Wages of Sin (A James Acton Thriller, #17) (James Acton Thrillers)

by J. Robert Kennedy

  And when he did, when that first piece was in his hands, he would avenge his brother’s death, and kill every last one of these privileged white people and their lackeys trying to pose as equals.

  70

  Approaching South African Airspace

  “Zero-One, Control.”

  Dawson drew a deep breath, getting back into game mode. The guys had pretty much left him alone for the past hour, their attempt to give him space unfortunately allowing him to dwell on his thoughts, the imagination a horrible thing when it had few facts to go on.

  But that had to end.

  Maggie had to be secondary—he had a job to do, and lives depended on it.

  “Go ahead, Control.”

  “Bad news, Zero-One”—his heart nearly stopped, his eyes closing as he prepared for the news of Maggie’s death—“the South African government has given you permission to land and search for our people, but unarmed only.”

  A sigh of relief escaped, this very moment proving why people in his business didn’t go on ops when there was a personal crisis underway at home. Yet there was no choice, his team the only one in the region that could be retasked. He could step aside, let Atlas lead the team, but that would leave them a man down, and if something happened to them because of it, he’d never be able to live with himself.

  Get it together. Shut this shit down!

  “Repeat that, Control.”

  “No weapons, Zero-One.”

  He shook his head. “Control, you expect us to go up against a dozen armed poachers with what, white flags?”

  “Don’t shoot the messenger, Zero-One. This is from State.”

  Dawson frowned. “Can we do what we usually do? Gear up at the embassy?”

  “Negative, Zero-One. The South Africans are wise to that one. You’re to find our people then report their location to the South Africans so they can deal with it.”

  “Is that State’s line?”

  “Zero-One, Control Actual.” Dawson sat straighter as the Colonel joined the conversation. “Negative, that’s State’s line to the locals. You do what you need to do to bring our people home, but you’ll have to walk off that plane unarmed, and any US issue weapons or gear are forbidden.”

  Lovely.

  “Copy that, Control. Zero-One, out.” Dawson turned to the others who were in the process of gearing up. “Well, boys, this is another Charlie-Foxtrot.”

  Niner looked at him. “What now?”

  “No weapons.”

  “Bullshit.”

  “No bullshit. State says no weapons, and we can’t gear up at the consulate either. No US government issued weapons or equipment.”

  Atlas’ deep voice rumbled in protest. “How the hell do they expect us to fight?” He jerked a thumb at Niner. “With his rapier wit?”

  Niner’s head bobbed, a finger jabbing the air between them. “Good one, cuz a rapier is a type of sword.”

  Atlas winked at him as he rose. “Exactly. And”—the big man stepped over and picked Niner up under the armpits, holding him out in front of him—“he doubles as a shield too.”

  Niner’s foot made contact with Atlas’ balls, the big man doubling over, dropping his much smaller counterpart. “I deserved that,” he winced.

  “Yes, you did.” Niner patted him on the back. “And well done, I felt those through my boot. That’s something to be proud of.”

  Jimmy shook his head. “And you wonder why there’s confusion.”

  Niner whirled at his best friend. “Hey, I thought we settled all that?”

  Jimmy shrugged. “The committee is in recess.” He turned to Dawson. “So what are we going to do?”

  Leather stepped forward, pushing a phone back into his pocket. “I’ve just called one of my contacts. He’s going to meet us and equip us as best he can. No guns, but body armor, survival equipment, knives, that type of thing.”

  Dawson’s head bobbed in approval. “That’s a good start. Time is of the essence. We need to find our people before the hostiles decide they’re not worth keeping around. And you can bet we’re going to have local interference.”

  Leather smiled. “Not a problem. My guy says he can take care of that too.”

  Dawson grinned. “Glad we decided to pick you up.” He pointed at Niner. “If the Colonel’s man delivers, you give him a big kiss from all of us.”

  Everyone roared with laughter.

  Except Niner.

  71

  O. R. Tambo International Airport

  Gauteng, South Africa

  Hugh Reading stretched his aching muscles as he cleared customs, his Interpol ID allowing him to use the diplomatic line. He looked back for the young woman he had shared a seat with and spotted her in a long line. She waved, a hopeful look on her face, probably wanting him to help expedite her departure, but he wasn’t here to play the old fool.

  An unfamiliar face approached, an ID flashed, ending any fantasies that might have been playing out in the back of his mind.

  “Agent Hugh Reading?”

  “Yes?”

  The man smiled, sticking out a hand. “Agent Ndlovu, State Security Agency. I’m to be your liaison while you’re here.”

  Reading’s eyes narrowed as he shook the man’s hand. “I wasn’t expecting an escort.”

  The man grabbed Reading’s bag. “Your office called.”

  “Huh. And here I thought I was on vacation.”

  Ndlovu smiled. “The situation has been explained to me. Your supervisor said to tell you he looks forward to your retirement.”

  Reading chuckled. His boss was an asshole, but his kind of asshole, so they got along just fine, as long as he wasn’t getting in Reading’s way. “It’ll be a bloody cold day in hell before that happens.” A sharp pain shot up his leg then spine, taking the breath out of him. He winced.

