Chapter 50

Chapter Fifty

T here were several audible gasps in the room filled with SEALs and NSWC personnel watching the feed from Kira's pendant camera in real time. Teague figured his face showed the same shock as the others.

"How the fuck did we miss that?" someone shouted.

Those with computers before them—the tech team—immediately began typing. Teague wished he had a computer, but he was out of that part of the game. No more contact with Nadia. She was of no use now, and any communication with her could screw things up once she'd interacted with Rand and Kira.

"He passed the background check. He must've scrubbed his résumé."

People started shouting out the facts they knew about Ben Kinder. He'd worked in tech support for Fleet and Family Readiness for the last year. Non-appropriated funds, meaning it was a different part of the civilian military employee system.

It was a low-level position—the computer networks he dealt with were not part of the main network systems. FFR ran the daycares, rented out recreational equipment, set up excursions to sporting events and other entertainment at a discount for active-duty personnel.

It was enough for base access, which meant Kinder could flash his badge, drive through the gate, and, as long as he didn't face a random inspection of his vehicle, he could have an M4 in the trunk and start shooting at unarmed sailors.

Weapons were heavily restricted on base. Anyone he encountered in the building where Kira had presented the workshop would be unarmed unless they were part of base security.

He'd had a background check—everyone with base access went through one—but he'd come out clean. According to the information on file, he had an American passport, and prior to working for FFR, he'd worked for an American tech company in Germany for several years.

His citizenship had to be fake, along with the work history, but as a guy in tech, he'd probably been able to alter the records to match what he needed. Still, there should have been a flag somewhere.

His real name probably wasn't even Kinder. In the live feed, Reuben Kulik didn't confirm or deny the surname. Kira's question had clearly been meant for NSWC and FMV to hear.

How had she figured it out?

On the screen, Reuben's eyes had widened in reaction to the question before his face shuttered again. He knew Benedikt—Benny—was living under the last name Kinder in the US.

In guessing at his last name, Kira had tipped her hand.

"She needs to get out of there," Teague said to the room at large.

There were murmurs of agreement, but none of them could do a damn thing.

Another thought struck him. He knew just enough about sleuthing people's history on the internet to be able to guess at how hard it would be to evade a Department of Defense background check, even for a low-level job. He also knew what the check would entail. They send letters to former employers and follow up if there is no confirmation of employment. Everything is verified in multiple formats. Email. Phone. Snail mail.

Social Security numbers, credit checks, address history.

A single slip would require looking deeper.

"I think," Teague said, "we should be looking at who hired Kinder and who signed off on his background check. And once we have that information, we should look at who else they've cleared for civilian jobs in the last year."

The connection between Kulik and Kinder could hold the key to finding the other members of Laskin's new mercenary army.

E verything had clicked into place for Kira. Her childhood playmate had been sent to Virginia to hatch whatever plan agreed to by Reuben and Grigory to attack the Navy SEAL base. Then, a week ago, Reuben received the heads-up from Cousin Andre that she was delaying her trip to Malta by a day because she would be teaching at Little Creek.

Reuben, who hadn't been thrilled with her planned visit, had seen an opportunity to stop her from coming and pounced. He contacted Benny, who worked for the Navy at the very same base, and told him to go after Kira.

Benny had been happy to comply, even singing out her name as he had when they were children. Had he planned to tell her of their past connection when he took her hostage?

She'd bet anything he was supposed to be stealthy and just grab her from the base without firing a shot, but when the sailor set off the car alarm, he flipped.

She pulled out her phone and checked for a message from Rand or Freya. Nothing.

She rose from her seat. "I'm going to find Rand. We've got a megalithic site to see."

"No, dear sister. You're staying here with me. Tell me about this man named Kinder."

She swallowed. She'd thought their father was the scarier of the two men, but Reuben's chill gaze and tone raised goose bumps. "Ben Kinder's name was on the news last week. In Virginia. I thought it was an interesting coincidence. Since you said Benny is there." She took a step toward the door. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to find Rand."

"You need to dump the greedy prick."

"As if I'd take relationship advice from you. You think I should marry Aleksandr."

"Marrying Aleksandr would at least be useful."

"Sorry, but I have no intention of ruining my life to be useful to you. I'm content with Rand."

"If he cared about you, you wouldn't be here. But he sees opportunities for himself with your new wealth, so he cozies up to Laskin."

"What new wealth? We're here because there's a problem with his publisher. After he fixes that, we're leaving."

"Last night, he told me he was willing to entertain an offer from me to pay him to take you back to the US."

She stepped forward and poked him in the chest. "You think I don't know that? I'm fucking him, Reuben. I was in the bed next to him when you called. We laughed at you and your dumbass foolishness for falling for it."

Her phone chimed with a text. She hoped to hell it was Rand or Freya.

Her heart sank at seeing it was neither.

Juliette

Grigory asked me to send these to you.

What followed were two video files, then another message.

I'm so sorry.

She hadn't heard from Rand in over an hour. Had Laskin discovered he was a SEAL? Was he okay? Surely Freya would have messaged her to get out if something like that had happened.

Her fingers trembled as she hit the Play button.

She watched as Rand proposed making her life the central twist in his book. She suppressed her relief. He was fine. This was fake. But damn, he was a good actor. And the woman she was pretending to be had to fall for it.

She didn't even have to work to squeeze out a tear. She was full of tears today. They burst forth at the slightest pressure.

The ugly video was over, but another one waited. Again, she braced herself.

The sound in this video was muffled. Rand and Nadia were farther from the camera and whispering. But she didn't need to hear the words to feel the blow.

Rand with his hands on Nadia's hips. Their lips touching. First briefly, then deeper. Rand's lips at her ears, so like the whispers and kisses he gave Kira. His hand on Nadia's ass, and she remembered how that felt too. His big palm, holding her close as he pressed his erection to her belly and said words that made her knees weak.

She understood the situation, but still felt the sting. She'd underestimated Nadia. But the poor girl was no Valkyrie.

Not like Kira.

Valkyra.

She straightened her shoulders. Felt her wings spreading. She needed out of this house. It's what the person she was playing would do, but that person would also refuse to leave with Rand after watching that video. With Juliette gone, there was only one viable exit route.

"Give me Papa's number," she said to Reuben.

"No."

"Fine, I'll get it from Grigory, then."

He frowned, but then recited the numbers.

Kira

This is Kira. I want my mother's paintings.

Luka

No. But you can see them.

I think we can make a deal.

What do you have to offer?

Does the Russian government know about the spying?

Of course. I was passing on the information they wanted me to.

No. I mean the *real* spying. The information my mother gave to Conrad. Things that make you a traitor and, if it came out, would destroy Reuben's political ambitions.

Dots appeared and disappeared. A minute passed with no reply. She tried another tactic.

You paid the man pretending to be my cousin to lure me here. Did you know Reuben used the information he gave you to try to stop me from coming?

Take the helicopter. I will tell the pilot to bring you to the villa so we can talk. Alone.