Unmasking the Mercenary (12 page)

“Good luck,” Cullen said, and turned to Haley. “We’ll leave in the morning.” To Rem he said, “I’ll send you a team.”

“I don’t need any help.”

“I wasn’t asking.”

Rem’s eyes narrowed.

“I’m staying,” Haley interrupted the argument that was sure to come. She wanted to find out what Rem was keeping from them. She also wasn’t ready to leave Rem. Maybe it was whatever was stirring between them. Maybe it was her own need to shed her past by fighting back.

Cullen shot her an incredulous look. “Don’t be ridiculous. You accomplished your mission. You uncovered Habib’s connection to Ammar. Now it’s time for someone else to step in, and if that someone is Rem, then so be it.”

“I wouldn’t let anything happen to her,” Rem said.

And Haley wondered if he wanted her to stay with him.

“You would do your best not to, but your best may not be good enough. You’re dealing with some pretty connected terrorists, and you’re only one man.”

Rem moved his gaze to her. She felt him wait for her decision. He was sure he could keep her safe, but he also knew she’d be safe with Cullen. That was why he hadn’t fought the issue. He’d let her go with Cullen, but he wanted her to stay with him. She was afraid to find out why.

She faced Cullen. “This isn’t over.”

“It is for you.”

“No.”

Cullen sighed heavily. “You’re too stubborn.”

“I can do this,” she said.

“You haven’t stopped fighting since you came to work for me. I’m afraid it’s for the wrong reason. You think if you fight, you can beat what happened to you.”

She shook her head. “No.” It wasn’t the only reason. “It’s more than that.”

Fighting back had its appeal. She felt invigorated when a mission came to a successful end, when one more bad guy was stopped or killed. She didn’t admit to anyone that sometimes the faces of her attackers crossed her mind in those moments. And they were the only moments when she felt at peace, when the horror of it didn’t overwhelm her. She felt in charge. Untouchable by her memory’s crushing grip.

But now there was Rem. Something about him kept her from leaving. What he was hiding. And him. Something about him compelled her to stay. She ignored her trepidation that whatever she found out about him would dispel any hope that underneath his mercenary shell was a heroic man.

“Be straight with me Haley. If I let you do this, will it help you get over Iraq?” Cullen asked.

Pulled from her thoughts, she answered honestly. “I don’t know.”

“But you want to try.”

She nodded. “Yes.”

He studied her. Long seconds passed. “All right. But when you get home, no more missions.”

“What?”

“You heard me. This is it. Odie’s getting married and put in her notice. I need someone to take her place. I want that person to be you, Haley. No more running around the globe throwing yourself into dangerous situations just so you can prove to yourself you’re not a victim.”

“She’s really going to go through with that, huh?”

Cullen laughed once. “Yeah. She thinks she finally found someone strong enough to handle her.”

“I don’t know if
strong
is the right word.
Nerdy,
maybe.”

Cullen nodded. “It does seem a little off.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if she changed her mind and came back to work for you.”

“It’s definitely not going to be the same without her.” Cullen turned to Rem and gestured with his thumb toward Haley. “If she comes home with so much as a scratch, I’m coming after you.”

“Then I’m lucky it won’t come to that.”

Talking Cullen out of one of his decisions was never an easy feat. That she’d done it amazed her and warmed her. He wanted her to overcome her ordeal, and if fighting back would do that, he was going to let her. But only because Rem would be there to protect her.

She wisely didn’t mention that Rem had stolen diamonds from Ammar. A whole deadly heap of them. That would surely send Cullen over the edge, and there would be no talking him out of bringing her home.

Chapter 7

R
em handed Haley her Walther P99 and noticed her questioning look. He ignored her. She was the reason he’d gotten next to no sleep last night. That look on her face when Cullen had questioned him kept running through his mind. The way her eyes told truths he didn’t want to see.

She was making him care too much. She wondered about his company, and he hated how that gnawed at him. What did she think? Did she question his reasons for taking over and reviving a rogue private military company? His knowledge of Dane’s drug dealing with Ammar was enough to raise anyone’s suspicion, too. Ordinarily he wouldn’t waste much energy worrying about what anyone thought. But with Haley, somehow it mattered.

