Apollyon: The Destroyer Is Unleashed

  “If you don’t see it, I don’t have it,” Chaim said. “We need to hurry.” The phone rang. “That will be the GC,” he said. Jonas the gateman spoke over the intercom in Hebrew, but Buck understood “Rosenzweig” and “Fortunato.”

  “Have someone bring me the phone,” Rosenzweig said. “I’m in the back hallway.” He turned to Buck and Tsion and gestured that they should lead the way to the access door. When he got the cordless phone, he dismissed the valet and talked as he followed Buck.

  “Of course he’s here, Leon,” he said. “And sound asleep. Don’t even think of invading my household in the middle of the night. You have my word he will be here in the morning. You can question him then. I will even be happy to bring him to you. . . . Oh, Leon, that is patent nonsense, and you know it. He is no more a murder suspect than I am. Your man was shot by one of your own. . . . Have you found a murder weapon? Fingerprints? Check the bullets, and they will trace to your weapons. I have known Mr. Williams for years and have never seen him with a weapon. I’m warning you, Leon. These are my guests, and I will not wake them! . . . Yes, I warned you! You are not my supreme commander. . . . Now you are threatening me? You know my standing in this country and, may I say, with Nicolae! If I tell people you used gestapo tactics in the middle of the night. . . . Crime? You would charge me with a crime for speaking disrespectfully to you? You call me at midnight, after midnight, and tell me to hold my guest as a murder suspect, and you expect me to respect you? I’ll tell you what, Leon, you come personally at a reasonable hour, and I will make my guest available to you. . . . Well, I promise you, Leon, you send anyone tonight, and I will not answer the door.”

  Buck waved furiously at Chaim to move away so the sound of the banging wouldn’t be heard over the phone. Chaim nodded and hurried away, and Buck drove the claw of the hammer behind the top hinge of the heavy door. Chloe showed up with two bags and left to get Tsion’s.

  Tsion drove the shovel in and around the doorknob, but neither man was getting far. “Step back a second, Tsion,” Buck said, and he hefted the concrete block above his head. The weight almost carried him over backward. He slammed it against the upper half of the door and heard a resounding crack. A couple more shots, he believed, and he’d break through the wood.

  Rayford was refueling when the call came from Ken. “I’m away,” he said.

  “Godspeed.”

  He kept an eye on his watch, tempted to call Chloe and keep her on the phone until they were aboard the chopper. But he didn’t want to be a distraction. The missing helicopter already had him puzzled, but if that wasn’t a clear go message from Mac, he didn’t know what was. He couldn’t wait to hear what that was all about.

  “Get all the lights off!” Buck hollered, as he finally smashed through the thick wood. He heard Chaim hurry around flipping switches.

  Over the intercom Chaim urgently told his gateman something in Hebrew. “What’d he say?” Chloe said, joining Buck and Tsion at the broken doorjamb in the dark. Each had a heavy bag.

  “He told him no one gets in. Everyone’s asleep. That won’t keep them out long.”

  “Let’s go,” Buck said. “I hear a chopper.”

  “It’s your imagination,” Chloe said. “I think it’s GC in the driveway.”

  “You’re both paranoid,” Tsion said, climbing through the broken door.

  “I’ve got your bag, hon,” Buck said.

  “Buck! Don’t baby me.”

  “It’s the baby I’m thinking of. Now go.”

  “We never said good-bye to Chaim!”

  “He’ll understand. Go. Go.”

  As she stepped through the door, Chaim returned. “I’m waiting for word from the gate,” he whispered. “A GC vehicle just pulled up.”

  Buck reached for him in the darkness and embraced him fiercely. “On behalf of all of us—”

  “I know,” Chaim said. “I’m so sorry about all this. Let me know when you are safe.”

  A nervous tingle swept over Rayford’s body. After fueling and paying with Ken Ritz’s international debit card, Rayford deliberately taxied the Gulfstream away from ground traffic about two hundred yards from where Ken would land the chopper. From where he sat he would be able to see the helicopter and get next to it as it landed.

