Chapter Twenty-One
Kira
When the plane touched down, Kira felt like she could breathe again.
It had been just over twenty-four hours since she’d kissed Ty good-bye, and somehow it seemed a lifetime ago.
She pulled her backpack over her shoulder and, like everyone else on the tiny plane, she shuffled her way along the narrow aisle toward the front.
The passengers were all going on about their lives.
Kira had no idea what her life would look like going forward.
For sure, it was going to be different than yesterday.
Christen had promised that there would be a good guy waiting for her.
And she was right, there stood Christen’s husband, Gator Aid Rochambeau, who was part gladiator, part good ol’ boy who spent his childhood floating on the Bayou.
He was football and apple pie, and he loved his mamma.
And that was all anyone really needed to know to trust that they were safe when he was around.
“Hi,” Kira said, feeling the tension melt from her muscles; it wasn’t a stranger in an Iniquus uniform. “Thank you for coming. I’m sorry if I’m messing up your day.”
“Christen said you could use a friend.” He reached out his hand. “Let me take that for you.” They stepped forward out of the traffic. “Did you bring a bag other than this one here?”
She looked up to find the baggage sign. “I have one that I need to claim.”
They were silent as they followed the crowd, as they waited for the hum and clang of the conveyor belt, and as Kira pointed toward her bag with the bright lime puff ball that helped her spot her black bag amongst all the black bags.
Gator popped the handle and rolled it beside him, shortening his stride so Kira didn’t have to run.
“Lynx is waiting in the car.”
“Oh?” Before Kira could ask why Lynx hadn’t come in, Gator was pulling his phone from his pocket and coming to a stop.
“Hey, D-Day.” Gator glanced Kira’s way. “She just got here. We’re heading for the vehicle.” Gator paused and scanned. “Okay,” he said, “you’re on speaker.”
“Kira? It’s Christen.”
“Christen, yes, I was going to text you that—”
“Kira, listen for a second. I just got a call from Tanzania, a man named Moses.”
“Moses from Davidson’s Range?”
“Yes. You know him?” Christen asked.
“Moses is your father’s head security officer at his Tanzanian estate.”
“Alright, that would make sense. Moses said my father was taken by medical evacuation helicopter to Dodoma.”
“I’m so sorry.” Kira rounded toward Gator, who held the phone between them. “It must be serious.”
“He’s unconscious. When I searched online, Dodoma isn’t the closest hospital. Why would they take him that far away?”
“When I was coordinating the party a couple of years ago, I knew that the safety plan was to take William’s plane to a hospital if necessary.
He was quite far out in the bush, close to the western border.
Not all hospitals have the capacity to handle complex cases.
Perhaps Moses spoke with William’s doctor, and they sent him to the level of hospital that could support his needs. Dodoma is a Level One Trauma Center.”
“I’ve never been to his Tanzanian compound. I don’t know how things are situated. Why a helicopter and not his plane?” Christen asked.
“My guess is that they wanted medical hands on him and what support they could provide in a helicopter. Oxygen. IVs. Something like that. Also, the helicopter can land at the hospital, and a plane might take longer in the end because it would need to land at an airport, then transfer to an ambulance, and then drive to the hospital. Moses is a professional. You can trust that he did his very best to support your dad. My thought is that they pulled in a helicopter from a closer hospital and then flew on. My Uncle Nadir is in Tanzania. You didn’t speak with him? ”
“Moses said that Dad’s guests elected to take the Range’s SUV.”
“Take the SUV where?” Kira asked. “Not Dodoma, that would be like a thirty-hour drive. That’s like driving from D.C. to Denver. I know you know this. Sorry.”
“I didn’t know Dodoma was that far.”
“By air, it would be about an hour and a half, as I remember it. Ty likes to talk about the golden hour. But they’d be pretty close. I’m so sorry. This must feel really scary.”
“The reason why Moses called me was that I’m the one listed on my dad’s medical directive.
He switched his forms after London was shot and Karl was incarcerated.
I’ve faxed the paperwork to the hospital—Moses gave me the name and number.
I’m calling because this leaves me in an awkward position.
London should know, of course. But I understand she’s pregnant, and given everything, I just don’t know what to do here. I’m looking for your advice.”
Kira had her hand on her forehead, her gaze searching the sky. London. William was London’s entire world. This was going to devastate her.
