“We have the manifest. Give me an hour.”
Whilst Caitlyn switched between research modes, Crouch reviewed their situation. He’d heard nothing from Russo yet, but Alicia had managed to grab Elyse and was interrogating her even now. Ideally, Elyse would agree to accompany Alicia to the treasure site. Then they could lure Akhon there.
But plans changed. They should be fluid, adaptable, and Crouch needed to foresee every eventuality. The facts were that Marco and his gang had hidden the treasure the very night they stole it, making the hiding place necessarily close to Acapulco. He hadn’t heard from Akhon again and worried how they might be treating Duggan, but consoled himself with the sad fact that Duggan was a beneficial commodity and should be taken care of until he became otherwise.
Crouch kicked himself again. When would he learn never to involve civilians in certain operations? Of course, when Sally Hope first called him, he hadn’t realized a wanted terrorist and criminal was involved.
“These ships were not fun places for the most part,” Caitlyn said. “I guess that would depend on the crew and their familiarity with each other, but there are some awful accounts of hunger, thirst, sickness and cold. Of food infested with vermin. And of plagues breaking out aboard ship. The men would have been at each other’s throats, always in danger, always battling. For at least four months, facing death every hour of every day. They threw the dead overboard, their bodies weighed down by earthen jars tied around their ankles. One of the diseases that beset them was called Dutch Disease, which makes the mouth sore, putrefies the gums and makes the teeth fall out. We now know it as scurvy, but for two and a half centuries sailors died in their hordes of this and other, worse diseases aboard the Spanish galleons. It was no glamorous, pleasurable ride.”
“And yet trade is what connected the whole world as we know it,” Crouch said. “And still does.”
“In 1657 the San Juan was found off the coast of Acapulco, every remaining crewman and passenger dead. A sailor’s account tells that when the men ate, they consumed an abundance of maggots and tiny vermin, probably weevils.”
Crouch saw that Caitlyn was veering off mission. “Any news on that manifest?”
“Located it. Trying to understand it.”
“I could call Sally. I’m sure they had a translation made before they ventured down to the shipwreck.”
“It’s okay. I can do it.”
Crouch wished everything would speed up. He wished the phone would ring with good news.
Where the hell could that treasure be? Surely, Marco and his crew hadn’t hidden it in modern day Acapulco. A quick search had shown that none of his crew owned a property anywhere around Mexico. Of course, ownership can be hidden but it didn’t feel right to Crouch. Where else could it have gone?
For now, he waited.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Alicia drove for twenty minutes before parking up in a quiet layby that overlooked one of Switzerland’s many mountain passes. She brought the car to a halt with the nose facing a vertical drop, partially hidden by overgrown shrubbery, and turned it off. For a moment she stayed there, listening to the engine tick, staring into the void of beauty that lay ahead. For a moment, she let peace sink in.
Then Elyse interrupted her impromptu contemplation. “You gonna sit there all day?”
Alicia turned to look at her, then thought better of it and jumped out of the car to join her in the back seat. Alicia closed the door and turned to face Elyse, who held her tied hands out.
“You gonna clip these? They’re kind of tight.”
Alicia glanced at them. “Man up. You’re not bleeding. I would think an ex-FBI leverage expert would be tougher.”
“Only when I need to be.”
“You aren’t surprised I know who and what you are?”
“I put two and two together. You need my help. You know who I am. I have to assume it concerns our last op.”
Alicia sat back, keeping a careful eye on Elyse’s hands and feet. “You stole a shitload of treasure from a sunken Spanish galleon.”
“Right out from under the official salvage crew’s nose.” Elyse’s eyes gleamed with pride and satisfaction. “Fucking big corporations deserve all they get.”
“Well, that ‘big corporation’ gambled everything on finding that treasure and is about to go bust. Thousands of ordinary men and women will lose their jobs, their livelihoods, because of you and your greed.”
Elyse rolled her eyes. “Is that supposed to upset me?”
