Page 6 of Croatia Collateral

Hammer picked up from there. “Dax, this is Giva Haviv, former Israeli Sayeret Matkal. She’ll be your partner for your first assignment.”

Dax stared at his new boss. “The fuck you say.”

Chapter 2

Giva’s gaze raked Dax, once again amazed at the resemblance. The Marine was a dead ringer, a perfect doppelganger of their target. She’d known who he was the moment he’d stepped into the bar. Though he looked like Maas, he was a little too much on the rugged side.

Maas was soft and accustomed to expensive tastes and women. Dax was too grounded, down-to-earth and comfortably casual in how he walked and talked.

Hammer went on with his description of what he had in mind for the mission. “Giva, like you, is a new member of the Brotherhood Protectors International team. We specifically brought you both on board for a project that will need your special operations training, combat skills and experience working undercover missions.”

“She’s Israeli Sayeret Matkal?” Dax ran a hand through his hair, the dark circles beneath his eyes making him look more mysterious than what Giva suspected was exhaustion from the long overnight flight. “Could someone please explain to me what the hell’s going on? And who is Maas?”

Hammer glanced toward the Giva. “You didn’t tell him anything on the way over?”

Giva’s lips curled in a tight smile. “I thought it best to reveal everything once we arrived. I’ll let you do the honors.” She’d known Dax wouldn’t have believed her if she’d tried to explain any of the plans her new boss had in mind.

Hammer grimaced and faced Dax. “You might want to take a seat.”

Dax crossed his arms over his chest. “I’ll stand.”

Hammer drew in a deep breath and launched. “When Hank Patterson told us what was about to go down and what we needed to do, I knew immediately that you would be the right man for the job.” He nodded toward the older man with the white hair. “Dmytro, could you bring up the big screen?”

The older man leaned over the table where a keyboard and mouse lay and ran his fingers across the keys.

“Like I said,” Hammer continued, “we need a pair of operatives with combat training and undercover experience to infiltrate a secret meeting of some of the wealthiest people on the planet. The people whose money drives world economies and politics. To get into this meeting, our operative has to be one of the filthy rich people who use their wealth and power to effect political change and decisions across the globe.”

Dax’s brow furrowed. “And who have you targeted who fits that bill?”

Giva almost smiled. Here we go.

Hammer nodded at Dmytro.

When the older man clicked the mouse, half a dozen images of a couple appeared on the giant monitor at the far end of the conference table.

Dax squinted at the display, took several steps forward and froze.

Giva knew when he zeroed in on the woman in the red dress, a close copy of what she was currently wearing.

Dax looked from the photograph to Giva and back.

“Is that you?” he asked.

The other woman who’d been standing with Hammer stepped forward. “No. That woman is Sasha Royce.”

Hammer slid an arm around the woman. “Dax, this is Jasmine Nassar, my fiancée, also a former Sayeret Matkal from the Israeli Army. She’s responsible for bringing Giva on board.”

Giva gave Jaz a nod.

“When we learned we needed to infiltrate the Nexus Collective to find out what they were scheming, we examined the list of the six who’d received invitations to the upcoming gathering.” Hammer tipped his chin toward the display. “Of all the people listed, the man in these photo was the one person we had half a chance of sending.”

“Who’s the man?” Dax asked.

“Evan Maas,” Hammer said. “Born in Australia to a wealthy family, immigrated to Canada to attend university. With his high IQ, he ended up in Silicon Valley where he started a tech company that blew up overnight. He sold it for hundreds of millions at the same time he was starting other companies.”

Jasmine continued with the description of Evan Maas. “The man has a Midas touch. He made his first million before he turned thirty and his first billion by the time he turned forty. He proved he can make money, and now he wants to make his money change world politics.” She turned to Hammer with a gentle smile. “You were spot-on when you said Dax was a dead ringer.”

Hammer’s lip turned up on one corner. “And you were spot-on with Giva.”

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