The Admiral's Mark (Short Story) (cotton malone)

by Steve Berry

  “Maybe he had a reason to keep things confused.”

  “That he did, Herr Malone. Truly, he did. But that reason is not important to our present situation. What is relevant is the book.”

  He decided to stop playing games. “Why did you kill Scott Brown?”

  “I suspected there was a connection. I appreciate your directness, so I will answer your question. Mr. Brown stole from me.”

  “And what did he steal?”

  “The book you bought. I had it in my possession, then Mr. Brown decided to take it, collecting the finder’s fee offered by its owner for its return.”

  “So you stole it first?”

  “The way of the world, as I am sure you understand. I had employed Herr Brown’s services as an intermediary, to secure the book, but he decided on another course.”

  “Not out of character.”

  “Indeed. But fatal this time.”

  “So you killed him. Or, should I say, your associate killed him.”

  “There are consequences to risks taken. I was aware of Herr Brown’s past. I do not do business with people I do not know. But I thought the fee being paid to him for his services would be enough. Sadly, I was wrong.”

  “He had a wife.”

  “Then she should thank me. Being married to someone so inherently dishonest could not have been pleasant.”

  He agreed, but Ginger had loved the idiot. And this arrogant ass’s indifference was, like Schwartz’s earlier, pissing him off.

  “I have spent the better part of my adult life studying Christopher Columbus,” Simon said. “I consider myself well versed in his peculiarities—”

  “And the purpose of such a seemingly worthwhile endeavor?”

  He saw Simon did not appreciate the rebuke. “Again, not something that is relevant to our current dealings.”

  Simon stepped to the edge of the walk, near one of the low-voltage lights, and bent down. Malone watched as something was drawn in the soft sand.

  The same strange letter combination from Scott’s letter to Ginger.

  “This is the mark of the Admiral,” Simon said. “The way Columbus would sometimes sign his name. Odd, wouldn’t you say?”

  To say the least.

  Simon stood. “Interesting that the man would not use his given, Christian name.”

  He wondered why that would matter.

  “Instead he sketches out these letters. To this day, no one knows what he meant by it. There are many interpretations, none of them persuasive. Some say it’s a combination of Greek and Latin. Others say Hebrew. One thing we do know: He wished his heirs, after his death, to continue to use this triangular arrangement of letters as their signature.”

  “What does this have to do with anything?”

  “Everything. The book you bought contains the mark of the Admiral. Open your package and I will show you.”

  That he could not do, since the book was long gone.

  Simon stared at him. “Your trick in the bathroom fooled no one.”

  He wasn’t going to be bluffed that easily.

  Simon raised a hand and gestured. The man called Rócha appeared down the path and walked their way.

  Holding the book from the auction.

  A way of alarm swept through Malone.

  Simon seemed to enjoy the moment and said, “I have Yann Dubois.” Rócha handed the book to Simon. “He is my prisoner, and will remain there until you do something for me.”

  Simon opened the old volume. “By and large these words are worthless. But there is one page that is not.” He seemed to find what he was looking for. “Here.”

  Malone saw a smooth cut at the edge nearest the binding, where a page had been surgically removed.

  “On this missing folio was the mark of the Admiral and a message from Columbus. When I first found the book I saw it, but was not afforded the opportunity to translate the page. The writing is in Old Castilian, a language that only a few today can adequately understand. Unfortunately, Herr Brown knew all that. I wondered why he returned the book. Now I know. He removed the most important page, pocketed the reward money from the owner, then wanted to sell the page back to me.”

  “But you don’t buy from people who steal from you.”

  “Sends the wrong message. Don’t you agree?”

  Malone gestured at Rócha. “So your lapdog killed Scott.”

  “As he will Yann Dubois if you do not bring me that page.”

  “What if I don’t have it?”

  “I am betting you do. I suspected that Brown was not working alone. Your appearance here seems to confirm that.”

  “If that is true, why would I buy the book?”

  “I don’t know. But I am sure that you and Herr Brown are connected. Bring me that page.”

  Interesting, this man who thought himself so careful made mistakes, too. But things were happening too fast for the right prep work. He was improvising, snatching Dubois the fastest way to generate a reaction.

  “Tomorrow, Herr Malone. Bring me the page and Dubois will be unharmed. I have no argument with him. But, if not, then he will never be seen again.”

  He thought of Elise and the two children. No way he could allow that to happen, so he asked, “Where and when?”

  “I assume you want a public place. One with limited access. Preferably one way in and out.”

  “I see you’ve done this before.”

  Simon smiled. “More of that delightful southern America wit.”

  “It’s a gift.”

  Simon pointed south. “The Citadelle Laferrière.”

  He knew the spot, had seen it from the air earlier before his flight landed. The fortress sat atop a mountain, built by Henri Christophe two hundred years ago.

  “Ten AM,” Simon said. “That should give you plenty of time.”

  No point arguing. He had no choice.

  “Bitte, Herr Malone,” Simon said.

  The two men started to walk off.

  “Oh,” Simon said. “I nearly forgot.”

