“Your Highness, I must beg your indulgence—I have only a short time before my team must depart. It is anticipated that a Chinese-backed paramilitary force will strike our hotel tonight and attempt to take us captive. We must leave well before that happens, and we have prepared accordingly.“

Gray leaned forward slightly. “Nonetheless, you must understand—your cabinet of ministers has adopted a plan, one put forward by a world power. That plan will demand a very steep price of your nation, and of your people. It is a practice of the past.”

A true story.

Graham lay low in the back of the vehicle, pressed almost into the floorboards, eyes fixed on the threadbare fabric mat as he wrestled with the weight of his decision. The plaintive strain of the four-cylinder engine, coupled with seven nights of fractured sleep, dulled his ability to think with precision. Unfortunate, given the gravity of the moment. No—he was certain now—a large, powerful craft was out of the question. No noise, no fast boats, no conspicuous departures from the background hum of daily commerce. If this was to be done, extraction had to come by way of a trusted local fisherman, one with a steady hand and a dependable skiff. The notion had broached by means of a gentle dawn whisper, at breakfast on the hotel balcony overlooking a newly sunlit bay. Gray took the opportunity to capture a picture of its thousand unspoken words onto his otherwise useless mobile device.

He would rather stink of fish on an air-conditioned flight to Paris than rot for weeks—perhaps longer—in an African jail. Gray cut the thought short, forcing it from his mind. He cursed himself for agreeing to wade into this storm for nothing more than “expenses incurred,” vowing never again to take on such a project.

“The Gray Man, back in the saddle, yes sir! We’ll sip a couple Tuskers, swap tall tales—and Graham… we’ll owe you big time.” He mouthed the line again, mocking the absent antagonist with bitter amusement.

Pro bono, Gray reminded himself, was the official term. It sounded appropriately competent, almost noble, and therefore eased the sting of the whole sordid arrangement. After all, it was Latin—suggesting professional gravitas, even serendipity—rather than the raw stupidity implied by simply “giving it away for free.”

A rose by any other name.

Such trifles were of no matter now. The steady heaving of the engine, the winding turns, and the sudden absence of potholes told Gray they had entered the palace grounds. He slid his brief to the door at his side, positioning it for a quick exit.

The air carried the sulfurous reek of the poor-grade petrol they’d bought from a street vendor ten minutes earlier. Chris, their Nigerian driver, was deeply wired into the streets here—a fixer who could procure anything: cheap currency, informants, medicine, women, alcohol, or, when it counted most, a discreet fishing skiff. The petrol had gotten them this far; with luck, it would get them back as well—and in time.

A flash of memory intruded: the thump and rotor wash of Seahawk helicopters in the Middle East. Gray blinked it away as the car’s tires gave a low growl, biting into the denser gravel of a fresh-laid drive. This must be it, he thought, lifting his head slightly for a glimpse.

“Shh, shh.” Chris raised a steady hand toward Gray. “We wait until we’re called, Mr. G.”

From a pair of beige double doors, a tall staffer in kitchen garb emerged, crossed the service lot behind the palace, and approached. Royal Defense Force guards patrolled the perimeter, their rifles catching dull glints of light. The man cast a casual glance toward the roadway, then swept his eyes along the ramparts. Satisfied, he swung open the rear passenger door and gestured sharply.

Gray slipped out, brief in hand. The staffer’s long white sleeve arced outward, directing him toward the doors. Gray moved quickly, brushing dust from his knees and sleeves, aware that his dark green shirt, worn jeans, scuffed terrain boots, and six-day beard would hardly inspire confidence with a princess.

He drew a deep breath, steadying himself. He had come to know his adrenaline—one minute and thirty seconds. That was the window. Do nothing rash until it passed; then begin your work.

Fretting, he reminded himself, was one of the strategist’s seven labors: the endless envisioning of scenarios, of angles and outcomes, of responses waiting to be chosen. The potencies of what might become lingered persistently, circling his mind and soul like so many moths to a flame.

The entourage moved swiftly through the service corridors and kitchen. Staff scattered around stainless worktables, stealing quick glances before deliberately looking away—each aware that a Western-dressed man in their midst meant something best unseen. Knowledge here was dangerous, and curiosity a liability.

The tall man in kitchen garb was clearly more than a cook. With a mere flick of his hand, military guards rushed to unlatch a previously concealed panel in the wall. Gray, the chef, and a single guard slipped into the narrow chamber beyond; the panel shut quickly and silently, camouflaged once more by an idle mop and bucket.

Gray noted the space was less an ‘entrance’ lobby than an emergency exit reserved for the palace’s most important residents. As the adrenaline receded, he drew in a slow breath. The small compartment offered blessed relief: cool, conditioned air—a stark contrast to the last seven days of heat, grassland dust, humidity, Subarus, calls to prayer, and mosquitoes.

The red-painted walls caught his attention. Under red lamps they would glow white, easily visible at night, yet preserve night vision for anyone making their escape while stepping outside into the darkness. Blank security monitors lined the ceiling edges, their black glass reflecting faintly.

In the silence, Gray could hear only the rush of his own breath. Then, with a low groan, the opposite wall panel began to move.

