Chapter 13

 

“Still no luck with that USB drive?”

“Emerson, you’re worse than a nagging wife,” Maks said.

Emerson snorted. “Like you have one of those.”

“Neither do you.”

“To answer your question, no, I haven’t figured out the password,” Aleksi cut in.

“Why not?”

In lieu of answering, he glanced at the clock on his desk. “I have a meeting with General Warcowski in five minutes. Here.”

“Okay, we get it.” Emerson wasted no time rising to his feet.

“Didn’t you have a meeting scheduled with him earlier this week?”

“Yes, except we had those dignitaries come a day early, remember?”

“That’s right.” Maks massaged his neck.

“And they stayed two days longer than they were supposed to.” Emerson complained, but he loved that sort of challenge.

“Because of that visit, we had to postpone our meeting. Now that they have left, the General and I rescheduled.”

“We’ll leave you to this, then.” That fast Maks and Emerson disappeared. Like magic really. They all remembered General Warcowski from their own military days. He was the epitome of a no-nonsense general if there ever was one.

Right now, Aleksi didn’t have the luxury of exiting, so instead he tried another password on the USB drive. It didn’t work, but that didn’t surprise him. At this point, if it did work would be a lot more surprising.

His assistant announced the general and he rose in a show of respect. There was no doubting this man’s former career.

“Prince Aleksi,” he greeted in the blustery tones he remembered all too well.

“General.” He indicated a chair at a small table in the corner of his office.

Early on, his father explained that it was better to interact with certain people at a round table like this rather than across an heirloom desk. Even though he was the prince, some people presented themselves better if there was the illusion that they were in control. This particular general could hold his own, but he didn’t seem as scary across this round table as he had when they were new recruits and a decorated general had put them through their paces.

In moments, they fell to discussing the progress the general was making. It wasn’t until they were nearly finished with their discussion that General Warcowski brought up the subject very much on Aleksi’s mind.

“I see Vladimir Wellington is back.”

He paused in making a note and turned to stare at him. “You know Vlad?”

Warcowski chuckled. It sounded like the bark of bulldog. “Of course I know Vlad. He’s our secret weapon.”

“Secret weapon?” What?

“Your father put a lot of resources into that young man.” Now the general resembled a rosy cheeked St. Nick. Only of the war variety.

“My father had something to do with Vlad?”

Warcowski looked at him like he was missing a few little soldiers. “Oh yes.”

“He never said a word to me.” A niggling popped into his head.

“Wellington’s training was kept very quiet.”

He frowned. “How quiet?”

“Let’s just say that no one knew except your father. He later informed me.”

“So Vlad is someone I can trust?”

The general’s eyes crinkled. “With your life, son. And those of every person in this principality. Your father needed a weapon. He created a superior one in Wellington.”

That made absolutely no sense.

They spoke for a few more minutes, but he wasn’t upset to see the general leave. They shook and he showed him out before he returned to his desk. He stared at the USB stick for long moments.

Vlad had given him this drive. His father obviously wanted him to know what was on the device. But he hadn’t left a password with it. Or any instructions. The thought that his father had personally overseen Vlad’s training and then trusted him with this password protected drive spoke volumes.

With a shrug he typed TrustVlad in the password area.

The drive unlocked.

***

After making his rounds mid-evening and determining everything was okay with the world, especially since he finally had backup, Vlad stopped to stare at the portrait of a long dead ancestor. This man could have been his twin. From his earliest memories of the palace and Prince Aleksandr, this portrait had been a part of his life. It was this man, Vladimir Wolfgang de Leos who had set his own course in life. This man who had been born with the same character traits as him.

“Every few generations a great warrior is born within the de Leos line, Vlad. This man, like you, was born to be a protector of the Rurikstani people.”

He still heard those words in his dreams. He had for most of his life. Now he gazed at this portrait through the eyes of a man, rather than the child he had been. He hadn’t seen old Vladimir Wolfgang for years. Yet now, as a man himself, he recognized many of the characteristics in his ancestor that he saw in himself. Aleksandr had identified them early and directed Vlad’s life from that moment on.

