He wondered if Hélène Arlington was as dangerous as the other demigods. She didn’t look it. Unless sheer beauty was a weapon, of course; then she was one of the deadliest creatures he had ever laid eyes on.
“Why?” she said. “Why does Theo Stannard have to die?”
“It is not for us to ask,” said Schutkeker. “We are people paid to do a job, that is all.”
“Has he done something bad? Is he being punished?”
“You talk too much,” Laffoon spat. “You need to shut up, or I’ll shut you up myself.”
He pressed his gun to her head.
Hélène cringed.
“Back off,” Roy told Laffoon. “Remember what I said? No collaterals.”
“Yeah, not really seeing the dedication from you these days, limey,” the Louisianan said. “It’s like your heart’s not in it any more. Maybe you’re the one I should be shutting up.”
He swung the gun from Hélène to Roy.
“Put that bloody thing down, you moron.”
“How’s about I put you down instead? Do us all a favour. Then we can have someone in charge who isn’t compromised. Someone who has more of a handle on the situation.”
“Someone like you, you mean? Don’t make me laugh.”
“I’m not the one who ran off in that forest and got his ass handed to him. Tell me, what exactly went on there? Been meaning to ask. ’Cause there’s a lot about your story that don’t add up.”
So that was it, Roy thought. Badenhorst hadn’t tasked Laffoon and Schutkeker simply with keeping tabs on him. He’d told them to stage a mutiny.
And idiot that he was, Roy had presented them with the perfect opportunity. It was just him, them and Hélène Arlington, all alone. Everyone else was busy, six Myrmidons here at the guest cottages, the other two back at the head of the elevator where he’d stationed them on guard duty. Laffoon and Schutkeker could execute him on the spot and there would be nobody to prevent them.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw Hélène looking avidly at Laffoon, at the gun he was directing at Roy.
He could have sworn that she ever so briefly licked her lips. But perhaps it was just a nervous tic.
“It’s funny,” Laffoon said. “Shitkicker and I both got a gander at that fella in Russia, the one you skedaddled off after on your own. We both reckon he looked like Theo Stannard. When we saw a pic of Stannard at the briefing earlier tonight, we both made the connection. Didn’t say anything then, but we went and spoke with Badenhorst after. Told him what we thought. Guess what he said? He said you never ID’ed the guy, even though he left you as battered as a used piñata.”
“But you would have known,” said Schutkeker. “You would have known it was the same person as soon as you saw the picture. And you said nothing.”
“So were you just not paying attention? Or is there something else going on?”
“What really happened after you caught up with him in the forest? Did you recognise him? Is that why you went after him? If so, why did you not say anything at the time, or straight after when you got picked up in Krasnoyarsk?”
“These are the big-bucks questions, you see, buddy. They speak to a certain... unreliability, if you know what I mean.”
“I’m hardly likely to sell out to someone who left me in that state, now am I?” Roy said.
“‘Sell out’. Your words, not mine.”
“It’s what you’re implying.”
“Could be you got yourself all beaten up to cover your ass. So’s it wouldn’t look like you and Stannard made a deal.”
“That’s crazy. Do you know how crazy that sounds?”
“I’ve heard crazier.”
“Why would I make a deal with him?”
“Because you want out of this,” Schutkeker said. “You were reaching out to someone you hoped would be an ally.”
“And that’s why Stannard’s now on the hit list,” said Laffoon. “This has become a test. For you. A test of loyalty.”
The Louisianan’s finger tightened on the trigger.
Roy had perhaps a second remaining.
Keep bluffing? Stall for more time? Or go for the gun? Try to disarm Laffoon, then take out him and Schutkeker?
He tensed.
“Clear,” came Jeanne’s voice over the comms. “We’ve checked all of our buildings. They’re all clear.”
“Clear this end, too,” said Sean Wilson. “Nobody in.”
“Everyone regroup,” said Jeanne.
The Myrmidons jogged back towards Roy and the others.
