Invincible (28 page)

They met again in the middle of the court as Kristin headed back to the deuce side to serve for the third time.

“Why didn't you say something to me sooner?” Max demanded.

“Flick just told me in the hall.”

“Did you see where Veronica went?”

“I left her in the locker room cleaning herself up.”

“Time,” the umpire warned again.

Kristin hurried to the ad court. They were already down love-thirty. She managed to gather her wits enough to hit an ace down the T for fifteen-thirty.

As she and Max crossed paths again, changing from the deuce to the ad court, she cupped her hand over her mouth so no one could read her lips and said, “Flick knows we suspect Irina and Steffan are plotting to assassinate the president.”

“She what!” Max exclaimed.

“I told Flick not to say anything to anyone about what she knows. But now she knows I also suspect Veronica. I'm worried she's going to let something slip.”

They both glanced up at the family box, where Flick, who was sitting beside Bella, waved back excitedly. “Serve,” he said brusquely. “Let's get this damned match over with. Then we'll figure out where to go from here.”

Once she and Max committed themselves to finishing
the match as quickly as possible, they began to play amazingly well. They took risks to shorten points. And won games. And then the first set.

Between sets, Kristin saw Flick hanging over the rail at the front of the box waving at them. Irina sat at the back of the box alone. Kristin waved back at her daughter and said, “Max, Flick's waving at you.”

Max waved back, but he said, “I'm going to have a serious talk with that young lady. She has no business eavesdropping. She might have jeopardized this entire investigation.”

“She promised not to say anything.”

Max shot Kristin a piercing look. “You believe a nine-year-old can keep a secret like this?”

Kristin shrugged helplessly. “We'll just have to impress on her—”

“Time!” the chair umpire called.

Halfway through the second set, Kristin glanced up and felt her heart stop. Irina had been sitting in the family box throughout the match, but several rows back. Now she was sitting beside Flick. And Flick was talking animatedly to her.

“Oh, no,” she said to Max as she changed sides of the court for Max's serve. “Look at the box.”

Max glanced up and said, “Brilliant. Do you suppose Flick's spilling everything she knows?”

Kristin didn't have time to consider the question. But when the point was over, her eyes went automatically to the family box. Irina had moved back to her original
seat several rows behind Bella and Flick. But she was no longer alone.

“Max!” she said, elbowing him in the ribs. “Veronica's joined Irina in the family box.”

“That can't be good,” he said, eyeing the two of them.

“Should we just quit now and go get Flick?” she asked.

“On what pretext?”

“I can fake an injury.”

He eyed the box and said, “Let's just finish. I don't want to create a scene that provokes a lot of questions.”

They won the second set. And the match.

When Kristin knew they'd won, she looked up into the box where Flick was waving enthusiastically back at them. Bella was beside her, exhibiting the calm decorum befitting an English duchess. Veronica and Irina were still sitting several rows behind them. Relieved to see that Flick and Bella were safe, she threw herself into Max's open arms.

“We won, Max!” She turned with him to look back toward the box and saw that Flick and Bella were leaving the box—with Irina and Veronica.

“Oh, no!” she cried. “Max!”

Max let go of her and looked where she pointed. “Let's go!”

“Stop them!” she shouted, pointing toward the box. But the crowd was cheering so loud, no one heard her. “Someone stop them!”

Max didn't call for help. He didn't hesitate. He headed straight across the grass court at a run and climbed upstairs and across seats, right into the family box, then headed for the closest tunnel leading into the hallway, where the four females had disappeared.

Kristin dropped her racquet and ran after him.

B
ella's heart was racing. She and Flick were being kidnapped. The unlikely kidnappers were Max and Kristin's coach, Irina Pavlovic, and Veronica Granville, the reporter for the
Times
whom Max had been briefly dating. They were being forced to exit the stadium to an unknown destination.

“Don't worry, Gram,” Flick said. “They won't dare hurt us.”

“You seem pretty sure of that, kid,” Veronica said.

“My mom's an FBI agent and my dad's a spy and when they catch you, they're going to shoot you dead!” Flick said with relish.

Bella was both astonished and horrified at Flick's announcement. “Flick, don't incite them.”

“Incite?”
Flick said, focusing on the word she didn't know rather than the warning Bella was trying to give her.

“Don't encourage them,” Bella said. “These people are dangerous.”

“I see you understand the gravity of the situation,” Veronica said.

“The gravity of the situation?”
Flick said curiously.

“Do what I say or you die,” Veronica hissed into her ear, hurrying them down a hallway that had British soldiers at every entrance back to Centre Court.

Bella couldn't believe what was happening. She would never have guessed when she'd woken up this morning that she would find herself in the middle of an intrigue.

