“Look.” Alicia stepped forward, seeing no reason why this asshole should be allowed to ever talk again. “I think we’ve given you all the—”
“I have endless resources.” Webb held up a hand. “I have a video of you.” He nodded at Drake. “And her.” He nodded at Mai. “Which you had no idea was taken. I sent men to visit each of your homes and hotel rooms — nothing nasty — just to move things about. Why? So that the next time it happens you’ll think of me. Freaky, eh? And so when you just don’t know if you left that deodorant out on the dresser or if that toothbrush just fell on the floor by itself — you’ll think of me. I’ll be with you. Always. The stalker of your dreams. The vision in your nightmares. I have text on all of you. Volumes of information. Everything from Internet favorites to Facebook pictures to career evaluations. Did you know a clever man can piece together the entire layout of your house, garden, doors, windows and furniture from putting together the pictures you post on social media? Think about that the next time you upload a selfie. Habits. Routines. I know you. I know all of you.”
“Forgive me.” Mai’s voice was a susurration. “Are you a stalker or a tyrant bent on ruling the world? I forget amid your endless prattle.”
Webb blinked, shocked for a second, then caught himself. “Oh, very good. All right then. It’s been a blast. Until next time—” He made to move away and then stopped. “Oh, and pictures too,” he added. “I have thousands. Of every last one of the dead bastards that thwarted my very first endeavor!”
With this final, raging outburst, Webb ducked away into the hole in the wall at his back. Before Drake could move a metal door slammed down in his wake, clicking and whirring as it engaged dozens of locks.
“What’s that?” Trent wondered. “A panic room?”
Collins ran to the nearest window. “No. It’s the door to a sky-walk that leads directly into that tower. In truth it looks like the only way in.”
“Hayden remarked on the comms that there’s some kind of tunnel network,” Crouch stated.
Drake joined her, then looked back at Dahl. “You know what I’m thinking, mate?”
The Swede had carried the rocket launcher without complaint and now grinned widely. “I knew this bloody thing would come in handy.”
Drake backed away. Dahl positioned himself at the window, spread his feet apart and hefted the launcher over a brawny shoulder.
“Looks like your reign is already over, Tyler.”
The blackest of shadows fell among them. It plunged from where it had been clinging to the high roof, its limbs chopping and whirling and smashing. Dahl was hit first, two feet lancing into his shoulder. The Swede went down with a crash, winded and bruised, and the grenade launcher tumbled away. Drake was next, still trying to comprehend what had happened, struck in the kneecap and throat and left in agony. Mai reacted quicker than the rest, but still she wasn’t fast enough, midriff bruised with a flying kick and legs swept mercilessly out from under her. Still the black shadow spun among them. Trent, Crouch and Caitlyn were standing very close, and suddenly found themselves smashing into each other; heads colliding, legs tangling, all ending up in a writhing heap.
Only Smyth and Alicia remained.
Seconds had passed. Smyth loosened his gun, discharged it, only to find his target as elusive as smoke. The black-clad figure was there and then not there and then suddenly right up in Smyth’s face.
“What are you—” A fist smashed him in the mouth, silencing his sputter. A foot hooked his ankle, sending him to the floor. The same foot stomped on his chest, making him wheeze.
Beauregard turned to Alicia. “I could have used killing blows. I didn’t.”
Alicia crouched in readiness. “Only for the sake of speed.”
“Not true.”
“You’re not that good, Beau. Just tricky. And decent at hide and seek.”
The Frenchman appeared to pull a face under his mask. “I am on your side. You will see.”
Drake was back on his knees by now. “Let’s see how you fight without the shock and awe tactics shall we?”
He stood up, discarding his weapon, fists clenched. Beauregard gave him one stare and then turned back to Alicia.
“I will not go far from you.”
“You’re working for the goddamn Pythians!” she cried into the black, faceless mask.
“Am I?”
The tight-suited figure ran straight at the nearest wall, used its surface to rebound off and leap even higher, grabbed a timber spar and hauled himself up. He disappeared through an open skylight.
Moments later, Drake saw him sprinting across the rounded top of the sky-bridge, jumping through an open window into the tower.
“I don’t know what the hell to make of that guy.”
“He has helped us before,” Alicia said dubiously. “Shit.”
Mai took Drake’s proffered hand. “I didn’t see you all that eager to stop him, Myles.”
“Oh, right. And where were the legendary Ninja skills when we needed them? Out worrying about something they can’t change?”
Trent helped Collins to her feet. “Who was that guy?”
“Beauregard Alain,” Drake said. “Kind of a new nemesis of ours. Truth be told,” he grinned at Dahl, “I don’t believe any of us have landed a real blow on him yet.”
The mad Swede gave him a big goofy grin. “Time for that, matey. Oh there’s plenty of time for that.”
“We’re done in here,” Hayden said over the comms. “We have men trying to figure out the tunnels and a way into that tower. You might as well head out.”
Drake felt as though they’d lost. “Did we just fail?”
“Don’t be daft!” Dahl pounded him on the back. “We destroyed their hideout. Their Pandora’s Box plan. We killed or jailed three of their members. We even know two of the ones that escaped — Webb and Bell. And most importantly — the plague has been neutralized.”
“The world is safer,” Hayden said.
Drake took a long look around. “Only until we find out what’s next.”
CHAPTER FORTY FOUR
Drake walked out of the house, rubbing his aching muscles and kneading the knots out of his back. Tiredness threatened to envelop him like a voluminous shroud. But all around strode his friends, old and new, and their heroism and willingness to lay it all on the line for the people they protected gave him a fresh surge of adrenalin and pride.
Outside, the cold fresh air cooled his flesh and, for now, eased his worries.
Aaron Trent held out a hand. “Good to work with you, Drake. I look forward to the next time.”
“Any time,” Drake said. “And do let me know if you’re ever in the market for a Torsten Dahl.”
“Ah. We have a code we try to follow in the Razor’s Edge, epitomized by a single word. It’s called finesse.”
“Hmm. Never mind then.”
Drake shook hands with Silk and Radford and gave Collins a hug. As he stood there a light rain began to fall and his eyes fell upon Mai Kitano.
Staring up at the clouds, up at the rain, the Japanese woman had more water on her face than the light drizzle suggested.
Drake saw the look in her eyes. “It’s over isn’t it?”
“It has to be. At least for now.”
“For now? There’ll be no more chances, Mai. I couldn’t bloody take all this again.”
“Until I can come to terms with what I did,” Mai said. “There is nothing else for me. I hope you understand. I don’t expect you to. But I do hope. There is something I must do.”