What had not been made clear was how the General intended to get from the submarine to land and back again with K’in. Was he going to swim? How far inland could he come? How was he to remain undetected? She hadn’t questioned him. She’d been focused on getting here. But more than that, she had been happy Benjamin was alive.
“Are we just supposed to sit here?” Kelly squirmed in his seat. His t-shirt was soaked with sweat and stuck to his chest and shoulders. “It’s friggin’ hot in here.”
“Benjamin said to wait here. He’ll come for us.”
Kelly muttered under his breath. “He’ll come for Moby.”
An hour passed in silence. The driver had patiently kept to quiet in the front and even pulled his baseball cap over his eyes in order to take a short nap. Kelly and Freya had remained in taciturnity, not even sharing a glance. Even K’in had seemed to take the opportunity to catch up on some rest, sleeping in his makeshift greenhouse—the heat evaporating the water, creating a humid, sticky, atmosphere under the tarp.
There was a light tapping at the window. It jarred Kelly from his trancelike state. He swiveled around and peered out of the passenger-side window. A huge silhouette stood before him, the blazing sun burning brightly behind.
“Andre.” Kelly laughed as he opened the car door. “Only you could block out the sun, you massive bastard.”
Tremaine shook his head. “James. My name is James, dumbass.” The Shadow Man was dressed in dark blue combat clothing. Huge black military boots completed the outfit. He had even found time to shave.
“Sure, sure, James. Like I’m gonna argue with you. I’d call you Nancy if you told me to.”
Tremaine raised an eyebrow. “A girl’s name? Says the man named Kelly.”
“Hey, my family is Welsh. I’m just glad I’m not named after some kind of sheep.” He shrugged and walked around to the driver’s side of the vehicle.
The driver wound down the window. “Si?”
“I’m gonna need you to make yourself scarce for an hour, okay?” He handed a fistful of money from his pocket to the little man.
“Si, Señor.” The man nodded and climbed out of the truck. He pulled his cap low to obscure his face, and perhaps his own vision, and scurried off down the dock toward the city center.
Freya stepped out of the vehicle and peered over its roof. “Hey, Tremaine.” Her voice was gentle and warm.
“Hey,” was all he offered in return. She glanced around, searching expectantly for the General. To her disappointment, Tremaine was alone.
“Well, I’m glad you two haven’t lost the art of conversation.” Kelly had already marched back around the Hilux and was standing beside the Shadow Man. “So now what? Where’s the General? How do we get Moby into your tin can?”
“We used the ASDS to come ashore. A small crew is still inside. The General and the XO are on the sub, waiting for me to return with the creature.”
“Oh,” Freya said quietly. It was only meant for her but was quite audible to both men.
Kelly flicked a quizzical look at her but decided to bulldoze past the moment. “That doesn’t answer my question there, Andre.”
The Shadow Man glared at him.
“James, I mean James—or JT? I like JT. Suits you.” He slapped the Shadow Man on the shoulder. It was like rock, leaving a stinging sensation on Kelly’s palm. Kelly glanced over to Freya and shrugged.
“Okay, Tremaine. What’s the plan of action?” she asked.
“We wait till dark. Then make our way to the end of pier forty-seven. We load the creature into the ASDS, and I take it back to the General. You and Mr. Graham continue on your original plan. The General asked if you needed anyone else to go with you.”
“No,” Kelly said. He stopped leaning on the truck and stood straight. “We can’t afford to draw attention to ourselves. I can use my more innovative connections to get us places, but there’s no way they are gonna help me with a bunch of guerrillas hanging about. Especially you, JT. Can’t have you causing eclipses everywhere we go.”
Tremaine fixed on Freya, silently asking for confirmation. She nodded. “He’s not eloquent. But he’s right.”
“I’m always right. But right now, we are about to have a steam-cooked salamander in there.” He pointed to the flatbed. “So where are we gonna hole up for a while? We’ve at least got to put this thing in the shade.”
The others nodded in agreement.
“Let’s put it down by the dock,” Tremaine said. “There are empty boathouses there. I’m sure we can use one for a few hours.”
