Enemy Mine (28 page)

“Selena!” Nikko urgently called.

Her body slowly roused beside him. He looked down into her dazed eyes. “Now, Selena.”

She shook her head and sat up, then focused on the writhing Hellkeeper. She crawled over on her hands and knees and looked up at Nikko.

He smiled, and at that moment he felt more love and pride for her than he ever thought he could. “It’s all yours, baby. You earned it.”

Selena turned back to the Hellkeeper. His skin was flaming, his hair sizzling, his horns flaring. “I’ll see you in Hell, Vetis,” she whispered, then thrust her hand into his chest. He screamed, trying to gouge her with his fiery horns. Selena slapped his head back and pulled her hand free of his chest, the bloody nanorian beating in her hand.

She looked up at Nikko in wonder. He dropped the swords and pulled her into his arms. “Your quest is nearly complete, Selena.”

He took the stone and pressed it firmly into the necklace’s last setting, then splayed his hand over her thundering heart. He lowered his lips to hers and deeply kissed her.

Something amazing happened. Each stone hummed one after the other until all seven of them united into one loud sustained hum. Red, gold, and orange sparks shot from each stone, fusing into a spectacular rainbow of color; the hot pricks bounced off Selena’s skin. Nikko could feel the power vibrating between them and into Selena. Wave after shocking wave built until, in a deafening crescendo, it zapped her with a sharp electrical bolt, the infusion illuminating her skin a shimmering gold and silver.

Wide-eyed, she stared at Nikko. He stared at her in equal awe. “The powers of the seven have fused as one, creating a superpower,” Selena breathed. Gingerly she fingered the warm stones. They glowed beneath her touch. “My father does not stand a chance.”

“I’ll tell you where the cask is,” Noslov’s terrified voice said from behind them.

Startled, Nikko and Selena turned to face him; they’d forgotten he was there.

“You said you had no knowledge of its whereabouts?”

“I lied.”

Selena rose and strode toward him. “You lied to me when your son’s life was at stake?”

“I am an expert liar, but after what I just witnessed, I’m going to become a priest. So long as you save my son, the cask is yours.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

W
as there anyone else with the daemon?” Selena asked the pale, trembling Noslov.

He looked down at the pile of ashes on the floor. “My God!”

Selena snapped her fingers under his nose. “Was he alone?”

“Yes.”

“What did he say to you?”

Noslov shivered and covered his mouth as if he was going to vomit. His body convulsed, then he turned and retched. When he was done, he looked up at Selena and Nikko, and wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

“He was alone when he came to my room. He took me outside and waited for Juju to go downstairs and then call you. He told me how he was going to kill her and how upset you would be. He—then he told me what he was going to do to you and then to me.” Noslov’s body was wracked with shudders. “He slit her throat. Then he hung me from the chandelier and waited.”

Selena’s heart broke for her friend. She collected her emotions. Juju was avenged, but she knew Vetis had not come here on his own initiative. She smelled her father’s hand in this. “Nothing about who sent him?”

“No.” Noslov’s body began to convulse again. He turned and dry-heaved for several minutes.

Nikko took Selena’s hand. “I’ll take care of Juju, and the body out back. Then we need to get Noslov to my team and figure out what we’re going to do.”

Selena nodded but said, “Other than you and Juju, the only other person who knew Noslov was here is Balderama. I want him.”

“So do I.”

Selena yanked Noslov up by his arm and said, “Let’s get you cleaned up. Then we’re out of here.”

Even though it was the middle of the night, Selena called the convent. The sleepy sister who answered the phone assured her all was quiet. Selena insisted she check on Marisol. The minutes dragged by like hours while the nun checked on her.

“She is fast asleep,” she reported to Selena at last.

“Thank you,” Selena breathed, her voice cracking with emotion. With a relief she could not express, she hung up.

Nikko hugged her and said, “We’ll get through this, Selena. I promise.” She swallowed hard, wanting to believe him.

Using the same landline, since their cell phones had been destroyed in the water, Nikki called his team with the news that Noslov did in fact know the location of the cask.

A half hour later, Selena, Nikko, Noslov, and the sheet-wrapped body of the stranger, who had no ID and whom Noslov swore he didn’t recognize, motored back to Miami. As they approached the dock, two blacked-out Suburbans were idling at the end of the pier. “My team,” Nikko said.

The body was loaded into the back of one of the Suburbans. Nikko, Selena, and Noslov piled into the other one. The woman, Cassidy, was behind the wheel, and one of the men from Paris in the passenger seat. Nikko didn’t make a formal introduction and Selena didn’t ask for one. She got that they needed to maintain anonymity, especially in front of Noslov. The man turned and handed Nikko a blindfold. “For our Russian friend.”

