The Last Judgement

by The Last Judgement (retail) (epub)

  Harker sipped the last drops of his latte and shook his head. ‘No thank you, we’re fine.’ After making it away from the ditched Agusta helicopter, they had flagged down a passing taxi and then travelled south to the small commune of Pontorson, before deciding on one of the restaurants in the area, called le Brazza. The small pizzeria had been busy and they finally found the furthest table from the door, in a corner, and had been there for the past forty-five minutes.

  With the authorities undoubtedly looking for anyone connected to the dead pilot in the helicopter, Harker had thought of heading deeper into France but he had reconsidered. He had no idea how the authorities would be handling the situation and, not wanting to potentially get caught up in any police roadblocks, he had opted for the small town of Pontorson, just sixteen kilometres away from the Mont itself.

  Harker had since called his Templar contact, John Shroder, multiple times but still heard nothing. Besides having Chloe’s well-being on his mind, he was now preoccupied by the deaths of those two Templars – three if he included Michel Beaumont – and the stolen Illuminismo. Worse still was Vlad’s threat to go after the Templar organization, and as of this moment he had no way to warn them. The past few hours seemed to have been nothing short of an unmitigated disaster, and Harker was feeling at his lowest ebb. Carter, however, was taking things remarkably well and, despite the attempt on both their lives, the ex-don maintained a stiff upper lip.

  ‘Surely there has to be another way we can reach the Templars?’ Carter asked for the umpteenth time. ‘We can’t allow those nutters to make good on their threats.’

  ‘How many times do I have to say it, David?’ Harker replied sharply, becoming increasingly wound up at hearing the same question over and over again. ‘I only have a single number, and he’s not answering it.’

  Carter slumped back in his chair and took a sip of his coffee. ‘Then what are we doing next?’

  The question was fair, but with the third Codex page now in Vlad’s hands, and with no way of getting in touch with the Templars, there was only one thing they could do. Harker let out a heavy sigh.

  ‘What option is there? We wait for “God” to call.’

  Carter sat there flicking at the rim of his cup in frustration as the last other patron headed outside, leaving them alone in the restaurant.

  ‘Well,’ Harker said, getting to his feet, ‘I’m going to the toilet.’

  ‘Yeah, four cups of coffee in a row will do that,’ Carter replied, returning to his rim flicking as Harker made his way over to the other side of the empty restaurant and through the doorway marked Hommes. The toilet was empty and Harker stopped by the basin mirror to inspect his appearance. He looked tired as he rubbed at his eyes and then massaged his aching jaw muscles. Given the erratic nature of ‘God’s’ communication, it was impossible to tell when the old man’s next tiresome call would come or what the hell he would say. Should Harker lie and pretend the third page was still in his possession? But so far the bastard had managed to know exactly where and what he was doing at any given moment and Harker found himself struggling to figure out how. ‘God’ had known he was at Carter’s house back in Berlin and, judging by that courier collecting the first page, he had been followed. This feat of stalking, though, didn’t explain how the tiresome man had known he was with Brulet. Secondly, how was it that Vlad had been able to follow him to Mont-Saint-Michel? Carter? Not likely, but whatever was going on, the answer had to be somehow close at hand.

  He turned on the cold tap, let some water pool in his hand and then applied it to his face. He was enjoying the refreshing sensation when behind him he heard the sound of the toilet door open and then swing shut. He looked up, shook the water from his eyes, and through blurred vision could make out the reflection in the mirror of a figure standing directly behind him.

  Harker grabbed a paper towel from the dispenser to dry his eyes and the absorbent material was still doing its job when he felt something hard press against the base of his neck. His body went stiff and he let the towel drop into the sink as he now caught a clearer image of the person standing behind him. Harker turned around slowly and, although relieved to see who it was, the Browning automatic being levelled at him immediately dampened any enthusiasm.

  John Shroder stood there with the gun in one hand and with the other raised his forefinger to his lips and shook his head to indicate silence. Harker obliged as the MI6 agent reached over and patted him down. Shroder then went straight for Harker’s jacket pocket, retrieved the iPhone and, impressively, one-handed, removed its cover and popped out the battery. Satisfied the mobile was now dead, Shroder dropped it into his trouser pocket and placed the Browning automatic back in his shoulder holster.

