Broken Rose
Chapter Four
Rose marveled at how quickly things had progressed. Once Terry contacted Dino and explained the situation, T & D Enterprises brought all their resources to bear. Dino and several of his extraction specialists flew to Arabia and began reconnaissance. They mapped out the stronghold that housed the sheik and his family. All weaknesses of the vast palace were exploited in finding a way to kidnap the young ‘sheik-in-anticipation’.
Dino initially questioned why they shouldn’t simply point out to Sheik al Bahran that his supreme advisor intended to kill his only son. “First,” answered Rose, “Even though the sheik would probably not find that unlikely, he would alert his security and Mahed would be arrested. Broken Rose would know that I was the one who tipped him off. Michael and Mindy would be dead before the news even hit the papers. Second, Mahed is advised of all goings-on in tandem with the sheik. Mahed may have allies within the security police and God only knows what could happen if Mahed has enough power to make an overt play for the throne. He could possibly kill Ali and his son then tell the people it happened during a coup. Knowing Mahed, he would no doubt have anyone opposing him killed as insurgents and make it seem as if he were protecting the throne.”
“If that’s so, why hasn’t he done it already? Power plays happen all the time.” Dino wasn’t in need of schooling; he’d seen plenty of coups in his time. He just needed to make sure Rose wasn’t simply stringing them along, using them and their resources for her own purposes.
“Until now, Mahed has been able to control the situation and not rush things. If he can get rid of Sahid and blame someone else, then he will take control without opposition once al Bahran dies. If he’s pushed into acting overtly, he runs the risk of being overthrown by factions who would surely oppose him. Sheik al Bahran is well thought of by other sheiks and his people love him. They would certainly react badly if both he and his son were killed and the deed was laid at Mahed’s feet. It’s simply too risky for him.”
She could feel the slight breeze coming from the window. Rose watched as young Sahid slept on the bed. The night before had been taxing, both on the nerves and on the body. Rose accompanied Dino and the extraction team when they entered the royal compound. Things went very smoothly, too smoothly, and she realized Dino probably had a contact within the compound helping them to remove the young prince with only mild opposition.
Dino and Rose had entered Sahid’s bedroom and drugged him while he slept. Sahid barely realized something was wrong until he felt the rag soaked in chloroform held to his face. He struggled for only a moment then went limp. Dino carried the young man, down the corridor, with Rose moving ahead of them. They met up with his team and left the palace with almost no resistance.
Rose studied the boy's long dark lashes and medium dark skin. He was only now coming into manhood and lacked the sturdy build that she was sure he would have once he began to fill out. He would no doubt be a very handsome man once he did.
Sahid stirred and came fully awake with a jerk, realizing he was not in his own bed. Rose noted, now that his eyes were open, they weren’t dark brown like most Arabs, but a brilliant blue like his mother’s.
Rose moved quickly and sat on the side of the bed. She hated to keep the boy tied, but until she had the opportunity to explain the situation, she didn’t want him to try to escape.
Sahid began to struggle. “Who are you! What am I doing here?” He was speaking in Arabic, but the tone and fear was unmistakable.
“Shhhh.” Rose laid a hand on his shoulder, which he promptly tried to shake off.
“What do you want?” He was trying hard not to show fear and used his most commanding voice to cover it.
“Sahid,” Rose was talking in a quiet voice hoping it would help calm him. “My name is Rose. You are in no danger. Myself and some others have brought you here to keep you safe.”
Realizing his captor was American he shifted to English. “Why should I believe you? Why am I tied?”
“If you’ll listen to me for a minute, I’ll explain.” Rose told him everything that was happening. “I was sent by an organization called Broken Rose to kidnap and kill you. I never wanted that, but they are holding hostage two very important people to me. They will kill them if I don’t kill you. We, friends of mine and I, brought you here so we could control negotiations. I need time for my friends to find and free my daughter and her father. Once they do we will return you to your father.”
“You were sent to kill me?” When Rose nodded her affirmation, he continued, “Why should I believe you won’t kill me anyway?”
“I have no reason to kill you. I only want to protect the people I love. Now I need your help. We need to move constantly so Mahed won’t have a chance to find you. My negotiator will keep things moving at a slow pace so we have time, but I can’t worry about you taking off. I need you to help me keep you safe.”
“And where will we be going?”
“For now we’ll move from one location to another, until we can get a fake passport delivered. Then, eventually, we’ll move you to England.”
“Why England? I don’t want to go there! My father, he may be in danger, I need to return. If Mahed wants me dead, then he will not wait for my father to die of the cancer. He will take control and find a way to make it look as though my father died due to his illness. With me gone, he will find no opposition! Please! I must return!”
