Chapter 20
Cal roamed the convent library while Io worked her way through the diary they found. Rehashing what happened downstairs was stupid. He’d fucked up, shared more than he wanted to, but there was no going back now. He was blaming it on the tunnel and how it had brought Elena to mind.
He reached the end of the room and turned to pace the other direction. The only good thing was that talking about his sister had knocked Io out of team leader mode. Whether or not it would last was anyone’s guess, but he’d take it.
“Cal,” Io called.
Making his way back to the table, he held his breath. She wasn’t going to quiz him about his family again, right?
The journal was closed, and he settled in the seat across from her. “What, Thing? Did you find something else in that book?”
“No, just what I told you earlier about the painting in that clue being a religious figure with angels around it.” She cocked her head, her blonde ponytail falling in front of her shoulder. Io pushed it back and said, “You know, the convent has paintings everywhere.”
Cal shook his head. “I know, like ten thousand of them and about half of those feature a religious figure surrounded by angels.”
“Not quite, but you’re not off by much.” Her lips curved. “I’ll pass the intel on to Archer and let him decide what to do about it. You and I have other issues to deal with.”
Tensing, Cal asked, “Issues?”
“Yeah. Our op is to get to Torres, but we’re so busy dodging the mob that we’re not accomplishing anything on our prime objective.
I thought about walking out to the street, ducking back inside, and then using the tunnels, but the level of risk versus reward doesn’t work for me.
The Russians could have moved their perimeter closer to the convent. ”
He released a silent sigh of relief. Her mind was on the mission, not on his family. “Or they might have joined forces with Torres’s team. The Russians buy a shit-load of arms from him. They have a working relationship.”
“It’s a possibility. Find the treasure and fight it out later. Both would be confident that they’d come out on top.”
Cal nodded. And the streets of Trujillo would be filled with the blood of innocents, but neither man would care about that. “So our objective is for Torres to know we made a third visit to the convent? To ratchet up his curiosity?”
“We need him to approach us because we can’t get to him, not with the fortress he calls home. I think my showing up for a third time at a location he’s watching would register.”
“And if he’s working with Petrova?”
He watched Io measure that possibility. “From what I know about both men, I’d only give this a twenty-percent chance. Do you have a different view of the situation?”
She’d consulted him again. Cal wasn’t sure what it meant, but he’d take it. “No. I think you’re in the range. I might even put it lower. If you’re open to a suggestion, I have an idea.”
“Sure, what are you thinking?”
“KW reported to the Big Dog that Torres’s men put surveillance cameras outside the convent walls.
They’re monitoring everything happening on the grounds.
We could take a walk, one long enough to make sure they spot us and identify you.
We could really grab their attention if you’re carrying the journal.
After we make a circuit, we return to the convent and use the tunnels to leave. ”
Io considered that for a moment, before she nodded. “That sounds like a good plan. Little risk and we accomplish what we need to move our op forward.”
“We’re going to need KW to unlock the gate between the convent courtyard and the grounds.”
Io grimaced. “And he’s going to want permission from Mother Teresita.”
Cal stood and grinned. “Well, KW was raised in Catholic boarding schools. He was trained not to cross a nun. I’ll talk to him.”
Io didn’t have the journal. KW had adamantly refused to let her carry it outside.
He was worried the sight of it would make the abbey a target and he didn’t want anything to happen to the sisters.
She saw his point. Torres, and Petrova for that matter, didn’t play nice and they didn’t respect religious orders.
The grounds on the other side of the wall from the courtyard were gorgeous.
Lush, with trees and flowering bushes. There were little private oases with benches and a few had fountains.
In the middle of an urban landscape like Trujillo, it was a lovely slice of nature.
Perfect for the nuns to spend time in silent contemplation, and although it was hot, the trees provided shade making it bearable.
Part of Io—the stupid part—wished that she and Cal were simply taking a walk. It brought back memories of their time together in Germany, of holding hands, talking and laughing together as they strolled. But that was a lifetime ago and she had a job.
The path was narrow enough that their shoulders brushed as they moved.
Her determination to be businesslike was slipping, and it irritated her.
She wasn’t ready to trust him again, but Cal got to her.
He had from the first time they’d met. And once he’d told her about his sister, the wall she’d built had cracked.
Not fallen, but cracked. Enough to make distance harder than she wanted it to be.
Pushing her personal life out of her mind, Io scanned the area casually, as if she were merely taking in the scenery. She kept her pace at a saunter, her muscles relaxed, but they neared the outer wall and the cameras would get a really good view of her then.
There was a bench up ahead, nestled beside a flowery bush and Io stopped, pretending to admire the blooms. “We’re close enough now that if Torres’s team is actively monitoring the cameras, we’ve been tagged.”
Cal paused beside her and Io knew—knew—he was fighting the urge to shield her from view. “They’ve ID’d you before. If they’re observing in real time, they’ll run facial recognition.”
Nodding, she tilted her face toward the nearest camera, as she pretending to inhale the scent of the flowers. The soft whirr of the camera moving reached her ears. “They’re watching.”
“Copy, and there’s the ping. They got you.”
“Mission accomplished. Let’s continue our stroll and circle back to the convent.”
The path curved ahead, making a circuit of the grounds and they followed it until they were headed away from the wall.
Every time their arms brushed, Io felt the tension in Cal’s muscles.
He didn’t like her being pinged by facial recognition even though it had been his idea, but then he’d always been protective of her. And now she knew why.
They’d covered about a third of the distance to the abbey, when she heard a buzzing whine. It grew louder. “Cal, that’s not…” she let her voice trail off as it came into view, crossing over the wall separating the grounds from the city.
“Russian-made drone. Yes, it is. Let’s pick up our pace.”
