The Last Bazaar

CHAPTER FORTY FIVE

Hayden chafed as they waited for the backup she’d hastily arranged but it soon arrived in the form of two big military choppers, sent swiftly from the nearest airbase and consequently equipped to fly in the Peruvian mountains, both filled with the requested backup in the form of military men. Other forms of swift transport were on full alert, ready to whisk the SPEAR team anywhere and, in particular, to New York. Over half an hour had already passed since they realized Drake and Alicia had been taken captive, but the newly arrived choppers had lifted off some time before that, during the chase, tracking Hayden’s chopper through GPS and attempting to rendezvous in the air. When Dahl, Mai and Beau realized Drake and Alicia were lost they had headed quickly toward the area they saw Hayden had landed. The team were distressed and consumed with guilt, but wise enough to remember that time was the issue. They wasted none of it, going over options for an assault at the same time as hoping they were far enough away for Ramses not to consider initiating an attack of his own.

Smyth favored the full frontal. “I call it, ‘the Miley approach’,” he said. “Attack the castle walls, the gates, the bridge, take the fuckers out.”

Hayden looked up at the mountains from their hideaway deep within a stand of trees about a mile from the castle. “Well there’s no way of getting in through the back entrance,” she said. “That’s a sheer rock face behind the castle.”

“Tunnels?” Dahl suggested. “All castles have them. Caves. Concealed entrances. I bet Ramses has several escape routes.”

Hayden nodded. “A good bet.”

Kinimaka studied the castle and its environs through powerful field-glasses. “Nothing obvious up there.”

Kenzie snorted, shaking her head. “As if they would stick a label on it—‘secret entrance three hundred yards’.”

Lauren laid a hand on the Hawaiian’s shoulder. “Keep looking, Mano. You will get nowhere if you don’t at least try.” She shot a hard gaze at Kenzie.

Beauregard then walked up to the group. “I could infiltrate the castle. Alone.”

Dahl glared. “How? It’s all rock up there. No trees or hills or wooden barricades. They have guards every few feet, spotters and snipers too.”

“I have my ways. I can get inside. Alone.”

Hayden checked her watch. “Beau, do it. Go now. You’re our backup, and please hurry.”

The Frenchman slipped away, just another shadow among many.

Dahl bit his lip. “They’ll be waiting for him. I don’t like it. They know we’re coming.”

“And that is our answer,” Yorgi said. “It is. We have to do the thing they least expect. It is a thief’s maxim. His… um, slogan. What is it that they don’t expect?”

Hayden again stared at the sheer cliff face that towered above the rear of the castle. “That we would come straight down that.”

Smyth growled. “That’s because it’s impossible.”

“Yesssss…” Hayden turned. “But maybe there’s another way.”

“We don’t need all these men,” Dahl said suddenly, eyes wide with adrenalin. “The unexpected already landed right in our laps.”

Five minutes later the soldiers were ready to move out and attempt one of the most dangerous rescues of their careers. Both Lauren and Yorgi would be left behind, since this was considered a full-on combat mission, and they still had Robert Price to guard. The newly arrived big birds whirled and roared, no doubt seen by those watching from the castle, but that worked in nicely with the plan, as they would see only what initially happened. Dahl fine-tuned it, much to Hayden’s dismay — to allow the Mad Swede to tweak any plan was adding an infinite amount of danger to it, but at least he did check that the local choppers were fully equipped with all they needed before setting off.

Dahl looked toward the castle once more before they started. “Hold on, my friends,” he said. “We’re coming for you.”

Then he joined Hayden, Kinimaka and Smyth in a fast sprint toward the whirlybirds. They clambered on and tried not to notice the deep concern written across the pilot’s face.

“He doesn’t speak English apparently.” Hayden confirmed. “I’m actually quite pleased about that. The guys who came with him are convinced we’re gonna die.”

Kinimaka frowned. “And why don’t you want him to speak English??”

“He might be able to talk me out of this.”

Kenzie squeezed in next to Dahl. “The soldiers don’t sound too happy with your plan.”

“Just buckle up and hold on. These choppers are used for this kind of thing all the time. Drill and repeat. Drill and repeat. Those guys will be here when we get back.”

Without wasting a moment the pilot took the chopper into the air, lifting vertically and then swooping away. Up toward the clouds he climbed and away from the castle, making a show of it. After those on the ground would have watched the chopper heading away, he disappeared behind a peak and then rose further before banking sharply back in the direction of the castle a third of the way up its own mountain.

