The Freedom Broker (Thea Paris #1)(99)

His hold on her loosened. She waited, desperate for air, riding the force of the water. Her energy was waning. She couldn’t hold out much longer.

Suddenly the speed of the current quickened, water slapping her from every direction. They had hit the rapids.

In one quick movement, she brought her knee up to his groin, hard.

Instinctively he arched his back. She capitalized on the move, twisting so she was now on top. She surfaced and inhaled. Foaming river water slammed her face. She sucked in a mouthful. Coughed.

The powerful current carried them through the narrows.

A quick glance downriver. Her only chance.

Seconds from plowing into a small island of protruding rocks, she thrust her fingers into the deep wound in Nikos’s right shoulder. His body buckled from the pain.

She twisted to the right as they hit the rocks, the back of Nikos’s skull taking the impact, snapping his head forward. He lost his grip on her entirely.

His body shuddered, and he vanished underwater. She dove down, trying to find him, but only blackness greeted her.

She resurfaced, scanning for any sign of him. A quick breath, and she dove again, her arms sweeping underwater, hoping. But he’d disappeared.

The current swept her along, banging her into rocks. She tried to swim toward shore to avoid the next set of rapids, occasionally diving down, still trying to find her brother.

Voices sounded in the distance. Rif was sprinting along the shoreline, headed for her.

She searched the water for Nikos.

Gone.





Chapter Eighty-One



Thea opened her eyes and looked around. She recognized the dark wood panels and rich burgundy brocade of the bedroom on the Paris Industries corporate jet. She shifted in the bed. Sharp pain radiated from her ribs. Her right arm was in a cast.

A doctor hovered over her, adjusting an IV drip. “Her blood sugar levels are stabilizing, but she’s still dehydrated. In another twenty-four hours, she should be as good as new—well, except for the fractures. I’ll be back shortly to check her vitals.”

The doctor was talking to Gabrielle Farrah, who sat in an armchair in a corner of the bedroom. Her dark eyes had lost their luster. Stress formed fine lines around her mouth.

“Papa?” Thea leaned forward, her body tensed in pain.

“He made it; we’re going to see him now. He was airlifted to the nearest trauma center, which is in Johannesburg.”

Relieved, Thea collapsed back into the pillows.

“Rif flew with him in the chopper.”

She recalled that moment on the river, asking Rif to take care of Papa. For once, he’d followed orders. She almost smiled before the full memory of what had happened rushed back. “Nikos?”

“No sign of him yet, but he wouldn’t be the first person to disappear into the waters of the Zambezi.”

Sadness overwhelmed her, pain thrumming in her heart.

Gabrielle leaned forward in her chair. “Nikos was deeply fucked up. I still can’t believe he was Ares, but in addition to illegal arms deals, we know he murdered Xi-Ping and her brother in cold blood, then framed Chi as Ares. And it looks like he executed General Jemwa as well. The effect this will have on international relations is immeasurable; the State Department will have its hands full for months untangling this mess.”

If only she’d known how ill he was, maybe she could have helped somehow. All the hostages she had helped over the years, and the one who had needed her most was her own brother.

“We also found evidence in Xi-Ping’s room proving that she poisoned Peter Kennedy.”

She tried to concentrate on what Gabrielle was saying. “Killing the competition?”

“Actually, it looks as if Kennedy was the leak. Initially he shared proprietary details about the Paris Industries offer with her, but then he turned the tables and tried to extort her. He chose the wrong target.”

Xi-Ping was beautiful and deadly—no doubt that was why Nikos had been drawn to her.

Gabrielle went on. “Kennedy probably saw this as an opportunity to cash in, but he had no idea who he was dealing with.” Gabrielle sighed. “But we shouldn’t be talking about all this now. You need to rest. You have two cracked ribs, a broken wrist, innumerable lacerations, bruising all over, including a nice shiner, possible concussion . . .”

And a fractured heart. Thea’s bones would heal, but she wasn’t sure about the rest. Her family had imploded. Papa had made some very poor decisions, and Nikos . . . His long-ago abduction had twisted his psyche, and his seething hatred of their father had made him a monster. And he’d come close to destroying them all.

She thought of Mamadou. “Is Prime Minister Kimweri okay?”

“Yes, he held a press conference a few hours ago. He declared the emergency over and offered amnesty to any soldiers who had participated in the coup and wanted to return home.”

“Smart. I’m relieved he’s safe.”

“He also announced that Paris Industries won the bid for the Kanzi oil rights.” Gabrielle gave her a sad smile. “Needless to say, the US government is pleased about that development.”

“Papa told me he had the contract all along. The summit was just for show. And you know that he faked his own kidnapping—at least at first.” She studied the cast on her arm. “Is anything as it seems? Anyone?”