Chloe coddled Lika while the ladies sat around the dining room table, clicking away at brand new, powerful computers and with a growing array of papers taped all over the walls showing the results of their investigation.
“I found something else,” Livia said, her eyes scanning some information. “Here, I’ll print it out.”
The four of them read through the details, nodding their heads. “That makes sense,” Sasha agreed. The caption on the news article explained how leaders in Sistrain, the country more inland from Sarkit and having no ocean or water exits, was causing trouble with other countries. Nothing overt towards Sarkit that the ladies could uncover. Yet. But Sarkit was much more powerful than the other countries. And with Malik at the helm of Sarkit, there were implications from the Sistrainian government about how they weren’t willing to rock that boat. Yet.
Jina tapped a pencil against her nose. The four of them had been working almost non-stop for the past ten hours. While the men were in Sarkit trying to discover the “who” of this mess, Sierra, Livia, Sasha and Jina were trying to figure out the “why”.
Jina’s eyes narrowed as Livia pinned the latest clue up on the board where they’d been building their case. “Okay, so make the connections.”
The four of them continued to work well into the night, Jina taking time to feed Lika and cuddle with her, walking around the dining room where they were set up with Lika in her arms while they brainstormed. In fact, all four ladies did a bit of snuggling with the little girl, needing that connection and the innocence of her smiles or her sleeping face while they dug into the maliciousness of the world.
By the time the sun was coming up over the horizon, the ladies were exhausted but satisfied as they leaned against the table, surveying what they’d finally figured out. Around midnight, they’d started connecting strings to the various articles they’d pulled up and all of them were somehow tying back to members of the Sistrain government.
“Dougal?” Sasha called, wanting to show her bodyguard what they’d figured out.
The man stepped into the room, obviously having stationed himself right outside the dining room doors.
“What do you think?” she asked, pointing to the board with all of the connections.
Dougal looked through the information, his eyes widening as he took in all of their research. “This can’t be right,” he mumbled. But even as his eyes continued to scan the words, he was dialing a number on his cell phone.
“I’m putting you on speaker,” he said when his boss came onto the line.
The women explained the progression of their investigation and the men at the other end of the line interrupted often to clarify or ask additional questions.
After thirty minutes, there was silence before Damon’s head of security said, “Okay, I’m bringing this to Mr. Galanos. Standby. I’ll call you back if we need more.”
Chloe walked in at that moment with steaming cups of coffee. “I know you ladies have been awake all night. But it is time to take a break,” she ordered. “Dougal, you too. Sit,” she commanded.
Everyone sat down. She then poured coffee or herbal tea into each of the cups and passed them around. “I have breakfast in the oven but you’re all going to have some fruit first. You need a healthy start to the day,” she announced.
Lika, who had been sleeping at the other end of the dining room, Jina not wanting her daughter out of her sight as the four of them sifted through information on the dregs of humanity, started to make her presence known. “I’ll take care of the wee one,” Chloe announced and walked over to the bassinet, lifting the little girl into her arms and cooing to soothe the infant. “Oh yes, you need a new diaper and a full belly, don’t ya?” she announced.
The baby girl clasped the housekeeper’s red cheeks with her hands, in full agreement with all of the suggestions.
The phone rang just as Chloe was bringing out a cheesy egg casserole in one hand and Lika in the other.
“What have you found, love?” Damon asked, his voice serious but everyone could hear the concern in his voice.
The ladies once again explained their findings. They couldn’t e-mail the links to his phone, not sure who might be intercepting data while he was at Malik’s palace. When they were finished, they all heard his muttered curse. “I’ll relay this to Malik.” There was another pause before he said, “Ladies, this is incredible information. We’ve had a team following a suspect, but we couldn’t get into this like you have been able to, not without alerting someone to our suspicions. You’ve turned a potentially weeks-long investigation into an overnight success.” He laughed softly. “Sasha, when I see you again,” he started, but he didn’t finish his statement, leaving the rest of them to wonder what he meant.
But the pink staining his wife’s lovely cheeks told each of them what his promise was and they smiled.
“Oh goodness,” Chloe said. “They’ll be in that bedroom all day long,” she mumbled as she walked back into the kitchen, still retaining control of Lika.
“I don’t think I’m going to be allowed to get a nanny,” Sasha commented as she watched her housekeeper with her newest friend’s daughter.
Jina laughed. “She’s wonderful.”
Sasha agreed. “Okay, how about if we take a break and shower, change into something more comfortable. I think a nap is in order. Anyone else?”
Jina wholeheartedly agreed. “But what about…”
Livia shook her head even as she stood up and stretched. “Don’t even think about taking Lika out of Chloe’s arms. That woman is in heaven and until you are able to get back to Sarkit, Chloe is that girl’s grandmother.”
Jina laughed again. “Okay. I’ll nap and then come back and get her.”
“There is a pool in the back if anyone wants to refresh that way,” she offered as they each trudged out of the room.
Five hours later, Jina gasped as she sat up in bed. “Lika!”
A knock sounded on the door and Chloe slipped her head in the door. “Sorry to disturb your sleep, love, but this little one is getting a bit antsy. I’ve given her some food, but I think she wants her mother.”
Jina sighed, pushing her hair out of her eyes. “Oh, Chloe, thank you for the break. I really needed some sleep and I’m so sorry for abandoning her to your care for so long.”
“Oh nonsense. I loved having her with me. She’s a dear!” The woman handed the little girl over, then turned and walked out. “I’m making some lunch and I want you and the little one downstairs as soon as you’re finished.”
Jina nursed Lika and enjoyed the quiet time with her daughter, but her mind was focused on Malik. She wondered if he was okay and prayed that she would get some information soon. It was miserable to not know where he was or if he was even alive. The men they’d researched the night before were bad men, willing to do anything to gain power in their country even if it meant bringing down Sarkit. Malik wouldn’t let them do that, she knew, but to what lengths would he go to protect his country?
Very far, she knew.
Which only terrified her more.
-Em's EORD-