Page 32 of Capturing Victory

She knew Ivan was giving her this one chance to have a conversation with him, to earn his trust, to find their way toward a mutual understanding that didn’t include a lifetime of distrust, torture and cages, at least until she found a way to leave. She nodded and took a breath, then released it and began speaking. “After my family died, I was left penniless, homeless and completely without family. Within days I was shunted onto the streets and then days after that I was dirty and starving.” Ivan made a sound as though he would interrupt so she shook her head. “It doesn’t matter, I wasn’t the only child to face a situation like that in India. At least I was smart and resourceful. Before long, I was running with a gang of thieves and pickpockets.”

He nodded and sat beside her, picking her hand up. He remained quiet allowing her to continue the story. She glanced at him curiously. He was such a strange man, so driven, so brutal. Yet when he decided he wanted to make her part of his life, there was no hesitation. He softened a part of himself for her. She knew from his actions and words that it wasn’t a usual occurrence for him to soften himself for a woman, or for anyone for that matter. She was special, an anomaly.

“I was a highly intelligent child, so picking pockets became a skill I rapidly adapted too,” she said with a smirk. “Until I picked the wrong pocket. He noticed right away. Grabbed my scrawny wrist and shook it. I was holding his new phone in that hand. He threatened to cut my arm right off if I didn’t give it back, which if course I did. He looked like the bogeyman on steroids. I hit the pavement, bowing and scraping and swearing never to steal anything from anyone ever again.”

“Lies,” Ivan chuckled.

She smiled a little and ducked her head with a shrug. “Of course. I wasn’t about to starve in a gutter somewhere. Besides, I wasn’t after his actual phone.”

Ivan nodded, his eyes gleaming with pride. “Clever little girl, weren’t you? Tell me what you did then.”

Her slight smile turned into a full grin. “I cloned his phone, specifically the apps for financial institutions and credit cards. I usually targeted marks that looked wealthy and technologically advanced for the time.”

“And what year would that be?” Ivan asked. “2005?”

“2006,” she corrected him. Then gasped, slapped a hand over her mouth and scooted back on the bed. She shook her head and looked horrified. “I didn’t mean to say that!”

Ivan placed a hand on her knee and wrapped long fingers around her. “It’s okay sweetheart, calm down,” he instructed, his voice firm. “There’s no way we can identify Father from what little information you’ve given us. I’m a master at interrogation and you haven’t betrayed anyone. You need to just relax.”

She nodded, but she still felt torn up inside at what she’d accidentally said. Apparently the expression on her face told Ivan as much. He wrapped his arms around her and hauled her into his lap, rubbing his hands over her. He unwound the brightly patterned scarf from her shoulders and placed a kiss on her breastbone.

“Sweetheart, I really just want to hear more about what a clever child you were,” he said, tilting her face up so she could read the honesty in his clear grey eyes. “You are a remarkable woman. And I want to know how such a woman was created. Please continue your story.”

After a moment of thought she nodded and sniffled. “The population of Mumbai in 2006 was around twelve point four million people. The odds of you tracing Father from what I’ve told you so far are pretty astronomical.”

Ivan chuckled. “Indeed, I’d be at it for a long time if I tried to sift through the individuals. Please continue, Jaya.”

She glanced up at him sharply to see if he was making fun of her. “Well, I cloned the phone and then I took the clone back to my makeshift home. Basically, a box in the slums with some stolen computer equipment. I ran a program that quickly cracked the passcodes and then I emptied his accounts, easy as pie.” She said smugly. “Of course, I was too young to do more than set up a shell account to pour my stolen funds into. Didn’t have ID and wasn’t old enough to get any, but as soon as I turned sixteen my plan was to get some ID, transfer some money around and live like a queen in the Bahamas somewhere. At the time I didn’t have all the kinks worked out of that plan, but I would’ve figured it out.”

“I believe it. So what happened?” Ivan asked.

“He was smarter than my usual marks,” she admitted. “Figured out what happened, how it happened and who did it. He watched the marketplace where I targeted him and caught me in the act, doing it to another rich mark. He dragged me right off the streets and into his fancy car. I seriously thought I was about to die, then and there. Instead, he offered to mentor me for a warm place to stay and regular meals.”

“And you agreed?” Ivan asked skeptically.

“Of course not!” Jaya made a derisive sound. “A white dude offers a little Indian girl a place to stay and some food? Are you serious? No fucking way! I ran away so many times in the first few months, it makes what I did to your little island look like child’s play.”

Ivan started laughing. He couldn’t help it. The way she spoke, the look on her face as she spoke, the solid belief in her own intelligence and abilities, she was his perfect match. He just wished she would wise up and realize it.

“Fuck. My. Life!” she snapped.

“What?” Ivan asked, still laughing.

“I just told you Father is Caucasian,” she said with an annoyed sigh. “I may as well just draw you a map to his house and give you a family picture.”

Ivan sobered quickly, his gaze caressing her beautiful features. “Yes, you really should, sweetheart. Because this is going to end in one way only. The death of the man you call Father. His threat to me has become a threat to you and that can’t be allowed.”

Her eyes took on a haunted look. “Ivan,” she whispered. “I don’t know what to do. I think I’m becoming attached to you, but I owe him so much.”

He shook his head and smoothed the hair back from her face. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of everything for you.”

Chapter Twenty

Ivan stopped next to Keane who was standing guard on one of the wide, tiered balconies a few levels down from the master room where Jaya was being kept. Keane didn’t bother acknowledging his boss with more than a slight shift of his body. He kept his sharp gaze focused on the Jakarta skyline twinkling with life well below them. The semi-automatic rifle held firmly beneath his armpit looked more like an extension of his body than the deadly weapon it actually was.

“Thought I gave you the night off,” Ivan chided, his voice cool. “I need my head of security in top shape and you’ve had a long day between the evacuation and setting up temporary residence here.”

Keane grunted but ignored the comment. Ivan understood and let the disobedience slide. Keane was damn good at his job. He wouldn’t trust anyone else to patrol key points on the perimeter their first night in the city. Keane was also good enough to know exactly how much sleep he needed to do his job effectively. Ivan would just have to trust him to be alert and functioning when he needed him.

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