“Christen, it’s nighttime in Qatar. If you felt comfortable, I would wait until you had more information—a reason why William is unconscious, a prognosis.
In the meantime, I’ll call my Aunt Fatima, whom London thinks of as a mother figure.
If my family knows, they can support London.
They’ll probably insist on moving London to the family compound, so they can care for her.
I’ll text you my aunt’s number when I get off the phone. ”
“That’s the plan then,” Christen said. “Thank you for your help. Gator is going to take good care of you.”
Kira moved her gaze to Gator’s.
“D-Day,” he said, “you okay? Do you need me out there with you? Lynx and Deep can be here for Kira.”
Kira nodded to show that she was in complete agreement.
“I’m going to follow Kira’s plan and sit tight until I know what’s going on. I’ll call you, and then we can talk about it. I need to head into a meeting. I’ll reach out later. Love you today.”
“Today, I love you too,” he said, then hung up as Kira pulled her phone from her bag, tapping her aunt’s icon, and hearing the call go right to voicemail.
Kira looked at the time. “It’s early for her to go to bed.
Here, text this number to Christen.” She held out her phone.
“Fatima with an F.” When he was done, she turned her phone back to face her.
“Let me call my cousin.” She tapped the rose icon.
It picked up on the first ring. “Amara? It’s Kira.
” She spoke in English, so Gator could understand. “I was trying to reach your mom.”
“No, you won’t be able to. She went to Tanzania with Dad. Cell service is touch-and-go.”
“Okay, so they both already know.” Kira wished Aunt Fatima were at home; she was the right person to support London.
“Know what?”
“Amara, I need you to keep this between the two of us. But it will fall on you and the other women to help. Please don’t say anything near London until you hear from William’s daughter, Christen. I’m going to text her your number.”
“Christen?”
“Yes, listen. William was taken by helicopter to the hospital. Your mom and dad have left by car.”
“Car? Why?”
“That I don’t know,” Kira said. “I’m sending you a big hug and hanging up now.”
“Mutual support,” Gator said with a grin as he typed Amara’s cell number for Christen and texted what they’d learned from the phone call.
As they arrived at the gunmetal gray Iniquus SUV, Lynx stepped out of the vehicle and wrapped Kira in a warm hug.
“I’m so glad you came to us,” she said, and Kira believed her.
“Look,” she said, opening the back passenger door, “I brought Houston along for the ride. She’s a PTSD support dog and is great at snuggles.
I thought you could use some stress relief after your harrowing night. ”
Gator moved to the back and loaded Kira’s luggage into the hatch.
“Have you eaten anything today?” Lynx asked, and Kira looked at her feet, wondering if she had or not.
“If you can’t remember, it means you need to eat something. When’s the last time you slept?” Lynx asked as Kira turned and climbed into the back seat. Not last night, from what Christen said.”
“No, not last night.” Kira pulled her seat belt into place.
“Poorly the night before.” The beautiful German shepherd with the softest hair and the most caring eyes crawled forward to put her head in Kira’s lap.
Kira leaned down to smell the clean musky doggy scent, then laid a kiss near Houston’s ears.
“We’ll take you to the hotel where we have a room reserved for you, and you can settle in.”
“It’s very kind of you to go to all this trouble. Thank you.” Kira tipped her head to lean it on the window.
“We would be here to support you regardless,” Gator said as he climbed behind the wheel, “since you’re part of the Iniquus family, now.”
“How do you mean?” Kira asked.
“Ty is the new Lead for Team Delta,” Gator said as he pulled out of their parking spot and steered toward the exit. “He didn’t tell you?”
“No. Well …” Kira’s voice drifted off as she thought back to Lula asking her about that just before she got London’s ring. “No.” She cleared her throat. “He didn’t say anything.”
“You knew he interviewed for a job with us?” Gator asked.
“Yes, well, that was months ago, and nothing seemed to come of it.”
Silence filled the cab, and Kira leaned her head against the windowpane, grateful for the cold, and she zoned out.
“Here we are,” Gator said, pulling into the parking lot of a hotel that looked expensive and secure.
Kira’s phone rang, and she grabbed it from her pocket, hoping that it was Lula.
Text: Durham Police on scene at 693 Labradorite Crescent. Click the link to connect with the responding officer.
“Durham police. Should I answer it?” Kira didn’t wait for their answer as she tapped the screen. “Hello?” She touched the speaker, so Lynx and Gator could hear.