  ‘Hello, Alex,’ Shroder began with a friendly smile. ‘Getting yourself deep into trouble as always, I see.’

  ‘Where the hell have you been? I’ve been calling you regularly for the past couple of days,’ Harker almost yelled and then, pointing towards the gun concealed in Shroder’s leather jacket, ‘and what the hell was that all about?’

  Shroder waved a placating hand in the air. ‘I apologize, but it was necessary.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Because they were listening to you,’ Shroder explained and tapped at the now inoperative mobile in his pocket. ‘I know a place we can go,’ he continued, reaching for the door handle ‘Let’s go get your friend and I’ll explain everything to you, but not here…and not now.’

  Chapter 25

  ‘I told you he couldn’t be trusted!’ William Havers shouted as Brulet took a seat at the writing desk. ‘This is exactly the kind of problem I was talking about.’

  ‘Calm yourself, William,’ Brulet urged, watching the Templar pace back and forth. ‘Let us focus on solutions, not causes.’

  ‘Solutions!’ Havers stopped pacing and he now looked even more furious, with his face visibly reddening. ‘There aren’t any solutions, only questions.’

  Havers had every right to be upset, and Brulet knew it, but that Harker could be responsible was, to his mind, impossible.

  ‘Take a seat, William,’ Brulet demanded sternly, pointing to the armchair opposite him, ‘I want to know everything.’

  Havers stood defiantly where he was for a few moments and then, with a growl, he sat down. With arms folded he began to rock back and forth stiffly, like a volcano about to blow.

  ‘Two of our operatives were alerted by the sound of gunfire at the Mont. They were there within twenty minutes and found both Anthony and Michel dead in the lower vault. They’re still checking the inventory but so far the only thing unaccounted for is the Illuminismo.’

  The mention of the deaths and the missing Illuminismo drew a look of profound shock from Brulet. ‘And Alex?’

  ‘The helicopter was found on the mainland, with the pilot shot dead, and of Harker and his fat friend there’s no trace.’

  ‘Surveillance footage at the vault?’

  Havers was already shaking his head. ‘Nothing. The cameras blacked out, so didn’t record a thing. We’re still trying to ascertain why.’

  Brulet slouched back in his chair and removed his sunglasses, then dropped them on the desk. That three people were dead was a tragedy, and the Illuminismo being missing was extremely worrying, but to think, as Havers was insinuating, that Harker could be responsible was almost as troubling. ‘Whatever has happened, I find it hard to believe that Alex had anything to do with it.’

  ‘You’re too trusting, Tristan,’ Havers complained before standing up and waving his arms indignantly. ‘Harker turns up out of the blue with some ridiculous story about the dead coming alive, and it just so happens that the Gigas page he needs is located in the same vault as the Illuminismo.’

  Havers moved over to Brulet and knelt down in front of him with his arm resting on the desk. ‘This was a set-up, plain and simple.’

  Brulet gazed out of the Excelsior’s port-side window and across the dark rippling waves outside with a sense of foreboding. ‘
What possible reason could he have for wanting to hurt us? He’s been a dedicated ally since his induction.’

  Havers looked unconvinced and wore a deep look of mistrust as Brulet turned back to face him. ‘The time it has taken for that man to entrench himself amongst the Templars is but a fraction it would take for most, and yet he’s been given access to some of our most carefully safeguarded secrets.’

  Brulet brushed off the suggestion and shook his head in disbelief. ‘That same man helped us defeat the Magi, amongst other things, or have you already forgotten?’

  Havers leant on the desktop with his arms outstretched to steady himself. ‘Ask yourself this, Tristan. Who else but Harker saw your brother die, and in what circumstances? In fact, come to think of it, who led us to the Magi in the first place?’

  ‘What are you talking about?’ Brulet snarled, becoming angry.

  ‘How do we know that Harker didn’t lead your brother to his death…deliberately?’

  The idea was repellent to Brulet, who immediately shot out of the seat. ‘Enough, William. That is ridiculous.’