“No. I understand your concerns, but I can’t let you go.”
“PLEASE!”
“Sahid, listen, I do understand, but nothing is going to change the fact that Mahed wants power and he will have it if you aren’t protected. If you return to the palace he’ll find a way to kill you. If you go with us, at least you will be safe and once this is over, you will be able to return to oust Mahed. Right now we don’t know who we can trust in the palace. You have to trust me.”
Sixty kilometers away Terrence Thorne arrived at the palace. He introduced himself and explained the procedure to Mahed. Terry sized up the man in seconds. Sheik al Bahran walked in just as Terry finished. Terry stood and bowed slightly as Mahed introduced them.
The Sheik was still handsome even though his illness was now more evident. He sported dark circles under his eyes and his skin was pale for one whose skin was normally rich chestnut. He asked to be left alone with Terry and Mahed reluctantly exited with the four security men.
The sheik motioned to Terry to sit on one of the comfortable chairs, then moved to sit directly across from him. He studied Terry with the practiced eye of one who is weary of those who surround him.
“I never understood Mahed’s insistence in buying a kidnapping contract for my son. In my father’s day, a kidnapping meant death for the victim and ransom was non-existent. I did realize, however, that nowadays a kingdom could be destroyed with a simple ransom, both financially and emotionally. Mr. Thorne, my people need my son. You must bring him back alive.”
Terry wanted to tell the Sheik that his son was alive and well, but couldn’t take the chance that Mahed might find out.
Instead, he reassured al Bahran, “We should receive a ‘proof of life’ shortly. If the kidnappers want the ransom, they will do everything they can to keep him alive and well.”
“And once they receive the ransom? Will they return him alive?” The concern of a father for his son was apparent.
“I can’t say. Once we make contact, I’ll have a better idea of what we’re dealing with. I will tell you that most ransoms end well. There is no profit in killing the victim. It only incites revenge.”
“I have ordered troops to search every village and town in case your negotiations fail.”
Terry fought to act professional in his response. “I don’t think that is prudent. If the kidnappers feel they have lost control, if he becomes more of a liability than an asset, they may cut their losses and kill your son. I urge you to re-consider.”
The sheik considered this for a moment. “I have been told you are one of the best ransom negotiators in the world. I have also been told that you have staged physical extractions when negotiations failed. Do you consider this an option?”
Terry kept his professional detachment but as a father himself he wanted nothing more than to tell Ali that the ‘extraction’ would not be needed. He could see beyond the sheik’s words regarding his kingdom, and the need for Sahid to claim his place. He was a father afraid for his son and he would gladly give his entire kingdom to the kidnappers for the chance to see his son alive.
“Your highness, at this juncture the need to consider that option is unnecessary and irrelevant since we don’t have any idea where he is. Once we make contact and have a chance to negotiate there may be no need to consider what I believe is the last possible option.”
Ali sighed, “I understand that you also have a son, the same age as Sahid.”
Terry nodded.
“What would you do if it were him?”
Terry couldn’t help but return to a conversation very much like this one. Alice Bowman had asked the same question.
“I would have to trust the person handling the negotiations and follow his advice.”
A sad smile crossed Ali’s face. “Trust.” He glanced at the picture of his father hanging on the wall behind Terry. He looked back at Terry and his eyes were cold. “I could tell you many things about trust. It is a difficult concept when applied to those beyond your family. Men are motivated by greed and power and some of them…by love. I have a responsibility to my wife, my son and to my people. I do what is best for them and yet there are those who would see me fail for no other reason than to gain my power. I would never take a son from his father unless I believed the father was planning the destruction of my family or my home. Then I would be merciless. Bring home my son alive and unharmed.”
The message was clear. Terry was certain that Ali believed he was in on the plot to kill his son. The sheik obviously felt Terry would pretend to negotiate but would fail, giving Mahed the opportunity to claim that everything that could be done had been. He would be completely without fault and the sheik would have no proof of his involvement.
This meant that the sheik was far better informed than Terry or Rose had believed.
However, the reference to Henry made Terry uneasy. Ali, by mentioning Terry’s son, and his point about taking a son from his father, indicated that if Terry were involved, he ran the risk of losing Henry should things go wrong. He needed to somehow assure Ali that he was not associated with Mahed and that Sahid was safe.
Terry returned the sheik's cold look with one of his own. “Your highness, I know how important it is to you to have your son returned alive and well. My own son, though not heir to a kingdom, is just as important to me as yours is to you. Each time I negotiate I try to put myself in the family’s position. There are times when it is not prudent, but I cannot forget the reason behind my work. It has nothing to do with money or a contract; it is about reuniting a family. I only wonder what things my Henry and your Sahid would find in common if they were to meet.”
