End Game

by Alex Lukeman

  Valentina looked around at the luxurious aircraft.

  "This is nice airplane," she said.

  "That's like saying the Mona Lisa is a nice painting," Selena said.

  "I would like to see Mona Lisa someday."

  "Have you been to Paris?" Selena asked.

  "Yes, but I was not there as tourist."

  Valentina's past was filled with areas of darkness. Selena didn't ask what she'd been doing in France, if she wasn't sightseeing.

  "Perhaps when all this is over, we can go together."

  "This I would like very much, sister. "

  Nick was sitting in the conference area. Pictures of Kondor's chalet were spread out on the table.

  "Okay, everybody," he said. "Gather round."

  He waited until everyone was settled, then handed out passports. They were different from the usual kind of passport, black instead of blue, and marked "Diplomatic Passport" in gold on the cover.

  "Someone will meet us at the airport with a vehicle. With these passports, no one's going to check the baggage. Ronnie? What did you give us?"

  "We've got MP7s, flash bangs, C4 and dets, plenty of ammo, night vision optics for everyone, all the usual tactical gear. I threw in a few frag grenades for good measure. Just in case. I like to be prepared."

  "If we run into trouble with his security, try to keep it quiet," Nick said. "The local police think Kondor is an upstanding citizen. If things start getting noisy, it will cause problems we don't need."

  "It might not be possible to keep it quiet," Lamont said.

  "I know. Just do your best."

  Ronnie said, "What's the ROE?"

  "What is ROE?" Valentina asked.

  "Rules of engagement. You see hostile intent, take it out, but be careful. He's got local people working for him in there. Hood says there's a live-in pair, a cook and valet combination. They're civilians who take care of Kondor's domestic needs. They've been with him a long time, so they're loyal. They might try to defend him. If they do, it's on them. Otherwise, find another way to neutralize them."

  "Are there others inside the chalet?" Selena asked.

  "Probably, but we don't know. Assume everyone inside is hostile."

  "What if Kondor tries to be hero?" Valentina asked.

  "Whatever you do, don't kill him. We need to talk to him. He's the only one who can prove we didn't set off that bomb in Russia. "

  Nick spread the photos around on the table and chose one.

  "This is a shot of the road up to the chalet. We can get pretty close before they can see us from the building."

  He put his finger on the photograph.

  "We'll drive up to here, right before the road comes out of the trees and hits that big meadow. We'll leave the vehicle and work our way up through the trees to the back of the house."

  "What about alarms?" Ronnie asked.

  "The alarms aren't going to be a problem. Hood will have a drone circling overhead that's equipped with a new toy from DARPA. When we're getting close to the house, I'll send a signal to the drone."

  "Then what?"

  "Then the drone zaps the chalet with a targeted EMP pulse. No more alarms. Then we go in."

  "What if they have backup?"

  "Even if they do, the alarms will be fried," Nick said. "A backup generator might not work after the pulse. Even if it does, it will have to be activated manually. The automatic systems will fail. It will take time. We'll be inside by then."

  Nick picked another photograph out. It showed the back of the chalet. The building was four stories tall, with a pitched roof to shed winter snows. Broad balconies ran across the width of the building on the second and third floors. Windows looked out on the forest. On the ground floor, there were several windows and a wide, wooden door.

  "We go in through that door," Nick said. "It will be locked. Ronnie, you blow it open."

  He unfolded a set of plans.

  "The door leads into the kitchen. The cook and valet live in this suite of rooms here, next to the kitchen. When the door goes, they'll wake up. We have to neutralize them."

  "I'll do it," Selena said. "I speak the language. "

  "Good. You and Lamont. You'll have to tie them up to make sure they don't do something stupid. If they're armed and try to resist, shoot them. The rest of us will follow this hall from the kitchen to stairs at the front of the house. Those will take us to the main floor. There are stairs from there to the bedrooms above, but Kondor is an old man, and he's ill. He doesn't go upstairs anymore."

