The Death Relic

by Chris Kuzneski

  Payne stared at Tiffany, trying to read her face. ‘If you’re lying to me, I’ll gun you down before your buddy in the chopper has a chance to take me out. You know that, right?’

  ‘Trust me,’ she said to him, ‘he’s not my buddy. In fact, I have a strange feeling that he told Angel where I was hiding.’

  The comment piqued Payne’s interest. ‘Why do you say that?’

  ‘Why? Because Angel found me in the middle of nowhere in less than a day. He couldn’t have tracked me without help.’

  ‘We found you.’

  She laughed. ‘No, you didn’t. You found Hamilton, and only because I sent you an invitation. You wouldn’t have found him if I didn’t want you to.’

  ‘Maybe Angel followed the same trail.’

  ‘What trail is that? There’s no connection between Hamilton and me. Absolutely none. Angel would have had no reason to check Hamilton’s credit card. Not like you.’

  ‘Then how’d he find you?’

  ‘Someone sent him my picture.’

  ‘How do you know that?’

  ‘Angel told me before his, um, accident. I checked his phone and confirmed it. He had several photos of me at the campsite, taken with a telephoto lens.’

  ‘And you think your buddy sent them?’

  ‘I told you, he’s not my buddy. And yes, I think he sent them.’

  ‘Why would he do that?’

  ‘Why? Because he doesn’t like loose ends, and Angel was a dangerous loose end. Hell, I didn’t even know the bastard was alive until I saw him here. I thought I’d killed him yesterday. My guess is Explorer put Angel on my scent, so we could take him out together.’

  Payne furrowed his brow. ‘Together?’

  She nodded. ‘Why do you think he brought you to Mexico? He viewed you as the ultimate safety net. If anything slipped through the cracks, he knew you and Jones would handle it. And you did. You cut down Angel’s army in less than twenty minutes.’

  ‘No one brought us to Mexico. We came here on our own.’

  She laughed. ‘You still don’t get it, do you? Explorer has been playing you from the very beginning. He knows you, Jon. He knows how you think. You, Jones, Ulster, Pelati. He needed your help, so he brought you here, one after another.’

  Payne glanced at the sky. The chopper was approaching.

  ‘Bullshit! No one knows us like that.’

  ‘Really? Then how did I know when you’d show up? How’d I know how to lure you here? I didn’t plan that shit on my own. Explorer told me what to do and when to do it.’

  Payne tried to connect the dots, but things weren’t clicking.

  ‘Think about it,’ she said. ‘He enticed Maria with a job offer. Six hours later, Hamilton was gone, her passport was missing and she had no one to turn to except …’

  ‘Me.’

  ‘Actually, no. When he monitored her calls, he thought she would call Jones, not you. He screwed that one up. But you two are connected at the hip, so he knew both of you would come running.’

  Payne grimaced. That’s exactly what they had done.

  She continued. ‘Without her passport, Maria couldn’t leave the country. Then again, even if she could, she wouldn’t abandon Hamilton because of her daddy issues. Explorer knew that if Maria was given a father figure, she would cling to him like a baby on a tit.’

  ‘Hamilton was in on this?’

  ‘Not knowingly,’ she admitted. ‘When I picked him up in Cancún, he honestly thought his life was in danger. And just so you know, he was asking about Maria the entire time. He truly was concerned for her safety.’

  ‘Great. I’ll be sure to tell her.’

  ‘Please do. That girl has enough problems already.’

  The helicopter was ready to land. He only had time for a few more questions, so he changed the topic. ‘What about Petr?’

  ‘What about him? We knew you’d call Ulster about the artefacts in the trunk. He’s your go-to guy when it comes to history. We also figured he’d hop on a plane to give you a hand. And guess what? We were right.’

  ‘But why? Why do you want us here?’

  She shrugged. ‘Unfortunately, that question is above my pay grade. I have no idea what he has in store for you. But I’ll admit, I’m kind of curious. I’m assuming it’s something big.’

  ‘Why do you say that?’

