The Atlantis Cipher

CHAPTER ONE

Guy Bodie paced the hotel room’s threadbare carpets, hands clenched into fists at his sides and a resolute frown set like concrete. His familiar team of expert thieves was seated around the room, waiting for him to say something.

“We go after Pantera now,” he growled. “Before Heidi bloody Moneymaker calls upon our services again.”

“Hey, man,” Cassidy Coleman drawled. She lounged on the windowsill, looking as beautiful as ever. But, as her enemies would attest, beneath the beauty was a deadly killer. “It’s only been a week. We helped out the CIA once already. Almost got ourselves killed searching for the Statue of Zeus, and all for Agent Moneymaker. How often can ancient relics get themselves lost anyway?”

“Oh, I dunno,” Sam Gunn cracked at her. “If only we knew some relic hunters we could ask.”

Cassidy shut him down with a stone-cold glance. Bodie finally stopped pacing and faced them.

“Jack Pantera was our boss, my mentor for five years. He brought me into this game, showed me the ropes. A man like that does not simply…” He paused to find the right words. “Decide to end you by throwing you into a Mexican prison and sending in a bunch of killers.”

Eli Cross, an experienced career thief, took a sip of water and crossed his legs, comfy in the room’s only armchair. “You’ve been apart for, what? Four years? People change, Guy.”

“Maybe,” Bodie conceded. “Either way, we should pay him a visit.”

“And risk all that we have now?” Gunn said. “I quite like our new status. Working for the CIA, with access to their resources. Doing what we like to do but with government backing.”

Jemma Blunt, their planner and organizer, sighed. “Working for the CIA is harder than working for yourself, Gunn, believe me. Instead of developing and initiating the ideas, we now have a new layer of scrutiny to pass them through. Nowhere near as easy. I guess geeks don’t see that side of it, though.”

Gunn was seated beside Jemma on the sofa. He ran a hand through his carefully gelled hair. “I meant that we’re on the right side of the law now.” He looked around. “Aren’t we?”

Bodie blinked twice. The hotel room was tight, crowded. He felt just a little too close to everyone. “I’m not sure Heidi and the CIA are familiar with that concept, Sam, but I understand what you’re saying. Let’s see how it plays out. The fact remains that Jack Pantera screwed us once and he could do so again.” He shook his head. “I never thought I’d hear myself say that, considering all we’ve been through.”

“If I remember correctly,” Cross said, scratching his head, “you mentioned that the guy who put you in prison — Pantera — wasn’t responsible for the weird dudes who then came after you.”

Bodie nodded. “If by ‘weird dudes’ you mean those eastern Europeans who really knew their business, then yeah, you’re right.”

Cross shrugged. “Seems to be a mess, that’s all.”

“Bloody right it’s a mess, my redneck friend. Another reason to head south.”

Over the past week the team had taken leave of Heidi Moneymaker, their new boss by default, agreeing reluctantly to stay on high alert and await her call, and had flown to Atlanta via Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, the busiest in the world. Bodie was pretty sure Heidi’s influence would have taken them off a dozen watch lists, and his team reasoned it was better to conduct their business in plain sight while knowing that they could rely on the CIA’s help, rather than at a later date when relations might have soured. They wouldn’t be happy being at the CIA’s beck and call, but they would try to find a way out from under the heavy governmental thumb. And for now, they were content to search out the few relics that their new paymasters would send them after. They expected lots of downtime, since ancient relics didn’t exactly pop up every day. For now, it worked for them, not in conflict with their needs. Heidi had offered immunity so long as they performed. The CIA gained deniability, a team they could disavow if caught. They also gained expert help and unparalleled experience in matters of relic hunting. The team knew they were being blackmailed by the government agency. The question was, Was there anything they could do about it?

Just the thought of blackmail made Bodie’s top lip curl. There was no way they would work for the CIA forever, but first they needed time to devise the perfect plan.

They had found a nondescript place in the center of Atlanta, checked for tails and bugs, and then settled down to make arrangements. Bodie had triple-checked Pantera’s whereabouts — Florida, specifically a gated community close to Kissimmee. When the subject of their supporting the CIA and its worldwide hunt for ancient relics grew monotonous and unsolvable, they turned right to the thorny matter of Jack Pantera.

“Have you thought about the approach?” Jemma asked. “I will need to see the place first but already have a few ideas.”

