Solomon's Scrolls, page 4
part #1 of A North and Swiftwater Thriller Series
“Oh God, that’s so horrible. I’m sorry.”
Connor paused to compose himself. “At Rachel’s funeral, I told Jason to his face that I never wanted to speak with him for the rest of my life. It wasn’t long after that that I started to drink. It got so bad that I couldn’t start my day without a few stiff drinks to control my shakes. The Corps offered me a choice: attend rehab or resign my commission. I was so angry at the world that I couldn’t think straight and resigned. A few months later, I ended up in Africa, teaching people how to track illegal poachers.”
“And your alcoholism?”
Connor chuckled. “I was posted to one of the remotest places in all of Africa and found that I didn’t need it to help me get through the days anymore. Instead, I had a job, great people to work with, and a purpose back in my life. So, in a way, you could say, I found myself again in my work.”
“That’s quite some story.”
Connor opened a bottle of water and took a long drink. “And it’s all true. So, what’s your story?”
Kim pointed at herself. “Me? You want to hear about little old me?”
“Yes. I told you all about me. So, don’t hold back.”
“I was born at the Eagle River First Nations Reserve in Alberta, Canada. The name on my birth certificate says Kimi, but I prefer to be called Kim. My twin sister, Kaya, and I never really knew our parents, as they died in a house fire when we were only a year old. With no other place to go, our grandparents took us in and tried their best to look after us. It was a hard life as my grandparents were poor and could barely look after themselves, let alone two children. By the time we were teens, Kaya and I were a pair of hellraisers. Every weekend, the police would bring us home to our grandparents, who would lecture us and tell us we were grounded, but that never stopped us. As soon as they were asleep, we’d climb out of our bedroom window and be gone until the sun came up.”
“You sound like you were quite the handful.”
Kim nodded. “Yeah, I know. But wait, it gets better. At sixteen, we ran away and headed south. We slipped across the border at a reserve and took a bus to Houston, Texas, aiming to get as far away as possible from our old home. But we were as green and as stupid a pair of teenage runaways could be, and it didn’t take long for us to fall in with the wrong crowd. Kaya got into drugs, and to pay for her habit, she became a prostitute. As much as I tried to help her, we slowly drifted apart. Then, a few months later, I met a man called John Jurado, who saw something in me and took me under his wing. And before you get the wrong idea, he never mistreated me or asked anything from me. John insisted that I finish my education and taught me how to act in polite society and break into safes without getting caught. We started with, you know, small safes hidden in people’s walls, and then moved onto commercial centers and finally high-security compounds.” and
“Sounds like you’ve had an interesting life so far.”
“Everything was going great until one night when I found John dead at his desk. The doctors told me he’d died of a brain aneurysm,” Kim’s voice cracked. “I was heartbroken and didn’t know what to do. That was until I found a note he had written before his passing. In it, he told me to be proud of who I was and where I came from. And to carry on pushing the boundaries of my newly chosen profession. Someone had to be the best, and he wanted it to be me. So, I carried on as he asked and eventually made my way to New York, where I met Mister Knox and your father-in-law.”
Connor made a T with his hands. “Whoa! Time out. You knew Knox and Jason before tonight?”
Kim smiled. “Yes. I’ve been working on and off for them for the past year and a bit.”
Connor sat back. His head was swimming. “Let me get this right. My ex-father-in-law is involved in illegal activities?”
Kim hesitated before answering. “Yes and no. Also, it’s probably not what you think.”
“Okay, what is it, then?”
“I’d rather Mister Hamilton explained it to you than me. He isn’t as one-dimensional as you believe. In fact, he’s quite nuanced. I know it’s not my place to tell you what to do, but from what I’ve heard, I think you should give Mister Hamilton another chance.”
Connor snorted. “That’ll be the day.”
“And why do you call Mister Hamilton by his first name? It’s not very respectful.”
“Because I know it pisses him off, and it’ll be a cold day in hell before I call him Mister Hamilton again. Besides, who are you to lecture me about respect? By the sounds of it, you weren’t too respectful to your grandparents.”
Kim pursed her lips. “People can change. I know I was an awful teenager and should have shown my grandparents the respect they were due. However, I think your reason for being disrespectful to Mister Hamilton is pretty juvenile.”
In the blink of an eye, tension filled the cabin.
Connor’s neck muscles tightened. He leaned forward and looked into Kim’s eyes. His voice turned cold. “Yeah, well, when he kills a person you love, you can lecture me all you want. Until then, you can keep in your lane, and I’ll stay in mine.”
Kim narrowed her eyes. “I thought you said your wife died in an accident.”
“That’s how her death was listed, but I know better. I heard from a family friend that Jason had been drinking that day and should never have been behind the wheel of his car. Although I don’t have any evidence, I’m positive Jason used his money and influence to ensure his blood alcohol level was never brought up during the investigation.”
“That’s a big assumption if you ask me.”
“It sure is, but I also believe it to be true.”
“I’ve seen the pain in Mister Hamilton’s eyes when he talks about his daughter. He’s hurting, too.”