“Good idea. Plus, I’m starving.” Kelly rubbed his stomach. “Need to get some grub. You two take Moby. I’ll go find us something to eat. I also have to rustle up some transport. I have a few connections down this way. How deep are your pockets again, guys? I’m gonna need some walkin’ around money.”
“Take this.” Freya handed him a card. “You’ll be able to draw some money, but you’ll only be able to do it once. It’s a secret account for emergencies. I don’t think people will be focused on it for now, but I’m sure once it’s used, flags will be raised.”
“Thanks. How much can I draw?”
“How much do you need?”
“Man, was I in the wrong line of work.” Kelly shook his head and meandered away. The haze of the midday heat wafted the air above the concrete upward, obscuring his outline until he was no longer visible.
Tremaine turned to Freya. “You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. He’s not that bad once you get used to him.” She cast a glance at the path Kelly had taken, but he was nowhere to be seen.
Tremaine eyed her. “You sure you’re alright? You seem ... different.”
Freya looked at herself and, for the first time, realized how she looked. No high-heeled shoes, no makeup, no tight-fitting dress, and her hair was so tangled that it suggested she had been dragged backward through a field. A smile broke across her face. “You know,” she said. “I’m actually very okay.”
“Inside joke?”
“No, just ...” she began, but stopped.
“Just?”
“Nothing.” It was hard to explain. Perhaps it was K’in. Perhaps it was the situation. But she was relaxed—particularly around Kelly—and there was no need to be aggressive, sexual, or otherwise. She was happy trudging around in jungle boots. Freya pulled her ponytail tight again and brushed down her combat pants, the dust flying off in all directions. “C’mon, let’s get this truck in the shade.”
* * *
An hour had passed, and Kelly had not returned. They had moved the truck into an old, wooden boathouse at the far end of the dock and then sat talking. Tremaine had recounted his side of events after Freya had left the submarine in Monterey Bay. She had been unaware the General had been attacked in the hospital, and the young pilot Wiezorek had saved his life. She so desperately wanted to see the General—Benjamin, her godfather. In the midst of all this, she craved security. It was exhausting being strong on the outside. Benjamin was the only person with whom she could show weakness—except Kelly. She couldn’t explain it, but he made her feel safe. It was probably his unfailing confidence in whatever he did, right or wrong.
The conversation had taken all of thirty minutes—quick and concise, true to military standard and, of course, true to Tremaine. He was always to the point and didn’t use more words than needed. Freya knew he really didn’t like Kelly who was his polar opposite. For the most part, Kelly didn’t shut up. And what came out of his mouth was usually laced with sarcasm and expletives. If you could get beyond the layers of crap designed to preserve whatever was beneath, Kelly was actually quite sweet. Sometimes she’d catch him looking at her, genuine concern and caring in his eyes. Tremaine on the other hand was a closed book. She’d worked with the man for several years yet, only today, learned that his Christian name was James. When they had first met, she had asked, but “Tremaine” was his only response. It was fairly commonplace to use family names when addressing coll
eagues, so she hadn’t questioned it. And since Benjamin had personally vouched for him, everything else was moot. He was her silent partner. Like a giant Doberman forever guarding her, he never left her side. It had been that way since they started working together. She smiled. He may not have been much of a conversationalist, but she was glad he was here.
Kelly bowled into the boathouse. He swaggered over to the Hilux, looking extraordinarily pleased with himself, and rapped on the roof with his knuckles. “Afternoon in there. Not interrupting, am I?”
Tremaine stared at him through the window, his face impassive. “No, not interrupting.”
Freya ignored his jibe at Tremaine and exited the car. “Did you do whatever it was you needed?”
“Yep, got us some transport to Egypt—kind of. Here.” He tossed a small packet across to her.
Freya opened it to find a small, very warm sandwich comprised of white bread and some kind of meat—though it was not clear from which animal it had come. “Thanks ... I think.” She pried the sandwich open, hoping to better understand its contents. It didn’t help.
“I got one for you, too, JT.” Kelly tapped on the window and made a little wind-down-the-window gesture. Tremaine rolled his eyes and complied. Kelly tossed in the sandwich, nearly hitting the man in his left eye, before making his way around to the back of the flatbed. He uncoupled the straps holding the tarp in place and poked his head through the flap.
