Page 40 of Key Of Dreams

I’m sitting in my office when I hear Wire shouting, “I got you, you fucking son of a bitch.” Then he calls out for Phoenix and me. “Yo, I got him. I’ve found the connection. We’ve got to get Falcon on the phone.”

Phoenix and I join Wire in the boardroom, where he’s staring up at the screen at a face I don’t know and one of Ubin’s sons, Oman, his oldest child who is studying in the UK and getting his master’s in business.

“Isn’t that Obi’s grandson? Why would he want his grandfather dead?” I ask.

“Not him, the other guy. Oyeiku Naribi is an older student, by five years, I might add, who befriended Oman a year ago. He’s from a neighboring country, and his father isn’t a good man. Although his father’s never been convicted, he’s been arrested for drug smuggling and gun running and has strong ties to rebel forces throughout the world. Oyeiku started at the school a year ago and doesn’t hang around anyone else except Oman. He appeared out of nowhere and has inserted himself as Oman’s best friend,” Wire explains.

“What are they after?” Phoenix asks.

“My guess is a political takeover and expanding his business,” I add. I could be wrong, but I highly doubt it. Phoenix appears to be in agreement when I see him nodding.

“That’s my guess too. We need to pick this guy up and get some answers,” Phoenix says. “Get Falcon on the line.”

I can see the relief on Falcon’s face during our video call. Rebel was on duty, but he’s going to relay the information.

“I need one of you down here. We’re trying to minimize the president’s duties, but he’s fighting us and won’t cut down on his obligations,” Falcon says.

“I’ll come,” I volunteer.

“You might be better off picking up Oyeiku. Get a flight to England, and take Wire with you. Call in a favor and have a plane standing by. Bring him and Oman back to us, and Phoenix is joining us directly.” Falcon directs.

“Won’t his father lose his mind when he finds out he’s missing? We could be setting off a war we aren’t ready for,” Wire points out.

“He may have a tracker on his phone or a microchip embedded under his skin,” Phoenix states.

“I’ve got a jammer. I’ll reroute the tracker to loop the streets of London. By the time they figure it out, we’ll be in Carinol,” Wire says.

“Bull, your job is to get this guy talking. The sooner, the better. There’s a huge festival that they’re preparing for, and I’ve got a feeling this is where they plan to make their move. No matter how many precautions we take, there are too many variables to control,” Falcon adds.

I give him a sly grin. “I’ve got my ways.”

“Keep him alive. If he’s the one and his father is behind it all, his son will be the bargaining chip, and to get his son back, his dad will have to confess,” Falcon advises.

After we let Falcon go, Wire makes the arrangements through another contact. These guys are men we’ve served with. They have their own security firm. Falcon modeled Storm Enterprises off them, and we’ve helped each other out a few times. Their pilot will fly us Wire and me into a small private airport near London, and then, after we pick up Oyeiku and Oman, will take us to Carinol. Phoenix will fly into the airport closest to Carinol, where Rebel will pick him up.

With the plans set, the only other thing to do is pack and tell Maya that I’m going to be gone for a while. The worst part is I can’t give her a time frame. It could be three days or three weeks. We leave in four hours. I’ve gotta go back to my apartment and pack a bag. I want to see Maya to explain things before I go. Wire and I agree to have him pick me up at my place in an hour.

As part of our military training, I learned how to get ready at a moment’s notice. Having been a sniper along with Wire and Falcon, I learned the art of patience and waiting for the kill shot, but also how to sense danger and react fast to stay alive. Wire’s an excellent shot, and I trust him completely to have my back when I go in and grab the target.

I’m thinking that Oyeiku isn’t going to be an easy takedown. If his father is a rebel leader, it’s been ingrained in him to expect the unexpected. I’m not sure what I’m going up against, but both Wire and I decide the best way to get both men and get out before we’re noticed is when they’re leaving the university. We’ve decided against telling Oman anything until we have him safely in custody. We can’t risk having Oman acting any differently around Oyeiku and tipping him off.

I hear honking and look out the window from my apartment building. Wire’s right on time. I toss my bag into the cab of his truck and climb in.

“Need to make a quick stop,” I say. Wire’s already turning onto the main road and toward Maya’s school.

“Yeah, I figured,” he says with a smirk. “She’s going to hate this.”

“Probably. But this is what I do, whatwedo. It’s who I am and what I’m good at,” I say. I wish I could stop her from worrying, but that’s not going to be possible. Kailyn goes through the same emotional upheaval when we’re called out. I’m not sure if she’s resigned to it, but she understands that Storm Enterprises is all about taking on the stuff that no one else wants to do. I’ve asked her to check in on Maya while I’m away, and Kailyn promised she would.

Wire parks in front of the school, and I get out and head straight for the office to get a pass, then walk to her classroom. I get strange looks from the students wandering the halls. I’m a man on a mission, with only a few minutes to explain that I’m going and have no clue when I’ll be back. Leaving to take care of business has never bothered me before, but I’ve never had anyone else to consider before.

I look through the glass in the door to see her at the front of the class, fully engrossed in her lesson, her hands animated as she talks. I rap on the door to get her attention. She does a double take before excusing herself and coming to me.

As she opens the door, she tells her class, “Start on chapter four. I’ll be just outside this door.” I take her hand and move away from the prying eyes of her students. She looks up at me with concern. “Is everything okay?”

“I’m going to be away for a while. I’m not sure when I’m going to be able to call you. Wire’s waiting for me outside, and we’re taking off in an hour. I don’t like leaving you, but my brothers need me.”

“Can I text you?” she asks.

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