Connor clenched his fists. Who was this woman to tell him how to feel? “I don’t care, Kim. I hope the bastard dies of a broken heart. But let’s get one thing straight between us. I’m here to make sure you survive the mission and nothing else. So, let’s agree to leave the past in the past.”
Kim nodded and raised her hands. “Hey, I’m sorry if I upset you. But I don’t see the world through your eyes.”
“Has anyone ever told you that you say sorry a lot?”
Kim chuckled. “All the time. It’s a habit I picked up from my grandparents.”
Connor unclenched his fists and glanced out the window at the half-moon. It reminded him of the first night he and Rachel met in Hawaii and how her short, blonde hair glistened under the moon’s silvery light. His heart ached for her. Connor knew that one day he would have to come to terms with her death. He couldn’t continue being angry for the rest of his life, but he wasn’t sure how to let go of the past. Connor closed his eyes and leaned his chair back. He was tired of talking. He just wanted to be alone with Rachel.
CHAPTER SIX
Paris, France
Connor sat in his seat and watched as their jet taxied to a private hangar. A blue-coated French customs agent met them. The man boarded the plane but never spoke with Connor or Kim. Instead, he hurriedly stamped their passports and then turned to leave. Out of the corner of his eye, Connor noticed the flight attendant slipping the agent a couple of hundred Euros. He smiled to himself, grabbed his small pack, and walked to the exit. As he left, he glanced over at the attendant. “I take it that was his tip for being so efficient?”
“You can take it any way you want, Mister North,” she replied dryly. “Please watch your step and have a nice day.”
Connor shook his head and climbed the stairs onto the hangar floor. He stopped and looked around. Aside from the plane, the building appeared deserted.
“I wonder where Yuri is,” said Kim, placing her luggage at her feet.
“I haven’t a clue,” Connor said, checking the time. “Knox said he’d be here when we arrived.”
Kim went to dig out her phone when a man driving a forest-green Land Rover Defender drove inside the hangar and stopped in front of the plane. The driver’s door opened, and a slender man walked toward the plane. He had looked to be in his mid-forties with black stubble on his angular face and a ponytail that hung beneath the collar of his rumpled Hawaiian shirt.
“Bonjour, and welcome to France,” said the man, with a noticeable Russian accent. “I hope you had a pleasant flight.”
“Not too bad, Mister—?” replied Connor.
“Yuri, please call me Yuri,” the man said, offering his hand in greeting.
Connor shook the man’s callused hand. “Yuri, is that all?”
Yuri smiled. “For now, it’s just Yuri, Mister North.”
Connor wasn’t surprised that Yuri knew his name. “If you know who I am, I doubt I have to introduce Ms. Kim Swiftwater to you.”
“Enchanted, Ms. Swiftwater,” said Yuri, taking Kim’s right hand and bringing it to his lips. He delicately kissed the back of her hand and smiled. “It’s too bad that you are here on business, Ms. Swiftwater, as I could have shown you the sights of Paris at night. I know you would have loved it.”
Kim gently pulled back her hand. “I’m sure you could have. But as you say, we’re here on business, so why don’t we get down to it?”
“Pity. Another time perhaps, ma belle?”
Kim forced a smile. “Another day, maybe. So, what have you got for us, Yuri?”
Yuri tossed a set of keys at Connor. “Everything you will need is in the back of the Rover.”
“Like what?” he asked.
“Mister Knox’s list was quite detailed. There’s more state-of-the-art gear than you could possibly use, along with your costumes for tomorrow night’s charity gala.”
“Costumes?” stammered Connor.
Yuri nodded. “Yes, didn’t Mister Knox tell you? Monsieur DuFour is holding his annual children’s charity event at his chateau tomorrow evening. Your invitations are with your costumes.”
“Safe houses?” asked Kim.
Yuri dug out a piece of paper and handed it to Kim. “These are the addresses of your safe houses. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you never to use them twice. Before leaving here, you’ll need to memorize their locations and then destroy that note.”
Kim scanned the paper and handed it back. “Here, you can burn it if you like.”
“Really?” Connor queried. “That was kind of fast. Don’t you think you should read it over a couple more times to be sure?”
Kim tapped a finger on the side of her head. “Trust me. I have a near-eidetic memory. I only need to read or hear something once, and it’s stored away in my head for life.”
“If you say so.” Connor wasn’t convinced and scanned the note himself. He pretended to look like he was capable of instant memorization as well.
“From here on out, don’t use your personal cellphones or credit cards,” warned Yuri. “Both are far too easy to track. In your Rover’s glove compartment, you’ll find two disposable phones and several credit cards. Please use them wisely.”
“Since we’re attending a charity gala tomorrow night, I hope there’s some loose cash in there, as well,” said Kim. “Because I’ve only got a couple of hundred bucks on me.”
“But of course. There’s twenty K in fifty-Euro bills with your costumes. I’d love to come with you, but as I have other things to do, I wish you both luck at the roulette table.”
Connor was starting to feel out of place. Private jets, a thief who could easily be on the cover of a fashion magazine, and twenty thousand dollars in petty cash. It all seemed quite surreal to him. He was more at home roughing it in the jungles of the Philippines or Africa. But, on the other hand, he was impressed that Knox and Yuri seemed to have thought of everything.
