Page 20 of No Time Off (Lexi Carmichael Mystery #15)

TWENTY

Lexi

W e walked into the kitchen, which was quite homey despite our rather dire situation. Cabinets hewn from what was certainly a local wood lined two walls, accentuated by a soft blue-green backsplash made of sea glass. Billowy green curtains hung from the windows, and an enormous wooden table was positioned in the middle of the room. A blue teapot with ocean waves sat on a lazy Susan in the middle of the large wooden table. We sat down at the table, and Petra took a few mugs out of the cabinet and handed them to us just as Rangi walked in.

“I’m just so grateful you’re okay,” she said. “I can’t tell you how reassuring it is that you agreed to come with Rangi.”

“It wasn’t like we had much of a choice,” Slash said.

I could hear the coolness and tightness in his voice. He wasn’t happy about this situation, and I didn’t blame him. Instead of lounging around on a remote island, we’d been dragged into a coup and led to a safe house where we were now co-conspirators with the fallen prime minister.

How was any of this relaxing? I could just imagine what my friends and family would be thinking when they heard about this. Probably ribbing Slash because he hadn’t had the foresight to write an extensive emergency plan for a coup.

“I got there just before the police,” Rangi told her. “Tom gave me their bungalow number and I got them out in time. I’m sure he bought us some time with the police, so it all worked out well.” He paused for a moment. “As we were leaving, Slash decided it would be useful to track Moe to give us some intel on where the leaders might be assembling. He planted a device right under the mat under the front passenger seat of their vehicle while they were inside the resort lobby. A risky but well-executed and potentially valuable move by just an ordinary IT guy,” he stated while giving Slash a long look.

Petra glanced at Slash in surprise. “You had a tracking device on you?”

“It’s a long story, but yes.” He didn’t offer any more information, and Petra didn’t ask.

As Rangi filled her in on the rest of our escape, including the roadblock, I poured myself some tea and added three cubes of sugar, stirring vigorously. I offered Slash a cup, but he declined. I passed the pot over to Rangi, who poured himself a cup and took several big sips right away.

“What happened to you, Prime Minister?” Slash asked. “How did this so-called coup go down? How did you manage to get away before you were arrested or captured?”

Petra cupped her hands around the mug. “Well, I was lucky. I got a call late last night from one of my friends who’s a policeman. He told me something significant was being planned for this morning. He didn’t know the details, but the assassination attempt made us consider the worst possibilities, so we decided to relocate temporarily. Henry, the kids, and I—along with a handful of my security staff—left out the back by way of an old farm road used to haul pineapple to market. It joins some other farm roads south of here. We turned off our phones, went dark, and headed here—a farmhouse that belongs to a good friend of my family’s. The family no longer lives on the island full-time but keeps it as a summer home. I check in on it from time to time and knew I’d be safe here, at least temporarily.”

She’d been smart to trust the tip about something happening. Now the coup leaders’ work would be significantly harder the longer she could stay hidden. But only if she could effectively marshal her forces.

“When did you hear about the coup?” I asked her.

“Early this morning, just before everything broke loose. It all began to make sense. I think they tried to assassinate me to get me out of the way, so they could take over. My police friend contacted me through Rangi to say the police were on their way to my house to arrest me. He was worried and confused. The police were told I had committed a serious crime and, when confronted, I acknowledged said crimes and resigned to the commissioner of police, Liko Maivia. While they were arranging to book me, I somehow managed to escape. He knew it was all untrue, but he wanted to hear it from me directly. Rangi assured him I’d not committed any crimes nor resigned, and that these people were trying to take over the government. My friend told Rangi we had to be careful, as I’m now a wanted person, as are any staff who showed me loyalty.”

“You’re right about the assassination attempt and the coup being linked,” I said. “I saw the guy who tried to assassinate you on television. He’s not in jail—he’s roaming free.”

She nodded grimly. “I wish I could say I’m surprised.”

“Are you still in touch with your police friend?” Slash asked her. “Can he help us?”

“I am, but I doubt he can be of much help other than keeping us informed. I already mentioned, we’ve turned off all our personal and governmental phones and are working with borrowed phones so we can’t be tracked. Fortunately, there are only a few cell towers on the island, so it’s hard to directly triangulate a position. Still, better safe than sorry. We wouldn’t put it past them to try and ping our phones to reveal our location.”

“What’s the latest you’ve heard?” I asked.

Petra paused a moment to take a breath. “Supposedly Parliament has appointed Liko Maivia the interim prime minister. It’s ostensibly to maintain order, though neither I, nor any member of Parliament I know, has taken any such vote. But it allows the plotters to claim anyone working against Maivia and the so-called new, legitimate government are really the enemy. The police are supposedly working to restore order against those who are trying to instigate an uprising against Maivia. All untrue and ironic, certainly, since they are the ones instigating a coup.”

“This sounds like it was well planned, and not just a spontaneous response to something you said or did,” Slash commented.

“I agree completely. Despite the images of a few well-known thugs running loose in the streets, they moved quickly. If we hadn’t been warned, I’d have been arrested and my family held hostage to ensure my cooperation. My house manager sent word that the police arrived shortly after dawn and were quite upset neither me nor my family was there. They threatened him, but he stuck to his story that I’d left early to attend some meetings and my family was off visiting friends. They were furious with him and thoroughly searched my home. Eventually, they left, but someone stayed behind to watch my residence.”

“And now they’ve set up roadblocks to find you,” I said.