Was he sorry he hadn’t had a say in his education and the skills he was supposed to learn? No, now that he really thought on it, he had understood as a child that what Prince Aleksandr said was true. He recognized himself in this man even then. Had resonated with the lessons he was to learn, and perfected the skills of a warrior with relish.

“Ah, Vlad, just the man I was looking for,” Emerson said behind him.

He had heard him and eased his stance, just in case. Now he turned to face Emerson.

“I always forget how tall you are.”

“Can I help you?” Vlad offered a faint smile. This had been going on since he hit puberty.

“Yes, Prince Aleksi requests your presence.”

Reading Emerson’s unease and because he couldn’t help it, he sniggered.

“Your brother and Aleksi do that enough.” But Emerson did relax.

“I’ve known him all my life and he’s my cousin. It seems stuffy to call him Prince Aleksi or His Royal Highness.”

“That’s what he says.”

That’s because Aleksi was not stuffy in the least. “Right.”

He kept easy pace with Emerson as they strode down the hallway that led to Aleksi’s office.

 

“Hello Aleksi,” his cousin greeted and didn’t wait for an invitation to sit down as Emerson hurried off. Instead Vlad dropped into the chair across from the desk. “Is it weird to use this office?”

The small stab of pain wasn’t unexpected. “Yes. It’s always been my father’s office. I never expected to use it this soon.”

Vlad nodded as though he understood. “It’s hard to believe he’s gone.” He swallowed, hard.

His own sorrow was etched on his cousin’s face. “I agree. It’s been a rough year.”

“You got into the USB drive.”

“Yes.” He shifted in his chair before he tapped some keys on his computer. “I figured out the password after General Warcowski left.”

Vlad wrinkled his nose.

He laughed. “Yeah, I agree with that.”

“At least you’re the prince. You don’t have to salute the old metal chewer every time you pass him.”

“I’d rather eat bullets.”

“Me too.”

He nodded. “I had no idea my father mapped out your entire career.”

“Didn’t he mention anything about me?”

“No. I don’t recall ever discussing you with him.” Aleksi stared at Vlad from a fresh perspective. Vlad was a totally different person than he, Maks and Emerson had always believed. It was an unsettling shift.

“Perhaps you better fill me in.” Aleksi stared at this man who shared his genes but not much else.

Vlad looked like he’d rather salute old Warcowski a few times. But, being the brave man he was, did as requested. “The first memory I have of your father speaking to me was when he told me that I was a de Leos warrior.”

He hadn’t been expecting to hear that. “How old were you?”

For a long moment Vlad didn’t answer. “About five.”

After nearly choking on a sip of coffee, he repeated on a gasp, “Five?”

“Five.”

“Children aren’t warriors.”

“Apparently de Leos warriors are born, not made.” Vlad shrugged.

“You were five?” Knowing he sounded incredulous, he stared at Vlad. A man he knew even less now than two minutes ago. Despite the vast file he had just read on Vladimir Wolfgang Wellington.

“Yes. Your father started my education on how to be a warrior the next week.”

“You had additional training to what all Rurikstani men receive?”

“Substantially more. My training started at age five and ended a few weeks ago.”

Taking a moment to digest that, he stared at Vlad. No wonder his cousin had been so angry all those years. “You were never allowed a childhood.”

“No. I am a warrior now, but according to your father I’ve always been one.” Vlad didn’t sound concerned in the least.

“No wonder you were so good with all those toy weapons.”

“By age ten I had studied every weapon known to man. By sixteen I could handle all of them.”

He stared at him in mounting horror. “There is something wrong with teaching a child how to make war.”

“Not when you’re gifted with the de Leos warrior gene.” Vlad sent him a small smile. It was amazing how much like a superhero the man suddenly looked.

“No wonder you were so angry.”

Vlad shook his head. “The anger didn’t come from the extra training.”

“Then from what? That alone was enough to cause surliness.”

“It wasn’t. I just never felt like I fit here. Your father provided me with an extensive education that I enjoyed.”

“Because you’re the family warrior.” A family portrait popped into his head. “You’re like our ancestor, Vladimir Wolfgang de Leos.”

“Apparently.”

When it was evident Vlad didn’t plan to expound on that subject, he asked another question. “What exactly did your training entail?”

