Page 23 of The Honeymoon Heist

I still had no idea what the fuck was going on, but at least I had Jennifer. They treated me like the killer I was, making sure I couldn’t do anything to interrupt their plans, but they treated her like a lost female, not realizing she held the same skills that I did.

And she knew it.

She kept glancing at me, telling me that if I wanted to start bringing the death, she was willing, but I didn’t have the chance. They were more than willing to kill me, and let me know it.

We wound around the small cobblestone streets and narrow alleys until we ended up at the same gallery we’d been at the day before, only now it was invite-only.

The first suit guy showed a lanyard pass, and we were let in, seeing a crowd of people all sipping wine and listening to a man at a microphone. The goons led us to the back, to an older gentleman with a mustache and an impeccable suit.

He said, “Hello. I’m sorry for the violent tactics, but I have to know what you know.”

I looked around at the wealth in the room, then went back to him, saying, “You just took my daughter. Don’t think I won’t break up this thing.”

He smiled and said, “I understand your reticence. I truly do. But understand, nothing you do here will prevent her death. It’s pre-programmed to control you. That’s the point. If you attempt to spoil what we have planned, she dies.”

And he was exactly right. I felt the adrenaline build like a seismic jolt, but there was nothing I could do. I said, “So, what do you want? What will it take to get my daughter back?”

“I want to know how you knew that painting was a fake.”

He pointed atThe Taking of Christ.

Exasperated, I exploded, saying, “I didn’t know it was a fake until you just told me. I’m here on my honeymoon. That’s all we’re doing. That’s it.”

Some people in the crowd jerked their heads to us, and he said, “Shhh. Not so loud. I’ll ask again, how did you know that was a fake?”

I drew into myself, looking for a way out, seeing the one goon to my left, and the other goon right next to Jennifer. I knew I could get out of this problem set by killing all of them, but I didn’t know where Amena was.

Which he knew as well.

I said, “Sir, I honestly don’t know what you’re saying. I have no idea about any paintings.”

Someone else took the microphone and started talking, and he turned to me, saying, “I have to get my award for my painting. I’ll be back.”

I looked at Jennifer, trying to find a way out, and then it entered.

Amena came darting in, screaming her head off.

Chapter 15

Amena repeated her request to use the bathroom and the older guy, Miles, stood up, saying, “I’ll take her.”

Amena waited on the older one. He considered for a moment, and she said, “I don’t want to pee here in the van. Please.”

He finally nodded, saying, “We’ll all go,” and slid open the van door. They went up one level and the younger man pointed at a door, saying, “That’s the bathroom.”

Amena slipped her hand out of the older man’s and began walking. She went ten feet, and then started sprinting toward the stairs. She heard the man behind her shout, but kept going.

She reached the street, unsure of what to do, looking for a policeman or some other authority figure, and saw nothing. Just tourists walking about.

She thought about grabbing one, demanding their attention, and then remembered her parents. If she created a scene here, they might get killed just to cover it up. She looked behind her and saw the men coming up the stairs. She could hear their labored breathing even as they shouted at her to stop.

She would have no problem outdistancing them.

She started sprinting, her long legs pounding the pavement, her hair flying behind her, running to the one focal point she knew: the gallery where her parents were.

She heard the men’s thumping feet and picked up the pace, leaving behind their cursing and coughing.

She went down one wrong alley, reached a dead end, and realized she’d gone lower than she’d intended. She turned around and saw the men about fifty meters away. The mistake turned out to be a blessing, because she leapt to a set of stairs and started sprinting, hearing the men behind her curse, their panting breath telling her they would never catch up.

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