“Apparently. My escape has caused quite a problem for them. Once I realized I was cut off from my official accounts and any means of officially contacting our allies for assistance, I sent Rangi to get you. My security detail also cautiously reached out to some police friends who might still support my government. As we suspected, not everyone likes what’s happening, and for most of them, their loyalty must have been suspected, as they were unaware of the plot. They hadn’t been assigned any duties and so, with some risk, we asked them to join us here. They’ve brought their police radios, a few weapons and equipment, so we have at least some idea of what’s transpiring. Before I left my house, I reached a few of my associates in the government to warn them, but many didn’t answer. I fear some may have already been arrested, including Iona Engu, the king’s representative to the Cook Islands. I suspect she’ll likely be coerced to support the coup. She has a husband and three teenage children.”

We fell silent for a moment, digesting that uncomfortable information.

After a moment, the prime minister continued. “I’ve been completely cut off from all official and personal channels. Silenced.” Her voice was taut with anger. “They’re telling people I’m resting and in seclusion while they install their puppet prime minister. But that’s not what’s happening, as you can see.”

Slash stroked his chin, thinking. “You’ve upset their plans, first by not dying in the assassination attempt and then by eluding arrest. They didn’t expect that, either. Now, they must deal with the fact that you’re still alive, and they can’t coerce you, and you obviously don’t intend to be silenced. What about this temporary prime minister they’ve installed, Liko Maivia? What else can you tell us about him?”

Petra’s eyes burned with frustration. “As I mentioned, Maivia is the commissioner of police and a longtime opponent of mine who has been beholden to the old boys’ network that has run the island for many years. They kept him around and promoted him because he was easy to manipulate and would look the other way when told. Honestly, he’s a fool—the man couldn’t organize a village meeting, let alone a coup. He’s a pawn—motivated by money, power, and adulation. I suspect the Chinese are pulling the strings.”

“Do you have a picture of him?” I asked.

Rangi pulled out a phone from his pocket and typed some commands. He turned his phone around to show us Liko Maivia. He was short, broad-shouldered man with cropped gray hair, round cheeks, caramel-colored skin, and a weak chin. He was dressed in a police uniform, a formal one apparently, because he wore a hat and gloves. It looked like he’d tried to appear fierce in the photo, but his mouth was twisted more in a grimace instead.

After looking at the photo, Slash leaned back in his chair, regarding the prime minister. “If you have proof of Chinese involvement, it could change things on an international scale. What exactly are you referring to in terms of evidence?”

Petra’s eyes met his, fierce and unwavering. “There’s a compound on this side of the island. We’re a small island, only eight miles wide, so it’s not that far away. The compound sits on its own, fairly isolated. Two years ago, a company called Signet Investments, purportedly out of Singapore, purchased the compound. It used to be a small luxury resort on the beach. They’ve been building and fortifying it ever since. Ostensibly, the Chinese police stationed here have leased the compound and added a new building to house them when they’re not on duty. The compound is protected by a fence and is presumed to be well guarded. We’ve done some initial research into Signet Investments, and we’re pretty sure it’s a front for a Chinese intelligence operation.”

“Pretty sure?” I asked, lifting an eyebrow.

“Pretty sure,” she repeated. “Unfortunately, we’re quite limited in our technical capability, so obtaining the proof against the Chinese is not as easy for us as it may be for you.”

Slash glanced at me, and without him saying a word, I knew what he was thinking. I wasn’t sure I liked it, but I’d save my argument for a later, more private discussion.

“One of my most trusted men has been surveilling the compound for months,” Petra continued. “His name is Manny, and he’s a former New Zealand counterintelligence officer who retired here. He does some work for me in his spare time. Apparently, Maivia has been in and out of the compound a half dozen times in the past three weeks. That’s not a coincidence. An operation of this scope requires organization, planning, and money. I know we could find the evidence if we could just get into that compound. But even if I get the evidence, I’m still going to need help to get our country back. The Chinese have money and influence, and it’s hard to compete with that on our own.”

“Even then, it’s not that simple,” Slash warned.

“I know,” Petra said dryly. “Believe me, of all people, I understand the nuances and nature of politics. But the Chinese engineered this to control a sovereign island in a geopolitical struggle with a sphere of influence at stake. If I don’t act, they’ll destroy everything we’ve built in the Cook Islands, starting with our independence. They’ve already tried to silence me—and if we hadn’t been warned, they might have already killed me and my family. But they can’t stop the truth from coming out— if I can get to it.”

Her words were resolute and chilling. The safe house suddenly felt stifling, as if the jungle outside was too close, too quiet.

“I’m not sure it makes any difference, but I believe you,” Slash said quietly. “I’ll contact the State Department and let them know what’s going on so they can reach out to your contacts in New Zealand. But it’s going to take time, and there are no guarantees. You’re dealing with more than just a local uprising. If what you’re saying is true, you’re essentially declaring war on the Chinese presence here.”

“Oh, I’m clear on that part.” Petra straightened her shoulders, her expression grim but determined. “But time is the one thing I don’t have. They’re coming for me. If they silence me, they’ll solidify their control over the islands, and eventually the people will believe their lies. I must act now.”

We all stared at her, but no one challenged her assertion. She wasn’t wrong, and all of us knew it. Outside a strong gust of wind rattled the trees and broke the silence.

“The clock is ticking,” she said quietly. “So, let me be clear. I’m not going down without a fight. Unfortunately, that means I cannot guarantee your safety, whether you support me or not. Intellectually, I’m not sure there’s a lot you can do to help. We are hunted, have few resources, and limited time. The situation looks hopeless. Still, my instincts tell me you can make a difference. And I always trust my instincts.”

I exchanged a glance with Slash again, but we said nothing.

Petra leaned forward, her expression grim. “I’m sorry you’ve been dragged into this of no volition of your own, and on your honeymoon. I understand I have no right to ask this, but I also have no choice. The Cook Islands would be honored if you’d fight with us.”