  Nick pointed to a room on the plans.

  "He's got a bedroom here, next to this big room in the front of the house. He'll be in one of those rooms. Hopefully in bed and asleep."

  "He won't be asleep after we blow that door," Lamont said.

  "It all looks pretty simple," Lamont said. "That bothers me."

  "I know what you mean," Nick said. "Nothing like this is ever simple. For openers, we don't know if anyone else will be in that house. Or something could go wrong with taking out the alarms. If that happens, we get out fast and rethink things."

  "We have to clear the rooms upstairs," Ronnie said.

  Nick nodded. "That's a priority. Valentina, you, Lamont and Ronnie do that while Selena and I find Kondor."

  "What if there are more people inside?" Selena asked.

  "Handle it," Nick said.

  Chapter 45

  Gregor Kondor had always known the plan might run into problems, but he hadn't anticipated the way things had turned out. It had started so well, with the theft of the bombs. Then had come the fiasco in Missouri. That bomb had been destined for Washington. Kondor had longed to see that arrogant Babylon cleansed from the face of the earth by nuclear fire. It wasn't to be, at least not by his direct hand.

  Then the Americans had found the Hungarian site and taken a second bomb out of the equation. To add insult to injury, they had managed to kill Crowther and his team in Virginia. That should never have happened.

  Crowther had been in his employ for a long time, and he had never failed. It had never occurred to Kondor that he would fail. When news of Crowther's death reached him, he'd gone into a rage and smashed a valuable antique clock. It wasn't that he cared anything for the man. It was the principle of the thing.

  Then there was Germany. Kondor didn't know what had gone wrong there. Whatever it was, the nuclear detonation that should have followed when the transport was stopped hadn't happened. Still, there had been a lot of radioactive contamination from the explosion, similar to what had happened in Missouri. That was at least something.

  The last bomb was supposed to go off in Moscow. If it had done so, there was no doubt war would have resulted. Kondor comforted himself with the knowledge that there was still hope. The bomb had performed as expected, with massive damage. The fallout would cause serious problems for everyone in its path .

  The Russians were very angry about Belgograd. It was a stroke of luck that they'd been hiding a secret military installation near the city. It would have been better if the bomb had detonated in the Russian capital, but the plan could still be salvaged. The attempts of the UN to prevent a world conflict would come to nothing.

  He'd see to that.

  Kondor had not survived all these years by being inflexible. Plans sometimes went awry. Success depended on adapting to new circumstances and taking advantage of whatever opportunities they presented. In this case, the key was to take advantage of Russia's ingrained paranoia. A false bit of information here, a careful word there, and it wouldn't be long before the missiles left their silos. Then the conditions would have been created for the fulfillment of AEON's purpose. The New Order could begin.

  The people who deserved to rule the world had seen the writing on the wall. Kondor's agents reported they were already moving to safe retreats located in parts of the world that would escape the direct effects of nuclear weapons. Many of Kondor's associates had constructed elegant, bombproof habitations underground, in anticipation of a possib
le nuclear conflict. There they would wait out any annoying radioactive fallout in comfort, until it was time to emerge.

  The southern hemisphere would largely avoid the worst of a nuclear exchange between the great powers. Unfortunately, the northern hemisphere would be uninhabitable for centuries. Billions would die. That wasn't a problem. It was part of the plan. The reduced population would fit nicely in the lands south of the equator. In time, the North would recover. By the time it was safe for human habitation, it would be a new Garden of Eden .

  Kondor knew he would not live long enough to see AEON's grand vision for the world come to fruition. It was enough to know he was the one who would make it happen. The earth would survive, no longer burdened by the overpopulation of ignorant masses who stripped her of everything in search of temporary gratification. With so many unnecessary occupants gone, earth would become the paradise it was meant to be, ruled by those who deserved it. As to the rest, those who were left after the cleansing, they too would have their place. In exchange for their labor, they would receive shelter and food. They would be taken care of, as long as they obeyed the rules and did what they were required to do. What more could they want?