When Flick had returned to her seat after disappearing for a short while, she'd asked if she could tell her grandmother a secret she wasn't supposed to tell anyone. Bella had told her that secrets were best kept to oneself. The girl hadn't been happy, but she'd remained silent.

They'd had room to spread out in the box, because there were so few family members to be seated for this exhibition match and Irina was the only coach. Flick had moved one seat over, then two, then down a row, then up two rows.

Bella finally said, “Flick, come sit here beside me.”

“I have to tell someone,” Flick said.

“All right. I'll listen to what you have to say. Just so you know I don't approve of telling other people's secrets.”

She'd been sure Flick was about to tell her something about her parents' courtship. Bella had been watching Max and Kristin, and she thought the possibility of them
ending up together looked much more promising by the end of the week than it had at the beginning.

She'd turned to her granddaughter and said, “I'm listening, Flick. What is it?”

“Miss Veronica is planning to kill the president of the United States.”

Flick had spoken loudly enough that Irina apparently overheard what she'd said. Irina leaned forward across the two rows of seats that separated her from Flick and asked, “Where did you hear that?”

Flick had glanced over her shoulder, apparently surprised that Irina had heard her. She suddenly looked wary. “From my mom and dad.”

“How could they possibly know a thing like that?” Irina asked.

Flick shrugged in response to Irina's question, then leaned close to Bella and whispered in her ear, “They're spies.”

Bella thought the child was making it all up. Kristin worked for the FBI. But Max? A spy? She'd chuckled. She hadn't thought anything of it when Irina left her seat during one of the ninety-second breaks between odd-numbered games.

Until Irina returned with Veronica. Who'd threatened to hurt Flick if Bella and Flick didn't leave with her and Irina as soon as play stopped.

“My mom told me to stay right here till she comes to get me,” Flick protested.

“If you don't come with me—and keep your mouth
shut—I'm going to hurt your grandmother,” Veronica threatened.

Flick had grabbed Bella's hand protectively and said, “Don't worry, Gram. They're going to be in big trouble.”

“Keep your mouth shut, kid.”

“I won't!” Flick said.

Bella had urged Flick not to resist. But Flick was her mother's daughter. Fearless. And this lion cub had claws and teeth and wasn't afraid to use them.

When Veronica slid her hand across Bella's seat to squeeze her neck, Flick had bitten her.

Veronica had strangled a yelp as she pulled her hand free. Then she'd leaned close to Flick and said, “You do anything like that again, and I'll kill your mother.”

That threat had been sufficient to turn Flick into a statue. The nine-year-old had sat frozen in her seat, her eyes wide and frightened.

As they were ushered out of the family box, Bella felt terrified. Her heart was thumping hard in her chest. She put a hand against it in a futile attempt to calm herself. The last thing she wanted was to have a heart attack. That possibility seemed almost irrelevant right now. She had no doubt that if Veronica truly was planning an assassination, she and Flick would not survive their encounter.

Bella felt frustrated because she'd left so much undone. She'd counted on the two or three years of good health she had left to get her children settled down with
loving partners. It seemed that timeline might be cut considerably short.

Because of the soldiers guarding the entrances during play, to make sure people stayed in their seats, they hadn't been able to exit until play stopped. Play hadn't stopped until Max and Kristin won.

Bella hadn't waved back at Kristin when she sent her a victory wave, hoping she would notice something was wrong.

Veronica hissed from behind her, “Wave. And smile. Then both of you, get up and come with us.”

Once they were in the hallway, Flick said, “What if I just yell for help?”

“I'll push your grandmother down the stairs,” Veronica threatened.

“Don't you dare!” Flick said, grasping Bella's hand and hanging on tight.

“Is that sort of threat really necessary?” Irina asked.

“I'll decide what's necessary,” Veronica snapped.

The two women were so engrossed with each other, that Bella didn't think they saw Max running down the narrow corridor toward them. Kristin was twenty steps behind him.

“Dad!” Flick cried. “Mom!” She turned to Veronica and said, “I told you so!”

Bella saw the indecision on Veronica's face before she turned and ran for the stairs. Irina headed back out through one of the tunnels to the stadium.

As though they'd agreed on a course of action ahead
of time, Kristin raced after Veronica, while Max headed into the tunnel to cut off Irina's escape.

“Get her, Mom!” Flick shouted.

As Bella watched, Kristin launched herself into the air, caught Veronica by the shoulders and brought her down. Veronica rolled over to fight and Kristin hit her with her fist in the chin, stunning her.

As Veronica lifted her head, Kristin straddled her, fist cocked and said, “Go ahead. Get up. Give me an excuse to hit you again.”

Veronica lay where she was.

“Mom! You got her!” Flick shouted.

Bella grabbed for Flick, but she tore free and ran to her mother. Bella followed as quickly as she could. Fortunately, Max reappeared in the tunnel holding Irina's arm in his grip and marched her down the hall to join them.

