‘And I can?’
She nodded. ‘Pardon me for saying this, but there are a lot of soldiers in the world who are ex-Special Forces. Maybe they aren’t as good as you, but they’re pretty damn close. And I should know because I’ve worked with some of them.’
‘What’s your point?’
‘Explorer brought you here for a reason. My guess is trust.’
‘Trust?’
‘Even though he deceived you — even though he fed you a bunch of lies to get you here — he still feels he can trust you. That tells me a lot. That tells me I can trust you, too.’
‘He trusts me to do what?’
She shrugged. ‘You’ll have to ask him that yourself.’
66
Payne’s head was spinning from everything Tiffany had told him. At first, he had doubted that anyone could know him well enough to predict his every move, but when she broke things down for him, step-by-step, it sounded within the realm of possibility. Maria had turned to him and Jones for protection. Then the three of them had turned to Ulster for help with the artefacts. In less than a weekend, Explorer had assembled a top-notch team simply by pulling their strings.
Payne didn’t know whether to be pissed off or impressed.
Just to be safe, Payne decided to meet Explorer alone. If he turned out to be someone from Payne’s past, then he wanted to deal with him on the chopper before Jones, Maria and Ulster learned his identity. The CIA was known for its elaborate missions, sometimes leaving sleeper agents in the field for decades before they were called into action, but this was something different. At least sleeper agents were agents. They were trained to do the assignment the Agency had given to them, even if it occurred years after their placement. But this? In addition to not being agents, Maria and Ulster weren’t even American.
Why had Explorer lured them here? What was his end game?
Payne was eager to find out.
He waited for the dark-green utility helicopter to land on the eastern side of the pyramid before rushing to greet it. He used one hand to shield his eyes from the dirt and sand that was kicked up by the chopper. He used the other hand to hold the assault rifle. If he sensed trouble of any kind, he was more than willing to open fire — if for no other reason than to give his friends more time to slip away.
The rear cabin door slid open, revealing an older man in khaki pants and a short-sleeved shirt. Aviator sunglasses covered his eyes. The man, concerned with Payne’s mood, raised his hands and waved. Not only to greet Payne, but to let him know that he was unarmed. It was a gesture Payne did not return. There would be no kindness until he knew what was going on.
Instead of leaving the helicopter, the man backed inside and took a seat on one of the three benches. The rest of the cabin was empty. Other than the pilot, who remained in the cockpit, no one else was on board. Payne made sure before he climbed inside. Only then did he focus on the man. Although his face looked familiar, Payne couldn’t quite place it until the man took off his sunglasses and flashed a cat-that-ate-the-canary smile. Then everything clicked.
It was Dr Charles Boyd, Maria’s one-time mentor.
A man who had lived a double life for decades.
A spy who had been outed by Payne and Jones.
Payne groaned in recognition. ‘Son of a bitch.’
Boyd’s smiled wider. ‘Hello to you, too.’
Born Charles Ian Holloway, Explorer had been known by many names over the years. He had attended the US Naval Academy in the early 1960s. Upon graduation, he was loaned to the Pentagon for an ‘alternative tour of duty’, after which Charles Holloway ceased to exist. Reborn as Charles Boyd, he majored in archaeology and linguistics at Oxford. He was eventually hired by Dover University, where he rose through the teaching ranks and was named head of the archaeology department in 1991. By that time, his reputation as a scholar was well established. This allowed him to travel the world without drawing attention. His cover as an academic allowed him to pursue his true agenda as a CIA operative. The CIA financed his intellectual pursuits, and in exchange he was obliged to do their bidding. Nothing too extravagant — mostly smuggling and simple intelligence — but important nonetheless.
Since Boyd truly enjoyed the activities associated with his cover, he continued to work as a professor and an archaeologist even after the CIA gave him the opportunity to move on. His research in one particular site, the Catacombs of Orvieto, had attracted an inquisitive student with a passion for history: a much younger Maria Pelati. Familiar with her surname — and her father’s influence in Italy — Boyd took her under his wing, where she quickly blossomed into his best pupil. He was so impressed by her abilities that he hired her as his teaching assistant. During the school year, they worked side-by-side in the classroom. During the summer months, they worked side-by-side in the field. Their relationship went beyond professor and student. She viewed him as a mentor and a surrogate father, someone she could look up to and trust.
But Boyd had been lying to her the entire time.
His double life finally came to light after they had discovered the Catacombs of Orvieto. Inside the legendary site, they found a scroll that threatened the sanctity of the Catholic Church. Fearing the damage it would cause, Benito Pelati tried to fix the problem by accusing Boyd of murder and theft. In the course of a week, Boyd went from a respected academic to one of the most sought-after fugitives in all of Europe — and Maria was labelled his accomplice.
Known for their ability to track targets, Payne and Jones were coerced by two ‘CIA agents’ to find Boyd before anyone else could capitalize on his discovery. It took a while, but they eventually found Boyd and Maria in Milan. Payne and Jones were ready to turn them over when they sensed that something wasn’t quite right. As it turned out, the men were actually working with Benito Pelati, and they had been paid handsomely to ensure that no one, including Maria, would bring the damning information about Christianity to light. To convince Payne and Jones of his innocence, and to save his life, Boyd was forced to reveal his role with the Agency and his non-official cover status. This was done at gunpoint in front of Maria.
In a matter of minutes, Maria learned that her father had sent two men to kill her and that her surrogate father was a long-time spy who had been deceiving her for years.
After that, it was tough for her to trust anyone.
Especially men.
Payne held his weapon steady. ‘I thought you had retired.’
Boyd shook his head. ‘Apparently not.’
‘Still with the Agency?’
‘I am indeed.’
Payne considered Boyd’s claim. It would be tough to verify in the field, since CIA agents weren’t issued credentials of any kind. Normally he would just call Raskin and ask him, but he was temporarily off limits. ‘Out of curiosity, how does someone stay on active duty after a clusterfuck like Orvieto? Your picture was on the front page of every newspaper in Europe. I’m guessing that much publicity would make it impossible to do your job.’
‘I guess that depends on one’s job.’
‘You’re no longer an operative?’
‘Not in the conventional sense, no. Then again, nothing about my career has been conventional. You know that better than most.’
Payne nodded. ‘I guess I do.’
Boyd crossed his legs in front of him. He appeared to be calm, totally under control. ‘So, I guess you’re wondering why you’re here.’
‘The question had crossed my mind.’
‘I was hoping to share that morsel with everybody, but since you are currently pointing an assault rifle at my chest, I am going to assume that is highly unlikely.’