Rebecca nodded. “I like it.”
“If we can get the program up and running, Antonia’s going to be a part of it. She’s planning to work as a volunteer and then pursue a nursing career. I told Estefan that Harv and I would pay for her schooling if she’s truly serious about it.”
“That’s quite generous of you and forgiving. I’ll make sure the full value of the gold is transferred when the program’s ready. Just say the word.”
“Thanks, Rebecca.”
“How are they doing?”
“His wife isn’t expected to have any complications, but they’re keeping her a few more days just to be on the safe side. Estefan’s going to rebuild his house with the insurance money. I let him keep one of the gold bars. At first he didn’t want to take it, but I told him he’d earned it.” Nathan smiled. “It didn’t take a strong argument to persuade him.”
“You delivered an expensive helicopter.”
“What helicopter?”
“Exactly.”
He shook his head.
“What?”
He looked out the window. “Just thinking about that mine.”
Rebecca didn’t say anything for a few seconds. “So how’d you do down there?”
He knew what she meant. “Better than I expected. To be honest, I didn’t have a lot of time for introspection.”
“Probably for the best,” Harv added.
“About Macanas…”
“About Macanas.” She pulled a tablet from her briefcase. “Needless to say, this is for your eyes only. We were able to confirm everything Raven told you except for the dirt on Estefan’s father.”
She slid the device across the table. The sound was muted, but the screen showed a green night-vision video, obviously taken from an orbiting aircraft.
“Macanas’s home?” Nathan asked. The hilltop mansion looked big enough to be a small hotel resort, complete with two pools, a tennis court, and several freestanding buildings — probably his staff’s residences.
“Keep watching.”
Nothing looked out of the ordinary until a dozen figures emerged from various locations along the perimeter wall and ran toward the house. A few seconds later, all the ground-floor windows flashed simultaneously.
“SEALs?”
“Marines.”
“Outstanding,” Nathan said.
The video skipped. “That’s a six-minute jump.”
The same number of men emerged from the house, scaled the perimeter wall, and disappeared into the trees.
“This is good footage,” said Harv. “A drone?”
Rebecca nodded as she took back the tablet. “A small one. It has the radar signature of a seagull. That footage is from ten thousand feet.”
“Incredible,” Harv said.
Nathan leaned back in his chair. “I’m assuming Mr. Macanas is no longer a… concern.”
“Yes, that’s a fair assumption. The NNP recovered close to $150 million worth of illegally obtained antiquities from his property: Mayan, Incan, Aztec… The man didn’t discriminate. Many of the artifacts were solid gold.”
“What happens to them?” Harv asked.
“This hasn’t been confirmed, but Torres plans to donate them to museums, some of which are in Colombia and Venezuela.”
“So Raven’s evidence…” Nathan began.
“Is helping Colombian and Venezuelan authorities close the books on a pair of high-profile crimes. Consequently, relations between the US and Nicaragua are a little stronger than they were a week ago. It seems you and Harv have earned a few more brownie points in high places.”
“We’re not keeping score. Harv and I went down there to help a friend. Something’s puzzling me, though.”
“What’s that?”
“How did you get permission to conduct the raid on Macanas’s property?”
“We traded for it.”
“Raven’s evidence again?”
She nodded. “Since Colombia and Venezuela are resolving the murders, the economic summit is moving forward as planned. I’m assuming you didn’t see my texts to get out of there.”
“I checked for a signal after we were airborne and saw them. Thanks for the heads-up. I’m sorry we didn’t see it in time.”
“I appreciate your continued trust, Nathan.”
“Like I told Harv, had you known who Macanas was, you would’ve told us. I don’t doubt that for a second.”
“Yes, I would have.” She looked at her watch again.
“Look, if you’re pressed for time…”
“I’m expecting someone.”
“Who’s that?”
“Right on time,” Rebecca said, looking over Nathan’s shoulder.
Nathan turned.
Holly!
“Harv, you arranged this.”
“Guilty as charged.”
Nathan got up and hurried over. Holly practically disappeared inside his grasp. He couldn’t believe how good it felt to be hugged like this. “You saved my life,” he whispered.
She looked puzzled.
“I’ll tell you about it later.”
“I’m just glad you’re okay,” Holly said. “You are okay, aren’t you? No new holes or broken bones?”
“Nope, I’m good.”
Holly wore a business outfit similar to Rebecca’s, but slightly more muted in color. She and Rebecca had about the same build and hair color, but Holly was a few inches shorter. Holly’s eyes were hazel, not brown, and her face reflected Slavic genes from a few generations ago.
“You look great, Holly. You really do.”
“Thank you.”
Both Harv and Rebecca stood as they approached the table.
“It’s nice to see you again, Holly,” Rebecca said.
Nathan recalled they’d met briefly in San Diego during the Montez situation. Holly gave Harv a tight hug and shook hands with Rebecca.
“Well,” Rebecca said. “Look at the time. I’m afraid I’ve got to be going.”
“Speaking of,” Harv said. “My tee time has arrived.”
“This is beyond staged,” Nathan said. “It’s a full-blown conspiracy.”
Rebecca put a hand on Nathan’s shoulder and thanked him again. Together, she and Harv left the lounge with the other operations officers in tow.
“Harvey asked me not to return your calls. He wanted to surprise you.”
“I’d just assumed you were busy, but I should’ve known he’d do something like this. He’s an amazing friend.”
She gave him a long, dreamy look and smiled slightly. “Nathan?”
“Yes?” Nathan took a drink of water.
“Take me down to the driving range.”
He nearly spit the water on the table. “What?”
“You know, where they hit golf balls?”
“Oh, that. Yeah… Sure, I mean…”
She grinned.
“You really want to do that? Right now?”
“Do you have something else in mind?”
“Well, no… It’s just that you’ve never expressed any interest in learning to golf.”
“Will you teach me?”
“I’m a horrible golfer, but I’ll try. I know the mechanics, I just can’t perform them.” He gave her a long look of his own. “Are you messing with me?”
“No, I really want to learn. Helicopters too.”
“Now that’s something I can do. Do you want to get a rating or just know how to do it?”
“I want to be a pilot, like you.”
“Well, aren’t you full of surprises today.”
“I’ve really missed you, Nathan. I need to get some pleasure back in my life. My new job is… stressful. Don’t get me wrong. I’m very good at it and everything. But I feel like I’ve almost forgotten how to live. I never take vacation time anymore.”
“Remember what I said about this when we first met?”
“How could I forget? I’ve been thinking about it a lot. Don’t get me wrong — I love my work, but I don’t want to be married to it.”
They enjoyed a comfortable silence for a few seconds.