The Hunter’s Oath

by Jason Dean

  ‘So my motive for trying to kill your sister was that she discovered some alleged underhanded dealings between her employer and myself? That is not much of a motive.’

  Bishop shrugged. ‘Well, if you were buying arms, it’s obvious you were doing it with the full knowledge of high-ranking officials in your government. Possibly even high-ranking embassy personnel too. If something like that got out, it wouldn’t be too good for the international reputation you people are trying to build. Especially if the US State Department ended up expelling some of your diplomats as a result. What’s one life against that? What’s two? And I’ve heard you can be pretty ruthless when the situation demands it.’

  Bekele just stared at him for a few seconds without speaking. After a while, he said, ‘So who do you now suspect was behind your sister’s attack, if not me?’

  ‘Right now, Roger Klyce is the only other person I can think of with a motive. If I get out of here alive, he’s the man I’ll focus on. Speaking of which, you were arranging to buy illicit arms at that meeting, right? What was in the briefcase? The final payment?’

  ‘Even if we were doing as you suggest,’ Kidanu said, ‘what difference would it make to you?’

  ‘Might make all the difference. See, at my sister’s place I found a hidden CD. On it was a document listing times and dates of calls from Klyce to somebody in this building. I’ve got the printout with me. Okay if I reach into my jacket pocket for it?’

  Bekele nodded. ‘But slowly.’

  Bishop made no sudden movements as he pulled the two folded sheets from his inner pocket. He slid them across the floor to Bekele.

  Bekele picked the sheets up, unfolded them and quickly scanned the contents. After a while he looked up and said, ‘This 202 number is my office number. The other number is Klyce’s. These times and dates look correct. I see nothing mysterious about this. He and I have spoken many times recently.’

  ‘But not about guns. Is that what you’re telling me?’

  Bekele looked over at Kidanu and spoke rapidly in a language Bishop couldn’t begin to understand. Kidanu shrugged and said a few words in response. Bekele nodded and turned back to Bishop.

  ‘I admit nothing,’ he said. ‘Those conversations were private and will remain so. But I will concede that what you have told me so far has given me much food for thought. For instance, it might surprise you to know that we also are very interested in Klyce. Especially the legitimate side of his business. If you can call it that.’

  ‘Meaning what?’

  ‘I mean that the People’s Republic of Konamba have employed Artemis’s services to track . . . Have I said something amusing?’

  Bishop hadn’t realized he was smiling. ‘I was just thinking Badat missed a trick by not inserting a “Democratic” in there somewhere. Isn’t that usually how it works when despots get to name their country?’

  ‘I see nothing amusing about Badat’s reign,’ Kidanu said, his eyes turning to slits. ‘Nothing whatsoever. Anyway, we are a democracy now.’

  ‘Uh huh.’ Bishop turned back to Bekele. ‘So you were saying?’

  ‘I was saying that almost one year ago, it was decided to step up the search for those responsible for the ten-year reign of terror that decimated our country. As you may know, many of the perpetrators, including The Scythe himself, fled before they could be captured or killed by the rebels. Although not before siphoning off a large percentage of the country’s wealth and hiding it in various offshore accounts. So far we had found no sign of any of them. So I was tasked with approaching Artemis to help us find them. You see, we are not above asking for help from foreigners. And Artemis International has had a very good record at this kind of thing. Or so it would appear at first glance.’

  ‘Something caused you to change your opinion.’

  ‘Nothing concrete,’ Bekele said. ‘And Artemis have successfully led us to several men on our list over the past year. Thanks to them, we found one in a South American jungle. Two more in Ottawa, Canada. But they all played minor roles in the atrocities, while the more important figures always remain just out of our reach. Artemis would sometimes give us a lead that looked promising, but when specialist teams were sent in to extract the target they’d discover he’d vacated the area days previously. Sometimes even hours before.’

  ‘We even came close to acquiring Badat himself,’ Kidanu said. ‘In Peru, nine months ago. Artemis supplied us with precise co-ordinates. I was chosen to be part of the extraction team on that occasion. When we arrived, locals told us he’d left the area two days before.’

