THE CHAMELEON (15 page)

CHAPTER 31

(Stephanous Petros: thirteen years old) Sweat trickled down his back as he crouched behind the crates in the old warehouse. A nagging feeling had been haunting him all day but he had pushed aside the feeling, chalking it up to nerves as he strained to listen to the conversation on the other side of the room. Moments later, he was lifted high into the air, his legs kicking in an attempt to get free from the strong grip. “You are in the wrong place at the wrong time, boy,” a rough voice stated. Everything went dark for Stephan.

“You have it wrong, Stephan. Both of you have it wrong. I would never hurt you or Alicia.” Aisling steeled herself inside from the pain that ripped through her scalp. Stephan had her hair wrapped so tightly around his fingers that even the slightest movement on her part caused sheer fire to shoot through the nerve endings. Tears hovered on the edge of her lashes, but she willed them to not fall. She would be damned if she was going to cry in front of these men. “There is a lot you don’t know—I can explain.”

“What I know is some lunatic broke into Sakis’s office, held someone I love dearly at gunpoint. When I was restrained, he then proceeded to place photographs on my lap.” He yanked her head back as he bent over the couch to whisper harshly in her ears. “Photographs of you bending over someone I loved a lifetime ago. So yeah, bitch, I think you have a lot of explaining to do.”

“I am the Chameleon, Stephan.” She knew he heard her as his body froze in place.

“Impossible!” Doubt tinged his voice.

“You are Stephanous Petros. You have worked for Sakis Carras since the company first opened. You were born and raised in Greece in an orphanage. You worked for a crime lord at an early age, a man named Gregory Balta. He was a hard man but you stayed in his employment for many, many years. He was the closest you had to a father figure.”

“Information that anyone could have found out. Not convinced.”

“True. But none would know our passcode. Could they? Cobblestone is my code…and yours is…the Charles River.”

Reluctantly, Stephan slowly unwound his fingers from her hair. “But you’re—”

“A woman. I know.”

Derek watched the interrogation and release of Aisling with interest.

“You both are losing me right now.”

Ignoring Derek, Aisling wanted to reach out and touch Stephan, but she knew that it was too soon. They had to get back on firm ground before that would even be allowed.

“Stephan. I am the Chameleon. In your heart, you believe me. As much as a shock as this all is, the only thing I want right now is to help you find Alicia.”

Alicia’s name snapped Stephan out of his private thoughts. “So you know nothing?” He seemed defeated.

All business, Aisling leaned forward. “All of this is stemming from the fact that you are looking into your past. A past that involves someone not only powerful, but extremely capable of using deadly force. Whoever they are, they are trying to make a point. Think, Stephan. Where would they put Alicia that would drive home their point?”

Stephan looked confused. “I am not sure if I know what you are asking.”

Impatient now that she was in full business mode, she clapped her hands together. The sharp crack sounded loud in the room. “Whoever this is, they want to leave you a message. One that there would be no doubt as to who they are and why they want you to back off. There has to be something.”

At the blank look in Stephan’s eyes, she pursed her lips in frustration. “Where were you found? Did a stranger walk in off the streets and hand you over? Did they leave you on the steps of the orphanage?”

Comprehension lit up Stephan’s eyes. “God. No! I used to believe that I was left at the door of the orphanage and that is what it says in my file, but years later, Sister Katherine told me that I had been placed on the steps of an abandoned church. She told me that I was close to death by the time someone found me and brought me to the nuns.” His voice trailed off.

Derek rushed to the computer and punched in some information. “There are so many churches—how would we figure out which one?”

Aisling knew that Stephan suspected where they put her. “I know of one church in particular that closed a number of years ago…just in the city limits of Allston.”

Derek grabbed his keys. “I am driving.”

It took them no time at all to reach the address that Stephan had provided. Even in the dark, the massive church was imposing. Stephan jumped out before Derek had even put it in park and rushed to the stairs. He had seen what no one else had in the shadows. By the time they had reached him, he had dropped to his knees, clutching Alicia to his chest, and rocked back and forth.