“I think, perhaps, you should first ask why.”

“You already told me why. Because you were born with our warrior gene. I’ve studied those men and I should have seen it in you.”

“I appreciate that you see it now. Your father didn’t want that part of me to be used to create a felon. I needed to learn to control that side of myself.”

“From what I can see, you succeeded.”

“Thank you.” Vlad cocked his head, like he debated about what he should say. “Your father had a purpose in making me into a soldier.”

At that particular word, he sat up straighter. “You use the term soldier.”

“Yes. Because your father realized our military isn’t good enough.”

“It’s not.”

“No, and I’ve heard you’re making changes. I applaud them all.”

“I’m sensing a but…” he said wryly.

“Your father wanted me to learn everything I could about combat. He sent me for training all over the world in all military branches. Extensive training because he feared Rurikstan’s wealth would be enticing to terrorists.”

His spine stiffened again.

“What’s wrong?” Vlad didn’t sound concerned but his gaze was focused, like he missed nothing.

“Tia’s uncle was here and he mentioned the exact same thing.”

“That would be Admiral Richard O’Riley of the United States Navy.”

“How did you know that?”

Vlad grimaced. “I’ve trained with some of his SEAL teams and mentioned before I’ve trained with him.”

Choking for sure this time, he managed to wheeze, “You’ve taken part in some SEAL training?”

“No, I’ve taken part in all SEAL training.”

“You can fly the space shuttle?”

“I can pilot any vehicle on this earth.” He didn’t boast. There was no need. Navy SEALs learned those skills to save lives. Vlad probably looked on that training as just another skill he needed.

“You’ve been through SEAL training.” He sorted through all of this information as he thought how to best utilize Vlad and his impressive skills. “My father asked this of you because…?”

Vlad took a deep breath before he answered. “Because he knew our military wasn’t good enough to fight terrorists. He wanted me to learn all I could to fight these terrorists.”

“By yourself?”

“No, we’ve got allies.”

That was a relief. “I still can’t believe my father decided your future.” What else he didn’t know about Vlad?

“I didn’t want anything else.”

They had never known the real Vladimir Wolfgang Wellington. A mystery in their youth and now he was even more so in their adult years. Who was he? What did he want?

“You came home because?”

“My training is complete.” Vlad’s expression didn’t change. “And we have reason to believe that Rurikstan might be targeted by certain terrorist factions now.”

“Why haven’t they targeted us before this?”

“Because in the age of technology where the entire world is connected via the Internet it’s much easier to discover small, wealthy countries like ours.”

“So my father decided you needed to protect our entire nation?”

“I couldn’t have done so five years ago. I was still training and still learning.”

“But now?”

Vlad’s eyes turned cold and hard. “Now I am capable.”

Staring at this man he had grown up with, he learned a powerful lesson. Just because he was related to someone obviously did not mean he knew him. Vlad’s entire focus, his very life, had been to protect his country. His life from age five on had been to learn all he could about war. Aleksi had lived his childhood as a kid. Vlad was denied even that.

“Maybe you should have been my father’s son.”

Those dark, dangerous eyes warmed minutely. “Prince Aleksandr never doubted your ability to run this nation.” Even Vlad’s smile was a little scary.

“There aren’t many men like my father.”

“No, there aren’t.” The calm assurance in Vlad’s voice and demeanor was also reassuring. Emerson was right in that Vlad seemed to have come into his own. He knew who he was and what he was capable of. Now he seemed comfortable in his own skin. In their youth there had been that edgy restlessness that made him uncomfortable to be around.

“What did my father specifically want from you?”

“I have studied terrorists from all over the world. And trained with countries who have been fighting them for years; so we can then use that knowledge to defeat them.”

That knowledge would certainly be helpful. “Our size is going to be both a help and a hindrance.”

“Yes. We’re small, so we might not have the resources much larger countries enjoy. Yet we’re far more nimble than some of the behemoths out there.”

“It’d help if we had allies in those behemoths.” He tapped his fingers.

Vlad smiled again. This one wasn’t as scary. Maybe it helped knowing this superman was on his side. “Who says we don’t?”

Thoughts crowded and spiraled. “We do have allies in some of these huge nations?”

