Aztec Gold

ELEVEN

As far back as she could remember Caitlyn Nash had always been burdened with a nervous disposition. If anything remotely outside her comfort zone presented, the uncertainty began to creep in, the barriers went up, and she crept back into herself. It was one of the reasons she’d learned her craft so extensively — at least in her field of expertise she would never feel ill at ease.

Joining Crouch’s team had seemed to be a perfect opportunity. The offer came at the right time, in the right way, through Armand Argento, one of the few men she could now trust. A change was what she needed and, not having had a boyfriend since high school, pets, or indeed parents she could look in the eye of late, she counted her lucky stars and jumped at the chance.

A dream job.

Now a nightmare. Caitlyn recalled the shock she felt when men started storming the apartment and shooting at them. She remembered the only respite being Alicia Myles, the woman that had promised to take care of her. Then, when chaos took the night in its grip and everyone became separated the only eyes she could see were the hard, flinty eyes of her enemy. The ones that forced her along with them and strapped her arms together.

Now, tied to a chair, arms behind her and ankles secured, she could only wait for the inevitable. Nobody had visited her yet. The room where she waited was a simple concrete box, empty, windowless, with water dripping somewhere she couldn’t see. No other noise interrupted her isolation. It was as if the end of the world had come and left her behind.

Caitlyn fought the anxiety. It wouldn’t be good to let them see it. Her field training had been brief, perfunctory, and of little use. They said the training would kick in. They told her she would have untapped reserves. That she would be fine.

Clearly they’d never expected her to be kidnapped by lethal treasure hunters.

Caitlyn wondered about that too. Beyond setting up advanced comms and eyes-on equipment she had participated in nothing. All she knew was what she’d overheard and that was very little.

Would these men believe her?

Sure, a cynical voice spoke up. And then they’ll let you take a shower, prepare you a nice meal and send you on your way. Because that’s what killers and mercenaries always did.

The sound of a key rattling in the door snapped her to attention. Adrenalin surged through her body and she sought to moderate it. She could feel how wild her eyes suddenly looked. So much for keeping it under wraps.

A man entered, dressed conservatively in jeans and a faded leather jacket. Graying at the temples he wore his worry lines with dignity, with pride. Handsome, Caitlyn would have called him given a different venue, but here — menacing.

“I’m Greg Coker,” he said quickly. “I’m sure you’ve heard of me.”

Caitlyn hadn’t. The fear choked her voice but Coker read the answer in her eyes.

“When did you join the little crew? I don’t recall you being there at the museum.”

“Yesterday,” she said finally, proud the word came out without a stammer. “After they returned from the north. I’m just a techie.”

“Yesterday?” Coker repeated. “Man, that’s some flat out bad luck, little lady. Not the best start to your new career. Letting yourself get abducted so easy. They won’t come for you, you know.”

Caitlyn was unable to hide her worry. “What?”

“It’s not Crouch’s style. Do you know him at all?”

“Through reputation. He sounds better—”

“Ah, but how did he earn that reputation? By taking the glory, the kudos. Not by wasting his time rescuing techies. You’re ours now to… do with as we please.”

Coker’s hard smile speared her heart. An icy flush washed through her veins, making her forehead clammy. As if to prove his point Coker came forward and laid a hand on top of her head, stroking the short black hair. Caitlyn felt the breath catch in her throat.

“Please… ”

“Tell me what you know.” Coker backed off a few steps, gauging her reaction. “It will go easier for you.”

Caitlyn balked. The fear overruled her, making every muscle tremble. For a few seconds she was out of control, then managed to slip inside herself and gain a little outward dignity. In the deeper confines of her mind she delved into the dreadful, unprecedented event that had devastated her world only weeks ago. She sought its ugliness, its vile evil. What could be worse? Certainly not her present predicament.

And all made even crueler by the knowledge that it was her parents. Or more precisely her —

“That’s better.” Coker interrupted her nightmare. “Speak now.”

