The Relic Hunters

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Bodie evaluated the team at a rest stop. The cuts, bruises and scrapes they’d already received since leaving Acapulco were surprising, especially since they had so far failed to engage their real enemy. He was more concerned that they were operating outside their expert skill set. Of course, they all had their strengths and could mix it up with anyone in a wide range of circumstances, but they were all gifted at one thing in particular — a heist.

The rest stop consisted of a wide, curving lay-by, its road actually wider than the carriageway, with several benches and a burger van. Trees sheltered the clearing from any sun that may threaten more pasty tourists but, Bodie thought with a slight shiver, there was no chance of that today. Sunlight had vanished with the earlier atrocity and now the skies were a deep, leaden gray, promising only misery.

He perched on a bench opposite Heidi. The CIA agent was just getting put through to somebody via a satphone. Out of courtesy Bodie gestured that he would leave but Heidi shook her head, asking him to stay. The gash on her forehead had finally stopped bleeding.

“Yes, sir,” the blonde finally said in answer to a question. “The Hood escaped by car, we think. We’re no further forward.”

Bodie felt badly about that, but their whole trip to Thessaloniki had been an educated guess, and they’d been on the back foot since hopping out of the chopper.

Heidi listened for a while, then turned to Bodie. “They found which IP address belonged to the Athens archaeologist tasked with studying the map and are remotely checking the museum’s server to see if he sent out any emails.”

Bodie refrained from the pointless comment of legality. This was the CIA. “Didn’t the Hood cleanse the system?”

“Yeah, but he can’t turn back time. There’s always a digital footprint, Bodie.” Heidi turned a quick smile upon him. “Always.”

What’s that supposed to mean? Bodie frowned.

“The best, wiliest and cruelest thing the American government ever did was convince the public that the Internet meant freedom,” Gunn said from behind. “The entire world connected. Freedom like never before. The planet becomes a much smaller place. Freedom?” Gunn shook his head. “Nah. It’s the opposite.”

Heidi held up a finger to stop him. “Four?” She sounded surprised, then looked down at the table in regret. “Ah, I see.”

“Heidi?” Bodie saw it wasn’t good.

The blonde muted her phone for a moment. “The fuckers killed them all,” she explained in a quiet voice. “Four emails were sent containing the map attachment. All four recipients are now dead. All unwitting, innocent people. Goddamn it.”

Gunn plonked himself down beside Bodie. “As I was saying. Nobody’s safe anymore.”

Heidi ignored him. “They’re checking now to see if the four recipients forwarded the emails on to anyone else.”

“In one way, I hope they did,” Bodie said. “As it will give us something to work with. But on the other hand…” He paused as Heidi nodded and started listening to her superior again. He took the time to finish his evaluation of the team. Gunn, of course, was being his usual quiet, detached self; a quirk in his high-intellect makeup. Human emotion, especially shared, did not come easily for him. Cassidy was raring to go, desperate to hurt and bring down a bad guy — any bad guy, but the Hood would be preferable. Cross conserved energy by resting on a bench and demolishing a bacon sandwich. Jemma couldn’t get the look of sadness off her face; moved and crushed by all that had happened at the bus station.

Bodie listened up as Heidi ended her call. Bodie saw a complex mix of emotion on her face. “What?”

“One of the original recipients forwarded the map to somebody else.” She shook her head. “We have to assume one of the Hoods extracted that information too.”

“And the bad news?” Gunn asked blandly.

“That is the bad news,” Heidi said shortly. “The good news is that he sent it to an address in Istanbul.”

Bodie stared for three seconds, then looked to his right. “Istanbul? Shit.”

“Exactly.” Heidi’s face crinkled as she found Bodie on the same wavelength. “We’re an hour away from this guy.”

Bodie rose fast, then paused. “ ’Kinell,” he said. “We need—”

“Chopper’s on its way back,” Heidi said. “The boys back home are working on some kind of clearance.”

Bodie looked surprised. “Above board?”

Heidi’s eyes widened. “I’m not sure what that means?”

Gunn chortled. “Never break cover,” he said. “You should know that.”

“And what about the Hood?”

“He can wait,” Heidi said. “One hour there, one hour back. We’ll catch up.”

Bodie wasted no time rounding up the team. “Okay people, we’re making a little side trip. Istanbul.”

Cassidy looked over. “What? You need a souvenir, or something?”

“The map,” Gunn explained. “An email was forwarded over there. We can get the map.”

“Not to mention save a life,” Heidi said pointedly. “Which is the big issue here.”

“I thought the map…” Gunn began, then held up his hands. “Oh, never mind.”

“Don’t you have a team over there?” Cross asked after reflection.

“Sure do. They’re heading over now, but we’re the infil team. And the extraction team. We’re point on this mission, with all the data, so, barring anything critical, we’re going in first.”

“They will have a Hood in Istanbul,” Cassidy said. “Of that you can be sure.”

Heidi looked up as the chopper appeared above the treetops. “Then let’s not waste any more time.”