Page 57 of Submit

“Breathe, Libby. It’s going to be okay.” He rubs my back stiffly as I bury my face in his chest. Perhaps he’s trying not to let his brother on to the fact that we’ve grown to care about each other but I’d give anything for him to engulf me in his embrace.

“Luis, when this nightmare is over tomorrow, we’re going to have a long talk. I want to know everything. I agreed to come back to Venezuela with you but you never said anything about Libby. This was about getting Van den Tweel off our backs and I agreed to trade myself for Libby’s freedom.”

“Wrong. You agreed to come back in exchange for my men helping put Van den Tweel down, but no negotiation was made aboutLibby,” he pauses, his gaze sweeping over me again, “Until now. She comes too.”

I don’t like the look in his eyes one bit. Cas and I didn’t have time to talk strategy. I know nothing about Luis but I still view him as the enemy and he’s already deduced that we’ll do anything to keep each other safe.

Twenty-One

DINNER IS TENSE AND no one feels like eating much, except for Luis’ men. I guess when your job title is assassin, nothing really fazes you so your appetite never wavers. I sit next to Bea and we talk in hushed tones about everything from speculating about my role in all of this, to our plan for tomorrow, to our favorite childhood memories.

I emailed the files of the business plans for the locals to her with everything she needs to get them up and running as we had planned. I was really looking forward to helping with that project and told her that I’d try to check in if I could. I had already set up the marketing website for them to place their goods and advertise their services and I’d added a link to the specific service-oriented industries on the tourism website. Maybe it will be enough to help a few reach their dreams.

The men discuss strategic positions, weapons, ammo, and the extraction plan. Richard is to call in a breach of security to the embassy and identify Willem. If Will doesn’t show up himself, Richard will give no names but let the police identify the bodies of the Dutch. All traces of Venezuelan nationals will be gone by the time they show up and Aruba has no official record of Casper ever being here. That part will be clean at least.

Luis has two boats tied up to the governor’s personal dock. As soon as we can, we’ll slip down the back side of the hill to the water and head clockwise around the island.

The snipers are to take out the drivers of the vehicles that approach first and then pick off the passengers as they get out of the car. For any that are able to make it closer, six of Luis’ men will be hiding in the foliage around the governor’s house and Casper and Luis will guard the front and back doors on the off chance that someone actually makes it to the house. Luis brought nine men total which may not be many but we’re hoping the element of surprise, plus their positions on overwatch will be enough to even the playing field.

Bea and I listen as they discuss backup plans, contingency plans, and emergency bail-out codes.

God, I hope we don’t have to use those.

By the time the dinner is over, I’ve consumed maybe twelve calories and even those are churning in my stomach like waves in a violent storm. Appropriate, I guess, since it sure feels like one is headed my way.

Luis and his men are staying in the governor’s house in the guest rooms. I can tell Richard and Bea are uncomfortable housing their recent enemies, but they handle it stoically. They want Venezuela - not to mention Will’s company - off their back as much as we want Will off of ours and it appears Luis can make both of those things happen.

Casper reminds his evening guards they are to vacate their posts at five a.m. and then he leads me back down the trail to the house. I’m too wired to sleep knowing the hurdle we must get over tomorrow but I’m drowsy from the highly emotional afternoon and evening.

Once inside the safety of his own house, Casper gets the phone Will left at the guardhouse for him just this morning. He opens it and hits call. There’s only one number programmed. He sets it on speaker and places it on the counter.

When the voice answers it’s both familiar and foreign.

“Hielo.” Will says by way of greeting. “I didn’t expect you to call quite honestly. Then again, I’m glad you’ve realized that no pussy is worth your life. Especiallyhers.”

If the situation weren’t so dire, I would laugh. I was right, the wordpussyhas never come out of Will’s mouth before and hearing it now is all wrong.

I see Casper’s jaw clench and place a hand on his forearm and shake my head gently.Don’t rise to the bait.

“Actually, it’s the opposite. I called to tell you I’ll see you tomorrow at noon. Libby’s staying with me.”

“You’ll regret this,” Will hisses into the phone.

“I don’t think I will.”

Click.

Casper looks up at me through his dark eyelashes, a strand of hair falling across his left eye as he angles his head.

“I wish I knew why I was worth all of this trouble.” It’s not a statement I make out of self-pity, just curiosity. How can all these people, reallybadpeople, know more about me than I know about myself? Not only that, but nothing in my life seems that out of the ordinary other than my parents’ car accident. Which was confirmed to be an accident by the police andthreecar mechanics. Because of my dad’s high profile career and the fact that there was no relative to claim me, the state ordered that multiple opinions be given on the nature of their accident.

“We’ll find out. I want to tell you to stay away from my brother, my family, my country, even if it means my life but I know you want answers, so if we’re still breathing at this time tomorrow, I’ll do what I can to help you get them. But for tonight, it’s just you and me.”

“Cas --” I start but he cuts me off.

“Libby, my name is Dominic. Might as well get used to hearing it and saying it because if we’re going back to Venezuela, it’s who I’ll have to become.” I can hear the defeat in his voice like he’s slipping back into a jacket he discarded years ago.

“Well, I met you as Casper and that’s the man I…know.” I catch myself before any other word spills from my mouth.

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