The Codex (An Armour of God Thriller Book 2)

by Daniel Patterson

  "Fine," Zack said, standing up. "I'll go back to my hotel and gather my things."

  "I'm afraid that won't be possible. It will take a bit of time to prepare your release papers. You will spend that time here in jail." Neilson stood up with a satisfied smile. "But do not worry. I'll be sure you are well taken care of. I'll make a few calls and see if I can expedite things."

  The door to the interview room opened again, and Captain Kurkul walked in with two of the other officers from the café. Zack was really regretting the Captain Kraken remark now.

  As he was led away through the halls to a bare holding cell, and as the bars of the cell door slid shut with a ringing clang, Zack reflected on the last few days. This was, without exception, the worst expedition ever. He had found something absolutely incredible but couldn't say anything about it. He had almost died any number of times over the years. The risks to his life had been too many to count, but that didn't really concern him.

  He put Sydney's life at risk, he had let his grandfather down, he had let Father Giovanni down...

  Could this get any worse?

  Chapter Forty-Three

  ZACK WASN'T RELEASED UNTIL the next afternoon.

  A police car escorted him to his hotel, and he headed up to his room to pack. It was a mess... Drawers emptied, furniture overturned, even the mattress had been tossed against a wall. It looked as if a hurricane had gone through his suite. A hurricane named Kurkul.

  With gritted teeth, Zack stepped over the mess, collected his personal items and began to pack. He felt violated as he carefully refolded his clothes and filled his case.

  When his belongings were packed, and everything was once again the way he liked it, he picked up his bags and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. He hated knowing he would never be allowed back, not to this hotel or even the country.

  He was officially persona non grata, no longer welcome in this beautiful, but harsh, part of the world. He had nearly laughed when he'd been handed back his passport with 'entry denied' stamped across the page.

  Of course, it wasn't the first time he's been banned from a country, and most likely wouldn't be his last. But still. Being banned rankled him. He hated being told what he could and couldn't do.

  He took two steps down the corridor when the phone in his room began to ring. He debated just leaving it. But on instinct, he turned back, unlocked the door, and rushed to pick up the receiver before the caller hung up.

  "This is Cole," he answered.

  "Zack?"

  It was Father Giovanni's voice on the other end of the line. He sounded strained and breathless.

  "Father. Is everything alright?"

  "Sydney wasn't on her flight. I went to the airport to pick her up, but she wasn't on the plane. Is she with you?"

  Zack's body went cold as he processed this information. He glanced at his watch, mentally calculating the number of hours it had been since Neilson said she was on a flight back to the states. Too long.

  "No, she isn't. I'll go and check her room. Maybe she overslept, we've had quite an ordeal, as you know."

  "I can't get through to your cell phone. How can I contact you?"

  "My phone was damaged. But don't worry, I'll get ahold of you."

  "Please do, I'm worried about her."

  Zack could hear the concern in his voice.

  After another few moments of assuring the father that he'd be back in touch, he hung up and walked down the hall to Sydney's room.

  He knocked.

  No answer.

  He knocked again.

  Nothing.

  "Sydney?" he called out, but still, there was no reply. He needed to look inside. Before he could attempt to pick the lock, a maid walked past, pushing her cart down the corridor.

  "Miss, please," he begged, "my friend is missing, and I'm frantic to find her." He put on his best 'help me' face. "I'm really worried about her. Would you please open the door? Just for a minute?"

  "I'm not authorized..." she began, and Zack interrupted.

  "Please, you can stay with me, make sure I don't touch anything."

  Zack felt like his chest was going to cave in as he watched a range of emotions flit over the housekeeper's face. "Please," he begged. She must have seen the desperation in his eyes because she looked around to see if anyone else was in the corridor, then took a step forward, and unlocked the door.

  "Thank you, thank you!" he gushed and pushed the door open.

  The housekeeper let out a gasp.

  Sydney's room was a mess, but it hadn't been 'hurricaned.' It looked as if there had been a struggle. The drapes were ripped off their rods, the mirror had been smashed, and there was blood splatter on the dresser.