  His phone chirped. “Rayford, it’s Mac. I’m finally alone. Listen and don’t say anything. Leon took it on himself to get my chopper guy out of Haifa and put him in the air. They had some kind of incident near the stadium and didn’t want to risk using me because of tomorrow’s flight back on the Condor. I thought they’d have it back in time, and when they didn’t and you called, I gave you the go-ahead to use Chopper One. Yes, that means your guy is in Carpathia’s ride, but no one’s the wiser if he gets it back quick. I was in a car with Leon, and that’s why I sounded so strange.

  “Here’s the problem. Leon’s got a couple of cars on their way to Rosenzweig’s with a trumped-up charge against Buck. I heard ’em say a video proves it’s bogus, but truth never stopped ’em before. Apparently the old man is not going to let them in, and they’re afraid your people are on the run. Leon’s asking for the chopper to light up the neighborhood. If he sees your guy, he’s gonna think it’s me until he asks and finds out it’s not.

  “I’m going to do what I can to misdirect, Ray, short of giving myself away. Just wanted you to know what you’re dealing with. I’ve got another few seconds here if you’ve got any questions.”

  “Thanks, Mac. Bet you’re glad this isn’t a wrong number. Has this guy got weapons?”

  “Two armed guys are with him, yes.”

  “What’s Ken supposed to do if he encounters him?”

  “Play cool like he’s supposed to be there, but evade as soon as possible. That kid knows I’m not in the air.”

  “I’d better get off in case Ken’s trying to reach me.”

  “We were both right,” Chloe whispered as they stepped out into the cool night air. Two GC vehicles were being stalled outside the gate, and a chopper illuminated the ground with a huge light. “Doesn’t Ken know where we are?”

  “I can’t imagine,” Buck said. “But we can’t flag him down without giving ourselves away to those guys. C’mon, Ken! Right here, man!”

  Suddenly, from right above them, GC Chopper One descended, whipping their hair and clothes. Ken opened the door and shouted, “Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!” Buck threw their bags in and helped Chloe climb aboard. He didn’t dare peek down to see what kind of attention they were drawing from the guards on the ground.

  Tsion and Buck leaped aboard. Ken was on the phone. “We’re not alone, Ray! Two on the ground, one in the air! . . . All right, I’m going!” Ken swept up and away, heading north.

  Tsion, Buck, and Chloe huddled together, holding hands and praying. Buck wondered how long it would be before the ground troops alerted the other helicopter. Three minutes later, with Ken speeding toward Jerusalem Airport, he found out. From over the radio came an urgent call. “GC Chopper One, this is Chopper Two, over.”

  Ken hollered into the phone, “Don’t worry, Ray, I won’t answer it. Anyway, I thought we were Chopper Two. . . . Tell me later. I’m on my way. . . . Mac’s voice? How can I do that? I only talked to him on the phone once! . . . All right, I’ll try! I’m comin’ fast, so be ready!”

  “Chopper Two to Chopper One, do you copy?”

  “Go ahead, Two,” Ken said, lowering his voice and effecting a Southern accent.

  “I didn’t know you were airborne, Cap.”

  “Roger, Two.” Ken clicked the microphone as he spoke. “I . . . bad . . . connection . . . you . . . over?”

  “Repeat, Cap?”

  A frantic voice broke in. “McCullum is not in the air, Chopper Two! He’s with us! Find out who that is!”

  “Chopper Two to Chopper One, identify yourself, over.”

  Ken hesitated.

  “Identify, Chopper One, or risk a charge of air piracy.”

  “This is Chopper One, go ah
ead.”

  “Identify yourself, pilot.”

  “Bad connection, come back.”

  The Chopper Two pilot swore. “Demand immediate descent and surrender, One.”

  “En route to Tel Aviv, Two. See you there.”

  “Negative! Put down at Jerusalem Airport and stay aboard!”

  “Negative yourself, Two. See you at Ben Gurion.”

  Chopper Two put out a call for assistance to all aircraft in that sector.

  “Now what?” Buck said.

  “Lights off and stay low,” Ken said.

  “Not too low.”

  “High enough to clear power lines,” Ken said. “Low enough to stay under radar.”

  “We gonna be all right?”

