Crusader's Gold

THIRTY SEVEN

Riley rose and waved them over, greeting the team like old friends. Alicia realized they stood out like cocks at a hen party and not in a good way. Patrons of The Ritz were already eyeing them with distaste. Any other day she would make them wear their côte de boeuf but the presence of Beauregard had discombobulated her.

Crouch edged toward Riley, clearly expecting hostility. As they came closer Riley insisted that they take their seats. Beauregard sat in silence, staring down at the table.

Alicia made sure she sidled in beside him.

Riley showed them the napkin that rested on the table, and on top of the deadly Model M&P Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 380 handgun. Double action, it was a .380 auto and held six-plus-one rounds. Matt black in color, it lay like a predator waiting to pounce.

Riley grimaced at Crouch. “Thought you’d beat me didn’t you? Well, maybe you did but I don’t die so easily. And when Kenzie here told me where you were and all about this man—” he indicated Beauregard a little warily, hand hovering above the napkin. “We concocted a little backup plan.”

The team were staring between Beauregard and Crouch. “You know him?” Caitlyn asked quietly. “What am I missing?”

Riley waved it away. “Doesn’t matter now. You’re probably going to be dead in a few minutes anyway.” He pushed his half-eaten meal toward her. “Fancy some ravioli?”

Crouch banged the table hard enough to make the cutlery bounce. “What do you want?”

“Calm down, Michael. You’ll get us all thrown out. Either you or that bloody sword strapped to Caitlyn’s back. Now, we all know how badly you wronged me. And we all know how badly I wish this tasty ravioli was your still-dripping liver. But this treasure? It calls to me, Michael. Like a mermaid riding a wave I’d just love to bone, it calls to me, singing in the sweetest of voices. The gold. It needs me.”

Crouch cocked his head, struggling to follow. “Are you offering me Beauregard for the Hercules?”

“Oh well, if you want to put it that way.” Riley stroked the topside of the napkin suggestively. “I want her too.”

Kenzie actually looked a little unsure. “Yeah.”

Alicia used their exchanges to send an inquisitive frown directly at Beau. In answer he raised cuffed hands, hidden beneath another napkin.

Riley caught Beau? I don’t believe it. Nobody could catch Beau, not even the SPEAR team.

“You’re wondering how I caught him aren’t you?” Riley inclined his head. “Clever ole Beauregard Alain, the world’s greatest assassin. Caught by Daniel Riley, the world’s greatest—”

“Twat?” Alicia suggested quickly. “Bell end?”

“Careful, Myles. I could kill you all.”

“Don’t flatter yourself.”

“Try me.”

The world went silent. Riley stroked the napkin slowly. Alicia stared into his unblinking eyes. The truth was, he could certainly kill some of them. She could not save them all. The only modification here would be the passage of time. Something always came along to change the playing field.

She bobbed her chin. “How do you want to play this?”

“First, free me,” Kenzie said.

“You’re not tied, you dumb bitch. You’re here because we have sights on you.”

“I’m here because I want to be, bitch. You think a part of this wasn’t my plan?”

Healey stared at Crouch. “Doesn’t Beau work for the Pythians?”

“I’ll explain later,” Crouch told him. “But he works for me. Always has.”

Riley surveyed the restaurant, happy that all its patrons had returned to their meals. “Y’know,” he said. “I love leading people on. Baiting them. Dangling the carrot and then using the stick.” His face broke into a smile that could not reach his eyes.

“Kenzie,” he said. “You brought all this to me. Gave me this chance. For that I thank you and hope taking the first bullet between the eyes is just reward.”

The napkin lifted, the gun waiting. Kenzie’s eyes filled with fear. Riley’s hand moved fast. Alicia and Beauregard worked in silent partnership, heaving at the table from below and tipping it toward Riley. The gun slid backward and the man fell from his chair.

Screams rang out.

The restaurant exploded into chaos.

Alicia scrambled over the still tipping table top, balancing along its rim as carefully as she ever had in her life, and rose above the fallen Daniel Riley. Her problem was she’d located the Smith & Wesson and it was now aimed toward her.

Altering her flight she twisted away. The gun rang out, the bullet passing by. Alicia fell out of Riley’s line of sight and then Crouch was crashing into him, knees taking him in the chest. Kenzie backhanded Caitlyn and kicked Healey between the legs, stunning them both. Russo raced to Crouch’s aid.