  ‘Really?’ Havers replied sarcastically. ‘Don’t you find it a bit strange that Alex Harker was the only person to get out alive?’

  ‘Oh, please,’ Brulet rasped. ‘Dr Stanton made it out too.’

  Unmoved by Brulet’s reasoning, Havers manoeuvred closer to the Grand Master, while swaying from left to right like a shark approaching its prey. ‘Maybe you’re right, Tristan, but after today’s events at the Mont can you really be totally sure of anything? First your brother…and now Harker disappears with the Illuminismo, which holds the identities of every Templar on the planet. Mere coincidence?’

  Even though, in Brulet’s mind at least, the accusation seemed ludicrous, he couldn’t ignore the gravity of what Havers was suggesting and he remained silent as he considered the possibility. Could there be any truth to it? Even if there was the slightest chance Havers was right, he had to address it. With slumped shoulders and a grim expression, he gave a nod. ‘Very well, William, it would be irresponsible of me not to explore the possibility, but for the record I don’t believe it.’

  Brulet looked disheartened by his own decision and he turned and made his way out of the room, pausing only at the open doorway. ‘I don’t want either of them hurt,’ he ordered and now regained his composure. ‘Just find them and bring them in. We’ll then see what they know.’

  As Brulet disappeared, Havers was already picking up the phone on the desk. He dialled a number and waited.

  ‘We have a go on Harker. So find them both,’ Havers instructed. Gritting his teeth, he added, ‘Dead or alive.’

  Chapter 26

  Heavy drizzle swept against the apartment window as John Shroder peered out between the blinds and surveyed the roadway outside. Except for a few parked cars, the only other thing he could see was a couple of tomcats snarling at each other in a high-pitched whine, which was the reason he had looked outside in the first place. Satisfied there was nothing more than a territorial spat between the local felines, he dropped the blind back in place and returned his attention to Harker and Carter, who sat eyeing him with a certain unease.

  ‘Just a couple of squabbling cats,’ Shroder explained, resuming the only other seat at the cheap plastic-topped kitchen table. ‘Don’t worry, this safe house is secure. So do you want to start or should I?’

  The question was asked in a carefree and casual tone and Harker, despite Shroder’s initially menacing appearance back at the restaurant, was glad to have the MI6 agent here with him. Carter on the other hand was still clearly unsure. Being naturally cautious, Shroder had so far refused to impart any information about who he was to the ex-don, though Harker had done all he could to allay Carter’s fears. Being held at gunpoint and witnessing the murder of two people right in front of him had, naturally, left the man extremely mistrustful of any new faces, and he retained a tight-lipped silence. ‘How did you find me?’ Harker enquired.

  ‘OK, I’ll go first,’ Shroder replied, placing Harker’s iPhone in the middle of the table. ‘I did receive all your messages, Alex, and I’ve been trying to reach you ever since, but every time I called, I got a message saying the phone wasn’t in service.’

  ‘That’s impossible,’ Harker replied. ‘I never turned it off, even when charging it.’

  Shroder smiled. ‘I didn’t think you would have, so after your second message I did a line check back at HQ and, much to my surprise, I found it was being blocked deliberately.’

  The disclosure came as a shock to Harker. ‘By who?’

  ‘Who, indeed. But it isn’t coming from any outside source, which means it’s something on the phone itself.’ Shroder reached over and tapped the mobile’s display screen. ‘Someone turned your phone into nothing less than a walkie-talkie.’

  ‘What? How can that be? I’ve had it with me all the time…’ The smiling face of Lucas now loomed in Harker’s mind and he thought back to the moment when the man had taken the phone from him and entered his home address, shortly before killing himself. ‘Shit,’ he groaned. ‘Lucas.’

  ‘Ah, the fellow who committed suicide,’ Shroder said. ‘I attended the crime scene after you, and then had a rummage around his apartment.’

  ‘How?’ Harker asked, stunned now because he was the only one who had the address. And then it suddenly dawned on him: ‘Doggie?’