  “Depends on where he was when he first called. If he was still in Chaim’s neighborhood, we’ve got a pretty good lead on him. I doubt he’ll stay this low or go this fast. No way he’s dumb enough to believe we’re going to Ben Gurion. Somebody’s bound to spot us, and then he’ll chase us to the airstrip. No time for restroom stops or seat changes at the airport, if that’s what you’re asking.”

  Rayford sat near the runway listening to the radio traffic and resisting the urge to coach Ken. If he didn’t know enough to stay low and push the chopper’s limits, nothing Rayford could say would help.

  The radio came to life again with a report from a small, fixed-wing plane that had sighted the low-flying GC chopper with its lights off.

  “Chopper Two is in pursuit. Chopper One, you are breaking international aviation law by running without lights, high speeds at low altitude, and hijacking of government aircraft. Proceed directly to Jerusalem Airport and remain on board or suffer the consequences.”

  Airport personnel swept into action, emergency vehicles cruising the runways. “Attention please. Jerusalem Airport is temporarily closed due to an emergency. Be advised, all landing sequences and takeoffs are suspended until further notice. Cessna X-ray Bravo, you copy?”

  “Roger.”

  “Piper Two-Niner Charley Alpha?”

  “Roger.”

  “Gulfstream Alpha Tango?”

  “Roger,” Rayford said, but he did not shut down. He hoped Ken would understand why he was waiting at the wrong end of the runway. This would be a takeoff without clearance and in the wrong direction.

  And here came the chopper. Ken wouldn’t have time to talk on the phone, and the radio was not an option. Rayford checked his gauges. He was ready.

  Ken started to put down at the original spot.

  “Gulfstream’s up there!” Buck shouted. “And you’ve got security coming on the ground!”

  Ken hopped the craft back up and set down near Rayford. The door of the Gulfstream hung open. Buck, Chloe, and Tsion set themselves to jump out of the chopper. “Hold tight a second,” Ken shouted. “They see us board the Gulf now, they can block him easy! I’m going to have to play cat and mouse with ’em, make ’em think Ray’s not involved!”

  As security vehicles approached, Ken leapfrogged them, hovering just above where he had first set down, two hundred yards from the Gulfstream. “Put down right there, Chopper One!” came the voice from Chopper Two on the radio. “And do not disembark. Repeat, do not disembark.”

  Ken put down but kept the blades whirring as the ground vehicles headed his way. “Shut it down, One!” the radio blared. Buck and the others saw Chopper Two descending from Rayford’s end of the field, right toward them.

  “Stay out of sight, and forget your bags, people,” Ken said. “If I get you close, you’re going to make a run for the Gulf.”

  “We’re still going to try to do this?” Chloe said. “It’s hopeless!”

  “It’s never hopeless as long as I’m breathin’,” Ken said.

  Rayford stared out the cockpit windshield of the Gulfstream, imagining that any second Ken and all that was left of his own family would be surrounded by armed GC guards. They would never expose him, but dare he just sit and wait to leave when the airport reopened? His body boiled with frustration, wanting to do something, anything.

  Ken was a creative, resourceful, smart guy. And it did appear he still had those blades spinning. What was he going to do? Let Chopper Two chase him some more? There was no hope in that.

  “Shut it down, One!” the command came again. “You are surrounded with no possible escape!”

  Chopper Two was within thirty feet of Ken, also on the ground now with blades engaged. Rayford watched, amazed, as Ken went straight up about a hundred feet, then pointed the nose of the chopper at the Gulfstream and seemed to fall right in front of it. It hit the tarmac at such an angle that it slid fifty feet and spun to a stop next to the open door.

  “Let’s go kids!” Ken shouted. “Right now!”

  He smacked the door open with a running back–like stiff-arm and grabbed Buck, tugging him past the front seat and out. Buck waited on the ground and caught Tsion as Ken handed him off. Tsion charged up the steps of the Gulfstream and stood ready to shut the door.

  Buck was grateful Ken took a little more time with Chloe. “Go all the way in!” he said. “Tsion’s got the door!”

  Rayford watched in horror as GC vehicles raced his way yet again. He had to get airborne. Betting ground control could not see people boarding his plane, he got on the radio. “Gulf Alpha Tango to ground control, requesting permission to get out of the way of this activity.”

  “Roger, Gulf. Just stay out of the way of security vehicles.”

