The assistant showed the chancellor to his seat and Mila headed to her setup in the back of the room. She watched as Hartmann talked with the other dignitaries he knew and then took a seat. His assistant sat in the chair behind him along with all the other assistants who lined the walls. With importance and pageantry befitting a prince, the guards opened both doors at the same moment that Zain and Jamal Ali Rahman entered with Dylan and a very scary Rahmi guard trailing behind them.
Mila sucked in a breath as she saw the bruise that had formed over Zain’s eye. His navy-blue fitted suit with a crisp white shirt and a blood-red tie covered the rest of his body. A gold brooch caught the light as he walked around the table, shaking hands. As if she willed it, he looked up and their eyes connected. She gave a soft smile to let him know she was relieved to see him, but Zain was already looking away. He seemed so different. So proper. So cold. So royal.
Unease filled her as she wondered at the real Zain. No, she knew the real Zain. This was the show he put on for other diplomats. She had talked to his friends. She had seen him around the town and felt his lips on hers. He was definitely not cold. Mila pulled on her headphones and got ready to interpret. She just hoped she could find some time to talk to him alone.
Zain spoke passionately about Rahmi and the nanotechnology lab he wanted to start. This was the first the delegation would have heard of it, and as they leaned forward in their seats he could tell they were interested. He talked about diseases ravishing populations around the globe, and how nanotechnology could open up countless possibilities for curing potential epidemics before they began. He also caught their attention by mentioning nanotechnology's potential in treating those affected by biological warfare, a growing concern for many of the leaders in attendance.
“The Zika virus could be eliminated. Ebola, yellow fever, SARS . . . all of it could be prevented from spreading. Nanotechnology has the ability to mimic vaccines to specifically target those strands of viruses. Nanoparticles can attack these viruses and stop them from spreading or mutating. Can you imagine the lives that could be saved? And let’s be honest, it’s not just lives. It’s economies. If a country has a pandemic, tourism drops off, your workforce is cut, and children are orphaned. We could stop all of that. Together.” Zain placed extra emphasis on that last word as he took his time to look at every person sitting in front of him. “On Wednesday, we will have Dr. Piper Davies here to answer any questions you may have. She will be instrumental in helping our countries establish this state-of-the-art international lab in Rahmi. In the meantime, I have provided a packet of information for your review. I look forward to speaking to each of you about it one-on-one as well. Thank you.”
Zain stepped back and Veronica stepped forward to begin explaining how the rest of the conference was going to be handled. Zain let his eyes scan the crowd to gauge their reaction. However, he had a hard time keeping his eyes from lingering on Mila. Her hair was pulled up with the most seductive wisps of hair caressing her neck. Sydney’s skirt suit design showed off Mila’s curves, and he noticed some of the assistants checking her out. Well, that wasn’t going to happen.
Veronica finished her speech and ushered Zain from the room with Ahmed and Dylan trailing after him. She spoke rapid-fire as she laid out his plans for the rest of the day. Ahmed and Dylan kept an eye on the surroundings as they made it to his office. It was both strange and comforting to have his friends here. Zain didn’t like the idea of having his friends in the line of fire, but he did trust them with his life. He just didn’t know how he could repay them for this.
Zain walked into the office, and Veronica stopped talking when she saw Mo sitting in front of the desk.
“Hey, Dad. Has there been an update on Rahmi?”
“Everyone out,” he said quietly.
Dylan looked to Zain for confirmation, and when Zain gave a barely perceived nod, Dylan followed Ahmed out and closed the door. He knew they would be standing no more than a foot from each side of the door.
“What is it?” Zain asked as he came to a stop in front of his father.
“They captured a man trying to flee Rahmi. He had no identification on him, but his face was run through the country’s files. Just like the participants in the riot the guards brought in for questioning, he did not match any of our citizens,” Mo said evenly.
“They’re not from Rahmi?”
“No. We found the man on a customs video coming into Rahmi by boat from Surman. We’re running down the papers to find a name, but they’re probably going to be fake. It appears Kareem was right. Someone is trying to make it look like the Rahmi people are unhappy, and I think it has everything to do with stopping this lab of yours from being built. We simply don't have any specifics at this point.”
Zain shoved his hands in the pockets of his suit and paced slowly. “So they make Rahmi appear to be in a state of unrest, and they try to kill me, the engine behind the project. They have to be here then.”
“Yes, they are. You’re not safe, son. Let me take over. I can send you to be with your brother far away where you’ll be out of harm’s way.”
Zain shook his head. “No, Dad. I’m not going to be scared away so easily. You taught me to stand up for myself. I swore to protect Rahmi and her people. I intend to do just that by ferreting out whoever is behind this and holding them responsible while getting every nation to agree to this lab. Just keep me filled in on what’s going on in Rahmi.”
“I’ll work on figuring out the motive. That can help lead us to the perpetrators. Although, after reading Kareem’s report, I’m inclined to think Queen Suri is behind this.”
“The most common reasons for attacks are money and revenge. It fits. Now we just need to prove it. I’m going to have Kareem keep an eye on them, but I’m going to see if our friends can find anything out as well,” Zain said as he gathered his notes.
“I’ll look into it as well. Let me know what you find. Be careful, son.” Mo reached out and gave Zain a quick hug before Zain had to leave for the first of several smaller group meetings.
*
The chancellor leaned to his side and whispered into Mila’s ear. “The prince seems highly intelligent. Did you get this impression as well?”
Mila gave a single nod and went back to interpreting the group discussion regarding cyber attacks leading to geopolitical tensions.
It was hard not to be impressed by Zain. He had a welcoming demeanor but when he started talking business, he was all business. He was open to other ideas but confident in his own. Since there were no reporters in the room and assistants had been relegated to the hallway, only interpreters and bodyguards were inside. To reassure everyone that open communication was paramount, all attendees were required to hand over all cell phones and were swept for recording devices. Their phones were put in a soundproof box on a table visible to everyone. People had complained at first, but when Zain asked for brutal honesty, they looked relieved knowing there was no way a sound bite might end up on the news. Now, the delegates spoke freely, something they were rarely allowed to do.
The chancellor nudged Mila. “I have a question,” he whispered.
“What is it?” Mila asked in German.
“Tell them that Germany’s problem is we trace cyber attacks against our government or our people, but the home country of the offender refuses to prosecute or turn them over. Ask if the countries, as a group, would be willing to sign an agreement publicly stating that we will prosecute any of our own citizens if evidence of cyber attacks is found against said citizen. Only action against these criminals will deter them.”
Mila finished taking the dictation of the question and slowly raised her hand. Zain saw her immediately. She felt his eyes soften before remembering where they were. “Germany, you have a question?”