Sheba's Gambit Page 17

  Marshall said, “What are you going to tell him, if he decides to head for Turkey before we get there?”

  “We’ll head for Icel.”

  “Okay. If you find out anything else, let us know. If you can give us a time that you are leaving that would be helpful.”

  “I don’t think it will be today. That Assid guy kind of upset Breckenridge’s applecart especially since he got away. Now Breckenridge is wanting to make sure that his security is tightened. That’s what they are discussing now.”

  “Let us know if you hear of any changes.”

  Sheba suddenly turned her head. “I think they’re coming. I’d better get back to work on the map.”

  Breckenridge strode in. He looked around the room, then hurried over to where Sheba was working. When he saw that she had been writing on the map, he moved around to where he was standing behind her.

  He frowned. “Why have you written two names for each of these cities?”

  She pointed with a pencil. “The top names are the names Dr. Aschler used on his map. The bottom names are the names that Elmer Seacliff, our sea captain used.” She circled one set of names. “This is where Aschler thought we should land.” She circled another set of names. “This is where Capt. Seacliff said we should land. As you can see they are fairly close together.”

  Breckenridge said, “I would think that they should be the same.”

  Sheba shrugged, “Not necessarily. Sheba was probably a fairly large country. It might even have been as large as Turkey. If so, Aschler and Seacliff could have come upon different harbors.”

  Breckenridge smoothed back his hair with both hands. “I hadn’t thought about that.” He looked at the map again. “Then Sheba could run up through here.”

  Sheba nodded. “It could also run this way or this way. Captain Seacliff felt that it ran this way, but Aschler thought this way.”

  Breckenridge looked at her. “It is possible that you have given me enough information that I do not need you any longer.”

  She smiled, “It is possible, but do you really think that I have given you all that I have? You continually underestimate me. I keep telling you that I am not stupid, but you don’t believe me. I have just given you a taste of what I know. How long will it take for you to find the mines of Sheba or the capital city or the Queen’s palace by yourself?” She demanded. “Without me, it could take years, but maybe you want to spend years and years searching. Maybe you want to be too old to enjoy what you find.”

  Breckenridge’s mouth tightened. Sheba began to wonder if she had pushed too hard. Had she’s done just what Tony told her not to do.

  Suddenly, Breckenridge slapped her across the face. She bit her lip to stifle the cry that rose to her throat.

  At that moment, Atkins majestically walked in the door.

  He looks like he’s been stuffed, Sheba thought wildly, her hand to her cheek.

  “Luncheon is served.” He turned to look at Slater. “Miss Helen is already seated.”

  “Thank you, Atkins,” Breckenridge said gravely.

  Sheba put her hand to her cheek. She could feel the welts where he struck her.

  “We will be in, in a few moments.” He looked at her coldly. “If you want to be my partner, you had better understand that I do not tolerate insolence. Slater may be right and you do have a man’s brain, but you had better start using it or the next time, it won’t be a slap on the cheek.”

  “Yes, sir.” She said humbly.

  “Let us go into luncheon. My cook will resign if we are late.” Breckenridge offered Sheba his arm.

  “Thank you,” she said solemnly. This guy is either nuts or Bipolar.

  --------

  Marshall looked at Tony. “I don’t understand this guy. One minute he’s a thug, threatening Sheba and the next minute, he’s acting like he’s in a stage play.

  Tony said absently. “He sees himself as part of the nobility even though he’s not a Lord. Part of the reason for his obsession with Sheba is that he thinks he’s her great, great grandson so he has to act the part. I’ve often wondered which personality disorder he suffers from.”

  Nagle said, “The Apache helicopters have set down in Battersea Park.”

  Marshall said, “They won’t work, at least, for the initial insertion. They fly too low and are too loud. It will alert Breckenridge’s guards.”

  Dean said, “We have a stealth fighter at Welford. An Apache can take Marshall, Tony and me there. The stealth can fly at 30,000 feet. We have equipment with us that we can use to jump from that altitude. With a stealth, black chutes and clothing, Breckenridge wouldn’t be able to see us. It would make insertion much safer.”

