Love and Let Die (Masters and Mercenaries #5)(118)

Ian got to his feet, pulling the blade back. He wouldn’t leave it behind. If he could take out a few more quietly, he would.

He had his chance, sneaking up on another pirate who seemed to be looking for the king. He was coming from the opposite direction, but had stopped, looking into another room. Ian slit his throat easily and dumped the body in what looked like a secondary bedroom. Three down.

How many more to go? How many more until he got to Nelson?

Kun moved with deadly grace as she made her way to the other side of the boat. Ian followed, keeping his steps as light as possible. Gunfire could be heard above him as the pirates seemed to be sweeping the decks one at a time. They would be moving in soon, and the minute they found the bodies, they would be searching for him in earnest.

They came to a door with a high-tech keypad next to it. Kun placed her thumb on it, looking back as the door slid open. “What can I say? He really liked me. His office is back here in the private section. Only the king, his personal servant, and two of his women have access. The other girl is harmless. Seriously, not a brain in her head. Get in. It will slow them down for a bit.”

He stepped in and the door slid closed again, locking with a tiny snick.

Sean appeared, slinking along the wall as he exited what had to be the office. He tensed for a moment, pointing his SIG right at Kun’s head.

“Don’t shoot her. She’s a friendly,” Ian said, his voice tight. “Is the king with you? Does he have cameras on this ship?”

The king was standing behind Sean, wrapping a long black lanyard around his neck. Before it disappeared under his shirt, Ian saw a small thumb drive attached. “I only have them in the nookie rooms, but they are not attached to any network. I turn them on and off based on whether my partner likes to be taped.”

Even in the middle of all the tension, he had to shake his head. “Nookie rooms?”

His cousin Chapal was behind him, a laptop in hand and a disapproving frown on his face. “My cousin is a perverted man.”

The king stared at him, but Chapal held his ground.

Kun rolled her eyes. “I didn’t even think of that. We can try it, but if the crew talks, we’re screwed. Move it, Tag.”

He was standing beside an ornately decorated wall. It looked like it had been fashioned out of beaten silver. It was a lovely work of art. It also was a hidden door, as Kun proved when she ran her hand down the side and it slid open.

Thank god. He had a place to stash the king until he could figure out how to get him out of here because the halls had to be teeming with guys with guns at this point.

The king frowned at Jiang Kun. “I thought she was on the bad side.”

The king needed to stay out of the intelligence world. It moved mighty fast for him. “She’s working with us now.”

A smile came over the king’s face and he sent the double agent a suggestive wink. “See, I told you she was a delicate flower.”

Apparently the king could think about sex even when the world was falling apart. “Get in here, Your Highness. Did you do what you had to?”

The king shook his head. “He’s jamming the Internet. I couldn’t get it out. I downloaded the research to a thumb drive.”

Chapal held his computer over his chest as though it would prove a good defense. “I have the whole thing set to send the moment we have a connection. If we even have a few seconds, it will go out to several addresses.”

“I can’t lose it,” the king said. “It was my researcher’s whole life. I cannot have his death be meaningless.”

“You don’t know he’s dead,” Ian said. “But you’re going to be if you don’t hide. Unless you know a secret way off this boat.”

“You should get down to the garage,” the king said.

“Garage?” He wasn’t a big yachter.

“It’s where we stow the jet skis and small boats. The speedboat would have been in the garage if we hadn’t been anchored,” the king explained. “It’s on the lower deck, the one just below this one. There’s scuba equipment if you’re thinking of slipping out underwater.”

He wasn’t thinking at all. He was running on instinct. “Is that door the only way out of here?”

The king shook his head. “No, there is one in the back as well. It leads to stairs that go directly to the garage.”

That was better. “Stay here with your cousin, Your Highness. Wait until we’ve cleared the garage and then one of us will come get you. Do you understand? Don’t make a sound.”

He started toward the back of the magnificent suite of rooms. Chapal followed him. “I can reprogram the security to give you access. Our system doesn’t run off Internet. It should work.” His hand touched the keypad, typing in numbers. The screen next to it glowed. “Place your thumb over it.”

Ian put his thumb on the keypad and it blinked twice.

“Now you have access. I will keep trying to get into the system.” Chapal turned and walked back to the nookie room, his head held high.

“Kun, watch them,” Ian ordered.

“I should come with you,” she returned.

“Watch the asset for me. Shoot anything that comes his way. They’ll get through the door eventually.” He could already hear them on the other side of the suite, trying to get it to open.