Dahl was already on his feet. “Chutes,” he said. “Buckle in. Jumping from a chopper is only a little different than jumping from a plane. The pull string is attached to a line, so instead of pulling manually, the line will do it for you. We’re gonna set it to open low, you understand.” He took a breath. “Very low. Do not miss a beat or you will die.”

Kenzie punched his thigh. “Playful bastard, ain’t ya?” She looked around. “Don’t we need oxygen masks, or something?”

“Nope,” Dahl didn’t look over at her. “That’s essentially for television.”

Kinimaka tripped over his straps as he danced around with his parachute, having fought hard to adjust it to maximum girth. Hayden steadied him with a strong hand. Smyth glanced out of the only window.

“Crap, that still looks a long way down.”

“Like taking any chance,” Dahl said. “Once you’ve learned how, it just comes naturally.”

The pilot turned, face creased with worry, and indicated they had risen far enough. Dahl wrenched open the door and let in a frigid, howling wind. With a quick nod he was the first out, pulled downward by gravity and forced even harder by the rotors’ downdraught. Hayden came next and then Kinimaka, Kenzie and Smyth. The chopper waited for a moment, a steady sentinel praying for their safe deliverance.

Hayden plummeted through the air, horizontal with arms spread, and with an urgency in her heart. Air pressure slammed her ears and a buffeting wind tore at her clothing. Below, the castle grew quickly from a speck to a dot and then a blotch. Very soon she was able to make out the crenelated battlements and ruined chopper.

At their backs the vertical cliff face shot by, hard impenetrable rock offering cruel death in response to the slightest slip. Dahl’s chute shot open, material billowing past Hayden and then she felt the hard wrench as her own chute filled upward. A violent deceleration to their descent and then they were falling much more agreeably, guiding themselves onto the top of the oblivious guards.

The inner courtyard rushed up. Hayden took out her guns a moment after Dahl and sighted on half a dozen legionnaires. At the very last second all five descendees opened fire. The next few minutes were a total rout; the victims not comprehending where the bullets were coming from and consequently being caught out in the open. Ramses’ legionnaires sprawled across the castle’s courtyard and battlements, clawing for weapons or just lying still, some groaning, others falling to their deaths, dozens of them.

Hayden increased the velocity of fire as she neared the ground, knowing their greatest advantage was almost at an end, and determined to take as much of it as possible. They landed one after the other, and hit the ground running, each clicking a button to free their chutes the moment they touched down to leave the drop zone clear for the next. Hayden felt only a brief exhilaration before turning her mind to their friends and where they might be.

“Inside.” Dahl started off, then almost tripped over an injured, crawling legionnaire. “Wait.” He reached down and grabbed the man by the ankle, three inches beneath his bullet wound. “Where would Ramses take prisoners?” he snarled.

The soldier grimaced and shook his head. Dahl shook the leg hard. “Tell me!”

Then Smyth stepped in. “Their lives are in danger,” he roared and kicked out at the man’s leg. A scream rang out and some wheezing. Seconds later they had a close approximation of where they needed to go.

Hayden ran ahead, weapons primed and aimed. Three times she squeezed off shots and three men fell, dead. Smyth and Kinimaka also picked guards off. They approached a thick wooden door, wrapped around with studded straps, and kicked it open. Inside, the castle was cold and unwelcoming, the narrow passage constructed of simple rock and unadorned. Hayden concluded it had to be the servants’ quarters and ran ahead. Kenzie appeared at her side.

“Watch the head count.” Hayden nodded at the ever-present katana. “We don’t want to be branded criminals over this.”

“Yes, your President has had to grease enough balls as it is.”

“I wouldn’t quite put it that way but, yes. Yes he has.”

A service elevator took them to the highest floor, where they walked out onto a plush landing. The lights were golden, throwing burnished hues across the entire area and the walls were lined by immense works of art. Hayden led them down a connecting corridor and then they started checking rooms. Legionnaires appeared from three directions, initiating a firefight.

Hayden dived headlong into a room, came to her feet, and found herself facing a beautiful, picturesque window — the whole wall a piece of thick glass. Sofas, divans, eighteenth century desks, wall-fittings and statues filled the room, but Hayden’s attention was drawn to the sofa nearest the window.

She would recognize those two heads anywhere.

Drake and Alicia.

But it was the way they were perched on top of the head rest that terrified her.