"What?" said the prince, looking stricken. "How can she be gone?"

"Maybe she got lost in the crowd. I'll send the police, my best agents, right away."

James leaned his head in his hands. "What if it's Yavesh?"

Connie's heart flipped. What if that sweet girl had been kidnapped—bound for a horrible fate….

Darya laid her hand on his shoulder. "It's probably just a mixup. They thought she was going with us, we thought she was going with them. If she's smart, she went back in the building. We might get a call from a security guard any moment."

"Is there anything we can do?" said Tasha.

"Not at the moment," said Roderick. "The police should be able to handle this. But if it's Yavesh…." He closed his eyes, shook his head. "I don't even want to think of it. But we have to consider every possibility. If it is—we'll need your expertise."

Connie's heart sank. What expertise do I have? I'll just have to support Jason in whatever way I can. And get out of his way if I'm going to mess it up by not knowing what I'm doing….

Connie followed Jason back to their suite.

They didn't wake up until 9:30 the next morning. In the breakfast room, a table was laden with pastries and coffee and juice and biscuits and eggs and sausage and strawberries. Connie gathered some of each. She sat down beside Jason and devoured a sausage-egg biscuit—salty and delicious. Then she ate one of the pastries, and flakes of it fluttered off onto her shirt but she didn't care, it was wonderful, all the more so because she was practically starving.

Jason pulled the stem off of a strawberry. "Here," he said, and lifted it toward her mouth. She opened her mouth and he dropped it in, his fingers just brushing the edge of her lips. She bit down on the berry, and juice flooded over her tongue.

"Mm…."

She picked up a strawberry from her plate and twisted off the stem. Then she lifted it to his mouth. He bit into it, a little juice reddening his lips.

He lifted into his arms, his hard biceps pressing into her back, and gave her soft, smooth kisses— every second satiated her and made her long for more of him and she gasped as her love for him poured through her, finding expression in every touch—

A throat cleared behind her. Connie sat up to see Tasha and Gray standing in the doorway.

"What have you been doing all this time?" said Tasha.

"Well…" said Jason. "We slept in."

"I can see that. Do you have any sense of propriety?"

"What do you mean?" said Jason, standing.

"Our hosts need our help. We're not here for the luxury tour."

"I….I'm sorry," he said. "I did get carried away with how luxurious this place is. And we're….kind of on another honeymoon." His face flushed beneath his tan.

Tasha's eyes flicked down a moment, and then glanced at Connie before looking at Jason again. "I see," she said. "Perhaps it's better to keep out of the game completely if your head's only half in it."

"No—you're right. I'm sorry. I…do have to start acting professionally. The celebration is over—time to get to work." He took Connie's hand and she stood. "Although…I can't bring myself to regret anything we've shared." He kissed her lightly on the bridge of her nose and a pleasant shiver ran through her. She longed to lean into his touch. But there would be time for that later—although her entire being ached to be as close to him as she could every waking moment.

"Have they found Luna?" Connie said.

"It's beginning to look like she was kidnapped. It's become a criminal investigation—and they want us to cover the Yavesh angle, just in case they're the ones that kidnapped her."

A horrible chill ran through Connie. "Luna—she's so sweet and innocent. She can't—" She shook her head, not wanting to imagine what Yavesh would do to that beautiful young girl, like it might be doing to Ben, the one they were here to rescue…..

"We have to look at all the angles—and get her back as soon as possible."

Jason strode over to the doorway. Gray flinched, pressing back against the corner.

"Sorry," said Jason, and backed away, giving Gray his space.

Gray frowned. "I've got to get over this if I'm going to be of any use."

"It's all a process. It doesn't happen overnight."

"I can't just be okay with how I am, either."

"No—but it will take a while. Give yourself a break sometimes. This will be hard enough without you being your own worst critic. Be okay with not being perfect all the time."

Gray tipped his head. "You're starting to sound like a psychiatrist."

"I've been to one a few times—trying to get over… the worst of it."

