Anhur

by Wayne Marinovich

  ‘Of course I know what information is in there. It’s evidence against the two chancellors. I’ve been tasked to get it even if it’s from your corpse.’

  A movement to Andrei’s right caught his eye. The snap of a gunshot rang out. Andrei’s adrenaline spiked, making him dizzy. He held his breath as the captain collapsed in front of him.

  ‘Never could stand the little shit,’ Elijah said, walking over to the body.

  ‘Thank you.’

  ‘I thought you’d have killed him yourself by now. Nice restraint shown for this long.’

  Andrei bowed his head. ‘How will you account for this?’

  Elijah called a man over. ‘Lieutenant Ortega here is the captain’s second-in-command. He’s going to make sure the dear captain’s body is sent back for burial. He’ll tell NAG operations that Rebus jumped us, and the captain gallantly lost his life defending the NAG. Isn’t that correct, lieutenant?’

  ‘Be my pleasure, sir. Gallant to the end.’

  Chapter 39

  Gatlinburg Inn, Gatlinburg, Tennessee, USA – 2043

  The hotel dining hall smelt of mould and urine. Wallpaper was peeling from the walls and square ceiling panels had fallen to the floor in the corner of the rectangular room. A faded paisley carpet was frayed in patches, curling away from the wall. Gibbs walked through the main doors and looked down the side of the room to another set of double doors. A figure moved back from view behind the glass panels.

  ‘Go over to the table,’ Enyo said, pushing him forward.

  ‘Aren’t we missing someone?’ Gibbs said.

  ‘He likes to make an entrance,’ she said, walking past him to the table in the centre of the room. There were two black cast-iron pots on the table, steam rising off the sides. ‘I’m guessing it’s pot bread and scrambled egg for you. I’m told the bacon and sausages are finished.’

  ‘I’m not all that hungry, to be honest.’

  ‘Try and have something. It will keep him calm.’

  ‘I’m not here to keep him calm,’ Gibbs said, looking around the room for chairs. There weren’t any. Four 38s followed them in and took up a position in each corner. More movement behind the door meant more guards.

  ‘I’ve never been overly impressed by little men who keep me waiting then expect me to respect them.’

  Enyo turned around and walked over to him. ‘Now, now. You said you were going to behave?’

  ‘I might if you open a few of those windows. It fucking smells in here.’

  She smiled and clicked her fingers twice at one of her bodyguards. He scowled at Gibbs and went about opening the windows. A squeak of a door handle made them look back to the double doors. Two heavily armed 38s walked in and secured the doors with stones that were lying on the floor. The slimy little man in black walked in, fidgeting with his jacket with the one hand, carrying a coffee pot with the other. Behind him, two men of Mexican descent walked side by side. They had long, brown pants on with their upper bodies bare-chested. The two men walked around the table before kneeling on all fours. Gibbs’s mouth dropped open. They were at opposite ends of the table.

  ‘And finally we have the Hooded Man in our presence,’ Rebus said from the doorway. He wore black jeans, no shoes and was also shirtless. Decorative black and white patterns and swirls adorned his slim, glistening muscular body that had been rubbed with oil. Gibbs had seen physiques like this before. They were all over the Scottish cities from his past. The emaciated, lithe bodies of drug addicts living their last days. ‘Oh, do please say something, Mr Gibbs,’ Rebus said, walking over to him. ‘It was you who arranged this little get together.’

  ‘Rebus, you know from our phone conversation why I’m here and why you agreed to see me,’ Gibbs said.

  Rebus laughed, his hand on his chest. ‘Of course but first, we must have egg on toast. Cook is quite a man with the firepots. Never knew you could get so many different meals cooked on the fire. You are here with us for a while, so I suggest his buzzard a l’orange.’

  All the men laughed at the joke. Even Enyo chuckled as she walked over to Rebus and kissed him. He brushed her away and walked closer to Gibbs. ‘Skink tells me you created a little insurance policy and have made yourself into a bomb. May I see your handiwork?’

  Gibbs stood motionless, his jaw clenching. He thought of Maddy’s lifeless body and how easy it would be. He could get a knife into the man in two seconds. The image of Stuart’s bruised face made him take a slow deep breath. Control the situation.

