Page 68 of Sands of Sirocco
When he arrived at Lord Helton’s, the butler showed him into the sitting room.
Lord Helton descended a few minutes later.He’d shaved, at least, and was dressed.But he still looked as though he hadn’t slept well.“I found the Aleaqrab leader.”Noah rubbed his bruised knuckles, his fingers curving over the bumps.“But I have heard nothing about Victoria yet.”
Helton pulled a note from his breast pocket and held it out to Noah.“They’ve sent another message.They want arms and munitions.They’ve specified what and where.They say they want it delivered tonight to the address listed.”
Noah read the message.It had been written in English, though there were grammatical mistakes.“They make no mention of releasing her.”
“They must release her if I make this exchange.”Lord Helton’s eyes were wild behind his spectacles.
He can’t be serious.“You’re going to give them weapons?”
“Of course I am.They have my daughter, not my dog.They sent another note from her.”Lord Helton thrust it into his hands.
Noah recognized Victoria’s familiar script.“Please give them what they want.”A troubling feeling knotted his stomach.“Neither note makes a promise of her release.You can’t give a group of men intending revolution the weapons with which to do it.”
“I can worry about that later, once she’s safe at home.”Lord Helton paced, then sat.He rang for his butler, who appeared within moments.“Fetch Jahi for me.”As the butler left, Helton turned back to Noah.“I’ll need you to get the arms for me.”
Noah raised his brows.“How’s that?”
“I’ll send a letter.Tell them you need them to blow up a bridge.Something of that nature.”
“And when the arms disappear and no bridge is destroyed?”Noah sat stiffly.The weapons themselves weren’t difficult to obtain—no one would question a message from Lord Helton.But if the matter was investigated, they both could be held responsible.“We should go to a higher authority.You and I both have friends in the CID who would be discreet.I can go to—”
“And risk my daughter’s life?I trusted you, Benson.How dare you even suggest such a thing?”
“Because stealing weapons is more reasonable?There’s little guarantee that I won’t be seen.And someone has been following me once again.”His eyes bored into Helton’s.
The corners of Lord Helton’s mouth twitched.“I told you Osborne—”
“Told me what?”Noah cocked his head to the side.“No matter how much I’ve tried to confront Osborne, he’s able to evade me.You know what he’s doing.You have the power to put an end to it.Now tell me exactly what the man is after.And why.”
Lord Helton swore under his breath.“Sir Reginald Wingate received troubling news about you, regarding your parentage.Given that you’ve publicly expressed your sympathies for the nationalists, he was duly concerned.I told him and Osborne they had nothing to worry about, but they wanted to keep you under watch.”Lord Helton shot him a narrow gaze of frustration.“Summary enough for you?”
“Not particularly.”Lord Helton’s account and lack of specificity was a half-hearted attempt at getting through the specifics to placate him, and Noah knew it.“Why did you see fit to engage Ginger in the services of the CID?”
“We need to find that concession.We know Lady Braddock is most likely hiding information.Virginia seemed like the easiest route to learning the truth.”Lord Helton’s mouth thinned.“I’m certain she would prefer to keep her mother out of prison if it comes to it.What’s the harm of having her involved?We offered her more than a generous compensation and that was only because of my intervention.”
Noah gave Lord Helton a skeptical look.“Need to find it?To what end?If it is lost, what difference does it make?You know Ibn Saud is likely to strike a new deal if the timing is right.Why the sudden need to seize the property of a dead man?Unless you see some personal gain in it.”
“How dare you question my integrity?You think I’m not angry with Lady Virginia for blatantly disregarding her promise to me?I have been more than patient with her.And you.”
Noah stepped closer to him, using his height to his advantage.“Unless you’d like to find someone else to supply the Aleaqrab with their requested weapons.”
Lord Helton’s lips were pallid.“This is precisely the problem with that woman.Before her, you questioned nothing I asked of you.My daughter’s life isn’t a bargaining chip, Benson.”
“You’ll shut down this investigation on me.Don’t tell me you don’t have the means.”Noah straightened, knowing he had the upper hand.Helton would do anything for his daughter—including suggest that Noah steal a cache of weapons and hand them to British enemies.“After all, what you want from me is treason.You may have other lackeys, but none who could obtain what you need for the purposes you need them.And keep your secrets.Which you know I will.”
Before Helton could respond, the door to the sitting room opened.Jahi, Lord Helton’s trusted Egyptian servant, strolled into the room, his red tarboosh on his head.He gave a bow to Lord Helton, then startled at Noah.
Jahi wore an ugly bruise on his face, dark circles surrounding his eyes.A cracked scab was exposed on the bridge of his nose.
Noah’s pulse mellowed, and his eyes hardened.Jahi had broken his nose recently.
The Egyptian attacker in Ezbekieh would show similar signs of injury.
Noah barely heard Lord Helton as he spoke.“Jahi will accompany you to the depot to get the weapons.Work with him on the coordination.My suggestion would be to take a lorry.”
Noah snapped his gaze back to Lord Helton.“And my terms?”