  Things just went from bad to worse.

  Chapter Forty-Four

  ZACK HEADED TOWARD THE hotel lobby. There weren't many options. Sydney was missing, and he had to find her. And he had to do it now. When he stepped into the lobby, he froze in his tracks. The police officer was waiting just inside the hotel doors.

  Zack set his bags by the front desk and stepped to the side, hiding behind a large plant, and peeked through the foliage of the tree. He sized up the officer, who was tall and muscular and, unfortunately, appeared to be fit. There was no way Zack would be able to outrun him.

  In his worry about Sydney, he'd forgotten about the police escort that was supposed to see him to the airport.

  He craned his neck to inspect the lobby. He imagined he saw the fur of Mikkel's coat peek out around the corner in the hotel bar. If that was Mikkel in the bar, he was in luck.

  The police officer had received a radio call and turned with his back to the lobby.

  Zack jumped from behind the plant and hurried toward the bar. He made it just as the officer turned in his direction. He peeked around the doorpost at the officer, who continued to stand there looking annoyed.

  He'd made it.

  Mikkel was at the bar, smiling in amusement. "Your adventures never stop."

  Zack shook his head and took a seat next to Mikkel, making sure he was out of sight of the lobby entrance.

  Mikkel's smile disappeared. "Where have you been, Mr. Cole? I've been trying to get ahold of you!"

  "Sorry, I was detained overnight. It's a long story. Have you seen Sydney?"

  Mikkel's face wrinkled up in a frown. "Yes, that's why I've been trying to get ahold of you. We have to go. I think she's in trouble."

  "Trouble? What kind of trouble?"

  "Your friend Dingo met her here in the lobby an hour ago."

  Zack stiffened, unease creeping down his spine. "Dingo? He was here?"

  "Yes!" Mikkel said, his voice full of frustration. "I called you and no answer. The front desk wouldn't give me your room number or even call you on my behalf. I've been sitting here waiting for you."

  Zack exhaled, nodded, and clapped his friend on the shoulder. "I'm sorry, I'm sure you did everything you could. Tell me more about what happened."

  Mikkel nodded. "It was Dingo, his two friends, and a police officer, a big burly guy. They approached her in the lobby, but I couldn't hear what they were saying. Miss Langtry was giving the officer a piece of her mind as they hustled her out the door. That woman can stand up for herself, let me tell you."

  She must have been on her way to the airport when she was intercepted. "What happened next?"

  "I knew Dingo was trouble, so I followed them."

  "Where did they take her?"

  "Followed them to the airport."

  "But I talked to her uncle. She wasn't on her flight."

  "Not a plane, Mr. Cole. A helicopter."

  "A helicopter?"

  "They took her on a police helicopter. This is bad, yes?"

  "This is very bad!"

  He was running out of time. At this moment, law enforcement was waiting to escort him to the airport. If Dingo was working with the police, then they would know about the lost settlement as well. And if they knew about the lost settlement, they w
ould have taken Sydney to lead them there. Once they found it, they would kill Sydney without hesitation. And Zack would never be able to forgive himself it that happened.

  "We don't have a lot of time," he said, looking over his shoulder. "If they've got Sydney, we need to go get her."

  "Your lady friend is important, yes?" Mikkel asked.

  "Of course, she's important." Zack snapped, realizing as he said the words just how true they were. She was important, more than he'd even realized. As he glowered at Mikkel, he knew how foolish he must seem, to care this much, especially since he hadn't known her long. It was particularly silly since she was so headstrong, argumentative, and a complete and total irritant. In fact, she was a giant headache.

  None of those things mattered.

  He sighed and took a deep breath and, looking over his shoulder, stated the obvious. "The problem is that we need to get past Bobo over there. They're taking me to the airport to make sure I make it out of the country without causing any trouble."

  Mikkel nodded.

  "Yes, that will work," he said.

  "What will work?"

