“I’m still not convinced it’s Lazaro,” Hawke said.
Reaper looked over at him. “What makes you say that?”
“I know Lazaro. Bastard killed my wife. I looked into him a lot after that. I researched his life story and I know what he’s capable of. Lazaro is good — very good. He’s one of the best assassins on the black market and he’s as ruthless as a great white shark, but he’s not this good.”
“Really?”
He nodded. “Really. I don’t know who this is, but I’m really not sure I believe it’s the Spider. Whoever’s behind these shootings is something else altogether,” his words began to trail away as he thought about the deaths of Devlin, Lund and Kim. “Whoever’s doing this is better than Lazaro.”
“That’s a comforting thought,” Lexi said. “But if he gets too close to me, he’d better say his prayers.”
“Get in line, sister,” Scarlet said.
“But that’s just it, Lex,” Hawke said. “He’s not going to get close to you, is he? He kills from miles way and is long gone before anyone can work out where he ever was.”
A deep silence filled the room. They all knew he was right. They were vulnerable and it wasn’t a feeling they were used to.
“Anyway, we’re fugitives now,” Hawke said. “This is how we run. We take what we can get, and we get what we can take. Besides, things will be fine when Francken pays up.”
“I still have my doubts about that,” Lea said.
“Relax,” Ryan said. “Maybe our luck will change and we’ll get a break.”
Scarlet laughed. “Now you’re talking my language.”
Lea leaned back in her chair. “I’ll relax when I see the money in the bank and we’re on our way to rescue Alex and Jack Brooke. In the meantime, I’d rather keep things cynical.”
“With luck,” Nikolai said, “our failure at the cave might have lulled them into a false sense of security.”
“Talk about the triumph of hope over experience,” said Scarlet.
Jazmin, who had been quiet since her abduction, now spoke up. “Who were the men that kidnapped me? I mean exactly.”
“They didn’t tell you?” Lea asked.
“They tied me up, gagged me and put a bag over my head for most of the time. I don’t think they were very interested in conversation.”
Hawke looked at the young Hungarian woman. She was scared and wanted answers, but up until now there had been no time. “They’re a mercenary force,” he explained. “A dangerous combination of former Belgian special forces and a splinter faction of the Congolese March 23 Movement. An explosive mix, and right now their favorite pastime is trying to kill us. They used you for your knowledge and as a human shield.”
Jazmin’s eyes widened. “They’re mercenaries?”
“Just relax,” Scarlet said. “With the exception of monkey boy here, we’re all more than capable of dealing with the Blood Crew.”
“I’m asleep,” Ryan said from behind his sunglasses. “I didn’t hear that and I don’t need to respond to it.”
“What was this March 23 Movement?”
“They were a group of military rebels working in the eastern districts of the Congo,” Hawke unlocked the windows and pushed them fully open. Warm air blew into the room and tugged at his hair. “They were part of the M23 rebellion which formed against the government. Some say they were funded by the Rwandans, but we’ll probably never know the truth. Either way, they were a ruthless band of hard fighters and when things came to an end one of their leaders, a man named Joseph Kashala, found himself unemployed. He did what anyone else would do and formed a private army of mercenaries.”
Jazmin nervously fiddled with the hem of her jacket. “Killers for hire?”
Hawke smiled at her. “We can look after ourselves, and you’ll be safe as long as you do what we say and don’t take any crazy risks.”
“Not too long ago I was in my office at work and organising an excavation in Romania, Mr Hawke. Now I’m sitting in a room full of ex-soldiers after being kidnapped by a group of Belgian commandos and Congolese mercenaries. What sort of risk could be crazier than just staying with you?”
“She makes a good point,” Ryan said.
Scarlet elbowed him in the ribs.
“Hey, that hurt!”
“I thought you were asleep?” she said.
“More of a nap, really.”
Jazmin raised her hands to heaven. “My God, you people are crazy! I’m a dead woman walking.”
Reaper pulled his tobacco tin out of his pocket and opened it up. The sweet smell filled the room before another breeze blew it away again. “We’re not so crazy. We live on the road and we see the world. We have had adventures that you would not believe. Maybe those who only dream of adventure are the crazy one, non?”
Jazmin had no response. She was scared, but she didn’t want to show it in front of these people. They might be as crazy as hell, but they were friendly. And if they really were all that stood between her and King Kashala, then she was sticking as close to them as she could get.
Jazmin handed Hawke the phone. “We need to go to the Prophet Elias Monastery. It’s on the summit on Mount Profitis. Orpheus says that is where a grotto he calls ‘the mouth of hell’ is located — somewhere on the summit.”
“It makes sense,” Ryan added. “If you were in the business of selling god and you wanted to build a monastery, you’d put it right over the top of something like that and hide it from the world forever.”
“Exactly,” Jazmin said.
Hawke gave her a reassuring smile. “All right, at least we know where we’re going. Dimitrov and Kashala might have the map but they haven’t got you or Ryan, so we have the advantage for once.”
Lea laughed. “Who’d have thunk it?”
“We might have the advantage,” Scarlet said coolly, “But can we win the match?”
Hawke’s face grew more serious. “Tomorrow, we find out.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Hawke pulled up in the parking lot opposite the Prophet Elias Monastery and killed the engine. The monastery was one of the oldest buildings on the island and situated high on the dry, sun-kissed summit of Mount Profitis Ilias. Two monks had built the towering outer walls at the start of the eighteenth century and the place looked more like a fort than a place of worship.
Now, in the fresh silence, the warm Aegean breeze blew in through the open windows and gently brushed their faces. Tourists parked up on the other side of the lot looked out across the sea to the east. It was an impressive vista, but Hawke had his mind on another kind of treasure. He studied the white painted stone walls surrounding the monastery, almost too bright to look at in the dazzling sun.
At least there was no sign of Sergei Dimitrov, King Kashala or the rest of the Blood Crew.
They emerged from the hire car and stepped into the bright day. Lea slipped on her sunglasses and viewed the monastery from below, hand on hips as the warm air blew through her hair. “Seems quiet enough,” she said. “Maybe this time it’s a quick in and out job.”
“Ryan,” Scarlet called out. “Lea needs you.”
He stepped over, hands in pockets. “What for?”
“She says she needs a quick in and out job and I hear on the grapevine that’s your speciality.”
“I’d like to point out that this is an outrageous slur on my good character,” Ryan said. “I’m just not that sort of man.”
“Boy.”
“Man.”
“All right,” Hawke said. “Let’s call time on the tit for tat and get inside.”
They made their way up to the famous monastery and pushed through the main door into the cool shade of the ancient building. An elderly couple gave vague smiles as they passed them in the nave and headed outside back to their car.