Winter Blockbuster 2012 (57 page)

“Teddy, Teddy, where did you get that?”

Teddy didn’t seem to know, but Max looked at his own denim jacket and realized what must have happened.

“It was in my jacket all this time,” he muttered in hazy wonder. “And it took Teddy to find it.”

And Teddy didn’t want to give it up.

“Sorry, kid,” he told him. “I’ve got to take this from you. I can’t let it out of my possession again. Lives may depend on it.”

Looking at it, he was sure this was what the king of Mercuria wanted. He didn’t want Kayla. He didn’t even want Max. This was basically the crown jewels of the nation and he wanted his treasure back.

How had it ended up in his jacket pocket? Maybe someone ought to ask Princess Nadine that question. He grabbed his denim jacket and put it on, then slipped the artifact back into the hidden, inside pocket, making sure it was secure.

“Thanks, Teddy,” he said, picking the boy up and giving him a big kiss. “You’re the hero tonight.”

He got together the baby’s things and he felt as though he were walking on air.

“Okay, Teddy,” he muttered. “You’re going to have to go back and stay with Caroline, because I’m going to get your mama back.”

He knew he was supposed to wait for his brothers to go with him, but that was three hours away. He had to go now. Kayla was all alone and scared and he couldn’t wait any longer.

Max had lived in Mercuria for almost a year and he knew all the little inlets along the coast and he could find them, even
in the dark. He pulled his boat into a cove and tied it fast to a stand of pilings, then went ashore. It was a short walk to the castle. Mercuria was an old-fashioned country. The new, modern methods of security and border entry hadn’t been introduced as yet. Very few people came to visit, because, after all, who cared about Mercuria? They had sat tight in their little isolated peninsula for decades and most people didn’t even know they existed.

Max knew certain passwords, certain door codes, and before long, he was in the central living area of the castle, smiling at his old friend Sven, doorkeeper to the royal family.

“Hey, Sven,” he said.

“Max!” Sven, a big, burly Swede, stepped out to clap him on the back. “Hey, good to see you, old buddy. It’s been a while. So you’re back?”

“Ah … yes, I’m back.”

“And you’re going into the royal center?”

“If you’re going to let me, yes, I am.”

“You don’t have a pass, I suppose.”

“Do I ever?”

Sven laughed. “No, can’t say that I’ve ever known you to arrive with the proper pass.” He shook his head with pure affection. “Come on in. Shall I announce you to anyone?”

“No, thanks. I’m going to go in and see who’s available. Hopefully, I’ll find the king isn’t busy and has time to talk to me.”

“Oh, sure. I think someone said he’s in the greenhouse right now.”

“Okay. I’ll just hang around until he gets back.”

“Sure.”

He’d given a lot of thought to where they might be holding Kayla. There was a guest room on the first floor, off the library. If they were being extra special nice, they might have
put her there. He slipped around the kitchen where he overheard two kitchen maids gossiping, and headed straight for the library, then the guest room. Empty.

That left the women’s jail on the second floor. He took the stairs, hoping he wouldn’t pass anyone on the way, and came to the fortified area that had been built especially to hold female prisoners. He’d known a housemaid who’d been accused of stealing and had been kept there for weeks. He’d felt sorry for her, visited her often and finally won her release when the real culprit was identified. He knew the way in and the way out and he could pick the main lock at will. A few clicks and he was in.

Two cells faced each other, divided by a corridor between them. In one cell, just as he’d expected, there was Kayla, sitting on a bare cot and looking unhappy but otherwise unscathed. But what he hadn’t expected was to find Princess Nadine sitting in the other cell, face muddy with the effects of a lot of heavy crying. She looked up when Max entered, and her face brightened considerably.

“Max,” she said, jumping up and going to the bars. “You came for me! Finally!”

But his attention was all on Kayla.

“Max!” She reached out her hand and he took it in his, pulling as close to her as he could.

“Are you all right?” Kayla asked anxiously. “How’s your head?”

He’d forgotten all about his head wound. He touched it gingerly. “It’s okay. How about you?” His gaze ran over every inch of her, searching for any signs of wounds. She looked a little mussed and had a bruise on one cheek, which made him swear softly. Her hair could use a combing. But she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. “Did they hurt you?”