Gray looked at him for a moment, then nodded and looked away.

Gray was the reason Jason had had PTSD in the first place. But despite the residual anger that she wasn't sure she'd ever be rid of, she felt more sympathy for Gray than anything. He was struggling. He knew now, more than ever, what Jason had gone through, and even worse.

They followed Tasha out into the hall and into the entryway, where they met Roderick, Darya, and James.

"Thank you for helping us," said Roderick. "I know you have other priorities, but I feel better knowing that Tasha and Jason are on the case."

"Even if they have not kidnapped Luna," said Tasha, "Yavesh is a plague on your society and we'll do all we can to bring it to justice."

"Be careful," said Darya, her face pale and weary, a few strands of blonde hair hanging from her otherwise perfect braids. "They are the most dangerous people in the country." She blinked back tears, and grasped Roderick's arm. "Luna—somewhere out there—" He caressed her cheek, running his hand down to her chin.

"We'll get her back," he said, although his strong voice trembled slightly.

"I'm going," said the prince, stepping forward.

Darya turned to him. "No. We need to keep you safe."

"I can't just stay here and—" He took a deep breath, anguish in his blue eyes.

"If he's just at the security center," said Roderick, "he should be okay."

"He's the prince. He could be a target."

"There's no evidence they've targeted us."

"But if they took Luna…."

"It could've been random. Not everyone thinks of the Romani as part of our family like we do. They've kidnapped many and if she happened to get lost she might've been an easy target. I should've made sure she was protected….."

"There is no evidence that she's been kidnapped by Yavesh," said Tasha.

"But they have been kidnapping Gypsies…" said Darya.

"It's true, we just don't know at this point."

"That's why we cannot let James out of our sight."

Roderick turned to Jason. "Would you mind keeping an eye on him? Make sure he stays in the security center and doesn't go out into the field."

"I will."

"Thank you." He turned to James. "You're not a professional. You're just learning—make sure you don't do anything rash. Others are better equipped to find Luna; don't forget that. You're in a support capacity, not a leader. If the way you're asked to support is to bring the agents coffee, then that's what you'll do. Understand?"

James nodded solemnly.

"Rod…" said Darya, looking worriedly at her son.

"He'll be fine. I trust Jason with my life. Besides, he'll basically be in a fortress. It's safer than the palace."

Darya, looking doubtful, turned to James. "Be careful." She grasped his shoulders. "Don't do anything foolish. Do what Jason and the agents tell you."

"I will, Mama."

She kissed his forehead and he stepped back, his hand sweeping back his brown hair.

"The car will take you to Aleem Center." Roderick gestured to the doors; a black, nondescript car was idling, a driver just visible in the front seat.

"Aleem?" said Jason, alarm in his voice.

"I know. We didn't change the name. But it's been repurposed; it's not the slaughterhouse that it was." A shadow crossed his eyes.

Tasha and Gray headed out to the car. Roderick hugged his son, who then followed Jason and Connie outside. Tasha and Gray were already in the front two seats.

Jason opened the door for Connie and she slid into the middle seat. Jason sat beside her, the prince on the other side behind the driver, who started the car off down the driveway.

"What is Aleem Center?" Connie asked, wanting to know what had made Jason react like that, and at the same time dreading the answer.

"It's the internal security headquarters. Although it was a lot different under Von Warberg…." He looked out the window, his profile gilded by golden light. Sorrow reflected in his eyes, and he didn't seem like he'd say any more. It must be a bad memory, and she didn't want to make him relive it. But then he continued, "Zahl, the security director, showed me and Tasha the cells where they kept the political prisoners. It was…very hard…not to intervene when I saw how they were brainwashing and torturing people. Somehow I didn't blow my cover and we didn't end up as prisoners….but after we were captured, we ended up back there anyway."

"Did they hurt you?"

"Not really. They mostly focused on James—I mean, the king—and Tasha. They were very hard on them both."