Aisling felt the bile rise in her throat at the small hole that pierced her head. The woman’s eyes were still wide open and she wanted nothing more than to close them, but seeing Stephan this way made her hesitate. Derek was the first to move to his friend. He placed his hand firmly on Stephan’s shoulder to offer whatever comfort he could, while gently closing Alicia’s eyes.

“I am so sorry, Stephan, but I am going to have to call this in.” Derek waited, wondering whether his friend was so far gone he didn’t even hear him speak. But after a few minutes, he saw the barely perceptible nod. Exhaling, he pulled out his phone and stepped away as he quickly spoke into the receiver. Aisling knew within minutes they would be surrounded by police.

CHAPTER 32

Stephan was wiped out. Closing his eyes, he allowed the hot water to wash over him. He couldn’t remember how long he had stood there, but he knew it must have been too long when he heard the light tap at the bathroom door. His head leaned against the wall; the pounding in his head was almost too much to bear. Wincing, he switched the hot stream off and gingerly stepped onto the plush mat. Wrapping a towel around his waist, he opened the door fully, expecting it to be Aisling. He felt a stabbing at his heart when he faced Derek instead of her.

Derek noted the pallor and pinched look of his friend. His body was riddled with deep bruising. The man had to be in excruciating pain, yet he didn’t complain once. The sadness could be seen, though. His heart ached for his friend. Derek knew that Stephan had few close friends, and over anyone, Alicia was the mother he never had. Clearing his throat, he switched from one foot to the other. “Dude. Everyone is gone, and I need to head to the station to fill out some paperwork. I won’t be long…”

Nodding, Stephan brushed past him and threw clothes onto the bed. “It’s okay. I will be fine. I have to make a few phone calls anyway.”

Derek winced. “Sakis?”

“Yes.”

“I can stay a bit longer if you need me to.”

“No. This I have to do alone.” Squaring his shoulders, Stephan’s eyes finally met his friend’s. “Where is Aisling?”

“She said that she had to do something and would be back in thirty minutes. That was about twenty minutes ago.” Stephan didn’t reply to his statement and Derek felt a twinge of guilt that he’d allowed her to leave, but he didn’t really have much choice. He had nothing to hold her and forcing her to stay would have opened up too many questions from his boss, who had still been in the apartment. “Do you believe her?”

Stephan sat on the edge of the bed and stared down at the shirt that he clutched in his hands. “If she is really the Chameleon, I do and if she is, I am going to need her help. She has the capability of finding information that I do not.”

“And if she isn’t?” Derek asked.

“Then you do not need to worry about it.”

This was the moment that separated their friendship, the Greek mafia from the ATF lieutenant. Aisling would die if Stephan found out she wasn’t telling the truth and because of his work, Stephan would never tell him or give him the details. Derek suspected that if she were lying, her death would be very painful. When she returned, Derek knew shit was going to hit the fan. He didn’t envy Aisling, but he also knew that if Stephan didn’t kill her, he could probably do it himself. Shaking the dark thoughts from his head, he turned to leave.

“Okay. I will be back by late evening. Call if anything comes up or you need anything.”

Aisling’s hand was raised as he opened the front door, surprising Derek. He really hadn’t expected her to return. A large briefcase was slung from one shoulder, and a military duffel bag from the other.

“Do I need to check those bags?” Derek inquired.

Heat rose to Aisling’s face. She hated being scrutinized or mistrusted. Sliding them off her shoulders, she waited while Derek went through each bag. There were no weapons in either, just technology that she would need to help Stephan track down the person who executed Alicia.

When he was satisfied with his search, he rose. His jaw set as he stared at her. “I will be back this evening. He is pretty fucked up—don’t make it worse.”

“I know you don’t believe me, but I will say it anyway. I am here to help.”

Derek looked doubtful but held the door open for her anyway as she stepped through with her load.

