Chapter 1:
November 2017.
Turkey.
"Come on guys, I'm not that bad!" Amir tried to argue as the rest of his team laughed. "Come on I'm a way better shot than McG."
"Keep dreaming Amir." Mcg answered with his mouth full of a protein bar. "Again, I won in the genetic lottery remember."
Special operation team 7 was sharing a full-on English breakfast after a hard mission in Kuwait and it clearly wouldn't be a normal day if there wasn't some sort of mockery.
"Come on Top, who would you rather have your back?" Mcg asked looking over his shoulder at Dalton, who sat on his desk filling in some paperwork.
"Jaz!" Dalton asked with a chuckle without even glancing away from his papers. Jaz laughed from her seat by the sink and mouthed a "sorry boys".
Just as the laughter died down, Dalton's computer ringed and everyone immediately straightened up.
"Deputy Director." Adam greeted as Patricia's face showed in the screen.
"Adam, nice to see you. "Patricia said with a somewhat tight smile. "I need you team in Viena, We, finally, have an opportunity to get to Bourke Herzog.
"Bourke Herzog?" Amir asked coming closer "The extremist?"
"The one and only, but besides being a white extremist and a known Nazi supporter. Herzog is also the biggest rarities smuggler in the world." Patricia explained. "Besides that we believe he is a private friend of Putin and is pushing segregation forward." The team shared a look between themselves. "Killing him wouldn't stop anything but bugging him like you did in Mexico… would allow us to anticipate certain moves."
"But isn't he a highly private man?" Asked Preach, who everyone was thrilled to see back on the job. " He only mingles with a selected group of people, no one knows where they met, where he hold auction."
"Well that's our lead." Explained Hannah. "Herzog is hosting an auction for valuable WWII items in a private home in Wiener Neustadt and we managed to get you, Dalton, in through a…collaborator."
"A reliable one I hope." Dalton commented, looking over his shoulder at Jaz, who looked very displeased with the last piece of information.
"Vlad Glub, an arts collector from Ukraine." Noah explained with a smirk. "He looks like a big shot and speaks big but when pressured he cowers like a puppy…. Looks like he needs a new art curator. Aleksey Kravets."
"Why does it have to be Dalton?" Jaz asked, crossing her arms over her chest and glared at Preach when he smirked at her.
"Well let's say it's a very selective group and the rest if you would draw more attention …The auction is at 1000 hours. We'll speak again when you land." Patricia said ending the call.
"Well this should be fun." Mcg cheered.
-
Vienna, Austria.
"The great Adam Dalton doesn't know how to tie a bow… I'm shook." Jaz said as she appeared in the mirror behind Dalton. "Turn around."
"Thought there were more important arts to perfect." He said with a wink, Jaz smiled but she didn't give her usual girly laugh. "Come on, what's wrong."
"Nothing." Jaz finished tying Adam's bow and stepped back, head down and hands behind her back. The pose she adopted whenever she felt uncomfortable and vulnerable.
"I'm not ten Sargent Khan, I know when I'm being lied to." Adam suspected that her discomfort came from the fact that he was in this alone. "I'll have my coms with me and you will be in the car, ready in case something goes wrong."
"It's not the same." Jaz shook her head and looked at him. Alex Hoffman's commentaries on her feelings still lingered in her mind even after 7 months and she urged to push them away. Jaz doesn't want to ruin the career she fought so hard for… and the relationship she already had with Dalton.
"But it will have to do." Adam said looking straight into Jaz's eyes, forcing her to trust him and relax. "We don't do powerless well, do we?"
"Shut up. "Jaz slapped his arm and walked away to get her guns ready.
"Ok deputy director, we're set." Adam looked down at his expensive watch. "We should leave now to insure we arrive before the auction starts." Adam looked at the rest of his team for confirmation. "So we can only meet Herzog if we win the bid… How much is my plafond?"
"5" Said Hannah over the coms. "5 Million euros… 10 if we push it."
"5 for some trinkets?" Asked McG as they piled into two black SUV. "God… the wrong people are rich."
"Unfortunately isn't the biggest fan of 20 century relics. He prefers the era of Renaissance." Noah said. "Thankfully, he is also one of the highest bidders in this meeting. We shouldn't have a problem."
"Amen to that. "Preach hummed as he drove down the street.
After a 30 minute drive they reached Wiener Neustadt.
"Alright Amir find a place to park and wait by. A couple of blocks away from the house. "Adam said as he passed to the back seat. "McG will meet with you after he drops me of at the house."
"I'm an Uber driver too." McG said with a chuckle. "Suck it Livingston Highschool seniors." Everyone laughed over coms and Amir even said something about having deep issues.
"And you're getting 0 positive reviews." Adam said looking outside to the green fields that reminded him of his uncles' farm.
"Maybe I'll forget to pick you up, smart mouth." McG said before turning quiet, they were nearing the mansion, and everyone was starting to feel the stress. "2 minutes out."
"Alright everyone." Dalton said as he straightened is tuxedo. "We stick to the plan until I say otherwise. Copy?"
"Copy Top." Everyone answered as McG stopped in front of a heavily illuminated house, with two security guards by the big wooden doors.
"Alright let's do this." Top mumbled under his breath as he stepped out of the SUV. He eyed the two guys as he approached, debating if the odds were in his favour or not.
"Name und ID." One of the guys said as the other started to search Adam for any sort of weapon.
"Aleksey Kravets repräsentiert Vlad Glub." Dalton said in German as he pulled his fake I.D. out off his wallet.
"Danke, viel Spaß." The guard said after checking his name of the list and handing him his I.D.