“Truthfully, yes. I hoped you had a shred of humanity and compassion left. If you don’t, our mission’s gonna be a lot harder.”
“Mission?”
Alicia shifted to bring her handgun within easier reach. In a few words she explained the facts around Duggan’s kidnapping and Akhon’s dangerous search for the treasure.
“I knew the Assyrians were sniffing around. We all did. We bought specialized dive gear and lifting tools from some guy in Costa Rica. Shady bastard at best. But we knew what we were doing and needed the stuff in a hurry. After that, Akhon and his Assyrian network was on to us. We thought we’d thrown them off but spotted them right after we loaded the loot. It was easy to evade them and hide the goods, but we’ve been on the run ever since. Akhon’s network is massive.”
“We’re hoping we can help each other.”
“Oh yeah? How?”
“Help us get Duggan back. We’ll help you with Akhon.”
Elyse rubbed her nose with her tied hands. The car’s leather seats squealed as she shifted her bare legs to ease pressure. “I don’t even know you.”
“Fair enough.” Alicia told her a little of the Gold Team and its exploits then went on to reveal what she could about her Special Forces colleagues. “We’ve taken out far worse than Akhon and his crew. But I think we only need Akhon this time. We get him, whatever lieutenants he has will be too busy scrambling for power to worry about a crappy crew of washed-up treasure hunters.”
“Thanks,” Elyse said wryly. “I’ve actually heard of you.”
“Hmm, I’m guessing it’s all bad. But you have me beat. I don’t even know your second name.”
“I keep that quiet for personal reasons.”
Alicia was intrigued. “It’s redacted at almost the highest level. Even inside the FBI.”
“I know. I requested it.”
“Come on. It’s just you and me here.”
Elyse regarded her with a little bemusement. “You have me captive. You have a Glock. You want me to trust you?”
“Why not? I haven’t killed you or hurt you more than a couple of knocks. There has to be a pretty important reason why you concealed your real name.”
Elyse sighed. “It’s not that important. The trouble is... when you go to the trouble of hiding something from your bosses and equals, they automatically assume it’s some huge deal. A conspiracy theory. An old scandal. Murder. Mayhem. The truth is most people’s secrets are pretty pathetic.”
“By comparison,” Alicia specified the woman’s comment. “Not by personal definition.”
Elyse nodded. “That’s true. But I can’t trust you. I don’t know you.”
It crossed Alicia’s mind then that Elyse was doing an awful lot of talking. Nothing appeared to be off limits. She wondered if there was a reason for that. Of course, Elyse hadn’t told her anything of substance yet, so maybe she was a master of circumventing the real issue in the style of certain politicians.
“Something you leveraged?” she speculated. “Someone? Were you forced to change your identity?”
Elyse grinned. “Keep guessing. I’ll just listen.”
“You need us.”
“Maybe.”
“We need each other,” Alicia reiterated. “But the imperative is Duggan. Then the treasure. And then Akhon.” She hesitated. “Maybe not in that order.”
Elyse appeared to contemplate Alicia’s words. “Look,” she said after a while. “Akhon’s goons are better than you think. They almost got
me in Paris two months ago. That’s why I came out here. They’re closing in, but where are Marco, Chase and Ralston?”
“Stop asking questions. I found you. We have people on the others,” she lied. “To be truthful, we only need one of you. The rest can take their chances with Akhon.”
“Pitiless bitch.”
“You got me. That’s true. I care only for my friends and unwitting civilians. Taking care of threats is what I do.”
“What exactly do you want me to do?”
Alicia wasn’t entirely sure. Ideally, they needed to bring Marco and Elyse into Crouch’s vicinity. Some proof of capture, sent to Akhon, would extend Duggan’s life. After that, the playing field was unclear.
“Cooperate,” she said. “Show some goodwill. Tell me where the treasure is now. That makes you dependent on us and us dependent on you. It gives mutual need. We can all work as a team.”
Elyse’s eyes widened. “Tell you...? Fuck right off, lady. I’m giving you nothing.”