As she scanned the living room, Aisling debated where to set up. She didn’t want to be intrusive in his life, but on the other hand, she figured this was going to be his life until the killer was caught. She spread out her three laptops on the large dining table, skillfully attaching all three with cables so that they could communicate with one another. She wouldn’t use the Ritz’s network—too risky—and after the last breach, she was concerned that even her own network could be compromised. So she had called in a favor with the military and was able to secure some pretty cool equipment to enable her to go wireless. But she wasn’t a fool; the equipment would only be as good as the setup to prevent it being hacked.

Once everything was set and ready to go, she sat in front of the screens and exhaled. Work was good. Work was what caused the demons to fade away. This was the way that she could prove her worth to Stephan and hopefully more than that: her love.

Slim fingers stilled over the keyboard for a millisecond at the thought. Seeing him in complete anguish, Alicia’s dead body pressed to his chest, was the moment of clarity. The moment she realized that she loved him. Unsure of the future, she knew that she would die for him in the search for answers. She never had that feeling before and it frightened her.

Stephan stepped into the living room, ready for his confrontation with Aisling. He had known that she had returned not just because of the noise she was making, doing God only what, but because he felt her presence. Engrossed in her work, she had no idea he had entered the room and it lent the opportunity to observe her. She had showered and changed herself. The gray sweatpants hugged her small frame, as did the bright pink tee shirt. He never liked that color, but on her it caused a ripple to flow inside him. She had put her hair up into a ponytail, giving her a youthful appearance, and he wondered whether she had done that on purpose. Stephan was unclear what he was going to do with her but he knew that without any second thought or guilt, he would strangle her with his bare hands if there was the slightest proof that she had anything to do with Alicia’s death. At the thought of his friend, he swallowed back the pain and used it to fuel his anger.

“Aisling!” Her name cracked like a whip in the apartment and with satisfaction, he watched her jump in her seat. Green eyes clashed with his, and he noted how her chin rose slightly in defiance. To what he wasn’t sure, but if she were innocent, he believed it grated on her nerves and sensibilities.

Aisling rose to her feet, her fists balled so tightly her fingernails dug into her skin. She remained still as he approached her, his body tense. He was the predator; she his prey and she could feel her stomach tighten in knots. She was actually terrified of him at this moment.

He stood behind her so close that he could feel the heat from her body. Stephan placed his fingers on the back of her neck before he slid them around her neck, cupping the side of her cheek and turning her face so that it was turned sideways as he pressed his lips to her ear.

“Tell me why I shouldn’t snap your neck right now. Give me one reason, Aisling O’Byrne, why you should be spared from the same fate that Alicia had.” His harsh whisper attacked her.

Closing her eyes, she swallowed hard. “Because through me, you will find out who actually killed her and better than that, the one who issued the order for her death.”

Tightening his grip on her face, he spun her around and placed both of his hands now on either side of her head. His voice, though calm, was ice-cold. Gooseflesh spread throughout her whole body at his next words. “I am not even sure it matters anymore. I could just as easily crush you. You deceived me in the worst way. I let you into my world, my bed…” Stephan hesitated; pain laced his next words. “Even my heart. I am such a fool.”

Tears welled into Aisling’s eyes, not from the pressure of his hands, which slowly squeezed her head, but from the pain of hearing the anguish in his words.

She gripped his wrists tightly. “Let me tell you who I am, Stephan. You owe me that much.”

“I owe you nothing!”

“Fine, but you owe the one you know as the Chameleon that much!” She was starting to get angry. Anger was good. It took away the fear. “The more we dick around here, the longer we are not trying to track down the killer. Let me talk, Stephan. I promise to tell you everything and answer any questions you may have. No more lies.”

His body stilled. Aisling felt that she finally had his full attention. She meant it. No more secrets or lies. She would spill everything. Stephan pushed her away so hard that Aisling almost fell. He strode to the bar and poured bourbon in a glass. Her eyebrows rose. It was only eleven in the morning. It was going to be a long day if he started drinking now.

She sat on the couch, hands clasped on her lap as she waited patiently. Her eyes followed him as he walked to the opposite couch and sat gingerly. She could tell he hated his injuries, saw it as a sign of weakness. The moment he leaned back, she started to talk, not even waiting for him to ask her to begin. Her life depended on him believing her, so she decided it was best he heard how the Chameleon came to be.