Riley rose, grabbed a gilded Louis XVI armchair and smashed the oval back across Russo’s oncoming bulk. The soldier covered up, going down. Crouch wrestled for the gun. It went off for a second time, the bullet entering the carpet and leaving only five remaining. Alicia pushed the handcuffed Beau behind her and struck at Riley.

Outnumbered, the terrorist backed off, still trying to fling Crouch away. A thump to the ear helped. Crouch staggered, flailing at thin air. The gun aimed right at him and the shot went off.

Alicia hit at the very last moment, redirecting Riley’s arm so that the bullet shattered a portion of fine trellis work. The gun spun off across the floor, skidding under a table. Riley stood alone for one moment.

Crouch squared up to him.

“Remember India!” Riley screamed. “Remember the worst of your fucking past, old man!”

Crouch visibly flinched. Alicia went suddenly immobile. Riley opened his jacket to reveal a string of small grenades, their pins all wired to a single pull switch. They were wrapped around his waist.

Crouch whispered. “You crazy son of a—”

“Crazy, yes! Imprisoned, no! They broke me, you fool. The SAS? They broke me and turned me into what you see now. That’s why I left that day and never contacted you. That’s why we stand here now. I couldn’t go on, Michael.”

“But you were already there.”

“Not up here.” Riley tapped at the side of his head. “Not where we truly live, Michael, and in my soul. They destroyed it.”

“So why not just die like a good man?” Crouch played for time. “Or find a bloody normal job?”

Riley blinked at him, genuinely confused. “I did.”

By now Alicia was behind him, with Healey and Caitlyn approaching slowly. Riley allowed them to come nearer.

“We go as one,” he said. “The blast will be exhilarating, to know you are all there with me. Bonded at the end. Shattered together. Mixed together. Are you ready?”

Alicia thrust Beau away. There was no way she could stop Riley from pulling those pins, only put her trust in the only one who held the slightest chance.

Caitlyn Nash.

The inexperience, the fear, the amateurishness she showed in the field. Their world depended on her now.

Riley smiled widely and looked up toward the ceiling’s lion skin motifs as if seeking absolution. His finger tightened on the wire pull.

Caitlyn stepped closer.

Crouch fell away.

Healey caught their enemy’s attention and Alicia said, “Hey!”

Caitlyn’s window opened, both the shortest and longest window of her life. As Riley glanced away she drew the katana Alicia had strapped awkwardly to her back, and swung it all in one fluid movement. The blade whispered through the air, glimmering with reflected light, and chopped clean through Riley’s arm, severing it above the wrist.

The hand struck the floor and bounced, because the katana had also severed the pull cord.

Blood sprayed and Riley screamed. With his other hand he tried to yank at the remainder of the cord but Healey had anticipated that and was close. Carefully, but firmly he held that hand tight, wincing as blood drenched his clothes.

Crouch stepped in and punched Riley on the temple; the man’s body slumped into unconsciousness.

Alicia ran to Caitlyn and caught her in a bear hug. “Nice move, lady. Very nice move.”

Caitlyn threw up down her back.

“Ah shit, I guess that’s what you get when you’re bringing up kids.”

She kept hold of Caitlyn, knowing the woman would be experiencing all kinds of emotions right now. Fear. Hate. Self-loathing. Disgust. The list was endless and likely to alter her forever. After a while she felt a tap on the shoulder and looked up.

Russo’s face blocked out all the light. “Kenzie’s gone.”

“She’ll turn up again. We’ll bag her later.”

Crouch also came over and hugged Caitlyn. His thanks and gratitude went unsaid. “I thought we were all goners.”

Caitlyn bobbed her head. “Me too.”

“I’m thanking my lucky stars you remembered the sword.”

“I didn’t.” Caitlyn shrugged in confusion. “Kenzie mimed it as she left the room.”

Alicia backed away. “Probably best not to admit that. And now I need to change my top. Well, hell, The Ritz restaurant is as good a place as any.”

She changed right there, beckoning a stunned waiter over and taking his jacket to cover herself. Sirens wailed outside in the street and flashing blue lights painted the apricot walls.

“Just what we need.” Crouch smiled. “A bit of authority. Time to start the protocols, guys. The Hercules Tarentum will soon be available to everyone.”

Alicia smiled as the cops walked in, their faces grim. “Calm down, boys. Do we have a tale for you!”