  ‘Come on, Mr Gibbs. Let me see if you are indeed a man to be reckoned with.’

  Gibbs opened up his jacket.

  ‘Whoa,’ Rebus said, as his hand went up to his mouth. Stepping back three paces, he licked his lips and stared into Gibbs’s eyes. ‘Okay then. Let’s eat.’

  Gibbs watched Rebus walk to the table and sit down on the kneeling man’s back. He reached across to the one pot and opened the lid, reaching in for a round roll of bread. ‘Sit down before it gets cold.’

  ‘I am not sitting down on a bloody human chair. That will not happen.’

  ‘A man of principle, I see,’ Rebus said, spreading a creamy white substance on the broken bread. He took a mouthful and placed the larger piece back on the plate. Getting up, he walked over to Gibbs, chewing with his mouth open. ‘Everyone has a soft spot, Mr Gibbs. With you it’s people. Except when it came down to Luka, he wasn’t a person to you, was he?

  ‘None of you are.’

  ‘Come now, Hooded Man. We all have our station in this hierarchy of this world. Even these men who serve me as furniture have theirs.’

  ‘That’s just bullshit.’

  Rebus turned and drew a Beretta, firing twice into the men’s skulls. Both fell on their faces, blood seeping onto the carpet. Gibbs swallowed hard, shaking his head at Rebus.

  ‘Drag them out. Two more, please,’ Rebus said, going over to the table again to have more bread. ‘Enyo, please release Gibbs’s hand so that he can eat. I don’t mind if he keeps the detonator in the other. He only needs one hand to have this tasty bread.’

  Two more men walked in and were forced into position. Rebus sat and started ladling out what could have been scrambled egg. ‘Sit, Hooded Man, or more prisoners will die. I can do this all day.’

  Gibbs walked over and sat on the man’s back. He felt the man tense to take his weight. Staring into Rebus’s eyes, he placed both hands on the table, watching the madman’s gaze drop to the detonator. Reaching into the pot, he took a warm roll and took a large bite. He chewed on the sour hard bread, watching the man they called Skink take his place behind Rebus.

  ‘When can I expect you to let the prisoners go?’ Gibbs said.

  ‘Can I enjoy my breakfast first?’ Rebus said.

  ‘We’re here to negotiate, are we not?’

  Rebus laughed. ‘You think you’re in a position to negotiate with me?’

  ‘You think that I came here to take orders from you?’

  ‘You will do as I say, Gibbs, and no, I won’t be letting your precious prisoners go. I mean, who will serve me as furniture if they leave?’

  Skink walked forward. ‘We called your bluff, Hooded Man. This explosive and grenade show won’t save you. There is no way that you’ll kill yourself.’

  ‘Shut up, you moron,’ Rebus said.

  Gibbs reached inside his jacket and grasped one of the grenades in his hands. ‘Are you sure you want to renege on the deal we discussed on the phone? I was prepared to forgive you for what you did to Maddy and let you live in exchange for the prisoners being freed.’

  ‘We have no deal,’ Rebus said, leaning forward to place his elbows on the table.

  With a slight tug, the grenade pulled way, leaving the pin hooked to the explosive vest. He reached across and placed it in the pot of bread.

  Rebus shrieked, his eyes widening and he dived to the ground on his right. He scrambled on all fours towards the door. Skink screamed and ran towards the main door. Gibbs stood up and turned to Enyo whose e
yes were transfixed on the pot. Two of the guards ran towards Rebus and dragged him towards double glass doors. Seconds passed, and Gibbs carried on chewing on the bread. He was hungry, as it turned out.

  More seconds passed.

  Enyo was the first to move. She walked towards the table and looked in the pot then up at Gibbs. ‘He is not going to like this.’

  ‘I don’t give a fuck, lady. I removed the explosives in two of them and only I know which two. Next time, I press this detonator we all go to the fiery place below.’

  ‘Rebus? It’s a dud.’

  The two guards edged around the corner and then nodded back at a hidden Rebus. He strode in, shoulders back and a bounce in his step. He opened and closed his fists rapidly, his lips pressed together as he tried to grin. His eyes narrowed, and he flipped away a loose strand of his long fringe with a flick of his head.

