Kingdom of Darkness

2

‘That’s the Hollywood sign?’ said Eddie, disappointed. ‘It’s a bit small, innit?’

He and Nina stood with Macy on Hollywood Boulevard, looking up the flight of stairs beside the Kodak Theater at the distant landmark, its white letters shimmering in the summer heat. Grant and Marvin had stayed at the studio to attend another meeting. ‘Well, it is quite a long way away,’ Nina pointed out.

‘I was still expecting something more impressive. I thought it’d be three hundred feet tall with spotlights and animatronic dinosaurs or whatever.’

‘When I first came here, I thought it’d be bigger too,’ admitted Macy. ‘It was kind of a let-down.’

‘That’s Hollywood for you, I suppose,’ Nina said. ‘It all looks a lot more spectacular and glamorous on the big screen. Anyway, at least now you can say you’ve seen it.’

Eddie took a photo with his phone, and they headed back towards their waiting limo. ‘Speaking of the big screen, what did you reckon to all that stuff Marvin was saying?’

‘I dunno. I really don’t. On the one hand, somebody wants to make a movie about my life. How flattering is that? On the other…’ Nina sighed. ‘I dread to think what they might do with it.’

‘Christ, yeah,’ Eddie agreed. ‘For a start, Grant playing me? For fuck’s sake! Maybe Jason Statham or Tom Hardy, someone like that, I could cope with. But not a bloody Californian surfer dude.’

‘And who’d play me? Some bimbo with huge fake boobs, probably.’

‘I’d pay to see that,’ he said, smirking. Nina slapped his arm.

‘Hey, if they make a sequel about finding the Pyramid of Osiris, I could play myself!’ Macy chirped.

The smirk widened. ‘That’ll save ’em having to look for a bimbo with huge fake boobs.’ Nina batted Eddie’s arm again; Macy took a moment to work out exactly what he had meant, then followed suit. ‘Ow.’

‘Serves you right,’ Nina told him, before taking his hand as they walked along. ‘I don’t know,’ she said again. ‘I have to admit that I’m tempted. And assuming that Marvin was only partially bullshitting us rather than totally, it seems like the potential money from a successful movie is astronomical. But would it be selling out? Is it cheapening everything I’ve worked for?’

Eddie squeezed her hand. ‘Only you can figure that one out, love. Although the kind of money he was talking about was pretty mind-blowing, even more than the book deal. You could fund your own expeditions, never mind going through the IHA.’

She became downcast. ‘I won’t get to go on them, though, will I?’

Macy suddenly stopped, taking Nina’s wrist and pulling her and Eddie to a halt. ‘Okay, so what’s going on?’ she demanded. ‘That’s the third time you’ve said something that sounds as if you’re giving up archaeology. I know you, Nina — that’d be like you giving up…’ She tried to think of a comparison. ‘Breathing.’

‘I don’t really want to talk about it,’ Nina told her.

The younger woman snorted. ‘You know that now I totally won’t give up asking until you do, right?’

Eddie recognised his wife’s growing discomfort and attempted to change the subject. ‘Hey, cool!’ he cried, looking down at his feet. ‘I’m standing on William Shatner!’ Set into the paving was one of the many pink marble stars along the Hollywood Walk of Fame. ‘That’s made my day.’

‘Shouldn’t you be standing on Clint Eastwood to say that?’ said Nina.

‘Clint doesn’t have a star; I looked it up.’ He turned and swept an arm back at those they had already passed. ‘Can you believe that? Clint fucking Eastwood doesn’t have a Hollywood star! He was Dirty Harry, the Man With No Name — and he was in my favourite film of all time!’

‘Which one?’ asked Macy.

‘Where Eagles Dare! Absolute classic.’

‘Isn’t that the one where he just, like, shoots hundreds of Nazis?’

‘Like I said, classic.’

‘He bought a PlayStation 4 just so he could watch it on Blu-ray,’ said Nina with humorous despair. They continued back towards Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, a short way down the street.

Seeing that Macy had no intention of dropping her line of questioning, Eddie decided to distract her again. ‘You know what, though? If they do make a movie about us, that means there’ll be an Eddie Chase action figure! That’d be pretty cool.’

‘Yeah, but it’d look like Grant,’ Macy pointed out.

‘What?’ He scowled. ‘Buggeration and fuckery, it would, wouldn’t it?’

‘I’m also not sure that toy companies would want to make a figure whose catchphrase is “Buggeration and fuckery”,’ added his wife.

