Royal Reckoning by Stephanie St. Klaire
16
Eli was pulledfrom his thoughts when the landing gear deployed on the plane. It felt like they’d been in the air for so long, and he hadn’t seen Cally in days. It had been less than five hours, but who was counting. Eli boarded his private jet in Portland, but his heart never left, and his thoughts were with her. Cally.
She consumed him in every way, and despite having her intimately just before his departure, he didn’t feel like he had enough of her. It felt like an addiction, something he couldn’t control. He was right. Maybe it was unhealthy, but he justified it by remembering why she danced through every thought that crossed his overwhelmed mind…she was in danger. The closer the danger got to home, and to her, the more he needed to be with her.
So perhaps it wasn’t an irrational need and more of one to protect. Leaving her behind was the safest option but the most agonizing. Why couldn’t he just be in two places at once? Oh wait, he was. According to the bits and pieces of evidence slowly pouring in, Eli was already in New York, had been to Spain and Medaro. That was what Killion’s program said, anyway. He had a doppelganger of epic proportions, and it was starting to rake his last nerve.
He’d brought the team who traveled with him up to speed on the latest bombshell. Storm. Cally remembered the name, and it was either fate that she did so in the middle of a literal and proverbial storm or irony at its best. The jury was still out on that, but Eli was determined to gather a ruling by the time they were back in the air and on their way home.
“You ready for this?” Carter asked.
“Pfft. Aren’t I always?”
“You seem distracted. You sure?” Carter fired back. “If you need to hang back and let us take this one, everyone will understand. It’s getting a little too close to home in a very literal sense.”
“No fucking way. I want this to end,” Eli said. “I’m ending it.”
Carter nodded and didn’t say another word.
After a lengthy pause, Eli broke the silence. “How many were there? How many do you think?”
“How many what?”
“C’mon, Carter. Think about it. How many secret children did our father have? This is what this is, right? How else can it be explained that doesn’t sound like a bad made-for-TV movie? What, did some psychopath go get plastic surgery?” Eli went on. “So much so that his body markers actually resemble mine biometrically, or however one would explain that.”
“That seems a bit dramatic.” Carter laughed.
“I agree. So, what is it? How does this guy resemble me? How is he moving around, and it appears to be me?”
“Good question, and lucky for you, we are about to land so we can go figure this shit out,” Carter said. “One thing I have learned over the years in my line of work and working like this on the side with the team is that things aren’t always as they seem – and they aren’t always as complicated as we make them, or as the evidence makes them.”
“So, you think this is simple, and we’re overthinking it?”
“Maybe,” Carter said. “You might have already figured it out. Maybe King Asshat had another love child out there.”
“I don’t think people call it that anymore, Carter. Jesus.”
“Well, you know what I mean. It doesn’t have to be so complicated. Maybe there is another bastard kid out there like me, and he wants the throne, and you’re in the way.”
“Why not come forward then? There’s a process for this kind of thing. Why go to the lengths he has already?” Eli asked.
“Hey,” Killion said loud enough for everyone to hear. “We have a problem. New information. I’ve already dispatched a team on the ground to respond, but shit just got worse.”
“How so?” Eli asked.
“He took a shot at the decoy. Whoever this guy is, he tried to take out who he thought was the princess,” Killion confirmed.
“Shit. Do we know her status?” Eli asked.
“She was prepared. Took multiple hits in the back to her flak jacket. Hit her so hard it spun her around, and he got a hit to the front of it before it knocked her down. She’s banged up but going to be okay.”
“Thank God she was wearing that,” Eli said.
“She didn’t start wearing it until today when we noted that there was a tail. This could’ve ended much differently if we hadn’t seen this guy coming,” Killion confirmed. “This is bad, man. But I think the motive has become abundantly clear. You’re all in danger, and he’s coming for you one by one.”
Per usual, they had a convoy waiting for them upon landing at a private airfield just minutes from their target destination. Eli was burning with anger. That could have been his sister that took those hits – they were intended for her – and she wouldn’t have been wearing a flak jacket. The two most important people in his life had both been personally affected by whatever this danger was and represented. It didn’t sit well with him, and understandably so.
He was a man on a mission, determined to protect those he loved most. Whoever was behind the deeds of late was about to find out exactly who they were threatening because there was about to be a royal reckoning. And Eli was serving justice. He might not want the throne, titles, or money, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t defend it. Lives were on the line, and he was about to correct that.
They came to a rolling stop at the scene of the incident, just outside the hotel the decoy had been operating out of. She was sitting on a stack of pallets at the alley entrance that ran parallel with the side of the hotel. Her striking resemblance to his sister was uncanny. It angered him even more.
