Royal diplomacy diplomat.., p.20
Royal Diplomacy (Diplomat’s Apprentice Book 6), page 20
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
The trip across the city to the meeting location Veraz had given took ages for her and Rehan. The storm got heavier by the minute. The snow fell too rapidly for the underground heating to keep up with. It gathered in drifts in the streets, pushed by the wind, which also increased. They kept to smaller, narrower back roads whenever possible. Police patrolled the city, and several times she and Rehan had to duck around a corner or into an entrance to avoid detection.
They finally made it to the café where they had left Veraz what felt like ages ago. The place was dark, and Rehan paused down the block from the building. He held up his hand to prevent her from going closer.
“Veraz. We’re nearly at that café. Where are you?”
“Give me a minute. I’ll have someone open it for you.”
She moved toward the rear of the café, but Rehan held her back. “Wait to see who opens that door. Enough has gone wrong. We don’t need to walk into a trap.”
They watched as the door cracked open. A glow came from inside. The door was open no more than a sliver, but Anwyn saw a portion of Shir-ella’s face. The woman gave a slight hand signal that indicated it was safe to approach.
Anwyn drew a deep breath in relief. She had feared the worst during the long walk. The rest of the team captured or killed. She and Rehan on their own with no escape from a planet where everyone was a potential enemy. The diplomats left to whatever fate Campos decreed.
Seeing Shir-ella revived her flagging courage. There were four of them. Five since she knew Mark hadn’t been hurt when she saw him.
Rehan had to remind her they shouldn’t rush to the door regardless of how relieved or cold she was. When they finally slipped inside, she shed the wet clothing that hadn’t been effective at keeping her warm.
“What have you done with your faces?” Shir-ella nearly laughed.
Anwyn put one hand to her face and remembered. “It was eye makeup. We couldn’t change our eye color, so Estelle and Sofia darkened the area around our eyes to make everything look darker.”
Shir-ella laughed. “Good thinking. You should probably wipe off your faces now.”
“That’s all you have to say? Shan is gone. Maura is dead, along with other crew. Drew is gone. The streets are full of police patrols. How are we going to get the hostages out? And Mark?”
“Your mother bought them some time at the palace. Mark helped Veraz listen in to her explanation of her bargain with Campos. If she can buy the hostages more time, I think we can get everyone out safely.”
“Did he tell you about the escape route they found?”
Shir-ella shook her head. “All I know is what you told us earlier.”
“I’ve been in the food service area. It’s at the rear of the palace. There isn’t as much security back there for some reason. It would be a good means of getting them out.”
“Good work, Anwyn. Veraz was worried about you going in there. You got us helpful information. Let’s go downstairs and join the rest of the group.”
They crossed the kitchen, and Shir-ella opened a narrow door. Inside was a flight of stairs that led down. At the bottom were shelves containing various supplies for the café—sacks of flour and sugar, huge jars of various preserved fruits, and large bags of coffee beans. Shir-ella led them past that to a blank wall. She moved a bag of coffee beans and pulled on a small lever hidden behind the bag.
A door opened in the wall where Anwyn would have sworn no door existed. A group of people was seated in a circle. Everyone looked up as she, Rehan, and Shir-ella entered. Maria from the café stood.
“Were you able to speak to your mother?”
Anwyn glanced at Veraz. “You didn’t tell her?”
“We waited for you.” He gave her that look again, one that was half approval and half something else. She frowned and looked at Maria.
“Campos had my mother out of the rooms where they’re keeping the prisoners. I didn’t get to speak to her.” Maria looked like she was about to interrupt, so Anwyn rushed on.
“I spoke to my aunt, who is also part of the diplomatic team. She agreed to share my idea with my mother. She also said she thought my mother and the other diplomats would agree to speak with anyone of your choosing once we free the League diplomats.”
Maria stood and walked to Anwyn, smiling. “I thought you sounded sincere.” She offered Anwyn her hand. “I didn’t think you would succeed at sneaking in to see anyone. Thank you.”
