Bad Nerd Falling (25 page)

“
What does it mean?”
Aleksi was a man gathering information before he made weighty
decisions.

He indicated to Maks to hand him the
phone. When Maks did so, it took him less than thirty seconds to
home in on the indicators. “This, and this, and this all show we’re
in trouble.” Clicking on each marker that any new SEAL could have
pinpointed in seconds.

Beside him, Morrison indicated for him
to hand over the phone. He clicked through a few more screens and
when an image of Tia popped up, one of them muttered
something.

Aleksi leaned forward. “Why is Tia’s
picture there?” His voice was cold.

“
They know about your
fiancée,” Vlad answered.

“
Why would they leave all
this evidence of their interest if they’re planning to attack
Rurikstan?”

“
They can’t investigate
you without leaving evidence. Not the in-depth research they need.”
Beaumont gathered information before he made a decision so he
wasn’t surprised when the SEAL indicated to Morrison to hand over
Maks’s phone. Once in hand he pulled out a powerful device only
specially trained military personnel were familiar with.

Compact, efficient, and fast, the
device enabled Beaumont to transfer the data from Maks’s phone and
then he dug deeper into the evidence, his mouth growing thinner and
grimmer. After a few long, silent, tense minutes, he glanced up.
“We’ve got a problem, gentlemen.”

His heart dropped as he saw more
information about Tia pop up. “They not only know about her, but
they’re targeting Tia.”

“
That was a given. These
terrorists like female prisoners,” Beaumont said.

It was a trademark of the Freedom
Fighters.

“
What does this mean for
Tia?” Aleksi bit out.

“
We need to get her out of
the country as soon as possible.” Ben’s voice turned hard, eyes
cold. “Send her to our family, where she’ll be safe.”

“
Her cousin is due any
moment. She can accompany him back to Hershey.” Aleksi’s mouth
formed a straight line.

Ben nodded. “That’s perfect. Mark is
big and smart but will also be good company for her.”

“
The sooner, the better,”
Vlad added.

“
So you’re saying these
terrorists abuse females?” Aleksi’s voice sounded unbending in the
quiet space of his office. His expression revealed that he was in
full prince mode, not thinking like a man, but like the leader of
his nation.

That was good. “These terrorists are
about the bottom of the lot. If you can rank terrorists in the
first place.”

Beside him Ben grunted. “You can’t,
but yes, these are especially bad.”

“
What are we going to do?”
Emerson cut to the essence of the matter.

“
We can’t do much until
they make their move.” Ben held up a hand when Aleksi, Emerson, and
Maks protested. “We can prepare and Vlad has already been doing
so.”

The ire drained out of the three men
who essentially ran their country.

He took charge. “We need more research
and details before we make decisions.”

“
What are we supposed to
do?” Maks did not look happy. He had a family to protect now, as
well as many other loved ones. Not to mention the entire
principality.

“
Right now, you need to
continue business as usual.”

Behind him, the SEALs all nodded.
“We’ll tap our resources and get back to you.” Ben commanded some
of the toughest, best trained men on the planet so most tended not
to argue with him.

Aleksi stood staring at him, straight,
tall, powerful in his own right. “This is my country. My people are
at risk. I will not take this threat lightly.”

“
That’s why we’re here.”
Ben was not one to raise his voice or flex his muscles. But he
managed to infuse his words with the same authority and respect
Aleksi employed. They were two leaders who were on the same team
and they both understood that.

Emerson stirred. “Let them do their
job. As Vlad mentioned, we have our own duties and we need to act
like everything is fine.”

“
Why?” Maks asked in a
tight voice that he knew from experience didn’t bode
well.

“
Because we need in-depth
research, and then we can plan how to combat this.” This time it
was Beaumont with his easy, quiet drawl that cut through the
tension in the three men facing them. He was Ben’s
second-in-command and like Ben, had earned that rank. The man had a
master’s degree in some sort of special computer mumbo
jumbo.

Beaumont could cut through a computer
with ease, and he’d been able to do so before their extensive SEAL
training.

“
How long do you need?”
Aleksi finally asked.

“
Give us a few
hours.”

Maks blinked. “Hours? You
only need
hours
?”

His lip curled up. “This is what we’re
trained for.”

The respect that gleamed in the three
sets of eyes facing him should have made him feel wonderful, but it
was greatly overshadowed by the threat looming so close. Respect
wouldn’t matter much if these people he cared about were harmed in
any way. It would matter even less if he couldn’t keep them
alive.

***

“
So Aleksi runs the
country here?” Ben asked later in their control room.

Shively frowned. “It is a country,
right? Or is it a principality? Europeans make life so
difficult.”

“
As of a recent change it
is both. We are a principality since we have a ruling prince. Now
we are also a country because we are independent.”

“
Since you’re a country,
you need someone to run it. That’s Aleksi?” Beaumont typed rapidly
at a computer in the corner.

“
Yes. Aleksi makes all the
decisions about the country but he doesn’t make them
alone.”

“
He has a counsel?” Ben
looked up from his own research.

“
No, he has Maks and
Emerson.”

“
That’s scary, Emerson
advising the prince,” Shively spoke all their fears out loud and a
rumble of laughter undulated through the room.

“
Yes, but Prince
Aleksandr, Aleksi’s father, didn’t have friends who are also
relatives, like Aleksi.” He breathed deeply for a moment. “He had a
few trusted advisers but mostly he had to make the life-altering
decisions alone.”

