The Regime: Evil Advances (9 page)

Nicolae couldn’t hide his smile. “I hope not.”

That made Fortunato laugh. “I hope not too. It should be rattling in his brain all during the campaign for the lower house, wouldn’t you say?”

“You know about that too.”

“That you have not hidden. And I can help you win. My first bit of advice is on the house. Trumpet your military exposure, which begins soon. Then run as a dove.”

This was uncanny. How could they think so similarly? Was it possible they shared the same spirit guide?

Nicolae stood, finally feeling he needed a bed. “Normally I would play it safe with a new acquaintance,” he said. “But I must ask you flat-out. How far would you go to ensure my victory over Emil Tismaneanu?”

“How far would you want me to go?”

“As far as necessary.”

“As far as, shall we say, Ion?”

Carpathia stared at him. “What if that was my request?”

Fortunato stood and stretched. “I need to beg your leave,” he said. “But let me say this. My response to your requests—any requests—will be determined by how deeply I believe in my client and his cause.”

Rayford sounded asleep, and he had never been good at faking it.

Irene slipped out of the hotel-room bed and sat by the window, staring at the streetlights. So this was how it

was going to be. Well, at least there was some closure, some sense of satisfaction in even knowing that. She could quit banging her head against a brick wall and hoping for better. On the other hand, she hated herself for failing at this yet again.

Irene couldn’t wait to talk with Jackie. What was she supposed to do with all this? That part in the Bible about the husband being the spiritual authority and the head of the home was misunderstood even when both spouses were believers, she knew. But what about when the man was not a true believer? Was she supposed to obey him?

Irene knew she could never do something she believed was against the will of God, even if Rayford commanded it. But he wasn’t that type. He didn’t browbeat her, didn’t bully her. He simply told her how it was going to be, and she could do what she wanted in light of that, except he really didn’t want her to go to New Hope.

Well, if he was going to have everything his way on Sundays, Irene was going to insist that Chloe be in Sunday school and church with her every week until she left for college. And if they paid for college, they should be able to expect her to live by their rules there too. That was unlikely, she knew. She could worry about that later.

So Irene was going to be a golf widow. And what kind of marriage could she expect from here on out? Her husband pegged her a religious nut. How attractive could that be? He was out and about all the time with beautiful young flight attendants on every flight. She wasn’t about to lose him to them, no matter what.

Maybe it was time for self-examination. Was there a

way she could be faithful to Christ without so alienating her husband? What if she accepted his decision and more than resigned herself to it? What if she helped get his equipment ready, had his clothes laid out, reminded him of things she’d read about the weather or upcoming tournaments? What if she skipped a Sunday morning once in a while to watch him play in a special event? That would knock his socks off.

She heard him stir, then turn. He reached for her and found her gone. “Irene?” he said.

“I’m here,” she said. “I love you, Rayford.”

“You do?”

“You’re a stubborn old creep, but I love you.”

“Well, thanks. You’re a Bible-thumpin’ door-to-door evangelist, and I love you too.”

“Do you really, Rafe?”

“I do. I like being married to you and want to stay married to you. I’ve remained faithful to you and plan to keep it that way.”

“That means a lot to me.”

“I mean it, Irene. Now come back to bed.”

She joined him and they lay there in the darkness, Irene staring at the ceiling. “What if I learned to play golf?” she said.

“What?”

“How long would it take me to get good?”

“I’ve been playing all my life, and I’m still no good.”

“You know what I mean. How long, if I took lessons, until I would quit embarrassing myself and you would let me play in mixed matches?”

“Mixed matches? I didn’t even know you knew what those were. Thing is, it could take forever, and I don’t think your heart is in it. I appreciate the effort, but you wouldn’t be doing it for you. You’d be doing it for me, and that would never work.”

Irene sighed. Can’t blame a girl for trying.

Nicolae Carpathia became such a hit at the naval academy as both a student and an adjunct instructor that he was at first a concern for the brass, then soon ingratiated himself as one of their favorites as well.