Anwyn looked at Veraz rather than Maria. “I need to speak to my team about how we’re going to do this. Is there someplace we can speak privately?”
Maria looked at the military man, James, for approval.
Before anyone could object, Veraz stood and grabbed Anwyn by the elbow. “We’ll be right back.” He led her into the food storage area and shut the hidden door behind them. “Now what’s on your mind?”
“I saw the queen and her husband. After speaking to my aunt, I’ve done some thinking. We can’t simply get the diplomats out and leave, especially with our escape ship gone. We need to get the queen out. Her husband, and if possible, their son as well.”
“That’s a tall order, Anwyn.” Veraz seemed thoughtful rather than disapproving.
He turned and looked at Shir-ella, who had joined them. “This isn’t what we came here for. But I think it’s our only option going forward.”
“She’s right,” Rehan agreed.
All three mercenaries simultaneously looked at the Hrithain. He had followed Shir-ella in.
“In what way?” Veraz asked.
“This man Campos. He needs to be stopped. Then the diplomats can finish their job.”
Anwyn looked at the other two mercenaries. They stared at Rehan as if seeing him for the first time. It was difficult realizing that her Hrithain bodyguard had put into words what had been in the back of her mind since the failed attempt to rescue Mark. Instead of addressing it directly, her mind went to her uncle. “Veraz, are you able to contact Owen?”
“That won’t be easy while we’re hiding from the Estancian authorities. Why?”
“Because what Rehan just pointed out is something I believe my uncle would suggest right now.” She paused, expecting some argument. Veraz and Shir-ella nodded for her to continue. “The League made an error when they hired us. They were far too shortsighted. The diplomats were taken hostage during a coup. But what created the coup in the first place?”
“The fact that they’re losing against Nuevo Havana now that Lao’s World is assisting them,” Shir-ella replied.
“Add to that the fact that the queen was leaning toward the League’s offered solution,” Veraz added.
Shir-ella nodded. “That makes sense. Campos wouldn’t have needed to take hostages or demand that the queen abdicate if he felt nothing the League diplomats said was having an impact.”
“I think my uncle was too busy getting settled in as the League Council’s president while still taking the lead on integrating Morvaise into the League structure. All he saw was people he cared about being threatened.”
“Where is this going, Anwyn?” Veraz asked.
She gave him a cheerful grin. Had she possibly outthought her uncle? “We were given the wrong job. What Uncle Owen should have hired us for is what we need to do now. Free the queen and her son and husband, and get them before the people of this planet.”
She paused. Did she have this right? It felt so obvious she was surprised no one had discussed this already. Maybe Veraz and Shir-ella already had. After all, she hadn’t seen them all day.
Veraz nodded. “Go on.”
“Everywhere we go, we find people who hate what is happening. The queen is loved here. Her son also. These people should be able to help us get her free. Stop the coup, and the hostages are free, not to flee the planet but to complete the job they were sent here to do. That is to help find a solution to the Estancia-Nuevo Havana problem. And possibly add two new members that will help make for a stronger League.”
“That is what we have been discussing this evening with the group inside,” Veraz told her. “But with the loss of Shan and his ship, we have no fallback position.”
Anwyn nodded. No matter how careful the planning, things never went entirely by the book. If she hadn’t seen that on Nuevo Havana or Morvaise, it had been notably evident in the nearly botched “easy” courier mission on Alliance. The one Mark had begun calling the shell game.
This time they didn’t risk the loss of a trade secret. Lives had already been lost, including the pleasant and efficient Maura. Lives could still be lost, including her mother and aunt, Drew’s father, and the royal family of this planet.
“With some local help, we could probably sneak the diplomats out through the food service area. Then where would we hide everyone afterward?” Shir-ella asked.
“Then why not free the queen?” Anwyn asked. “If we succeed, we don’t need the rapid escape Shan’s ship represented.”
“And if we don’t succeed?” Veraz asked. “We could all be killed, you know.”