  Nagle said, “Marshall won’t be going. You’ll be in charge. Do you have a third in command?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Dean said. “Jason Peters.”

  She looked at Marshall. When he started to protest, she held up her hand. “Don’t argue with me. I know your reasoning, but you aren’t fit. I can’t have you risking the mission. Sheba and Braden will understand. Now, I’ll call Toby. He can put pressure on the joint chiefs to let us use that plane.” She pulled out her secure cell and pressed a button. “Mary, I need to talk to Director Maitland right now.”

  “I’m sorry he’s in a meeting with the joint chiefs. He said not to interrupt him.”

  “I don’t care if he’s in conference with the President. Put me through.” She demanded.

  “This had better be good,” Maitland growled when he picked up the phone.

  “We need you to get us a pilot and a stealth fighter for tonight. We can use the Apache’s to get the backup team inserted, but Dean says the helos are too loud to insert our team on Breckenridge’s roof.”

  “I don’t think I cleared a stealth op.” He said.

  “Toby, we don’t have a lot of options. Sheba got us proof that he’s not only helping to fund ISIS, but he is controlling them. We have his record of his verbal admission.”

  “Do I get the idea that you’re a little--”

  “Frustrated, angry, ready to bite someone’s head off. Well, yeah, I guess you could say that’s how I feel. I NEED that stealth plane.”

  Marshall came over. “Easy,” he said. “No sense in getting everyone upset. Dean says that his cousin’s dad is a big shot in the British Air Force. I’m betting he’d like a piece of Breckenridge. We can’t be the only one who knows he’s a terrorist.” He winked at her.

  “Hold on. I need to clear this.” Maitland said.

  Nagle heard him put her on hold. “Does Dean really have a cousin whose dad is in the British Air Force?”

  “Now ma’am, would I lie to you?”

  She twisted her mouth. “You might not lie to me, but I wouldn’t be surprised if you were stretching the truth, just a little.”

  He laughed.

  Toby came back on line. “The President just told the Joint Chiefs to give you what you need. Just where is this stealth plane?”

  “Welford.” She said.

  “What time do they want it?”

  Tony said, “We were planning on dropping at 02:00 hours.”

  Marshall walked over to them. “My gut says that’s going to be too late.”

  Bond and Nagle looked at him. Nagle said, “Your gut?”

  Marshall nodded. “I don’t know why, but I think things are going bad. Slater’s head security chief just reported that they couldn’t find Assid. He just disappeared.” He shook his head. “Assid’s out for revenge. If he thinks it will hurt Breckenridge, he won’t hesitate to hurt or kill Sheba or Braden. Jamie just hacked Norton. She’s good,” he said admiringly. “She even managed to get the plans for Breckenridge’s estate in Switzerland. We’ve just been going over it. He’s got more security leaks than a soaker hose.”

  Bond scratched his chin. “You really think they’ll have gone to bed by 12:30?”

  Marshall shrugged. “Don’t know, but I don’t think it matters. It might help if they are downstairs. Dean and Jason
can drop on the roof pretty quietly, but there will still be some noise. It they are in bed, they might hear you.”

  “What about the guards seeing us?”

  “Unless we black out a few stars they aren’t going to see us. It looks like there’s no moon. It’s partly cloudy at midnight. I think that’s when we need to make the drop.”

  Toby said, “I’ve had you on speaker. Brigadier General Creighton says there is night gear at Welford. He’s calling General Hastings right now. He’s ordering him to give you anything you need. Just don’t forget an extra set of batteries for your night vision googles. The last pair he used crashed when the batteries went dead.”

  Nagle looked from Bond to Marshall. “It’s a go for 00:30 hours.”

  Marshall looked at his watch. “We don’t have much time. Let’s get that Apache to Battersea Park. Dean, you need to get to Welford.”

  “Our Apache’s on its way. We should be there before you are.”