Laffoon slowly, disappointedly lowered the gun.
“Seems like you caught a break, ‘old chum,’” he said. “But don’t get too excited. It’s only a reprieve.”
“When we do find Stannard,” said Schutkeker, “then we will see.”
THIRTY-SEVEN
Kardionisi
“WHO... DID... THIS?”
Sasha’s face was as hard as granite. Each word was a compressed nugget of rage.
“One of us,” Theo said. “A demigod. Has to be.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Look at Rosalind’s head. That’s a single blow to the occipital. The indentation is more or less the size of a fist. And Melina. Someone grabbed her and slammed her against the wall hard enough to flatten the entire back of her head. Nobody human can do that. Nobody human could have pulled this off, especially against two skilled martial artists. The attack was sudden, unexpected, and carried out by someone with exceptional strength and speed.”
“Gottlieb?”
“No. Harry Gottlieb is human-nominal in almost every sense, apart from his immortality. He doesn’t have our capabilities.”
“Then Arlington.”
“More likely. Think how it must have gone down. The tray of food. Somebody brought that to the boat from the house. They knocked on the cabin door. Rosalind and Melina let them in. The person placed the tray on the table, then attacked. The women’s guard was down. They never saw it coming. It was someone they knew, and trusted.”
“That would be Arlington. He fits the bill. They’ve both met him before, a number of times.”
“Or else Ioannis.”
“The butler man? Is he a demigod?”
“Not so far as I’m aware, but that isn’t to say he couldn’t be. There are dozens of random demigods out there whose faces I’ve never seen and whose names I’ve forgotten, if I ever knew them in the first place. Somehow I can’t imagine Evander Arlington delivering meals in person. It’s beneath him. Ioannis, on the other hand...”
“Hélène did say she would send food down to the boat. But if Ioannis did this, why?”
“Boss’s orders,” said Theo. “Arlington must have guessed we’d brought weapons. Couldn’t bear to see the playing field levelled even slightly. That or he thought he’d whittle our numbers down by two and then Ioannis removed the guns on the spur of the moment, showing initiative.”
“Arlington would never get his own hands dirty, would he?” said Sasha.
“Not if he could help it.”
“We go back to the house, then. Find Arlington and Ioannis and tear them into more pieces than can ever be put back together.”
“Aren’t you forgetting something?”
“The Myrmidons?” Sasha sniffed dismissively. “Let them get in the way. See how well that works out for them.”
THEY JOGGED BACK up the steps, Sasha in front.
At the top, she almost collided with someone. She raised Hephaestus’s hammer and would have brought it down with lethal force if Theo hadn’t grabbed her wrist and stopped her.
“No. Don’t.”
It was Gottlieb. He stood stock still with his hands raised defensively, mouth fish-gaping in alarm.
“Why the hell are you creeping around like that?” Sasha challenged.
“I might ask the same of you,” said Gottlieb.
“You could have got yourself killed.”
“I’m all too aware of that, Ms Grace,
but thanks to Theo’s swift reflexes I live to draw another breath. There are intruders on the island. Clearly you know that already. I was fortunate enough to be alerted to the fact by one of the crew on my yacht. He was disturbed in his sleep by the sound of people on the jetty, looked out of a porthole and saw figures in battle fatigues with guns. He went and woke the captain, who called me. I advised him to stay below decks, prepare the boat for departure and wait for me to come.”
“You’re getting off the island?” said Theo. “Just sneaking away?”
“Damn right I am. Unlike you, I don’t thrive in situations where my personal safety is endangered. I’ve no desire to be killed. I’ve enjoyed a long and prosperous life and I’d very much like for it to continue.”
“And you’ve no problem with abandoning the rest of us? Leaving us to fend for ourselves?”
“You have your own boat. I’m surprised you haven’t used it. Where is Chase, by the way? Is he not with you?”
“We don’t know where he’s got to. That’s one reason we’re not fleeing. We have to find him before the Myrmidons do.”
