Luther rose now, shaking his enormous head. “Nah, I guess not. The issue comes when Michael here brings up an ancient doomsday machine.”
“There are precedents,” Crouch asserted. “Archimedes for one. He designed and built the Iron Hand, a weapon that withstood Roman invasion for three long years. He also tried to build a death ray out of mirrors. Nikola Tesla did the same and called it the Teleforce. Aristotle spoke, quite plainly, of a doomsday machine, so what did he know back then? The capstone is the right size, has the heritage and the ancestry. It follows the pattern. ”
Luther didn’t answer. The group began to walk, in single file, back toward the daylight. Luther stopped them just before they reached the exit.
“Look here,” he said, face open and honest. “I’m nothing but plain-speaking. I see you as fellow soldiers. I realize I’m just like you. I am you, but better.” He grinned. “Naturally. I don’t entirely trust you, but once… I had a similar problem.”
“You were burned?” Alicia asked.
“Not exactly. But I submitted to the suits and found a way through. You could do the same. But you run from me and I will come back down on you like Nemesis, the Greek god of vengeance. I ain’t exaggerating when I say you will feel my fucking wrath.”
Drake let out a long sigh. “The men that sent you are corrupt. They have parted ways from your government, and real society. They’re using you, Luther, using your team. If it wasn’t for them your friends would still be alive today. We are not the enemy here.”
“I know you believe that, but—”
They exited into the sunlight, an overpowering glare. Crouch put a hand out close to Luther’s arm. “What if they could prove it?”
Drake tried not to look surprised. How can we…
“Give them a scrambled satphone,” Crouch said. “I know you have one. Not for reporting in to the suits, but for reaching out to vital contacts. Believe me, I’m in exactly the same boat. Sometimes, it’s the only way to move forward.”
“A satphone?” Luther looked surprised.
“To call our woman on the inside,” Hayden said. “To call Lauren Fox.”
Luther struggled with it for a long minute, but then perhaps understood they’d seen fit to take him into their confidence. A little reciprocation couldn’t hurt.
Taking a black phone from a backpack, he handed it to Dahl. “Knock yourself out.”
The Swede didn’t hesitate, but turned his back to Kenzie and walked away. They stood by the cars now and their surroundings were clear, bright and peaceful. Whichever enemies were abroad today were not here. Life had gifted them a good day.
Drake listened to Dahl and watched Kenzie. The signs were not good.
“I miss you all. God, I can’t wait to see the kids again, and you. We will sort it, I promise. Just hang in. I’ll be home soon. Kiss my girls… kiss Isabella and Julia for me…”
The Swede ended the call then, since he could hardly form another syllable. Kenzie glared at the floor as he walked by, her face set grim. Smyth plucked the phone from Dahl’s hands.
“Is that wise?” Hayden asked him. “We need Intel.”
“I will get Intel,” Smyth snapped. “But I’m talking to her.”
Drake and Alicia stood by Luther and Carey, chatting comfortably about recent missions and scars. Dahl joined them after a while and then Mai, conversing like the old friends that they were. When Smyth had finished, Mai went away to call her sister and Yorgi joined Drake.
It was peaceful, nice for a short while.
Luther loosened somewhat, telling a story of his own, but Carey never spoke, this being one of her peculiarities. Her eyes followed everyone though, and took it all in, and occasionally her lips curled.
Smyth broke it up to report Lauren’s status. “They set her free,” he said anxiously. “Finally. They let her go and she’s been wandering randomly for a day, checking for tails. Seems there are none.”
“Lauren’s in the clear?” Hayden said. “That’s great news.”
“For your proof?” Luther asked.
“Aye,” Drake said. “See, now you can relax. We concentrate on finishing this seven seals bollocks and then we’ll have your proof. How does that sound?”
“Apart from the gibberish — I can live with it.”
“Sweet.”
“I think this is the place.” Crouch held up his cell and displayed a map app. “See how the river bends and that mountain lies right in its lowest curvature? I think the place was chosen on purpose. Landscape like this never changes.”
“How far?” Drake was acutely aware of time constraints.
“Thirty minutes.” Crouch was happy. “North toward Cairo and the Giza pyramids and then a fifteen-minute drive east.”
“Great news,” Yorgi said. “We could finish this today.”
Hayden padded over to Kinimaka and the two enjoyed a quick private conversation. Drake hoped they might make it back together, he knew how deeply they cared for each other, but Hayden had hurt the big Hawaiian quite profoundly. She would have to work hard and show sincerity to make it happen.
Then Luther dropped a bombshell.
“I just realized something,” he said. “There’s only one hour until FrameHub’s deadline.”
“It really makes you wonder,” Alicia said. “SPEAR would have been all over their operation. I really believe we would have destroyed it. If the same splinter group that took us out also burned many more similar teams — who’s now protecting the people against threats like this?”
Hayden came over after hearing Luther’s words. “Nobody,” she said. “That’s why FrameHub haven’t and won’t be stopped.”
“Then two of those poor countries is about to become hell on earth?” Kinimaka asked.
“I’m afraid so. It’s gonna be Dark Age stuff. Or post apocalypse. And there’s nothing we can do about it.”
“Do we know which ones?” Yorgi asked. “Since we have a vested interest?”
Luther had popped a set of earphones in and was listening to the news on his cell. “Not announced yet,” he said. “They’re holding what they call an awards ceremony in twenty minutes.” He shook his head. “Crazy, crazy men.”
Dahl came running up. “Hey, I was patrolling the perimeter. The mercs are here, but they pulled away over to that side. If we leave now we can probably sneak out without being noticed.”
Some good fortune for a change. Drake smiled.
“We should go anyway,” Luther said. “If your coffin’s a thirty-minute drive away we should be there before FrameHub potentially launch a devastating strike on this country.”
Together, they marched out.
CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE
Alicia listened as Drake, Dahl and Hayden worked on Luther to try and get him to see things their way. He was one tough nut, but then Alicia barely expected less. His protégés, Pine and Carey, were hardly less resilient, the first never cracking that boyish face and the second never speaking. Pine reminded her of Zack Healey, who had died in the Caribbean recently. Healey had been a fine warrior, a trusted friend. Maybe Pine would be too.
The minutes ticked down; time drifted away. Their mission was fraught with anxiety now as FrameHub’s deadline drifted inexorably closer. Alicia recognized it as one of the few times she had felt truly helpless. Usually, they were the team running toward the death threat, fighting in the shadows for those that never truly knew, but on this day they could do nothing about it.
All they could do was wait and see.
Alicia held memories and friends close to her heart. “Hey.” She leaned through the front two seats. “Are we there yet?”
Dahl glared back at her. “Sit still. Another ten minutes and you can have a reward candy.”