‘And you told me you’d lost it in the crash-landing,’ Ben said, looking at the gun. ‘But then, we know not to believe too much of what you tell us, don’t we?’
‘Damn right we do,’ Roberta growled.
In the background, the helicopter was powering up to take off.
Daniel motioned with the pistol. ‘Maybe you wouldn’t mind standing a little closer together, so I can keep both of you in my sights at once? That’s better.’ He gripped the weapon in both hands, holding it steady.
‘Firearms expert now,’ Ben said.
‘Who needs to be an expert? Cocked and locked, isn’t that what you told me?’ Daniel replied. ‘There’s nothing to it, huh?’ His eyes were bright with pleasure. ‘Believe it or not, guys, I’m sorry I had to deceive the two of you. We’ve spent so much time together I’ve almost gotten to like you.’
‘Don’t apologize,’ Ben said. ‘After all, it’s your job to deceive people, isn’t that right?’
‘Hey, someone has to do it,’ Daniel replied with a nonchalant shrug. ‘Happens I’m pretty good at it.’
The helicopter was thudding in the air somewhere over the building now, its sound rapidly diminishing. Keeping the gun steadily trained on them, Daniel glanced at his watch as if he was waiting for something.
‘If you didn’t bring us all this way to kill us,’ Ben said, ‘I’m guessing we’re here to meet someone. You have a little rendezvous set up for us?’
‘You guessed right, Major Hope. It was the point of this whole journey. There’s someone who wants to meet you.’
‘I don’t like to be called Major,’ Ben said.
‘Such modesty,’ Daniel chuckled. ‘From a man of such formidable skills. I’m very well acquainted with your impressive history. My employers sent your classified files out to every one of our agents before you even turned up looking for me in Sweden. You caused quite a red alert when you got yourself mixed up in this, believe me. That’s the kind of interference they really don’t want. And that, I’m afraid, is why I was ordered to bring you both here, for reasons that you’ll soon find out.’
‘I take it it’s your employers we’re about to meet?’ Ben asked.
Daniel nodded. ‘Correct again.’
‘Who the hell are you, Mister Lund, if that’s your real name?’ Roberta snapped. ‘NSA? CIA?’
‘You’d never even have heard of us,’ Daniel said. ‘Nobody has, not even most people inside the US government. I’ll let the boss fill you in when he gets here. Shouldn’t be long, just a few minutes. Gives us just enough time to say goodbye.’
‘Why, we going somewhere?’ Roberta said sardonically.
‘I am,’ Daniel replied with a smirk. ‘You’re … well, let’s just say there are plans for you. A little entertainment lined up, you might say. I wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise.’
Ben pointed at his old bag, which was lying in a rumpled heap of green canvas at Daniel’s feet. ‘If this entertainment of yours involves Roberta and me not leaving this place alive, I’m guessing the bag was brought here for plausibility’s sake? What are backpackers without a backpack?’
‘You don’t miss much, do you?’ Daniel smiled. ‘Right on the money. We wouldn’t want anyone thinking you’d been brought here against your will. Oh, and speaking of money, your stash is still there, just the way you left it. That’ll give the cops something to speculate about when they find your bodies. They’ll be thinking drugs. Typical story. The half-kilo of uncut heroin that’s in there should help them arrive at the right conclusion.’
‘Just in case anyone would connect the dots, huh?’ Roberta said. ‘You devious sonofabitch.’
‘Attention to detail is a big part of my work,’ Daniel said. ‘You can call it devious. I call it good planning. Nobody will ask questions about a couple of dead drug dealers.’ He sighed. ‘It’s a shame it had to end that way for you. But then, you did have to go meddling in things that didn’t concern you.’
‘Like the death of Claudine,’ Roberta said. ‘Something you know all about, right? You’re one of the bastards who murdered her.’
Daniel’s contented smile faltered. ‘I didn’t murder anyone. That’s not what I do.’
‘Bullshit,’ Roberta said.
‘I think he’s telling the truth for once,’ Ben told her. ‘He’s no killer.’
‘That’s right,’ Daniel said, waving the gun insistently at them. ‘I’m just a risk assessor. A brain guy, not a brawn guy. My job’s strictly information gathering.’
‘A mole,’ Ben said.
‘That’s one word for it,’ Daniel replied. ‘I go deep under cover, moving about all over the world, to infiltrate conspiracy theory groups. To pose as one of them, gain their trust. From there I can figure out who are just the harmless nuts and which ones could potentially pose a real threat.’
‘I get it,’ Roberta said. ‘And Claudine was a threat.’