They reached Grauman’s, where their ride was waiting. Nina pursed her lips at the sight. ‘I know Grant wanted to do something nice for us, but did he have to hire that?’ Their limousine was a gaudy, chrome-dripping Hummer H2, stretched to almost double its original not inconsiderable length. ‘Everyone’ll think I’m on my prom night.’

‘That’s your big problem,’ said Eddie. ‘You actually give a crap what people think.’ He took a photo of the iconic cinema. ‘Okay, that’s another one crossed off my list of things to see.’

‘It’s in a great location,’ said Nina sarcastically. ‘Directly opposite a Hooters.’

Eddie looked across the street at the chain restaurant. ‘I dunno, seems fine to me. Watch a film, cross the road, get some nosh and ogle girls in tight tops and hot pants…’ He trailed off as he noticed something else.

‘Y’know, most women would consider half the stuff that comes out of your mouth as grounds for divorce,’ Nina joked, before realising that his expression had changed. With slight concern — she had seen the look too many times before — she followed his gaze. ‘What’s wrong?’

‘That Jeep there,’ said Eddie. A bright yellow Jeep Wrangler had stopped at the kerb about twenty yards behind them.

‘What about it?’

‘It’s keeping pace with us. It was parked about that far away from the Shat’s star, and I’m sure it was on the corner when we were looking at the Hollywood sign.’

‘You think it’s following us?’ Nina said, dubious.

As if the driver had realised he had been seen, the Jeep suddenly pulled out. Eddie watched it pass, but caught only a glimpse of a young blond man through the tinted windows. It reached the junction with North Orange Drive and turned left, disappearing from sight. ‘See?’ she said. ‘He’s gone.’

‘For now,’ said Eddie, still staring after it.

‘Oh, come on. Why would anyone be following us around? Unless it was some rival producer to Marvin. I mean, pretty much everybody who’s ever had a problem with us is dead. Except for ex-president Dalton, but after he got arrested I’d imagine he has bigger things to worry about than us.’

‘Yeah, like not dropping the soap in the shower.’ He tapped on one of the limo’s windows.

The driver’s door opened, and a young Hispanic man in a shiny and slightly too tight uniform hopped out. ‘There you are!’ he said, scurrying to open the rear door for them. ‘Did you see the Hollywood sign?’

‘Thanks, Hector,’ said Nina, climbing inside. ‘Yes, we did.’

‘It was so bloody small we had to squint,’ Eddie added, joining her.

‘Yeah, people always think it’s bigger than it really is,’ Hector said. He waited for Macy to get in, then closed the door and returned to his seat. ‘So where you going next?’

‘Rodeo Drive, please,’ Nina told him.

‘Hey, Beverly Hills! You’ll like it. Very classy. Very expensive.’ He put the oversized 4x4 into drive and carefully merged with the traffic.

‘Good choice,’ said Macy. She opened her little Victoria Beckham handbag. ‘And gee, look! Grant loaned me his credit card.’

‘Poor bugger,’ said Eddie. He settled beside Nina on one of the plump scarlet bench seats running the limo’s length. ‘Why do you want to go there anyway?’ he asked her. ‘It’s just shops.’

Nina retrieved a pamphlet from her own bag. ‘I don’t know if you’ve noticed, Eddie, but I’m a woman.’

‘That explains the nice soft curvy bits and the lack of hairy bollocks, then.’

She laughed as Macy held in a giggle. ‘And as a woman, sometimes — not often, as I’m sure you’re very happy about, but sometimes — I have the urge to look at things I don’t need and can’t afford in places I’d never normally go. And since we’re in the same city as one of the most ridiculously overpriced shopping streets on the planet, this is one of those times.’

‘You live in New York!’ Eddie hooted. ‘The IHA is five blocks from Fifth Avenue!’

‘That’s different. We’re on vacation!’ She unfolded the pamphlet to reveal a map of Beverly Hills. ‘Hector, how long will it take to get there?’

‘This traffic?’ their driver replied. ‘About twenty-five, thirty minutes.’

Nina shook her head. ‘What is it about Los Angeles?’ she asked Macy rhetorically. ‘No matter where you are, the place you want to go is always a thirty-minute drive away. And there’s nothing interesting in between.’ She flicked a dismissive glance at the low-rise sprawl of office blocks and mini malls outside.

‘Good job we’re in here, then,’ said Eddie. The limo was home to a well-stocked bar. ‘We don’t have to drive, so we might as well get bladdered. You want something?’