Several soldiers who'd been guarding the entrances to the tunnels into Centre Court seating appeared in the corridor, apparently summoned by Max. Max helped Kristin up as the soldiers took custody of Veronica and Irina.

Before the two women could be led away, Max focused his gaze on Irina and said one word. “Why?”

Bella heard a wealth of pain in his voice. She gasped at the hatred she saw in Irina's eyes when the older woman spoke.

“I sat across the dinner table from you, Max, and told you every reason I have for hating America. President Taylor is a woman without conscience. She encourages
the United States to take what it wants without thought for the rest of the world.”

“There are legal ways to protest,” Max said.

“But no better way to end this woman's foreign policy than to kill her!” Irina snarled.

Max turned to confront Veronica and demanded, “How did you get involved in this?”

Veronica's eyes narrowed as she spat, “It's time we women took back our power. Getting rid of that foul female in the White House is the first step toward a better world. My aunt and I are of like minds.”

“Your aunt?” Max exclaimed. His glance darted between the two women. “Irina, you never said anything about a sister.”

“I thought my sister was dead,” Irina said. “It turned out she escaped to England when I brought Steffan to America. She thought I was dead, as well. It wasn't until my sister died and Veronica went through her mother's jewelry box and found a picture that showed her mother with me that she realized the connection between us and contacted me.”

“I don't understand,” Max said to Irina. “America gave you asylum. You and Steffan became citizens.”

“America helped create the havoc that ruined Kosovo and killed most of my family. America is still interfering where it has no business interfering.”

“Is Steffan involved in this?” Max asked.

“No,” Irina said with a sneer. “Steffan is a fool. He
loves
America.”

Max shook his head. Then he turned to the soldiers and said, “Take them away.”

When Veronica and Irina were gone, Max said, “Steffan will still have to be arrested. I don't know whether he's involved, but we can't take the chance he is. I'm betting—hoping—that he's innocent, but he'll have to prove it.”

Bella watched as Kristin put a hand on Max's arm and asked, “Are you all right?”

He grimaced and said, “Yeah. Just disappointed.”

And sad, Bella thought. What a shame that the person who'd been a surrogate mother to her son had betrayed him. What must he be thinking now? She wished she knew what to say or do to comfort him. But she wasn't sure he would even accept comfort from her. She reached out a hand to her son, but let it drop before she touched him.

“Are you all right, Flick?” Kristin asked. She ran her hands over her daughter as though she were blind and needed to feel flesh and bones to know Flick was unhurt.

“I'm fine, Mom. I knew you'd come. I told Veronica so.”

“How do you suppose Veronica found out we suspected her?” Max asked Kristin.

Kristin looked down at Flick and said, “Flick?”

“I didn't tell her! I just told Gram.”

“Irina was sitting close enough to hear,” Bella said, filling in the missing piece. “I had no idea there was any
danger. I thought Flick was kidding when she said you were a spy, Max. Are you? Really?”

His lips quirked. “Yes, Mother, I am.”

“Oh, my.”

“But not for much longer,” he added.

Bella felt like a patron at a play as she watched Max and Kristin exchanging significant looks. “You're quitting, Max?” she asked.

Max put an arm around Kristin's waist and a hand on Flick's head and said, “Yes, I am. I want to settle down in one place and be a father. And a husband, if K will have me.”

Bella saw the anguished look Kristin shot at Max. Clearly, Max was forcing the issue. She felt sure her son loved this woman. But it seemed Kristin hadn't yet made up her mind whether to accept him. Bella could see Max ready to open his mouth and perhaps cause her to reject his proposal, when she might only need a little more time to consider it.

So she fainted.

“Mother!” Max cried, catching her on the way down.

Flick broke into tears. “Gram!”

She almost opened her eyes, Flick sounded so frightened and unhappy. But she kept them closed as Max eased her onto the floor.

“I guess the strain was too much for her,” Kristin said.

“We'd better get her to the hospital.”

“Should we call an ambulance?” Kristin asked.

“Maybe we'd better,” Max said worriedly.

Bella couldn't afford to have doctors examine her. They would discover her secret and perhaps tell Max. She fluttered her eyelashes and moaned. And slowly opened her eyes.

“Mother?” Max said.

“What happened?”

“You fainted,” Kristin said. “How are you feeling?”

“I guess I fainted with relief that the danger was over. I'm feeling better now. Can you help me up, Max?”

“Mother, I think—”

“I'm fine, Max,” she said in a voice forceful enough to prove she was fine. “Please take me home.”

She would make a point of taking Flick out of the way when they arrived at the mansion on Berkeley Square, so Kristin and Max would have time—and privacy—to discuss Max's long overdue proposal.