  Nagle pressed the off button. “You are cleared on all fronts to take out Breckenridge.”

  “Ma’am,” he said, “The Brits aren’t going to take kindly to an American Apache helicopter in Battersea Park.”

  “It’s been cleared. It seems that MI 6 wants him too, now that we have his own statement that he’s funding the terrorist attacks so they are more than willing to work with us.”

  Marshall turned to Tony. “Hey, Bond, you ready to play hero?”

  Tony Bond smiled feebly. “I never reckoned on jumping from a stealth plane at 30,000 feet.”

  “Other than the cold, it won’t be much different than jumping from an Apache. 30,000 feet makes it a lot easier to maneuver. Dean’s the one who’s going to have it rough. He has to maneuver his chute for that entire distance. You’ll be hooked to him, but you won’t be able to help him other than to stay still or lean when he says lean.” Marshall paused. “Just remember that if you do anything stupid he dies. If he dies, you just signed your death warrant.”

  Tony looked at Marshall’s face. He had little doubt that Marshall meant what he said. “If I screw up, you’ll be standing in line for my hide, but I don’t plan on screwing up.”

  “Good,” Marshall said. “Can you get us transport to Battersea Park? We need to get going. We’ve only got twenty five minutes until we need to be there.”

  Nagle said, “You’re not going on this mission. I already told you that.”

  “Ma’am, I know more about what is needed than anyone else. I’m the only one I’d trust to brief my men.” He stared at her as if challenging her to argue with him.

  “All right, but remember, you stay on the ground.”

  He didn’t bother to answer her, but looked at Tony.

  “It will only take us fifteen from here although getting across the Chelsea Bridge will be a nightmare. It’s under construction.” He walked over to one of the consoles and picked up a phone. “Motor Pool. I need an armored vehicle, preferably a Humvee at command in five minutes. I need a driver, a gunner as well as a couple of snipers. We need to be in Battersea Park at eighteen hundred hours.”

  “Roger that.” A strange voice said.

  Marshall turned toward Nagle. “Ma’am, neither Bond nor myself will be able to monitor Sheba. Will you do that for me?”

  “Sure, but,” she pointed to his sleeve monitor, “You’ll have a monitor with you.”

  “Too busy. We have gear to check and men to brief especially since my second in command is going in place of me. Let me know if anything important erupts.”

  “Will do.” She gripped his arm. “Take care, Captain. We need your team back in one piece.”

  “I’ll do my best.” Scooping up a small pile of gear, he followed Tony out of the building to the waiting Humvee.

  --------

  As Sheba followed Breckenridge into the dining room, she said, “Helen, are you feeling better?”

  “A little.” She said, then called, “Michael?”

  “I’m here.” He paused.

  She turned her face toward her brother. “Michael, who was that awful man. Why did he grab me?”

  “He was business competitor who had a difference of opinion with us.”

  “How is Russell,” Helen asked sadly.

  “He’s doing better,” Braden said as he walked through the open French doors, followed by Mick. “Mick says he’s going to make it with no problems.”

  She turned toward him opening her arms. He looked at Sheba who nodded. He walked over to Helen who pulled him close, hugging him hard. “You were wonderful.” She said. “How old are you?”

  “I’ll be nine in January.”

  “I thought you were older because you were so brave.” She paused. “Can I see you with my fingers?”

  He looked a little worried as he looked toward Sheba.

  Helen laughed. “I promise you it won’t hurt. I just want to touch your face. I can tell what you look like by doing that.”

  “Okay,” he said, standing patiently while she felt his chin, mouth, eyes and finally his hair.

  “You have a crew cut,” she said as she ran her fingers over the short spiky hair.

  “Yup.”

  “What color are your eyes?”

  “Blue.”

  Breckenridge motioned for them to take their places. Slater said, “Helen, Braden needs to sit down. Lunch is served.”

  Breckenridge didn’t say much over lunch. Sheba kept glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. He seemed thoughtful.

  I wonder if he’s thinking about what I told him about the size of Sheba. She spooned up the cold asparagus soup.