‘Ehh… why not?’ Nina had already had two glasses of wine over the long lunch with Grant and Marvin, and had briefly been considering one of the miniature bottles of Perrier in the glass-fronted fridge… but they were on vacation. ‘What have they got?’

‘Loads of spirits — tequila, brandy, vodka, rum…’

‘A bit much for the afternoon. Any wine?’

He took out a chilled bottle of champagne. ‘This do you?’

‘Perfect. Since Grant’s paying for it.’

Eddie unwrapped the foil, and a loud pop! echoed through the limo as he removed the cork. ‘Whoa, it’s got a bit overexcited!’ he said as froth gushed on to his hand. Nina hurriedly used a glass to catch it. ‘Thanks.’ He filled it for her. ‘Macy?’

‘You are old enough to drink legally, aren’t you?’ Nina asked teasingly as Macy brought up a glass.

‘Yeah!’ she huffed. ‘I’m twenty-one now. Finally!’

Eddie poured a glass for himself, then put the bottle into an ice bucket. ‘Something to celebrate, then. Cheers!’

‘Cheers!’ the two women echoed. They all clinked glasses and took sips, though Nina’s was by far the largest.

‘Ooh, and I’ve got something else to celebrate,’ said Macy, retrieving a larger designer tote bag from the back of the cabin. ‘My photo shoot!’ She took out a glossy men’s magazine. ‘Grant knows the editor; he set it up for me. Here, check this out.’

‘Oooo… kay,’ Nina said slowly as she took in the double-page picture. Macy, pouting seductively at the camera, was posing atop a rock before a vivid orange desert sunset. Her long dark hair had been tied back into a loose ponytail, and she had a gleaming pistol in each hand. The headline read: TRUE-LIFE TOMB RAIDER. ‘Is that… are you dressed as Lara Croft?’

‘Pretty good likeness,’ said Eddie with an approving nod. ‘You got the tight top and hot pants right, too.’

‘Thanks!’ Macy replied.

Nina had already moved on to the accompanying text, her attention caught by a familiar name. ‘Hey, this mentions me.’ She took the magazine from Macy.

‘Let’s see,’ said Eddie. ‘Where… oh, there. “As a student of famous archaeologist Nina Wilde, Macy discovered the long-lost Pyramid of Osiris deep in the Egyptian desert, and later uncovered the legendary El Dorado, City of Gold, hidden in the mountains of Peru. But as our sizzling shoot reveals, she’s every bit as sexy as she is smart.”’

‘You weren’t my student!’ Nina objected.

Macy gave an apologetic shrug. ‘Yeah, I told them that, but I guess they thought it sounded better.’

‘So what else did they get wrong?’ Nina quickly read on, turning the page to reveal a second spread of similarly provocative portraits. ‘“With a boyfriend like Hollywood star Grant Thorn and a screen career on the horizon, it would be easy for Macy to take the road to the high life. But the Miami native insists she’s keeping her archaeological options open. She’s no mere MAW, but a real-life Lara Croft whose future is as exciting as the treasures of the past she digs up…” What’s a MAW?’

‘Model, actress, whatever,’ said Eddie. ‘Chuck something out of the window around here and you’ll probably hit at least two of ’em.’

‘Bimbos, basically,’ Macy added.

Nina was not impressed. ‘So it’s kind of a demeaning term, then.’

‘Well, the article said I wasn’t one, so…’ She shrugged again. ‘Anyway, what do you think?’

‘Very nice,’ said Eddie with a grin. ‘I keep asking Nina to get an outfit like that, but she won’t have it.’

Nina sighed, then turned back to Macy. ‘Modelling’s not exactly my thing, but you obviously enjoyed it, so… good for you. And I’m glad that even with these other options opening up for you, you’re planning to stick with archaeology.’

‘I worked really hard to get my degree,’ said Macy. ‘I’m not going to let it go to waste.’

‘You could be a model, archaeologist, whatever,’ Eddie suggested, grinning.

‘Yeah! Actually, Nina, if there are any openings at the IHA, I hope you’ll look at my résumé!’

She laughed, but Nina didn’t respond in kind. ‘Macy, I…’ She gave Eddie a brief look before continuing. ‘I don’t work for the IHA any more.’

The young woman laughed again, but it quickly faded when she realised Nina was serious. ‘What? Since when?’

‘Since two months ago. I resigned. I asked them to keep it quiet because I didn’t want to deal with the publicity.’