  ‘So you think Artemis are warning the big guns ahead of time in return for payoffs?’

  ‘I’ve actually met Klyce twice,’ Bekele said, ‘and he strikes me as a totally amoral man. This kind of behaviour would be in keeping with his character. Regardless, I believe there is more to Artemis than meets the eye and I would very much like to know what. I also believe that if Klyce warned these people ahead of time, then he’d probably have a very good idea of where they went next. And I want that information.’

  ‘I can see why you would,’ Bishop said. ‘So why are you telling me?’

  Bekele gave him that almost smile again. ‘Because I very much want you to continue your investigation into Roger Klyce’s affairs. I will be most interested in what you discover.’

  Bishop raised an eyebrow. First Arquette. Now Bekele. It seemed everybody was interested in Roger Klyce, but nobody wanted to do the dirty work themselves. He blinked at the gun Bekele was still pointing in his general direction.

  ‘So you plan to let me go,’ he said, ‘and trust me to keep you updated.’

  ‘Not at all. The major will perform that task. You will find him a very capable partner.’

  There it was. Bishop had known there’d be a catch somewhere. He looked at Kidanu. If Bekele’s suggestion had caught him off-guard, he didn’t show it. He just stared back at Bishop with the same indifferent expression as before.

  ‘I don’t doubt he’s capable,’ Bishop said, ‘but I prefer to work alone.’

  ‘You say that as though it might mean something to me,’ Bekele said. ‘You have a very simple choice here, Bishop. Either the major here goes with you, or you do not leave this basement alive. And please don’t make the mistake of thinking I’m bluffing.’

  Bishop looked into his eyes. He knew the man wasn’t bluffing. He also knew there were many methods of making a person disappear. He wondered if they had a furnace down here. Maybe in one of those cell-like rooms he’d passed. Besides, what did it matter? Once he was out of here, he could lose Kidanu easily enough if he needed to. But not before he answered a few questions Bishop had regarding Amy. In fact, maybe having him tag along wouldn’t be such a bad idea after all. At least part of the way.

  ‘Okay,’ he said, ‘but understand my sole purpose is to find the people who want my sister dead. If the trail leads to Klyce’s knowledge of some fugitives’ whereabouts, then great. If not, don’t blame me. And also don’t blame me if Kidanu here gets lost along the way. I can’t be looking over my shoulder the whole time.’

  ‘Do not worry yourself,’ Kidanu said, smiling at Bishop. ‘I believe I will be able to keep up with you easily enough.’

  Bishop looked at the man and said nothing. The thing was, he believed it too.

  FORTY-FOUR

  Bishop left by the front door this time. They’d also given him back all his gear. Even the knife. Kidanu was right behind him. Since leaving Bekele to his morning workout in the basement gym, neither man had said much to the other.

  Bishop stood outside and waited while Kidanu keyed in the code to enable the alarm again, then clicked the front door shut. It was coming up to six o’clock and still dark. About an hour and a half till sunrise. The air was brisk. He watched as a couple of joggers ran past, heading in the direction of Dupont Circle.

  ‘How long did the cab company say?’

  Kidanu joined him. ‘Ten minutes.’

  ‘Fine. I need t
o talk to my associate first, anyway.’

  ‘Associate? What associate is this?’

  ‘This way,’ Bishop said. He walked down the short path and crossed the street. Kidanu walked alongside. The panel van was parked thirty feet away on the right. There was enough light from the streetlamps to show both front seats were empty. When Bishop reached the vehicle, he rapped a knuckle against the side of the van and said, ‘It’s me. Bishop.’

  He heard movement inside and then saw a tired-looking Willard rubbing his eyes as he clambered into the driver’s seat. He rolled down the window and looked at Bishop. Then he noticed Kidanu and said, ‘Uh . . . everything okay?’

  ‘Kind of,’ Bishop said. ‘The lead didn’t pan out, but we’ve come to an understanding of sorts.’ He turned to Kidanu. ‘Look, I need to talk to him for a moment about something private. You mind?’

  Kidanu shrugged and took a few steps back. Willard said in an undertone, ‘Who’s he? Your watchdog or something? What went on in there?’