“Hello, ma’am, this is Durham P.D. We’re trying to reach the owner of 693 Labradorite Crescent.”
Kira wrapped her hand around her throat. “This is she.”
“Ma’am. Your neighbor, Mrs. Hallsworth, gave us this phone number.”
“Yes. That’s my neighbor. Is she alright?”
“Yes, ma’am. She called the police station when she noticed what she said was unusual activity at your house.
We came to investigate and found that your front door was not closed all the way, and a side window was broken.
We believe the intruders entered through your window and left without shutting your door.
Can you come back to your house to close up? ”
“Oh,” Kira exhaled. “No, I’m out of town.”
“It doesn’t look like a robbery. We think they may have come in to look for something specific. Your rugs were lifted, your pillows slashed, and paintings were pulled from the walls.”
“Looking for something?” Kira shook her head. “I … I … like what kind of something?”
“I don’t know, ma’am. Perhaps it was something you could think of, and I can take it to the station to hold until your return?”
“I can’t imagine. I don’t have any idea.” Kira caught hold of her nose as it buzzed. There it was again, the damned ringing in her ears.
Someone had been in her house. Were they looking for a clue to where she’d gone? Were they looking for something specific, perhaps the ring that London had sent her?
The timing wasn’t innocent, of that Kira was certain. “I’m on a trip for a couple of days to see a friend. I can’t get back immediately. Do I need to call a service to secure my house?”
“That’s up to you, ma’am. But Mr. Hallsworth has offered to cover the window with a board. The door can be shut and locked.”
“That’s so nice of him. Please tell Dan, uhm, Mr. Hallsworth that I appreciate the help.”
As soon as she hung up, Lynx asked, “Do you really not know what someone might be looking for?”
“No. Nothing. My passports are all I can think of, and I have both of them with me.”
“All right, when I get back to Iniquus,” Gator said, “we’ll call someone in the area to go to your house, look around, and get photos for you. There might be a clue in where they searched.”
Lynx swiveled around in her chair to look Kira in the eye. “Turn your phone on airplane mode. You won’t be using it for a while.”
“But—”
“We have a burner for you.” Lynx reached down toward the floorboard and retrieved a cell phone that she handed to Kira. “Are you expecting any calls from anyone else?”
“I left a message for Lula about London’s note. Ty doesn’t have his phone because he usually leaves it in the cage. He’ll call when he gets home.”
Gator looked at Kira in the rearview mirror as he unbuckled his seatbelt.
“Check and see if you’ve given permissions to anyone to track you on any apps you might have.
A running app you share with a family member, an encrypted app that you use for overseas calls.
Anything at all.” He held up his phone. “While you do that, I’ll send Ty a message telling him that I urgently need to speak with him so that he calls me, not you, if he gets in today. ”
“I’m, uhm, Lula’s asset. So I have a panic app.” Kira held up her phone to show the icon on her screen.
“What does that do?” Gator asked.
“I’m not sure. Lula said it signals Langley, I think. All I have to do is tap the icon if I’m in danger. Well, not regular danger. Like I wouldn’t tap it for the burglary. I would tap it if it had something to do with my family.” Saying that winded Kira.
“Okay. So you’ll want to keep your phone close, even if it’s on airplane mode. About your house, do you have an alarm system?” Lynx asked.
“No.” Kira felt stupid for failing to even have the lowest level of security. But she’d always felt safe in her little house.
“Camera doorbell? Anything?” Gator asked as he stuck his phone back in his thigh pocket.
“I didn’t like that idea. I don’t know who has access to that stuff, so I—I didn’t do that. I don’t have anything.”
“I know you told the police that you didn’t know what they were looking for,” Lynx said. “But now that your mind has had a moment to process, was there anything in the house you think they got hold of? Was there anything that you are worried about that they might have seen or taken with them?”
“When I fled, I hadn’t anticipated that I’d ever go back to that house. I took everything of importance with me.”
“Let’s go ahead on in,” Gator said, opening his door and climbing from under the wheel. He rounded to the back to get Kira’s suitcase and backpack.
Lynx got out and opened the door for Kira, who seemed to have stalled with her fingers curled into Houston’s fur.
“Houston’s coming with us,” Lynx said softly. “Do you want to hold her lead?”
The walk inside was silent. It was Gator who went to the desk and signed in to get Kira a keycard while she stood behind a potted fern, gripping Houston’s leash in both hands.