“Definitely.” They didn’t jog, but it was a quick walk. From the way it was flying, the damn thing was searching for them. Although she and Cal were in an area with a lot of trees, that wasn’t going to last long. They’d be in the open shortly and spotted.
“Petrova must be monitoring Torres’s team,” Cal said quietly. “Once they picked up activity with the camera, they were on it.”
“Recon drone? They want to see what had the other men excited.” Io didn’t question the lack of security on their transmissions.
The arms dealer’s men were used to operating without interference.
The Puerto Jardinese authorities were paid to look the other way, and everyone else would be too afraid to cross Torres. He had a reputation for violence.
Petrova wouldn’t share that wariness, not when his own boss was equally as feared and equally as violent.
“That’s my theory. And remember, they’re looking for you. If their drone has facial recognition capabilities, they’ll ping you, too.”
“Yeah.” They were fast approaching the wide-open grassy area. “You’d think Torres’s men would at least have the courtesy to shoot down the drone before it crossed the wall.”
“Want to bet they weren’t anticipating this move? Torres doesn’t have his best men on this project.”
“Because he didn’t think anything important would really happen here.” Io slowed as they neared the end of their cover. “You got a better look at the drone than I did. It’s not weaponized, right?”
“Looked like surveillance only,” Cal said. “I don’t like them tagging you, but it’s not going to open fire on us.”
And now there was nothing but an expanse of grass between where they stood and the gate to the courtyard. It was unlocked. As soon as they reached it, they could go through it. Not that it would stop the drone. It would simply fly over that wall, too, but they’d be closer to the door to the abbey.
As soon as she and Cal were out of the trees, they were spotted. The drone zeroed in on them. She didn’t look up at it, keeping her focus on the gate.
The drone’s hum sharpened, too loud to hear the whirr of the camera or a ping that said the facial recognition software ID’d her. It didn’t matter. When the damn thing came back for a second pass, she knew it was too late. “They locked on.”
“Yeah, the second pass was to confirm the ping.” Cal’s unhappiness with the turn of events came through loud and clear. “Pick up the pace, Thing.”
Io did. “Does it have ears?”
“I couldn’t tell. Let’s assume it does.”
“Copy,” Io said.
They arrived at the gate and she had her hand on the latch the instant she could reach it. The hinges had been well-oiled, and when she pulled, it opened easily, soundlessly. KW’s handiwork and it made her forgive him for his smart-ass attitude.
“I’ll close the gate,” Cal said. “Don’t wait for me. Get inside the abbey.”
Io’s first instinct was to protest, but instead she said, “Copy.”
The longer she was in the open, the longer he was at risk. The one thing she had to remember was Petrova wanted her alive. The same didn’t go for Cal and he would protect her first. He’d told her as much at the safe house. She made a beeline for the abbey’s front door and darted inside the foyer.
She didn’t draw a deep breath until Cal joined her.
“Everything okay?” she asked.
He nodded. “The drone didn’t come into the courtyard. It turned and headed for the closest wall.”
Io looked around the foyer as she worked to slow her pounding heart.
There was lots of gleaming wood and every inch of wall space seemed to have a painting.
All of them needed restoration work and about a dozen of them had a religious figure surrounded by angels.
Cal was right about that being a common motif.
One of the paintings was crooked, but before she could straighten it, KW appeared.
“Father Tomás will meet you at the other end of the tunnel,” he said without preamble. “You need to get out of here and I need to make sure the abbey is secure.”
“You saw the drone?”
“I saw it. Torres was bad enough, but Petrova?” KW scowled. “This is the last time I want to see you at the convent. Understood.”
“Understood. I didn’t expect a drone,” she said, her way of apologizing.
KW relaxed slightly. “Neither did I or I would have nixed this scheme from the start. Come on, let’s go to the substructure.”
As they walked to the door to the stairs, Io said, “One of the paintings is crooked.”
“I know.” KW kept walking, not even glancing over his shoulder.
Okay, then. Conversation closed.
KW opened the tunnel entrance. “Don’t fuck around. Father Tomás isn’t going to sit in the church for hours waiting for you.”
“Dude, chill. We’re not going to dawdle in the tunnels,” Cal said.
KW sighed. Loudly. “I know, but hell. At least Torres has to live in Trujillo. Petrova can shoot up this convent, hop on a plane, and leave without repercussions. He has no incentive to rein in the violence. I want the sisters safe.”
“So do I,” Io said. She pulled out her phone, turned on the flashlight, and entered the tunnel. The light from the abbey didn’t last long. As soon as Cal followed her, KW closed the entrance. “How are you doing, Cal?”
“Don’t worry, Thing. I’m focused. We need to get out of the tunnel and out of the vicinity of the church before Torres and Petrova's men start to wonder if we’ve joined the cloister.”
“Copy,” she said. He wasn’t wrong. They had limited time before the two teams of assholes began canvassing the area for them.
They moved quickly through the tunnel, but not as fast as she would have liked. While the bulk of the debris had been moved to the sides, there was smaller detritus, uneven stones on the floor, and the only light they had came from their phones. Even being careful, Io tripped on broken paver.
Cal caught her elbow immediately, keeping her from falling, but she flailed, trying to regain her equilibrium.
The light from her phone caught something.
As soon as she had her balance, she walked to the tunnel wall. There, etched next to the entrance to a dark, wide side tunnel was Captain Sungrave’s sunburst symbol.
“Cal! Look! Do you think the treasure is in the tunnel?”
She took a step toward the entrance.
Cal took hold of her elbow again, stopping her. “We need to get out of here,” he said, voice intense. “The longer we stay, the more danger we’re in when we emerge. You know this.”
Io did and he was right. She gave one last look down the tunnel, and with a grimace, turned to continue to the church.
The treasure had been lost for two hundred years. What was another few days?