He rubbed his weary face with a dirty hand and blinked rapidly, letting out a sigh of relief. “That was close.”
Tears formed in the corners of her eyes. “Papa, I thought I’d lost you. I’m so glad you’re okay.”
She wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace. He hadn’t showered for a long time and had probably only been bathed with a bucket of water a few times since his abduction. Adriana didn’t care. He was alive and well. That was all that mattered.
“Are you hurt?” she asked into his ear, still holding him close.
He coughed a laugh and patted her on the back. “No, but I can’t breathe with you hugging me so tight like this.”
She loosened her grip and pulled back, looking over him again to make sure he was okay. She smiled as the tears broke through the seal and streamed down her face.
He reached out and gripped her shoulders. “It’s okay, dear. I’m fine. A little tired and hungry, and I could use a shower. But I’m going to be fine. Now that you’re here.”
She shook her head, and then it drooped. Adriana stared at the floor. “I’m so sorry.”
“Adriana,” he pressed a curled finger underneath her chin and lifted her head. “This wasn’t your fault,” he frowned. When he spoke again, his gravelly voice filled with regret. “It was mine. I was careless. I knew someone was following me. That’s why I called you. I knew that if I were taken, you would be the only one who could save me. I’m so sorry, my darling. I didn’t know who else I could trust.”
“You were right to call me. You can always call me if you’re in trouble, Papa.” Her jaw set firm for a second before she spoke again, now with more resolve. “We just have to be a little more careful in the future. That’s all. Given your past and the people you’ve worked for, I’m sure there are many who would love to get rid of you.”
His face grew distant, and his eyes drifted off into one of the dark corners of the room. “I still don’t know what they wanted. All they told me was that they were going to hold me until they got what it was they were looking for. When they had it, they’d let me go.” Diego turned his head around to the right and then the left, taking in the scene that could have been his death trap. “I had no idea this was what they meant by letting me go.” He forced out an uncomfortable laugh.
Adriana’s breathing had slowed to an almost normal rate after the long sprint up the stairs. The animals that took her father hadn’t even told him what was going on. She wasn’t sure he should know. If he found out they were using him as leverage to get some priceless pieces of missing art, it might drain him further. Then again, she was here. And Adriana knew full well that Diego Villa could put one and two together. It would only be a matter of time until he dragged it out of her.
“Papa, the men who did this… they wanted me to do something for them.”
His face turned grave. The skin below his weary eyes twitched at the thought. Vengeful irritation filled his voice. “What do you mean… something?”
“There’s a group of billionaires that call themselves the Syndicate. Apparently, they run a significant portion of the world’s commerce. I don’t know much about that side of it, but I did find out about one of their little hobbies.”
His eyes narrowed as he listened intently.
“Now and then, two of the members of this group will make significant wagers, one against the other. It usually involves some sort of game. I was used as one of the pawns in this game. I had to recover three works of art thought to be lost or destroyed after World War II. I’ve literally been all over the globe in the last twenty-one days.” The last sentence felt like a yoke was slung over her shoulders. All the places she’d been in the last three weeks, she barely knew what time it was anymore. Jet lag didn’t even come close to describing the fatigue she felt.
Adriana peered into her father’s eyes with a faint glimmer of pride. “I found them all, though, Papa. I found all three.”
His eyes opened wide with surprise. “All three? The paintings, who were the artists?” His natural curiosity got the best of him.
She snorted a laugh. “Bellini, Rubens, Rembrandt.” Her voice trailed off.
He blinked in disbelief. “Astounding. Incredible you found them all.”
She nodded.
He quickly returned to a more concerned expression and tone. “Adriana, I can’t imagine what must have been involved with something like that.” He shook his head, staring at her with admiration. “You truly are an amazing woman.”
Her voice trembled with rage and regret. “I… I was going to track them down and make them pay for what they did. To both of us. But… I…” She fumbled with the words. “They took the last one by boat. I’d rented a boat to follow them, but they blew it up. The man who did all this had his goons destroy it. They must be a hundred miles away by now.”
“Stefan Martens,” he said, glancing down at the floor and then redirecting his gaze back to her.
She frowned. “So you know? Then you know what he’s capable of and that he will do this again.”
He shrugged. “Yes. Martens is an extremely wealthy man from Brussels. He owns a number of large companies in Europe. The interests of those businesses are diverse enough to never raise any eyebrows. And he certainly knows how to keep to the shadows, even when he’s in plain sight.”
“Wait. How do you know all this?”
He swallowed and gave a knowing nod. “While they were moving me, I overheard one of the men accidentally call him by his name. I think he was getting a phone call or something. The man called him Mister Martens. It was in French, but I understood it. From there, I put it together on my own. Stefan Martens isn’t exactly a low-profile character. His influence spans the globe. He’s involved with numerous charities as well, which further help in covering his less scrupulous activities. I’ve run across his name more than once.”
“So you knew about him all this time?”
Diego nodded. “Yes. I don’t believe Martens and I ever crossed paths. Not until a few weeks ago. That was my first encounter with him.”
Adriana processed the information. “I will do whatever it takes to find him and make him pay for what he’s done to you.”
“You must be careful with such pursuits, my dear. Vengeance is a difficult thing to take, even when you feel it is just.”
She shook her head. “There’s nothing you can say to stop me from making sure he never does this again. If I don’t kill him, he will continue to play these devilish games. Martens must die.” Her words lingered in the room for a moment.
Finally, he gave her an agreeing nod. “Yes, I’m afraid you’re right. If we don’t put a stop to it, no one will. Very well,” he pushed himself up off the floor and dusted his pants with a swat of the hand, “let’s go find him.”
“No, Papa. You need to rest. I’ll find him on my own, and even if I have to search the entire world, I will find him and kill him.” Her eyes drifted down to the bandage on his wrist. “And you’re hurt. Did he do that to you?” She pointed at the wound.
A mischievous twinkle filled his eyes as he followed her gaze down to his wrist. “Oh, no. I did that to myself.”
Her eyebrows stitched together. “Why?”
He grinned slyly at her. When he did, the wrinkles under his eyes stretched out, and his curly black and gray hairline raised a tad. “So that we wouldn’t have to search the world to find him.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Every two years I have a global positioning chip placed in my wrist, just below the skin. I do it in case… well in case the worst happens. I hoped I would never need it, but you know me: I stick to the way I’ve always done things.”
Her face brightened at the realization. “You cut it out?”