“Another reason,” said Sasha, “is that Evander Arlington is an evil prick and must die.”
Gottlieb nodded sagely. “Evander’s finally tipped his hand, has he? I had a feeling he might. As soon as he mentioned yesterday that you three were en route to Kardionisi, I sensed he might make a play.”
“You mean you knew he’s behind the killings?” said Theo.
“Why else do you think I’m here? I came to sound him out.”
“I thought you wanted nothing to do with any of this. That’s why you ran and hid. Your priority is and always has been saving your own skin.”
“Quite so, dear boy. But I could never resist the lure of intrigue. I wanted to know for myself whether it was Evander pulling the strings. Call it intellectual satisfaction, if you like. Now, had I just invited myself to the island out of the blue, he might have smelled a rat. If, however, he was under the impression that I was a refugee, frightened, desperate, he could welcome me in and be none the wiser, safe in the assumption that I was no danger to him.”
“So the cowardice thing was only a ploy.”
“A good one, if it convinced the wily Theseus. But isn’t it obvious that I’ve been trying to help? Who was it who brought in Sasha to assist you? You needed an extra pair of hands.”
“You can understand, surely, why I might have had misgivings about that,” Theo said. “Coming from a guy who’d just crapped out on us...”
“Never trust Greeks bearing gifts, eh?”
“I’m no ‘gift’,” Sasha said.
“Figure of speech, my dear. Calm yourself.” Gottlieb cast an anxious glance over his shoulder. “Well, much though I’d love to stand here all night talking, there is the small matter of a bunch of demigod-slayers on the loose. It’s time for me to pursue the better part of valour. I wish you both luck in your endeavours.”
He paused on his way to the steps.
“Oh, and I stumbled across a couple of Myrmidons lying on the ground just over there. Your handiwork, I presume. Small suggestion, offered in a spirit of cooperation and supportiveness. They’re roughly the same size as you.”
AS GOTTLIEB DISAPPEARED down the steps, Sasha looked at Theo.
“That’s...”
“Really not a bad idea,” Theo said. “Wish I’d thought of it.”
“I was going to say ‘grim’. The one who’s my size is dead.”
“Well, you shouldn’t have killed him.”
“Hindsight is a beautiful thing.”
“I never had you pegged as the squeamish type, Sasha.”
“I’m not. I’m not. And if you don’t wipe that stupid smug look of your face right this instant, Theo Stannard, I’m going to show you just how un-squeamish I am.”
THIRTY-EIGHT
Kardionisi
“THEO STANNARD MUST still be on the island,” Jeanne said. “He can’t have gone far.”
“Yes, but where is he?” Roy said.
“More to the point,” said Schutkeker, “why is he not where he was supposed to be?”
“Maybe she lied,” Roy said, eyeing Hélène Arlington.
“At gunpoint?” said Laffoon. “This woman? Nah.”
“Or maybe,” said Schutkeker, “Stannard knew we were coming. Maybe someone warned him.”
“I recommend you don’t take that thought any further, Schutkeker.”
“Ha! Have I touched a nerve? Hit the hammer on the head maybe?”
“Nail,” said Laffoon. “It’s nail on the head, not hammer, you dumb Kraut. But I have to admit it looks kinda iffy, Roy. Say you and him are friends now. You’d drop him a line beforehand, wouldn’t you? Tell him the shit is about to hit the fan.”
“Theo came by boat,” Hélène offered. “It could be he’s trying to get to the jetty, to escape.”
Laffoon wagged a finger at her approvingly. “Now, her ladyship here has got her head screwed on. A smoking hot babe, and smart with it.” The Louisianan appeared utterly smitten with Hélène, like a schoolboy mooning over the class beauty. She could do no wrong in his eyes.
“If he’s gone that way,” Roy said, “he’ll run into Serge and Dragomir. We’d have heard from them, if they’d seen him.”
“Sure, ’less Stannard saw them first. How about we call in and find out how they’re doing?” Laffoon tapped the side of his helmet. “Hey, Serge, Dragomir. Travis. How’s things with you? ...Serge? Dragomir? Guys, do you copy? Are you reading me?”