  I’m not sure I like this. I wonder how Braden is doing. But when she looked over at him, he was eating very neatly. He was even using the correct spoon. He’s better at this than I am. I have to keep peeking at what everyone else is using to avoid showing my ignorance.

  After lunch, Braden said, “May I go out and sit with Russell? Mick says he is calmer if I’m there.”

  Helen said, “If it’s okay, I’d like to see Russell.”

  Braden thought about it for a second, “I don’t think it would upset him too much especially if you tell him that you’re doing okay.”

  “I’d like to see him, too.” Sheba said. She walked to the window and looked out. “Are we in the alps? That sure looks like the Matterhorn.”

  Frowning, Slater looked over at Breckenridge who said. “I would love to show you my estate. A walk would settle luncheon.”

  As they left the table, Slater said quietly to Breckenridge. “I don’t trust her. I’m not sure it’s wise to let her outside.”

  “Relax, Michael. As long as we have Braden, we control her. She knows more than I thought she did about Sheba. She also seems to be a catalyst to my thought processes. I am seeing things differently, now. I believe that she will help me more than I will let her know.” He thought for a moment. “I think we need to get Caldwell here as soon as possible.”

  “He said he’d call when he was ready.” Slater reminded Breckenridge.

  “I want him here now.”

  Slater nodded, “Should I just go get him?”

  “Send William for him. He will scare him into getting here quickly.”

  Slater nodded. “I will have Mick keep an eye on the boy. He doesn’t need to know why other than the business this morning.” Slater smiled grimly as he turned to leave.

  “Remember, Michael. I want him here tonight.”

  Breckenridge walked over to the French doors. “Braden, would you take Helen to see Russell.”

  Braden nodded. Turning to Helen he said, “If you want to put your hand on my shoulder, I’ll take you to Russell.”

  Helen tipped her head, her dark hair falling across her face. “Why are you offering your shoulder instead of taking my hand,” she asked curiously.

  “Because my Aunt Sheba put your hand on her arm, but I’m shorter so I thought you might be more comfortable with my shoulder.”

  When she looked surprised, he adde
d, “My Mom works at the American Embassy. She told me that I should watch what she does so I bring credit to her. I guess I just watch everybody now.”

  Sheba ground her teeth thinking, that is so like my sister. Everyone needs to bring credit to her, even me and my royal purple dress.

  As though he read her mind, Breckenridge offered his arm. “He is a very well-mannered, charming child.”

  She shook her head. “Yes he is, but he should be running around, yelling and having fun. An eight-year-old shouldn’t be so serious.”

  She watched as Braden led Helen toward the stables. He paused whenever there was an obstruction, helping her around them.

  She sighed. “He is a great kid.”

  As they crossed a meadow, he pointed out various mountain peaks.

  “Can you see the Matterhorn from here? I’ve always wanted to see that peak. It seems to represent all of these mountains.”

  “That is because it is so famous. It isn’t the highest mountain in Switzerland, though. “That mountain is Dent Blanche. Dent Blanche is the seventh highest mountain in Switzerland.”

  As they rounded the house, Slater joined them. “He will be here first thing in the morning.”

  Breckenridge’s face went dark. “I wanted him here this evening,” he snarled.

  “He said that he told you he would need a week to finish up what he was contracted to do. It took him a day longer than he thought it would. He has been working on the survey for several days. He said it will be ready tomorrow.”

  “Why didn’t William bring him anyway?”

  “Because he couldn’t find him. He left his lodging. I contacted him on his cell.” Slater said quietly. “I gave him William’s cell number. He’ll call him in the morning.”

  “Doesn’t he realize that I have someone who can help him with the survey? If I wanted him tomorrow, I would have said that he should come tomorrow.” Breckenridge said angrily.

  “I’ll call him, but I don’t think it will do much good. I suspect that he’s holed up with one of his pleasures.” He walked down the driveway. He pressed a spot on his phone, then put it to his ear.