‘That was what I was supposed to find out,’ Daniel said. ‘I wish it had been different. But the more time I spent with her, the more she showed me of what she knew, the more damned impossible it became to tick her name off on my list as just some other conspiracy crank. She wouldn’t be diverted, couldn’t be bought. And she was right on track to blow the lid off all the secrets that I and hundreds of others have worked for decades to protect. Yes, goddamn it, she was a threat,’ he went on, his voice rising as he became more agitated. ‘And I did everything – I mean everything – I could to get her to lay off this crusade she was on. I liked her. I mean, I really did, far more than I should have. I had feelings for her, and I think she did for me. I went way out on a limb, did all I could to save her from herself. But she just wouldn’t listen.’
‘Oh, I’ll bet you tried really hard.’
‘I gave it my best shot, but there was only so much I could do. If she’d been a whacko like most of the ones I deal with, that’d have been a whole different ball game. The whackos are what we call Type B. They’re an asset to us. We encourage them, even fund some of the craziest ones so they’ll spread the disinformation we want them to spread far and wide and keep the whole conspiracy theory community at the level of a joke. It’s the perfect cover for us.’
‘Right, so you and your buddies can go on murdering and maiming thousands of innocent people,’ Roberta said with a look of disgust.
Daniel gave a frown, ignored her and went on. ‘But Claudine wasn’t one of those types. She was what we call the Type A profile. Ticked all the wrong boxes, wrong for her that is. Incredibly knowledgeable. Highly intelligent. Totally dedicated and determined to keep pushing deeper with her research, no matter how risky it was, no matter how frightening it became for her. She was an idealist, and a great communicator, the kind of person that could be taken seriously and had the credentials to back it up.’
‘Naturally, someone like that couldn’t be allowed to live,’ Roberta said.
‘That part of it had nothing to do with me,’ Daniel protested. ‘I don’t make the final decision, and I never hurt a fly. I just did what I get paid to do, pass the information down the appropriate channels. Then … the appropriate action was taken, like always.’ For a moment he looked down at his feet, flushing as if a little pang of shame had touched him from inside.
‘That’s where the handyman came in,’ Roberta said. ‘Your colleague McGrath, the one I shredded.’
‘I told you,’ Daniel insisted angrily. ‘I had nothing to do with that. It was totally out of my hands.’
‘Someone else’s department,’ Ben said. ‘Everyone has their role to play, isn’t that right? Just doing their job, like the men who came after Roberta when they realised Claudine had passed information to her.’
Daniel scowled. ‘You people don’t understand. This is a war. Individuals don’t count. I don’t. You don’t. It’s a numbers game, pure and simple. You know something? When I heard Claudine was dead, I cried. I really did. I fell right down on my knees and cried like a baby. That woman meant something to me.
But this is the real world we live in. I’m realistic about that. That’s the whole problem with people like you. You’re not realistic. Now you have to pay the price for that, like the rest. It’s not my responsibility.’
Roberta looked as if she wanted to throw up. ‘I thought I knew what a stinking low-life dirtbag was. Then you came along. I don’t even have words to describe what you are.’
‘Call me what you like,’ Daniel said. ‘I’m proud of what I do, and I’m the best there is.’
‘You’re a gifted agent, all right, Daniel,’ Ben said. ‘I bet you can speak what, four, five languages?’
‘Six,’ Daniel said.
‘Your employers must value you highly,’ Ben said. ‘Someone who can think on their feet and improvise the way you can. That was a great show you put on for us in Sweden, after you called in the troops while you pretended to be sick, and had to wait for them to arrive. Giving us your whole spiel. Mixing up your lies with just enough truth to make it sound real. Then the way you managed to stay out of the fight – very slick. You certainly had me fooled.’
Daniel chuckled at the flattery. ‘There was no acting there. I’ll admit it, I was damn near crapping my pants. I knew who you were, what you were capable of. And when I activated the alert I had a pretty good idea what was going to happen next. If it hadn’t been for those lousy birds getting spooked, I’d have found a way to make myself scarce before the team moved in. Then when I saw how the attack went to shit, I made my second call. That’s when they told me to bring you here to Indonesia.’ He laughed. ‘And you swallowed the whole story. Dear me, you must be slipping, Major Hope. Too many years out of the regiment, maybe? Training getting a little stale?’
Ben nodded. ‘You’re right. I was slow on the uptake. I didn’t figure it out completely until just a little later. That was when you made your big mistake.’
Chapter Fifty-Three
Daniel’s grin dropped away and he flushed. ‘You’re wrong. I don’t do mistakes.’
‘Sorry to disappoint you there, Daniel,’ Ben said. ‘Attention to detail, remember? You see, I saw Claudine Pommier’s passport at her apartment in Paris. There was no Indonesian visa on it. You never brought her here. I made you repeat it, just to be sure. And you walked right into the trap. That’s when I knew you were lying to us.’
