“Parnex Oil's primary business is the management of a vertically integrated oil company. The development of technical and commercial expertise in all stages of this vertical integration, from the initial search for oil through its harvesting, transportation, refining and finally trading and marketing established the core competencies on which the company was founded,” Beurden said to a group of oil executives at the expo.
“Traditionally, Parnex Oil is a heavily decentralized worldwide business with companies in over one hundred countries, each of which operated with a high degree of independence,” his assistant, Peter Weinberg said. “The upstream tended to be far more centralized with much of the technical and financial direction coming from the central office.”
“Nevertheless, there were very large exploration and production companies in a few major oil and gas production centers such as the United Kingdom, Nigeria, Brunei, and Oman. Downstream operations, which now also includes the chemical business, generates a third of Parnex Oil's profits worldwide and is known for its global network of more than forty thousand petrol stations and its forty-seven oil refineries,” Beurden painted a rosy picture, but the truth was that they were struggling to compete in the new global economy.
But they had a plan.
Several of the lower-level members of the Parnex Oil delegation had been meeting with Taavetti’s people and they had brokered a deal to buy one million barrels of oil stolen from northern Iraq at twenty dollars a barrel.
“Crude tankers have been contracted to move the unrefined oil from its point of extraction to refineries,” Ann Pickard reported to Weinberg. She was executive vice president of the Arctic division.
“Beurden will finalize the deal with Taavetti over dinner at Ristorante Cracco,” Weinberg said. “I’m on my way to the Port of Djibouti in Djibouti City to oversee the receipt of the oil.”
Carla was able to intercept this conversation.
“I don’t care about the oil,” Black said. “We’re gonna take the money.” Then he turned to Travis. “Can you do it?”
“All I need is access,” Travis replied.
“I have a plan on how to make that happen.”
Late the following afternoon, Beurden was in the VIP hospitality lounge at the expo, speaking with some colleagues.
“The downstream business, which in some countries also included oil refining, generally included a retail petrol station network, lubricants manufacturing and marketing, industrial fuel and lubricants sales and a host of other product market sectors,” he said when a beautiful woman caught his eye.
She was dressed in a black Eliza J beaded crepe top with a white with black trim Rag & Bone Lucine pencil skirt that showed off the svelte curves of her body. On her pretty feet were a pair of Pedro Garcia’s black Wisel suede sandals. She was standing alone at the other end of the bar.
“Would you gentlemen excuse me,” Beurden said. “There’s something pressing I need to take care of.”
Knowing his reputation, his colleague responded, “Pressing against your zipper, I take it.”
“You know me too well,” Beurden said and walked off.
“What can I get for you, Mr. Beurden?” the bartender asked as he placed a bar napkin in front of him.
“Beluga Russian Vodka, neat,” Beurden said, “And whatever the lady is drinking.”
“You're too kind, but no thank you,” the beauty replied in a soft and sensual voice that made Beurden shiver a bit. “I was just getting ready to leave.”
“Where are you off to?”
“I’m going to the Technology for Agriculture and Biodiversity Pavilion,” she said as the bartender returned with Beurden’s drink.
“As it happens, I was heading there as well,” he said and shot his drink. “I would be honored if you would allow me to accompany you.”
The beauty looked at him for a second or two before she smiled and simply said, “The honor would be mine,” she said and looped her arm in his.
“My name is Jorma Beurden.”
“Please to meet you, Mr. Beurden. And what do you do?”
“I’m a senior vice president at Parnex Oil and Gas Holdings Corporation. And you, my dear?”
“I’m Windy Paris.”
“That’s a very unique name. I’m sure there’s a colorful story that goes with it.”
“There is.”
“I would absolutely love to hear it.”
The beauty smiled and laughed a little. “My mother’s name is Wendy and when she was a little girl, my grandfather used to sing this song to her. When I was born and the nurse handed me to my mother, she started singing it to me and my father told her that the name of the song was Windy and not Wendy, and that’s when they decided to name me Windy,” she said to a confused looking Beurden. She let out a little giggle and began singing softly, “And Windy has stormy eyes, and Windy has wings to fly.”
“I know the song.” Beurden laughed. “Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Windy. And what do you do?”
Windy smiled. “I work for Achim Djoghlaf; he’s Executive Secretary for the Convention on Biological Diversity. I’m the second deputy assistant to the executive assistant. Translation, I get coffee.” She laughed a laugh that captivated Bearden. “It allows me to travel, and occasionally, I get to meet handsome men like you, Mr. Bearden.”
Just then, somebody bumped into Beurden. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t looking where I was going,” Xavier said and removed the phone from his pocket.
“No problem,” Beurden said without taking his eyes off Windy.
With Windy on his arm, Beurden walked around the Technology for Agriculture and Biodiversity pavilion and they walked right past Monika. She quickly handed Windy the phone, who immediately laughed at whatever he was saying, rested her head on his shoulder, and carefully returned the phone to his pocket.
Bearden was fascinated by Windy, not only by her beauty but with her enchanting conversation. He knew then that he had to have this woman. When his phone vibrated, Beurden glanced at the display.
“Unfortunately, Windy, I have a meeting to go to.”
“I understand,” Windy politely extended her hand. “It was a pleasure speaking with you, Mr. Beurden. Perhaps I will see you again at the expo.”
“Do you have plans for this evening?”
“I have no plans for the evening, Mr. Beurden. What did you have in mind?”
He kissed her soft hand. “If you have no plans, I would love for you to join me for dinner and drinks.”
“That would be splendid.”