He had been called on the carpet by an admiral who cautioned him against becoming too much a friend of the cadets. “You’re also a student, yes, but you’re just enough older than these young men and women that they could tend to idolize you. So maintain a bearing of authority and maturity.”

“I understand, Admiral,” Nicolae said. “I want to be an example to these people. I want them to see the possibilities for them, within the service of their country and again when they are civilians.”

“You understand, of course, Mr. Carpathia, that our

wish is that graduates of this institution make the Romanian navy their lifelong occupation. Try not to make the private sector too inviting.”

Nicolae smiled. “I will do my best,” he said. “But it is not like I am unknown to them. They read the news.”

“And they see you get dropped off every day in one of your many Bentleys. How many colors do you have to choose from?”

“Oh, not that many.”

“I have seen at least three. How many?”

Nicolae shrugged. “I see them as simply vehicles, sir. Equipment. Conveniences.”

“My life should be as convenient.”

“Perhaps I should be talking to you about considering the private sector.”

“Don’t tempt me.”

Nicolae put Leon Fortunato on a monstrous monthly retainer and provided him an office. It was soon clear that both Reiche Planchette and Viv Ivins viewed Fortunato with skepticism and wariness, but Nicolae chalked that up to jealousy. He was careful not to put Leon in charge of any staff. Leon was wholly a behind-the-scenes adviser, but it was hard to hide that Nicolae did nothing without his counsel.

Irene Steele had to face it. Her pain and resentment toward Rayford and his new resolve to do as he pleased

affected her view of his parents. It was cold and small and petty, and knowing that about herself made her feel like scum. She confessed it to Jackie.

To her credit, Irene’s friend did not immediately react, though Irene could easily read her look. “I’ve terribly disappointed you, haven’t I?” Irene said.

Jackie smiled but looked away. “You’re human, Eye,” she said. “You remind me of me. I have to admit, for a long time I’ve wondered if you were too good to be true. You try so hard. You’re so devout. You’re growing and thriving in a difficult situation with a difficult husband. Yes, the right thing to do in this circumstance is to love these people with the love of Christ, regardless of who they are or how they are related to you.”

“I’m just awful, aren’t I?”

“You need to do the right thing; that’s all.”

“But I have to feel it.”

“God feels it. He loves the Steeles.”

“And so I should too.”

“You do. I know you do. You’ve proven it over and over.”

“But maybe I’ve done all that hoping to impress Rayford. It has impressed him too. Sometimes he’s actually moved that I have taken the time and effort and energy to visit his parents.”

“That’s all right, but you well know that can’t be your motive. This is either a selfless act of love and compassion, or it’s something else.”

“How I feel right now makes me wonder if I’ve ever had the right motive,” Irene said.

“You’re not planning to abandon them now, are you? Just to get back at Rayford? to show him?”

Irene had considered that very thing. “I need to pray about this,” she said.

“No, you don’t.”

“Sorry?”

“This is not something you need to pray about. You already know the answer. God wants you to do the right thing, regardless of your personal feelings and pain, and you know it. If you want to pray about something, ask forgiveness for temporarily getting your focus off the Steeles and onto yourself.”

“Leave it to you to cut to the heart of the matter.”

Jackie smiled. “Just here to serve.”

“Willing to watch Raymie the rest of the day, or were you just saying you’re here to serve?”

“Happy to.”

Nicolae should have known the news would be hard when the arrangements for a phone call from James Corona in Louisiana were made well in advance to be sure Nicolae would be available. Carpathia was celebrating—though his largesse had made these inevitable—not just his appointment to similar teaching assignments in both the army and air force academies but also the publicity for the same in local papers and magazines.

He had been riding high, learning from Leon, putting the pieces in place for announcing his candidacy for the

lower house of Parliament against none other than his major business rival, Emil Tismaneanu. He took the call in his own office.

“This is the most difficult call I’ve ever had to make, Nicolae,” Corona began.

“Talk to me, Jimmy.”

“We chose to match your investment funds dollar for dollar.”

“I know.”

“What we make, you make, and what we lose, you lose.”

“I was fully aware.”