"It was the first time I was tortured," said Tasha, matter-of-factly. "Not nearly the worst, though." Her voice became strained, and as she glanced at Gray, they shared a meaningful look. "They hurt the king much worse than me. They wanted to punish him because he was the rightful heir. They also wanted to show a broken, defeated prince. But he didn't give them the satisfaction. He had so much honor and dignity, even as they were torturing and humiliating him. True nobility."

"My father never told me that happened," said James. "He never talks much about the revolution."

"It was probably hard for him to talk about. And his humility would forbid him from flaunting how well he conducted himself. Although it would only improve people's estimation of him."

"There's no question he was the right person for Muldavia, king or not," said Jason. "Although…."

"What?" Connie asked, when he didn't finish the sentence.

"I'll see if Whit will tell you the story sometime. Since you're part of the family now, you have a right to know. But it's his story to tell."

Curiosity burned in her, but she knew better than to try to pry a secret out of Jason.

Connie watched the countryside roll by…the gentle hills, dotted with clusters of trees. Horses and cows grazed in broad green pastures. The prince looked out the window, his face pensive. She wished she could comfort him. He'd lost the love of his life; she knew what that felt like.

It struck her how much he looked like Jason. He could have been a cousin, a nephew—or a son.

A twinge hit her heart. No. I can't go there. Not yet. Besides, he doesn't look that much like him….the pictures of Jason at 16 are a quite a bit different. For one thing, I have a feeling Jason was always fooling around, not taking things seriously. The prince seems more grounded. And he wanted to get married already…while Jason waited till he was almost forty.

Maybe that was a mistake. To wait so long. He should've married someone else—Gloria from college, or Tasha…. Look at how I've hurt him already! No matter how much I try, I'm not ready to have a baby yet. I know how much he wants one, and I'm still making him wait to start a family. He didn't abandon me after I lost Jeremiah like I abandoned him. Another woman would not have been so selfish…And she would have been able to bear a child without harming it. He could've been married long ago and had the family he wanted….

The car entered the city, driving down the expressway, the suburbs giving way to high rise apartments glittering in the morning sunlight. When they reached the brick buildings at the heart of the city, Connie had a nagging feeling she'd forgotten something. "Did we need to bring something else with us?"

"You have your cell phone, right?"

She nodded, and lifted her purse, digging out the cell phone from the front pocket.

A horrible feeling shot through her. She scrambled through her purse, trying to find the package of pills. Looked in the little pocket it usually was in—but all she found were pens and old candy wrappers and pennies.

"What is it?" he asked. "Did you forget something?"

"I—I don't know. It might be back in our room, but…." Horror clutched her heart. "I don't remember taking it from the hotel in Washington DC."

The car pulled to a stop, but she barely felt it. She dug out old movie tickets and napkins and her checkbook and lipstick and laid them on the seat. The others climbed out, including the driver; the open doors sent a breeze through the car, sending some random papers flying. Jason caught them before they could fall out of the car. "Connie—what is it?"

"The birth control pills. Jason—" She grasped his arm. "The last time I remember taking one was three days ago."

"Maybe we can get some here."

"But they kind of build up and if you don't take one it throws everything off, and you can get pregnant even if you start up again."

"Well, we'll just have to…keep from getting too close." His face fell.

"It might already be too late."

He caught her eyes. "We have needed each other so much after…all that happened, it's not surprising we forgot. I should've reminded you."

"It was up to me to remember. Jason—what if I—" She couldn't finish the sentence.

He sat back and took her hand. The others were speaking together in a group; someone else had joined them. "Connie—would it be so bad? I mean…what if it's God's will that we have a baby now?"

"I want to go to a doctor first. I don't want to hurt another baby. I can't—not again." Panic welled up in her. He gathered her to him and kissed her cheek.

"I know. I know, my love." He stroked her hair back. "Maybe you aren't pregnant. And if you are…we'll get through this. We'll get health checkups—we'll do everything to make sure the baby is born. God will be there for us."

She nodded, and wiped away her tears. "I know." I should know, she thought. I'm still not over…losing him.