“Sorry, Eli,” she said. “He got away, but I got a look at him.”
He was surprised that she knew who Eli was. Though they worked for the same company, not everyone knew each other. They were scattered around the country and the world, and this wasn’t the kind of company that gathered everyone up for a Christmas party at the end of the year. Some of their operatives worked so far undercover for BK Security, nobody knew them. He suspected this agent was one of those undercovers. She knew who was safe, an ally, but nobody knew of her.
“I’m sorry this happened to you, but glad to see you’re okay,” he said.
“You must be Tanner?” Killion asked, extending his hand to shake hers. “We’ve communicated many times but never officially met. Killion O’Reilly.”
She took his hand and looked him up and down, seeming pleased with what she saw. “You’re the elusive man behind the screen. So we finally meet, though I have to say we already feel like old friends.”
“I concur,” Killion said matter-of-factly. “I’m sorry to hear of your recent incident but glad to know you’re okay. I understand you’re refusing medical treatment?”
Tanner chuckled. “Yes. At the moment, I am. I’ve been hit before. There isn’t much they can do for me. Pretty sure I have a fractured rib, but other than that, I’m good. Been here before. It isn’t my first rodeo.”
“Just know that if you need to go, you just go. I’ve been told to tell you not to be a stubborn ass and take some time off to heal,” Killion said as if he was reciting a message.
“That’s right. You’re all related. That was from Dace, wasn’t it?” she said, referring to Dace O’Reilly, one of the owners of BK Security. “He’s no fun now that he’s a married man and a dad. Never thought I’d see that happen. Dace was always a good time.”
“Yes,” Killion said uncomfortably. “I’ve heard that about my cousin, and you’re right; the message is from him.”
“Well, you tell him and all the other brothers that I’m fine, and they’ve become boring since they’ve all shacked up and started popping out kids.” She laughed.
“I, uh, will pass that along.” Killion nodded.
Tanner looked at Eli and winced as she shifted her weight from one side to the other. “You’re the real reason I wanted to wait around.”
“I would have come to you,” he said. “Are you sure you don’t need to be seen? I can ride along with you to the hospital.”
“No. After this, I’m going to disappear and milk this a little bit on a beach somewhere warm and sunny for a spell. I have a plane waiting,” Tanner admitted. “I’d had a feeling I was being followed long before Killion had the hit. I never really saw him until today. It was odd to me, actually. I’ve been here in New York for days and felt it all along, but he was good. Always just out of sight. So good that I started to question my sanity. But then Killion sent the bat signal, and I knew my instincts were right.”
“Can you tell me what was odd to you, what stood out? Clearly, you think it is of importance if you wanted her to tell me instead of seek medical attention,” Eli said with a subtle chuckle.
“I wanted to see it for myself,” she said.
“See what?”
“You,” she quickly fired back.
“I don’t understand, Tanner. What does seeing me have to do with anything? I appreciate that you wanted to deliver information yourself and the sacrifice you just made, but I think I’m missing something.”
“As I said, I haven’t seen anyone in the rearview, just felt their presence and knew they were there. Even studied the feeds Killion sent over so I could perhaps find a pattern and see when and where he finally appears so I could remain a step ahead.” Tanner said. “I never could catch him following me, in a crowd, across the street...nothing.”
“Until today,” Eli finished.
“Right. I saw him multiple times this morning. It was like he wanted me to see him. He was always just far enough away that he could disappear before I got to him. It was like a wild goose chase, really, where I was following him now. But he wanted to be seen.” Tanner went on. “Here’s the odd part. If I didn’t already know you were still thousands of miles away, across the country, I would have thought it was you.”
The confession hit Eli hard. There it was again. The man they were looking for looked like him. “Are you sure? I mean, was it just a slight resemblance or…?”
“With the work I do, I have to know where I have safe faces all around the country – and world when I take international cases. I know your face. You’re one of my contacts.”
That surprised Eli. He had no idea that operatives were trained to seek out other Keepers should they get too deep and need help.
The look on his face must have told a story because she chuckled. “Don’t worry. You weren’t supposed to know. BK Security runs some really deep and dirty shit. There’s a whole layer of this company only those who are in it know about. Sorry to break it to you.”
Eli looked at Killion, who nodded and shrugged.
“Here’s the real kicker, though, and I hope you’re ready for this because I don’t know what to make of it,” she admitted. “And that was saying a lot because I have been doing this a long time and don’t get stumped often. There was something very nonthreatening about him this morning. I almost wonder now, in hindsight, if he was using me for something. I just don’t know what.”