  ‘Why? Because Explorer used every trick in the book to assemble four of the top people in their fields, and he did it without you even knowing. Why go to all of that trouble unless it’s to conceal something huge?’

  Payne stared at her, suspicious. For someone who had been unwilling to talk up until now, she was suddenly a fountain of knowledge. ‘Why are you telling me this?’

  ‘Because Explorer sold me out. I know he sold me out. He led Angel here and didn’t have the decency to warn me. A guy like that can’t be trusted.’

  ‘And I can?’

  She nodded. ‘Pardon me for saying this, but there are a lot of soldiers in the world who are ex-Special Forces. Maybe they aren’t as good as you, but they’re pretty damn close. And I should know because I’ve worked with some of them.’

  ‘What’s your point?’

  ‘Explorer brought you here for a reason. My guess is trust.’

  ‘Trust?’

  ‘Even though he deceived you – even though he fed you a bunch of lies to get you here – he still feels he can trust you. That tells me a lot. That tells me I can trust you, too.’

  ‘He trusts me to do what?’

  She shrugged. ‘You’ll have to ask him that yourself.’

  66

  Payne’s head was spinning from everything Tiffany had told him. At first, he had doubted that anyone could know him well enough to predict his every move, but when she broke things down for him, step-by-step, it sounded within the realm of possibility. Maria had turned to him and Jones for protection. Then the three of them had turned to Ulster for help with the artefacts. In less than a weekend, Explorer had assembled a top-notch team simply by pulling their strings.

  Payne didn’t know whether to be pissed off or impressed.

  Just to be safe, Payne decided to meet Explorer alone. If he turned out to be someone from Payne’s past, then he wanted to deal with him on the chopper before Jones, Maria and Ulster learned his identity. The CIA was known for its elaborate missions, sometimes leaving sleeper agents in the field for decades before they were called into action, but this was something different. At least sleeper agents were agents. They were trained to do the assignment the Agency had given to them, even if it occurred years after their placement. But this? In addition to not being agents, Maria and Ulster weren’t even American.

  Why had Explorer lured them here? What was his end game?

  Payne was eager to find out.

  He waited for the dark-green utility helicopter to land on the eastern side of the pyramid before rushing to greet it. He used one hand to shield his eyes from the dirt and sand that was kicked up by the chopper. He used the other hand to hold the assault rifle. If he sensed trouble of any kind, he was more than willing to open fire – if for no other reason than to give his friends more time to slip away.

  The rear cabin door slid open, revealing an older man in khaki pants and a short-sleeved shirt. Aviator sunglasses covered his eyes. The man, concerned with Payne’s mood, raised his hands and waved. Not only to greet Payne, but to let him know that he was unarmed. It was a gesture Payne did not return. There would be no kindness until he knew what was going on.

  Instead of leaving the helicopter, the man backed inside and took a seat on one of the three benches. The rest of the cabin was empty. Other than the pilot, who remained in the cockpit, no one else was on board. Payne made sure before he climbed inside. Only then did he focus on the man. Although his face looked familiar, Payne couldn’t quite place it until the man took off his sunglasses and flashed a cat-that-ate-the-canary smile. Then everything clicked.

  It was Dr Charles Boyd, Maria’s one-tim
e mentor.

  A man who had lived a double life for decades.

  A spy who had been outed by Payne and Jones.

  Payne groaned in recognition. ‘Son of a bitch.’

  Boyd’s smiled wider. ‘Hello to you, too.’

  Born Charles Ian Holloway, Explorer had been known by many names over the years. He had attended the US Naval Academy in the early 1960s. Upon graduation, he was loaned to the Pentagon for an ‘alternative tour of duty’, after which Charles Holloway ceased to exist. Reborn as Charles Boyd, he majored in archaeology and linguistics at Oxford. He was eventually hired by Dover University, where he rose through the teaching ranks and was named head of the archaeology department in 1991. By that time, his reputation as a scholar was well established. This allowed him to travel the world without drawing attention. His cover as an academic allowed him to pursue his true agenda as a CIA operative. The CIA financed his intellectual pursuits, and in exchange he was obliged to do their bidding. Nothing too extravagant – mostly smuggling and simple intelligence – but important nonetheless.