  Though my body might be on a different schedule.

  “I understand. It’s hard to give up a job one loves.” He held out his hand. “This way. I’ve arranged another flight for you.”

  “Another?”

  “Where your friends are located is over five hours from here by car. If we fly, we’ll be there in about an hour.”

  Reading resisted groaning at the prospect of another hour on an airplane, though anything would be better than five hours in a car. “So, what can you tell me?”

  Ndlovu shook his head. “Not much, I’m afraid. Local police arrived on the accident scene a few hours ago.”

  “What did they find?”

  “Two bodies.”

  Reading tensed. “Have they been identified?”

  “One was their guide from the resort, the other a young white boy, probably American if their State Department is to be believed.”

  Reading breathed a sigh of relief it not his friends. “Have they begun a search?”

  Ndlovu shook his head, pointing through a large set of windows at the breaking sun. “Not yet. They said it wasn’t safe until dawn. They should be starting shortly.”

  Reading stopped, Ndlovu turning to face him. “Are you having me on? They haven’t been looking?”

  “This is Africa, Agent Reading. It’s not safe to be roaming it at night.”

  Reading glared at him. “My friends are out there roaming it right now.”

  “Yes, and let us hope they survived the night. We’ll find them today if they’re alive.”

  Reading frowned, not liking the condition put on the success of his mission. “I’d like to get to the scene as soon as we get there.”

  “The guide has a brother who is involved in poaching. My briefing indicates your friend thought it was poachers chasing them. Rather than waste our time at the scene of the accident, I suggest we start at the brother’s home.”

  Reading agreed it was a good idea. The locals could search better than he could. If he could find out where this brother might be hiding, it could give the search team somewhere to look. “Good. When’s our flight?”

  Ndlovu tapped his watch. “Right now. They’re
holding the plane for us.”

  72

  Andrew Street, Nelspruit, South Africa

  Dawson stepped out of the rear door of the store, long shadows cast by the rising sun still concealing them slightly. He climbed into the back of a waiting SUV with the others, Leather’s contact true to his word. With the last door shut, they pulled away quickly, though quietly.

  Leather shook the driver’s hand from the passenger seat. “I’d make introductions, but I can’t remember what colors of the palette they’re posing as today.”

  His contact laughed. “Well, I’m Frik. Pleased to meet you, gentlemen. That little cut-through you guys just did should leave your tail wondering what happened to you, and by the time they figure out where you went, you’ll already be in the park.” He jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. “Back there we have your standard issue survival gear for a visit to the park. In a hidden panel underneath your seats, there’re knives and body armor and a few other tricks. I couldn’t get guns on such short notice since the Colonel here insists we keep things all legal-like.”

  “No worries, we’ll forage what we need.” Dawson started hauling the supplies forward, passing the backpacks out, each man beginning an inventory.

  Frik glanced in his mirror. “Where do you think you’ll find guns?”

  Niner grinned. “On the bodies of the dead.”

  Frik’s head bobbed as if he weren’t shocked by anything.

  Dawson put the backpack at his feet. “How far are we?”

  “If your CIA is right, we’re about ninety minutes from their last known location. You’re lucky. We’re farther than that from the lodge, but the route they took is a double-back. We should hopefully get pretty close before they even start moving.” He pointed at the sun, a sliver of it visible. “If we’re lucky, they’re not even awake yet.”

  Niner peered out the window. “Killing them in their sleep would be nice.”

  Dawson checked his watch. “I don’t think we’ll get that lucky.”

  73

  Near Poacher’s Camp

  Greater Kruger National Park, South Africa

  Acton’s heart slammed as he lay prone on the hilltop, peering toward the camp about half a mile away. Everyone was awake now, equipment being loaded into vehicles, the hostages, including Laura, shoved into the back of one. The ringleader shouted something and Laura was hauled out and put into the back of another vehicle, one that turned out to be Tladi’s.

  He’s singled her out. Why?

  His imagination suggested possibilities he didn’t want to contemplate.

  The engines roared to life and they pulled out, promptly executing U-turns that had them heading back the way they came. Acton cursed, scrambling back down the hill, there only one reason they’d do that—they were coming this way. They had probably used the hill as a blind against anyone searching for them, as he had used it against them.

  Or they had figured out where the mine was, and it was on this side of the hill.

  The idea had the archaeologist in him excited.

  Though that wasn’t who he was today.

  Yet whatever the reason, it meant they would soon be discovered.

  He hit the ground, grabbing the already packed gear. “We’ve gotta go, now!”

  Courtney’s eyes widened as she looked about. “What’s wrong?”

  Acton grabbed her, sprinting in the opposite direction the poachers would be coming from. “They reversed course. I think they’re going to round the hill and come this way.” He glanced at Courtney as she slowed down slightly, tugging her along. Her eyes were wide with fear.

  “We’ve gotta hide!”

  “Yes, but we’ve also got some time. Let’s cover as much distance as we can. Remember, we need to track them.”

  She stopped resisting, running beside him. “I don’t think we’re going to get that lucky again.”