Ali scowled for a moment. On the surface, this ransom expert was trying to reassure him. But something in his eyes went beyond simple words. Why would he wonder about his son meeting Sahid? Was he behind the kidnapping? Mahed would be in a very good position to take control once Sahid was found dead. Indeed, he seemed most anxious about looking for the boy’s body. It was as if he knew it would be found. However, only hours later, he changed direction and requested that they contact T & D Enterprises, the company who held the ransom contract on Sahid’s life.
Ali suspected Mahed was behind the kidnapping, but was he? Could it be that someone else had taken Sahid? If so, was it for ransom or another purpose? Unless this K&R specialist was helping Mahed, there would be no profit, no reason. He would have to wait and see once the proof of life arrived.
It came only hours later, via e-mail. The initial contact was made through a phone call, which directed them to Sahid's computer and his e-mail. The young prince was an avid internet surfer. He had a wide variety of ‘friends’ in a chat room and though he never made the mistake of letting them know his true identity, he enjoyed communicating with average people across the world.
When Terry opened the e-mail, Sahid’s photograph quickly revealed that the boy was alive and unharmed. The Arabic paper he held indicated the photo had been taken that same day.
Karen, Sahid’s mother sobbed when she saw her son. She and Ali were standing behind Terry, who sat at the computer.
“Perhaps, my dear, you should return to your room. I will keep you informed.” Ali couldn’t help but smile when he saw his son’s picture but he was concerned for his wife. She had taken Sahid’s kidnapping very hard.
In fact, she had shouted at Mahed, accusing him and her father of being involved. She hated Mahed and had refrained from saying what she really believed until now. She had kept her silence in deference to her husband. They had many discussions over the years and her husband cautioned her not to allow her hatred to be shown. It could be very dangerous for him, her and their son. This however, was too much. Her son, her handsome, intelligent, loving son was in mortal danger and she could not, would not, act as if she were unaware of those who would harm him.
Ali nodded to a woman, Karen’s personal attaché, indicating that she should take his wife back to her room. He watched as she moved on wooden legs. He mourned her, knowing that she was already trying to be strong in the face of his failing health. They had married out of love and still had strong feelings for one another. She had tried to ignore his diagnosis, had convinced him to undergo therapy even though the chances of his remission were vanishingly small. His personal physician held little hope, but continued to attend him with medicines from the west.
Chapter Five
A month had passed and Karen sat despondently. They hadn’t had a proof of life now for nearly a week. Her new attaché, Rose, was trying to buoy up her emotions with encouragement. Karen had received yet another bad report from her husband’s physician. He told her in plain language that the end was no more than perhaps two or three weeks away. The thought of losing Ali was devastating, but combined with the loss of her son and his uncertain fate was nearly her undoing. She couldn’t break free from the overwhelming depression she was in.
To make matters worse, her father had arrived and was staying with them. He came claiming concern for her and the situation within the kingdom. She knew his “concern” was for the oil and nothing more. He had approached her the morning after his arrival and subtly tried to get her to speak with Ali about making Mahed interim ruler. “Just until Sahid is released. After all, Ali is very sick. His death would leave a void that could be filled with insurgents. You wouldn’t want that,” he had said.
She was also feeling the loss of her friend and personal attaché, Loretta Smith. Her long time friend had been with her since before she married Ali. When Ali proposed to her, he suggested that Karen ask Loretta to accompany her and become her personal attaché. Since that time, Karen had been without Loretta on only a few occasions, those times when Loretta needed to return home to see her family. She had been with Karen at the birth of Sahid and Karen knew she loved him like her own son.
When Ali was advised that Loretta was severely injured in an automobile accident and airlifted to a hospital in America, he knew how torn Karen would be. Loretta was the sister Karen never had and her loyalty would be strained between her ailing husband, missing son, and Loretta. He regretted having to burden her with yet another loss.
In reality, Loretta was on her way, not to an American hospital, but to a cottage outside of Langbridge, a small village near Scapa Flow, a Naval base rich in military heritage. Her “accident” had been a staged affair orchestrated by Terry and Rose and carried out by Dino and three of their employees.
Dino had approached Loretta in the marketplace when she was on an errand for Karen. He used his charm and good looks to cajole her into having a drink with him. He was an American and he appealed to her need to talk with a fellow countryman. During their conversation, he mentioned the kidnapping. She wouldn’t reveal anything to him about the negotiations, making it clear that it was not her place. But when he asked her, “What if these kidnappers took the boy for some other reason than ransom?”
“For what purpose?” Her eyes were suspicious.