Alicia had feared as much. Without leaving the car, she gave Crouch a quick call and gave him the lowdown.
Crouch voiced a concern she hadn’t considered. “Where are the other two? This Chase and Ralston?”
“Hiding out somewhere, I assume.” Alicia didn’t know what else to say.
“Just watch yourself. These four are cleverer than we’ve given them credit for. Elyse had every chance to send a signal before you caught her. Have you searched her yet?”
Alicia eyed the slim woman’s tight top and denim shorts. “Not yet. There isn’t a whole lot to search through, but it’s a good idea.”
Crouch was assuming Elyse might have fired off a warning to Chase or Ralston, and that she might have a tracker that would lead them right to her.
Alicia eyed Elyse as Crouch told her to sit tight for a few hours so that Russo could report in. They had agreed a daily time of 5:00 p.m.
“Tricky one,” Alicia said after she’d ended the call. “But I’m gonna have to search you, darling.”
“Why is that tricky?”
“ ’Cause you’re gonna enjoy it and then I’m gonna then have to fight off your affections.” Alicia shrugged. “Happens every time.”
Elyse smiled and it looked genuine. She then shuffled around in her seat to allow Alicia easier access.
“Search away.”
Alicia wasn’t so gullible. First, she went around to Elyse’s side of the car and tied her already bound hands to the door handle. Elyse pouted at her. Next, she tied Elyse’s feet apart before kneeling down next to her and placing her hands upon Elyse’s T-shirt.
“Any funny business, I’m gonna punch you right in the face,” Alicia said.
“Funny. I was gonna say the same thing to you.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Russo hauled Marco up by the front of his suit. They were exposed out on the slope and not just to the weather. A cold wind gusted at them, sending sprinkles of ice against their exposed skin. Russo was already shivering. He pulled the suit around him and checked Marco for weapons.
He came up with a handgun, a knife and a GPS device.
“We can follow that to the nearest lodge,” Marco said.
Russo shook his head in irritation. “Get moving. Think about what I said. We need you, but we can help you get rid of this Akhon. Hurry, ’cause I have about forty minutes before I need to call in.”
“No cell?”
“There’s no signal here. And I wasn’t expecting to get dragged onto an immediate joyride in the sky.”
“I didn’t know what to make of you. Thought a shared experience would help.”
Russo had to admit that Marco was right. They trudged down the slope, walking over packed ice for a while, both men realizing they were poorly dressed for this place and had drifted several miles off target. There was some good news though. Russo’s new GPS showed a ski lodge within a two-mile walk.
They passed across a bed of ice then scrambled down a rigid, grassy slope. They followed a meandering path. None of it was easy. The trail was treacherous, and the winds were hungry, always wailing. A block of ice broke off from the cliff above and smashed just twenty feet in front of Marco, shattering on impact. Russo urged him on. There was no time to waste.
“I understand that you’re the leader of your little crew,” Russo said to pass the time as they walked. “So I’m guessing you know a lot about these Assyrians. Why don’t you tell me what we’re up against?”
“Big criminal network, run by Akhon, an Egyptian out of Cairo. He’s a Muslim and ended up in Saudi. Don’t know where his base really is to be honest. Uses mercs. Doesn’t care about casualties, collateral damage, any of that stuff. When I was SAS, I’d have relished the chance to take the wanker out.”
“What happened to you?”
“Long story. Probably in my file. Got accused for something I didn’t do. Left the service on a low. Turned to crime to fund my lifestyle.”
“Not so long a story then.”
“You got the abbreviated version.”
They descended a steep, stepped slope one foot at a time, side-footed. After a while even Russo’s huge calves began to ache. But below, he could see the roof of the lodge they were aiming for.
“The Assyrians are a band of cutthroats. Modern day pirates for hire. They use bombs, warfare and kidnapping for ransom. They trade in men, women and children. They’re in the protection racket and prostitution. If you can think of any vile enterprise, they will have their stinking mark all over it.”