  Something was tossed his way, which he caught.

  Keys.

  “To Herr Dubois’ vehicle. I assume you will need it to make your way around. He, of course, will not be using it.”

  Simon and Rócha left.

  Now he had a big problem.

  * * *

  Malone stepped from the car. His watch read 8:30 pm. He’d managed to find Yann Dubois’ house, recalling the route from earlier. The door to the shanty opened and Elise appeared, surely expecting her husband.

  Instead all she saw was the stranger who’d shared their dinner.

  He stepped to the lighted doorway.

  She spotted the concern on his face.

  Her eyes watered, but no tears came. “Yann is in trouble?”

  He nodded. “The same men who killed Scotty have him.”

  “And what do you plan to do about it?”

  Interesting that she made no mention of police or anyone in authority. Only what he planned to do. He assumed people here had long ago abandoned any trust in government.

  “I’ll get him back.”

  “How can you promise such a thing?”

  He couldn’t, but she did not need to hear that.

  “You are the real secret agent, aren’t you?”

  He nodded.

  “Scotty was a joyful man. Much like a child. He showed the children many tricks, winning their favor. But he was not what he wanted us to believe.”

  “And you said nothing?”

  “Why? He was harmless. In him, I sensed only opportunism. In you, I see resolve. You may actually be able to get my Yann back.”

  This was an intuitive woman.

  “I need to stay here tonight.”

  She sensed his reason, and he saw the realization in her eyes. “Will they come here? After us?”

  Matt Schwartz’s gun was nestled beneath his shirt.

  “I doubt it. But to be sure, I’d like to stay.”

  * * *

 
; Malone stared up at the Citadelle Laferrière.

  The night had passed uneventfully and he’d managed a few hours of light rest, remaining alert. He’d driven Dubois’ car fifteen miles south of town, into the mountains, to Bonnet de l’Évêque — the Bishop’s Miter — which rose 3,000 feet into a clear morning sky. A twisting road led to a parking lot just below the impressive fortress.

  A cobblestoned track wound from the lot upward and could be either walked or ridden on horseback. He was thirty minutes early for the 10:00 rendezvous. No need to come any sooner, since he assumed that was precisely what Simon had done. Instead, he was counting on something else as his failsafe.

  He stopped and studied a placard that told him about the locale, long designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Walls 130 feet high, 20 feet thick. Built to outlast the ages. No foundation, instead the gray grim stones rested only on rock, the heights held together by a mortar of limestone, molasses, and cow’s blood. Two and a half acres of enclosed space, once home to several thousand soldiers and enough food and water to sustain five thousand people for a year. Henri Christophe intended the fortress to be his last redoubt. If the French returned and invaded the north coast, he and his people would have burned Cap-Haïtien and the surrounding land, then retreated to the mountains and used the few passes as choke points, surviving at any cost, the idea to never again be slaves. Of course the French never returned, but the citadelle became a symbol of their will to fight for freedom, and it remained Haiti’s most revered monument. Unfortunately, that pride was marred by the fact that Christophe used 20,000 slave laborers to build it, many of whom died in the process.

  He began his walk upward to the entrance.

  He knew what had happened here in March 1811.

  Faced with a revolt, come to extinguish Haiti’s first monarchy, Christophe, instead of fighting, killed himself inside the Sans-Souci Palace with a silver bullet fired into his heart. His wife and children dragged the body up the mountain to the citadelle, where it was flung into a vat of quicklime, depriving the mob of its prize.

  His climb lasted about twenty minutes.

  Sheer cliffs protected on three sides, the only entrance subject to unimpeded cannon fire from above. He stepped through the gates, still on their hinges, and wondered if the legend that Christophe, to test the mettle of his men, marched a company over the tower’s parapet was true.

  And the other tale.

  How the king had buried gold somewhere within the walls.

  The ramps and steps loomed dim and damp. He exited the cool interior into a sunny courtyard. Most of the building roofs were gone, save a few that were red-tiled. Amazing that a man who could not read or write, who’d worked as a dishwasher and waiter, could create something so impressive.

  Settled in slavery, liberated in agony.

  That was Haiti.

  The unimpeded view for miles was of green slopes and rolling mountains. Terraces defined the fortress, creating several levels from which an attack could be repelled. Cannon were everywhere, some still on their carriages, most strewn about. Nearly four hundred of them, that was what the placard below had said. And a million cannonballs, stacked in pyramids, still awaited use. He spotted the mound in the center — solidified lime — where Christophe’s body had been dumped, and where it remained.

  Then saw Simon.

  To the right of the mound.

  Maybe another fifty people milled about, admiring the grandeur left to crumble. Schwartz’s gun rested in Malone’s back pocket, shielded by his shirttail. The morning was warm and humid, his brow damp with sweat. He’d never been much of a gambler for money, not liking the house odds, but it seemed every day as a Magellan Billet agent was a gamble. Of late, he’d found himself tiring of the risks. Like now. Yann Dubois’ life depended on the bluff he was about to make, and the ante he hoped would come.