She didn’t like that option, but she had been there before, most recently on Morvaise. She drew a deep breath, trying to think of the best response. Veraz wouldn’t accept the “failure isn’t an option” speech. He was too much of a realist. Before she could say anything else, all four mercenaries were contacted on their team link.
“Can you hear me?”
“Drew?” Anwyn and Shir-ella replied together.
Shir-ella added, “You shouldn’t be able to reach us at this distance, even with the new technology I added last month.”
“I’m not all that far away,” Drew informed them. “And Shan has this tech wizard. He’s probably someone you want to talk to, Shir-ella. He’s boosting my signal.”
“Where are you?” Veraz asked.
“On Shan’s ship. His implant technology isn’t a perfect match for ours, so the guy he has boosting my signal can’t connect him with us while boosting. Anyway, Shan wants me to relay a message to you.”
“Go ahead.”
“We didn’t go far. Shan needed to do some repairs before the ship could go to hyperdrive anyway. He’s furious. He doesn’t like losing crew. Losing Maura was a huge blow. She meant a lot to him.”
Drew paused, and Anwyn wondered if Shan had interrupted Drew’s recitation. When Drew spoke again, he sounded concerned.
“He wants to know if you can hold off the rescue for a few days. He called all his pirate captains. Veraz, he’s bringing in the fleet. He’s that pissed.”
“His fleet isn’t even close to the military might of the Estancians,” Veraz warned. “He’s setting himself up for disaster.”
Veraz would know, Anwyn thought. One reason he had successfully run a small mercenary army and later this specialty team was his knowledge of the resources of the people and agencies he went up against. If she asked, he could probably name every ship in the Estancian navy, including its classification and armaments. He was undoubtedly correct if he said Shan would be outnumbered and outclassed.
“That’s why he needs a few days. Or maybe more than a few. He’s in touch with Martin Garcia. The Nuevo Havanan rebels and a fleet from Lao’s World are going to make a big push. It will divert a lot of the Estancian fleet. Which gives Shan a chance to arrive here with most of his pirate fleet.”
“And what, Drew? We’re not going to be part of a revenge attack. Too many innocent people would be hurt.”
“It’s Campos he wants revenge against. He blames the man for Maura’s death.”
“How does that help us get the hostages out?” Shir-ella asked.
Veraz was nodding. “Shan wants Campos. So do the people in there.” He pointed at the room beyond the secret door. “If we coordinate things between them, they could work together to take down Campos and his fellow conspirators and free the queen.”
He gave Anwyn a long, considering look. “It would also give the diplomats the opportunity to complete their mission as Anwyn suggested.”
“All right, let’s do it. We can ask Mark to pass along a message to the queen and the diplomats to continue stalling. It sounds like Angharad Owens is already working on that.” Veraz glanced at Anwyn in approval. “Tell Shan yes, but to hurry. We still don’t know how long we have until Campos either forces the abdication or begins executing hostages.”
“And Drew, that’s the most words I’ve heard from you on any given day since you joined this team.” Veraz grinned. “Don’t make it a habit.”
Anwyn thought Drew swore under his breath, but the words didn’t come across clearly. She couldn’t help it. She laughed. Shir-ella soon joined her. Veraz chuckled, and even Rehan looked less stern for a moment.
Veraz motioned at the door. “Let’s see how our royalist allies feel about this plan.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Mark wasn’t sure who was having the most difficult time during the delay Veraz had asked them to arrange. On the first day, Campos took Anwyn’s mother away again for a long conference. When she returned to the suite, she looked more upset than on the previous occasion. She had gathered the entire group in the suite and spoken to them about her bargain with Campos.
“He wants all of you to know that whatever happens, he’s going ahead with the abdication. But he’s willing to listen to reason.” At that point, she had glanced around as if warning everyone they could not speak freely. “He’s still offering a co-regency with you, Your Majesty.”
“I wish I knew how my son felt about that,” Gregory responded rather than Arabella. “If he’s willing to speak to you again, maybe you could request that we see our son first?”
