Head down, shooting to left and right, bloody and bruised and loving it, her attention was suddenly captured by a booming voice.
“Look, they are there, you idiots! Take them!”
The man stood on the roof of the HQ, peering down at her. Philip Solomon, the monster, stared down as if he had every right to take her life, to choose whether she saw another tomorrow. His furrowed, loveless face was stretched with hate and arrogance, lit by the fires of hell. With a gesture of disdain he shook both fists at the air.
“Do not let them escape!”
Alicia veered at the last moment, as did Russo and Healey. A quick glance back showed them that the mercs that had gathered at the entrance were now pounding toward them as if taking part in the bad-guys’ hundred-meter sprint, guns waving. Alicia opened the door of the lead Jeep and shouted at Healey to get behind the wheel.
“Move!”
The keys were already in the ignition, as Russo had determined earlier. Healey started the engine and gave it chance to roar. Alicia and Russo clambered into the open back, ducking beneath the ridged metal sides.
“Which way?” Healey cried.
Alicia shook her head at Russo. “Through the front fucking gate! Which way do you think?”
“Just checking.” Healey floored the gas pedal. The Jeep sprang forward, wheels spinning, gravel spraying from beneath its tires. The initial acceleration sent it hard into the running men before they could bring their guns to bear. Faces slammed into the windshield and bodies smashed off the bodywork.
Alicia blinked in shock at what she saw nestled beneath the vehicle’s tailgate. “Oh, look. A rocket launcher.”
Russo gawped. “I guess such discoveries are just normal to you.”
Alicia picked it up. “Assholes love their big weapons.” She grinned. “I’m just a teacher, showing them the error of their ways.”
With that the Englishwoman hefted the RPG over one shoulder and took aim at the only target that really merited a rocket launcher’s full attention. When Solomon saw the weapon and its intended goal his face lost all of its conceited bravado and fell no doubt at least as fast as his heart.
“Goodnight . . .” Alicia depressed the trigger. “Motherfucker.”
THIRTY SIX
The roof exploded, the blast firing blocks and wreckage in a wave off the far side. Flames spurted at the skies and ignited the nearby trees. Solomon and his closest men vanished in a blaze of fire and a deadly surge of rubble, their side of the roof completely collapsing.
Alicia discarded the RPG as Jeeps started up and sped after them. She shouted at Healey to hold the vehicle as straight as he could and picked up her machine gun.
Russo slid to her side. Together they kicked the tailgate off its hinges.
Healey picked up speed as he smashed through the gates. Chain-link fencing swarmed to the sides and rolled wire coiled above the roof of the vehicle. Metal struts bent and shattered. The Jeep bounced across a double-dip, momentarily out of control but quickly reined in by the young soldier. As the last obstacle tore around the Jeep’s hood and a heavy crossbeam soared away, Healey swerved them back onto the main track, heading between the first trees of the forest.
Alicia lay half on her back, alongside Russo, watching the pursuing Jeeps speed ever closer. She smiled when Russo held out a hand.
“Pleasure working with you, Myles.”
“Likewise, Russo.”
As one, they opened fire, their bullets strafing the first Jeep, making it veer madly to the side. Its wheels rode up a rise at the side of the track, sending it up and over, suddenly landing on its roof, smashing and scraping into the surrounding trees.
Instantly, a second Jeep took its place.
Men leaned out of the windows, firing madly, crazily. Alicia and Russo climbed to their knees, machine guns pouring bullets off the back of the Jeep. A tire blew on the chasing vehicle, sent it spinning to the side.
A third took its place.
“Shit, how many more do they have?”
Healey flung the truck around the meandering track, upsetting both Alicia and Russo’s aim more often than not, shouting sorry but assuring them they’d rather be on the track than off it. Alicia fell into Russo more than once, and he into her, but the pair silently agreed to speak nothing of it. Bullets clattered against the rusted side of their truck as one of their assailants scored a lucky hit. The Jeep at their rear came in close, its occupants’ faces visible through the dirty glass that separated them.
Healey swerved hard. The pursuing truck didn’t stand a chance. It plowed on through the forest, hitting trees and plummeting down a vertical slope. Alicia moaned as a fourth vehicle took its place.
“Last clip.” She rammed the mag home.
“Make ‘em count.”
Caitlyn’s voice hollered at them through the comms. “Y junction ahead. Take the right-hand fork.”
Healey listened as Russo relayed the information, but missed the turn because of the hard camber.
“Idiot!” Caitlyn cried. “There’s another fork three minutes ahead. Go left there, for fuck’s sake.”
“Jesus,” Alicia murmured, firing again. “It’s like having an abusive satnav in my head.”
“I wish it was in mine!” Healey cried.
“Yeah, I bet you do.” Alicia listened to Caitlyn’s highly-strung voice, knowing at least half the nerves were due to Healey’s predicament.
Healey made the turn this time, pitching them back on track. Alicia stood up in the rear of the Jeep, keeping her footing amongst the rusting metal ledges that made up its bed, and squeezed her trigger. Instantly, their pursuer’s windshield shattered and blood fountained into the air as both driver and passenger died. With nobody to give it momentum the Jeep came to a standstill, a blockage to those still behind.
As one more tried to squeeze by, Alicia lobbed her final grenade at it. The explosion took out the front end, leaving it a twisted mass of metal and iron, innards smoldering. The road was now well and truly blocked.
Healey threw their vehicle from corner to corner, allowing the tires to slew around the bends, drifting from one to the next. The young man even appeared to be enjoying himself.
“I guess they didn’t hurt you then.” Alicia bent through the window at the back of the cab.
“Nah. Told them exactly what you’d do to ‘em if they did.”