“Jesus, it’s hot in here. Did these heartless bastards leave you to boil in here, Moby?” Kelly shook his head. He threw in the remaining package, which contained three sandwiches sans mystery meat, and poured a bottle of water directly into the bathtub. “Here. Drink, bathe, wallow, do whatever it is you do.”
“Kelly!” Freya tapped her foot in annoyance.
He grimaced and threw a pained look at K’in. “Oops. In trouble again, Moby.”
K’in didn’t pay any attention. He was busily munching on the sandwiches that were quickly soaking up the water in the tub.
Kelly pulled his head from the tarp. “Yes, dear?”
“Transport, Kelly. Focus.”
He wandered around to Freya’s side of the truck. “Sure, right. So, how would you like to get to Egypt, pretty much undetected, in about sixteen hours?”
“How the hell did you manage that?” Tremaine asked as he leaned through the window nearest Freya, his mouth stuffed with sandwich.
“I bagged us a G650.”
“A G650. You bought a G650?” Freya’s eyes widened.
“No, no, no. Don’t be stupid. I didn’t think I could draw out sixty-million bucks from your account. No, I bought information as to where we can get one.”
“Where?” Tremaine and Freya asked in unison.
“Well, there’s a guy around here. He’s, shall we say, pretty rich. But he’s not exactly legal. So he won’t go reporting his missing plane—you get me?” Kelly took a bite of a sandwich he had pulled from the side pocket of his combat pants. It looked warm, flaccid, and completely unappetizing. Still, Kelly scoffed it while waiting for a response.
“So we have to go and steal a plane,” Tremaine said.
“Not we. Kelly and I,” Freya replied. “As soon as it’s dark, you need to get K’in to the submarine. We will go and steal the plane.”
“Right.” The Shadow Man withdrew back into the car.
Kelly frowned. “Don’t worry, JT. I’m sure you’ll get to steal something soon.”
Silence.
“Anyhoo.” Kelly pointed his flaccid sandwich at Freya. “I assume you know how to fly it?”
“I can fly it. Benjamin taught me how to fly when ...” She paused a moment. “He taught me.”
“Of course, he did.”
“Where is your little driver?” Freya changed the subject.
“I met him on the way and gave him some cash for a night in a hotel and to buy a new ride. Didn’t want him in any more trouble than he needs to be. Someone is going to ID this truck eventually. He can just report it stolen.”
“Just how much did you draw out of the account?” Freya pursed her lips, afraid of the answer.
Kelly laughed. “Enough.”
Location: Callao, Peru, South America
His watch showed three in the morning. Shit, it was early. In the gloom of the unlit boat shed, Kelly barely made out Freya’s sleeping form next to him in the Hilux. She was curled in a ball, her head resting on his lap. He smiled and admired how peaceful she appeared. He moved a hand to stroke her hair but immediately retracted it as the gravity of his action dawned on him. What the hell was he thinking? He couldn’t go down that road again. He couldn’t get attached. It was a bad idea. Anyway, he had a wife. She was gone in body but not in spirit. He shook off the uncomfortable train of thought and turned his attention to the much larger lump, squashed in the front passenger seat. James Tremaine, Freya’s disapproving sidekick. Kelly smirked, then rapped with his knuckles on the man’s bald head. “Yo, JT, time to get up.”
The Shadow Man lurched into life, instinctively pulling his Kimber ICQB from its holster. He swung it around and pointed it at Kelly’s forehead. “Gimme a reason.”
“Whoa, someone’s grumpy in the morning. Relax, JT.” Kelly raised his hands, motioning the agent to calm down.
Freya yawned and stretched. Then sat up. Crap, she was on his lap. Best to ignore it. Maybe he hadn’t noticed. “C’mon boys, enough.” She shuffled out of the car and into the cold, damp air. The chilling water vapor clung to her bare arms, making her shiver.
“Cold, right?” Kelly had also exited and was busily untying the ropes on the tarp that concealed K’in. She nodded and rubbed her hands together in an attempt to generate heat from the friction.
