The Freedom Broker (Thea Paris #1)(77)
Her cell vibrated. She glanced down. The buzz of the presentations faded into the background. A photo of Christos Paris stared back at her. Thea had been copied on the text.
She enlarged the picture for a closer look. The billionaire held a copy of today’s New York Times, proof that he was alive, at least as of this morning. That is, if the photo was even real. She’d send it to the lab for analysis.
These days proof of life was often confirmed by an actual phone call with the hostage or by securing responses to personal questions only the hostage would know the answers to. Sending photos was old school.
Christos’s expression caught her attention. She’d seen countless pictures of captives. Most looked weary, drained, shattered. Not this tycoon. His dark gaze burned with indignation, and his chin tilted slightly upward. Blood matted the right side of his head, but he looked resilient, defiant.
Paris sat on a cement floor in front of a gray wall, the backdrop offering no obvious clues about his location. She forwarded the photo to her team, marking the transmission urgent. Their forensics experts would scrutinize it for any information.
Interesting how the photo had been sent to her private cell. Maybe the kidnapper was the same person who’d phoned her on Christmas Day with the news that Paris had been taken. Strange. Thea had been the main contact so far. Now the kidnapper wanted Gabrielle involved. Why?
She uncrossed her legs, suddenly quite uncomfortable on the wooden bench. She scanned the room. Was someone watching her? No one seemed overtly suspicious; everyone was too engrossed in the proceedings. The Chinese National Oil Company representatives were still painstakingly plodding through their proposal while the prime minister and his team smiled and nodded.
Thea perched on the edge of her seat, focused on every word. Gabrielle wanted to attract her attention. They had proof of life for her father—presumably. Thea might have a sense of its legitimacy.
As Gabrielle watched, the kidnap negotiator reached into her jacket pocket and slipped out her phone. She must have kept it on vibrate. For a second, her body froze, but she quickly regrouped. She turned her head, meeting Gabrielle’s expectant gaze. A slight nod. This was a breakthrough. Hopefully the big one they had all been looking for.
Chapter Fifty-Five
Nikos studied the Kanzi panel, reviewing in his mind the intimate details of the dossiers he’d compiled about each member. Everyone had a weakness, but some were more obvious than others. Prime Minister Kimweri had proven a challenge. A God-fearing man, he did his best to represent the people of his nation fairly. He worked hard, accepted no bribes, and led with dignity. It had required investigation, but eventually Nikos had found the man’s kryptonite. But he’d only use it if absolutely necessary. If there was one thing Nikos had learned, it was that research and preparation were key. He’d spent lots of time studying his father’s company, probing for insider knowledge and weak links—and had found both.
Chi was delivering his proposal to the panel, waxing on about how the Chinese could revolutionize Kanzi. The laborious speeches, freighted with references to the historic bonds between China and the region, would have been excruciating if they weren’t playing such an important role in his tightening web.
Underneath the table, Thea pulled out her phone and stared at a photo of their father holding today’s paper. Real contact from the kidnapper instead of those Latin texts. About time. Christos looked as if he’d taken a few hard knocks, but the tough bastard still projected insufferable arrogance.
Nikos caught Thea’s attention and pointed to his own cell. She nodded. Seconds later, the photo appeared on his iPhone. He was tempted to make it his new screen saver so he could bask in Christos’s distress any time he wished. He texted the image to his team, hoping for a clue that would lead to his father’s location. Then he could make his final move.
It had to be an inside job, or the perpetrator had deep pockets and powerful, widespread connections. Abducting a billionaire with iron-clad security was no mean feat. He had a grudging respect for Christos’s kidnapper. It had taken years for Nikos to find a vulnerable spot; whoever it was had pulled off quite a coup.
Still, Nikos knew he would triumph in the end. He’d questioned Alec Floros, the man who’d held the helicopter pilot’s debts. And now, using his contacts in Greece’s Customs Control, his men were pinpointing the destination of the plane that had taken off from Corfu. They were closing in.
Prime Minister Kimweri’s head bobbed up and down like a PEZ candy dispenser in the hands of a five-year-old. Christ, this was boring. Chi was finally wrapping up his presentation, or so it seemed. He found the Chinese team’s constant droning vaguely irritating and predictably open ended. Nikos had conducted enough negotiations in China to know that nothing was ever cemented, even after the ink on the contracts was bone dry.
He smiled at the memory of the endless negotiations he’d weathered to secure Xi-Ping as his arms supplier. She was as intelligent and ruthless as she was beautiful. He’d shared his dual identity with her but wondered if it had been a sage choice. There was a clock on the relationship, but the massive stockpile of weapons and ammo she had access to had kept it alive.
The gavel slamming down jolted him back to the present. About fucking time. Lunch break. He touched Thea’s back and steered her out into the hall. Time to pump her for information.
And it looked as if his stalker from HRFC had the same idea, as she was headed straight for them. He hoped Gabrielle was paying attention. Ares was about to reveal himself.