"Are you certain I can't convince you to stay on the plane?" Edward asked.

"Not a chance. If this man is as much of a menace as you've said, I'm not leaving you alone with him. Especially not with only Benny and Trigger as your guards. They aren't very observant at times," Dee replied, hugging him.

The two were at the back of the private jet, spending a private moment together in his curtained dressing room. Both had changed into fresh outfits for their arrival at Graf Radulf Stromel's castle in the southwestern mountains of Germany. Out in the front of the plane, the other two bodyguards, Benny and Trigger, were sleeping.

"I wish I hadn't told him about the clock." Edward sighed. "But he probably already knows you're with me, and would wonder why I didn't bring you along." Tilting her chin up, he added, "Just be careful, ok? I don't want you shifting or taking any unnecessary risks."

Dee nodded and kissed him. "No cat tricks, and no unnecessary risks. I promise."

There was something he wasn't telling her, and she knew that. She could tell by the way his brow was furrowed when he would look at her, the way he fidgeted, the way he now toyed with the question mark around her neck. A sigh escaped her lips before she could catch it.

"Do we really need to go? Can't you just have him show up at the landing field and make a quick deal with him for the damn thing?"

"No. He has to have the authenticity checked on it. You know that. We'll make this stay as short as possible, ok?" He left it unspoken that he would settle for less than he really wanted if it would get them out of there quicker.

The pilot announced his intention to land just then. Without wanting to say another word to her, Eddie turned to leave the dressing room. Dee caught hold of his tie and pulled him back, giving him a long kiss. As she released him, she gave him a small smile.

"For luck," she said, smoothing his tie back in place.

Luck. The way his stomach was knotting up and cramping, they were going to need all the luck they could get. He slipped an antacid into his mouth before following her out to their seats.

~ ~ ~

A large and silent German man greeted the group at the airstrip. He spoke not a word, and lifted not a finger to help get the luggage and clock into the car. Dee stuck close to Edward, her arm hooked firmly in his. She didn't want to admit it, but she felt a little scared and uncomfortable already. How her emotions would gel once she got to the castle, she wasn't certain. As they rode in the fading light, she held tight to her six month old tiger cub, Tangram, who had settled in her lap. The tiger felt tense under the hand she rested on his back.

The car sped along the narrow mountain road. When the driver veered off, through a gate, the castle finally came into sight. When the four hundred year old castle loomed ahead, Dee gave an involuntary shudder at the sight. She was reminded of Edmund Pevensie's first glimpse of the White Witch's castle nestled between two hills in the snow covered land of Narnia. The feeling of dread that had filled her when she had first read The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe now washed over her again. Sensing her apprehension, Edward placed a hand on her thigh. The sudden weight caused her to jump before realizing that it was just Eddie. Dee sighed and pressed herself against him.

When the driver stopped at the front of the castle, he got out and leaned against the car, lighting up a cigarette. Trigger got out of the car, holding the door open for the rest of the group. In her arms, Dee held Tangram, who became more nervous as she stood looking up at the stone façade. Edward took her arm as she shuddered. A curtain twitched back over a window, letting her know they were being watched.

"I don't like it here, Eddie," she whispered.

"Hush," was all he said as he cleared his throat and followed two attendants who had appeared into the castle.

The group was shown to their rooms and told that dinner would be served in one hour. Waiting until the hollow clicking of shoes on the stone floors died, Edward then pulled out the little electronic device from his bag and began scanning the room for bugs. Three times the device beeped, and three times he discovered hidden listening devices. In his fingers he broke the bugs apart, then taking the remains to the bathroom to flush down the toilet.

"We will go down to dinner, and then have a meeting in here. This place is quieter than usual. I don't like that one bit," he said.

Dee merely nodded, continuing to brush the cub's fur. The motion soothed her and the cub. Already there was a deep hatred in her for this man she had not met. If she could have her way, they would return immediately to the plane and leave. But this was Edward's business trip. He was the boss. She would do what he wanted and say nothing more.
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