Page 84 of Locked and Loaded

Dragan paused. “I'm guessing that's not the bad news."

"No. He's in Malta to attend the Global Climate Initiative Gala.”

“Son of a bitch,” Dragan growled.

“What?” Valardi demanded.

“The Callahans and…others are going to be at that event.”

“I’m not surprised,” Valardi commented. “Drake is going too. I was just on a call with him.”

“What the hell kind of event is it that the whole world wants to be there?”

“The gala is a cover. It’s the biggest fundraising event to allow all kinds of rich bastards to get together without anyone suspecting anything, but in a room right down the hall from the fundraiser, an auction, the kind that makes my skin crawl, is set to take place. Rumor has it, it’s the largest one ever. Georgiou is going to be there for the auction.”

Dragan swore. The implication of what Vilardi said hit him hard like a sucker punch to the stomach.

"If he's at an auction—" Dragan said, but didn't finish the thought.

"Agreed," Vilardi said. "I'm sorry. I know you were trying to find that woman."

"Yes.” His gut tightened, and a wave of nausea washed over him. “Is there any way to confirm that she's—that Chloe is dead? Or alive? Do you have anyone who might be able to get that information?"

Dragan asked it as much as he hated asking for help. He'd ask the world at this point if it meant there was any kind of hope that Chloe was still alive.

"I’ll see what I can do, but I won’t make any promises. Georgiou is pretty locked down. If he doesn't want that information out, he's not going to release it. In this case, I think actions speak louder."

"That's what I was afraid of," Dragan said. "Thanks for this.”

“I'm sorry it was bad news,” Valardi offered.

"Yeah, me too." Bad news was the understatement of the century. It was further confirmation of the conclusion he and Armand had come to.

Dragan was about to ring off when a thought popped into his head. "Could you get into the auction?"

His question was met with silence.

Finally, Valardi said, "It's a possibility. The fact that it’s all part of the fundraising affair might make it easier. Anyone and everyone is supposed to go. The auction is behind the scenes, but⁠—"

"Do you think you can get an invite to the auction?" Dragan pushed. “Even the fundraiser. I can take it from there.”

"Both? That might take some doing," Vilardi commented. "Everyone knows I'm happy with Kathleen. There's no real reason for me to be at the auction. But the fundraiser I can possibly swing."

"Is there anybody you trust that would be at the auction?" Dragan pushed again. A germ of an idea was forming. He may not be able to save Chloe, but he was still trying to do the job he was hired to do. They had to find out who was behind these auctions and stop them from ruining the Society. Plus, he wouldn't mind meting out a little justice. It wouldn't make him feel better, but it might make him feel satisfied.

"Anyone who's attending that auction is not trustworthy. There's nobody I could bring into my circle, if that's what you mean." Vilardi paused. "But leave it with me. I might be able to wrangle an invitation on behalf of someone."

Dragan immediately backed off. It was a big ask, and he didn’t want to bring trouble to Kathleen’s world. "I don't want to do anything that's going to pull you back into the life. I know you're retired, and I wouldn't want Kathleen to be upset by all this."

Vilardi gave a mirthless chuckle. "I'm finding more and more that no matter what, I’ll never really be out of the life. Even though I'm retired, I seem to still have a finger in a few pies. I think I can swing this. At least I can give it a try. I’m sure Drake or the Callahans can get you into the fundraiser, but I will see what I can do about the auction.” He clicked off the call.

Dragan was trying to think of who else could get him into the auction, but really it was all a distraction from the news he was about to give Lennox. He felt he didn’t have a choice now. If Georgiou was attending the next auction, Chloe was dead.

Dragan would have to paint the picture. Tell Lennox all they knew and what they suspected. He wanted to hold off and see if maybe Valardi could get confirmation. But reality was, Georgiou attending an auction in a few days was a major sign. If he already had the toy he wanted to play with, he didn’t need a new one. The bigger question was when had Chloe died? Dragan was going to have to find that out before he killed the Greek. Otherwise, Lennox would never have peace.

And make no mistake, he was going to kill Georgiou at the auction or somewhere else. He would make sure that man died for his sins and that Lennox knew. His big worry was that Lennox would want to pull the trigger. He couldn't let that happen. Killing someone changed you, and not necessarily for the better.

He thought about keeping the news from Lennox, but he wasn't into lying. It was better if she faced the truth. He just wished he knew the when, because if Chloe had died before Lennox even knew she was missing, then she wouldn't hold any guilt that she wasn't fast enough or smart enough to get there in time.