The Freedom Broker (Thea Paris #1)(78)

Chapter Fifty-Six



Thea studied the image of her father on her phone. No doubt about it, Papa was sending her a signal.

Gabrielle approached her and Nikos. “Shall we find a quiet spot?”

“This way.” Thea led them to the airy alcove she’d discovered while familiarizing herself with the hotel. Recon always paid off, and, given the situation, she needed any edge she could find. The three of them stood behind a large column so they wouldn’t be visible to the crowds milling about in the main hallway.

“Christos is alive.” Gabrielle’s dark eyes emanated compassion.

“If the photo is real. Your team will also be authenticating the picture?”

“Already on it.”

Thea considered her options. She could keep the information in the photo to herself, knowing the government analysts would eventually discover it. She inhaled deeply. Gabrielle had been patient, helpful. Maybe Thea should explore if they could be more effective working together.

“My father used to be in the military, so he’s familiar with hand signals. He also attended a Quantum International Security kidnap seminar. All top-level Paris Industries executives have been instructed to share clues in photos and videos while being subtle enough not to get caught.” She expanded the image on her phone so that only her father’s hands were visible. “See his fingers? He’s using military hand signals for the numbers zero and five. Now we just have to figure out what they mean.”

“Any thoughts? You two know him best.” Gabrielle stared at the photo.

Nikos’s mouth tightened. Thea’s heart ached for him.

“Five, zero—or is it zero, five? A clue to GPS coordinates? A lead to where the kidnappers are holding him?” Papa was trying to tell her something. She just needed to figure it out.

“Does the number somehow correlate to this oil deal?” Nikos asked.

Thea considered the reams of paper she’d gone through. “I don’t think so, but I’ll review the documents again.”

“I’ll get my people on it right away. Keep me posted if you figure out what Christos is trying to tell us.” Gabrielle nodded to them both and strode down the hall.

Thea turned to Nikos. “Could Papa be referring to something that happened when he was fifty, ten years ago?”

“Nothing comes to mind. The fiftieth state, the fiftieth country?”

“We might not even be reading it the right way.” Her head throbbed. Well, now was as good a time as any. “Are you sleeping with Quan Xi-Ping?”

He studied her for a long minute. “You never have to worry about my loyalty to you.”

“Nikos, she’s Papa’s opposition in the negotiations.”

“That part didn’t bother me.”

“Have you been feeding her inside information about Paris Industries?” she asked.

“Father never let me inside the business, so what could I tell her? Xi-Ping and I met during that import/export deal I told you about, the one involving Bucharest. It helped grease the wheels to have a personal relationship. I promise you, no wedding bells are on the horizon.”

She believed him. No way would any woman be able to work her brother. Still, she sensed he was up to something. “I need a few minutes alone in my room. I’ll meet you back here in fifteen.”

He nodded. “Don’t worry, sis, we’ll find him.”

A rush of empathy again filled her as she remembered Nikos’s heartbreaking notes. She touched his arm. “Sorry. Papa’s kidnapping must be stirring up difficult memories for you.”

“Full circle from twenty years ago, except this time the father is kidnapped instead of the son. We can never escape our pasts, I guess,” he said.

She couldn’t agree more. Nikos’s kidnapping had set her on a life path devoted to helping others. But her greatest fear was failing, yet again, to protect her own family.





Chapter Fifty-Seven



The bus squeaked to a stop, and the football players filed out. Rif released the straps securing him to the chassis and lowered himself to the ground. His mouth tasted like a dust bowl, and his shoulders were on fire from the strain of supporting himself for the entire ride.

He flexed his cramping fingers. Dropping down and flipping onto his stomach, he crawled toward the side of the bus now adjacent to a building and peeked out. Jaramogi and the other men entered an abandoned warehouse. White paint flaked off wooden planks, and fluorescent lights shone through rusty steel doors. He shimmied forward to get a better look.

Several open-air Jeeps sat in the dirt parking lot. The unmistakable sound of rifles being locked and loaded caught his attention. A few men wandered out of the warehouse. They’d traded their football uniforms and bags for fatigues and AK-47s.

Other men filed out. Had to be at least thirty of them.

“Load the equipment into the Jeeps,” Jaramogi said to the troops.

Rif assumed they’d be heading for the Victoria Falls Hotel. Was General Jemwa planning a coup? As if the oil negotiations and Christos’s kidnapping weren’t enough to handle. He’d better warn Thea.

He tried to text her but had no bars on his phone. African telecom wasn’t stellar at the best of times. Dammit. He needed to run back to the hotel, but first he had to escape unnoticed.