‘Oh my God! Why? What happened?’

‘Something bad happened to me. I can’t tell you too much, because it’s classified’ — that was not strictly true; Nina had made the decision to keep much of what had transpired a secret even from the IHA itself — ‘but I was… poisoned.’

Macy stared at her in horror. ‘Poisoned? Did — did you see a doctor, get an antidote?’

‘There isn’t one. Not for this. How much Norse mythology did you study during your degree?’

‘The basics: Odin, Thor, those guys,’ said Macy, confused by the shift of topic.

‘Did you learn about eitr?’

‘Yeah, it’s some sort of primordial poison—’ She broke off as she made the connection. ‘You mean it’s real?’

‘Fucking right it is,’ Eddie rumbled.

‘Yes, it’s real,’ said Nina sadly. ‘We found it — well, we were trying to stop other people taking control of it. We did, but I got… contaminated. Infected. Macy, I’m… I’m dying.’

‘Holy Jesus,’ Macy whispered. ‘I’m so sorry. When — how long have you got?’

‘It could be years,’ Eddie insisted. ‘Enough time to find a cure.’

‘Or it could be weeks,’ his wife countered.

‘I’m not going to believe that until I absolutely don’t have any fucking choice.’

‘I can’t believe it either,’ said Macy. ‘There’s got to be something somebody can do.’

Nina shook her head. ‘The Russians were looking for a cure for fifty years, and they didn’t find one. I don’t think our chances are any better.’

‘So you’re just going to accept it? You’re going to give up? Is that why you quit the IHA?’

‘I’m not giving up,’ she said firmly. ‘The reason I quit was so I could do everything else that I wanted to in the time I’ve got left. You’ll probably think it’s weird to hear me say this, but there’s more to life than archaeology.’

‘I’ve been telling you that for years,’ said Eddie.

‘And just this once, you were actually right.’ The couple swapped faint smiles. ‘But that’s why we’ve been travelling — so I could see the whole world, not just what’s buried under it. And it’s also why I’m going to write the book. I want to tell people about everything I’ve discovered — and also that there were other people involved besides me. The IHA turned me into a kind of media-friendly figurehead, and unfortunately, at times I started to believe my own hype. So I want to set the record straight.’

‘Does that mean I’ll be in it?’

‘Do you want to be?’

‘Um, let me think… yes! Duh.’

‘Good. You deserve to have people know what you did. And in more detail than this.’ She held up the magazine, then tried to return it to its owner.

‘No, no, that one’s for you,’ Macy told her. ‘I’ve got plenty more copies. Keep it.’

‘Ah… thanks.’ Nina put it on the seat. ‘But yeah, if nothing else, the book will be a kind of legacy.’ She turned to her husband. ‘And it’ll mean I can take care of you even after I’m gone.’

‘You’re talking about it like you’re already dead,’ said Eddie with grim irritation. An awkward silence followed.

Macy broke it, covering her discomfort with an excess of enthusiasm. ‘So, uh… hey, look, we’re in Beverly Hills!’ She gestured at a street sign informing those driving along Santa Monica Boulevard that they had just crossed the boundary of the exclusive city-within-a-city. ‘I definitely want to go to the Chanel shop.’ She hurriedly drained her glass.

‘Drinking and shopping?’ said Nina, also keen to change the subject. ‘Are you sure that’s wise?’

‘Probably not, but it’s more fun than doing it on Amazon.’ She indicated Nina’s map. ‘I mean, they’ve got Ferragamo, Fendi, Gucci and Prada all right next to each other. It’s like I’ve died and gone to heav— like I’ve, uh… found my Mecca?’

‘Good catch,’ Eddie said, with some humour returning.

Macy winced. ‘Sorry. The whole death thing, probably not what you want to hear right now.’

‘It’s okay,’ Nina assured her. She polished off her own drink. ‘How about a refill?’

Eddie reached for the champagne bottle, glancing through the rear window as he did. ‘Ay up.’

‘What?’

‘Look who’s back.’ He gestured, and Nina turned to see a yellow Jeep in the neighbouring lane not far behind them.

‘Oh come on, Eddie,’ she said dismissively. ‘We’re in California — there must be hundreds of Jeeps like that.’

‘No, it’s the same one, I’m sure of it.’ He regarded the 4x4 with deep suspicion, then looked ahead. The traffic was slowing, flashing orange emergency lights visible a few blocks distant. ‘Hey, Hector, I want to take a detour — can you go up one of these side streets?’

