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The Principality of Monaco

WHAT do you think?” Claudia said, stopping at the edge of the dock and spreading her arms wide.

The yacht was a good hundred and fifty feet, its three decks glowing white in the setting sun. A gangway was connected to the back, but Rapp could see no evidence of anyone on board.

“Subtle,” he said.

She led the group into an expansive living area that was a sea of polished brass, gleaming wood, and immaculate furniture. There was even a futuristic wet bar along the port side.

“Before everyone starts thinking I’m insane,” she said, turning to face them, “this actually is pretty subtle in the context of Monaco. And it doubles as a getaway vehicle. Plus, should we need to get rid of any evidence, I have a chart of some of the deeper waters in the area. There’s a helicopter pad and a speedboat that can be quickly deployed if necessary. Finally, it has enough bedrooms and bathrooms to accommodate all of us.”

“Crew?” Rapp said.

“Congolese. They’ll be arriving tonight. I’ve worked with them before. Good sailors, discreet, and between all of them they probably speak no more than ten words of English.”

“Very thorough,” Azarov said.

Claudia’s smile was a little forced. She was still terrified of the man.

“I have to admit,” Donatella said, “the little French girl has come through.”

“Hell, yeah,” Black agreed. “This is what I’m talking about.”

“I’ve had people watching Terry’s and have photos of everyone going in and out,” Claudia said. “There’s a tablet on the bar with the pictures. Grisha, could you take a look and see if you know any of them?”

He sat on one of the stools and slid the device toward him.

“We’ve had one change in the situation since the briefing in Juba,” she continued. Two bodyguards have come in from Saudi Arabia. They’re both former Saudi army and have worked for bin Musaid before. They’re with him at his brother’s house now and I think we can assume they’ll go with him if he leaves the compound.

“How are they getting paid? I thought we got everything.”

“He had them on retainer. There was nothing I could do about that.”

“So are we considering them civilians?” Black asked. “Or can we take them out?”

“Claudia?” Rapp said.

“No terrorist ties. Just former soldiers making a living.”

“There’s your answer,” Rapp said.

“Great,” Black grumbled.

“That could make getting bin Musaid out of the hotel room more complicated,” Rapp said. “If they stay in the car or in the lobby, it’s not an issue; but if they decide to post in the hallway, we’ve got problems.”

“Agreed,” Claudia said, turning on a big-screen TV and connecting her laptop. A picture of a luxurious hotel suite appeared a moment later.

“We’ve rented this room at the Metropole for Donatella to take the prince back to. We also have the one next door.”

“Do we have a shot of the hall outside?”

“Of course.” She switched the view and Rapp took a few steps forward, examining the details.

“I wouldn’t stand next to the door if I were them. I’d go to one on either end of the hall. Access?”

“The emergency stairs are on the left of the passage. On the right is the elevator.”

“Cameras?”

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
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