“I’m staying at the Four Seasons. There’s an excellent restaurant in the hotel. I could send a car for you; say eight o'clock?”
“Eight o'clock sounds superb. I’m staying at the Hotel Principe di Savoia. I will be in the lobby at eight.”
In reality, Windy Paris was Fantasy. After Mercedes transformed her into an elegant lady, she had spent the last two weeks in Nassau with Jada completing the second phase of her training to be the perfect infiltration operative for missions like this.
Once again, Fantasy looped her arm in his and kissed him lightly on the cheek. “I look forward to seeing you,” she said and watched as Beurden walked away.
Then she turned to Monika. “How was that?”
“Perfect,” Monika said and Fantasy was proud of herself. “You ready for phase two?”
At eight sharp, Fantasy was whisked away to the Four Seasons to meet with her mark. When the car pulled up in front of the hotel, she was surprised that he was the one to open the door for her and help her out.
“Good evening, Windy. You look beautiful,” he said.
He admired her in her Indigo blue Alice and Olivia Riki cutout midi dress that showed her ample cleavage and sections of her smooth brown torso but was classy enough for the establishment. This evening, she wore matching strappy sandals by Proenza Schouler. The eyelet sandals with its three-inch heels brought her to just about his height.
“Thank you,” she said shyly, being sure to keep her eyes down until she wanted to entice him with her slow and direct stare. She was also careful in her application of makeup. Choosing to keep it simple, flawless, but using kohl black eyeliner to emphasize the shape of her wide brown eyes.
Beurden seemed entranced by her gracefulness and she smiled inwardly when he cleared his throat and led her into the hotel. They dined in the restaurant and enjoyed a couple of glasses of wine over dinner. She chatted with him about any and everything he wanted to talk about but what made the evening so alluring was her placement.
Rather than sitting across from him, she chose to dine side by side with him so that she could keep contact with him, seemingly absentmindedly stroking his thigh. She watched how his gaze would darken and then follow her hand as she would place it against her chest while talking. She made sure to play with her earrings, showing him the line of her throat and that must have been enough for him because he looked like he wanted to place a kiss there, right at the scented curve beneath her ear where she placed her favorite scent Vanille Insensée by Atelier.
“Would you like to come back to my room and share a nightcap,” he murmured near her ear, his breath fanning the part of her throat he really wanted to kiss.
She smiled, demurely, as if she wasn’t used to such offers but liked him so much she was considering it.
“I’d like that.”
They arrived at his room where he opened the door to the suite to lead her in. She took in the size of the room on pretense, really just checking out the space the way she’d been taught in case things went awry.
“The view is spectacular,” she said softly.
He grunted a non-committal response, already dispensing with the game men played when they were trying to get some. He had her here now.
“What would you like to drink?” he asked her while staring at her with hunger.
“Whatever you have in your bedroom.”
When Fantasy led Beurden into the bedroom of the suite and closed the door, Carla turned off the monitor and the sound to the bedroom to a chorus of grumbles from the men in the room.
“Let the woman have some privacy while she works.”
Once the door was closed, one of the maids let Monika and Xavier into the room. While he watched her back, Monika inserted a device in his laptop that allowed Travis access.
“I’m in,” Travis said. Now he had access to all of Beurden’s data and bank records, including an account in the Cayman Island that had exactly the amount of money needed to complete the transaction the following day with Taavetti.
“I could take it right now,” Travis said.
“I know you can,” Black said. “Patience. That’s the word for today.”
With the team looking on from various locations, Taavetti, along with three of his men entered the private dining room at Ristorante Cracco for his dinner meeting with Beurden. Thanks to Federici’s people at the restaurant, the private meeting wasn’t so private. The team had set up cameras and monitors.
Not much was said between the two men while they ate their food. Beurden, because he was anxious to get back to Windy after his business was completed. What an amazing woman, he thought and the thought made his dick hard.
Taavetti, on the other hand, because he was out in the open for the first time since he kidnapped Black and tried to take Shy. He was nervous because he was sure that they would come after him.
“Shall we get to the business at hand?” Taavetti asked halfway through the meal. “Are your people in place?”
“Yes, they are,” Beurden said and took out his phone to call Weinberg at the Port of Djibouti. “Is everything in order there?”
“Yes, sir.” He looked over at the men he was doing business with. They frightened him. “Let’s get this over with so I can get out of here.”
His next call was to Ann Pickard. “Make the transfer.”
Using Beurden’s laptop, Pickard transferred the money from the Cayman Island account to the account provided by Taavetti. “Transfer complete,” Pickard advised.
Then Taavetti dialed a number and verified the money was in his account. “Transfer received. Making transfer,” Taavetti’s operative said. “Transaction is complete,” he reported and Taavetti stood up.
“It was a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Beurden.”
Beurden stood up and shook Taavetti’s hand. “Same here,” he said. “Now if you’d excuse me, I have another pressing matter to deal with.”
“I completely understand,” Taavetti said and Beurden rushed out of the restaurant to get to Fantasy. Not knowing that since her part of the mission was complete; she had boarded a flight back to New York.
Taavetti nodded at one of his men and he instantaneously went to the door and looked around outside.
Monika was set-up in a building across the street with her M24 snipers' rifle. Once his man had given the all-clear to come out of the restaurant, Taavetti came out and was shot immediately; two shots to the head.
“Did you get it?” Black asked Travis as he attempted to transfer the money out of the account that Taavetti’s people transferred it in to.
“Patience,” he said and after another few seconds, Travis sat back. “I got it.”