“You want to take them down?” Russo wondered.
“The old soldier in me does.”
“Plus, you don’t enjoy being on the run.”
Marco gave him a look. “Touché. It’s been two long months with no end in sight.”
“You help me, I help you.”
“So you keep saying.”
They followed the sharp slope down to the lodge’s big parking area. It was a third full of an assortment of vehicles from tiny Smart cars to oversized pickups. Marco took a good look around and then turned to Russo.
“What now?”
Russo faced facts. It was a good question. He couldn’t walk into the lodge with Marco zip-tied at his side. He spied several picnic benches arrayed to the right where people could sit, eat and gaze over a stunning view, and walked over to them.
“Look,” he said when they were seated. “I have to call Crouch soon. My thoughts are simple: you need us, and we need you. Why not help us out? Ask your crew to do the same? When I make the call, we can start working together.”
Marco studied him. Russo didn’t move. Ex-soldiers didn’t trust easy, but they did have an inbuilt tool that cut through all the bullshit. What took civilians weeks and months to get past, a soldier would know about a comrade in arms pretty quickly. He’d know if that man had fought in the same mud, on the same field, and come out of it intact.
In Marco, Russo saw a man struggling to remain whole, grasping for adrenalin highs and criminal escapades to help fend off the nightmare memories of war. Marco, he imagined, saw a sturdy individual, a non-flashy, dependable man that had managed to come out of the other end of the same war with his sanity mostly intact.
“I’ll work with you,” Marco said. “I don’t own my team, so can’t speak for them.”
Russo took his phone out. “Will you try?”
Marco nodded.
Russo called Crouch and told him the good news. Crouch asked if he’d untied the man yet.
“Well, no.”
“You’ll have to trust him sometime. How else are you planning on getting him to Mexico?”
Russo hadn’t thought that far ahead. Of course, Crouch was right. If Marco was going to run, he would run. There was nothing Russo could do to influence that now he’d laid all the cards on the table.
“Heard from Alicia?”
“She’s talking to Elyse now.”
Russo relayed the information to Marco, watching his face closely. For a moment there
was nothing but then Marco said: “How is Alicia?”
“She never changes. You know her?”
“Not really. We crossed paths a long time ago. If I remember rightly... she used to work for a criminal group.”
Russo tried to keep his face straight. “What of it?”
But Marco grinned. “You didn’t know? Oh yeah, after she quit the SAS, she became quite the little tearaway. She loved the danger, see? It was the only thing that kept her alive. When fighting for the good guys wasn’t enough, Alicia turned bad.”
Russo wished Marco would stop talking. He struggled to accept Alicia as it was, but acceded to her because she was one of the best and most instinctual warriors he’d ever seen. Truly, he loved watching her work and joining her in the action.
“I got you thinking.” Marco hadn’t stopped grinning.
Russo realized he was still on an open line to Crouch. “Hey, Michael, I’m gonna liaise with Marco here for a bit. We’ll be ready to depart whenever you call.”
Marco watched him replace the phone in a pocket. Russo’s head was full of clutter and he soon realized the only person that could clear that up wasn’t here in the Italian Alps. She was hundreds of miles away.
“Where’s the treasure?” he asked Marco.
“It’s near Acapulco,” Marco admitted. “You might want to text your man and tell him to start arranging a flight plan.”
“My man? You never heard of Michael Crouch?”
A veil of respect fell over Marco’s eyes. “Actually, yes I have.”
“It’s his friend the Assyrians kidnapped in return for you and the treasure.”
Marco looked away. “Shit.”
Russo reached out. “Give me your hands.”
Marco didn’t move. “I am sorry for his friend. Truly. These Assyrians... they will not return him alive you know.”
“Let us worry about that. Your job is to lead us to that treasure and show your face when required.”
Marco nodded. His eyes focused on a spot behind Russo. “I am ready to go now.”
Russo cursed himself for being so stupid and rose fast to meet the attack.
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