Delegates trickled in until it was almost time for the event to begin. Then everyone hurried to get in and take their seats.
From where Marta sat, she could see everyone who walked through the doors.
“Vasquez has left his room with his security detail,” Striker’s voice said into Marta’s ear, startling her.
“Teuling is on the move, as well,” Ramsey added.
“Any sign of Krauss?” Crusher asked.
“Not here,” Fearghas reported from his position near one of the ventilation intakes.
“Not here,” Giva echoed from her position near another of the shafts.
“Nor here,” Dax reported.
“Teuling is entering the conference room with his two bodyguards,” Draco announced.
“Vasquez isn’t far behind,” Hammer said. “It appears he’s leaving two of his men at the door. No. They’re on the move. Draco will follow them.”
Marta tensed, her gaze glued to the door as Teuling entered. She leaned close to Crusher. “That’s Teuling.” She nodded toward the man as he strode to the front of the conference room and took a seat at the table set aside for speakers. His bodyguards stood behind him against the wall.
Moments later, Vasquez entered with two of his security detail and passed the row where Marta and Crusher sat, their heads averted. They found seats several rows ahead, with Vasquez taking the aisle seat.
“They’re closing the doors. It appears the session is about to begin,” Hammer said from his position outside the room.
Marta’s heart thumped hard against her chest as everyone in the room took their seats.
The head of the Summit stepped behind a podium, introduced the speakers at the table and announced that Pieter Teuling would be first up.
“Here we go,” Marta murmured. “Be ready.”
Chapter 20
Pieter Teuling stood behind the podium and presented Global Conservancy Initiative’s clean water solution with colorful slides detailing how they’d brought clean drinking water to remote areas and how happy it made the indigenous people.
Crusher’s hands tightened into fists at the lies the billionaire was spreading, knowing his philanthropic efforts weren’t to help those populations but to thin them. As the man ended his presentation, there was a huge round of applause. The audience was buying into his deception.
Anger burned deep inside Crusher. The man was a murderer who thought he could get away with it. At the same time, Crusher’s heart swelled at how intent and concerned Marta was about those same people and at all she was willing to do, including risking her life to stop Teuling.
Teuling fielded questions from the audience and answered them smoothly, like the snake-oil salesman he was. When his time was up, he smiled and announced that the next presentation would be a discussion of the Pacific Corridor and the Central American Interdiction Framework.
As Teuling stepped back, Vasquez and the two men who’d accompanied him into the room rose from their seats, just as Marta had predicted.
“Krauss just arrived,” Ramsey said into his communications device. “He’s carrying a satchel. I’m moving in to intercept.”
“Vasquez is on the move.” Crusher leaned forward as Vasquez and his team turned for the exit. “They’re heading for the exit. Going to intercept.”
As soon as Crusher stepped into the aisle, Marta was out of her seat, coming to stand beside him. Between the two of them, they blocked Vasquez’s retreat.
Crusher would rather Marta had stayed seated until he cleared her path, but he wasn’t going to argue with her when he needed to focus on Vasquez and his two minions.
“Swede and Dmytro have been notified,” Hammer said in his ear. “The WHO data should go live momentarily. Dmytro’s friends from Interpol are here. Two are on their way to help Ramsey. Two will guard the door, and I’m coming in with the others. The doors will be blocked behind us.”
Good. They had backup.
As Vasquez drew closer to Crusher and Marta, his eyes widened. He cursed in Spanish and issued what sounded like an order to his men.
Crusher shoved Marta behind him and braced himself as the two men charged. He didn’t wait for either to swing first. Instead, he went after the closest one, punching him in the throat, immediately compromising his airway. The man’s eyes widened as he clutched his throat, struggling to breathe.