“We go,” the chef uttered with quiet urgency.

Gray was ushered into a shoulder-width corridor, its narrow walls pressing close, before they slipped through another hidden partition into a surprisingly modern living room: long plush sofas, a broad glass coffee table, and a large wall-mounted monitor.

“Please, Mr. Graham—sit,” the chef said, gesturing. “I am Bachir, here to assist you in whatever you require for your presentation to Her Highness.”

Bachir was no kitchen hand—that much was obvious.

Gray straightened his papers and checked the time on his Faraday-shielded mobile. The deadline pressed close: he had to finish here, return to the hotel, and reach the boat launch on time.

The presentation itself—drafted over the past week and polished during the last twenty-two hours—lay neatly placed at the head of the coffee table, on a single place cloth reserved for the seat of honor. Ironic, Gray thought: the document was little more than ritual. No names, no sponsors, no logos. Just a precis, an argument, a summary recommendation.

The truth was simple. He was the presentation.

At the far end of the room, an ornate glass-paned door swung open. One by one, members of the First Lady’s cabinet entered, smiling as they filed in—like contestants in some well-rehearsed pageant.

The entourage rose to their feet, and Gray followed, reminding himself again to breathe slowly, deeply.

Her Highness entered with unstudied grace, returning Bachir’s smile. He moved as though to draw back the massive end chair for her, hand firm on its carved frame, though it looked immovable. She seated herself, then with a simple lift of her hand, signaled for all present to sit.

Bachir leaned forward, lips near the Princess’s ear, and delivered a low, guttural whisper—indecipherable to Gray.

The Princess nodded, her gaze settling directly on Graham. Her light-toned skin and striking green eyes caught him off guard. In that moment, it struck Gray—she was Ebo, descended from ancient Nigerian royalty, her lineage marked by the R1b haplogroup that stretched back to the pharaohs of Egypt.

In her eyes he read recognition, a cultivated wisdom born of an education long denied to most Westerners. She was of royal blood, steeped in heritage, and carried with her an unspoken, politically leverageable beauty. Trained for this role since the age of four, her presence was both practiced and innate.

Gray understood at once the importance of her marriage to the President. This union was no accident, but a continuation of a tradition rooted in an empire older than either the United States or modern China—an empire with ties woven across nations, and across time itself. It was something he knew he must heed in his dealings here.

The Chinese, he thought, had failed to grasp it. They had arrived in flag-draped limousines, flanked by black-suited thugs in sunglasses—a cheap Hollywood performance. In their arrogance they had bypassed tribal elders, chiefs, the First Lady, and finally her President. It was all intimidation, greed, and the specter of implied violence.

But ancient, silent royalty was not comforted by such theater.

Her English was flawless.

“Mr. Graham, you have come to us at a trying time—and, I must say, at some risk to your own life. I understand you’ve met with the elders and chiefs of our three tribes this past week. I’m told those meetings went well. Since you have undertaken such an effort, tell me—how may I be of assistance?”

Her green eyes gleamed with curiosity and something deeper. She was flattered. Yet Gray found her unwavering stare unnerving.

“Your Highness, you are correct,” he began carefully. “I must beg your indulgence—I have only a short time before my team must depart. It is anticipated that a Chinese-backed paramilitary force will strike our hotel tonight and attempt to take us captive. We must leave well before that happens, and we have prepared accordingly.”

He leaned forward slightly. “Nonetheless, you must understand—your cabinet of ministers has adopted a plan, one put forward by a world power. That plan will demand a very steep price of your nation, and of your people. It is a practice of the past.

My nation is proposing a different path. And, Your Highness—” his voice steadied, “I am here to present that path to you.”

Gray cinched the straplock on his technical pack and set it beside his briefcase at the hotel room door. The phone rang. He spun, scanning for anything forgotten as he answered, his “Hello” clipped and serious.

“Sir, this is Monsieur Lebatt, the proprietor. I have a gentleman here who wishes to speak with you. He is from the Armée.”

“The Army?” Gray muttered to himself, before replying, “Alright, I’ll be right down.”

He dialed Evan immediately. “What’s up with this Army contact at the desk?”

Evan and the team had insisted on remaining with Gray after word of the paramilitary threat broke. Evan’s tone was one of near amusement. “Guess you haven’t heard. Government forces hit our adversary’s camp tonight—wiped them out. They’ve thrown up a buffer zone around the entire hotel district with two thousand armed troops. We’re now ‘official guests of His Excellency.’ Chris is out front with the vehicle. I’ll meet you by the desk in a sec.”

The hotel portico buzzed with engines and anxious guests rushing to leave. Evan spotted Graham speaking with the Armée officer and closed in just in time to hear the formal introduction.

“Monsieur Graham, I am Capitaine Igwe. His Excellency, the President, has instructed my team to remain at your service this evening. He also extends his deepest regrets that he was unable to receive you earlier today, and earnestly bids you to stay the night, so you may deliver your presentation to him tomorrow morning.”

Gray’s jaw tightened. It was 1938 all over again—only Humphrey Bogart was no longer around to offer advice.