He smiled, “Oh, I just thought it was possible that maybe these kidnappers have taken him completely out of harm's way. Maybe they’re just keeping him safe and playing a game where the ransom is concerned.”
Her eyes narrowed even more. “Why would you think that? Mahed would be happy to see Sahid dead. It would clear the way for him to become the next Sheik.”
“Well…maybe it wasn’t Mahed who had him taken.”
They spoke for a few minutes longer and Dino finally revealed who he was and what they were doing. He knew it was a dangerous move. If Loretta was as loyal to Karen as they believed, she would help him, if not, they were all as good as dead.
Loretta quickly agreed to help him, willing to do anything for her friend. However, when he explained that she would need to leave the palace and allow Rose to take her place, Loretta balked. Dino had been completely honest with her and told her about Rose’s past and the reason she was involved now. Loretta was afraid Rose might prove to be using them all, perhaps to even kill Ali. If so, Mahed could take control of the kingdom the moment Ali was dead. With Sahid gone, it could be difficult to re-establish him after the coup.
Dino assured her that Rose needed her position inside the palace to help Terry in case of just such an act, one that would come from Mahed, not Rose.
“How can you be so sure? She’s a mercenary. You said so yourself.”
“Was a mercenary. If she’d wanted to kill Sahid, she's had plenty of chances. Terry believes her…believes in her. I trust his instincts and he’s never let me down.”
The fear in Loretta’s eyes made Dino reach across the table and take her hand. Her voice shook, “You’re asking me to take a very big gamble on people I don’t even know. How can I trust you?”
He smiled, “You have very little choice. I know your loyalty lies with Sahid’s mother. I can’t positively guarantee that she won’t be hurt or killed if things go wrong. What I can guarantee is that Sahid is safe and you can help to keep him that way. He has been trying to return here. So far, we've managed to keep him confined. If he were to see you and you explained the importance of keeping him safe, we would have one less problem to deal with.”
He could see she was still unconvinced. “Sahid needs you. We need you. Help us.”
It took her several moments to sift through all she’d been told. When she finally answered he could see it was not an easy answer she gave. “Alright, I’ll do it for Karen’s only son and for his father’s kingdom, who will need him when this is over. But do not mistake me when I say if any harm comes to Karen or Sahid, I will not rest until you and your friends are dead.”
He tightened the hold on her hand, “And I promise that if anyone tries to hurt Sahid, Ali, or Karen, my friends and I will die making them pay.”
Dino, who had looked so charming and boyish when their conversation started, had changed. His eyes glittered like hard diamonds. No longer was he boyish or charming. The warrior, the soldier, the protector of innocents left no doubt in her mind that he would be ruthless in his revenge.
Karen stood at the door to her husband’s bedroom. They had stopped sleeping together once his health worsened. She felt the loss of his presence very acutely. He told her that he slept better when he was alone, but she suspected he was trying subtly to distance her from him. She knew him well enough to know he would not want to hurt her any more than necessary when he passed into the next world. She needed to make him understand that whatever time they had left she needed to be close to him, now more than ever.
Quietly she opened his door. She didn’t knock as was customary, afraid if she did he would feign sleep or his physician would demand she leave. He had done this each time she came to Ali’s room. His physician was giving him oral medicine as she walked in. He turned and saw her standing there. His face held shock and surprise. Why would he be so surprised? She was ready for his retort, but wasn’t ready for the vehemence he used.
“What are you doing here!” He shouted. “Get out!”
Karen fell back momentarily under the verbal command then regrouped and answered him forcefully. “No. I will stay with my husband.”
Ali looked gray and seemed to be having difficulty breathing. Karen ran to him. He was obviously in distress. “Have you called for an ambulance? He needs to go to the hospital!”
Karen was so intent on Ali she didn’t see the doctor raise his hand behind her back. In it was a hypodermic needle. He was intent on giving her the injection and failed to see Rose enter.
“Stop!” Rose was standing only a few feet from the end of Ali’s bed, a gun in her hand.
The physician stopped momentarily and scowled at her. “She is hysterical. I must give her the injection to calm her.”
“Put the needle down.” Rose’s eyes told him he was a dead man if he didn’t.
He slowly placed the needle on the table and stepped away when Rose indicated he should move. She smelled the cup Ali had just drank from. She knew the smell, all good assassins did.
“Karen, call for an ambulance.” When she didn’t move, Rose shouted, “Karen! I said, call for an ambulance!”
Karen did what she was told while Rose called Terry on her cell phone. He ran in only moments later. Rose shouted, “Goat’s milk, get some goat’s milk! Hurry!”
Terry raced for the huge palace kitchen and grabbed a bottle of milk from the restaurant-size refrigerator. When he re-entered Ali’s room Karen was holding Rose’s gun on the doctor and Rose was piling pillows behind the Sheik.
