grab what you think you may need if we are given the green to evacuate. Then come back here, we’ll stay here. This is the largest space.”

They both left and he rubbed his temples.
This wasn’t exactly how I planned my day to go.
Fires above ground, and no way out from underground while more tremors shook them.

* * * *

“If you know anything, Ike, I need to know. And as fast as possible.”

Isaac ‘Ike’ Wonder sat across from Bailey in the booth at the small, out-of-the way diner. His suit had seen better days but he was clean and had sprouted a goatee since the last time she’d encountered him. His small eyes darted all around, never settling. His nails were jagged and chipped.

“What’s in it for you? Who’s this man to you?”

“A friend. He’s been missing for a while now and I want to get him home to his family.”

He sniffed and ran his hand below his nose, his stringy, brown hair moving in time with the action. “Do you work with him?”

“No.” She reached for her coffee and drank. “Like I said, he’s a friend.”

“Why didn’t you come asking me earlier?”

“I’ve not been in town, been gone on business. I had to make a stopover here just to meet you. Now, do you know something?”

“Maybe.”

She didn’t fall for it and get upset. This was his way of operating. Ike wanted to push, wanted you to know he had something you desired so he could attempt to extort what he wished as a price.

“You said you did in your message. Now, we both know I don’t like my time being wasted. I’m not going to beg. You either know or you don’t. So I stay or I walk. Make up your mind.”

“I don’t know how accurate it is. I heard this months ago.”

“Tell me what you know.”

He glanced around again before picking at the scrambled eggs on the plate in front of him. “Same price as before.”

“You give me information which I find helpful in locating him and it will be more. Otherwise, yes, the same.”

He perked up at the mention of more. “You remember that bombing a while back?”

“There are a lot of bombings around the world. Be more specific.”

“The one here in the US. It was some federal building, I think. A library. Anyway, the group that took credit for that call themselves The Watchers.”

“I remember.” She wanted to throttle him and get the answers faster, but Ike worked at his own speed.

“I had a meeting with one of their men, well, not really a meeting. More like he was drunk and I was sitting next to him in the back. He spoke of this man they’d taken from some cover organization.”

“Did he say his name?”

“No. Just that they snatched him when he was with family and friends. Took him from Virginia and he was put somewhere in Montana.”

“Montana.”

“Some secret bunker prison thing they have there. He didn’t get more specific than that and I don’t know if this person is still there or not. He did say they didn’t keep prisoners that long. So his time was coming.” He ate some more. “Especially this one because he gave them problems.”

Good for you, Ethan.

She reached in her pocket and withdrew an envelope that she slid over to his side. “Thanks, Ike. You hear anything else, let me know. And I was never here talking to you about this, got it?”

He opened the envelope and thumbed through the cash. “Understood.”

She tossed some more bills on the table. “Meal’s on me as well. Keep yourself safe, Ike.”

Bailey walked three steps before he called her name. She turned and looked at him.

“They also mentioned a place they had in Africa.”

“Just Africa? Nothing more specific?”
That’s not like you’re saying somewhere in Rhode Island. The place is a bit bigger than that.

“Nothing else.”

“Thanks, Ike.” She pivoted around and walked outside. At the bus stop, she thought about what he’d said and wondered if it was Ethan. She took a seat in the back of the bus and tugged on the sleeves of her coat. “Did you get all that?”

“We heard,” McNeal said. “Come back here.”

“Yeah, yeah. You’re welcome.” She hung up and exhaled sharply.

It took her a while to make it back to the hotel and she was cold when she walked across the lobby toward the elevator bay. The fact the head honcho for all of Theta Corps was in her hotel room still felt a bit surreal to her. Not only that, it made her a bit nervous.

Thankfully, the ride up took enough time to allow her to get herself back in control. She was composed as she unlocked her room and stepped in. The men and Anabelle Lee waited for her. They were staying in the connecting suite and Anabelle Lee was using the second bed in this one.