Yuri continued. “If there are no further questions, I have just one more thing to give you.”
“And what’s that?” asked Kim.
“These,” said Yuri, handing them a pair of forged Canadian passports.
Kim went to hand hers back. “Yuri, I already have one of these.”
“I know. But Mister Knox thought that if you’re going to be working undercover, you’ll need a new one. Canadian passports draw less attention than American ones do internationally, and if you look inside, you’ll see you’re siblings.”
Kim flipped open her new passport and shook her head. “Miss Stephanie Wright. How cute.”
“Darcy!” said Connor, reading his profile. “Really? Do I look like a Darcy?”
Yuri shrugged and gave them a wave goodbye. “I’m a busy man, so I’ll say good luck and hope our paths cross again another day.”
“Can we drop you off somewhere?” asked Connor.
“No, thanks, that won’t be necessary. My other car is parked outside.” Yuri waved goodbye and walked out of the open hangar doors.
Out of curiosity, Connor and Kim followed their contact and watched in awe as he slid into the passenger seat of an expensive white Maserati MC20. The driver, a young blonde-haired woman, winked at them before putting the car in gear and speeding off.
“That car must have cost a fortune,” mused Connor.
“A quarter of a million dollars, easy,” said Kim. “I like the finer things in life too, but that car is an obscene waste of money if you ask me.”
Connor nodded. “That’s for sure.”
Kim looked back at their Rover. “Shall we get to work?”
As far as Connor was concerned, the sooner the assignment was finished, the sooner he could go back home to Africa. He flashed the Rover’s keys in the air. “Why not? I’ll drive while you navigate.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Their first stop was at a safe house on top of a café on the outskirts of Orleans. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee was far too enticing to Connor. So, the second he and Kim had finished unloading their vehicle, he headed downstairs and returned with two coffees and toasted baguette sandwiches. They ate at a small, round, wooden table while they studied a map of Chateau Sainte Croix, where DuFour was hosting his party tomorrow evening. Constructed in the mid-1600s, the chateau was one of France’s largest, privately owned estates. Aside from the elegant, four-storied building containing a large ballroom and twenty majestic bedrooms, there was a tall hedge maze and two long stables for DuFour’s two dozen prized horses.
“That’s some place,” noted Connor. “It must cost him a small fortune to keep running year-round.”
Kim picked up a tourist brochure and passed it to Connor. “That’s why his company allows tours of the grounds during the spring and summer to help pay for the upkeep.”
“Smart thinking.”
“The problem with those tours is they don’t let you explore the third floor, where DuFour keeps his safe.”
Connor chuckled. “To use your parlance, you’ve already cased the joint, haven’t you?”
Kim smiled. “Yes, I have.”
“When was that?”
“About a month before Mister Hamilton was robbed.”
Connor shook his head. “Just a second. Let me guess, Jason was planning to rob DuFour before being beaten to the punch?”
Kim raised her eyebrows. “Maybe.”
Connor didn’t like playing games and got straight to the point. “He was, wasn’t he?”
Kim nodded. “Yes, Connor, he was.”
“That slimy bastard!” snarled Connor. “He’s nothing more than a white-collar crook. I knew I shouldn’t have agreed to come along.”
“Well, you’re here now, so erase any thoughts you may have of leaving me from your mind. As for Mister Hamilton, he’s not the person you think he is, either.”
Connor went to open his mouth but decided to drop the subject altogether. He needed to focus on the mission at hand, not on Hamilton. Connor got to his feet, undid the hasps on a large plastic container, and flipped open the lid. Inside, he found a treasure trove of non-lethal weapons and equipment, from small containers of pepper spray to expandable batons and so much more. Yuri was right. They probably had more equipment than they could ever use.
Kim opened another box and chuckled.
“What’s so funny?” Connor asked, straining his neck to see what was in the container.
Kim held up a red-and-yellow harlequin costume. “I think this is for me.”
Connor cocked his head and smirked. “Somehow, I think it suits you. Is there one there for me?”
Kim dropped her outfit and pulled out a black-and-white jester’s costume. “I see Mister Knox has a good sense of humor.”
Connor swore under his breath.
Kim tossed Connor his costume, along with a silver face mask and a jester’s hat. “Somehow, I think it suits you, Connor.”
“Swell,” muttered Connor. He checked out his get-up and then tossed it onto his bed.
“Don’t worry. It’s not like anyone will know who you are under that outfit.”
“That’s not what’s bothering me.”
“So, what is?”
“The robbery. I’m not a thief, so I have no idea how hard it will be for you to break into DuFour’s safe. I may be retired, but I still think like a Marine officer, meaning I want to know precisely what we’re getting ourselves into. Are you sure you can get in and out of his office without being detected?”
Kim sat down on the edge of her bed and looked Connor in the eyes. “Don’t worry. I know I can pull this off.”
Connor could see the confidence on her face but had doubts. “How can you be so positive?”
Kim leaned back and brought out a slender device from the costume box that looked like an ordinary cellphone. “Because I have this.”