“Today we have each lost half our investment.”

“You are not saying …?”

“Fifty million each, Nicolae. I’m terribly sorry.”

“You are sorry? What happened?”

“We partnered with a private propulsion firm and launched two satellites simultaneously. They are not sure what went wrong, but something malfunctioned and both were shot off course, never gained orbit, and plunged into the sea.”

“But insurance …”

“Covered only a percentage. The loss was actually much greater than the fifty each.”

“Jimmy, surely you had no illusion that this was my own money, that I could just consider it easy come, easy

go.”

“I figured as much. I’m sorry.”

“I am into a lender for the whole amount. Now I want the other fifty back right away, and—”

“Nicolae! You must know I can’t do that. The documents are clear and binding. Our only hope to salvage this loss is to make the project work. We’re starting from scratch, and it will take your remaining fifty and our fifty to have a chance.”

“I cannot and will not default on a hundred-million-dollar loan, Jimmy. Get serious.”

“I hope you don’t have to sue us, Nicolae. I tried to warn you of the risks. I even tried to talk you out of this. But your enthusiasm was shared here, and I’m still confident—”

“Sue you? Jimmy, I will destroy you! Whom do you think you are talking to?”

“I hoped a friend.”

“Friendship is left at the door when a hundred million is on the table. Did you expect me to just sit and take this? Do not dare touch the other half of my investment if you do not want an injunction slapped on you this very day. You will be hearing from my lawyers regardless, but I warn you not to proceed with the rest of my money.”

“Nicolae, be reasonable. My counsel tells me the investment from you is secured and that we are free to proceed, which we plan to do.”

Nicolae slammed down the phone and summoned Leon.

The older man arrived and sat passively taking notes, letting Nicolae rave.

Nicolae paced about his office, staring out at the mountains.

Finally Fortunato got his attention and raised a hand. “Sit, sit,” he said. “You have options. Legal ones, no. Mr. Corona is right. You can tie them up, but they could counter-sue and win damages if you unduly delay them from trying to salvage this.”

“So what options?”

“One big one.”

“Just tell me, Leon.”

“Stonagal.”

“Oh no. I could never. First, I would have to explain why I went elsewhere for the original funds.”

“And why did you? Just to exercise some independence?”

“Of course.”

“Noble but foolhardy. Don’t look at me that way, Nicolae. I mean no offense. Hindsight and all that. You must agree it would be much easier to be into Jonathan Stonagal for this money than the Intercontinental. He has the muscle to get it back. The bank has only the law, and the law is on the side of Corona.”

Carpathia dropped into a chair. “I cannot fathom bringing Stonagal into this. I want the bank to use its muscle. And I want to ruin Corona and Tismaneanu.”

“No, you don’t.”

Carpathia looked up, surprised. “I do not?”

“Tismaneanu, yes. He used your own man to hurt you. Corona, it seems to me, acted in good faith. Losing an investor’s fifty million is egregious, of course, but ruining them only hurts you more. Help them. Get them what they need. More money, if possible, maybe from

Stonagal. And if you believe in their technology, they could make you rich beyond your dreams.”

“But I do not want to be so beholden to Stonagal! To anyone!”

“You would not be beholden to him. He would merely see it that way. He likes to keep people under his thumb. You do not respond well to that, nor should you. Play his game in order to get what you need, and when the time comes, pay him off and turn your back on him.”

“Right now that does not seem possible. Dig myself out of a one-hundred-million-dollar hole?”

“Fifty.”

“Oh, that makes it more manageable.”

Fortunato smiled. “That’s my future king. But tell me, Nicolae. Are you truly unaware that Stonagal owns the lion’s share of Intercontinental Bank?”

“Oh, he does not! His affairs are quite public.”

“Apparently not all of them, if one of the leading businessmen in Europe is unaware.”

“The Intercontinental? I have been using his money all along? Are you serious?”

Leon nodded.

“Do you think he knows about my loan?”

Fortunato shot him a double take. “Do I think Jonathan Stonagal knows who has secured a hundred-million-dollar loan from one of his banks? Yes.”