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“An officer of the bank where the trusts reside was named successor agent for Ava’s and Aine’s trusts. That money is being closely watched by your justice department.”
“Get to the fucking point, Shiver,” Gunner said between clenched teeth.
“I have my team looking for three other accounts.” Shiv looked at Doc. “You should orchestrate the same.”
That was why Petrov wanted Raketa in the first place, and why he wanted her to bring Ava and Aine to him. It had nothing to do with him wanting her to abduct his daughters; he wanted their money—and hers too.
“You should be looking for four. Or maybe one that has been liquidated recently.”
“Svetlana Petrov?” asked Doc.
“Or Ivashov.”
Doc walked outside to make the call.
Before he could ask, Shiv handed Gunner a burner phone. “She’s in Chicago. There’s a plane waiting in Santa Barbara to transport you there.”
Gunner took the phone from Shiv’s hand.
“You’re welcome.”
“I would’ve thanked you if you’d given me the chance.”
“I saved you the trouble. I know how much of a hurry you’re in.”
“Thanks, Shiver. Sincerely.”
Gunner was halfway down the block when he realized that he walked out without saying goodbye to Doc or Merrigan.
—:—
The tail wasn’t a surprise. How good he was, on the other hand, was. She recognized him from the ambassador’s office, but he had to have been trained by another intelligence organization. If she hadn’t remembered seeing him, she might think he was with United Russia. Although there was still a chance he was. There were double agents everywhere.
—:—
“Sixty seconds,” Gunner heard through the headset.
“Roger that,” he answered, already in position. He counted down from fifty-nine and when he got to one, Raketa walked out the back door of the hotel and straight into his waiting arms.
He’d anticipated her struggle, but not the vehemence behind it.
“Settle the hell down,” he barked as she tried to scratch his eye out while hurling a slew of Azeri curse words at him faster than he could translate.
“I don’t want to do this, but you’re giving me no choice,” he said as he grabbed her free arm and cuffed them both behind her.
He held her tight as she tried to struggle her way out of his grasp, but she was no match for his strength, particularly in handcuffs. When he felt her fight waning, he took her back inside the door she’d come out of, up the service elevator, and to the room MI6 had booked for him.
He opened the door, went inside, and set her down on the bed. “Here we are again, Zary. We have to stop meeting like this.”
“Don’t call me that,” she spat.
“But you told me you liked it. Remember? You were naked in my arms, and we were professing our love for each other. I’m beginning to think you didn’t really mean it.”
“You didn’t mean it.”
Gunner sat in a chair and pulled it closer to the bed where she sat. He reached out and stroked her face with his finger. “You’re wrong. I meant every word
I said.”