He looked at Schutkeker, then at Roy.
“There’s your answer. Serge and Dragomir are no longer with us. Meaning Roy’s new BFF Stannard is making for his boat. We’d better hustle. Everyone! Haul ass back the way we came.”
It seemed that Travis Laffoon has usurped command of the team right from under Roy’s nose. The other Myrmidons barely even questioned the fact that he was giving the orders now. They understood that Roy had fallen from grace, and responded to Laffoon’s decisiveness.
The exceptions were Gavin and Jeanne. As everyone else broke into a run, the two of them looked to Roy for a prompt. He mimed resignation.
“What are you waiting for?” Laffoon snapped at them. “Move! You too, Roy.”
Schutkeker seized Hélène by the arm, and Roy, Gavin and Jeanne fell in step behind him.
Events were spiralling out of control. Roy wasn’t sure how he was going to bring them back on track, or even if he could.
AS THE MYRMIDONS trekked back across the island at a fast lick, Roy considered his options.
He could break away, make a bid for freedom. But then the others would hunt for him, egged on by Laffoon and Schutkeker. He was on a tiny island. There weren’t that many places to hide. He doubted he could reach the jetty and take one of the Zodiacs without getting caught.
Alternatively he could try to take down Laffoon and Schutkeker, reassert his authority that way. With Gavin and Jeanne backing him up, he might just manage it.
But hovering over all of his decision-making was the thought of Josie. Roy remembered Badenhorst in the taxi, thumb just millimetres away from pressing Send. A single text message from the Afrikaner could shatter his life forever. If Josie died, Roy would be destroyed. In return, he would annihilate Badenhorst and everything he ever cared about, assuming there was anything he cared about. But after that orgy of retaliation, what then? There would be no future worth speaking of. How could you go on if your only child was dead? Roy had asked himself this question several times when Josie was self-harming and making suicide attempts, and the only answer he could come up with was: you couldn’t.
He was stymied. Nothing he could do now would not have dire repercussions for her. Badenhorst could crush him like a bug.
Halfway to the elevator, something odd happened.
Roy, Gavin and Jeanne had been straggling along at the tail end of the column of Myrmidons.
Then, all at once, two more Myrmidons appeared behind them.<
br />
One moment they weren’t there. Next, they were. They had just kind of slipped into place.
He wondered if Laffoon had sent back a couple of people from the front to keep an eye on him. He might have missed the order. The pair could have taken a roundabout route, stepping into shadow, then out again to fall in line at the rear.
He saw that one was carrying a hammer, the other a club.
The two artefacts that Serge and Dragomir had been carrying.
Then he caught sight of their faces in the glow of a pathside lamp.
He turned his head to look forward once more.
He said nothing, but there had been a nod of acknowledgement from Theo Stannard and a steely, determined look from Sasha Grace.
Roy jogged on, braced for action.
A BEND IN the path. They were now perhaps half a minute away from the elevator. Roy had no idea when Stannard and Sasha were going to make their move or what form it would take. He knew, however, that they had to hurry. It was only a matter of time before someone else noticed that the Myrmidons were somehow magically back to a complement of eleven.
He grasped the haft of the battle-axe behind his back. He did it in an obvious way, so that the two demigods would see.
Then, surreptitiously, he pointed a finger at Gavin, and at Jeanne. He smoothed the air horizontally.
He hoped the message was obvious: these two are okay, don’t hurt them.
It was all he could do.
At that moment, Hélène Arlington happened to glance round. Her gaze rested briefly on Roy before straying past him to the two Myrmidons beyond. She said to Schutkeker, “It seems we’ve picked up some hangers-on. You might want to watch out.”
Schutkeker wheeled, saw Stannard and Sasha.
Letting go of Hélène, he went for his gun.
The night erupted into conflict.
THIRTY-NINE
Age of Heroes Page 32