“I… I joined yesterday. I don’t know anything.”

Coker’s face turned nasty, but his eyes appealed to her. “Not good enough. You must tell me something. You must have heard something.”

Caitlyn stared at him. This scenario suddenly didn’t seem right. She’d never been the best at reading people, but Coker was acting as if he was playing a scene. Performing for some hidden watcher.

She turned hard in her chair, managed to glance quickly over her shoulder. Sure enough a small silver camera with a black lens was mounted on the rear wall, overlooking the scene. She turned back to Coker with new eyes.

“You asked to interrogate me first?”

Coker immediately rubbed his nose, using his closed hand to hide his lips. “They can’t hear us. But they see everything. Please… I’m your only chance. I can’t stand what they’ll do to you weighing on my conscience.” He finished with a snarl, shouting “Now!” at her for the benefit of the hidden watchers.

“All I know is their names and the treasure they’re chasing.” Caitlyn found her anxiety lessening now as Coker presented himself more as a covert ally. “And that they have a map.”

Coker bit his lips. “We know about that. It’s what they were told to look for.”

“Look. You’re clearly not with them. Why are you doing this?”

Coker’s face took on a stressed expression and all the light left his eyes. He carefully placed a hand on each of her knees and crouched down between them so that he could look up at her. “The camera can’t see me down here. Pretend I’m hurting you somehow. Throw your head back.”

Caitlyn performed admirably as Coker continued.

“In short, I’m also a prisoner and have to do whatever the boss wants. I hated attacking Michael, doing everything in my power to botch the operation whilst still appearing to implement their plan. I hate everything about this entire operation. But I’m also the one to blame for it. Solomon, he’s a parasite but a rich one.”

“Solomon’s your boss?”

“Yeah. Underworld bottom crawler. Leeches onto people’s mistakes and makes them pay big time.” Coker paused, stricken for a second as if dredging up a terrible memory, then shook it off. “Look, we don’t have much time. If I don’t get my ass out there soon with something juicy they’re gonna send the worst of the worst in here. Please tell me you’ve got something you can tell me.”

“Get me out then. Get yourself out.”

“Don’t you think I’ve thought of that?” Coker hissed. “Shit, I used to be a field agent, lady. But even if I could take them out” — he shook his head, tears fighting to spill from his eyes — “they have me in other ways. There’s nothing I can do.”

Caitlyn stared at him. Coker was a defeated man. How, she didn’t know. But he was an utter wreck, barely hanging on. Christ, she was in deep shit now.

The door suddenly flew open. A man walked in, seeing Coker’s position and ordered him up. “Does girl know anything?” The man’s accent was thick, guttural and halting. Calling her ‘girl’ was depersonalizing to the extreme and a bad sign.

“I haven’t finished yet.”

“Get out, Coker. I will finish.”

“Just give me a bit—”

“Now.” The man came forward, spitting on the floor at Coker’s feet, his dark face twisted with hate; fists bunched. Caitlyn felt a spike of fear, of desperation. Unrealized dreams and visions swept before her eyes.

I’m dead.

Coker, to his credit, stood his ground. “I am in charge here, Dingo. Let me do my fucking job.”

Dingo snarled, practically shaking with anger. The body armor he wore vibrated along with him, its many pockets and knives quivering too. He grasped a baton that sat in his holster like a short sword. “You have till I find cow prod,” he said with an emotionless glance at Caitlyn. “Then, I don’t care. We do it my way.” The sudden calm demeanor was scarier than the anger.

Coker watched him leave. “That guy’s unmanageable. Any man in my unit would’ve buried him by now.”

“Please.” Caitlyn felt the fear spreading through her once again, a cold deluge of anticipated horror. “What can we do?”

Coker turned to her, body closed and expression as cold as arctic ice. “I can’t help you now. It’s a fucked up, last chance world, lady. Tell me something before that madman returns.”