Page 56 of Warlord’s Empire

Ayaan agreed. “They don’t need to know all the details.” She looked at her phone. “Good news.” She beamed at them. “I think I know where my brother’s compound is and it’s not far. We can be there by the end of the day.”

The three women packed their things and headed in the direction of the compound, discussing how to breach it along the way.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Jozef’s face grew stonier as Cooper talked over speakerphone, telling them of his suspicions. Cooper had been left in charge of the Guard Dog offices while the rest of the team was in Africa searching for Saskia.

They were currently in Kinshasa in the DRC, having come from Pretoria a few days earlier. They’d traced Radik to this point, but no further. They knew he had a compound buried deep in the northern rainforest, but they had yet to get their hands on coordinates.

“I thought it was strange,” Cooper continued, “so I contacted Halil at the estate to find out what he knew. He said Ayaan, Shaun, and Leeza left five days ago to rejoin you in Pretoria.” His voice was ashamed when he added, “We didn’t question it.”

It made sense that neither Halil nor Cooper would question the women. They weren’t supposed to do things like this. Still, Havel wanted to rip Cooper’s head off for not contacting them sooner.

“When Ayaan called me this morning for satellite surveillance, I figured something was up.” He sounded annoyed. Cooper and Ayaan worked most jobs together, but she’d gone AWOL without telling him.

“You gave her the information she requested?”

“Yeah,” he admitted, sounding unsure of himself. “It’s Ayaan and she’s a trusted member of Guard Dog Securities. Why wouldn’t I give her the information?”

No longer a trusted member, Jozef signed to Havel who nodded his agreement.

Ayaan had led their wives into some of the most dangerous territory on the planet. Leopards, venomous snakes, crocodiles. There were innumerable ways to die. Though Leeza could hold her own with any man, she could easily be injured while trekking through the rainforest. Ayaan better hope the three women made it to Radik before he and Jozef, because she was going to need her brother’s protection.

“Send us everything you gave her and have our Guard Dog analysts look at it. We need to know exactly where they’re headed,” Havel commanded, trying to keep the fear and rage from his voice. If his wife survived her trek through the wilderness, he was going to strangle her, then lock her up forever.

“Already on it,” Cooper said quickly. “I’ve been following their progress as much as I can and I think I’ve pinpointed where they’re going. Sending you everything now.”

Get the jet ready, Jozef signed furiously at Havel as they ended the call. I want to be in the air within the hour. We need to arrive before the women do. I don’t know what Radik will do to Leeza and Shaun. His face darkened. Or what he’s already done to Saskia.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Saskia rubbed at the bridge of her nose, squinting as the translation blurred on the screen. She’d been looking at it too long, but going through the translation was better than thinking about what her brain was dwelling on.

How was she supposed to have a relationship with Radik when he refused to share a room with her? She knew not all people in relationships shared rooms, but it was something she wanted in hers.

She felt so awkward talking to him she hadn’t even waited long enough to find out why he didn’t want to share a bed with her. It was obvious, she told herself, he was afraid he’d hurt her during a PTSD episode. And to be honest, a part of her worried about it to.

When he’d had his nightmare and locked her in the safe room, he’d grabbed her and dragged her down two flights of stairs without properly seeing or hearing her when she tried to get his attention. What if he mistook her for an enemy? He could kill her in his sleep.

A shudder went through her, along with a good dose of sadness. Their fledgling relationship was already suffering, and trying to find a way through felt overwhelming.

Shoving her laptop aside, Saskia decided she’d had enough of the translation. She was doing it out of boredom and the desire to escape into her work, not because she had a job anymore. Her colleague was dead and the Prime Minister’s office hadn’t heard from Saskia in weeks. They probably assumed she was dead too.

She frowned as something tickled at her mind. What was Prime Minister Makovsky doing about Aurelia’s death and Saskia’s disappearance? Was he actively searching for Saskia? She needed to ask Radik if he knew what was going on with the investigation.

She stood, turned off her desk lamp and wandered to the window to look out at the moonlit town. The stars glittering above Marifiya were incredible, so much better than in Prague where light pollution diluted them. Unable to resist, she unlatched her door and stepped onto the balcony, breathing in the flower-scented air as it washed over her.

A movement caught her eye and Saskia scanned the dirt road below, trying to make out a shadow that seemed to shift in the moonlight. She stared hard but nothing moved again. As she lifted her gaze back to the spectacular Milky Way above, a shadow detached from her balcony and leapt at her.

Saskia’s strangled cry was abruptly cut off as a hand clamped over her mouth and she was shoved backwards into her room. She scrambled in the grip of her captor, throwing an elbow into them. They grunted, releasing her and Saskia spun around, punching her attacker in the nose.

“Ouch, fuck!”

Saskia frowned. “Leeza? Is that you?”

“It’s us!” Shaun hissed, huffing as she slipped into the room from the balcony.

“What… why… how?” Saskia stared shocked for a few seconds before throwing herself at Leeza who was clutching her nose, knocking her backwards onto the bed. “I’m so glad to see you!”