Chapter 44

  Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

  Al Ali clicked off his secure iPhone and set it down softly on the gleaming black top of his exquisitely hand-crafted ebony desk. He glanced at his million-dollar Patek Philippe Sky-Moon Tourbillon wristwatch to mark the time. As promised, a follow-up e-mail came through on his laptop less than a minute later. He opened it and then downloaded the attached encrypted word file. After decoding the message, Ali read the report twice, then leaned back in his overstuffed leather chair and sighed. Ivan had made minor mistakes in the past, but this one was serious. The fact that he tried to deal with the problem himself was more troubling. Ali picked up the cigarette pack off his desk and headed toward his gardens. This would be a delicate matter, and he needed time to think.

  Ali’s excessively overweight body was effectively hidden by his traditional white cotton Thawb as he walked from the massive Persian carpet onto the polished marble floor. Leaving his office, he passed through a vaulted Iwan into the central courtyard. He followed the path and found his favorite spot shaded by a perfectly manicured traveler’s palm. He sat down on a cushioned marble bench and was immediately approached by a male servant. The young man bowed in his presence, but Ali waved him off with a tiny hand gesture. The servant took up his usual position and waited for any sign that the Sheik would require his assistance. Ali didn’t indulge in alcohol, for Allah forbids it, but cigarettes were an entirely different matter. Taking a cigarette out, he lit it and let the smoke fill his lungs. The flowing water in the three-tiered fountain before him was as comforting to his soul as the tobacco smoke was to his mind and body.

  Ali was soft-spoken, yet that didn't deter his power or ruthlessness. In fact, people feared him all the more. With an ever so slight raise of his hand, his servant immediately approached him. He spoke in Arabic and requested a cup of tea. The servant bowed and quickly backed away without making eye contact. Out of sight of the Sheik, the servant raised his hand, and a cart containing coffee, tea, and an assortment of pastries and fresh, chilled fruit arrived at his side less than a minute later. The servant sampled everything in Ali's presence and placed any unfinished tested items on a silver plate that another servant took away. The servant then poured his master a cup of tea from an English bone china teapot that was always hot and ready. He added a teaspoon of sugar, stirred it, and then placed the cup and saucer on a gold serving tray. He held the tray rock steady as he offered the tea exactly six inches over his master's knees. After Ali accepted the tea, the servant bowed and returned to his position without speaking.

  Ali took one sip and set the cup and saucer on his lap, still contemplating what to do about the problem in Prague. After eating several sweets from the cart and pouring himself another cup of tea, Ali decided to spare the life of one of his best assets, at least for now. A team of men would be dispatched to Prague to try and remedy the situation there. The news reports had been sketchy, and there was no mention of the fate of Dr. Chakinski in any of them.

  *****

  Ken knocked on Jesse’s hotel room door, and moments later, the door opened. He eyed the big, black, handsome man, and his mouth turned up into a tight smile. The man looked good. He wore a black silk mock turtleneck sweater that showed off his large pecks and flat stomach, a black leather jacket, and black designer jeans. A black fedora with a white silk band and a red feather covered his bold head. His facial hair was neatly trimmed around his chin and upper lip in a short circle beard. Finishing off the look, he had large diamond stud earrings in both ears. “Have a seat. I’ll be ready in a few minutes,” Jesse said.

  Ken entered, made his way to the mini bar, found a small bottle of Absolute Vodka, and made himself a drink. He walked over to the window overlooking the river and the city lights and said, "After I put your sorry old ass to bed, I'm gonna do some serious partying before we leave this fine old city. The concierge hooked me up with some of the hottest clubs in town. I'll have to check them all out before this night is over."

  "Ken, if my phone rings in the middle of the night, I'm not going to answer it. You're on your own tonight, big guy! So try and stay out of trouble just once, for both of our sakes!"

  Ken started to laugh, but then he had an idea and said,

  "Say, why don't you come with me clubbing after our little dinner with Captain Gorvin tonight? You may not be the fine, handsome man that you used to be, but I'm sure some women may still cast an eye your way, bro. You never know; you just might get lucky."

  Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

  "I think I'll sit this one out; I wouldn't want to get in your way. I've seen you in action, my friend, and I'd just get lost in your wake."

  "No sir, I always take care of my wingman. What do you say? We'll light it up tonight! No fuckin doubt about it, my man."

  "Ok, after dinner, I'll join you for one drink, and we'll go from there."

  "Now you're talking. You just follow old Kenny, and you'll be just fine. We gonna par-tay tonight!" Ken finished his drink and danced to an imaginary song in his head while he headed for the minibar again.

  Jesse just looked at him and said, "God help me!"