  ‘It’s a long story. I’ll fill you in at a later date. We’re heading back to New York now, so I need you to return the van to the rental place. But before you do that, can you let yourself back into Mbassu’s apartment and make sure he hasn’t throttled himself trying to escape? Tell him I didn’t mention his name, so he’s in the clear. And that if he wants to remain that way he should just go back to work as usual and act like nothing happened.’

  ‘Sure, I can do that.’

  ‘Good. And keep your receipts.’

  Willard grinned. ‘Always do. You need a lift to the airport?’

  ‘No, my new pal called a cab for us.’ Bishop pulled the driver’s door open and said, ‘You wanna hand me my stuff?’

  Willard nodded and disappeared for a few moments. He came back, handed Bishop his bag and shut the door again. He gave a brief salute, then started the engine and pulled out. Once the van was gone from sight, Bishop walked over to Kidanu and said, ‘So how long have you been working here at the embassy?’

  ‘That is none of your business.’

  So that’s how it’s going to be, Bishop thought. Well, it could be worse.

  A few seconds later, Bishop saw the taxi approaching and stepped out into the street. The vehicle slowed to a stop, and after the driver confirmed they were the right fares the two men got in the back and the driver took off for the airport.

  After a minute or so of silence, Kidanu said, ‘Show me that printout again.’

  ‘Well, since you asked so nicely.’ Bishop reached into his pocket and handed him the folded sheets.

  Kidanu scanned the data quickly and handed it back. He said, ‘The colonel was correct. There is nothing mysterious about this information. It makes no sense.’

  ‘What doesn’t?’

  ‘You say your sister hid this.’

  Bishop nodded. ‘Right. She sent it to herself, hidden under a legitimate music CD.’

  ‘And it contained only this data?’

  ‘Just that one file.’

  Kidanu shook his head. ‘There has to be more on there. I want to see this CD.’

  Bishop sat back in the seat. ‘Okay. Once we get back to the city I’ll—’ He stopped at the sound of his cell phone going off. He’d unmuted it back at the embassy. Pulling it from his pocket, he checked the display and took the call. ‘Yes?’

  ‘Bishop?’ Arquette said. ‘I only just heard about the second attempt on your sister’s life. Why didn’t you tell me?’

  ‘I guess it slipped my mind. I’ve been busy. Is there something you want?’

  Arquette sighed. ‘How about a progress report? If it’s not too much trouble, that is.’

  ‘I don’t report to you, Arquette. I thought I made that clear at our last meeting.’

  ‘You did. That’s why I asked nicely.’

  Bishop almost smiled at that. But he preferred not to talk over the phone. Plus he wanted to look in on Amy again before doing anything else. ‘Okay,’ he said. ‘I’m heading back to New York now, so how about we meet in the hospital cafeteria at around eight thirty? We can talk over breakfast.’

  ‘Fine, I’ll be there,’ Arquette said, and hung up.

  FORTY-FIVE

  It was 08.23 when Bishop and Kidanu entered the second-floor cafeteria. Bishop had already looked in on Amy upstairs, where Muro had assured him all was quiet. He hadn’t even seen Gerry. Bishop had asked the PI if he wanted anything to eat, but Muro said a friendly nurse was already taking care of all his nutritional needs without his having to leave the room.

  The hospital cafeteria was very large. There was a long serving line along one side, and about fifty tables and booths took up the rest of the floor space. The place looked about three-quarters full already. The buzz of conversation filled the room, along with the strong aroma of coffee.

  Bishop and Kidanu moved along the serving line, filling their trays with various items. Kidanu’s was mostly fruit and vegetables. Bishop paid at the cashier’s till, then led the way to an empty booth set against the wall and sat down. Kidanu took the seat opposite. Bishop was shaking some salt and pepper over his double-smoked ham, hash browns and scrambled eggs when he saw Arquette and the one called Nowlan enter the room. Arquette looked around until he spotted Bishop. He gave a single nod, then took a tray and moved along the line.

  The two men reached Bishop’s booth a few minutes later. Arquette placed his tray on the table and sat next to Bishop, while Nowlan took his coffee to a nearby empty table.

