Page 41 of No Time Off

“You have it. The goal is to find out who’s pulling the strings and, more importantly, who’s funding this effort.” He kept his voice soft, even though the room was empty except for us.

I didn’t need him to explain further. I knew if we could determine who was lurking behind the company’s glossy facade, we could find our investors. I hadn’t tapped even one stroke on the keyboard, and I was already pretty sure that Signet Investments was nothing more than a shell used by the Chinese government to funnel money, people, and equipment into strategic locations. In this case, it was the Cook Islands. That compound had all the makings of a command center.

“And the newly hatched prime minister, Maivia?” I asked, already starting to plan the hack in my head. “You think he’s working directly for Beijing?”

“That’s what we need to find out,” Slash replied. “If we can trace the money back to him, prove this was financed by China, that gives the State Department something they can’t ignore. We would need dates, amounts…hell, anything that shows how long this has been in motion and that would give us a chance.”

My mind raced. “Okay, so, we go after Signet’s finances and Maivia’s accounts. Cross-reference the two, find out how deep this goes. If we’re lucky, we might get names, timelines, and contacts. I’m assuming that we also ought to try and see if we can access Maivia’s email, both official and personal. Ideally, if he’s as unsophisticated as Petra said, he might not be too careful or cautious.”

“Exactly,” he replied, nodding in approval. “But watch your back. If we’re right about who’s behind this, they’ll have eyes everywhere. If they’re using their better professionals, we may not be able to get in and may encounter traps if we do. If they can track the inquiries back to this island, it won’t take them too long to figure out who we are or why we are looking, and they’ll take extra precautions if they discover we’re sniffing around their business.”

“So why don’t we have our team back home go after Signet while I see what I can find locally on Maivia and the compound? That way, if they hit a roadblock, they have more bandwidth and resources. Plus, if they’re discovered, it wouldn’t be tracked back to the island.”

“Sounds like a good strategy.”

“All right, I’ll contact Elvis and Xavier immediately and let you know when we have anything solid,” I said. “But while we’re doing that, what’s your play?”

Slash stood, running his fingers through his hair. “The compound. The prime minister said she has a guy who ran surveillance on it, Manny. I want him to take me out to see it.”

I blinked in surprise. “What for?”

“If we can plant some listening devices in or near the compound, we may be able to get useful information that will either incriminate them or point us in the right direction.”

“What? The prime minister said the compound was well guarded, and apparently, aside from the prime minister, right now we’re Public Enemy Number One. How wise would it be to literally walk into the lion’s den?”

“Her definition of well guarded and mine may be different. I need a firsthand look at that compound,cara. Just a look…for now.”

I sighed. He was digging in, and I didn’t see a win in sight for me. “Is it too much to ask you not to get shot or hurt on our honeymoon? That’s not officially in the marriage code, but it should be.”

He kissed me on the top of the head. “I won’t get shot. I promise.”

“When are you planning this surveillance trip?”

“No time like the present. You okay to take things from here?”

“Of course. I’m asking for help from our friends right now.” I pushed send on my email request to Elvis and Xavier and leaned back in the uncomfortable chair. “Clearly, we’ll need all hands on deck for this one.”

Lifting one of my hands from the keyboard, he brought it to his lips. “Your hands are the ones most precious to me.” He pressed his mouth to the small scar on the inside of my wrist, letting it linger for an extra beat. Gently, he touched the back of my wedding ring with his thumb. “My wife.Ti amo.”

I stood and wrapped my arms around him. “I love you, too, Slash. Be careful. I mean it.”

“I will. I fully intend to get back to our honeymoon as soon as possible.”

“Ha! And I thought you were the realist and I was the optimist,” I said.

He squeezed me for a moment longer. “Guess that means you’re rubbing off on me.”

TWENTY-THREE

Slash

“Manny,” the prime minister began, her voice steady but edged with authority, “I’d like you to meet Slash. His wife, Lexi, is in the back office. They’re both helping us, and I want you to assist them however you can, okay?” When he nodded, the prime minister excused herself, leaving us to talk alone.

Manny held out a hand, and I shook it. His grip was firm and his gaze straightforward. He had short hair, cropped military-style and a beard that was peppered with gray. The lines around his blue eyes were deeply carved, and he had a scar above his right eye. I put him at about fifty-seven to sixty years old. He wasn’t shy about sizing me up, and for good reason: He knew the prime minister expected help from me, but he had to wonder exactly what that might be. He trusted her, but he didn’t trust or even know me.

Yet, when he spoke, I heard no wariness, only curiosity. “It’s always nice to put a face to a man on whom I’ve done a background investigation.”

I raised an eyebrow at his candid admission. “So, you’re the former intelligence officer from New Zealand who checked up on us for the prime minister.”

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