Masters was one hell of an imposing black man. She’d thought McNeal had it in him to be that way but next to Masters, he looked like a teddy bear. The man wore a suit, custom-made for him. She didn’t know if Masters was his first name or last. It was all they called him. And she wasn’t about to ask. He was her boss’s boss.

Valentino wore a dark suit—also custom-made—and had the look of death in his expression. She’d heard since he married he’d softened up a bit. If so, she sure as hell didn’t see it.

Anabelle Lee had the color. Her stunning red hair had been gathered and pulled back in a ponytail. Her black leather pants poured into her heeled boots, accenting her already long legs. A light gray leather biker’s jacket covered whatever shirt she wore. Dangerous, sexy and eye-catching. Her expression also one that spelt death for the one who’d taken her brother.

Then there was Beauregard. The man was huge, over six and a half feet tall, and he wasn’t a skinny tall man but a built one. He could make an NFL or NBA player seem small. He was also the most casually dressed. Currently he slumped in the large chair, arm propping him up almost more than the back.

She saw cowboy boots sticking out from beneath his jeans and he had a dark blue Henley on that did very little to hide the muscles in his body. His blond-brown hair touched his shoulders, his dirty John Deere cap rested in his lap. By all accounts, he screamed ‘laid-back’ but she wasn’t missing the sharpness and alertness in his green eyes. Out of all gathered there, he was the one she would fear the most.

By the time she’d shut the door behind her, he’d gotten to his feet.
He did that yesterday as well, stood when I came in the room.

“Thank you,” Anabelle Lee said.

Beauregard sat once Bailey had shrugged out of her jacket and had taken the last seat in the room. “I don’t know how recent it is.”

“But you trust him?” McNeal asked with all seriousness.

“I’ve used him for years for intel. He’s not steered me wrong yet. Ike’s one of those who people overlook and tend to talk in front of. That’s why he gets what he does. Have you checked out the group and their activities? I mean”—she waved her hand—“I know about Mr Cassano’s interaction with them and your wife, but I mean other than that.”

“Call me Valentino.” His voice was smooth and sexy.

“Okay.” She glanced back to McNeal. “I wish he could have been more specific about Africa.”

“We’ve got some contacts there. And some headquarters so I’ll have those agents touch their contacts as well,” Masters spoke, his voice commanding, even calm as it came. He pushed to his feet and stared at her. “McNeal, why is she working for you and not me directly?”

“You said you had a full team.”

She could have been with the legendary four of Theta Corps? Bailey hated to admit it, but she was a little star-struck. This group were spoken of in whispers.

“I may have room for more. I’ve neglected to keep you on my radar. I will rectify that and you will be hearing from me soon.”

Bailey stared at McNeal, who looked like he’d just swallowed something foul.
He wants me to stay with him.

“Thank you for thinking of me, but I’m perfectly happy where I am now within the organization.”

Masters looked like he didn’t comprehend her saying she wouldn’t want to move up to be one of his. His eyebrows converged and he scowled.

Beauregard laughed and stood. “Let her be, Masters. She’s happy.”

That voice, dear Lord. Her limbs trembled slightly and she was grateful she was seated as his deep southern drawl washed over her.

“Thank you for your assistance, Ms Hyde.” Beauregard shared a look with his cousin and the two of them slipped away to the other room.

The man was potent. Masters sat back in his chair and discussion resumed between McNeal and Masters. She remained there, listening and commenting when they turned to her. Those who’d taken Ethan might think the search for him had died down but that wasn’t even remotely the case, and they would pay for their sins when caught. She didn’t envy them one bit.

Chapter Twenty-Three

“Kissing you is always the best part of my day,” Ivan whispered to Bailey as they lay in his bed.

“Don’t hear me complaining about it.” She leaned forward and flicked her tongue along his skin.

“I could kiss you for hours. Do you have any idea of how you taste?”