Sometimes he saw her wavering, as though she were trying to convince herself that he wasn’t what he was. A mercenary. Good or bad, that was what he was. Yet, she’d stayed with him. He couldn’t allow himself to believe it was for any other reason than to find out what he was sure she thought he was hiding.

He opened the passenger door of the Jeep and closed it after she climbed in. Then he went to the guard shack, which was empty, and checked the street on the other side of the gate. There was a dark car parked about a hundred yards down. Two, maybe three inside.

He’d have to lose them before he called Habib.

Pressing the control to open the gate, he ran back to the Jeep and pulled outside the gate. It would automatically close behind them. The dark car down the street began to move forward.

Rem drove away from the villa compound, then made a turn that took him across United Nations Drive. Haley must have noticed the car, because she had her gun ready and she twisted around to watch it.

On Randall Street, Rem found a side street and squealed tires making the turn. Two more turns and Rem lost the tail. He drove down Benson Street to United Nations Drive. Watching the rearview mirror, he pulled out his satellite phone and called Habib’s number.

“You are late,” Habib said, when he answered. “You should have called yesterday.”

“Something came up.” He glanced at Haley and saw her questioning expression. She didn’t know whom he was calling, or why, but she would. Soon.

“Is it safe to meet?” Habib asked.

“Yes. Meet me where we planned in thirty minutes.”

“I’ll be there.”

Rem dropped the phone onto the backseat and made a point not to look at Haley again. She was probably steaming mad right now. He’d planned to meet someone and hadn’t told her. He hadn’t told Cullen, either. She had to be wondering why. After a while, he couldn’t resist a quick look. Sure enough, her eyes fired invisible daggers at him. And it irked him to realize he liked that about her. Her fire.

He turned toward the road again.

“Who was that?” she asked. More like demanded. “Who are you going to meet?”

“Habib,” he answered. No point in delaying anymore.

“Habib.”

He heard the fury in her tone. Mouth slightly parted, eyes beaming anger and disbelief, she was a stunning picture.

“Don’t make me ask,” she warned.

“What do you want to know?”

“You planned this all along.”

Carefully. Very carefully. But he didn’t tell her that. “Habib agreed to help me. I couldn’t say anything because that would have put him in too much danger. And I needed him.”

“He knew you were going to run him off the road?”

“No. He thought we were going to meet somewhere, but I didn’t want to risk that. I had to make it look real to Ammar. So that he wouldn’t suspect Habib.”

He felt her staring at him. “I don’t understand. Why did Habib agree to help you?”

“Ammar has been threatening him for years. He’s afraid for his family in Lebanon. It’s the only reason he’s done as Ammar has asked up until now.”

“Until he meets you. A man who, what…promises to lift the burden of Ammar all by himself?”

Rem looked at her. Didn’t she think he could? Or was there something else she was getting at? “He’s tired of living with Ammar constantly breathing down his neck. He wants to end it.”

“He must want it to end if he’s willing to risk his life and the lives of his family…for you.”

Yep, she was getting at something. She knew there was more that he wasn’t saying. He just kept driving.

“How will giving you the diamonds help Habib?” she pressed.

“It stops Ammar from using them to forward his cause.”

“Yeah, but it also pisses him off.”

“He wouldn’t harm Habib. He needs a diamond merchant, especially one he can control. Besides, for all Ammar knows, it was me who took the diamonds. He thinks Habib wouldn’t try anything like that.”

“Why did you want the diamonds?” she asked.

“You’d rather I let Ammar have them?”

“Of course not.”

“They’ll go a long way to funding my company,” he said. And just as he expected, she fell silent. The diamonds would fund his private military company, one that began its operations illegitimately. He could feel her struggle with that. Diamonds taken from the hands of terrorists now would benefit a bunch of lawless mercs.

He grunted a laugh.

“Something’s funny about that?” she asked, a bite in her tone.

He shook his head. “You’re so predictable.”

“I’m predictable.”