  *****

  Captain Gorvin met Jesse and Ken at the Nebozizek Restaurant at 7:00 PM. Their cab pulled up to the front entrance, and two doormen opened the cab doors from each side. The fine dining establishment was located just below the Petrin Observation Tower, known as the Eiffel Tower of Prague, on Petrin Hill. Ken took one look at the gleaming white two-story restaurant nestled into the hillside and deemed that it was way out of their league. From its hillside perch, the restaurant had commanding views of the old city and the Vltava River.

  Jesse saw women dressed in long evening gowns wearing expensive jewelry and men dressed in fine suits entering the upscale dining establishment. He took one look at Ken and quickly assessed that neither was dressed for the occasion.

  Jesse and Ken were met at the bar by Captain Gorvin. They all shook hands and were quickly seated at one of the best tables overlooking the magnificent old city by the ma?tre d, who greeted the Captain warmly. Candles were lit, water was poured, bread was placed, and fine linen napkins were positioned on their laps by their waiter. All three ordered drinks and settled in for a good meal. After the waiter left, Ken looked around and was the first to speak.

  "You neglected to tell us that this was a jacket and tie establishment, Captain."

  Gorvin waved his hand as if dismissing the comment. He smiled and said, "It is, but I have special privileges. Did you know that President Clinton once dined here?"

  "I'm impressed, but the former president also likes McDonalds. Although I would wager to guess that the cuisine is much better here," Jesse finally chimed in.

  Ken said, "I liked old Billy. He did have a way with the ladies. It almost cost him his job, but what the hell, he's he doing alright now! I would have voted for the man if I would have been old enough."

  Jesse chuckled briefly and glanced at Ken, “God, you make me feel old.”

  “You are old, my man!” Ken said with a straight face.

  Ignoring the younger man’s jab, Jesse addressed Gorvin, “So why this place, Captain? I’m not saying that I don’t like it. It’s fabulous, and the views of the city and the Prague castle are magnificent, but it seems a bit formal for the likes of us.”

  At that moment, their drinks arrived, and the waiter placed them before each man.

  Captain Gorvin beamed and said, “You will see very soon, my friends. Now let’s just eat and drink and enjoy the beautiful night in the most wonderful city in the world.”

  He held up his glass over the table, and the others followed suit. The glasses touched, and the chime of fine crystal filled the air. “To Capitalism, may it rule forever?” Gorvin said with gusto and finished his vodka as if someone were trying to steal it from him.

  Ken and Jesse eyed each other after his remark.

  “I take it you didn’t like living under Communism,” Jesse said, eyeing the man inquisitively.

  “Fools…the lot of them. After the war, we had our chance of following the East or the West, but the idiots in power chose the Communists because they liberated us from the Nazis. So our country languished under Communism for over forty years before our people came to their senses and started the Velvet Revolution to rid us of their iron yoke. Czechoslovakia was split between the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and the Czechs have thrived under Capitalism ever since.”

  Without saying a word, the waiter brought fresh drinks for all. Ken thought; They have this dog trained well.

  The menu and wine list were dispensed, and Jesse and Ken looked to Gorvin for advice. "I will order the starters and soups. For the main dish, my favorite is the grilled salmon, but the pike is also excellent. And, of course, you can't go wrong with the lamb chops; they are exceptional."

  For the starter, Captain Gorvin ordered Prague ham from bone with horseradish, arugula salad with grilled pear parma ham, and Parmesan and Bohemian onion soup with cheese toast for all of them. Jesse ordered the Pike, Ken the lamb chops, and Gorvin had his favorite, the grilled salmon. When the waiter arrived with the main course, the head chef greeted the men with a bottle of the restaurant's finest white wine. Gorvin stood and greeted the man with a hearty handshake and a hug. Then Gorvin introduced the chef to his dining companions.

  "Jesse, Ken, this is Tomik. He's the best chef in all of Prague, and he also happens to be my brother," Gorvin announced with pride.

  Ken and Jesse stood and shook hands with the chef, and it was suddenly apparent why Gorvin had chosen this particular eating establishment over the more popular ones in the city.

  The food and wine were excellent, as Gorvin had promised. Just before the after-dinner drinks and coffee were served, Gorvin's cell phone rang. He listened for a while, asked a few questions, and then rang off. Jesse or Ken couldn't speak the language, but from the tone of Gorvin's voice and facial expressions, Jesse knew the news wasn't good. Gorvin shook his head and said, "I'm afraid I have some bad news, my friends. It appears that the guards who were watching Ivan Rakov at the hospital were overpowered by armed men. One of my men is dead, and another is headed for surgery."

  "And Rakov?" Jesse asked. "We have a manhunt out for him and the men that helped him escape. But at this moment, there's no trace of them."