  ‘Touché, Mr Gibbs, but enough of these games,’ he said, sitting down again. ‘You’ve played your bluff and now only have one card left to play.’ Gibbs smiled, waved the detonator then sat down again. ‘Why are these particular prisoners so important to you? Why should I trade their lives for mine and yours?’

  ‘It’s the right thing for me to do. Soon, I’ll either be dead or shipped back to the NEG to spend the rest of my life in a hole. They may even execute me, I’m told. This last act to free these prisoners, which I have fought to protect, might bring a little meaning into my life. On the other hand, I could be released early and return to make your life a living misery. If you survive this of course.’

  Skink walked forward and whispered something into Rebus’s ear. Gibbs could smell urine, and a glance to his crotch revealed a large wet patch on the front of his trousers. ‘Skink? Did you wet yourself?’ Gibbs said.

  Rebus pulled away and glanced downwards. ‘Go and change your pants. You’re embarrassing me.’

  Skink yelled a deep guttural sound, grabbing the machete that was hanging across his back. He took a step forward and raised the black blade. Gibbs clenched a fist. Enyo intercepted, jumping forward and grabbing the raised hand. She pulled it back then pushed her hip forward into Skink’s back. With a judo throw, she lifted him off his feet and deposited him on his stomach on the floor. When she knelt on him, the little man groaned under her weight.

  ‘Nephew, go and change then check on the prisoners,’ Rebus said.

  ‘Nephew? Yikes, not the best looking family then. I bet you wish that family line had been snuffed out at birth,’ Gibbs said.

  Rebus snapped his head back, then stared at Gibbs. Dark eyes narrowed as he crunched the piece of bread on the plate in front of him with his hand.

  Chapter 40

  Gatlinburg Inn, Gatlinburg, Tennessee, USA – 2043

  The taste of the sourdough bread and goat’s cheese were no longer a pleasure to him. The man across from him had made him look weak. The man who was responsible for Luka’s death. A simple nod to one of the guards behind the Hooded Man and that would be that. He felt his anger simmer and started counting down. Placing his hands on his knees, he grabbed the cloth napkin and wiped his mouth. A lot of money and NAG favours sat across from him. All that money and immunity could be negotiated for him and his men. All that power he could get by doing the right thing, but then he had got as far as he had by being unpredictable. Maybe doing the predictable thing this time would be unpredictable. Rebus took a deep breath and practised the calming exercises that Enyo had given him. It kept the red mist at bay. The cocaine buzz was wearing off, but the thought of all that money brought a new high.

  ‘What’s your plan to guarantee your prisoners’ safety, Gibbs?’

  ‘Before I came to breakfast, your people allowed me a short time with the prisoners. I passed on a single word password to one of them plus the satphone number of the Bounty Hunter. They, in turn, would randomly select three others in the group to pass the message on to in case you killed one of them. Once they’re free and driving away in the truck, they will call you and let you have the password I mentioned to them.’

  Rebus felt lightheaded. He needed something. Reaching down to his pocket, he pulled a tablet out and placed it on his tongue. Soon the grenade incident would be a thing of the past. ‘Do continue. This is all very interesting.’

  ‘Glad you can keep up,’ Gibbs said. ‘Me getting the correct password is the signal that the deal is done. I will remove this vest and hand it over to you.’

  Rebus shifted in his seat. The colours swirled before him. ‘So lovely. I trust your word then, do I?’

  ‘You don’t have much of a choice, do you?’

  ‘I could just shoot all the prisoners in this place, kill you and then drag your body to the Bounty Hunter.’

  ‘I know how much of your enterprise runs on the trade of prisoners. You need a constant supply to trade and to keep your men sweet. They won’t go out and scout for you without a woman or two at their side. You will have to stand up and eat if you kill all your slaves. And the Bisons will be offering a lot of money for something that you no longer possess. Not very clever.’

  Rebus felt the haze clear as the anger rose again.

  ‘And with the NAG seemingly taking a big interest in what is happening down in the south of New America, they will be swarming all over you. Do your men here know that the NAG are recruiting able-bodied men to join up with them?’ Gibbs said, looking over his shoulder to the two nearest guards. ‘You can’t keep them away from all that money they could earn at the NAG.’

  Rebus rubbed his face and took a deep breath. ‘One of the farmers we tortured in Constance told me that you had a soft spot for slaves and stragglers. I guess that’s why you killed Luka because he wasn’t a straggler like Maddy.’

