Even though she wanted to learn more about the men she was meeting with, her ultimate goal was to learn about the organization they were connected to. Carmen and Ross were both convinced these men were just messengers. The real power resided elsewhere, and Carmen was going to begin the process of unveiling that power.
The alarm on her phone beeped.
It was time to go.
CHAPTER SEVEN
IT TOOK CARMEN seven minutes to reach Suite 406. She passed only one person along the way: an elderly woman who seemed to be aimlessly wandering around in a bathrobe and slippers. Other than her, there was no one about, not even staff. Carmen knew from experience that European trains got quiet after one. Once the bar closed, even the drunks headed back to their rooms to sleep off the effects of the alcohol.
As she neared her destination, Carmen removed the universal entry card Brett Foster had given her prior to the trip. He produced it using information hacked from the rail company’s internal operating system. Once he got behind their firewall, it had been easy to secure the information protocols necessary to unlock all doors on the train. After that, it was simply a matter of transferring the information to a magnetic strip, something Delphi could accomplish using their state-of-the-art production equipment. Carmen had tried it on her own room with success, so she assumed it would work on all of the other doors as well. Brett had produced such cards many times over the years, and she could remember only two occasions when they hadn’t worked.
Carmen assumed all of the men would be in the sleeping compartment, but she was prepared to deal with the fallout if they weren’t. In order to appear like a member of the staff, she had donned a navy coat and black pants. They weren’t precise replicas of the official uniform, but they were close enough to fool the average person, particularly someone who had just woken up. She also carried a large white bath towel under one arm. If she encountered someone after entering the suite, she would ask if they were the one who had requested an extra towel.
After arriving at the door, Carmen checked in both directions. No one was in sight, not even the insomniac in the bathrobe. She leaned to her right and placed her ear against the door. The only thing she heard was the gentle hum of the train gliding down the track. If someone was on the other side, they weren’t making any noise.
“Vediamo cosa c'è dentro,” she whispered in her native tongue. Let’s see what’s inside.
Carmen swept the key across the sensor next to the door. The light shone green, and a soft beep followed. Moving slowly, she turned the handle and entered. The interior was mostly dark, which she hoped was a sign the room wasn’t occupied. After slipping inside, she closed the door behind her and stood in place, letting her eyes adjust to the darkness.
The layout was exactly what she’d expected. Several comfortable chairs were arranged around a table in the center of the space. Three closets lined either wall, and just beyond the closets were two doors. According to the blueprints, the door on the left led to the sleeping compartment, and the door on the right led to the bathroom.
Once her eyes had adjusted, Carmen walked quietly to the center of the room and set the towel on the table. What now? Her first goal was to locate any electronic devices. If there were, she would use a special USB drive to download all information. In the twenty-first century, that was the quickest and most efficient way to obtain valuable information. She would also look for wallets and anything that might contain important papers, but her primary focus would be on phones and tablets.
Carmen’s gaze swept the room. A half dozen glasses were arranged on the table. Careful not to leave prints, she picked one up and sniffed inside the glass. Whiskey. That was a good sign. The men were likely sleeping off the effects of their booze. When she set the glass down, she noticed several items she hadn’t seen before: two packs of cigarettes and an ashtray. The cigarettes were a Turkish brand popular among people who lived in the Mediterranean. Are the men staying in the suite Turks, or do they just like Turkish smokes? A couple of the men she had seen in the bar had dark hair and olive-colored skin, but it was impossible to say where they were from.
She took in the rest of the space. There were a couple of magazines in the chairs and a pair of boxers on the floor but nothing else. The occupants had just boarded that day, so it didn’t surprise her that there was little to see. It was time to conduct a deeper search.
As Carmen moved toward one of the closets, she heard the soft but distinct thump of footsteps. She froze. Where are they coming from? As she waited, the footsteps stopped outside the door she had come through earlier. Someone was entering the suite.
Carmen whispered an expletive in Italian as she considered her options. With only seconds to act, she really had only two: She could hide in the bathroom or slip into a closet. She knew each bathroom had a shower enclosed by beveled glass, but she could still be seen if someone came in and turned on the light. That narrowed the list down to one.
A soft click sounded. The lock had disengaged, and the person was coming in. Moving quickly, Carmen entered the closet next to the bathroom. After entering, she slid the door closed, leaving a crack to see out of. Simultaneously, she reached inside her jacket pocket and removed a folding four-inch tactical knife. It didn’t provide much protection, but it might be enough to get her out alive.
The suite door opened slowly. Carmen frowned. The slow entry seemed to indicate the person wasn’t supposed to be there. Was it a member of the staff? Carmen supposed it was possible someone had seen her enter, but even if they had, how would they have known it wasn’t her cabin?
A dark figure stepped into the room and shut the door. The stealthy movement made it clear they weren’t an employee. Carmen studied their profile carefully. They were relatively short — five foot four or five foot five at most. Their hair was pulled back into a ponytail, which suggested a woman. But if it was a woman, who was she, and what was she doing there?
Moving carefully, the intruder stepped farther into the room, like a video replay of Carmen’s entry just minutes before. As they approached the table and chairs, the details of the person’s face came into view. It was a woman, and she had blond hair and an athletic build. Her features looked familiar. Suddenly, a memory flashed in her thoughts. Carmen’s eyes widened as she realized who she was looking at. It was the blonde who had sat across from her at the bar. The same woman who had been staring at her.
The mystery woman looked around the room, taking in every detail. It was like she was there with the same purpose as Carmen, to gather information. But who or what was she looking for?
When her head turned toward the closet where Carmen was hiding, the operative pulled back slightly. She doubted the woman could see her, but she wasn’t taking any chances. Eventually, the woman averted her gaze and clicked on a small penlight. She then splashed the beam across the table, pausing on the towel, the whiskey glasses, and the pack of Turkish cigarettes. None of it seemed to grab her interest, and several seconds later, she turned the light off.
She seemed to be considering her next move when a sharp click broke the silence. The door to the sleeping compartment swung open, revealing a tall man. Moving quickly, the woman darted into another closet on the wall opposite Carmen. Carmen was shocked at how quickly the woman had disappeared. She had melted silently into the closet in mere seconds.
A man stepped into the room. Carmen moved closer to the crack for a better view. He wore dark boxers and a long-sleeved white T-shirt. He was also one of the largest men she had ever seen. He stood somewhere around six foot six or six foot seven, and the knotted muscles of his arms strained against the tight fabric of his shirt. But despite his musculature, he looked like a man who could move with speed if he needed to. He was a killer, and Carmen prayed he wouldn’t open the closet door.