She grabbed the milk and told Terry, “We have to get as much into him as we can and we need to get him to the hospital as fast as possible. He’s been poisoned.”
The morning headlines told of how Sheik al Bahran had very nearly been assassinated by his long-time physician. Only by the quick thinking of his negotiator did Ali al Bahran live to reach the hospital. The emergency room doctor praised Terry’s determination and accurate instincts in giving the Sheik goat’s milk to help coat his stomach and block the poison. “It would have been a great loss to our people if Sheik al Bahran had died at this most tumultuous time.”
Once the sheik was out of danger, the emergency room physician approached Terry. “Mr. Thorne,” he said, “I would like to speak with you alone.” He led Terry to a deserted waiting room at the other end of the hall.
“I am putting my trust in you since you were the one who saved the sheik.”
Knowing that the media would give details about the assassination attempt, Rose was not mentioned in the report. She insisted that Broken Rose might realize that she helped Ali when she should have allowed him to die to further their plans. As such, Terry was given all the credit. Since he was the sheik’s negotiator, he would have naturally tried to help.
Terry watched as Doctor Tali fidgeted for a moment. “You are aware that Sheik al Bahran was being treated for pancreatic cancer?”
Terry nodded and the doctor went on. “It is very curious since all our tests indicate that his pancreas is functioning normally.”
“You mean to tell me the sheik doesn’t have pancreatic cancer?” Terry’s eyes bored into the young man.
“Yes, that is what I am saying. The reports we’ve been told are untrue.”
“Can you tell what has been making him so ill for the last year and half?”
“I can tell you that he has a high amount of arsenic in his system. His doctor must have been feeding him small doses waiting for it to build up in his system to the point it would finally kill him. It would have been easy to give him something less noxious in his food to make it seem his pancreas wasn’t working properly. There are several herbs, which one could use that wouldn’t make anyone suspicious especially given his 'diagnosis'. With the stories of his cancer, only Mahed would have been given his autopsy once he died. It would be up to him to decide if the people should know he was assassinated.” Doctor Tali looked down at his shoes. “I don’t like to speak badly about someone who has so much power, but I doubt Mahed would have chosen to tell us.”
“Didn’t anyone suspect the lie?”
“I doubt seriously that the tests al Bahran underwent in the beginning were done by real medical personnel. It would not be difficult for Mahed to have Dr. Ramani run the tests and interpret them as he saw fit. After all, he was al Bahran’s trusted physician.”
“Does anyone know you ran tests on the sheik?”
“No, I conducted them myself. My father used to talk about Mahed. He was never kind in his assessment of the man. I just wanted to know for sure that what we were being told was the truth and I understand now the mistrust my father had for Mahed.”
Terry cautioned him, “Tell no one what you know. Your life and your family’s lives may depend on that.”
Chapter Six
Terry went in to see Ali two days later. He lay propped up in the hospital bed and Terry could see he was nearly as pale as the white sheets he lay on. Karen sat in a chair next to his bed, talking quietly to him. When Terry walked in Ali motioned him to the other side of the bed. He grasped Terry’s hand and held it tight.
“Thank you, thank you for your help. It is a sad day when I must owe my life to relative strangers, when I am surrounded by those who I should have been able to call friend. Ramani was my father’s physician and professed to be his friend. I relied upon him because of it. Now I realize he was nothing but an agent for Mahed.”
“Not that I have any love for your would-be assassin, but I don’t think he did it for money. I believe Mahed may have threatened his family.”
“Why would you think that?”
“Because his wife was found dead this morning along with his children and their families. They were murdered in a remote field outside of the city. Mahed didn’t tell you?”
Karen sucked in her breath and held Ali’s hand tighter, her face a mask of shock and pain.
The monarch closed his eyes and shook his head tiredly. “No, he never mentioned it.”
Terry went on, “When I approached him about it he told me a mob had done it. That they wanted to avenge you.”
“But you don’t believe that.”
“Oh, I believe they may have wanted vengeance, but I can’t believe a mob did it. It was too quick and well-organized, collecting each of Ramani’s children and their families, then killing them in a place where they shouldn’t have been found. A mob would have wanted their deaths to be known. A young shepherd found them while herding his goats. Someone would have seen them being taken forcibly from their homes. Instead, their neighbors all said the families were gone two days before that.”
Karen sat with her eyes closed. “They were sacrificed to keep Mahed’s secret.”
“But that would mean Ramani has no reason to keep the secret any longer. They removed his hostages.” Terry had to admire Ali. Even sick and besieged his mind was clear and sharp.