“No. Well, they did stick me with a tranquilizer dart.”

He grinned at her. “Me, too.”

She grinned back. “But other than that, they’ve been okay.”

“Max!” Princess Nadine called, sounding like the spoiled child she was. “Come see about me.”

He looked over his shoulder. “Why is she in here?” he asked.

Kayla shook her head. “I’m not sure. I think her father put her in here as a sort of trap for you when you returned to get her.”

“Get her?”

“They seem to think you two have a love affair going on.”

“In her imagination, maybe.”

“Or maybe her father is just mad at her.”

“I’m not mad at all, young lady,” said a deep, sonorous voice.

Max turned quickly. King Juomo was coming down the center aisle. Dressed in eighteenth-century royal garb of brocade and velvet, he looked splendid and ridiculous all at the same time.

“My daughter is incarcerated for a very specific purpose.” He smiled and made a slight inclination of his head toward Max. “I’m glad you made it. We’ve been waiting for you. Now we can get on with things.”

“Your Majesty, with all due respect, I would like you to release Kayla right away. You have no right to hold her here. She has nothing to do with any of this.”

He batted that pesky demand away. “I hear you’re a prince now, my friend. What a lucky occurrence that is. Now my daughter will be doubly royal, won’t she?” He put his head to one side, thinking hard. “Not to mention the unbreakable ties our two nations shall have with each other. Won’t that be lovely?”

“Your Majesty,” Max said bluntly, “I’m not going to marry your daughter.”

“Oh, but I think you are. You see, I won’t release your little friend here unless you do. It’s quite simple, really.” He smiled. “I’ve had the men in to fire up the old torture room in the dungeon. Quite a few nice old-fashioned machines in there. Can tear a body to ribbons, you know. I don’t think your little friend will like it much. We will strive for historical accuracy, but still, her screams are going to be hard to take.”

“Wait a minute.” Max stared at the man as though he could hardly believe he was sane. “You’re threatening to torture Kayla if I don’t marry Princess Nadine? Are you crazy?”

“Not at all. I’ve been tested. I’m quite sane.” He threw a dour look Kayla’s way. “And not mad, either.”

“I meant angry,” she told him quickly. “Which is what I’m beginning to get. This is so absurd. I don’t believe for a minute that you plan to torture me. You know very well international law forbids it.”

He frowned. “Since when?”

“You don’t keep up much with international affairs, do you? It’s been that way for years. You can’t get away with it. They’ll string you up.”

His laugh was jovial. “They’ll have to catch me first.”

“Really? And exactly where will you run to?”

He looked at Max. “I quite like your friend. She has a lot of spirit. Maybe I’ll marry her myself.” He giggled. “We’ll have a double wedding.”

“Daddy!” Nadine was sobbing.

“Hush, child. You wanted him and I told you I’d get him. Now he’s here for you. Show a little gratitude.”

“Tell you what,” Max said sensibly, “I don’t think anyone is marrying anyone at this point. But I do have a bargain for you. I might be able to produce your historical artifact.”

“You’d certainly better produce the artifact. If you don’t, you’re all going to lose your heads.”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake,” Kayla muttered just loud enough for Max to hear. “Now he thinks he’s the Red Queen.”

“If I can produce it,” Max went on doggedly, “I’m sure you’ll be gracious enough to let us both go free.”

The king’s eyes widened. “You and Nadine?”

“No. Me and Kayla.”

He was frowning. “How does that help my little daughter? She loves you so.”

“Daddy!” Nadine called.

“Hush. I’m negotiating here.”

“But Daddy, I don’t want him anymore. I hate him.”

The king turned and glared at his daughter. “What?”

“I hate him. He didn’t come back the way he was supposed to. I waited and waited.”

“Well, he’s back now. I went to a lot of trouble to get him for you.”

“I know.” She pouted. “I used to think he was really cute. But not anymore.”

Max and Kayla exchanged significant glances.

“I don’t understand,” the plump man blustered. “I thought you couldn’t live without him.”

“Yeah, well …” She made a face. “He’s not as cute as the new stable boy. Daddy? Please? I want the new stable boy.”

Kayla grinned. By now she’d pretty much decided this whole thing was a thinly disguised farce. She couldn’t believe anyone this silly could run a country.

