Chapter 5 #2
Drakos scurried from crate to crate, inputting the lock code and verifying the contents. He looked relieved each time. Apparently, nothing was missing.
Jason massaged a knot in his shoulder. “If someone came in here, they either didn’t try to bust the locks, or they had the codes.” He looked at Drakos. “Which is more likely to you?”
“Maybe they didn’t come in at all. Maybe when they encountered your associate, Mr. Branch . . . maybe they changed their plan?”
Leland looked skeptical. “How certain are you that no one has the codes to those locks?”
Drakos paused. “Ninety percent sure.”
Jason swallowed his groan. And reminded himself to stay professional. Because what he wanted to say to Drakos wasn’t very professional. “Okay, Drakos.” He waved a hand around the room. “What is all this?”
“Mine. That’s what it is.”
Jason glared at him. “And yet?”
“Yes, well, like I told you, there is a man, Frederick Kost, who would like to take possession of these treasures.” He raised his hand toward the crates with great reverence. “Priceless art, rare coins, artifacts—all things that should be owned by those who truly appreciate their worth.”
Jason had a bad feeling about these treasures. “Drakos, I want you to look me in the eye and tell me none of these items were stolen.”
“They are mine,” he said.
Jason pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled a long breath. “Mr. Drakos, give me a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ Before these items were in your possession, were they illegally acquired?”
“I don’t know.”
Jason was starting to understand why someone might want to shoot at this man.
“Tell us about Frederick Kost,” Leland said.
Drakos’ face screwed up like he’d tasted something sour.
“He is the son of my late dear friend, Boris Kost.” He looked around the room fondly.
“Boris appreciated nice things. All of this belonged to him. And he told me he wanted me to take possession of these collections after he died. Because he knew I had taste!” He practically yelled the last statement.
His dramatics elicited a baffled look from Tayla. Leland grunted. Drakos’ bodyguards didn’t react. Jason suspected they were immune to his theatrics.
“Frederick,” Drakos continued, “has gambled away everything his father ever gave him. Boris knew if Frederick got his hands on any of this, he would simply auction it all off and burn the money on frivolous things. So, in the event of his death, Boris wanted me to have it all. He knew I would appreciate it, and if I were to sell any of it, he knew I would be very selective about who I sold to. Poor Boris died six months ago. And, of course, Frederick wants everything.”
“There wasn’t a will?” Tayla asked.
Drakos hesitated.
“No,” Jason answered. “None of this was recorded in a will, or anywhere else, because it’s all stolen.”
Drakos shrugged. “I have no idea how Boris accumulated any of this.”
Jason straightened one of the ancient knights’ swords. “You mean all these fascinating valuables you appreciate so much? You admire them with no interest in where they came from?”
Drakos smiled. “I will . . . how do you say, in your country? I plead the fifth.”
Jason ground his teeth, harnessing the words he knew he shouldn’t say.
“So,” Leland said, “this Frederick guy, how much money does he have access to right now? And what kind of connections does he have?”
Drakos looked confused.
Leland rephrased the question like he was questioning a small child. “Does the bad man have enough money to hire thugs to come after us?”
Drakos grimaced at his tone, then sighed.
“Yes, he has plenty of money now. He did get access to his father’s accounts.
So, if he hasn’t wasted it, he has enough to hire whoever he needs.
” His head snapped up. “But I honestly never suspected he would try to harm me to access his father’s things.
When he learned I took possession of all this, he threw a childish tantrum.
He yelled. And literally stomped his feet.
But I didn’t think he’d become violent.”
Jason leveled a hard glare at Drakos. “Until we get this sorted, you stay out of sight. Don’t go back to your residence at the hotel or anywhere someone would expect to find you.
Don’t tell anyone where you are. Have your staff tell guests you left town, or you’re ill, or whatever you want.
” He tossed Drakos a burner phone. “I’ll keep in touch with you on that. Don’t share the number.”
He addressed Drakos’ bodyguards. “Stick close to him at all times. And make sure he keeps his head down.” They both nodded.
“I will do what you say,” Drakos said. Jason didn’t feel bad that the man looked scared. His fear might help him stay alive.
Jason marched across the gravel parking area, slid behind the steering wheel, and slammed his door. Tayla climbed in the passenger side and Leland retook his seat in the back. Jason met his gaze in the rearview mirror. “I don’t like protecting a guy so he can sit on his stash of stolen goods.”
“Me either,” Leland said. “But we have to find the person who killed Gus. This Frederick guy seems the most likely to be involved. So, we start there.”
They watched Drakos’ SUV leave the parking area.
“Do you think his security can protect him?” Leland asked.
“I checked into them this morning. Yeah, I think they’re good to run defense. We need to handle the offense. If this guy is determined, they won’t be able to hold him off forever.”
“He sent men to Houston for Leland and sent those men to your suite today. He sounds determined to me,” Tayla said.
A loud pop sounded nearby—accompanied by a thud against their SUV.
Seriously? That sounded like—
Jason’s hand pushed her head down to her knees. “Stay down!”
The SUV roared to life. And raced through the loose-gravel parking area.
Another thud. And this time she clearly registered the report of a gun. Tayla tried to keep her head low while grabbing onto the edge of the console to steady herself. She couldn’t see the backseat from her hunched position. “Leland!”
“I’m fine. Stay down!”
Hearing his voice kept her from completely panicking. She stayed low, but turned her head to watch Jason. He was laser-focused, with an intense sort of calm about him. Two more thuds. She shrieked and shrank deeper into her seat. Jason’s eyes darted to hers. “You okay?”
“Yeah. Fine.” Which wasn’t really true. But she hadn’t been shot. And that’s probably what he meant.
“Everybody hold on.”
She watched him jerk the wheel and all her insides flew to the left.