“I don’t suppose Mahed told you Ramani was found dead in his cell the morning after you were poisoned?”
“No,” the monarch whispered. “I am more in fear for Sahid now than ever. You must get him back.”
Terry couldn’t keep the truth from Ali any longer. He leaned close to Ali’s ear and whispered, “Don’t worry, your son is safe, I promise.”
As Terry pulled away he looked into Ali’s eyes. Everything was clear to him now. This negotiator was involved in the kidnapping, but not for any evil purpose. He was certain of this.
Terry didn’t tell Ali or Karen the truth about the sheik’s health. It hurt him to keep them in the dark, but he felt, for the time being it was for the best. Mahed had to believe Ali still thought he was sick and that Terry was still negotiating for Sahid’s release. They would have a tinker’s chance in hell to catch Mahed in his scheme without more time to trap him. Terry couldn’t forget that Broken Rose still hadn’t been found and the threat they posed to Michael and Mindy was still real.
Terry mentioned the fact that Ali no longer had a personal physician and recommended that Doctor Tali be asked to fill that position. Terry knew Tali was loyal and that he could be counted upon to let Terry know if Mahed approached him. Terry didn’t want to put Tali’s family at risk, but he needed someone he could trust to take care of the sheik.
Thousands of miles away Sahid sat on a chilly hillside overlooking Scapa Flow. One of his minders stood only a few feet away. The boy contemplated the conversation his 'aunt' Loretta had with him that morning. He was exceedingly happy to see her when she stepped out of the car in front of the cottage. He’d been very lonely and afraid, and her familiar face was more comforting than he would have admitted to. Her explanation and positive attitude helped but didn’t fully allay his fear for his father and mother.
A boy his age had accompanied her. She introduced him as Henry Thorne. Henry’s grandfather owned the cottage and Henry had come to visit them.
“Sahid, Sahid!” The young sheik turned to see Henry walking toward him. He hadn’t had time to do more than greet Henry when he arrived. He studied the young man as he approached.
Henry was tall and slender with light brown hair and pale skin, typical of the English. He had a nice smile and a bit of sadness in his eyes.
“It’s cold out here, why don’t you come back to the cottage and we’ll play some chess.” That didn’t seem to encourage Sahid, so he said, “I brought my laptop, we could play some video games.”
Henry sat down next to the young sheik. He wasn’t exactly sure what to say. Henry was being educated at one of London’s finest schools and was fully aware of Sahid’s standing as a “sheik-in-anticipation”. He'd come at the request of his father. Terry personally called Henry and asked him to visit Sahid. From his communiqués, Terry realized Sahid needed someone with whom he could talk. Although they sent Loretta, Terry felt someone Sahid’s own age might be able to help him more.
Terry had called his ex-father-in-law, retired General Spencer, and asked that he help them by allowing them to keep Sahid at his father’s cottage. At first the General balked, not wanting to be caught up in an international kidnapping. But after convincing the general that his only concern was for Sahid’s safety, Terry got the go ahead. When Terry called only a week later he asked General Spencer to intercede for him with Gwen, Terry’s ex-wife, and talk her into letting Henry go to the cottage for a few days. The general proved once more that he was an ally, not the enemy he claimed to be when Terry married his daughter.
The general had been totally against the marriage. He never told Terry why. He simply let Terry think it was because he wasn’t good enough for the general’s daughter. After all he was an Aussie.
In truth, the general didn’t want his daughter to ruin a good man. General Spencer was certain that Terry loved his daughter. He suspected, however, that though she was attracted to the young handsome officer, she was more interested in shocking her father than being in love with Terry. He couldn’t see Gwen living alone while Terry was off on assignment. She was a social butterfly; he was a hardened soldier. She wanted to attend parties with her handsome Captain in his dress uniform. He only wanted to relax and enjoy time alone with her and his new son. The match was doomed before it started and the general could see it. It hurt him terribly when Gwen sent Terry the divorce papers. He was away on assignment when he received them.
Since then the general had seen Terry only twice. He came to the general’s home immediately on his return to talk to Gwen. He had tried to talk her into dropping the divorce. She refused. When Terry left the house, the general was standing near the doorway. Terry’s only comment was, “Well, General, you have what you always wanted. Just remember, Henry is as much Aussie as he is English.”
The next time he saw Terry was two years later. He was at Gwen’s home when Terry arrived to take Henry for the day. He told the general that he had left the service to spend more time with Henry. He had a new job as a hostage negotiator and would be living in London. As it turned out, the new job kept him away from London even more than the service had.
Henry finally got Sahid to come inside. He talked him into playing a game of chess. Sahid was surprisingly good at it. When Henry asked who taught him the game, Sahid answered, “My father.”
