Kim Baldwin - The Gemini Deception

“Be careful.” Ryden tried to sound strong.

Chapter Thirty-seven

TQ would be damned if she’d show weakness or worry. Pierce was formidable, certainly. She had never been put in a situation as tenuous as this, and she hated the unfamiliar loss of absolute control. But she’d come to terms with the realization that she’d have to get this man whatever he wanted to return to her life. And if, for any reason, she couldn’t recover what he’d come for and reach a deal, she had a contingency plan in place.

She sat at her desk, surrounded by four guards—one at each corner of the room—and tapped her long fingernails on the polished surface as she waited. The men had instructions to shoot Pierce on the spot should he try to kill her. She could accept being unveiled to the world, but she would not accept anyone else’s terms concerning her demise. If worse came to worst and she had to dispose of Pierce, she’d have to leave the country tonight. Although not ideal, it was a way out.

The phone rang and she took her time answering. Her game, her rules, because in the end, it was always her game.

“Madam, your guest has—”

“Let him in and send him up.” She disconnected and turned to the guard nearest the entrance. “Frisk him at the door.”

While she waited, she pulled a mirror from the desk drawer and applied bright-red lipstick, something she bothered with only on those rare occasions she met a client in person. Then she smoothed a hand over her hair, put the mirror away, and sat back in her huge leather chair. She chose the appropriate confident smile when she heard the knock. “Come in.”

“Mr. Pierce,” her assistant announced as she showed him in.

The guard she’d appointed walked up to Pierce, and like someone who knew the drill, he lifted his arms and patiently waited until her man checked him over.

Her visitor wore an expensive Armani suit the color of anthracite, with a silk tie, starched white shirt, and handmade Italian lace-ups. His thinning hair was cut close to his head, like you’d expect from an ex-military. For a man in his sixties, he was rather handsome in a rugged kind of way.

When her guard finished and nodded his approval, TQ languidly stood and extended her hand. “A pleasure.”

Pierce walked the few steps to her and took her hand. Contrary to most, he was in no hurry to pull it away. He held her there and examined her eyes. “That’s yet to be determined.”

TQ tried to pull her hand away, but he held hers firmly in his grip a while longer before he let go.

“Please, have a seat.” She gestured at the leather armchair opposite her desk.

Pierce sat and crossed his legs at the knee, his arms on the rests. To all appearances, very comfortable. Not at all like the demeanor she was used to eliciting from those she deigned to meet with.

“Tell me, Mr. Pierce…” She sounded confident, successfully concealing her discomfort at his silence and penetrating stare. “How can I help you?”

Without blinking, he answered, “I am not here for your help. I’m here to retrieve what’s mine.”

“I’m more than willing to accommodate you, and forgive me in advance for any trouble I may have caused. Business is business, and how some of my artifacts are acquired is not always up to me.”

“Perhaps the artifacts aren’t, although I doubt you have no involvement in theft. But how you obtain people is up to you. I’m here for a person, not some ridiculous object.”

If Pierce was after someone she had used for organs, she was in deep trouble.

“As you already know, I trade in organs,” she said. “Illegally, yes, but my clients are significant individuals, aware of how the trade works and where the organs come from.” She tried to control her voice. “It’s very possible, however, the person you are looking for voluntarily donated an—”

“Her name is Jack, and she hasn’t voluntarily donated anything.”

She was caught so off guard she couldn’t entirely hide her surprise. “Jack?”

“The woman you blackmailed into working for you.”

TQ stared at him a while longer before she smiled and, soon after, began to laugh. “Are you telling me all this is about Jack the…paid assassin?”

“That’s the one,” Pierce said seriously.

TQ laughed again. “May I ask what your interest in her may be? Why someone of your stature would be willing to bargain so much for someone so inconsequential?”

“No.” His eyes narrowed dangerously. “You may not.”

“I can’t fathom any reason other than she’s done something to upset you. You’re after her for the same reason I was. To make her pay.”

“It’s none of your business, Ms. Rothschild. Time is money, so let’s move along.”

“Of course.” She felt almost giddy. Not only was the trade-off laughably easy, but Jack was going to pay her dues with or without her. Of course, she’d much prefer to end the assassin’s miserable life under her own terms and after a considerable amount of pain. “You can have her, although I will miss playing with my toy girl.”

“Where is she?”

“In the basement.” TQ laughed. “In storage, until I was done playing and she heals.”

Pierce got up. “How bad?”

“She was managing, when I saw her last. Of course, that was hours ago, and well…I left her in the company of two very eager men.” She smiled as she imagined the kind of shape Jack must be in by now. “You’re free to leave her with me. I’m sure I can make her pay for both of us.”

Pierce banged his hand on the desk. “Call your men and tell them to stop. I want to see her. Now .”

She jumped, startled. What a strange reaction from someone who wanted Jack to suffer as much as she did. She called her guy in the basement. “How’s my friend doing?”

“She passed out.”

“Shame. Anyway, enough fun for tonight. Shane will be coming by to pick her up. Both of you are done for the night.” She hung up.

“One of my men can take you,” TQ snapped, and one of the four men stepped forward. “Escort Mr. Pierce to the lobby. Then fetch the woman.”

She extended her hand to Pierce. “It turned out to be a pleasure after all.”

Pierce didn’t take it. Instead he leaned forward and towered over her. “If you ever touch or go looking for her again, I will personally strangle you.” He pivoted and walked to the door where the guard was waiting.

TQ got up when she heard the fax machine come to life not long after he’d gone. Distracted by his reaction, she picked the two sheets off the tray and glanced at the first.

This is all I could find. It’s old, but it’s all I can do. The rest remains out of my league. TQ flipped to the next page, where a full-color picture of a man stared back at her. Under the photo was the caption MONTGOMERY PIERCE, CHIEF OF COVERT OPERATIONS.

It wasn’t the same guy at all. Who the hell did she just talk to?

“Stop him!” she yelled to the three remaining men. If Jack thought she could pull tricks and have some friend help her escape, she was sorely mistaken. No one fooled her. No one.

Jack had somehow informed this nobody about her real identity and the switch with the president. Although she didn’t appreciate an outsider walking around with this information, he was as inconsequential as Jack, and no one would believe him. Definitely not without proof. She had to hand it to Jack for coming up with the name and identity of Montgomery Pierce, and someone to pull it off with a very convincing performance.

*

“It’s almost over,” Shield said, peering out at TQ’s glass-fronted office building across the street. She couldn’t keep from glancing at the van, parked down the block with Ryden inside.