"Are you coming?" said Tasha, leaning down to look into the open door.

"Just a minute."

She nodded and turned to walk inside with Gray and James.

Jason folded his hands around Connie's and prayed that God would heal her, and that if she were pregnant, the baby would be born healthy without any complications. Pain squeezed her heart at each word. But it also gave her a tiny sliver of hope—that maybe everything would turn out okay.

She looked in the mirror in the front seat and wiped away some stray mascara, and then followed Jason into a low gray building, its modern design a little out of place among the ornate brick buildings and cobblestones.

Inside, it was bright and spacious, lit by fluorescent lights. At the front desk, a receptionist with honey blond hair and black-rimmed glasses greeted them and told them to follow the hall to the left. "Your colleagues are in room 2 B," she said, and turned back to her computer.

Connie followed Jason down a long corridor and they stepped through a frosted glass door labeled 2 B.

Inside, Markov sat at a round wooden table, his back to a floor-to-ceiling window. Beside him sat Saul and Leila. Among about ten others she didn't know sat Dana, with her bright auburn hair. Tasha, Gray and James sat near some empty chairs close to the door. Connie slid in beside Jason, hoping not to be too conspicuous, because she didn't feel like she belonged with all these agents. What am I doing here? she wondered. Because I can't stand to be apart from Jason.

"Thank you for joining us," said Markov. "We were just discussing the purpose of this group. For instance, it can be beneficial to have an outsider's perspective, especially on a complex issue like this. However, efficiency is also important, and extraneous elements will only hinder our mission." His piercing eyes roved to Connie, and she felt like shrinking into the floor. He knows I don't belong here. Maybe I should just run out the door…But she was rooted in place.

"I have gathered experts in their fields, who will work on their areas of expertise and then report back to me. We will meet periodically and collaborate when necessary. Most of those here are leaders in their own divisions and will direct field agents to carry out their orders. Some are consultants, who will be working on a freelance basis and may conduct field missions of their own, but their non-traditional points of view will keep us from getting too insular." He looked at Dana. "I was hesitant to include a reporter; however, Dana has convinced me that she knows the streets of Rakima, and she has informants with crucial sources. As a veteran reporter, she has investigation skills akin to those of a junior agent."

Dana smiled wryly and inclined her head.

"As deputy director, I will decide who is valuable to the team and who is not. Some of you are not officially part of this group, and will mostly work on your own, although we may periodically ask you to supply intelligence."

"That would be us," said Jason.

"You are here for your own ends, and you are not beholden to us. However, as long as you work with us, you will conduct yourselves professionally and according to our parameters."

"Of course."

"This includes not bringing amateurs along on a mission where the slightest mistake could mean death."

"Kris—" said Dana.

Markov shot her down with his eyes. "I owe the king the deepest respect. But this is my domain. To arbitrarily send a young prince to assist in any capacity shows either a shocking naivety or a regrettable disregard for my position and service."

James cleared his throat. "I am sorry if you have misunderstood. I do not want to become an agent. I just want to do something to help find Luna."

Sympathy sparked in Markov's dark hazel eyes. "I know. You have lost someone you love. You cannot sit by and do nothing. But that's precisely what you must do. You have to let the professionals do their jobs, because interfering will make it harder for us to recover her."

James shrank in his chair a little. "My father said to respect you and do as you say. He said that if you order me to give you coffee, I have to do that."

Laughter rippled around the room.

"If you wish to demean yourself with such menial tasks. Otherwise, you would be better served to return to the palace."

"That's just it. I…don't want to be stuck in the palace, separate from the people. I don't want to become an agent… but I want to learn how this country's institutions work."

Markov nodded. "That's very commendable. And I would let you if circumstances were different. However, the situation with Yavesh has reached a crisis. We cannot afford to waste time or resources on anything that will hinder us from our ultimate goal—destroying this criminal organization so it can never rise from its ashes."

The agents around the room nodded in agreement.