  Since Boyd truly enjoyed the activities associated with his cover, he continued to work as a professor and an archaeologist even after the CIA gave him the opportunity to move on. His research in one particular site, the Catacombs of Orvieto, had attracted an inquisitive student with a passion for history: a much younger Maria Pelati. Familiar with her surname – and her father’s influence in Italy – Boyd took her under his wing, where she quickly blossomed into his best pupil. He was so impressed by her abilities that he hired her as his teaching assistant. During the school year, they worked side-by-side in the classroom. During the summer months, they worked side-by-side in the field. Their relationship went beyond professor and student. She viewed him as a mentor and a surrogate father, someone she could look up to and trust.

  But Boyd had been lying to her the entire time.

  His double life finally came to light after they had discovered the Catacombs of Orvieto. Inside the legendary site, they found a scroll that threatened the sanctity of the Catholic Church. Fearing the damage it would cause, Benito Pelati tried to fix the problem by accusing Boyd of murder and theft. In the course of a week, Boyd went from a respected academic to one of the most sought-after fugitives in all of Europe – and Maria was labelled his accomplice.

  Known for their ability to track targets, Payne and Jones were coerced by two ‘CIA agents’ to find Boyd before anyone else could capitalize on his discovery. It took a while, but they eventually found Boyd and Maria in Milan. Payne and Jones were ready to turn them over when they sensed that something wasn’t quite right. As it turned out, the men were actually working with Benito Pelati, and they had been paid handsomely to ensure that no one, including Maria, would bring the damning information about Christianity to light. To convince Payne and Jones of his innocence, and to save his life, Boyd was forced to reveal his role with the Agency and his non-official cover status. This was done at gunpoint in front of Maria.

  In a matter of minutes, Maria learned that her father had sent two men to kill her and that her surrogate father was a long-time spy who had been deceiving her for years.

  After that, it was tough for her to trust anyone.

  Especially men.

  Payne held his weapon steady. ‘I thought you had retired.’

  Boyd shook his head. ‘Apparently not.’

  ‘Still with the Agency?’

  ‘I am indeed.’

  Payne considered Boyd’s claim. It would be tough to verify in the field, since CIA agents weren’t issued credentials of any kind. Normally he would just call Raskin and ask him, but he was temporarily off limits. ‘Out of curiosity, how does someone stay on active duty after a clusterfuck like Orvieto? Your picture was on the front page of every newspaper in Europe. I’m guessing that much publicity would make it impossible to do your job.’

  ‘I guess that depends on one’s job.’

  ‘You’re no longer an operative?’

  ‘Not in the conventional sense, no. Then again, nothing about my career has been conventional. You know that better than most.’

  Payne nodded. ‘I guess I do.’

  Boyd crossed his legs in front of him. He appeared to be calm, totally under control. ‘So, I guess you’re wondering why you’re here.’

  ‘The question had crossed my mind.’

  ‘I was hoping to share that morsel with everybody, but since you are currently pointing an assault rifle at my chest, I am going to assume that is highly unlikely.’

  ‘What gave it away? My rifle or my rifle?’

  Boyd smiled. ‘Glad to see that your wit is still working.’

  ‘So is my trigger finger, in case you’re wondering.’

  He laughed, not the least bit afraid. ‘Tell me, my boy, what can we do to speed this along? I realize you must have several questions to ask, but upon our descent, we happened to notice a congregation of flashing lights heading this way. Based on conservative estimates, I’d say we have less than a minute to depart before we are fired upon by the Federales.’

  ‘What’s your point?’

  ‘My point? I realize that attacks of this nature happen to you frequently – so often, in fact, that you have built an unnatural tolerance to the threat of gunfire. However, I have a sneaking suspicion that Maria and Petr do not share your cavalier attitude about such things.’

  ‘Probably not.’

  ‘Then what do you say we invite them onboard for a mini reunion? I’d be happy to whisk them away to safety before they have to deal with any violence.’

  Payne raised his voice. ‘The only reason they’re facing violence is because of you.’

