Inca Kings

CHAPTER FORTY SEVEN

Tonight, the sun diminished in the west, the shadows lengthened, and darkness began to broaden its reach across the lands. Tonight, there was little light shed by the moon as clouds warped all around it and fought to quench its brightness. Tonight, the mountains rose pitch black and eternal, barely outlined, uncompromising and uncaring sentinels standing resolute against every elemental challenge that was thrown at them.

Tonight, Kimbiri stood without chains — free, liberated, secure for the first time in many months. The villages of Nuno and Quillabiri and homesteads that spread for miles were similarly released and had all made their way to Kimbiri for the celebration. An enormous fire, laid out atop a nearby hill, marked the center of the merriment, and around it many sat cross-legged on the grass or leaned against low walls. Conversation vied with the crackling embers for the most decibels, but the sound of happy laughter always came out on top. The SPEAR team had been busy for days, but now the recruits were safe in Cusco, the militia was on the run and even the CIA were comparatively happy. One last night, Hayden had said, and the others capitulated with ease. The villagers needed this — and had played their part right from stepping up to help protect their village, to putting their lives on the line to fight alongside the soldiers.

Hundreds now filled Kimbiri. Food was prepared and eaten, and the homemade brews were starting to flow.

Alicia, full of good food and of contentment for tonight stood staring at a warmly dressed farmer and his son, who’d brought along some of their livestock. All furry, wrapped around with the thickest of clothes, and viewed through eyes that were only slightly hazy, she found herself squinting hard.

“I don’t get it,” she whispered into Drake’s ear.

The Yorkshireman coughed delicately. “What’s the problem?”

“Which one’s the alpaca?”

“The animal, dear.”

Alicia stepped closer. “Huh. All look the same to me. But if I’m being honest, I’d leg it if I saw any of ’em coming over the hill.”

Together at last, the team reveled in a night off. Painkillers helped with the scrapes and bruises, but nothing would ever rid them of lasting images. By mutual agreement they’d all decided that if it didn’t need to be covered then it would never be spoken of again. Their encounter with Dantanion and his followers was the most bizarre op they’d ever undertaken, but also one of the most rewarding. As Drake said, when you save New York from a nuclear event, nobody knows and you fly straight off to the next mission, but when you save a small village and fight alongside its people — you make friends and receive embarrassing thank yous that soldiers never asked for. Still, this once, it humbled even the most jaded members of the team.

Kenzie sat alongside Dahl, as quiet as Alicia had ever seen her. The ex-Mossad agent couldn’t hide the happy awkwardness in her eyes and hadn’t been able to crack a nasty jibe all night.

Could Dahl be right? Could Kenzie be reprieved?

No mind. Truth be told, she found it hard to trust anyone anymore. Anyone, that is, beyond her most trusted circle of friends. Drake, Dahl and, oddly, Mai. The slow change in her had been welcomed by most, if not all. Of course, nobody could change if they didn’t want to or if the new person was a phony. Alicia was becoming the person she’d always wanted to be, always should have been.

The alpacas approached and she shied away, still seeing treble. One snorted as it passed, she couldn’t tell if it was human or animal, making her reach for her gun; but of course it wasn’t there and Drake stood laughing. Alicia punched his arm. They wandered back among the villagers, shaking hands and smiling, hugging those who’d fought with them and thanking those who’d let them go. Kimbiri would survive all this because of the spirit of its people; and the same went for all the others in the area. Nobody could keep a good person down forever.

Alicia forced her way into a circle formed by the SPEAR team with Drake at her side. “Boy,” she whispered. “Am I fucking glad all that’s over.”

Dahl nodded in agreement. “Give it a week and some normality and we’ll start to forget how bizarre it all was.”

“Hope so,” Alicia said. “I really do.”

“That man had so many so cruelly trained.” Mai stared into the dark heart of their circle, where the flickering flames didn’t cast light. “And they accepted it. I saw it in my childhood and I see it still. Will the world ever change?”

Drake shook his head. “Nope. But there will always be people like us.”

“Not enough,” Mai replied.

“I agree.”

Dahl coughed, staring over at the fire. “And now on to Egypt,” he said. “A world event, they say. And then the other corners of the earth. Just to make it clear — we draw the line at bloody Yorkshire. We ain’t risking our lives to save fish and chips, Meadowhall and the York Minster.”

Drake allowed the Swede a serene smile, letting him have the joke. “Can’t say Harvard and Eton are high up the list either.”

“Matt Damon? Natalie Portman?” Dahl asked.

Alicia growled softly. “Yeah, I’d save both. For a special reward.”

“Both Harvard alumni,” Dahl said, then turned away as if wondering why the hell he was defending a place he’d dropped out of. Alicia listened as tomorrow’s travel plans were clearly stated and watched the surreal vision of a pair of goats picking their way through the villagers.

“Never ceases to amaze, or make me smile,” she said. “Or I drank more of the potato punch than I recall.”

She found herself seated beside Hayden, the boss sporting a new bandage that covered the end of her finger. Of all of them, Hayden had suffered in the most personal way and had, so far, been the quietest. Alicia took a moment to think of how she could help.

“Sorry you had to go through that, Hay. Even I seem to be at a loss for words.”

“It sure sucked balls.” Hayden waggled her digit and then sighed. “But it bought us time. All of us.”

“Saved lives.”

“Sure. I’d do it again.” Hayden studied her hands. “But only nine more times. After that, I’m struggling.”

They smiled. The fire crackled, black smoke billowing straight up at the skies. Alicia basked in its warmth after being exposed to the elements for so many days. It was a good way to end and celebrate their victory, so good she could almost drift away to sleep.