"I'm in." He muttered as he stepped inside the huge mansion. Dalton walked in a couple of steps before two blonde women stopped him.
"Kann ich Ihren Mantel nehmen, Sir?" The blonde to his left asked as the other held a champagne flute in her hand ready to hand it over.
"Danke." He said as he allowed her to take his winter coat and hand him a ticked with a number. "kein Champagner." The taller blonde bowed and retreated her self as the other one lingered behind by his side.
"Die Auktion ist das weg." She pointed him through another set of big mahogamy doors. "Genießen."
Adam walked into a big room with around 30 people in it, all mingling and talking to each other waiting for the auction to start. He analysed the crowd he was surrounded by and clearly understood why the rest of his team would draw more attention. They were all Caucasian and he could count with one hand how many women were in the room. "Can you see command?" He asked softly so that no one realised he was talking and was pleased with Hannah's response. He looked down at his watch, 9:50h. Almost show time.
" It usually starts on time." Dalton turned to look at the man beside him, he looked to be in his late 50s and to be Scandinavian. He was accompanied by a woman of the same age. "Bourke hates when these things run late." Adam nodded.
"Adam that's Dirk LjungBorg and his wife, leader of the Swedish Nazi party. Huge son of a bitch but good friends with your boss and everyone around." Patricia said in his ear.
"My boss informed me of that." Adam said making sure to have some sort of accent present. "I work for Vlad Glub, unfortunately he couldn't be here today."
"Ah old Vlad, was starting to wonder where he was." The old man said with a laugh. "We don't get new faces around here very often, so we noticed you immediately. "He took a sip of his drink and smiled at his wife. "I haven't seen that hag yet, so you might have an opportunity today." Adam didn't answer not knowing who he was taking about.
"You don't bid?" Adam asked in a conversational tone.
"No." He chuckled. "We prefer more…. Vivid art." The man said and the entire team had a feeling he wasn't joking.
"Maybe we should get closer I saw Giovanni heading towards the stage. It's starting." His wife said speaking for the first time. Adam followed the pair but kept eyeing the rest of the room.
"Ladies and Gentlemen welcome to another amazing auction. As usual Mr. Herzog wishes everyone the best of lucks. Now this amazing sale counts with more than 35 exclusive pieces from…" Adam looked around to see how many people looked really interested in the auction and not just the party. No more than 15, that's… not terrible odds. "Alright the bid will start at half a million euros. Can I get 1, please?"
"Alright Dalton don´t make the first bid. Wait till someone else does." Patricia told him over coms. Just a couple seconds later a man raised his hand.
"1 million for Mr. Vitalli. Can I get 2?" The mediator asked. Adam raised his hand and the man smiled. "2 million for ."
"5 million." Said a feminine voice from behind him. Adam didn't turn back but the couple next to him laughed.
"Oh dear boy, your doomed she is here." laughed. "She is like the plague, she won't give up."
"Whoever she is let's trade carefully." Patricia said, "Vlad wouldn't bid more than 10, we don't know who is behind us… so offer half." Adam raised his hand catching the moderators' attention.
"Half." Dalton bid, realising that Mr. Vitalli had bid before him.
"Alright 6.5 millions for . Can I get other 500 Miss. Blau?"
"Let's wrap this fast Giovanni. Make it 11. I'll keep counteroffering."
"God, how much money does this people have!?" Questioned McG. "She just blew it."
"You might as well forfeit dear boy." Explained 's wife. "That girls is a snake. I don't understand why Bourke is so smitten with her.
"Dummer Jude." Muttered Mr. Ljungborg.
"Mr. Glub do we get an offer?"Giovanni asked smilled at the man from the podium.
"Withdraw Adam, we'll find another way. "Patricia said. "Try to get me the woman's face for recognition."
"No." Adam answered, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Then, Herzliche Glückwünsche Fräulein Bau." Giovanni said with a smile in his face. "Till next time ladies and gentlemen. "
Adam turned as soon as the host finished speaking but the only women behind him was already walking away. Deep, shoulder length red hair wobbling away from him.
"Don't run Top, only pray run." Jaz repeated the same words he had said to her in Ukraine, how much he hated when it bit him in the bum.
"Ahah." Top said flatly. He managed to get hold of Miss. Blau in the coat hanger, coming to a stop beside her at the counter. "That wasn't a fair fight."
"I'm sorry if I offended you. "The woman said with a smile, without even glancing ate him. American, hum. "Actually, I'm not. Your employer is a rightful Dickhead."
"Agree to disagree, like you Americans' say." He said, waiting for her to look at him.
"I wouldn't know. Dunke." She smiled as she accepted her camel coloured coat. "I was raised mostly in Europe…Well it was a pleasure to meet you." She looked up at him and Adam found her deep blue eyes, kind. "Send Vlad my love."
"Run me face recognition." Patricia ordered as Adam watched the young woman walk away.
"That wouldn't be necessary…uhm I haven't seen her in years "They heard Hannah's confused voice. "That's Inês Arkwright."
Well here it is guy! Hope you like it, please comment I want to know what you guys think 😊
This is a McG/OC story (mainly) but I'll be throwing in other couples.
XoXo
Aleksey Kravets repräsentiert Vlad Glub- Aleksey Kravets representing Vlad Glub.
Danke, viel Spaß- thank you, have fun.
Kann ich Ihren Mantel nehmen – Can I take your coat.
kein Champagner- No champagne.
Die Auktion ist das weg- the auction is this way.
Genießen- enjoy.
Herzliche Glückwünsche Fräulein Bau- Congratulations Miss. Bau.