“I told them that we were here to investigate a kidnapping.”
“I’m sure they weren’t happy about that.”
“Thankfully, they were more focused on the immediate medical needs. I’m sure they aren’t happy, but Ross and DNI Keller just got off the phone with a high-ranking official in Paris. I’m told the French are taking a wait-and-see approach. So far, they don’t appear to be too angry about what happened.”
“I’m surprised they were that forgiving.”
“We got lucky. Ross said something came up during the talk with the French official. He told Ross and Keller that the local government in Terre-de-Haut was already under investigation. The facts are still a little hazy, but apparently Jonas Brehmer bribed several corrupt officials. The result was an off-the-books agreement.”
“What kind of agreement?”
“Even though Brehmer’s island is a part of Guadeloupe, the officials agreed to let him have free rein over the property. As best we understand it, the authorities would only come out if a French citizen was in danger. Barring that, he could do whatever he wanted.”
Carmen’s eyes widened. “So basically, Brehmer had his own island nation?”
“To a certain extent, yes.”
“No wonder they let us off so easy. Apparently, we were the least of their concerns.”
Zane was about to respond when his phone flared. He spoke to someone on the other end for a minute or so then ended the call. “That was Mortensen,” he said. “Pratt just got returned from his excursion and has some important information to share.”
“Do you need me? Danielle’s in pretty rough shape, but I can come with you if you need me to.”
Zane shook his head. “I’ve got it covered. You stay right here. She needs you.”
After Zane walked off, Carmen returned to the room and discovered that Danielle had moved to a nearby couch. Lind was standing next to the bed, using a wet towel to gently wipe a few cuts on David’s arm.
Carmen sat down near Danielle and patted the cushion between them. “Why don’t you lie down and shut your eyes for a few minutes? We’ll wake you if something happens.”
“Maybe later. I just can’t right now.” Tears formed as she spoke. “He’s my brother, and right now, he’s all I have.”
“I understand. I don’t blame you one bit. I’d do the same thing.”
“I just hope he’s going to be okay.”
“From all I can tell, he’s one strong man.”
Hit with a wave of grief, Danielle began to sob. Moving closer, Carmen rubbed her arm. “Non ti preoccupare,” she said. Don’t worry.
The tears continued to flow for a minute or two before finally subsiding. Carmen guessed there would be a lot of those moments over the next twenty-four hours, particularly if David’s condition didn’t improve.
“Good heavens,” Lind said.
Surprised to hear his voice, Carmen looked over at the bed. It took a moment to realize that David Holland’s hand was in the air. Even more shocking, he was pointing at Danielle.
“David,” Danielle said as she pulled away from Carmen and went to his side.
Carmen got up and joined her at the bed. David’s good eye was open, and he seemed to be fully conscious.
“I can’t believe it,” Lind whispered. “The sedative should’ve kept him under for at least another hour or two.”
Danielle placed her hands on her brother’s arms. His head turned in her direction, and he moved his lips.
“What’s that?” Danielle asked, leaning closer.
His lips moved again. Carmen heard something, but it was unintelligible.
Danielle leaned over David and placed a hand on his cheek. “Don’t feel like you have to talk. You need your rest.”
David grunted and shook his head. It was clear he wasn’t going to take her advice.
After summoning a few more ounces of strength, he gestured for her to move closer. This time, his voice was loud and clear. “I love you, sis.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
A COOL NIGHT breeze whipped across the porch, tossing strands of Zane’s long hair across his face. He took a sip of bourbon then closed his eyes and listened to the wind whistle against his ear. It was a soothing contrast to all that he had experienced over the last several days.
After enjoying the sound for a few more seconds, he opened his eyes and looked out over the ocean. The moon hung over the water, casting a white reflection that ran all the way to the beach. He enjoyed the view for a moment then let his gaze shift left to the dark island about a mile offshore. From where he sat, Zane could see a sprinkling of lights on the southeastern tip. They’re still working around the clock.
Dozens of French crime scene investigators had been flown in over the last twenty-four hours. Some were assigned to recreate the events of that fateful night, while others were given the unenviable task of gathering every single piece of evidence. Brehmer’s compound was so large that it might take weeks to document and catalog everything.
Zane tried to push aside any thoughts of the case. He wanted to enjoy the rest. Moments like this didn’t come around very often. Ordinarily, when a Delphi team completed their mission, they would return to Washington to be debriefed and file lengthy reports. Ross was a stickler for details, which meant the reports often took days to complete. But even after the post-operation work was done, there was rarely time to rest. Invariably, there was some new challenge to dive into.
But this time, the team had caught a break, and it had come from an unusual source, the French government. As part of a deal that was struck between the two countries, the Delphi operatives were asked to remain at Terre-de-Haut to complete a series of exit interviews with French intelligence. Ross had told them to expect those interviews to be conducted within twenty-four hours, but it had already been two days and still no word on when they might take place. Zane believed it was a lame attempt to slap the collective wrists of the American team, but if this was punishment, he wanted more of it. As far as he was concerned, they could take another week.
The Delphi team had taken full advantage of the downtime. Earlier that evening, Skinner and Mortensen had prepared a magnificent dinner for the group. Skinner grilled his famous ginger-glazed mahi-mahi steaks while Mortensen put together an assortment of sides, including tossed salad, asparagus, rice pilaf, and new potatoes. But the bounty didn’t end there. All meals of such magnitude needed to be accompanied by an appropriate beverage, so Brett and Amanda drove into town to select several bottles of white wine.
It was one of the best meals Zane had enjoyed in months. But it wasn’t just the food — being with the group had made it a truly special event, one he wouldn’t forget for a long time. We need to do this more often.
After dinner, the group had retired to the rocking chairs on the porch. Most sipped white wine, but Zane had decided to finish the evening with Maker’s on the rocks. Mortensen puffed gently on his White Owl cigar.
Danielle was the only one who had refused an adult beverage, and Zane understood why. For the last two days, she had been with her brother, David, who was recovering in Guadeloupe’s largest hospitaclass="underline" Centre Hospitalier Universitaire in Pointe-à-Pitre. His prognosis was good, although full recovery could take months. In addition to David’s medical treatment, Dr. Noah Lind had agreed to remain at Pointe-à-Pitre to repair the genetic damage done to Holland’s body. While Lind was optimistic about the potential for recovery, he had also told Zane they were traveling in uncharted waters. No one had pushed gene editing as far as Brehmer.
Pratt was the first to break the silence on the porch. “There’s only one thing we missed that would’ve made this evening perfect.”