Guard down. Content. Feeling fortunate. Who was she?

She squeezed Drake’s hand and then saw Mai across the circle, still studying the center and looking a little lost. Alicia was about to rise when Kenzie beat her to it. The swordswoman pushed herself quickly to her feet, so fast Dahl almost scrambled up with her, sensing trouble.

But Kenzie held out a hand, smoothed her hair and took a deep breath. “Since I’ve never felt more accepted,” she said quietly; and hearing the words made Alicia even sadder, “I wanted to share something with you.”

They quieted around the circle, looking up at the woman. Kenzie gave everyone a personal, surprisingly shy look before opening her mouth once again.

“I too am a part of Tyler Webb’s statement. It is shameful, but it is a part of me and I… I want to come clean right now.”

Alicia held Drake’s hand all the tighter, felt him tense up. Nobody spoke, and the entire team concentrated on Kenzie, letting her find the right words.

“Most nights,” she said. “I… I cry myself to sleep. I do. It’s a fact. And I shudder to think that man invaded my privacy so deeply, so terribly, and would use the knowledge to humiliate me.”

“It’s okay,” Dahl reached up, touching her fingers. “We will never judge you.”

“I cry myself to sleep because I lost my family. Because powerful figures in my government let it happen. Because I could not avenge them.” Tears stood proud in her eyes now, and she sat down, crossed her legs, and smiled.

“There,” she said. “Now you know the worst of me.”

Drake and Dahl made comments that expressed Alicia’s own feelings — that if Kenzie thought such things were the worst of her, then she was welcome to watch their backs anytime. Alicia voiced it too, in her own way, and Kenzie thanked them all without words — just a grin.

“You all know that only leaves three,” Smyth spoke up gruffly. “From the original statement? One who is a lesbian, one who is dying and one who killed their parents in cold blood.”

Kinimaka shuffled around. “Way to go with the mood quencher, Lancelot.”

“Yeah,” Alicia said. “Bog off on some quest or other. Give us some peace.”

“He’s missing our Lauren,” Drake said. “Give him a break.”

Smyth regarded them all wearily. “Maybe she could meet us in Egypt.”

“Lancelot needs reinforcements,” Kenzie laughed. “Sound the horn.”

Alicia waited a moment and then caught Mai’s eye. With a jerk of her head she indicated that the two of them should leave the group. Quietly, she disengaged from Drake’s hand and smiled at the question in his eyes.

“Don’t worry.”

She met Mai close to the fire. In the burning heart, surrounded by sparks, cinders and flares, they finally came eye to eye.

“You finished it. You didn’t know if you were coming back,” Alicia said equably. “You told him as much.”

Mai watched fire leap and flicker. “I guess I was surprised at how quick it all happened.”

“A man like Drake? You shouldn’t be. And you know we’ve loved each other since we were kids.”

“Kids?”

“Army kids. New to the regiment.”

“He loved you before he loved me,” Mai agreed. “And then you went dark. And then you changed. Looks like you came full circle, Taz.”

Alicia tensed, aware Mai’s body language had grown subtly dangerous. “If I hadn’t changed we’d be wrestling on the ground right now.”

Mai raised an eyebrow. “I doubt that.”

“Oh, c’mon, just ’cause you’re a bad-ass, scar-faced, doe-eyed ninja, doesn’t mean you’d beat me in a proper fight, Sprite.”

Mai stepped back. “So Pat Benatar me, bitch.”

“Take my best shot?”

“You got it.”

“Shit.” Alicia saw now, and in her heart always had seen, that this confrontation was going to come down to a fight. They were both warriors, both strong women, and both utterly determined. In truth, she’d always know what kind of a fight it would end up being too.

“First to hit the floor?”

Mai struck without warning, catching Alicia along the eyebrow, just a glancing blow but one that caused a jet of pain. Alicia danced away, keeping the fire at her back, making Mai look at the bright flames. The Japanese woman struck again, three times; blows which Alicia fended away. Her forearms burned with the impacts.

But it wouldn’t do just to take the punishment. Mai wanted and deserved a real fight. Nothing else was right. Alicia dove in, took a blow to the cheek, and delivered three of her own, the last making Mai stagger. The Japanese woman only spun though, catching Alicia with a spinning elbow and making her cry out. Alicia pulled away, and watched Mai rub her ribs.

“Had enough?”

“Barely awake.”

“Ohhh.”

They came together, both leaping at the same time and trading blows quicker than the eye. Alicia’s elbow strike turned into a punch, then a pivot of the hips that Mai swiveled around. Alicia was momentarily open, took a kick to the thigh that almost killed the muscle and a shot to the back of the neck that sent her to her knees.

Mai pressed the advantage, coming down hard. Firm strikes and punches came at Alicia’s face, two out of three blocked but the last bringing up an immediate bruise. Alicia twisted, struggled to stand, but Ma’s onslaught was unstoppable. For every blow she blocked, another sneaked through, but still Alicia refused to go down. Her mouth bled, her nose bled. Her body ached.

Mai backed off, looked down at the Englishwoman, raised her hands, and started another attack, showing no mercy.

Alicia swiveled. Punched hard straight into the oncoming stomach. Mai doubled over and fell to her knees alongside Alicia, the two grappling, elbows, shoulders, arms and hands.

In the end, Mai held Alicia’s head in both her hands. A hard twist and her opponent would have no choice but to fold down to the ground. Either that or her neck would break. Mai stared hard into Alicia’s eyes, grip unbreakable. Alicia held it together, panting, gasping, staring back with nothing but compassion in her eyes.

“I won’t go down willingly,” she breathed. “Never. Do your worst.”

Mai mercilessly wrenched her neck to the side.