Page 16 of The Phoenix (Spy Girl 6)
“Like they thought you were crazy?” He chuckles.
“No, more like they were busted. I think the coup is supposed to be a secret.”
“Then, you, Huntley, are in danger.”
“Why would I be in danger? I told them I heard it from President Spear. Although I did accidentally—on purpose—mention to McClellan that I had spent some time going through your personal quarters at the TerraSphere.”
“Did he bite?”
“Nope, but he was very ready to leave all of a sudden. I gave him a big hug good-bye, so I could put a tracker in his pocket. I called Terrance to see if he could listen in on McClellan’s phone conversations, and he said no. So, I told him to find out where he was staying and to bug it.”
“You’re calling the shots now, huh?” Ares asks.
“Something is up with them. The athletes move into the Village tomorrow. What if they take them as hostages? Could something like that cause a coup?”
Ares lets out a thoughtful sigh. “That’s not a scenario we considered. How would that work?”
“Absolutely no idea. You’re brilliant. Figure it out. I need to go finish my champagne.”
“Do you think Huntley Von Allister could have accessed the vault?” McClellan asks, calling the leader of The Echelon as soon as he leaves the Sphere.
“I don’t see how unless she had Dupree’s ring. Why do you ask?”
“She was at the Sphere in Montrovia today, prancing around in heels, drinking champagne with Chef Dassi, touring the buildings, and apparently taking selfies. The girl is an enigma.”
“In what way?”
“At the board meeting, she went for my jugular. She seems to have killer instincts one minute, and in the next, she wants me to like her Instagram photos. She was babbling on about the combined social media influence of the people staying at the Sphere.”
“Well, she is right about that. She’s also young and ridiculously rich, Harrison. She’s enjoying all of this. And I can guarantee you, if she accessed the vault, she would have put that on her social media. It’s how kids are these days. They think they need to share everything with the world just to prove it happened.”
McClellan laughs. “Yes, I suppose you are right.”
“I assume our timeline is still in place?”
“Everything will proceed exactly as planned.”
“Don’t let some girl cause you any worry then,” Maximillian Olivier states.
When I get back inside the food kitchen, Intrepid, Admiral Lamonte, and Gabriel are laughing and eating with Dassi. Lorenzo has also returned, but he doesn’t seem to be nearly as amused.
“Why did you leave like that?” he asks, pulling me away from the group.
“Because I don’t want the media to talk about us. I was here for a simple tour of my father’s facility. You had more places to go see. Places there was no reason for me to have interest in.”
“I hate this,” he says. “Have dinner with me tonight.”
“I can’t. You need to be seen out on the town with Lizzie. I should have come here on my own. The papers will have a field day with this, speculating why Lizzie wasn’t with us.”
“I’m sure she had her own obligations today.”
“Regardless.”
“I am desperate to be with you.”
“And I am desperate to save your country,” I reply. “Speaking of that, just how well do you know General Agueda?”
“Very well. My parents broke tradition and had a large wedding party, including Admiral Lamonte and General Agueda. The general is one of my godfathers.”
“They were friends of your father. I get it. But what about you? How well do you really know them?”
“I don’t understand what you are asking me. I’ve known both men my whole life.”
“Was either man close to Alessandro?”
He squints his eyes, trying to understand. “I don’t know.”
“Is there any reason why the general might hate your dad? Like, when and why did the admiral get promoted over him?”
“I really don’t know,” he says. “But I’ve never felt animosity between the two.”
“Who would know?”
“I suppose my mother.”
“Anyone else?” I ask. She’s literally the last person I want to talk to. “This is important, Lorenzo. What if he is the one planning the coup?”
He shakes his head. “I can barely wrap my head around the whole coup idea, let alone entertain the fact that one of my father’s best friends could be planning it. If anyone were to want a coup against the monarchy, it’d more likely be members of parliament.”
“Who has been the most outspoken? Could he be working with someone in the military? Is he gearing up to try to take over?”
“I hope not,” is all he says before walking away from me.
I close my eyes for a moment, saying a little prayer for Lorenzo.
And for me.
My buzzing phone catches my attention. I look down and see it’s Ellis.
“Hey, are you here?” I ask.
“Yes. I have been outside for quite some time now.”
“Oh, crap. I’m sorry. We’ll be right out.”
I glance at Intrepid, who seems to be having a jolly good time, and decide he can find his own way home. I’m exhausted.
When I get to the villa, I find Ari lying on the couch, playing video games.
“Have you done anything productive today?” I ask. “Or have you and Daniel been playing Battleground all afternoon?”
Ari lets out a snicker. “Daniel has not been with me today.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Lizzie just left,” he says with a smirk.
I want to scream aloud, but instead, I run up the stairs.
“Daniel, you’re such an idiot!” I say, entering his suite, finding him shirtless and lounging in bed.
“I am not. It worked! I proposed today. Gave her the ring.”
“Hang on. Rewind. Tell me what happened.”
“She said she happened to run into me, but it’s a lie. I specifically posted a photo of myself, alone in the hotel bar a few blocks away, and tagged my location. I never do that.”
“And then you brought her here? Did you leave the bar together?” I ask, horrified.
“Well, yeah. She said she just wanted to talk to me in private, to explain—”
“But it turned into more,” I say, eyeing the rumpled state of his sheets.
“Yep.” He grins. “She’s going to call off the wedding. Tomorrow.”
“No!” I shout.
“Why not?”
“Lorenzo’s mother is right. Lizzie is stable. They need to stay together until after the Olympics. You have to make her.”
“No way. I got her back, and I’m not letting her go.” He folds his arms across his chest with a hmmph.
I give him a defiant glare and then march out the door.
“Hey, where are you going?” he yells.
“Where do you think?” I stick my head back into his room.
“Don’t screw this up for me.”
“Daniel, I think you’ve screwed this up enough for both of us.”
I call Juan and ask to be let into the castle, where I go straight to Lizzie’s quarters.
“Seriously?” I say to her. “You’re engaged to Lorenzo. You meet up with Daniel at a busy hotel bar and then leave with him? Right before the Olympics? When the world’s eyes are on your country?”
“Are you jealous?” she asks, one eyebrow raised, taunting me.
“No. What I am is worried about your country. Do you know anything that’s going on, or are you too busy having tea?”
“What do you mean?” she asks.
I tell her what Daniel told me, what the American government is worried about, and why. How she can’t possibly break up with Lorenzo until after the Olympics.
“I thought you’d be happy,” she says with a sniffle. “You can have Lorenzo now.”