  It was time to leave the shelter of his chalet, one last venture out into the world. His private plane was fueled and ready, the necessary medical equipment in place. A flight plan had been filed for Argentina, where he intended to wait out the coming war, far from the nuclear fires that would bloom in the North. He was looking forward to spending the last year of his life in the mountains near Bariloche, where his new home waited for him.

  His new chief of security would come with him. Hans Gruber was an effective and ruthless man. In some ways, Gruber was an upgrade in the position. It was too bad about Crowther. Too bad that three of the bombs had failed to detonate properly. But these things happened. He only regretted that he hadn't succeeded in eliminating the people who had thwarted AEON's agenda in the past. It really didn't matter, now. When war came, Carter and the others would be consumed in the fire with everyone else.

  The thought brought a smile to his withered lips.

  Chapter 46

  The flight from Washington was uneventful. The Gulfstream touched down in Bern a little before noon, Swiss time, and taxied to the area reserved for the private jets of the privileged. The stairs dropped to the tarmac and Selena came down the steps, followed by Nick and the others.

  Nick looked up at a sky filled with scudding gray clouds.

  "Feels like snow," he said.

  A tall woman wearing high heels, a tailored gray dress, and a white silk blouse walked toward them. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a strict bun.

  "Which one of you is Carter?" she said.

  Her voice had the trace of an accent. Her face was strong, not quite beautiful, her eyes a startling blue.

  "That's me."

  "I'm Nicole. Give me your passports and I'll take care of customs."

  Nick gathered the passports and handed them to her.

  "You have baggage?"

  "In the cargo compartment."

  "I'll have a cart sent over. Follow me."

  They walked behind Nicole into a small terminal that served this exclusive part of the airport. Nicole went to the customs booth and began talking with the agent.

  "Looks like she's got everything under control," Selena said.

  "Yeah. Efficient," Nick said. "I wonder where she's from. Did you catch her accent?"

  "I did. I think perhaps northern France, but it's hard to tell. European, at any rate."

  Nicole came back and handed the passports to Nick. She reached into her bag and handed him a fat envelope .

  "Swiss francs," she said. "You might need them. I want receipts."

  "Thanks."

  Ronnie and Lamont watched as a baggage cart pulled up to the Gulfstream. A uniformed worker stacked their bags and the case with the weapons on the cart. He got back on and drove off.

  "Where's he going with that cart?" Nick asked.

  "Everything's been cleared," she said. "He'll meet us outside by the car."

  The car turned out to be a GMC Yukon, big enough for all of them and their luggage. Nicole got behind the wheel.

  "I'll drive for now. Pay attention to the road signs and the speed limit. The Swiss cops are very strict. If you get stopped for speeding, your diplomatic passports will probably keep you from being arrested, but it wouldn't be a good idea to call attention to yourselves. "

  "Do you know why we're here?" Nick asked.

  "Only that you need transportation and a safe house near Interlaken. I don't need to know more than that. After I drop you off, you probably won't see me again."

  "Where are we going?"

  "Ringgenberg. It's on Lake Brienz."

  The drive to the safe house took about forty-five minutes and passed through some of the most beautiful scenery Nick had ever seen. He'd never been to Switzerland, although Selena had. He decided he would come back someday. For pleasure, not because he had to track down a lunatic who wanted to start a world war. Going after the bad guys of the world was getting old. There were always more of them, no matter how many he canceled out.

  He thought about Jason and Katrina and Selena, and how fortunate he was to have them in his life. How much he loved them .

  He'd come a long way since the day in the hospital when Elizabeth Harker recruited him. Looking back, it was one of those forks in life's road that takes you down a far different path than you'd ever expected. Well, all roads eventually ended in the same place. Before he got there, he wanted to relax with his family, walk down the street without looking over his shoulder. They had plenty of money. It was time to enjoy life, enjoy the time he had left.