“Damn,” Cassidy moaned. “You have too much time on your hands, girl. Let’s go out tonight and get you a boyfriend.”

Jemma looked hopeful for a moment but then clouded over. “The way we have to move at a moment’s notice? That’s not gonna happen, Cass.”

“All right, how about a one-night stand, then? At least it’ll divert those energies.”

Jemma blushed. “Not sure I could handle one of those. It’s been a while.”

Cassidy made a face. “Like riding a bike,” she started to say, then grinned. “Literally.”

“Can we get back to the job at hand?” Cross said, a pained expression on his face. “Maybe you two can discuss boyfriends later.”

“Cool, ancient one. Carry on.”

Cross gave her a long-suffering look. “I believe it was Jemma who mentioned a plan.”

“Who else would it be?” Gunn grinned, fingers ready at his laptop.

“That’s all fine,” Bodie interrupted. “But we should get a look at the place first. Now… the tricky part. Jack’s married, with a son.”

“Yeah, but they’re separated, right?” Cassidy said. “Last I heard, Pantera was reduced to watching his kid from afar.”

Bodie lowered his head. “I believe so. His wife took out a court order. A situation that could break anyone. The op has to be handled with care, people. Clearly, Pantera isn’t the guy we used to know. I don’t want to bust in and damage him… not straight away… but I do want to find out why the hell he betrayed me. Now, we can’t go barging in there because we don’t know what may have changed. We study, and plan, and plan again. Got it?”

“As ever, boss.” Cassidy saluted.

“And Heidi?” Gunn asked.

Bodie stared at him. “What about her?”

“If she calls, I mean.”

“Fuck her,” Bodie said impulsively.

“Okay, dial it back, Guy,” Cassidy said. “But hey, I did see a bit of carnal friction between the two of you.”

“No, no,” Bodie said a little too quickly and without smiling. “I meant that we ignore her until this op is complete. I don’t like being used as a puppet, not by anyone. They want us — we want out. But for now… we’ll play along.”

“Play hard to get, you mean?”

“Yes… I mean no. Look, the CIA may employ us but they don’t own us. And they’re not gonna employ us for long. Understood?”

Cassidy grew serious. “They’ll never take their hooks out, Guy. That’s not their way.”

“Well, we have the best planner in the business,” Bodie said, nodding at Jemma. “And the rest of us aren’t bad at slipping in and out of places and going unnoticed. I think we can handle the CIA.”

A hush descended across the room. Bodie stared around. “Don’t you?”

“Let’s wait and see,” Cross said finally. “Who knows? We might get to enjoy a little relic hunting.”

Bodie shrugged and shook his head. “Whatever you say, Eli, whatever you say. Personally, I can’t see it being much more than creeping around in the dust and scratching at old rocks, but maybe I’ll be proved wrong.”

They arrived in Florida, rented an SUV, and headed south toward Kissimmee and the gated community of Shingle Creek. Bodie, a many-year resident of London, never ceased to be amazed at the size of America’s highways and the ease of driving straight roads rather than the twisting warrens of Europe, and sat back to listen to a rock music channel and let Cross drive.

“Good to be driving through the homeland again?” he asked the older man.

“Yeah, really missed the place. Homecoming is always good.”

“Of course,” Bodie said. “Being a part of this crew means you always take your family with you.”

Cross glanced over, sunlight glinting off the metallic rims of his sunglasses. “Sure, man. What is it you always say?”

“Family is a sense of belonging. It’s what I believe.”

The interstate appeared to roll on forever, eventually becoming a shimmering haze in the distance. Cross turned off at the next exit, following the sign for Kissimmee and a GPS directive toward Shingle Creek. Twenty minutes later and with Kissimmee still some miles distant, they slowed as a large, ornate stone set in the middle of a wide grassy area proclaimed their destination in delicate, swirling letters.

“Cruise by,” Bodie said unnecessarily, since Cross would be doing just that without thinking. The man was as good as they came, and Bodie’s closest confidante. Someone he could turn to when he could turn nowhere else. One day, maybe, he’d have to tell Cross that.

Cross didn’t slow but took his foot off the gas. They spotted a high wall, lots of trees, and a guard house. Cassidy pointed out the enormous double gate, which appeared mostly ornamental.

Still, nothing good ever happened easily.

“Let’s get to work,” Bodie said, “and see what Jack Pantera has to say for himself.”