  "You wait here, and I will find you a way out."

  Mikkel pulled a hand full of coins from his pocket and nodded at the bartender as he dumped them on the table. He turned to walk out the door.

  "Wait! You want me to just hide out in the bar? What if they start looking for me?"

  "Don't worry, trust me," Mikkel said and disappeared into the lobby.

  Chapter Forty-Five

  'TRUST ME,' MIKKEL HAD said. Zack had little choice but to do exactly that.

  He sat on a bar stool and tried to appear casual. Zack didn't drink, but he felt a little out of place just sitting there, so he ordered a glass of beer. He kept glancing over his shoulder, waiting for Mikkel to return.

  "You in some kind of trouble?" the bartender asked as Zack hunched lower in his seat.

  "I'm just waiting for my friend to come back," Zack answered. He didn't need to look more suspicious than he already did.

  "You a friend of Mikkel?" the bartender asked. He was a big man, with narrow slits for eyes and dark skin, like he'd spent most of his life in the sun instead of behind the bar.

  Zack nodded.

  "You're hiding from the officer?" the bartender asked, looking over Zack's shoulder.

  Zack nodded again, a little more reluctant this time.

  "He's coming this way," the bartender said casually.

  Frantic, Zack looked around for a place to hide, and the bartender chuckled. A moment later, he opened the swing door the staff used to enter the bar. "Come on," he said and gestured with his head toward the counter.

  Zack didn't have the time to question who he could trust. He ducked under the counter and scooted behind the bar, sitting on the cold, sticky floor. It was disgusting back there. The soles of his feet clung to tiles every time he tried to move them, and the aroma of alcohol, stale beer, dirty water, and bleach pierced his nostrils. As Zack wiped his now sticky hand on his pant leg, he wished the bleach had won out.

  The bartender stood close to him, his legs like pillars next to Zack. The end of the dishcloth he used to polish glasses bobbed up and down as the bartender wiped down the counter. Zack vowed to never touch his lips to a glass again and wondered how ridiculous he would look drinking coffee through a straw.

  A gruff voice just on the other side of the counter snapped a few quick words to the bartender in their native tongue. The bartender shrugged and answered, his words a bit more sluggish.

  A few more words and a moment of silence. Then the bartender nodded at Zack. "You can come out now."

  Zack thanked the bartender and rose from the muck and took his seat again. How long was Mikkel going to take? His luck couldn't go on forever, at some point, the odds were going to be against him.

  As if in answer to a prayer, Mikkel sauntered back into the bar.

  "Where have you been?" Zack asked, sharper than he intended.

  "Saving you," Mikkel replied. When Zack nodded his thanks, he went on. "Don't worry, we will create a distraction. You go with the police to the airport and wait for our signal."

  "Signal? What signal?"

  "You'll know when you see it," Mikkel said, and then clapped Zack on the back. "We will take care of you, my friend."

  We? Signal? Zack's stomach sank. What if Mikkel's plan didn't work, and he wasn't able to get to Sydney?

  "Trust me," Mikkel said, reading Zack's hesitation.

  Zack shrugged. There were some people in the world he could trust, some people who wouldn't leave him hanging, and Mikkel was one of those people.

  "Thank you, my friend."

  Chapter Forty-Six

  ZACK WALKED INTO THE lobby and picked up his bag from the front desk. The police officer spotted him straight away and walked to him with long strides.

  "Where have you been?" the officer demanded.

  "I was having a drink before I left. One last toast before I'm tossed out of your country for good."

  The police officer narrowed his eyes at Zack and looked over his shoulder into the bar. Zack kept his gazed fixed on the officer's face.

  "Come," the officer barked and took Zack by the arm.

  "I can walk," Zack said and pulled his arm from the officer's grip. He wasn't going to be frog-marched out of the hotel like a criminal. He still had his dignity, and he wasn't going to let Greenland humiliate him further.

  On the curb, Zack flagged down a taxi.

  "We have a car," the officer said.