He rose, walked away from the table and stood looking out the window. “He told me that all men in political positions needed to understand chess. It applies to life. I always looked at it as a game when I was young, but now I see how right he was. I feel as if I’m a pawn in a very dangerous game.”
Henry came to stand by him. “You aren’t a pawn, you’re a castle. Eventually you’ll become a king. Although I didn’t realize it before, my father is a knight. He fights to protect the king and queen.” He put his hand on Sahid’s shoulder. “My father is the very best knight. He’ll take care of your parents, I promise.”
Later that night while lying in bed, Henry contemplated a conversation he had with his grandfather the night before coming to the cottage. His grandfather spoke plainly about his father for the first time in Henry’s life. He told him about some of the assignments Terry had been on during his time in the military, and he explained the dangers in his job as negotiator. He also told him about their relationship as well as that of Henry’s mother.
“Why are you telling me this now? I know something about what Dad does and what he did in the past.”
“No, Henry, you know only what your mother has told you. You don’t know your father as well as you should and I’m sure that is as great a burden on him as it is on you. I realize he’s disappointed you several times by leaving when you needed him near, but I don’t believe it was because he wanted to. He loves you very much. Of that I am certain.”
Henry spoke louder than normal and it stunned General Spencer. “Then why did he always chose his job over me?”
The general sighed, “Because it was all he had. He could have gone back to Australia, to his family, but he wanted to be close to you. Your mother resented him for making her feel guilty. She wanted the divorce, not Terry, and she made it as difficult as possible for him to spend time with you. Once he got the job as negotiator, it demanded more time than he realized. Your mum used his time away to make him feel guilty. She worked on your natural resentment to force an even further wedge between you.”
“But he could have given up his job and found something else!”
“Maybe, but
Terrence Thorne isn’t a man who can sit behind a desk and order others to do a
job that he can do better. Believe me, I understand that. When I was finally
taken out of fieldwork and put behind a desk I felt impotent, useless. But I
had a wife who supported me and a family who made the change easier. Your
father had neither. So, I believe he retreated into his job. Henry, there is
no one better at what he does than Terry Thorne. He has saved many people from
despair, slavery, and even death. You should be proud of him and the sacrifices
he’s made. He was and is a soldier.”
Terry approached Rose and watched as she stood looking out over the gardens from the second floor balcony. “Did you receive a proof of life?”
She turned when she heard his voice. She had received pictures of her daughter and past lover. They looked healthy and well cared for. “Yes, but I don’t trust them.”
Terry nodded, knowing what Broken Rose was capable of. He wasn’t even sure that if Dino and his extraction team found them that they would be able to get Michael and Mindy out alive. Rose had made it clear that Calinda had become, in Rose's words, evil. She enjoyed her supreme control over someone else’s life and took pleasure in the pain and death she dealt.
Terry slipped his arm around Rose’s waist and leaned into her, his mouth near her ear. He whispered, “I promise we’ll get them back.” He only hoped he could fulfill that promise.
Rose turned to look into his eyes. If anyone could do that, she was sure Terry and Dino could. She realized after spending time here with Karen and Ali that she could no more kill their son to save Michael and Mindy than she could have killed her own daughter. Her mission now was to see this through to the end and make sure Broken Rose never put her in this position again.
She had to smile. Her heart could no longer harden itself to outright murder. In the past she could do so, citing her mission and the reasons behind it. Even when Broken Rose turned mercenary she tried to see the reasons behind what their 'employers' asked them to do. But more and more she had realized it was wrong. The money was nothing. It didn’t assuage her guilt and her pride in the troupe's accomplishments diminished to nothing.
The night Rolley Chambers son died in her arms was the wake up call she had been waiting for. She walked away and hoped never to look back. Now, being on the 'right side' again felt good. Oh, she would have killed the doctor when he threatened Karen because it would have been the right thing to do. But she didn’t want the rest of her life to be caught up in killing, even to protect someone who deserved the protection. In fact, standing next to Terry with his strong arm around her, she even gave into the possibility that maybe life would offer her more than just a job to occupy her time once this was over.
Down the hall in a soundproof room, Mahed and Andrew Sipes were deep in discussion. Sipes was angry that Ali hadn’t died as planned.
Mahed, never one to be told by anyone that he didn’t have control of a situation, shouted, “I know Ali should have died! He would have if that meddling negotiator hadn’t interfered. We still don’t know where Sahid is or who took him. I nearly tipped our hand when I was told Sahid was gone. The person who was supposed to take him arrived late. She was to have lured him away and then killed him. But someone else took him first.”