  Shroder was already nodding. ‘I’ll admit that Dean Lercher was a bit stubborn at first, but the threat of charging him with obstruction of justice soon had him singing like a choirboy. He’s been trying to get hold of you as well, by the way.’

  For the first time ever, Harker was actually glad that his old friend was apt to fold easily under pressure, but the real question in his mind concerned the mobile phone. ‘But how did Lucas contrive to manipulate my phone, since he only had it in his hands for a few seconds?’

  ‘Can’t be sure without a closer look, but best guess is through a Bluetooth connection to a device he carried on him, which downloaded the necessary software without you even knowing it.’ Shroder smiled drily. ‘Not particularly difficult if you have the right tech.’

  Everything was falling into place and Harker now understood how ‘God’ had managed to know everything he did and when he did it. ‘Bastard was listening in on everything I said,’ he muttered.

  Shroder was now nodding, along with Carter, who – though enthralled by the conversation – was still eyeing the MI6 agent suspiciously.

  ‘Whoever you’ve been talking to appears to have been listening in, whether you were using the phone or not, which is precisely why I pulled the batteries out.’

  ‘How did you guess?’ Harker asked, somewhat astonished by how much Shroder already appeared to know.

  ‘I’ve seen this kind of software in action before, as it’s quite common in the security services, but I can’t be sure unless—’

  Harker already knew where Shroder was going. ‘Unless we switch it back on and give him a reason to call me.’

  ‘Exactly,’ Shroder replied. ‘But, before we do that, perhaps you could fill me in on what exactly is going on, because at the moment things are not looking good for you, Alex.’

  Harker couldn’t be sure how much Shroder already knew, but with ‘God’ out of the loop for the moment, it was the perfect time to start filling in all the blanks.

  ‘Hold on,’ Carter interrupted, speaking for practically the first time since they left the restaurant. ‘How do I know we can trust you?’

  It was Harker who spoke up as he patted Carter on the arm. ‘We can believe him, David. He’s a friend of ours, and one of the few people I trust without reservation.’

  Harker’s statement of approval was met with a stern look from Shroder. ‘That’s true, Alex, but the real question is whether I can trust you.’

  This rebuttal had Harker frowning and he felt a twinge of nerves ripple through his stomach. ‘What’s that meant to mean?’

  Shroder leant forward a
nd tapped his finger on the table top. ‘You’ve been consorting with some pretty unsavoury characters, Alex. And you’ve also not been entirely forthcoming about what you’re involved in, have you?’

  ‘I know how this must look, John, but you have to believe me when I tell you that everything I’ve done has been done with the best intentions.’

  ‘I’m not sure exactly what it is that you have done, but I did speak with Tristan Brulet less than thirty minutes ago, and whatever it is…it’s not looking good for you.’

  Harker was now getting increasingly nervous. ‘What did he say?’

  Shroder remained deadpan and an atmosphere of mistrust now descended upon the conversation. ‘He told me that you came to him with some wild story about the dead rising again, and that you needed access to our vault at Mont-Saint-Michel.’

  ‘That’s true,’ Carter interjected, then fell silent as Shroder shot him a look of disdain before the MI6 agent continued.

  ‘A visit which ended in the deaths of some good men and with certain property missing.’

  The unspoken allegations being made sent a shiver down Harker’s spine and he shifted in his seat nervously. ‘John, you don’t believe I was responsible for that, do you?’

  ‘If I thought you were responsible, Alex, then we would not be having this conversation,’ Shroder replied with an air of menace. ‘But as of this moment there are many others who believe you are.’

  It was becoming clear now that the Templars blamed him for those disastrous events back at Mont-Saint-Michel and the very thought of it began to sap Harker’s energy. ‘And what does Tristan think?’

  ‘He’s not sure what to believe, but it is clear that you know far more than you’ve been telling us. So I am giving you this opportunity’ – Shroder settled back in his chair and, whether deliberately or not, his jacket fell back to reveal the Browning automatic handgun nestling in its shoulder holster – ‘to rectify that.’

  ‘They have Chloe Stanton,’ Harker blurted out, ‘and the man I’ve been in contact with warned me that if I didn’t do exactly what he asked, then they would kill her.’