“Maybe
I
ought to take a look at the new stable boy,” she said brightly. “Who knows? Maybe I’ll like him better, too.”

Max turned to glare at her. He wasn’t quite as ready as she was to assume this was an annoying but basically harmless situation. The king was off his rocker and pretty ridiculous,
but that sort of person could go from farce to tragedy in a heartbeat.

But before he could say anything, there was a commotion in the hallway. There were shouts. A gun was fired, then another. And deadly silence.

They all stood very still, each holding his breath, listening for clues as to what this meant. Suddenly, the door to the cell room burst open and Monte appeared, with the guard Max knew as Sven in front of him with revolver pressed into his back.

“Your Majesty,” Monte said to King Juomo, “so nice to meet you at last. We’ve come to take our people back, if you don’t mind. The keys, please.”

King Juomo seemed dumbfounded and very scared. Hands trembling, he produced the keys. David came in behind Monte and took the keys from him, opening the cell where Kayla had been sequestered and giving her a friendly smile.

“I always love it when they send in the cavalry,” she noted approvingly.

“I don’t know,” Max said sardonically as he looked around at his brothers, “I thought I was doing okay on my own.”

“It never hurts to get backup,” Joe told him. “And anyway, thanks for trying to cut us out of the action.”

“How did you know?” he asked, quietly admitting to himself that he’d never been happier to see a gang like this show up on his side.

“Caroline called Kimmee. Kimmee called Pellea.”

“And we figured the rest out on our own,” Monte said.

Max shook his head and grinned at his brothers. Reaching into the pocket of his jacket, he grabbed the artifact and drew it out. “Here you go,” he told King Juomo, handing it to him.

The king looked at his daughter. “So you were telling me the truth?” he cried.

She nodded sulkily. “I put it in his pocket for safekeeping. I wanted it to be with him always, wherever he went. I knew it would bring him back to me, one way or another.” She sniffed. “And now I don’t want him.”

“You see what folly it was to do that?” the king roared at her. “You see what trouble you caused?”

Her face crumpled but the princes were ready to leave her to her father’s care and they began to head for the exit.

“It’s been grand,” Kayla said, saluting the king as she passed him. “Sort of like a visit to Freedonia without the Marx Brothers.”

He looked rattled but it was evident he was starting to get color back in his face, and they hurried, not wanting to get bogged down in another discussion with him. Joe covered their departure, making sure the guards they’d disarmed on the way in weren’t getting any ideas. And then they were on the boats and heading for home.

“There’s something exhilarating about a good rescue operation,” Monte said. “No casualties. Just some good clean fun.”

“Fun.” Max looked at Kayla, feeling drained.

She grinned at him. “All’s well that ends well,” she said.

Max groaned. “Another one of the quotes I’m supposed to learn, huh?”

She nodded and moved closer, putting her head against his shoulder and enjoying the cool, clean spray from the ocean. She loved Max. And she was in love with him, too. It was a good day that taught you a life lesson that big. She meant to savor it.

In the morning, Max went to Kayla’s to have breakfast with her and her baby. He sat eating a delicious breakfast pastry that Kayla had picked up at the bakery and drinking black coffee and listening to Kayla talk to Teddy and feeling as
though he’d won the lottery. This was great. This made him a happy man.

Suddenly he realized something. It broke over him like a shooting star, spreading sparkling gobs of fire all around. Being a flyer was important, but not everything. Being a prince was going to be his life’s work. But the one thing he really cared about above all others, the one thing he wanted to do with his life, was to protect Kayla, to protect her and cherish her and make her happy. And loving Teddy was a part of that.

He sat back and marveled at how simple it all was once he’d let himself break free of all the old hurts and fears. He’d spent much too much time tied up in knots of doubt. No more doubts. No more regrets. He loved Kayla. Therefore, he would live his life to honor her. And that was all there was.

Could he do that? Could he be a father? Why the hell not?

He looked across the table at the woman he loved. “Will you marry me, Kayla?”

She pursed her lips and pretended to be thinking it over. “I don’t know. I’ll have to think about it. There’s a lot to consider.” She searched his face and shook her head sadly. “If only you were as cute as the stable boy.”