Page 24 of Ride the Whirlwind

The atmosphere became serious and somewhat tense again, but not for long. Clearing his throat, Alasdair briefed Fabian about the subject of the conversation he and the members of the special team were having when the arrival of the kids interrupted them. The man expressed his interest in finding out more, and Theodore Dunvale obliged.

“It all started a few weeks before the Bolsheviks seized power in Russia. Count Borovsky, the head of one of the oldest noble houses in the Empire, anticipated the changes that were about to come and made his will. He granted one of his guards, a Scottish man who expressed his intention of emigrating to the US, half of Siberia. The man's name was Rob MacGowan.”

“The last name sounds very familiar,” Fabian said, a concentrated expression on his face. “Oh, yes, the man unified all San Francisco Scottish gangs under his command with the next two generations carrying on his legacy and making the organization stronger in every way.”

“Yes, indeed”—Theodore nodded—“and this thing saved his life more than once. All the agents NKVD and later KGB, the Soviet secret services, sent after him and his son were brutally eliminated by the gangsters, who were fiercely loyal to their bosses. Unfortunately, the situation considerably changed over the last two years, and now Graeme's life is in danger. The worst part is that other innocent people also became targets of the FSB.”

“Why is that?” Alasdair intervened, thinking of Ardan who was caught in that tangled web of dangerous intrigue. “Although I don't approve of it, I can understand why they want MacGowan dead, but why other people? Do you guys know who they are?”

“No, we are still working on that,” Lady Malvina, Earl Theodore's younger sister who worked alongside her brother, answered. “Some twenty-five years ago, Graeme had a brief affair with a woman, who, for unknown reasons, ran away, carrying his baby. He only found out about the child's existence five years later when he took the boy to live with him and kept him hidden from indiscreet eyes.”

“We suspect Graeme doesn't know to this day the identity of the woman who gave birth to his son and who died when the boy was four. Even if the agents manage to eliminate Graeme and his son, the young man's maternal family can still claim his inheritance.”

“There’s a thing I don't get.” Fabian turned to Theodore; his brow pinched. “Why didn't the MacGowans claim their land all this time? Or did they? And what makes this part of Siberia so important except that it's Russian land owned by an US citizen? I have to confess I'm at loss here...”

“Among the other things Count Borovsky left Rob MacGowan in his will was also his very large and expensive book collection. The will is well hidden in one of them, and whoever spies Graeme for the FSB has to find and destroy it before eliminating him and his son for good.”

“The Russian secret services convinced someone from the guy's organization to work for them?” Alasdair shook his head in disbelief, then raised his head. “I think that's what Ardan was trying to say by wolves in sheep's clothing. Or maybe”—the redhead paused a little, eyes wide in shock—“not even he realized the real dimension of the threat.”

Fabian nodded in approval, the special team members imitating him. “One thing is sure,” the man said, looking at them, “Ardan wrote this letter with MacGowan's consent, which means the guy expects us to go to San Francisco and help him.”

“Hey, guys, I only realized now that we’re standing here in the middle of the alley with all the kiddies on the playground staring at us, trying to eavesdrop.” Alasdair grinned. Come on, let's get into the conference room. We have a lot to catch up on.”

“You bet we have, especially on the babies,” Lexi Beragon said in his deep, somewhat rugged voice. “You Stark and Bloom boys make beautiful children.” the man smiled. “I remember when we came to Daniel's mansion seven years ago, and we met Margot and Salome for the first time. What adorable little girls!”

All the way to the administrative building, the discussion continued on the same theme. Lexi and his wife Moira didn't lose the opportunity to brag about their own children, twin boys aged ten, and a five-year-old girl, who was the center of her father's universe, just like Paisley was for Ardan.

In a warm voice, Lady Barbara Sandrigham told her friends about the two sets of twins she and Lady Malvina Dunvale adopted from The Base six years earlier, right after they got married. The four kids, three boys and a girl, were severely neglected, starved, and beaten on a daily basis by the members of their birth families, so getting close to them was very difficult at first.

The patience, warmth, and understanding the two women showed to the four innocent souls who suffered so much paid off in the end, and they gradually opened up to them, first the girl, then the boys, one by one. Eyes shining with maternal affection, Lady Malvina and Lady Barbara spoke about the close bond they and their children shared, also mentioning the kids' outstanding achievements at school.

“Excuse me.” A man's voice made everyone turn around just as they were about to step into the administrative building. “Is one of you Doctor Alasdair Stark? If not, can you please take me to him? My son came here a couple of hours ago and...”

“That would be me.” Alasdair offered the newcomer a bright smile, extending his hand. “And you must be Doctor Douglas, the one who rescued my husband's life. I’m beyond honored to meet you, sir.”

“Your husband rescued himself. I only gave him a hand.” The doctor smiled, giving the redhead's hand a vigorous shake. “Speaking of, you have my admiration for putting up with that man's stubbornness for such a long time. He was an impossible patient, didn't listen to anything I've told him, and generally had his way.”

“That's the Ardan I fell in love with; strong, brave, courageous, and with a heart made of pure gold,” Alasdair said in a dreamy voice. “He would do anything to get back to us, no matter how long it would take or how hard it would be.”

“I realized that, and I deeply apologize for not allowing him to get in touch with you sooner.” Doctor Douglas lowered his head, voice barely a whisper. “At that time, I thought...it doesn't matter anymore. The one I thought to be my best friend threw me out of his life, and he also did that to two young men who didn't deserve that cruel treatment.”

“Graeme MacGowan did what?” Alasdair's eyes went wide while Fabian and the Special Ones exchanged a confused look. “This doesn't fit Ardan's depiction of the man.” He frowned, only to harbor a huge grin a few seconds later. “Or maybe it does. Do you know where these two young men are right now or how can we get in contact with them?”

“We met on the plane to New York City. I had no idea they were going to be there.” The doctor offered Alasdair a pale smile. “I rented a car at the airport and took them with me. They’re waiting outside the gates.”

“Before sending them away, how important were these young men to your friend?” Fabian's question was asked in an indifferent voice, but all those present except Douglas detected his interest.

“Keith was Graeme's personal assistant, and Fadyen was in charge of guarding Camlann, his only son. Here they are.” The doctor pointed to the car parked just outside the gates.

“By all the gods, dead, alive, and unborn,” Alasdair gasped, covering his mouth with one hand, “Guys, take a look!” He then turned to Douglas, a shocked expression on his face. “Graeme MacGowan took you out of harm's way and did the same for these two.”

CHAPTER 19

“Wh—what do you mean?” Keith stuttered, confusion and innocence mixed in his turquoise eyes. “Master decided he no longer needs me, so he threw me away, but it's all right. I knew this moment would come one day, and I...I was prepared for it.”

“Same eyes, same facial structure, even the facial hair...of course, there are a lot of differences, but the resemblance is still remarkable.” Fabian ignored the young man's comment, wrapping him in a warm, affectionate gaze.

“And now you have the answer to one of the most important questions”—Alasdair turned to Theodore—“and a reason more to go to San Francisco and help Graeme MacGowan out of that complicated situation.”

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