  ‘Touché,’ Boyd said with a laugh. ‘And yet somehow I think they’ll forgive me once I tell them why they’re here.’

  ‘Why are they here?’

  Boyd shook his head. ‘That, I’m afraid, I must keep to myself until we are in the air.’

  Payne glanced out the cabin door and spotted flashing lights near the main entrance of Chichén Itzá. Boyd wasn’t lying. The cops would be there any second. Although he didn’t trust the man, Payne sensed they weren’t in any physical danger from Boyd. If he had wanted to hurt them, he could have done so already. With that in mind, Payne decided it would be safer to go with Boyd than to take their chances with the Federales. He figured that if they didn’t like what Boyd had to say, they could always leave him later.

  ‘We’ll come with you on one condition,’ Payne said.

  ‘Which is?’ Boyd asked.

  ‘I need you to stay in the cockpit until I have a chance to explain what’s going on.’

  ‘Why is that?’

  Payne stared at him, serious. ‘If Maria sees you before I have a chance to brief her, there’s a damn good chance she will throw your ass out of the chopper.’

  Boyd laughed. ‘Trust me, I know Maria better than any of you. She doesn’t have a violent bone in her body.’

  ‘Is that so? When was the last time you talked to her?’

  ‘It’s been several years, I’m afraid.’

  ‘In that case, you don’t know her at all.’

  67

  After rounding up Ulster and Maria from different ends of the site, Jones waited in the nearby trees for Payne’s signal. Once the ‘all-clear’ was flashed, the three of them hustled to the helicopter, where they were joined by Hamilton and Tiffany. Payne pulled them aboard, one after another, and ordered them to sit down and buckle up. It would be a bumpy take-off. Police in riot gear charged through the front gate as the chopper left the ground in a cloud of dust. The pilot banked hard to the north, barely clearing the trees as they flew over the Sacred Well. Having missed the chance to see it from the ground, Ulster stared wistfully out of the cabin window. It was the last thing he recognized before the jungle swallowed the horizon.

  The multi-purpose utility helicopter had three bench seats and a small cargo area in the rear. Payne and Jones sat on the closest bench to the cockpit. Hamilt
on and Tiffany were in the middle. Ulster and Maria were in the back. Payne had purposely seated them in this order. He wanted a chance to talk to Jones in private before they were forced to tell Maria about Boyd’s involvement. Payne had a feeling Jones would want to handle that conversation. At least Payne hoped he would. Otherwise, the ride might get even bumpier.

  The droning of the rotors made it difficult to talk in the belly of the chopper. It would be even tougher to eavesdrop. Payne and Jones could chat all day, and they weren’t the least bit concerned about being overheard.

  Jones leaned in. ‘Who’s running the op?’

  Payne answered. ‘Boyd.’

  ‘Boyd who?’

  ‘Charles Boyd.’

  Jones did a double take. ‘I thought he was retired.’

  ‘So did I.’

  Over the next few minutes, Payne told Jones everything he had learned in his conversations with Tiffany and Boyd. Jones listened intently, not the least bit amused about being played. He prided himself on being ten steps ahead of his opponent, yet he had failed to connect any of the dots. All along he had been saying that something was ‘off’ – Hamilton’s disappearance, the trunk of artefacts, the cache of weapons – but he hadn’t seen this one coming.

  ‘What does he want with us?’ Jones asked.

  Payne shrugged. ‘The cops showed up before he could tell me.’

  ‘Fuckin’ cops. Always screwing things up.’

  ‘Tell me about it.’

  Jones paused in thought. ‘What’s his role at the Agency?’

  ‘He claimed he isn’t an operative any more. I tend to believe him. His name was dragged through the mud with all of those false charges. It would have been tough to continue after that.’

  ‘You can’t be a spy if your contacts don’t trust you.’

  ‘What else could he be?’

  ‘Maybe an analyst. Maybe an instructor. With his teaching background, I could see him at the training academy.’

  Payne shook his head. ‘Those gigs would be near Washington. No way he’d be running a mission in Mexico if he were an analyst or an instructor. He has to be something else.’