Page 51 of A True King

As I’m thanking Dante, I hear a loud sound overhead. We both look to the cloudy sky. In the distance, I see a black dot, and when it comes into focus, I recognize the shape as a helicopter.

“Whoa!” Dante says, settling his horse as the chopper lands in the field next to his barn.

As Jack Ross opens the door and steps down, he looks every bit the international man of mystery that he is. He’s wearing all black, a Kevlar vest, boots, and a black helmet with sunglasses built into it. He takes it off and runs over to me.

“Are you alright?”

I nod.

“We have to go, now!” he yells, reaching for my arm to pull me toward the waiting helicopter.

“Thank you again, Dante,” I call out to the man who just saved my life.

“Uh, sure. Best of luck,” he replies, his calm voice doesn’t match the confused and slightly panicked look on this face.

I wave as Jack helps me into a seat and buckles me in before he jumps inside and presses some buttons and pulls a lever back. We rise into the air. Jack’s the pilot? I glance over at him in shock, but he doesn’t say a word as he flies us toward the Summer Palace.

“ETA in t-minus ten minutes,” he says into a microphone on his helmet.

“Roger that. Ground’s arrival is estimated in five minutes,” a voice answers.

“Roger. Have the west field cleared for landing,” he states and then looks over at me.

“We have security forces arriving at the estate now. King Ivan is being placed under arrest as an international criminal.”

“You know?” is all I manage to say.

He nods. “I had the burner phone you were using decoded. It took some time, but we traced it to a Cohen Herbert. He was arrested yesterday. And through our interviews with him, we learned he worked for King Ivan. We sent special forces to Skogdal overnight. We learned King Ivan was here this morning just as you were calling Anna. We breached Skogdal’s royal server and found all of King Ivan’s employees, which include a family that has been living at the Royal Palace for decades.”

I feel the blood drain from my face. “Pete.”

He nods. “Lucas has been arrested in Montelandia. He was planting a bomb at the palace. It’s been disarmed and everyone is at a safe house. We arrested seven other staff members in Montelandia.”

“Sir?” the voice from earlier comes over the speaker.

“Yes?”

“Royal Jet One has gone missing over Germany.”

“When?” Jack asks calmly.

“Three minutes ago.”

“Contact Germany, send planes up, contact me when you learn more,” Jack says.

“Roger that.”

“Jack?” I say his name because I don’t know what to think. Is that King Michael’s plane? Has it crashed? Oh, God!

Before I can say anything else, the Summer Palace comes into view. And Jack starts barking orders to someone who I assume is on the ground there.

I can make out police cars and unmarked black SUVs lining the driveway. I see smoke coming from the east wing and my heart leaps into my throat. It’s like déjà vu all over again. It was only two years ago that the palace was bombed, and we all nearly died.

Jack expertly sets the chopper down behind the stables. He removes his helmet and turns to me.

“Stay here.”

Before I can say another word, he shuts his door and goes running toward the palace.

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