“Good boy.” Alicia grinned. “Now you’re learning.”
Healey chanced a look at her. “You said . . . you said you had Caitlyn in your head?”
Alicia sighed heavily and took out the implant. “Here you go. Keep it clean.” She turned to Russo.
“I guess tonight we’re soldiers and we’ll get drunk together.”
“That we will,” Russo agreed. “Because we’re still alive.”
Alicia grinned. “Cheers to that.”
THIRTY SEVEN
Two days later the team were assembled back in Las Vegas, just another group taking in the sights.
They found that if they walked out in the open, down the Strip itself, there was more space and it was easier to talk than if they squeezed into any of the local restaurants or bars. The night was pitch black above them, Vegas’ multimillion lights holding it at bay.
Cruz was back, and so was Lex, complaining about bruised ribs and elbows. Even Kate Stanton had joined them and Armand Argento was louder than life through a mobile link.
“We believe Solomon died in the explosion,” Argento confirmed. “Though the South Africans have not found his body. It has to stay as unconfirmed, do you see? Interpol does not make guesses and rightly so. Stay safe, my friend.”
“Understood.” Crouch led them all past the New York, New York rollercoaster, staring up as it thundered overhead. “What of Coker’s family?”
“They’re well, Michael, they’re well. The FBI apprehended a team of men that were spying on them. Unfortunately they will have to go into the WITSEC program with Solomon’s threat not yet defused. Not a hair
from Coker’s head has been seen.”
Crouch exhaled. “He’s a fool. He’d do better to come out and face the music.”
“He’s humiliated. Maybe he can’t even face his family anymore.”
Crouch let it go. Argento could be right. He signed off with a hearty thanks and a promise to get together soon. Then he turned to Cruz.
“And the lowdown on the treasure, Jose?”
“Our Aztec gold is safe and being documented as we speak. The finding was immediately made official, the locale safe, the location undisclosed to the public. Experts are on site and I believe the Nahua elders are being flown out to the area. We’re out of the internal and external wranglings now. We can only hope the governments don’t get too greedy.”
“I believe our benefactor might help with that.” Crouch reminded them of Rolland Sadler. “He has enough clout to move mountains, believe me.”
“Good.”
The group stopped near the Luxor hotel, its enormous Sphinx head before them, the great black pyramid to their right, its magnificent beam of light seeming to penetrate the very heavens, visible for miles around.
Crouch drew their attention. “A grand job well done,” he said. “Our first outing wasn’t so bad, and every person here played a part. I can’t thank you enough.”
“Maybe they’ll hand you the head of operations position now.” Alicia smiled. “Head of eleven countries. Something like that. You deserve it.”
Crouch smiled back, but included every one of them. “I wouldn’t take it,” he said. “This is what I’ve waited for my whole life. I wouldn’t squander this chance I’ve been handed to live my dream.”
“And what do I get out of all this?” Kate spoke up, the seemingly permanent leathers creaking.
“Like we said,” Alicia stepped in. “Next time we’re in Vegas . . . oh and you can still have Lex here, if you like.”
“Thanks,” the raven-headed woman said drily and made to leave. “And when I say Vegas I also mean Reno, of course. And San Diego. Los Angeles.”
“Of course.”
The team watched her depart, thankful for her help. A moment of perfect relaxation fell over them like a soft, gentle curtain of satin falling from the skies. The aftermath was seldom easy, but at least meant that the team could start to unwind.
It was Alicia who broke the peace, predictably so, looking toward the road ahead. “Where to next?” she wondered.
Michael Crouch’s cellphone rang.
Crouch glanced at the caller ID, said, “Oh no, this can’t be good,” and answered immediately, jabbing at the speaker button. “Yes? Crouch here.”
The quiet voice spoke in highly stressed tones. “Are you free? Are you finished?”
Crouch sent a worried glance toward Alicia. “We are.”
“Then we need you. I mean, all of you, and more. This Pandora thing’s gone intercontinental; we’re fighting a war in four countries now.”
“What?”
“Drake?” Alicia felt the onset of an approaching doom. “You’re not making any sense.”
“It’s the end of the world, Alicia. The plagues of Pandora. The Pythians are everywhere. We’re losing. This is going to take every single resource, every ounce of brainpower, every grain of courage. We’re all going to get bloody or dead on this one, Alicia.”
“We’ve faced Armageddon before, and recently. More than once.”
“Not like this.” Drake sounded as troubled as ever she’d heard him. “Something this big comes along just once in a lifetime. Survival isn’t even on the bloody menu. Saving our society, that’s all that matters.”
Alicia swallowed heavily, never one to be lost for words, but now standing back and staring at her boss, Michael Crouch. “We have to help them.”
He nodded quickly, his own face taut with strain. “My team is all yours, Matt. What do you need?”
“First of all head to Europe. You’ll be our response team there. We’re in the process of appointing others.”
“Europe’s a big place, mate,” Russo put in, shrugging.
“I realize that. We don’t have the right Intel yet, it’s a fluid operation. Start with Rome. I want you on the mainland.”
“Done.” Crouch took a last wistful glance around the city of a million lights. “I’ll be in touch when we’ve landed.”
“Thank you. Oh, and guys?”
“Yes?”
“If you have loved ones and relatives, I’d call them before you land.”
THE END
Aztec Gold is the first book of the Alicia Myles series. Part two should be released toward the end of 2015. The ending of this book leads us into Matt Drake 9—The Plagues of Pandora— a crossover novel, which will be released in early March 2015. The SPEAR team are joining the Disavowed and Alicia’s new crew to take on the Pythians in an epic archaeological mystery action adventure.
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