“Well, who is this person? Is she still available? Maybe we could switch her target to Ali. With Sahid gone and Ali dead you could step in and take over.”
“And what if Sahid suddenly is released? I would have to relinquish control to him. The people would demand it.”
Andrew Sipes, a big beefy man with heavy jowls and petulant mouth, contemplated this for a moment. “It seems to me that if Mr. Thorne could be persuaded not to try as hard in his negotiations, perhaps the kidnappers would become frustrated and remove Sahid for us.”
Mahed, tall and slender to the point of near emaciation, narrowed his crafty eyes and thought about that. After a few moments of evaluation, he said, “I don’t think Mr. Thorne is a man who can be bought. His dossier indicates a high amount of dedication to his craft.”
“Well, he has a son who lives in London, doesn’t he? Perhaps if his son were to come up missing Mr. Thorne would see the need to accommodate us.”
The next day, Gwen called Terry to let him know Henry had gone missing. She was nearly hysterical trying to explain how he disappeared right after a rugby game. Terry could barely understand her and requested that she put Charles, Gwen’s second husband on the phone.
“Terry,” Charles was obviously upset, he and Henry had a good relationship, better than Henry and his own father, “we’ve contacted the police and they’re doing all they can. We simply don’t have any idea why this happened.”
Terry knew Charles was very wealthy. To him and Gwen, not to mention the London police, it would seem as though Henry was a kidnap victim. Though it didn’t happen often in places like America, Britain, or other western countries, it still happened often enough. Terry was sorry to put Gwen and Charles through this but if he were right, Henry was somewhere unknown to him, being explained to why he was not allowed to return home.
The day before, Sipes had caught Terry as he left a meeting with Ali. Lately al Bahran had consulted with Thorne behind closed doors and without Mahed present. The ‘bugs’ that were placed conveniently where monitors could pick up the conversations, had been removed. Since then, Ali’s bodyguard’s allowed no one into Ali’s room except Dr. Tali, Rose, Karen and Thorne. Sipes had been annoyed in the extreme and Mahed was livid. His personal intelligence was cut to a minimum. Ali had returned to the palace after only two days in the hospital. Security at the palace was better than in the hospital. Now Thorne was coaching Ali and his personal rooms were being swept continually for monitoring devices.
Sipes had smiled when Terry passed him in the hallway. “Mr. Thorne, I wonder if we could have a word?”
Terry didn’t want to talk to the man but needed to get to know him more. Terry’s first impression was that this man cared nothing for his own daughter or grandson. Karen was highly suspicious of her father’s ‘support’. She had told Terry about their relationship and the fact that he never acknowledged Sahid as anything more than the possible next ruler of the kingdom.
Terry indicated they should move into a small room down the hall. The moment they stepped in, Sipes closed the door behind them. “Mr. Thorne, I would like to know precisely where negotiations are. It seems you are no closer to securing my grandson's release now than when negotiations started.”
Terry turned to face Sipes, his face an unreadable mask. “I realize it seems negotiations are slow, but it often takes months to come to a price.”
“Why are you so worried about price? We’re talking about the future of Ali’s kingdom. We can’t wait until you decide on a bargain price.”
“It isn’t just about price. If we offer too quickly or seem too eager, they will ask for more. The escalation will give the impression that we will acquiesce to whatever demands they make. When that happens, we lose control. If we lose control, Sahid’s life may be forfeit.”
“You’re a businessman, Mr. Thorne. I realize the money is important to you and your company but I suggest you give the kidnappers what they want. Ali pays your company very well to step up and pay what the contract states. We need to bring the negotiations to an end.”
Terry started to the door. Sipes realized he couldn’t bully Thorne. “You have a son I’m told. He’s about Sahid’s age, I believe.”
Terry turned.
“I hope nothing like this ever happens to him.”
“Mr. Sipes, I understand that Sahid’s return is important on many levels. However, I am the expert in these matters and I will not compromise his well being by accepting advice from someone who is not a trained negotiator.”
“What would you do if your son suddenly came up missing? Would you negotiate for his release?” Sipes looked like a viper ready to strike.
The message was unmistakable; end negotiations or Henry was at risk. Terry thought it over for a moment, his eyes stony. “I would not be the negotiator. However, if anything were to happen to him, I would become his avenging angel. His kidnappers would know I would be merciless.”
With that, Terry turned and strode out of the room. Sipes had met hard men, men with no scruples and they were formidable in their revenge, but never had he looked at death so clearly. Well, if Thorne couldn’t see the light things would have to be done. It didn’t bother him one bit that Henry would never live beyond his usefulness in controlling Thorne.
Terry returned to his room and immediately called General Spencer via his hidden satellite phone.
ON TO PART 8
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