“We grew up poor, my mum and I. In the beginning, my dad lived with us, but the two had a volatile relationship and eventually he left us. She did her best to hold it together for the two of us, and at times worked three to four jobs to do that. Which left a lot of free time for me to get into trouble. I am not sure when I realized that I was smarter than the average person, but I think the beginning of me picking my future work was when they installed computers at the local library. I became fascinated with the Net and like a sponge, sucked everything up that I could find on the latest and greatest technology. Not that we had any money, mind you, to purchase the items. That was when I became a thief. I stole only what I needed to get by. This was about survival for me and I have no regrets.”

Aisling paused and waited for any recriminations on Stephan’s part, but he remained silent. His eyes never faltered from hers as he listened intently.

“I came to the States to get my education. By this time, I was good at hacking. So good, in fact, it was easy for me to add my name to the list of accepted applicants. I hadn’t graduated when I secured my first job. I had learned from someone that a wealthy businessman wanted someone to befriend his rival and garner any information on his business dealings. I told him that I knew of someone who could get the information for him. He was doubtful but I convinced him to give my ‘friend’ a try and if he wasn’t happy with the work, then he didn’t have to pay a cent. But, if he were happy, then he would spread the word. It was an easy mark and I loved the excitement it gave me to go undercover. From that moment on, I became two people. A client of mine was the one who named me the Chameleon.”

Stephan looked doubtfully at Aisling. She spun a good tale, but she still had not offered him any proof. “So you would like me to believe that you were the one who handled every job that came to you from Carras Enterprises?”

“Every one.” Aisling knew that there was more than enough doubt that she had to chisel away. Slowly, methodically, she listed every job that she ever did for him until he raised his hand in the air.

Stephan knew that he had to surrender to her. There was no way that she could have known every job. Some she listed were never written down but were quick little jobs. He raised his eyebrows as they stared each other down.

Aisling felt the shift in his posture. He believed everything she said. Like a dam breaking, relief rushed through her. They had passed the largest hurdle; now the hardest part was to talk about the present. “From the moment I received your message to look into your parents, I dug deep and hard. What I hadn’t counted on was the swiftness of the backlash. Every system I hacked, walls were thrown up. I knew that I had to go to Greece. I had to start back at the beginning and from there I felt confident that I would be able to find the answers I needed to at least make headway.”

“So your trip to New York was actually a trip to my country?”

She could feel her face redden at his tone, but she held her ground. “Yes. That is what you would expect the Chameleon to do, though, right? Do whatever it takes to get the information.” She spoke so matter-of-fact that Stephan grudgingly had to agree.

“So what went wrong?”

“Honestly, I am not sure. I hired someone I trusted as a guide, which is normal, but didn’t divulge any private information on the case. When we arrived at the orphanage, I was in disguise. We learned right off that someone else was also at the compound and was also looking for information on your past. This was a surprise to me.”

“Sakis.”

“Yes. Sakis had already met with Sister Katherine moments before and passed right next to me without knowing who I was. My guide had gone back to the main gate for reinforcements and by the time I found Sister Katherine, she had already expired.” Aisling rose to her feet, grabbed the manila envelope she had put onto the table earlier, and handed it to Stephan. “Several days ago, someone had slid this under my door at my apartment. I had not suspected the breach to go as far as this but whoever it is, they know who I am. I spent a day closing up that apartment, moving to a new one.” Here Aisling hesitated. “I live right below you now.”

Stephan took the envelope from her hand and stared at her hard. He didn’t want to open it. Didn’t want to see what was inside. He knew whatever it was would eliminate every doubt that he currently held inside him. He needed that doubt. It helped feed his anger and he was worried that without it, he would shatter into a million pieces.

Sliding his hand inside, he gripped the photographs and pulled them out slowly as he glanced down. There she was, staring up at him, with the damn black wig, kneeling over Sister Katherine. It was the same photograph that his attacker had handed to him. Turning it over, he read the words written on the back.