‘Only houses up there, nothing to see,’ said the chauffeur.

‘Just take the next right, will you?’

‘For God’s sake,’ said Nina as Hector slowed. ‘You really think we’re being followed?’

‘We’ll know in a minute.’ Eddie turned to watch the cars behind as the Hummer swung off the boulevard. The Wrangler cut clumsily across the lanes, arousing an angry honk from another vehicle, and followed. ‘Told you.’

‘Maybe he lives down here,’ Macy offered, though with little conviction.

‘Hector, go left,’ Eddie ordered, seeing an intersection ahead.

Their driver wasn’t happy. ‘That’s not a proper street, it’s just a back alley.’

‘Take it anyway.’

The limo turned again, brushing a hedge before it straightened out and continued down the narrow lane. The three passengers stared through the rear window. Nothing happened for several seconds… then the Jeep reappeared and rounded the corner after them.

‘Okay, so he’s definitely following us,’ said Nina, now worried. ‘What do we do about it?’

‘Ask him why,’ Eddie decided. ‘Hector, when we get to the end of the alley, go right and park when you can. I want to have words with this arsehole.’

‘You sure that’s a good idea?’ Nina asked.

‘Well normally I’d just shoot him and be done with it, but you wouldn’t let me bring my gun.’

The Hummer reached the next street and made another laborious turn before pulling over in front of a house. A sign at the lawn’s edge stated that the property was PROTECTED BY STERNHAMMER RAPID ARMED RESPONSE; an elderly man looked up from inspecting some minor blemish on his immaculate grass to glare at the ostentatious vehicle.

Eddie opened the offside door and got out as the Jeep emerged from the alley and, as expected, turned towards him. He held up a hand as it approached.

It stopped behind the H2. A man jumped out. Eddie had been right: it was the same person he had briefly seen earlier. He appeared even younger than Macy, and was quite striking, with angular cheekbones and intense blue eyes.

It was his expression that immediately put the Englishman on alert, though. The youth was agitated, even desperate. He reached back into the Jeep to snatch up a leather satchel, then hurried towards the limo. ‘Please!’ he called. ‘I must speak to Dr Wilde at once!’ His accent was strongly German.

At the sound of her name, Nina moved to the open door to look out, while her husband stepped forward to intercept the new arrival. ‘All right, mate,’ Eddie said. ‘What’s going on? Why were you following us?’

The young man saw Nina. ‘Dr Wilde!’ he cried. ‘Dr Wilde, I must give you this. They must not be allowed to raid Alexander’s tomb!’

He tried to slip past Eddie, who blocked him — but his words had already drawn Nina out of the limousine. ‘What about the tomb?’ she said. ‘Who’s “they”?’

The man fumbled open the satchel, taking out several sheets of paper. ‘These are their plans — they are going to break into the tomb and steal the statue of Bucephalus. You have to stop them!’ He thrust the pages at her.

‘I think you need to calm down, mate,’ Eddie said, making the threat in his voice clear. The youth quailed, but held his ground.

Nina reluctantly took the documents. The handwritten text was in German, a language of which she had only limited understanding, but there was an annotated illustration that she immediately recognised. ‘How did you get this?’

‘What is it?’ Macy asked, exiting the Hummer on to the sidewalk.

‘It’s a plan of Alexander the Great’s tomb, in Egypt — and the only places it could have come from are either the Ministry of Antiquities… or the IHA.’ She looked back at the blond man. ‘What’s going on? Who’s going to raid the tomb? Eddie, let him past.’

Eddie reluctantly stepped aside. ‘The Oberkommando,’ said the youth, moving to Nina. ‘They need the statue to lead them to the Spring of Immortality. They are—’

A shrill of brakes made everyone whirl. A black Cadillac Escalade EXT pickup truck skidded past the Jeep to stop beside the limo. Its front windows were down, revealing a scowling, shaven-headed man with a prominent scar across his right cheek.

He raised his arm—

A flash of steel in the newcomer’s hand. ‘Gun!’ Eddie yelled. He lunged, shielding Nina as he threw her bodily back into the limo. Macy shrieked and dived over the garden fence.

The automatic boomed three times, the bullets hitting the young man in the chest. Blood splattered over the Hummer’s flank from ragged exit wounds. He crumpled to the asphalt.

The attacker hadn’t finished, though. The gun came up again, locking on to Nina — and firing.