"Isn't there any place where he could serve in a support capacity?" said Jason. "A task that requires minimal skills?"

"All of our resources must be focused on a single goal. I am not about to risk one shred of my resources just to train a non-professional for a redundant role. Perhaps another agency would be more lenient." He glanced at Saul and Leila. "But I am in charge of the investigation against Yavesh, and I will decide what is needed and what is not."

Connie's heart sank. She wanted to help—but Markov had not even deigned to address her, as he had the prince. She was the very definition of amateur. She whispered to Jason, "Maybe I'd better just leave."

"No. Don't let him intimidate you." He turned to Markov. "They can stay for this meeting, at least?"

Markov inclined his head. Then he lifted some manila folders onto the table and opened them. "Let's get started."

They discussed what the best angle of attack was, and whether Yavesh had any weaknesses to exploit. They admitted they didn't even know if it had weaknesses. A lot of it went over Connie's head and she felt herself zoning out as they delved into more of the details.

I'm not meant for this. I'm fooling myself if I think I'll be able to help find Ben and Luna. I just wish I could do something….I can't stand the thought of those kids sold, hurt….

After the meeting, most of the agents left while a few stood speaking in a small group. Markov approached Connie and Jason. Connie instinctively stepped back, but Markov focused on Jason. "Now, I want to know how closely you wish to work with us. I can give you an assignment, but you'd have to adhere more closely to our rules, although as freelance agents you'll retain more leeway. I can also give you resources and you can conduct your own investigation and then report back to me if you find anything of interest. If you're on your own, you'll be able to choose your own colleagues and will be free to make your own mistakes."

Jason gave Connie a meaningful look. "I think I'll take my chances."

"And you?" He looked at Tasha and Gray.

She and Gray exchanged glances and then Tasha said, "I think we'll work on our own as well."

"I do have a mission that might suit freelancers. They would have no official ties with our agency, and thus would have a harder time getting caught. I would like to have someone to masquerade as buyer, perhaps an entire fake criminal cell. Would any of you be interested in something like this?"

Connie automatically shook her head, and Jason took her hand as if to reassure her.

Gray stood, his jaw set, his eyes determined. "I am."

Tasha turned to him. "Are you sure?"

He narrowed his eyes. "I have experience inside criminal organizations."

"If your cell performs well, you may just be able to impress the higher-ups enough for them to let you in. I can't lie, it'll be dangerous."

"I'm not going to run from danger."

"Good. Tasha, will you be accompanying him?"

"I will go wherever he goes."

"You'll need substantial resources to pull this off, and I'll offer my support; it's the best chance we have of truly finding out what lies inside Yavesh. I'll give you what you need to start out, Jason, and then I'll work personally with you both to set this up." He looked at Gray and Tasha.

He turned to the prince. "Will you be returning to the palace?"

James nodded.

"That would be best. Don't worry, we'll do our best to find Luna. But your best hope is for Luna to be not kidnapped by Yavesh in the first place."

James looked horrified. Connie's heart went out to him.

"I'll go back too," she said.

"You don't have to do that," said Jason.

"I'll only be in the way."

"Connie—" He squeezed her hand. "You're never, ever in the way."

"I wouldn't know what I'm doing."

"It helps me for you to just be with me. As long as you're not in danger—and I'm not planning to go anywhere dangerous—you might as well tag along. You too, James, if you want."

"Really?" His face lit up.

"Yeah. I'm freelancing, so I can choose whoever I want. Your father did tell me to look out for you."

Jason looked at Markov. "Would it be okay if they stay, just for the day?"

Markov nodded. "I suppose. They can always wait in the lobby; the receptionist has coffee and cookies there. Now, let's get started."

Jason's phone rang. He snatched it from his pocket.

"Hello? Oh, hi, Sierra. Have you found out anything—? Really? That's wonderful!"

"Did they find Ai?" Connie asked, her heart pounding.

Jason shook his head. "But she finally has a lead! She's found a witness who was at Ai and Jerry's wedding."