  She was right, though there was one thing in their favor. The destination of these men wasn’t outside of the park, it was an abandoned mine somewhere in the area. If they were lucky, it wasn’t far, and the fact he had seen lights in the distance last night told him they were near the edge of the park, so the mine had to be somewhere close.

  Come on, God, give us one more lucky break!

  74

  Skukuza Airport, South Africa

  Reading regarded himself in the mirror, satisfied. He had been traveling for over half a day and was exhausted, though anxious to get underway, Ndlovu busy requisitioning a vehicle. He had spent the delay washing up and changing clothes, the ten minutes time well spent.

  Presentable again.

  Ndlovu poked his head into the bathroom. “Ready?”

  “Yes. Did you get a vehicle?”

  “Yes, though the choices were limited.”

  “A ride is a ride.” Reading stepped out of the bathroom and into the hallway, Ndlovu standing with two insulated cups. “What’s this?”

  “Coffee for me, tea for you.”

  Reading smiled, taking the cup. “How’d you know?”

  “You’re a Brit, aren’t you?”

  Reading chuckled, taking a sip as they headed from the small terminal, hiding his wince. It wasn’t very good, but it would do. “How far away are we?”

  “Less than an hour.”

  “Then let’s move. My friends might not have that long.”

  They stepped outside and Ndlovu walked over to a ridiculously small Ford Fiesta. Reading said nothing, there no time for complaints, instead tossing his carry-on into the back seat and climbing into the passenger side. His knees pressed against the dash. “Not exactly built for comfort.”

  Ndlovu glanced at him sheepishly, the much shorter man with plenty of room. “Sorry, when you’re barely 170 centimeters, legroom isn’t exactly a consideration.” He eyed Reading’s situation. “Um, I can try to get us another vehicle.”

  Reading shook his head. “No, that’ll just waste time. Let’s go.”

  The car whined from the parking lot, the pickup next to nothing, his stabbing pain returning with each jolt of a pothole.

  Bloody hell!

  75

  Operations Center 3, CIA Headquarters

  Langley, Virginia

  “If they don’t find a place to hide soon, they’re going to find them.”

  Leroux nodded, Child’s assessment accurate and obvious. The drone was high enough for them to have footage of who they were assuming were the two professors, as well as three rapidly approaching vehicles driven by the hostiles. He glanced at Tong. “Where’s Delta?”

  “Entering the park now. If we knew where they were heading, we could save a lot of time.”

  Leroux agreed. In the Interpol agent’s notes to Kane, he had mentioned the Kruger Gold. Reading up on what his staff had found out about it, it was a possibly massive stash of gold, and if they had indeed located it, he found it impossible to believe they’d simply be returning to their lodge to continue their vacation.

  So that meant they hadn’t found it.

  But his gut was telling him they had found a clue as to where it was hidden, which could be what was keeping them alive.

  “They’re going for the gold,” he said, stepping closer to the display. “They didn’t have it with them, otherwise they would have killed them all and taken it. That means they either know where it is, or the hostiles think they know.”

  “That makes sense,” agreed Child. “So wherever they’re heading must be where it’s hidden.”

  “Possibly, or the hostages have managed to make them think that’s where it’s hidden. Either way, once they get there, they’re not going to need the hostages anymore.” He frowned, tapping his chin. “If we knew where they were going, we could send Delta there directly.” He turned to Child. “What do we know about the area? Anything that might fit the bill for a hiding place for a horde of gold?”

  Child’s fingers tapped away, an old map appearing. “We found this. There’re several abandoned mines in the area.” A red dot appea
red. “This is the closest. My bet is they’re going there.”

  “What makes you think that?”

  “Umm, it’s the only one on that side of the hill?”

  Leroux smiled. “Who’s got the legendary gut now?” He turned to Tong. “Reroute Delta to that location, they might be able to actually gain some time.”

  76

  Greater Kruger National Park, South Africa

  Acton glanced over his shoulder, still seeing nothing. They were making good time for being on foot, but there was no way to compete with vehicles designed for the terrain. The only good thing was that the ground was fairly rough, which would slow them down.

  He just prayed they were coming in this direction and he wasn’t leading them farther away.

  Gears gnashed behind them and he looked, the first vehicle, obscured by dust, emerged from around a bend in the hillside. He grabbed Courtney by the hand, spotting an outcropping nearby. “Come on! Over here!”

  He raced toward the small bit of cover, only a few feet deep, and pushed her into the rock face, Courtney’s chest heaving with fear against his as the noise of the vehicles grew.

  “What if they see us?”

  “Then we surrender. No heroics. Nobody gets shot today.”

  She buried her head in his shoulder, squeezing her eyes shut as the vehicles blasted by, the dry ground creating a cloud of dust around them, obscuring the occupants’ view of the surrounding area, especially of that behind them.

  And then they were out of sight.

  Acton stepped out, staring after them, there no way they could spot them through the dust. He glanced behind to make sure there wasn’t a straggler vehicle, though he knew there wasn’t, having counted three vehicles passing them.

  He grabbed Courtney by the hand, urging her forward as he sprinted after them. “Let’s go!” As they raced after the small caravan carrying a dozen armed men and his wife, he prayed wherever they were going wasn’t far.