Once the blindfold was secured, they drove off. Twenty minutes later, they pulled into a driveway and then into a cavernous garage. The doors came down behind them. Noslov was unloaded and taken inside. Selena didn’t give the sprawling hacienda much notice. She wanted to get down to business. As they walked into a small viewing room, a large flat screen flashed blue.

“I need to make a call,” Selena said to Nikko.

He looked at her like
Who the hell do you have to call at this hour?

“Joran.”

He scowled. “Excuse us for a minute,” he said, steering her from the room and into the great room. He handed her a landline.

Selena dialed the number. On the fifth ring, Joran answered, “Cadiz.”

“It’s me. Do you have the package?”

“Barely, and you owe me big-time.”

Selena gave Nikko the thumbs-up, but he’d heard and was nodding. She let out a long, relieved breath. If anything had happened to that little boy, she would never have forgiven herself. “Hold on to it until I call you back.”

“I don’t know what to do with a crying two-year-old!”

“Entertain him. And, Joran? Thank you.” She hung up to his loud grousing. “We’ve got our leverage,” she said to Nikko.

Noslov was left in the media room while Nikko’s people assembled in the great room. Introductions were quickly made. Selena smiled at Satriano as she shook his hand.

“How’s the shoulder?”

His dark eyes narrowed but his lips twitched. “No worse for the wear.”

“I’m sorry about that.”

He shrugged it off. “It happens.”

The flat screen in the room blipped on. They all turned to face it.

Once again, the screen was blue, but this time Mr. Black’s voice was not computer-regenerated. It was deep, authoritative, and knowledgeable. “De la Roja, I understand Cruz has brought you up to speed on Balderama?”

“Yes, sir.” She noted Mr. Black no longer used formalities but spoke to her as if she were one of the team. She liked that.

“Bring us up to speed on your end.”

“Noslov has been in my care since Paris. On the flight to the States, he convinced me he was only the agent for the cask and did not have actual knowledge of its location. Since I was holding his son’s welfare over his head, via Balderama’s instructions, I believed him. As you know, he was lying, but having the boy, I had leverage to manipulate the auction to Los Cuatro’s benefit. I convinced him that it would be in his son’s best interests to give the nod to Balderama at the auction, regardless of his bid. I also convinced him it would be in his best interest to have the auction at Lost Souls. I guaranteed the safety of the bidders through the use of my private island, Ilusion, as the entry point into Miami.”

“How many have purchased a seat?” Mr. Black asked.

“Six including Nikko.”

“And the boy?”

“A business associate owed me a favor and picked him up earlier this evening.” Selena paused, then added, “From Balderama’s Little Havana residence.”

“Does Balderama know the boy is no longer his bargaining chip, and if so, does he know you had a hand in the kidnapping?”

“I don’t know the answer to the first question, but even if it’s yes, he would have no reason to suspect I had a hand in it. However, after I had a discussion with him earlier this evening regarding our conversation yesterday, I believe he has lost some confidence in me.”

“I take it he didn’t want to make the compromise.”

“No. He was adamant. I understand his trust issues. But he would not even entertain the thought of vetting Nikko.”

“You understand now why he was so rigid?”

“Yes,” she said, feeling greatly saddened and more than a little foolish that the man she’d believed to be a great philanthropist and friend was nothing more than a thug. And she had been his handmaiden.

“With a few tweaks, I want the auction to commence as planned. To accomplish that, we’ll need you to keep up the pretense of loyal compadre and play along with Balderama. We have much to gain by allowing the players to assemble later tonight. In one fell swoop we can nab a handful of the highest-ranking terrorists in the world.”

“That will mean the end to my club.”

“A small price to pay when you consider the cache of criminals we’ll be taking off the world market.”

Selena looked at Nikko, who regarded her quietly. It didn’t matter anyway. Because after the auction, she was going after Paymon. If she survived that, she would not need the club. She’d have Marisol and Nikko.

“Okay.”

“I understand you could use our help in a little matter concerning your father? We’re happy to lend a hand.”

Selena’s head snapped back and she looked at Nikko, who nodded. The others in the room nodded in agreement. Other than Nikko, these people didn’t know her from Adam, and they were willing to put their lives on the line for her? She didn’t know what to think. How to take it. All she felt was humbled.

“Cruz didn’t tell you we would be available in whatever capacity you require after the auction?”

Selena looked at Nikko.

Nikko’s cheeks reddened. He cleared his throat. “I, uh, we were busy and I didn’t get a chance.”