“You’re marrying an American girl. You think her uncle, the U.S. Navy Admiral, is going to allow a terrorist to attack the nation where she lives. Where she’s the princess?”

He smiled. “Probably not.”

“I’m not going to allow it either,” a voice drawled from what appeared to be the ceiling.

While it startled him, Vlad didn’t so much as flinch. Instead, he seemed to be expecting that voice. “Ah, nice of you to drop in, Commander Morrison.”

“Morrison?” Tia’s last name was Morrison.

“Meet Tia’s cousin, Ben Morrison. Ben, meet Tia’s fiancé, Prince Aleksi.”

“Nice to meet you, Prince Aleksi.”

“Likewise, Ben Morrison. Does Tia know you’re here?” It was weird talking to the ceiling. Even weirder when the ceiling responded in an American accent.

“Not yet. I plan to squeeze her tomorrow morning. Does that work, Welly?”

“Welly?” He echoed, stunned.

Vlad actually rolled his eyes. “Meet three of U.S. Navy SEAL Team Eight. Ben commands them. They’re lazy Americans so they all call me Welly instead of Wellington.”

“Wellington is such a mouthful,” a completely different voice drawled in a laid back California vibe.

“Right, Tigger. This is Derek Shively. He’s not allowed to squeeze Tia.” The voice that was Ben agreed with Vlad’s dictate.

“Hey, she has a right to hug whoever she wants.”

“No, she doesn’t.” He wasn’t certain which of them spoke loudest, but he was certain Vlad, himself, and Ben all answered in the negative.

“Wait until you meet Aleksi.” Vlad sounded definite.

“Does he look like you?”

“Yes, he is my cousin.”

“Now wait, if he’s a prince does that mean you are too?” Shively sounded horrified.

He laughed. “Vlad carries royal blood, but Rurikstan has only one prince. Unfortunately, I am he.”

“As you can see, none of us particularly want to be prince,” Vlad added. “If something happened to Aleksi, my brother is next in line. And he has a son, so I’m a lot further down, thankfully.”

“If something happened to me, your father is next in line.”

Vlad’s eyes widened before he smiled. “Right, it would go to Dad first.”

“When are we going to meet all of your family?” Another male voice inserted.

“Meet Rex Beaumont,” Vlad introduced. “Come into Aleksi’s office. We know the equipment works now.”

He wasn’t certain what to expect but when the three men entered his office, but he was somehow surprised when they came so quickly, silently, and with the same commanding power and grace he attributed to Vlad.

The lean African American man was the first to stop in front of him. He held out his hand. “I’m Ben Morrison, Tia’s cousin.”

He shook the man’s hand, and now that he knew which one was Tia’s cousin, he saw the family resemblance. “It is an honor to meet you,” he replied formally.

“Yep, this guy is definitely related to Welly,” the man who had to be Shively quipped. His sun bleached hair and bright eyes made it obvious he was likely the California man. The other man was quiet, with the most intelligent eyes he had ever seen. There was something trustworthy about Rex Beaumont. He was as tall as Ben, both of whom were taller than Shively.

Beaumont was respectful and shook his hand with the sure grip of a man who was also comfortable with himself and his skills. Shively was definitely the clown in the group, but he was probably the one most underestimated. The man hadn’t achieved Navy SEAL status without hard work, determination, intellect, and perseverance.

“There is no doubt you and Welly are related.” Beaumont spoke softly and with a faint southern drawl.

He nodded. Vlad was standing beside him, so he imagined there was a family resemblance. “Vlad was born the warrior in the family.”

“Thought I saw a picture of some old guy who looks just like him.” Shively used his head to indicate Vlad.

Vlad’s lips turned up. “That was an ancestor of ours. He’s why I’m apparently a warrior.”

“And has studied to be one since he was five.” He still couldn’t believe that.

The other men all turned respectful looks on him. “Since you were five?” Ben asked.

Vlad nodded. “That’s what my prince asked of me.”

“I thought joining the Navy before college was bad.” Shively thumped Vlad on the back.

“You do what you’re asked.” Vlad shrugged. Like it was no big deal. Then turned to address him. “These men report to Admiral O’Riley. So the good news is, we don’t have to do this alone.”