  "Good, then you can follow me. I'm not riding in a police car like a criminal." The officer looked like he wanted to argue but just glared at Zack instead. With a shrug, he climbed into the police car parked on the curb. Another officer sat in the passenger seat. A quick exchange of words had passed between them before a taxi pulled up, and Zack loaded his bag.

  The drive to the airport was short and uneventful. Zack kept waiting for something dramatic to happen and kept his eyes open for a sign from Mikkel. He peered into other cars, looking for a familiar face. But nothing.

  He thought he was making it easier for Mikkel to save him by refusing to ride with the officers. He was proud of his quick thinking, hoping different cars would make a difference, but nothing happened. By the time they arrived at the airport a cloak of disappointment had settled around him.

  Zack's muscles were locked with tension from being on high alert for so long. As they drove through the airport gates, his anxiety was a tangible thing. In just a few minutes, they were going to be at the terminal, and he would be forced to board the plane heading home.

  The officers parked and got out of the car, following Zack into the airport. It wasn't very busy, with small clumps of people wandering around. It was more like a tourist attraction than an airport. Zack tried to walk as slow as possible, wasting as much time as he could. But when Zack dawdled too much one of the officers pushed against his shoulder.

  "Stop stalling, you don't want to miss your flight."

  "Aren't you guys just the best," Zack said, sarcasm dripping from his mouth.

  "We're just making sure you get the best service. We wouldn't want to inconvenience you by letting you miss the plane."

  The men both looked at him with friendly smiles that didn't reach their eyes. Sarcasm wasn't exclusive.

  Zack sighed. They arrived at the counter where his ticket was checked, and his bag was scanned and taken away. The airport was tiny, with one single runway and small planes. As a result, passengers walked from the airport and boarded the plane on the tarmac. The police officers joined Zack in the line that waited to go through the double doors that led onto the tarmac.

  An ice-cold breeze took Zack's breath away when he stepped onto the tarmac, but felt wonderful against his heated skin. He glanced around, still looking for his sign. Apart from a small group of men gathered by the door, he could see nothing that could be Mikkel's signal.

  When the police officers stepped out of the buildin
g, the men flocked around them and started a heated argument. They were dressed in thick jackets and boots that came up to their knees. It appeared they wanted the policemen to decide the dispute for them. They circled the two men, shouting and waving their arms. Zack edged his way to the outside of the group.

  It didn't take Zack long to realize what was happening. These men were Mikkel's distraction. But how could he take advantage of it?

  Zack looked around, and there it was. Peeking behind the larger commercial plane was the nose of an older single prop Cessna Turbo Stationair. Mikkel was in the pilot seat.

  Without losing another moment, Zack raced toward the aircraft. He ran past the luggage wagon and under the belly of the larger plane. His brown leather bag was on the cart, and he was tempted to retrieve it, but he couldn't risk taking the time to grab it from the bottom of the pile. He cursed the police officers again, for forcing him to check his bag. He would just have to manage without it.

  He reached the plane and leaped inside. Before closing the door, he looked over his shoulder. The two officers had their clubs out and were threatening the men around them. He pulled the door closed and locked it.

  "Are they going to get in trouble?" he asked Mikkel, who smiled at him from behind the controls.

  "They'll be alright. They have more friends in the law than your Mr. Dingo has. I wouldn't worry about them."

  Zack stepped forward and took a seat next to Mikkel behind the controls. There was no way he was sitting in the back all alone.

  "Kulusuk," Mikkel said before Zack could ask, and he understood why. Dingo would have brought Sydney straight to the moulin. They had to catch them before something terrible happened.

  "What happened to your helicopter?"

  Mikkel shrugged as the engine gurgled to life and they rolled down the runway. "Faster this way, you want to help your friend we need to catch them, not play follow the leader."

  Mikkel was right, of course. It was a four and a half-hour helicopter flight. A plane would get them there in less than half that time. Zack settled back into his seat and welcomed the deafening rumble and rattling as the plane came alive beneath him.