Brothers in Arms

CHAPTER FORTY

Matt Drake felt the heavy burden that weighed heavy on his heart and shoulders ease a little when he walked into the safe house. Some of the world’s most capable people stood ready for action, preparing to take the fight to the enemy and erase his entire operation.

Dahl walked straight up to him and clapped him on the back. “Good to see you back in one piece.”

“Cheers.”

Hayden met his eyes from across the room. “Hope you’re taking that little desert-island jaunt off your vacation allowance, Drake.”

Alicia sniggered beside him, then crossed over to a quiet corner, already checking her phone for missed voicemails or texts. Drake nodded to Karin, Komodo, Kinimaka and Gates, already noting Ben’s absence. He fielded some questions about Mai and tried to put all speculation as to her fate out of his mind, lest it completely debilitate him. He described the dramatic overland trip and the exploits of Romero. When speaking about the Russians, he was far more forthcoming, describing the Moscow HQ and what little he’d seen of the operation, the ancient maps of Babylon and the tower of Babel, and the monstrosity that called itself Zanko.

Two new people sat staring at him from the farthest corner of the room: a grizzled, middle-aged man wearing a denim jacket and cowboy boots, and a dark-haired woman wearing tight hole-in-the-knee jeans and a ragged sweater.

“Ya know,” Alicia drawled, “you’d think when a girl gets told she’s going to a safe house, it’d be a house, rather than a bloody underground basement.”

Lauren Fox nodded in agreement. Hayden smiled. “Welcome to the CIA, Myles.”

Drake took in the room with new eyes. “This is a CIA building?”

“Sure is,” Kinimaka told him happily. “And it may be cozy, but it comes with all the mod cons.”

He directed them over to a central console, much like what an airplane pilot operates. Above the console sat a trio of TV screens, flickering with grey static for now. Kinimaka tapped a button and all three screens burst into life.

“It’s a direct feed from the main CIA building at Langley. This is what they’re doing now. The bit that relates to us anyhow.”

“CIA?” Drake wondered. “Doesn’t this thing come under FBI jurisdiction now?”

“We don’t have time,” Hayden said briefly. “You’ll see.”

Drake watched as three ultra-clear satellite images appeared. As the resolution increased and magnified, some major activity could be seen inside what appeared to be a walled compound. The center was a sprawling old mansion, abutted by many low-slung buildings that resembled car garages. The outside was a maze of gardens, warehouses and dirt roads, exiting the property at several points.

“What are we looking at?”

“An estate that belongs to Shaun Kingston, our arms dealer. It would appear the man’s getting ready to move out big time. See all the damn vehicles? That’s a shitload of metal, a shitload of manpower and a shitload of weapons. And that…” Kinimaka tapped a moving figure surrounded by other moving figures. “As far as we can tell is General Kwong Yang.”

Drake’s eyes widened. “They’re both together right now? Still in the country? Oh, please don’t tell me that’s in Europe. I just came from there.”

“It’s not in Europe, Drake.” Jonathan Gates came over to stand next to his shoulder. “Kingston’s compound is a twenty minute drive from here.” He shrugged. “Maybe thirty.”

Drake felt an instant rush of adrenalin. “Tool up, people,” he hissed. “We’ll make his last journey a ride he’ll never forget.”