The sass in her tone made a smile touch his mouth. “Don’t worry, I’m used to it.”

“To what? People thinking the worst of you?”

“Is that what you’re thinking? The worst?”

She turned her head and stared out the side of the Jeep, saying nothing. Just as well. What she knew about him only scratched the surface. If she ever learned all of it, the worst of what she thought would take on a whole new dimension. No point in trying to convince her he was something he wasn’t.

Driving into a run-down neighborhood, he parked in front of a small, metal-roofed concrete building that had once been painted white.

Haley got out and walked with him to the door. It opened before they reached it and Habib stepped aside to let them in.

“Did anyone see you come here?” Rem asked.

Habib shook his head and scanned the front of the shack before closing the door. “No one saw.” He turned and faced them. “What did you learn from Mr. Merchant?” he asked.

“Nothing. He wouldn’t talk. And Ammar called before I could persuade him. Haley and I had to leave in a hurry.”

That bit of news appeared to frighten Habib. “So now Ammar will come after you, and you are no closer to finding Farid than you were before.”

Rem said nothing.

“You promised,” Habib said.

“You have nothing to worry about. He won’t hurt you,” Rem said, wanting to alleviate his fear. “He needs you too much.”

“What am I to do now?” Habib asked anyway. “I risk much doing as Ammar asks. I worry for my family. I am a peaceful man who is content to run his market. What am I to do if he learns of my acquaintance with you?”

“He won’t. I’ll see to that.”

Rem caught Haley’s dubious glance and irritation brewed in him. Why did she doubt him? Or was it merely that she doubted he could do this on his own? Take on Ammar alone?

Her attention returned to Habib. “How did you meet Rem?”

He looked surprised by her question. “He came to me.”

“And you trusted him?”

Habib smiled almost apologetically with a brief glance at Rem. “I did not at first. But his knowledge of Ammar and his network of contacts soon became apparent to me. That and…well…his background.”

Rem watched her eyes move to check his face for anything revealing. What did she want to find? Affirmation? Proof that her instinct about him was right? Which one? The one that painted him a good guy in disguise or the one everyone else saw?

“He promised to rid me of Ammar in exchange for the diamonds,” Habib continued. “To me, it was a worthy trade.”

“Yes,” she said without breaking their gazes. “I can see how you’d think so.”

Rem cocked his head, wondering what she meant.

She just smiled a little and returned her attention to Habib. “Where did Ammar get the money for the diamonds?”

Would she never stop amazing him? Now where was she going with that question?

“I do not know.”

“Was Farid in on it?”

“I would assume so, but I cannot be certain.”

“Do you think he used a
hawala
broker? Do you know of any that Ammar has been in contact with? That he’s used on previous deals?”

Rem folded his arms and waited. Clever girl. He knew she was smart but this was unexpected, even to him.

Habib appeared reluctant to respond.

“Answer the lady,” Rem said.

“Yes,” Habib said reluctantly. “Who? Which
hawaladar
does Ammar use to get the money for his diamond purchases?”

Habib glanced uncertainly from Rem to her. “I do not know.
Hawala
brokers are bankers who do not keep detailed records of financial transactions. They work on an honor system. If a man betrays one of his fellow contacts, the price is often death. It is a close-knit network and very difficult to penetrate. Farid may arrange transfers to Ammar from a
hawaladar
near him. That
hawaladar
may contact someone in another country, and that may lead to two or three others, until the chain finally reaches Ammar, wherever he happens to be in the world. But their identities are closely guarded.”

“What about couriers? Someone had to have met Ammar with the money for this last deal. Did Ammar use a courier to transfer the money from a
hawaladar
to him?”

Rem could tell by Habib’s subtle blanch that he had. And that only made him more impressed by Haley’s well-placed questions. It was obvious that if Farid was hiding out of fear of detection from counterterrorist organizations and governments, he wouldn’t use overt channels to get the money to Ammar. But how had she known to ask about a courier? Her background in intel, yes. But she was more experienced than he realized.

He’d have to watch that from here on out.

When Habib didn’t answer, Rem turned to him. “What courier did Ammar use?”