  He stepped over to Simon and said, “I have it.”

  “Show me.”

  “Get real. If you want it, show me Dubois.”

  A tour group appeared from within one of the buildings, the guide spouting something in English about how people said Henri Christophe would magically fly from the Sans-Souci Palace to the citadelle and his spirit was still seen roaming at night, looking for his soldiers. About ten formed the group, and they ambled closer to the lime pit. Simon seemed to resent the intrusion and drifted away. He followed, keeping an eye on what surrounded him.

  “Herr Malone,” Simon said. “Do not take me for a fool. Herr Brown made that mistake. I would hope you learned from his error.”

  “I have the page and, you’re right, the mark of the Admiral is there. I recognized it last night when you drew it. I don’t give a damn about that. I just want Dubois and the $600,000 in the Cayman Islands.”

  Simon’s face lit with recognition. “Did Herr Brown cheat you?”

  One of the advantages of an eidetic memory was the ability to recall exact details. Malone had been born with the gift, which had come in handy when he was a lawyer — and came in even handier in his current line of work.

  “Account number 569328-78-9432. Bank of the Cayman Islands. I have a definite interest in that money.”

  He’d thought about it last night and concluded that using what he’d learned from Simon’s own background check might work.

  And it apparently had.

  “I am aware of those funds,” Simon said, “and I have no claim to them. They are yours. I just want that missing page.”

  “Then you’re wasting time.”

  Simon seemed to know what was expected of him and pointed.

  Malone turned to see Dubois standing a hundred feet away, across the courtyard, the man called Rócha beside him. Though he saw no gun, he knew Rócha was armed.

  Okay, nearly all of the players were here.

  He started toward Dubois.

  “First, the page,” Simon called out.

  He turned back. “After I make sure he’s okay.”

  He held his ground, making clear that the point was non-negotiable. Simon hesitated, then nodded his consent.

  He turned and kept walking.

  If he’d read this right, Zachariah Simon was not a man prone to public displays. That was why he had Rócha. Not that Simon wasn’t a danger — it was only that the most direct threat lay in front of him, not behind.

  His hand slipped into his back pocket and found the gun.

  He leveled the weapon and fired at Rócha.

  But his target had leaped to the left.

  Dubois fled to the right. Hopefully, he’d get the hell out of here.

  Malone huddled behind the limestone mound, taking refuge with Henri Christophe.

  He turned back.

  Simon had not moved.

  People were scattering.

  A few screaming.

  A gunshot cracked and a bullet ricocheted off the stone a foot away from his face.

  Rócha retaliating.

  He’d seen no guards when he entered, but he assumed a place like this had to employ security. Gunshots and mayhem would draw attention.

  So he needed to act fast.

  He decided to draw Simon in. The Austrian continued to stand his ground, confident that Malone would not shoot him and that Rócha had the situation under control.

  He whirled the gun, but before he could fire the earth around Simon erupted in explosive puffs. Three. Four. Five. Which finally caused a reaction as Simon realized someone other than Malone had him in their sights.

  The shots came without a retort, which meant a sound-suppressed weapon was on the ramparts above them.

  Simon fled to the safety of a nearby building.

  Malone smiled.

  The Israelis.

  Finally.

  He’d assumed they were watching. No contact had come last night, but that had not meant they were gone. He knew they would not risk exposure, using him to achieve whatever they were after. Since they were here he assumed they knew Simon possessed the book. But they would als
o know that a page was missing, and they would have to wonder.

  Did the Americans have it?

  His gaze raked the deserted courtyard, but he saw neither Rócha nor Simon. Above him all was quiet, too. He needed to leave. But where was Dubois?

  He dropped the arm with the gun to his side and shielded the weapon with his thigh as he hustled out of the sunlight, back into the fortress. He heard people chattering in different languages, their voices raised and excited, all of them surely headed for the exit.

  He made his way there and saw people racing down the cobbled path toward the parking lot. A quick glance behind and he saw no one else. So he followed, keeping a watch on his back until he rounded the first bend. High above the gate, on the parapet, he caught sight of Matt Schwartz.

  A wave from the Israeli said, You’re welcome.

  He returned the gesture.

  He knew the drill. The Israelis had flushed Simon out, but they would not risk anything more. Instead, they’d watch from their perch as everyone left. The lack of security or any law enforcement told him something else — the Haitian government had cooperated.

  Diplomacy.

  Ain’t it grand?

  He found the parking lot and still saw nothing of Simon or Rócha. He had to go back and find Dubois. But in the distance, still on the parapet high above the citadelle, Schwartz was gesturing for him to leave.

  Why?

  Then it occurred to him.

  He walked over, opened the driver’s door, and slipped behind the wheel of the car.

  Dubois’ face appeared in the rearview mirror, up from his hiding place.

  “I see my car and wait for you.”

  “You okay?”

  His friend nodded. “I good. Get going.”

  He agreed.

  * * *

  Malone drove straight to where Elise Dubois taught school to let her know everything was okay. She was glad to see her husband unharmed and thanked Malone with a hug and kiss.