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Zeppelin nodded. “They’ll find him.” He reached up and brushed away a tear I hadn’t realized had fallen.
“Sorry.Sounprofessional.” I scooted off the bed and picked up a box of tissues I’d seen on a table in the sitting area. I pulled two out and blew my nose.
“Don’t apologize, Verity. It’s nice to know you’re human.” He winked, and I smiled.
“Back to AMPS?” I asked.
“Whenever you’re ready.”
I was about to say I’d beenreadyfor over an hour, but thought better of it. Everything between us didn’t have to be an argument.
We reviewed the notes, starting with our deployment in what Nemesis had named “Operation Rescue Bexli.”
Bexli Everdeen was a childhood friend of Cayman Trace, who was the UK task force commander at the time. His close connection to the victim was the reason Z had suggested Puck serve as interim commander.
In that op, twenty women were liberated from Mithras’ villa on the island of Gozo, all of whom had appeared on the sex-slave auction’s website on the dark web.
Bexli, who was now Cayman’s wife, had escaped the villa prior to our raid but was located two days later. She’d been taken in by a woman named Francesca Vella, aka Nonna, after she found Bexli hiding in the alley behind her restaurant.
Coincidentally, Francesca’s daughter, a nurse hired to administer the drugs the captive women were given, had been working at the villa the night Bexli escaped. At one point, it was suggested Charlene Vella-Borg had aided Bexli in getting out. However, it remained unclear whether that had been the case.
The other person living with Francesca when they harbored Bexli in the apartment above their restaurant was her grandson, Xavier.
“This is where I get confused,” Zep said.
“About Xavier?”
“Yes. We know he worked at the US Embassy on the main island of Malta. Why was he on Gozo, then?”
“He was searching for his girlfriend, who was missing,” I reminded him.
“Right. Moving on, after Cayman and three other agents found Bexli, Xavier, his aunt, and grandmother were granted exile at the embassy by the ambassador.”
I nodded. “But then, somehow, Mithras abducted Francesca and returned with her to his villa on Gozo, where he held her hostage. But Charlene and Xavier weren’t aware she was missing?”
“Allegedly, not right away,” Zep confirmed.
“Then Xavier showed up on Gozo, somewhat miraculously, shot and killed Mithras, and saved his grandmother’s life.”
Zep nodded. “At the same time, twenty-plus agents and operatives were also on the scene, about to rescue Francesca themselves but with the intent of keeping Mithras alive for questioning.”
“Why did Xavier kill him? He saw us there and had to have at least guessed our plan. It doesn’t make sense.”
Zeppelin stood and walked over to the window. “WhydidXavier kill Mithras?” A minute later, he returned to the bed. “There was something he didn’t want us to find out.”
“Good Lord, do you think Xavier was somehow in on the auction? Or had a connection to Mithras?”
Zeppelin’s eyes scrunched. “Given he, Charlene, Francesca, and Xavier’s girlfriend, Selene, who had also been kidnapped byMithras, are currently residing in a secure location on Mallorca, I sure as bloody hell hope not.”
Nemesis had made arrangements for the four to stay on a compound owned by a former MI6 agent. Cortez “Rile” DeLéon was also the founding partner of a private security and intelligence firm that called themselves the Invincibles. Not only that, he was the nephew of the King of Spain. The location was definitely secure; however, not if the enemy were within.
“Selene was severely beaten hours before being liberated from the villa. Maybe that’s why Xavier killed Mithras. Revenge for what he did to his girlfriend,” I suggested.
Zeppelin was thoughtful for several seconds.
“By the way, did Nemesis respond to your concerns about Schön?”
“I forgot to tell you I decided against sending the message. I’ll do it after Z is found.”