  He realized he'd just made a decision. He was finally done. This was the last mission.

  They'd been driving along a highway marked A6. On their left was a sparkling lake of green-blue water.

  "What's the name of that lake?" Ronnie asked.

  "That's Lake Thun," Nicole said. "Together with Lake Brienz, the two lakes make up the Interlaken district. That's the town of Interlaken coming up ahead."

  "The skiing is wonderful here," Selena said.

  Nicole glanced over at her. "You've been here before?"

  "Many years ago. I came here with my uncle when I was eighteen."

  "It's changed quite a bit since then," Nicole said.

  "Lots of things have changed since then," Selena said.

  After that she was silent. Nick knew she was thinking about her uncle, the man responsible for shaping her into the woman she'd become. His death had left her with great wealth and brought her into Nick's life.

  They drove through the center of town and followed the highway to the left. Now the turquoise waters of Lake Brienz lay on their right. The Swiss Alps rose on both sides of the lake. The mountains were still free of snow, but that was about to change. A few flakes were beginning to fall. It was the kind of landscape that made you think of fairytales and myths.

  "What's the town like?" Nick asked.

  "Very historic. "

  "How are the restaurants?" Lamont asked. "They got pizza?"

  "The pizza here is terrible. The restaurants are mediocre, but you won't have to worry about them. The safe house is fully stocked with food. You won't need to go into town," Nicole said.

  She turned off the highway. The pavement ended. They followed a graveled road up the side of the mountain to a chalet overlooking the lake. The house looked a lot like their objective, only smaller. The bottom story was whitewashed stone. Two more stories of dark wood were set above. Windows and balconies looked out over the lake below.

  Nicole pulled up next to a gray Renault parked at the end of the drive and shut off the engine. They got out of the car.

  "Nice digs," Lamont said.

  Valentina looked out at the lake and mountains.

  "This is good view."

  "You can say that again," Ronnie said.

  "The tourists w
ould pay a lot for a house like this," Nicole said. "Of course, it's not on the market. Most of the time, it's empty. A caretaker comes around every few weeks to make sure everything is still working. You're the first to use it in the last five or six months."

  She handed Nick the keys to the house and the SUV.

  "Sometimes the power goes off, especially if we get a storm. If it does, there's a generator in that shed over there." She pointed at a small building to the side of the house. "You'll find plenty of lamps and candles inside."

  "We might have to leave in a hurry," Nick said. "What about the plane?"

  "The pilot and copilot will stay with the plane. It's not a hardship. Those beds are very comfortable. The plane is ready when you need it."

  She reached inside her jacket pocket .

  "Here's a card with the number where you can reach me. When you're ready to leave, call me. I'll alert the crew. They'll be standing by for immediate takeoff. Otherwise, don't call me unless it's an emergency. Nothing personal, but I hope I don't see you again. When you're done with the vehicle, leave it in the airport parking lot. Put the keys under the seat and lock it. You won't have any problem with passport control when it's time to leave."

  "Thanks for your help."

  "Just doing my job," she said. "Good luck with whatever it is you're here to do."

  Nicole walked to the Renault and got in. She started the car, backed up, and drove away.

  "Let's check it out," Lamont said. "I'm hungry."

  "You're always hungry," Ronnie said.

  "Man's got to eat," Lamont said.

  They took a steep flight of stairs to the second floor and dropped the bags in the living area. The room looked out over the lake. A balcony outside was the perfect place to sit with a drink and look at the incredible scenery.

  "Maybe we could come back here sometime," Selena said.

  "You mean like a vacation?" Nick said.

  "Why not?"

  "As long as it's not in the middle of winter," Nick said.

  "Come on," Ronnie said. "Let's rustle up something to eat."

  "Now you're talking," Lamont said.