Gikas had known the man would be a problem. Niko Teridis was a tyrant of a businessman, and he’d built his real estate empire in a short amount of time. Brilliantly, he’d moved most of his assets over to precious metals and technology investments before the Greek economy began falling apart. Now, he was one of the wealthiest people in the entire country, second in the room only to Dimitris himself, a fact that surely festered in Niko’s mind.
The truth was that Gikas didn’t need him. Teridis would be more of a liability than any of the others, who all seemed anxiously willing to get in line and do as they were told. Gikas had meant everything he’d said. He would make the men in that room wealthier and more powerful than they’d ever hoped to become. And he would expand the Greek empire to the greatness it deserved. Gikas had not revealed the last part to anyone except for his trusted right hand, Thanos. For a second, his thoughts wandered to what his second in command was working on. Gikas needed the Eye of Zeus. With the relic secured, Gikas would be able to plan every military move with flawless precision. Within a few years, Europe would kneel beneath him.
Teridis snapped the silence abruptly. “I must be going. I have many things to tend to before I leave the country this afternoon.” He shook his head. “I will not be a part of this ridiculous venture, Dimitris. My money will be kept where it is. I recommend all of you do the same.”
The rotund man pushed his chair back and stood up. His lone bodyguard stepped to his side quickly and escorted him to the door.
“I wish you would reconsider, Niko,” Gikas said, giving one last attempt. “But I understand. If you must go, I do not hold your decision against you.”
Teridis cast him a sarcastic smile, and then turned and left the room. The remaining men turned their gaze back to Gikas, perhaps expecting a less-than-cheerful reaction to the interaction.
Gikas would give them no such thing. He’d spent much of his life honing his emotions so that they would always be under control when the situation called for it. Like a great poker player, suppressing all external signs of distress, Dimitris Gikas buried his thoughts and feelings deep inside.
“Well, gentlemen,” he said after he was sure Teridis had exited the building, “Niko is right. I’m sure many of you need to return to business matters. I do thank all of you for coming to meet with me.”
Thropopolis stood up and looked around the room. “I cannot speak for the rest of these men, but you have my allegiance, Dimitris. Please do not take it lightly.”
A sinister grin inched its way to one side of Dimitris’s face. He knew if Michael Thropopolis would commit, so would the others.
One by one, each man in the room stood up and announced their intention to be a part of the new leadership of Greece. Lambs, Gikas thought quietly to himself as the men committed their resources and blood to the cause. One always follows the other.
“Thank you all,” he said after a moment of reflection. “Your loyalty will not go unrewarded. I will be in touch with each of you soon to give you an update on our progress and to reveal something I have been working on behind the scenes.”
The last sentence piqued the curiosity of every man in the room, but Gikas wouldn’t give away that last little morsel. Not yet, anyway. They would all be made privy to it soon, but he had to know who he could trust. “For now, carry on with business as usual. You will know when the time has come.”
Thropopolis appeared uncertain. “How will we know what to do when this time comes?”
“You will know, old friend. However, if it will ease your mind, I simply need all of you to publicly support me as I push toward a new government. If we stand together, we will not fail.”
They all nodded, and then proceeded one by one out the door until Gikas was the only one left. He waited until he heard the door click and slid the cell phone out of his pocket. A second later, it was ringing.
“Yes, sir?” the masculine voice said on the other line.
“Do you have Niko?”
“Yes. We grabbed him and his bodyguard as they were about to get in his car.”
Gikas smiled. He’d let the chubby man leave of his own free will, knowing full well that Teridis would never acquiesce to the notion of making Dimitris the new king of Greece. Niko TeridisTeridis was a proud, stubborn individual. Gikas had always disliked him, feeling that his rival had been born into a world of advantages. Sure, he made some smart financial moves to get where he was, but that didn’t change the fact that he’d had a significant head start.
“Hold onto him. I’ll be right there.”
“What about the bodyguard?” the man on the other end of the conversation asked.
“Kill him.”
Chapter 13
Sean and Tommy stayed low to the floor and belly crawled over to where Yarbrough was leaning up against the bed. The agent clutched his bleeding shoulder, trying to keep pressure on the wound.
Yarbrough grunted through clenched teeth, trying hard to fight off the pain. “Get out of here, Wyatt. Both of you.” He barked the order at the men.
Neither of them had any intention of leaving the Secret Service man behind. “Sorry, Gerald. It doesn’t work that way.” Sean smirked at the grimacing agent. “I appreciate the offer, though.”
“Yeah,” Tommy agreed. “Leaving a man behind isn’t really our style.”
“I don’t care what your style is, get your stubborn asses out of here.”
“No can do,” Tommy said. “Although, our stubbornness has nearly gotten us killed on more than one occasion.”
Sean’s grin widened. “We like to think of it as an endearing quality.”
Yarbrough could see the argument was going to get him nowhere. Another round pierced the window and thumped into the wall on the other side of the bed. “We need to get out of here,” he said. “Our driver won’t be back for half an hour, though.”
Sean shook his head. “That isn’t entirely accurate.” At the quizzical glance the agent gave him, he was compelled to explain. “I may have told him to circle around and come back in five instead of thirty.”
“Why would you do that?” Yarbrough asked.
“Call it a hunch.”
Tommy nodded. “He’s good with hunches.”
Sean refocused the group. “Whatever you do, stay low. I’m going to close the curtain so they don’t have a clear line of sight. You two start crawling for the door. I’ll be right behind you.”
Yarbrough agreed with a nod and rolled over onto his stomach. He let out a short grunt, clearly in pain from the bullet lodged in his shoulder. He made himself keep going, inching toward the door with Tommy in the lead.
Sean slid over to the wall and yanked on the stick connected to the drapes. The room went dark again except for the lights on near the doorway. Another bullet found its way through the window and into the far wall, harmlessly sending a puff of drywall powder into the air. Sean removed the handgun from the shoulder holster Yarbrough had given him on the plane. Sneaking weapons into the country was easy when you were on a private jet chartered by Uncle Sam. The Sig felt comfortable in his hand, despite his preference being Springfield’s selection of arms.
He caught up to the other two men, who were waiting at the door. Tommy had pulled out his own weapon. He leaned against the wall space next to the doorframe, holding the gun tight to his chest.