“Oh.” The hushed sound was barely more than a puff of air from his lips. His hand lifted to his chin and cheek before he turned away from Kairo. He sat on the edge of the bed, his mouth lifted in a crooked smile as he shrugged. “It’s nothing. That-that wasn’t a big deal compared…” His words drifted off.
Kairo crossed the room and stood directly in front of Isidore. Very carefully, he placed his fingers under Isidore’s jaw, putting enough pressure to make him lift his face so that he could have a closer look. The new bruises were overtaking the old ones. From this angle he could also see what appeared to be some old bruises on his throat as if someone had tried to strangle him.
“Compared to?” Kairo prodded, turning Isidore’s face one way and then the other. As he did, he noticed that Isidore avoided his gaze while still clinging to that uneven smile.
“Earlier. Vanko wasn’t pleased when I refused to help him. I guess he was hoping he could knock me around a bit and I’d agree to whatever he wanted. What’s a little physical discomfort compared to potentially ruining the lives of millions? Besides, it’s like I told you, I don’t have access to what he wants.”
“And you refused to bend until your sister was dragged into this.”
Those gray eyes snapped to him now, but this time he caught a glimpse of what lay behind the happy-go-lucky façade he kept in place. Fear and pain. Desperation and guilt. There was something about Isidore. Kairo wasn’t sure if Isidore’s happiness and naïveté were all fake, but rather things he clung to like a security blanket against something darker that resided inside of him.
Kairo was usually so fucking good at reading people. It was all part of his job. Reconnaissance was all about getting the vital details of a region, person, or task before the rest of the team arrived. It was gathering the information they needed in order to plan and execute a mission. Not only did he need to know how to take apart a security system, but he had to determine the weakest points and the best targets.
Isidore Panopoulos was a walking target, but for some reason, Kairo was having trouble getting a good bead on him.
Dropping his hand to his side, Kairo stepped back and sat on his bed while Isidore slumped. A wince dug lines in his face briefly, and he shifted his position to lean to his left.
“Ribs?” Kairo inquired.
The smile was even brighter this time and fully formed. “They’re better now. At first I thought one or more was broken. It hurt to breathe. But after a few days passed, the pain lessened and breathing got easier.”
Kairo grunted. “Badly bruised. How long have you been here?”
Isidore’s expression scrunched up with thought until he finally answered, “About nine days.”
“And no one has noticed that you or even your sister is missing?”
“Unlikely. During the summer months, I tend to take off and travel. I recently told all my executives and managers that I’d be out of the country through most of August, traveling with Athena. She’s supposed to return to school next month, and I wanted us to spend some time together before she gets wrapped up in her studies.” He shrugged one shoulder. “Besides, I’m more of a…a figurehead for the conglomerate. The presidents and board of directors are running things. They need me to cast final votes or to show up at events to smile at the press. No one needs me to actually make decisions. They’d probably prefer it if I didn’t meddle in things.”
Kairo sighed softly. Nine days and little chance of anyone searching for the Panopoulos siblings anytime soon. But nine days meant that it was likely Isidore had seen more of the house than this room.
“Have you seen any other parts of the house? Can you describe the layout to me?”
Isidore’s expression immediately brightened, and Kairo’s heart flopped painfully in his chest. It was as if Isidore glowed from the inside out when he smiled like that. Kairo hadn’t noticed it because of the clouds in his eyes, but now it was like standing in the summer sun.
“I can describe the house in great detail if you’d like. This is my family’s winter house.”
“What?” Kairo screeched, his brain locking up for a second. “This is your house?”
The man in front of him nodded vigorously. “Yes, my family’s. My maternal great-grandmother had it built because she found it peaceful to be near the monasteries during the winter. I believe she thought winter should be a time of personal reflection and meditation. To be closer to God. And the cliffside monasteries give the area a very mystical feel.”
“Where are we, exactly?”
“The house is outside a small village called Kalambaka, up in the mountains. There aren’t any close neighbors, and it takes about twenty to thirty minutes to drive into town. Longer if there’s fog or snow. Kalambaka is one of the closest towns to Meteora.”
Kairo pointed a finger at Isidore. “That sounds vaguely familiar, but I’m afraid I’m not incredibly familiar with Greece outside of Athens and Delphi.”
“No problem. Meteora is about a four-hour drive from Athens and is in one of the most northern parts of Greece. It’s famous for having more than half a dozen monasteries here, with many perched on their cliffs. It’s really quite picturesque and a favorite tourist spot during the summer months.”
Leaning back on his elbows, Kairo frowned as he turned over this new information. “With it being the end of July, the area is probably crowded with tourists, which means that the locals aren’t going to necessarily notice new faces in town.”
Isidore shook his head. “No, not at all.”
It seemed very unlikely that coworkers, employees, and even the locals weren’t going to be of any help. “Were you here when you were kidnapped?”
“No, Athens,” Isidore replied with a shake of his head. “I’d been preparing to travel to our summer home on Santorini. I was supposed to meet Athena there. We’d stay in Megalochori for a week or two. Then I was going to accompany her to California. She’s starting her master’s studies at Stamford.”
The pride ringing in Isidore’s voice every time he spoke of his sister made Kairo want to smile as well. He just hoped this Athena was worthy of all this brotherly worship.