When the best man for the job is a woman, the Covert Analytical Network Design Yard (or CANDY for those who prefer silly acronyms) sends in Meg Brandon to clean up the mess. An undercover agent by training, she can blend in with street urchins in Mo...
"I don't think I've ever said I preferred any of my previous assignments over the other, so why would you think I would be especially excited about this one?" Meg asked.
"I assumed because twenty-three percent of your online browsing history is somehow related to celebrity gossip, you'd enjoy a mission that involves the cremè de la cremè of international celebrity: royalty." SAL drew out the final word in a breathy tone, making the reveal the same way a game show host would introduce a grand prize.
Although Meg was intrigued, she was also a little creeped out that not only was SAL Internet stalking her, but also coming to such logical conclusions. "Royalty?"
"That is correct." SAL nodded before pointing at the digital map projected behind them. "Are you familiar with the Sovereign Principality of Luxenstein?"
"The barely twenty square-mile city-state in northern Europe under the governance of an immensely wealthy family that can trace its roots back to 16th century Prussia? Who isn't?" Meg deadpanned, before flashing a coy smile.
SAL was not amused, continuing on with their briefing in complete seriousness. "Two years ago, the Grand Duchess who ruled the principality died under - what some would call - mysterious circumstances. Already a widow at the time of her death, the logical choice in succession was her twenty-three year old son Henri Thibaud von Alsace-Thuringen."
A photograph of the man in question replaced the map. Chiseled jaw, straw-yellow hair and wearing a military uniform with a bright blue sash and lots of shiny medals, he was the quintessential picture of the fairytale Prince Charming. "Wow." Meg inadvertently mouthed a surprised exclamation. SAL was correct, this mission was right up her alley.
"Henri was never crowned, however," the hologram said, as another picture appeared next to the one of the heir. The man in this was equally good-looking and about the same age, but with dark hair and a less jovial demeanor. "A long-lost 'cousin' showed up in Luxenstein three days before the ceremony, putting in an official claim to the title, lands, and fortune. The issue is still with the lawyers and has not been settled to this day."
"How am I supposed to unmask a pretender?" Meg's thoughts quickly shifted from wondering what it would be like to waltz around the ballroom of a real palace to how to get the blonde hottie his royal inheritance.
"Oh, Wiktor Liebchenko isn't a pretender. My analysis of the documents he's provided to the High Court show that his paternal great-grandmother was the youngest sister of Henri's great uncle, former Grand Duke Alexander." SAL scrolled through a virtual tablet computer that materialized in their digital hands, as if they were reviewing the papers a second time. "His case has legitimacy."
Losing her patience at the seemingly extraneous information, Meg raised her palms and shrugged. "What does all of this have to do with my mission, then? And why are we even talking about Luxenstein when Stoker is sending me to Macedonia?"
SAL looked up from the screen. "Henri's sister has been kidnapped," they said.
"Oh," Meg whispered. Things just got interesting. Maybe this Wiktor character was tired of waiting on a judicial decision and wanted to force Henri's abdication through blackmail. "Go on."
"Astrid Louisa von Alsace-Thuringen was last seen Saturday afternoon touring the Paris opera house where her eighteenth birthday celebrations were to take place in two weeks. After leaving the Palais Garnier, her chauffeured Mercedes was captured on CCTV camera entering this tunnel on the north side of the Seine River at half past three." A video of the event appeared next to SAL, showing a succession of cars speeding down a two-lane road flanking the water. The image paused on a dark sedan. "This is Astrid's vehicle. We have no indication that she left it between the time she got in and when this was taken. Note that the tunnel is only fifty yards long. At this speed, it can be traversed in a few seconds. See the time stamp and this white carrier van behind it?"
Meg nodded, sensing the importance of those particular pieces of information. When the image changed to cars leaving the tunnel just three second later, she looked for the van. It was there, but the Mercedes in front of it was gone.
SAL sped up the video, stopping it twenty-two minutes later according to the new timestamps. "This is when Astrid's car finally emerged from the tunnel. The driver headed to Le Grand Hotel where Astrid had been staying, entered her suite using her key card, and was promptly shot in the back of the head by an unknown assailant."
"Are we assuming she changed vehicles in the tunnel and left with someone else?" Meg asked, tackling one issue at a time. A dead driver was secondary to a kidnapped Duchess.
"Yes. And based on local law enforcement follow-ups, we believe it was here." SAL rewound the video again to just a few minutes after the van emerged, focusing in on a motorcycle with two people on board. "This Ducati only had one rider when it entered the tunnel."
"Why didn't they use a car? Stick her in the trunk or at least have her huddle in the back? Why make it so obvious?" Every indication pointed to Astrid leaving willingly, yet why murder the driver and not just take him along?
"That is one thing you'll need to find out in Skopje." SAL made the video disappear. "After following the vehicle registration, the trail led to a real estate developer in Macedonia."
Meg sighed and crossed her arms. This sounded like a complicated case. It definitely couldn't be cracked in two days. "Do you think she's there?"
SAL shook their head. "It's unlikely. And a ransom hasn't been demanded, nor has there been any type of effort to contact the Alsace-Thuringen family. But Director Stoker does think there's some connection, so you'll need to go and find out whatever you can that will help get us started."
"You'll have my usual documents ready before I leave today?" Meg asked, referring to her fake passport, flight tickets, and foreign currency.
"We're assembling them now," SAL said. "How much longer will you be in the building?"
Meg sighed. She was desperate for sleep, but she was also scheduled for a training session before meeting her mother for lunch. "Another hour?" she guessed before standing.
SAL nodded. "That should be adequate. Oh, and Agent Capulet?"
"Yes?"
The holographic image virtually tapped the table in front of them. "Don't forget to leave the other earring."
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