Angharad had agreed to raise that question if Campos wanted to speak to her again. Things remained quiet for the rest of that day. Mark found a way to let Angharad, Glynnis, and Drew’s father know about the plans the rest of the team was making. Angharad agreed that getting the crown prince to the suite at a time when they could escape was necessary. She agreed to make that a primary talking point if she spoke to Campos again.
Unfortunately, the next day brought Campos back, this time for Mark. He was placed in force cuffs and taken down to the detention center. He saw remnants of the damage the team had done when they’d come for him too late. Half the banks of screens were still nonfunctional, and there were still marks of plasma burns on the walls. He hoped he succeeded in hiding his pleasure at the damage his friends had done.
They placed him in a side room in the detention center. He was seated in a chair across the table from Juan Campos. The force cuffs held him in place. Any movement was somewhat painful. He suspected why he was there, and Campos proved him correct.
“Where are your associates? The ones who tore apart the detention center the night you were arrested.”
“I don’t know.” This was the truth. Veraz hadn’t shared where the rest of the team was hiding. “I heard the ship we arrived on took off. I would guess they were onboard.”
The session didn’t go well for either party. Campos didn’t get any information he didn’t already have. Mark returned to the suite in a condition that felt similar to what he’d seen in the holo of Drew’s father before they arrived on Estancia. He thought he might have a cracked rib, but had managed to avoid the broken arm. Glynnis had run out of the mild analgesic that had helped Carpenter, so Mark resigned himself to being in pain for a while.
Campos had inadvertently given away one hopeful fact. He wouldn’t have asked the questions he did if he had been aware that Mark could communicate with the team.
Mark initially kept in touch through Veraz, hoping to keep Anwyn from worrying. That didn’t last long. She was smart enough to realize there was a reason he hadn’t wanted to speak to her. When they finally spoke, he tried to ease her concern. He could tell he hadn’t succeeded.
He was decades younger than Carpenter, so he remained up and moving around, although Daffyd’s foster mother encouraged rest. He rapidly concluded that while Daffyd had a great deal of his father Owen’s political acumen, there was also a lot of his foster mother’s gentle nature in the man. He had probably received large doses of courage from both biological parents, but Glynnis Wyn had her own kind of quiet courage. He was coming to like and admire the woman.
Leo spent more time with him when he returned. Carpenter told him the same thing had happened when he was healing. The cat had the loudest purr he had ever heard. Leo didn’t bite him this time, and a purring cat could be a real comfort.
On the third day, Veraz warned him that things were progressing. A large portion of the Estancian fleet was preparing to depart for Nuevo Havana. That departure would be Shan’s cue to bring his fleet to Estancia.
Mark wrote that message to Angharad. If Campos decided to talk to her again, she would attempt to persuade him to allow the queen to speak with her son. It wouldn’t do them any good for the queen and her husband to escape while leaving the crown prince as a hostage.
He worried that what they were attempting was on too tight a schedule and relied too much on everything going perfectly. He had spent too much time in this business to expect that. The “simple” job on Alliance Station One had been proof of what could go wrong. He hoped Veraz was equally focused on that fact.
Anwyn hated waiting. She always had, even as a child. This was exponentially worse. She knew Mark had suffered the same type of beating Drew’s father had experienced. She wanted to be with him, to see that he got proper care and was healing well. She wanted to get off this frozen planet almost as much.
She and Rehan had made additional contact with Estelle, Miguel, and their friends. They were still more likely than Shir-ella to pass for Estancians. Despite the cold, she and Rehan were still the liaisons with the palace servants.
The snow had stopped, and the weather cleared for the first two days. Anwyn was unfamiliar with winter weather, so she hadn’t realized it could get colder when the sky was clear. As she and Rehan hurried back from Sofia’s and Victor’s home on the afternoon of the third day, she glanced at the faded blue of the sky. She wondered if she would freeze before they reached the new location they had been moved to when the café drew too much attention.