  Arquette was frowning at Kidanu. It was obvious he recognized him from the photos.

  ‘Teferi Kidanu, meet Agent Arquette,’ Bishop said and took a bite of his toast. The men nodded at each other.

  ‘How did you hear about the second attempt on Amy’s life?’ Bishop asked.

  Arquette started buttering his own toast. ‘We’re currently monitoring the local police frequencies as part of my official assignment. Last night one of my men brought me the transcripts from the last forty-eight hours, and an incident report from a Detective DuBay caught my eye. Amanda Philmore’s name wasn’t mentioned, but I figured it had to be her. A single official call to the hospital confirmed it. Is she stable?’

  ‘For now.’

  ‘Good. They could try again, you know. I can’t assign an active agent to guard her, but I know plenty of retired agents who’d welcome the chance to strap on the holster one more time. Although I imagine they’d want some kind of reimbursement for their trouble.’

  Bishop sipped at his coffee. ‘I’ve already got that covered, thanks.’

  ‘Fair enough.’ Arquette glanced briefly at Kidanu and said, ‘So are you going to fill me in on what happened in Washington?’

  ‘I don’t believe the Konambans are behind it,’ Bishop said.

  ‘I gathered that much,’ Arquette said with a smile. ‘Care to expand a little?’

  ‘Colonel Bekele and Major Kidanu and I had an extensive discussion last night. It turns out Bekele has a pretty good alibi for Wednesday when I thought I spotted him in the Bronx. I’ll double check it myself to make sure, but my gut instincts say he’s telling the truth. He also told me he doesn’t particularly trust your man Roger Klyce, either.’

  Arquette turned to Kidanu. ‘No? So what were you both doing with Klyce outside that warehouse three weeks ago?’

  Kidanu picked up an apple and began polishing it with a napkin. ‘I do not believe that is any of your concern, Agent Arquette.’

  ‘You get used to the lack of contractions after a while,’ Bishop said. ‘And I got pretty much the same answer when I asked.’ He turned at a movement to his left, but it was just Nowlan getting up from his seat. Bishop watched him stroll over to the serving line with his mug for a refill. Once he’d reached the serving counter, Bishop turned back and said, ‘See, the Konambans have their own reasons for wanting to learn more about Klyce. It turns out even the legitimate side of Artemis’s business might not be so legitimate, after all.’

  ‘What are you talkin
g about?’

  Bishop turned to Kidanu. ‘You want to tell him?’

  Kidanu took a bite of his apple, chewed for a while, then said, ‘Artemis International are currently assisting the People’s Republic of Konamba in tracking down certain fugitives we wish to bring to trial. Yet while they have helped us catch some of the little fish, the larger fish always seem to get advance notice before we arrive on the scene. We cannot prove anything, but we believe Klyce tracks them down, notifies us, then warns the target in return for substantial payoffs. And that being the case, it would seem logical that he has a very good idea where these fugitives go to next. And that information belongs to us. We have paid for it. In more ways than one.’

  And what does that mean? Bishop thought. But he kept quiet.

  Arquette sat back in his seat. ‘And you can’t do anything directly since it would affect the other business your country has with him?’

  Kidanu didn’t answer. He just took another bite of the apple and chewed.

  Bishop said, ‘And as for those phone calls Amy made to the ambassador, it seems they were related to her research in tracking down these bad boys.’

  ‘That is correct,’ Kidanu said. ‘She wanted to spend time in our embassy library. We hold detailed files on Badat and the senior members of his military junta, but for security reasons cannot allow them to leave the building. Colonel Bekele simply arranged a suitable time for her to come and make her notes. Under supervision, of course.’

  ‘Of course,’ Arquette said. ‘So you and Bishop are working together on this now?’

  He shrugged. ‘I merely follow Colonel Bekele’s instructions, Agent Arquette. He believes my presence will come in useful.’

  Bishop watched as Nowlan returned with his refill and sat down at the same table as before. ‘So there you have it, Arquette,’ he said. ‘Looks like you were right about some things, but off the mark about a few others. But more to the point, Klyce has just moved himself up a notch on my very short list of suspects.’