Cassidy snorted. “I bet you were busy.”

Selena grinned, enjoying Nikko’s discomfort. Little by little, she was glimpsing the man she’d fallen in love with in the amazing man he’d become. “I would accept any help you could spare.”

“Let’s get Noslov in here, and once we can confirm the location of the cask, we’ll discuss the details of the auction.”

A few minutes later, Nikko brought the Russian in and sat him down. The blindfold remained. “Comrade Noslov, my name is Mr. Black. I work for the United States government. It is my understanding you have knowledge of the location of a hijacked cask of reprocessed enriched uranium. Is that true?”

“Yes.”

“I would like you to give me the location. Specifically, the coordinates.”

Noslov’s body tensed. “The cask is on an abandoned barge in the Aral Sea. For the exact coordinates, I want my son, alive, in my arms, tonight.”

“If I give you what you ask for, I have another request of you.”

“Request or demand?” the Russian sneered.

“Perhaps a little of both.”

“Vlad, Yuri is safe. I just spoke to the man, a friend of mine, who has him,” Selena reassured him.

“I want him here!” Noslov shouted, emotion straining his voice. He was about to crack. They needed him focused.

Selena looked at the blue screen, then touched Noslov’s knee. He flinched. “We want the man who kidnapped little Yuri. The man who would have cut him up and delivered him piece by piece to your wife. We need your help to get him.”

“The same man you work for?” Noslov accused. “Why should I trust you now?”

Selena exhaled. Why indeed. “I believed I was part of a righteous cause, comrade. I know now the man I trusted and followed blindly used me for his own personal agenda, not that of the greater good. With your help, we can put him out of business. Permanently.”

“What do you want?”

“We want the auction to go ahead as planned tonight,” Mr. Black said.

“Why?” Noslov said, shaking his head, wanting none of it.

“Because Balderama has reserved a seat at the auction. We want him and every other terrorist who sits down at that table.”

The Russian paled, perspiration beading on his forehead. “If I refuse?”

“Then I would have to insist,” Mr. Black said.

Noslov deflated in the chair.

“I will guarantee the safety of your family, comrade,” Mr. Black said. “A new life anywhere in the world you choose.”

Noslov nodded, then straightened. He faced the blue screen. “I will do it. But only if I hold my son in my arms first.”

Selena smiled. “I can have him here within the hour.”

“Then arrange it, but not here,” Mr. Black said.

Nikko led Noslov back to the media room. When Nikko returned, they got down to business.

It was simple. The auction would go down as it had originally been planned. Upon arrival, each bidder would be led into the same specially rigged conference room. A room that once they entered they could not exit. They would be given instructions. As they made their bids and the monies transferred into a US government account, Nikko’s team would move in and, bada-bing-bada-boom, the terrorists would be taken into custody.

“De la Roja, you need to touch base with Balderama and let him know you’re still with him on this. Don’t say you’re having second thoughts about Cruz. Perhaps apologize for even suggesting Los Cuatro deviate from the plan. We cannot have him back out of this now. He’s too dangerous to let slip through our fingers.”

“I don’t have any reason to contact him,” Selena stated. “If I call to reassure him, he’ll know something’s up. I think we should allow him to proceed as he would normally. My only concern is the kidnapping of Yuri. He may suspect I had something to do with it.”

“You’re going to have to convince him you didn’t.” Selena nodded. It wasn’t as if she had much of a choice.

“There’s a Hilton a few miles from here. There’s a keycard to room 3071 in the middle desk drawer in the next room. Take Noslov there to meet his son,” Mr. Black instructed. “When you return, get some sleep. You’re going to need it. We’ll reconvene at twelve hundred hours.”

Selena made the call to Joran. He was not amused. The sun would be up in a few hours. They didn’t have much time.

Less than an hour later, Selena stood silently by while father and son reunited. Joran was not in attendance, which royally pissed her off. Instead he had sent his bulldog, Ramos. Selena made the decision to take Yuri back to the hacienda. He would be safe there and could spend more time with his father. Nikko agreed.

It was heartbreaking to watch Yuri cling to his father and Noslov assure him he was safe. No one understood better than Selena the heartache a parent felt at such a moment. She looked up at Nikko, who watched her watch father and son. He reached for her hand and squeezed it. He brought it to his lips and kissed her. “We’ll be with Marisol soon,” he softly said.

On their way back to the house, Noslov, still blindfolded, held little Yuri curled in his lap and gave them the coordinates. Nikko called them in to Mr. Black, along with the news they were bringing the boy back with them.