Kelly thought about offering her his jacket, but again, the words never passed his lips. Besides, she had a jacket in the truck—she just had to put it on. He peered through the gap in the tarp. The creature was wide awake and ecstatic to see Kelly. He puffed out his crimson gills and leapt past Kelly down from the flatbed, to the ground. He stretched his back and limbs like a newly woken dog.
“Okay, Moby, it’s time for you to take a little trip.”
K’in scurried up to Kelly, reared onto his hind legs, and placed his front legs onto Kelly’s shoulders. Their eyes locked. A massive wave of warmth ran from Kelly’s stomach up through his chest and into his head. K’in had connected. The creature smacked its tiny lips together, all the while staring into Kelly’s face. K’in’s eyes glowed.
“What the hell is it doing?” Tremaine stood next to Freya, his arms folded across his chest.
“Saying hi,” she replied and proceeded to walk over to Kelly. She rested a hand on K’in’s head, absorbing the warmth through him. The creature swiveled his head to see her and rubbed the end of his face on hers. Freya laughed, pulling away, her eyes screwed up. K’in dropped to the ground and waddled around on all fours until he reached Tremaine. The animal cocked his head to one side, deciding if he liked the Shadow Man. Evidently, he didn’t. He scampered to Kelly’s side and plonked down by his feet. Freya and Kelly choked back a laugh.
“Hey, we still like you, JT.”
Freya erupted into a full-blown snort.
“Sure.” Tremaine grunted in annoyance. “Let’s just get on with this.”
“Yes, yes.” Freya regained her composure. “How will we do it?”
“Well ...” Kelly started.
“He’s calling the shots now?”
Freya jumped to Kelly’s defense. “No, but he knows where to get the plane, and he knows who we are going to see in Egypt. Ergo, he at least has a say. Right?”
“It’s okay, toots, I can justify myself.”
Freya huffed.
“JT, you take Moby to your mini sub. Wrap him in the tarp from the truck. You’ll be faster if you carry him on your back, and much less conspicuous. We’ll go get the plane. Once we’re in Egypt, we’ll send you another message with an update.”
The Shadow Man ignored
Kelly and cast his gaze to Freya. He raised his eyebrows expectantly.
She shrugged. “Seems fairly sensible to me.”
“Fine.” Tremaine marched over to the truck and grabbed the tarp with both hands. With a swift and mighty heave, he ripped the material from the chassis. Glaring at Kelly, he stepped over K’in and attempted to drop the tarp onto the animal’s back. K’in bucked, throwing the heavy sheet to the floor, before scurrying behind Kelly’s legs for protection.
“Moby! Hey, calm down. It’ll be alright.” Kelly bent down, rested on his haunches, and patted the animal on the head.
“You gotta go with the walking fridge here, okay?” K’in shuffled his feet uneasily.
“He’s an ugly fucker, I know, but I’ll come back for you. Just try not to look at him.” Kelly threw a smarmy glance up at the now fuming Shadow Man and then turned his attention back to K’in. “I’ll come back for you. I promise.”
The animal responded and skulked around Kelly toward Tremaine.
The Shadow Man thought it looked as if it were sulking, but figured that was impossible. Animals didn’t have emotions. Tremaine wrapped the heavy sheet around K’in and slung the creature over one shoulder. He stared at Kelly before turning to face Freya. “Take care.”
“You too,” she replied. As always, their conversations were short and not sweet.
Tremaine made an about-face and strode toward the door of the boathouse. He carefully pushed on it until he could peer through a small gap. With the coast clear, he shoved the door open and slipped through the space into the night, K’in flapping about on his back.
“Right then, we best go plane shopping,” Kelly said.
They climbed into the Hilux. Kelly turned over the engine and pumped the gas with the handbrake engaged. Satisfied the battered, old vehicle was still roadworthy, he released the brake and drove up to the large doors. He crept the car forward, nudging the wooden doors open. As the hood of the car poked through, Kelly could peer out into the starless night. Tremaine was nowhere to be seen but neither was anyone else.
Children of the Fifth Sun Page 17
