Mai commented, “It does appear to show the order in which to look, albeit subtly.”
Lauren nodded in agreement. “It does. But do you also see why they’re terming it as ‘resting places?’ Not tombs, or graves or whatever?”
“All is not as it seems,” Dahl read aloud.
“Yeah. Obviously there’s a ton more research required.”
“The Indian is surrounded by guns,” Alicia read aloud. “What the hell does that mean?”
“Let’s not get too far ahead,” Hayden said.
“It’s believed the knowledge of all these final resting places died with the Nazi Order.” Lauren said. “Maybe they were planning on writing something down. Maybe coding it. Or passing the knowledge on to other generations. We don’t know for sure, but we do know this is all we have to go on,” she shrugged, “and everyone’s in the same boat.” She stared at Drake. “Dinghy. Survival raft. You get the idea.”
The Yorkshireman nodded proudly. “Sure do. The SAS could make a rock float.”
“Well, whoever we’re up against, they have the same clues we do,” Hayden said. “How about we make a start?”
Kinimaka turned away from the window. “The four corners of the earth?” he asked. “Where are they?”
The room looked blank. “Hard to say,” Dahl said. “When the world’s round.”
“Okay, how about the first Horseman that they referenced. This Father of Strategy.” Kinimaka moved into the room, blocking all light from the window at his back. “What references do we have to him?”
“As you would expect—” Lauren tapped at the screen “—the think tank back home has that covered too…” She took a moment to read.
Drake took the same moment to reflect. Lauren’s mention of “the think tank back home” only clarified that which was absent.
Karin Blake.
Granted time flew when you were part of the SPEAR team, but they were long past the day and even the week when Karin should have been in touch. Every time he resolved to contact her something stopped him — whether it be a raft of enemies, a world crisis, or his own prerequisite for not being irritating. Karin needed her space, but—
Where the hell is she?
Lauren started to speak and again thoughts of Karin had to be shelved.
“It seems a historical figure was known as the Father of Strategy. Hannibal.”
Smyth looked unsure. “Which one?”
Alicia pursed her lips. “If it’s the Anthony Hopkins dude I ain’t leaving this room.”
“Hannibal Barca was the legendary military commander from Carthage. Born in 247 BC, he was the man that marched a whole army, including war elephants, over the Pyrenees and the Alps into Italy. He had an ability to determine his strengths and the enemies’ weaknesses, and defeated a whole slew of Rome’s allies. The only way he was eventually beaten was when some guy studied his own brilliant tactics and devised a way to use them against him. This was at Carthage.”
“So this guy is the Father of Strategy?” Smyth asked. “This Hannibal?”
“Considered one of the greatest military strategists in history and one of the paramount generals of antiquity along with Alexander the Great and Caesar. He was named the Father of Strategy because his worst enemy, Rome, eventually adopted his military tactics into their own schemes.”
“Now that’s a win,” Dahl said, “if ever there was one.”
Lauren nodded. “Even better. Hannibal was considered such a nightmare to Rome that they adopted a saying whenever any kind of disaster struck. Translated it is, Hannibal is at the gates! The Latin phrase became common and is still used today.”
“Getting back to the Order,” Hayden prompted them. “How does it fit?”
“Well, we can safely say Hannibal is one of the Four Horsemen. Beyond the physical fact that he obviously rode a horse, he’s named throughout history as the Father of Strategy. He then, is War, the first Horseman. He certainly brought war to the Roman empire.”
Drake scanned the text. “So it says the blueprint of the Order of the Last Judgment was laid with the Horsemen. Are we to assume that the Order buried a devastating weapon inside Hannibal’s grave? Leaving it for a future generation?”
Lauren nodded. “That’s the general feeling. A weapon in every grave. A grave at every corner of the earth.”
Kinimaka raised a brow. “Which again makes as much sense as a grass skirt.”
Hayden waved him down. “Forget that,” she said. “For now. Surely a man such as Hannibal will have a tomb or mausoleum?”
Lauren sat back. “Yeah, that’s where it gets tricky. Poor old Hannibal was exiled and died a poor death, probably from poison. He was buried in an unmarked grave.”
Drake stared. “Bollocks.”
“Kinda makes you wonder, doesn’t it?”
“Do we have a location?” Mai asked.
“Oh yeah.” Lauren smiled. “Africa.”
CHAPTER FOUR
Alicia walked over to a side cabinet and pulled out a bottle of water from the mini-fridge on top. The start of a new op was always a fraught affair. Her forte was out in the field; this time though they clearly needed a plan. Hayden had already joined Lauren at the laptop and Smyth was attempting to look interested, no doubt because the New Yorker was embracing a different role. Oh yeah, and because she isn’t in prison visiting a mad terrorist.
Alicia kept her own council, but found it hard to see the logic of Lauren’s thinking. Still, it wasn’t her place to judge, not after the life she’d already led. Lauren Fox was worldly wise and shrewd enough to see what was coming.
Hope so. Alicia drank half the bottle, then turned to Drake. The Yorkshireman was currently standing beside Dahl and Kenzie. She was about to move in when there was a movement at her side.
“Oh, hey Yogi. How’s it hanging?”
“Okay.” The Russian thief had been downcast ever since his abrupt revelation. “Do you think they hate me now?”
“Who? Them? Are you kidding? Nobody judges you, especially not me.” She grunted and looked around. “Or Mai. Or Drake. And especially not Kenzie. Bitch probably has a dungeon full of nasty little secrets.”
“Oh.”
“Not that yours is a nasty little secret.” Shit! “Hey I’m still trying to change here. I’m no friggin’ good with the pep talks.”
“I see that.”
She reached out, “C’mere!” and lunged for his head as he slipped away, trying to drag him into a headlock. Yorgi skipped toward the end of the room, light on his feet. Alicia saw the futility of pursuit.
“Next time, boy.”
Drake watched her approach. “Y’know he’s scared of you.”
“Didn’t think the kid was afraid of anything. Not after spending time in that Russian prison and running up walls. Then, you find out he’s afraid of this.” She tapped her head.
“Most powerful weapon of all,” Dahl said. “Just ask Hannibal.”
“Ooh, Torsty cracks a witticism. Let’s all mark the calendar. Seriously though,” Alicia added. “Kid needs to talk. I’m not best qualified.”
Kenzie barked. “Really? I am astounded.”
“Were you mentioned in Webb’s statement? Oh yeah, I think so.”
The Israeli shrugged. “I find it hard to sleep at night. So what?”
“It’s why,” Alicia said. “Not what.”
“For the same reason as you, I expect.”
A deep silence fell. Dahl met Drake’s eyes over the top of the women’s heads and made a slight roll. Drake looked away fast, not belittling the women but not wanting to get dragged down a well of misery either. Alicia looked up when Hayden started to speak.