“Using you?” Eli questioned.
“Maybe? Like he wanted to see if it was just me or a team. I got the feeling he knew I wasn’t the princess. She has great taste, by the way…the wine you had sent, Killion, it’s one of my favorites.”
“Oh, Penelope said you should keep it. You earned it,” Killion said. “For that matter, all of the purchases, they’re yours.”
Tanner smiled. “I already like this girl. I’ll make sure it all gets on the plane with me. Perhaps I should take up being a princess. What a life.”
Eli interrupted. “I don’t mean to be rude…”
“Sorry,” Tanner said. “You aren’t being rude. I’m wandering. I think he knew who I was. Maybe not entirely, but that I was a part of a protection detail. I don’t know how, but I never get made. I am damn good at what I do and make it my business not to get caught. But this evening, I knew he was behind me again, but I didn’t see him. Why back to that game? Why the cat and mouse again?”
“I suppose it is a bit odd, but maybe he was going for the element of surprise,” Eli offered.
“No. It wasn’t like that. The last hit to my back spun me on my heels, and I made sure to go with the spin so I could get a look. The impact was hard, so I knew he was close to me. When I saw him, the look on his face was one of surprise. One I can relate to because I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.”
“And that was?”
“It was a different man. The man who shot me and the man who I played around the city with this morning were not the same guy. There was something different about them,” Tanner said, “and I can’t put my finger on what.”
“So, the shooter didn’t look like me?” Eli questioned, trying to grasp where she was going with her encounter.
“Oh no, he was a dead ringer. If I didn’t know any better, I would have thought he was you too.”
“I don’t understand,” Eli said.
Tanner shrugged. “I don’t either. I couldn’t tell you why he seemed so different. Maybe it was the look in his eyes, but the change in his demeanor was as night and day as the encounters themselves. Anyway, I thought you should know. I couldn’t put it all together, but I also don’t have all the facts of the case. Thought maybe you would be able to use it somehow.”
“I appreciate that. I don’t know what it means entirely either, but I agree, it is mysterious,” Eli said, looking at Killion.
An agent walked up and caught Tanner’s attention. “Your vehicle is here, your things are packed, and the plane is ready when you are.”
“Thank you,” she said with a smile. “I guess that was my cue to get out of here, so they send in a cleaner to make sure I was never here. You know how that goes, though. Best of luck to you. And congratulations on the baby. If you need me for anything, Killion can reach me.”
Tanner slowly stood, gripping her side. “Fucking ribs.”
Eli lent a hand, and she shook her head. “I got this, but thank you.”
“I appreciate all your help,” Eli said as they watched her walk off. She raised a hand and waved briefly before slowly climbing into the waiting SUV, which sped off before the door was even completely closed, and several other vehicles pulled out with her.
Eli watched them disappear in the distance, each breaking off in different directions. He knew what that was. If anyone was following, they’d have to choose which one to tail. It was a covert move they used often. Despite the additional information, Eli felt more lost on this case than before.
“What do you make of that?” Eli asked Killion. “What the hell was that?”
“I don’t know, but I’ve confirmed everything she said.” Killion was pecking away at a keyboard on a device very much like his laptop but more compact and seemingly portable. He flipped around the screen. “Here are the feeds from this morning. It’s him.”
“Yeah, and he’s looking at the damn cameras this time. It’s grainy, but I can see a resemblance, I suppose,” Eli said, waiting for the next surveillance video to hit the screen. It was the one from the shooting. “There he is. Face hidden. She’s right. His behavior is different. Are we sure this is the same guy?”
“The program seems to think so. All the same markers, and they all hit as you,” Killion said.
“It’s like I have a fucking twin out there trying to kill me,” Eli said. “This really is starting to sound like one of those made-for-TV movies you watch.”
“Low-budget cinematography is the most underappreciated or recognized form of art there is,” Killion defended. “Plus, the stories are usually based on truths, albeit exaggerated truths, or scenarios that are oddly possible.”
“Okay. I was kidding around, but thanks for the lesson.” Eli shook his head while staring at the screen. “Who the hell is this guy?”
“A guy who wants what you have, apparently,” Killion answered.
“Let’s get Israel to look at the two feeds and see what he comes back with. That profiling shit he does is pretty on point. Maybe he’ll see something we don’t.”
“On it,” Killion said. “The guys are almost done processing the scene, and then we can head back to the plane if you’re ready? I have people scouring the streets right now, but the system isn’t picking up our guy anywhere, and if we don’t have him already, then I’m going to call it. He’s in the wind.”
“Always one step ahead of us,” Eli chided. “I’m getting sick of this asshole.”