  Rayford started rolling, though he knew only two had boarded. The Gulfstream screamed and whined as he slowly moved forward, edging past Chopper One, his door dragging on the pavement and throwing sparks. He couldn’t leave the ground until everyone was aboard, then he had to pressurize the cabin before getting too high.

  Buck’s brain went into slow motion, and a kaleidoscope of images raced through his mind. In what seemed the next millisecond he remembered taking a bullet to his heel in Egypt while diving with Tsion aboard a Learjet piloted by Ken. Now while whirling to grab the door as the Gulfstream edged by, he saw clearly through the struts of the chopper that GC men sprinted toward them, taking aim.

  Buck screamed, “Ken! Ken! Go! Go! Go!” as Ritz caught up to him. Buck pumped his legs as fast as he could, and Ken loped right behind with those long limbs. The Gulfstream picked up steam, and Buck felt the pull of the power on his body. He glanced back at Ken, whose face was inches from his, desperate determination in his eyes.

  Buck was about to leap up the steps when Ken’s forehead opened. Buck felt the heat and smelled the metal as the killing bullet sliced his own ear on the way by, and his face was splashed by Ken’s gore. The big man’s eyes were wide and vacant as he dropped out of sight.

  Buck was yanked along, sobbing and screaming, his arm caught in the wire that supported the open door. He wanted to jump off, to run back to Ken, to kill someone. But he was unarmed, and Ken had to have been dead before he hit the ground. In spite of himself, despite his grief and horror and anger, Buck’s instincts turned to his own survival.

  The Gulfstream was now speeding along too fast for Buck’s legs to keep up. Tsion leaned out as far as he could, straining with all his might to pull the door up and Buck with it. But the more he pulled, the more entangled Buck became. Chloe was helping now, crying and screaming herself, and Buck worried about the baby.

  He lifted his feet to keep from scraping the leather off his shoes and burning his feet. The Gulfstream was at takeoff speed, the door stuck open, Buck pinned in the support—and he knew Rayford had no choice but to throttle up.

  Buck tried to swing forward and catch a foot on the step, but the momentum and the wind made him unable to move. He was nearly horizontal now, and the vibration in the aluminum skin of the plane changed when the wheels left the ground. He squinted against the wind and grit that stung his eyes, and he could see Rayford would be lucky to clear the ten-foot fence in the grass at the wrong end of the runway.

  The plane lumbered over the fence
, and Buck felt as if he could have lowered a toe and brushed it. One thing was sure: He was not going to get into that plane now that it was in the air. The door would have to be shut mechanically. He could wait for that to sever his arm and fall to his death, or he could take his chances in the underbrush on the far side of the fence.

  Buck pulled and twisted and jerked until his elbow cleared the wire. The horrified faces of his wife and his pastor were the last images he saw before he felt himself fall, cartwheeling, hitting the tops of tall bushes, and lodging himself, scraped and torn and bleeding, in the middle of a huge thicket.

  His body shuddered uncontrollably, and he worried about going into shock. Then he heard the Gulfstream turn, and he knew Chloe would never let her father leave without him. But if they came back, if they landed to look for him, they were all as good as dead. Ken was already gone. That was enough for one night.

  Painfully, he wrenched himself free and knew his injuries would require attention. No bones seemed broken, and as he stood, shivering in the cool of the night, he felt the bulge in his pocket. Was it possible? Had his phone survived?

  He didn’t dare hope as he flipped it open. The dial lit up. He hit Rayford’s number.

  “Buck?” he heard. “Is it really you?”

  Buck barked, his voice raw, “It’s me and I’m all right. Go on, and I’ll hook up with you later.”

  Rayford wondered if he was dreaming. He was certain he had killed his own son-in-law. “Are you sure, Buck?” he shouted.

  Chloe, who had collapsed in despair, now grabbed the phone out of Rayford’s hand.

  “Buck! Buck! Where are you?”

  “Past the fence in some nasty underbrush! I don’t think they saw me, Chlo’! Nobody’s coming this way. If they saw me running for the plane, they have to think I made it aboard.”

  “How did you survive?”

  “I have no idea! Are you all right?”

  “Am I all right? Of course! Ten seconds ago I was a widow! Is Ken with you?”