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But this wasn’t one government calling out another. This was one man who thought he was above the law, who thought he and his criminal organization could get away with murder. Not on my watch, Alec thought grimly. The rule of law has to be the rule of law for everyone—governments and individuals. Somehow he had to bring Vishenko to justice. And Caterina Mateja was the key.
He started assembling a plan in his head, automatically assigning tasks to McKinnon, Keira, Angelina and himself. Then he cursed under his breath. “I need to talk to McKinnon,” he told Angelina abruptly. “And then we need to see the king.”
* * *
Eleven people sat around the conference table in the same small conference room where Alec had met with the king, the king’s cousin and closest confidant, and the secretary of state. The seven people Alec had wanted in attendance—the king, the three policemen working the case for Zakhar, McKinnon, Angelina and himself—had been augmented by four more. Captain Zale was there at Angelina’s insistence, and Colonel Marianescu and Majors Kostya and Branko were there at the king’s request.
Alec presented the known facts and the conjectures he’d drawn from them. He was careful how he disclosed what Angelina had told him, explaining that it was only after he’d given her Vishenko’s name in connection with her cousin that she’d revealed his name had also come up in the investigation into the assassination attempt on the crown prince. And of course he left out completely that they’d been in bed together when they’d shared their information on Aleksandrov Vishenko. Not only was it immaterial to the investigation, but he knew it was his responsibility to shield Angelina from any criticism that could be leveled at her by the men in the room. Especially since it would be completely unwarranted.
When he was finished, he leaned back in his chair and said, “I want to add Lieutenant Mateja to my team, Your Majesty. Her cousin is the key to bringing down Vishenko—I know it. I firmly believe Lieutenant Mateja will be critical in locating her cousin and convincing her to testify against Vishenko in the trafficking case. I realize this might put a strain on the queen’s security detail, especially since we don’t know how long this will take—that’s why the lieutenant wanted her captain here for the discussion.”
McKinnon spoke for the first time. “I don’t think there will be a problem convincing my agency to let us continue using Special Agent Keira Walker’s services for as long as we need her. My agency has been after Vishenko for years, and I know the head of the agency would give his eyeteeth to bring him down. So any assets we need, all we have to do is ask.”
The king nodded and looked at Captain Zale. “Captain? What is your opinion?”
“Lieutenant Mateja is a critical member of the queen’s security detail,” he said.
Damned right, Alec couldn’t help thinking. I’m glad you finally see that.
“But with a little cooperation from the queen,” Captain Zale continued, “we can function without the lieutenant’s services for as long as necessary. As I see it, bringing to justice the man who attempted to end the life of the crown prince takes precedence over nearly every other consideration.”
“I agree,” the king said. “And the queen will, too. You will have the cooperation you need, Captain.” He turned his gaze on Majors Kostya and Branko. “Damon? Lukas? Anything to add?”
The two majors exchanged telling glances, and Alec wondered what that was all about. But the only answer they gave was, “No, Sire.”
“Zax?” the king asked, but Colonel Marianescu just shook his head.
The king faced Alec again. “Your request is granted, Special Agent Jones. Lieutenant Mateja is relieved of duty as of now, and is subject to your orders until further notice.” He glanced around the table. “Is there anything else, gentlemen?”
The senior policeman assigned to the case spoke up. “We have the names of seven Americans from the embassy,” he said abruptly. “Six are no longer in this country.”
Before the king could say anything, Alec asked sharply, “How did you get the names?”
When the policeman didn’t say anything, just stared back at Alec with a steady, unwavering expression, Alec glanced at the king, hoping he would intervene and order the policeman to reveal the source of his information. “I can take the names as a starting point, sir,” he explained. “But that’s all. It’s not evidence I can use if the names were the result of torture or some other kind of coercion.”
The king’s voice was dangerously soft when he said, “Torture, Special Agent Jones, is not tolerated in Zakhar any more than it is in the US.”
