Yarbrough’s eyes didn’t leave the tarmac as he sped toward a lonely hangar off to the right. “Never hurts.”
Chapter 4
“What do you mean, you lost them?” Dimitris Gikas slammed a balled fist on the kitchen counter. A round tumbler, half-filled with Scotch, shook for a second after the sudden close call with the hand. The other held a cell phone to his ear.
“They turned into a military airbase, sir. No way we could follow them in there.”
Gikas knew what the consequences would be. He didn’t need his underling to explain anything in that regard. What he did want to know was how Thanos and his men had allowed Wyatt to get that far. “Why didn’t you stop them before they could escape?”
“We tried, sir. I accept full responsibility. We attempted to shoot out the tires but they were equipped for that. Also, you should know their vehicle had bulletproof glass.” Thanos’s answer didn’t please Gikas, but it gave him a clue as to whom they might have been up against.
Bulletproof glass wasn’t extremely difficult to come by, but its weight and expense made it an irrational option for most people. The luxury wasn’t optional for most consumers; extraordinarily wealthy business people were one market, world leaders another batch that would make the short list.
Based on the description his man had given earlier and this new information, the list grew even shorter. He released his anger and lowered his voice. Night had fallen over the Greek island, and the sounds of evening began to carry through the open windows, various insects, birds, and the constant crashing of the sea in the distance. “These men you described earlier; tell me again what they looked like. What were they wearing?”
“They all wore the same suits, sir. Every one of them looked alike. They all had short haircuts too. One was a black man; the rest were white.”
Gikas rubbed his chin for a moment then grabbed the glass from the counter and took a long sip of the golden Scotch. He swallowed hard, letting the burn soothe the back of his throat before setting the glass back down. “You mentioned that they went to the airport, but turned in through a private gate. Correct?”
“That is correct. And,” Thanos’s raspy voice added, “another vehicle was waiting at the gate to block the entrance.”
Gikas processed the additional information for a second. He paced from one end of his extravagant kitchen to the other, stopping at the stainless steel Sub-Zero refrigerator. He spun around and stared across the room, looking out at the wooded hill behind his the estate. “They’re definitely U.S. government,” he said. “From what you described, it sounds like they are most certainly Secret Service.”
“The protectors of the United States president?” Thanos sounded doubtful.
“Agreed, but that is the only thing that makes sense.” Gikas trailed off.
There was a tense moment of silence between the two men. Finally, Thanos broke the quiet. “Why would they want Wyatt?”
“It could be anything. He’s a loose cannon. Perhaps he did not pay his taxes,” Gikas stopped to think about another possibility. It was doubtful, but certainly possible. Was the president looking for Wyatt’s help with something? And if so, what?
Gikas had read Sean Wyatt’s dossier. He knew exactly what the former Axis agent was capable of. According to his file, Wyatt had gone to work for the International Archaeological Agency after leaving the Justice Department. Instead of a relaxing job doing research, he’d been involved with securing lost artifacts and getting them safely to whatever museum or analytic facility needed them. On more than one occasion, Wyatt had found himself in sticky situations, but he’d always come out clean on the other side.
In recent forays, the former Axis man had made the discoveries of a lifetime, finding what was the final resting place of Noah’s ark, and supposedly the last remains of the Garden of Eden. In the course of the events leading to the incredible finds, he had killed several high-end mercenaries. “Keep your ears open. If you hear anything through any of our channels, find the leak and plug it.”
“Of course. I’ll handle it personally.” There were another few seconds of silence before Thanos spoke up again. “What should we do about Wyatt? There’s no way we will be able to get to him.”
“Forget about him for now. If he is with the Secret Service, he likely has his own problems. Besides, I have the girl here with me.”
Thanos laughed subtly. “Has she told you anything?”
Gikas could picture the man’s thick face, twisted in a sickly grin. “No, but she will. Everyone has their breaking point.”
Another chuckle came through the earpiece of the phone, a little louder the second time. “And what will you do with her once you have broken her?”
Gikas looked over at the door to the basement. He’d sent his prisoner to her cell as soon as dinner was over. He was done being cordial. It was his modus operandi for everything. It had become expected of him with both his friends and his enemies. When Dimitris Gikas wanted something, he did his best to get what he wanted without any trouble. More often than not, a simple exchange of money took care of the request. Sometimes, however, there were troublemakers, people who were too proud to bow out quietly. Whether it was a business deal, or as in this case, information he needed, Gikas was a man who was used to getting his way. Anyone who tried to keep that from happening usually met their end in a very slow and painful way.
Thanos had developed a less-than-gentle touch over the years. He seemed even more vigorous when it came to his lustful instincts. Gikas knew what kinds of twisted things his head of security was capable of. It was a big reason he’d put the man in charge. Thanos’s reputation for cruelty was something Gikas had needed to make sure things always went his way. He was also the only person on the planet that Dimitris Gikas felt he could trust.
Through the years, he had paid Thanos a small fortune, making the man powerful in his own right. Never forgetting who had given him his break, Thanos remained fiercely loyal to Gikas. That loyalty was a stronger bond than anything anyone had ever thrown at the two men. From time to time, Gikas allowed his second in command a little leeway with his debauchery.
“This one?” he said into the device. “I may just let you have your fun with her, my old friend.”
Chapter 5
The flight from western Florida to eastern South Carolina hadn’t taken long. Through the years, Sean had tried to grow accustomed to the luxury of flying on private jets, but it was something that never got old. Every time he was forced to fly on a commercial airline, he longed for the decadent comforts of the IAA Gulfstream G5.
Even though the airport was relatively close to the president’s location, the drive out to Kiawah Island was a slow, tedious cruise through the flats leading to the inlets and shallow waterways of the coast. Spanish moss hung from the ancient Southern willows lining the roads, casting the asphalt in an almost permanent shade. The sun’s rays peeked through in a few spots every now and then, shining brightly onto the side of Sean’s face like a strange, yellowish strobe light. He’d never really had a chance to head to Kiawah in all his visits to the historic town of Charleston. The city was one of his favorite places to visit when he wasn’t working. Being surrounded by all that history plus good, Southern cooking and hospitality made it a definite stop on his travels each year. Sean frequently described Charleston as the Boston of the South. Seeing as how the city dated back to colonial times, that description wasn’t too far off the mark. Many of the homes dated back a few hundred years, and the graves in some of the old cemeteries held the remains of several influential people from the Revolutionary War.