Harlequin's Shadow

Chapter 23: Operation Treasure Hunt

As Peter listened to Neal and Henry plot their next pirate adventure, he was torn. The grown-up voice inside him advocated for being the voice of reason. He had over ten years of service to the Bureau and was responsible for apprehending criminals while minimizing the risk to field agents.

Instead, he'd signed off for the three of them to paint large bullseyes on their chests while they ran off to Europe on a quest for plundered treasure. And he could feel the pirate blood rising in his veins. The U-boat con, aka Operation Barbarossa, was concluded. It was time for Operation Treasure Hunt.

His mom, if she only knew, wouldn't be in the least surprised. She'd remind him Robert Lewis Stevenson's Treasure Island had been one of his favorite books as a child. Once their lives returned to normal—which in the odd moment he liked to think would eventually happen—keeping that spirit of adventure would be his challenge. To be at their top performance potential, all the team members needed to engage their inner pirate from time to time.

But another Stevenson story weighed even more heavily on his mind at the moment. It had also been a childhood favorite. Would fusing Kidnapped with Treasure Island lead to a happy ending?

"It's really the only sane course of action," Henry said calmly. "As long as Adler seeks refuge in countries with vague extradition laws and officials susceptible to bribes, he'll never be captured. And I'm not singling out Argentina and Albania. There are regions in the U.S. where he could also escape notice for a long time."

Neal nodded in agreement. "You and I lived off-grid for years in the States. We could have continued that way if we hadn't contacted your father. The aliases we had for Urban Legend were robust enough to last for decades. And we could have slipped into others just as easily."

Peter slung his feet on top of Neal's desk, enjoying the cousins' raised eyebrows. Move over. There's another pirate at the table. "Just so we're clear, what we're signing off on is to allow one or more of us to be kidnapped."

"Sounds good to me," Neal said cheerfully. "The key players—Klaus, Rolf, Python, and Adler—are still at large. A kidnapping conviction should put the perp away for a long time to come. The odds are in our favor that Adler will strike first. That gives us an additional advantage. The longer we can keep the dream of stashed art alive, the easier it will be to trap Ydrus."

"Most likely, the Mansfelds believe that there actually was a U-boat," Henry added. "All the groundwork we prepared about it still holds water. The Degas Neal forged was certified authentic by Sterling-Bosch. Kramer must have passed on that nugget."

"Klaus is aware of Neal's skill though," Peter reminded him. "He could believe it's a forgery."

"True," Henry admitted. "But that won't change their thinking. The evidence from Huber's safe is too compelling. Klaus could easily believe Neal is holding onto the original while making multiple perfect copies of it."

"Now Rolf and Klaus want to deal themselves in," Neal added, moving his keyboard aside so he could swing his feet onto the desk in front of his monitor. "They're tracking our movements while biding their time."

"Their objective is to have you remain in New York and work for the Bureau while pursuing your degree," Henry theorized, snatching the far end of Neal's desk for his own feet. "It's the perfect front for the thefts and forgeries you'll be performing for them on the side. They have the Vermeer trigger they can play at any time, but they'd much rather see what happens to the U-boat story first. They may even jump in to protect you if they sense you're in danger."

"And that leaves the field open to Adler," Peter said. "He's kidnapped before. He'll do it again."

Henry nodded complacently. "I'm the most likely target. If Adler approaches me, I'll express my willingness to make a deal." He gazed at the ceiling for a moment. "I'm totally without scruples, always on the lookout for a new opportunity ... Yep, that'll work. I can build on the reports Ruiz sent about my dipping into the company till to pay for my extravagant lifestyle. After seeing how my father was corrupted by Win-Win, I have become cynical and don't mind in the least screwing my own company."