wrong with the view, Captain?”
Jace scrambled to put on a pair of headphones. “No, ma’am, everything looks great from back here. I’m just wondering when I get to meet Auric Goldfinger.”
Tamara had gotten into the copilot’s seat in time to hear his remark, and both she and the pilot chuckled.
“Yeah, the Kildar gets that kind of reaction a lot. Don’t worry, Vanner will fill you in when we get there.”
“It hadn’t even crossed my mind,” he replied. Especially not with this view .
The two women completed their preflight check, and the helicopter lifted off smoothly and headed south, leaving the city behind and shooting forward over the endless South China Sea.
Settling back to enjoy the ride, Jace tried not to ogle the bevy of gorgeous babes surrounding him, which was hard work. They were also doing their best not to look at him, conversing in a language that sounded similar to, but not quite Russian. His list of questions for his old friend Vanner, however, was growing longer with each passing nautical mile.
What the hell is he mixed up in? he thought. And if this is who he’s working with, why the hell didn’t he contact me sooner?
* * *
“Patrick, the helicopter with the girls and Mr. Morgan is inbound. Kacey estimates they will be landing in approximately five minutes,” Greznya reported.
“Sweet,” Patrick said with a nod. “I can’t wait for him to see the place and meet the Kildar. Hey, Adams, whatever happened to your guy?”
The master chief, who was enjoying a bottle of Mountain Tiger while sprawled on a couch, smiled lazily.
“It turns out that he wasn’t available for what we needed. But he has something that the Kildar will like very much.”
He refused to say anything more on the subject, even when pressed. Vanner just shrugged and joined Greznya on the aft deck, which had been reconfigured into the helipad. A few minutes later, the Eurocopter came into sight and passed over the fantail, looping around to approach from the aft for a gentle landing. Kacey Bathlick, the pilot, powered down the rotors, and the three female and one male passengers disembarked.
“Jace! Over here!” Vanner trotted out to meet his buddy, clapping his back in a hug. “How was the flight over?”
“Man, Singapore Air’s got nothing on these women!” Jace nodded at the three girls, each of whom smiled and nodded shyly back as Grezyna herded them inside. “You have got to tell me what you’re working on.”
“All in good time, buddy. First, why don’t you give me a hand?” Vanner walked back to the passenger compartment. “Grab a case or two—let’s get these babies on ice.”
Jace set his duty bag on top of two cases, picked them up, and carried them inside, trying not to gawk at the luxury yacht around him. The Big Fish was decked out in teak and white leather everywhere he looked. At least, everywhere that wasn’t taken up by unsmiling, solid, oddly good-looking men every few yards.
“Hand those off to Vanel and Edvin—thanks, guys,” Vanner said. “Come with me into the conference room, and we can catch up a bit. Greznya, please let the Kildar know our guest has arrived.”
Jace couldn’t help watching the young woman’s lush curves and pert backside as she strolled away, and let out a low whistle.
“Careful—that’s my wife you’re ogling,” Vanner said with a huge smile.
“No shit? Jesus H. Christ, congratulations, man! When did you get hitched?”
“That . . . is a very long story, most of which you don’t have the need-to-know,” Vanner said with a slight grimace. “This situation is . . . decidedly odd. But most things involving the Kildar are.”
“That’s the second time I’ve heard that name. Patrick, what in the hell’s going on here? Since when do you work for a Bond villain?”
Vanner led him into a plush room that had a long, oval table in the center, surrounded by several leather swivel chairs, each with an executive stationary set in
Jace scrambled to put on a pair of headphones. “No, ma’am, everything looks great from back here. I’m just wondering when I get to meet Auric Goldfinger.”
Tamara had gotten into the copilot’s seat in time to hear his remark, and both she and the pilot chuckled.
“Yeah, the Kildar gets that kind of reaction a lot. Don’t worry, Vanner will fill you in when we get there.”
“It hadn’t even crossed my mind,” he replied. Especially not with this view .
The two women completed their preflight check, and the helicopter lifted off smoothly and headed south, leaving the city behind and shooting forward over the endless South China Sea.
Settling back to enjoy the ride, Jace tried not to ogle the bevy of gorgeous babes surrounding him, which was hard work. They were also doing their best not to look at him, conversing in a language that sounded similar to, but not quite Russian. His list of questions for his old friend Vanner, however, was growing longer with each passing nautical mile.
What the hell is he mixed up in? he thought. And if this is who he’s working with, why the hell didn’t he contact me sooner?
* * *
“Patrick, the helicopter with the girls and Mr. Morgan is inbound. Kacey estimates they will be landing in approximately five minutes,” Greznya reported.
“Sweet,” Patrick said with a nod. “I can’t wait for him to see the place and meet the Kildar. Hey, Adams, whatever happened to your guy?”
The master chief, who was enjoying a bottle of Mountain Tiger while sprawled on a couch, smiled lazily.
“It turns out that he wasn’t available for what we needed. But he has something that the Kildar will like very much.”
He refused to say anything more on the subject, even when pressed. Vanner just shrugged and joined Greznya on the aft deck, which had been reconfigured into the helipad. A few minutes later, the Eurocopter came into sight and passed over the fantail, looping around to approach from the aft for a gentle landing. Kacey Bathlick, the pilot, powered down the rotors, and the three female and one male passengers disembarked.
“Jace! Over here!” Vanner trotted out to meet his buddy, clapping his back in a hug. “How was the flight over?”
“Man, Singapore Air’s got nothing on these women!” Jace nodded at the three girls, each of whom smiled and nodded shyly back as Grezyna herded them inside. “You have got to tell me what you’re working on.”
“All in good time, buddy. First, why don’t you give me a hand?” Vanner walked back to the passenger compartment. “Grab a case or two—let’s get these babies on ice.”
Jace set his duty bag on top of two cases, picked them up, and carried them inside, trying not to gawk at the luxury yacht around him. The Big Fish was decked out in teak and white leather everywhere he looked. At least, everywhere that wasn’t taken up by unsmiling, solid, oddly good-looking men every few yards.
“Hand those off to Vanel and Edvin—thanks, guys,” Vanner said. “Come with me into the conference room, and we can catch up a bit. Greznya, please let the Kildar know our guest has arrived.”
Jace couldn’t help watching the young woman’s lush curves and pert backside as she strolled away, and let out a low whistle.
“Careful—that’s my wife you’re ogling,” Vanner said with a huge smile.
“No shit? Jesus H. Christ, congratulations, man! When did you get hitched?”
“That . . . is a very long story, most of which you don’t have the need-to-know,” Vanner said with a slight grimace. “This situation is . . . decidedly odd. But most things involving the Kildar are.”
“That’s the second time I’ve heard that name. Patrick, what in the hell’s going on here? Since when do you work for a Bond villain?”
Vanner led him into a plush room that had a long, oval table in the center, surrounded by several leather swivel chairs, each with an executive stationary set in
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