Ben let out a long, low whistle. “Talk
about a lonely, grueling responsibility.”

“
The way Aleksi runs this
principality makes better sense.”

“
How exactly does he do
this again?” Shively inserted.

“
By utilizing his own and
his friends’ skills and strengths.”

“
Like?” Beaumont kept
typing.

“
My brother’s money skills
are phenomenal. He oversees our country’s wealth.”

“
And Emerson?” Shively
removed some pages from the printer.

“
Emerson runs this palace,
but his skills for organization and efficiency run to the deepest
levels of government here in Rurikstan. The governmental easy flow
probably has far more to do with Emerson’s skills than
Aleksi’s.”

“
So then what does Aleksi
do?” Beaumont probably already had a database started with all this
information.

“
Aleksi is the one who
takes Maks and Emerson’s skills and advice and combines them into
his decision making process.”

“
So they become greater
sources of information.” Ben hit a few commands. The printer
whirled to life.

“
Yes. He uses their
knowledge and winds it all together to make the best possible
choice. Aleksi has always been good at seeing the big picture, but
he’s not so good at the details. Emerson is.”

“
Emerson is the details
guy while Aleksi is the big picture guy,” Beaumont
summarized.

“
Yes. Maks also helps with
the details, but also the big picture. He’s the bridge between the
two.”

“
They’ve formed a
formidable team and probably don’t even realize it.” Ben turned to
stare full on at Vlad. “All three are trustworthy?”

It was an important question so Vlad
didn’t bristle. “Yes. They won’t fail you, not without a worthy
fight. Aleksi also isn’t afraid to ask for advice and help from
those a lot older and wiser than him. Like my dad and others he
trusts.”

“
That’s good to know.”
Shively didn’t speak in his usual buffoonish manner. His eyes were
narrowed as he stared at the computer screen in front of
him.

Since that was unusual for him, he and
the other two crowded around Shively. “What is that?” They read
through the information scrolling on Shively’s screen.

“
There’s a traitor here?”
Beaumont asked with brisk calm, but deadly precision
too.

Ben leaned further over Shively’s
shoulder. “That appears to be what this is saying.”

“
Who could possibly be
stupid enough to enter into an agreement with terrorists?” he bit
out. Especially someone from the nation of his birth. A deep sense
of betrayal swept through him. It only grew when he thought about
his family and Helena. Then her family, who he had known all his
life.

“
Someone who has no idea
how rough terrorists play.” Ben glowered at the computer
screen.

“
How could you miss that
terrorists don’t play fair?” Shively gestured toward the same spot
Ben was still busy scowling at.

Beaumont stirred. “Does this person
know he’s dealing with terrorists?”

“
How can you
not—”

“
Because they don’t
advertise what they are. They present themselves as legitimate
businessmen. We know they’re not, but we’re in the terrorist
business,” Beaumont reminded them. Vlad forgave him for cutting him
off.

That was true. They were professionals
when it came to terrorists. But the average person, even the
average military person might not spot a terrorist or their
activity because they weren’t trained to do so.

Some of his vengeance waned. “Whoever
this is has probably gone underground.”

“
What’s that mean?”
Shively continued sending data across the screen.

“
I’m guessing Aleksi
doesn’t have any idea about this contact.”

All of their mouths drew into a
straight, grim line. “There is that.” Ben ran a hand over his
hair.

Beaumont nodded, and his narrowed eyes
matched Shively’s as he watched the other SEAL type fast. The new
search results brought up a myriad of new communications. “How did
you get all this info so fast?”

Shively shrugged. “Hacked into
it.”

“
I thought I was the
computer expert.”

“
You are. But this has
been bothering me.”

They all knew that when something
bothered Shively, it meant there was something wrong.

“
Uh oh,” Ben said as they
watched their clown act all mature and grownup.

This was not normal. “I hate when this
happens.”

“
Yeah, it’s scary.”
Beaumont continued reading the information on the
screen.

They all looked at each other before
Beaumont nudged Shively. “Trade places with me.”

Shively did so with what looked like
relief. “Thanks. I was getting to the end of my skills and this
looks like it goes a lot deeper.”

“
I’ll find it.” Beaumont
positioned in fingers on the keyboard. It wasn’t a
boast.

“
You’re going down, Mr.
Traitor man,” Shively promised.

Beaumont tapped away at the keyboard
like a demented woodpecker. His fingers moved so fast he wondered
how they didn’t end up with major errors.

He stepped over to a monitor and
flipped through the various screens, checking on all his cameras.
“You know, Beaumont, you could get a job as a
secretary.”

Sniggers from the other two SEALs
lightened the taut atmosphere. “Yeah, that’s been mentioned before.
I’ve got higher aspirations.

“
I’ve also got a pattern
here.” Beaumont stayed focused on the screen.

“
What’s that?” He finished
checking out the cameras and saw the palace was still bustling with
people who were in danger and didn’t know it.

“
Whoever this is, he’s military.” Ben’s voice
could have chilled the artic.

Chapter 19

“
Are you certain this is
going to be okay?”

Helena glanced at Beau in surprise.
They were in her flat waiting for Vlad and Molly to arrive. “I know
I don’t make pizza often, but it will be fine.”

“
I’m not talking about the
pizza.”

He slanted a frustrated
glance at her, but she was confused as to what he was
asking.
Weren’t men supposed to be
simple?

“
Never mind,” he
muttered.

“
I have no idea what
you’re asking.” She spread her hands out, completely
baffled.