  ‘We going to go there again?’ Gibbs said.

  ‘Skink here also heard that you had a thing for one of the ladies in the prison group. Enyo said that your kind of unwavering loyalty could only come from being a father to one of the brats that I have in my harem. What do you think about that?’ Gibbs stared back at him. Brown eyes that neither wavered nor blinked. ‘No, Mr Gibbs. I don’t trust you or your word. Look around you. We’re all survivors and will do whatever it takes to get our way. Isn’t that correct?’

  Gibbs nodded.

  ‘That’s what I thought. You’re no different from us. You claim to do everything you can to help them, yet you don’t have the balls to use a real grenade. You claim that none of those people is of any relevance to you, but we think that is the case. You are a liar. A man who is too weak to do what it takes in the end.

  ‘Rebus?’ Enyo said. ‘Should we take a little break?’

  Gibbs smiled at him. ‘I would listen to her. Not a good idea to taunt a man who has nothing to lose.’

  Rebus felt the mist disappear. The world seemed clearer now. ‘If you have nothing to lose, and want me to believe that you are a man of your word. I’ll need a gesture of good faith. Prove that you will hand over the vest by picking up that breadknife and slitting that human chair of your’s throat. That will show me that you don’t care about those prisoners. I think you’re a coward and don’t have what it takes.’

  • • •

  The maniac’s eyes closed a little as he stared at Gibbs, a clench of the jaw followed, and a small smirk appeared. The knot in Gibbs’s stomach formed faster than he’d realised. He knew that Rebus was clever, but he’d been outmanoeuvred on this one. Rebus tapped the table rapidly and then raised his eyebrows.

  ‘Tempus fugit, Hooded Man,’ Rebus said and moved another sharp knife across the table. ‘I have things to attend to and now believe you to be all talk and no action.’

  Anger filled Gibbs. He’d walked right into this one. All those years of training. He’d got rusty, and fallen for it. Stuart would no doubt end up as one of the man’s chairs or carrying water around. Karen and the other women would be given away as treats for the 38s. Rebus tapped his wrist and shook his head, looking across to Enyo. ‘See, my lovely. He doesn’t have what it takes.’<
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  Gibbs felt his fist clench as the man he was sitting on moved ever so slightly. The bluff had been called. None of the guards was close enough to try and snatch a gun. Two options remained. Push the detonator, or carry the plan forward. Grabbing the knife, Gibbs slipped it under the man’s throat and sliced upwards in two sawing stokes. The breadknife was serrated, but it took all of his strength to complete the kill. A gurgling sound escaped and the man fell to the ground, sending Gibbs rolling backwards over his shoulder. He pushed himself up on his hand, raising the detonator out in front of him. Two of the soldiers against the wall took a step forward.

  ‘Whoa,’ Rebus said, standing up and waving the men back. He looked over the table at the man who had turned onto his side, both hands pressed to his bloody throat. Gibbs stood up, nausea filling him.

  ‘Can we stop dicking around now?’ Gibbs said. ‘Release the bloody prisoners or die.’

  Rebus sat down again and laughed, calling Enyo over. She walked to his side. ‘Be a dear and go and release the prisoners. Tell Skink to get back here to me and to bring me five of the Roadsters’ whores.’

  She walked out the main door. Gibbs stood over the man who’d just only stopped twitching, blood seeping up against Gibbs’s boots.

  ‘I love a man who has nothing to lose, Mr Gibbs. I trust you to remove your vest when they are free.’

  Gibbs nodded. ‘You do know that the bounty value on my head has changed?’

  ‘Yes. Someone who is desperate to have you has doubled the prize for you being alive as opposed to being dead. It is tempting of course, but I’ll get money for you, no matter what state you’re in.’

  ‘That all depends on you getting a call from one of the freed prisoners, plus, I need to be outside in the parking lot to see if they send the right signal. The bounty depends on it.’

  ‘Yes, yes. I know. My scouts tell me the Bounty Hunter will be here tomorrow sometime. I’ll have some girls sent to you. Pick one for the night, as the last request of a condemned man. Men, take the Hooded Man out into the street so he can watch his people being freed. Take my phone and make sure he gets his password. I am going for a sleep.’