Roberta looked at Ben in consternation. ‘You knew? That long ago?’
‘I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,’ Ben said to her. ‘I couldn’t afford for our friend here to suspect anything.’
‘That’s why you wanted me to stay in Germany, isn’t it?’ she asked.
Ben nodded. ‘I didn’t like you being anywhere near this treacherous maggot.’ He turned back to Daniel. ‘See, you’re not the only one who can play-act. It was all I could do to restrain myself from throwing you into the deepest part of the Arabian Sea to amuse the tiger sharks.’
Some of the colour had drained from Daniel’s face, but he still managed to pull an uncomfortable smirk. ‘So you knew all along, huh? Guess you think that makes you pretty smart.’
‘Not as smart as your bosses,’ Ben said. ‘They think of everything, don’t they? Like bringing a blank firing pistol to a gunfight to protect the identity of a valuable agent like you. Now that’s clever.’
Daniel’s face paled for real at Ben’s words, his composure slipping visibly away. ‘What are you talking about?’ he stammered. His eyes darted nervously as his brain was set racing. The awful connections began to form in his mind. He glanced down at the pistol in his hand.
‘I’m surprised it took you this long to cotton on,’ Ben said. ‘It was McGrath’s pistol I gave you. The one I took from his body. The one he fired at you as you were running towards the woods. You probably don’t remember. You were too busy trying to save your skin.’
‘I … I …’
‘It was their contingency plan,’ Ben went on. ‘Just in case the attack went wrong and either I or Roberta got away. They needed to make it look like you were one of their targets and make sure we got a good look at them shooting at you, to save your cover from being blown. Of course, you couldn’t know about it. You had to look believably shit scared. And you did. Just like you do now, Daniel.’
‘Bull. You’re just trying to rattle me.’
‘It’s the truth,’ Ben said. ‘Just like you were telling the truth when you said you didn’t know much about weapons. One of the only honest things you’ve said. And bad news for you. They should have given you a better training.’
Daniel’s brow twitched. ‘No way. Fuck you, if you think you can fool me so easily.’ He took a step back and raised the gun higher in a white-knuckle grip, aiming it first at Ben’s head, then at Roberta’s, then back at Ben.
‘You could check for yourself,’ Ben said, pointing calmly at the weapon, ‘If you knew how. It’s loaded with 38-calibre blanks. Standard primer. Normal powder load. But the cartridge case mouth is just crimped shut where the bullet ought to be. The gun needs a special modification to be able to cycle the rounds, so it can’t even handle regular ammunition. It’s noisy enough, but nothing comes out of the barrel except burning gas.’
‘You’re lying!’
Ben took a step towards him. ‘Come on, Daniel. Do you really think I’d have given you a live firearm to tote about with you, knowing you were lying, knowing you were one of them? But don’t take my word for it. Go ahead and squeeze the trigger. Maybe I’ll be wrong.’
Daniel backed away another two paces across the dusty floor. His Adam’s apple heaved as he gave a swallow. The gun was shaking in his hand.
‘Go for it, Daniel,’ Ben said. ‘Don’t you want to kill us? Or are you waiting for us to starve to death?’
‘I … don’t want to kill you. The boss said …’
‘Look around you,’ Ben said. ‘No boss anywhere to be seen. He must be running late, which means you’re on your own. It’s time to stand up and defend yourself, and right now pulling that trigger is the best chance you’ve got. Because if you don’t kill me, I’m going to kill you, and soon.’
Daniel’s face contorted into a wild look of loathing and terror. He thrust the gun out, took aim at Ben and squeezed the trigger.
A halo of yellow-white flame spat from the muzzle. The sharp report of the shot resonated all around the empty building.
Roberta started at the sound.
Ben didn’t even flinch.
Daniel fired again. Another spit of flame from the barrel. Another ear-splitting boom that reverberated off the walls and echoed up to the roof.
‘Oh, God,’ he moaned when he saw what had happened.
Because nothing had happened. There was no blood. No injured opponent rolling on the floor screaming in agony. Ben was still standing. Not just standing. Walking slowly, purposefully towards him. Daniel gaped at the weapon in horror.
‘Kind of changes things, doesn’t it?’ Roberta said.
‘I know what you’re thinking,’ Ben said to Daniel. ‘Maybe he’s lying about the blanks and I just missed, because I’m such a crappy shot. Or maybe it’s true, but by some miracle the next round in the magazine will be live. Well, there’s only one way to find out.’
Daniel fired again. The look of desperation on his face was turning to panic. Roberta wasn’t flinching at the sound any more, but looked on with her hands over her ears and a fierce light in her eyes.
‘Keep going,’ Ben said to Daniel, nodding at the smoking pistol. ‘Empty it. The worst you’re going to do is give us tinnitus for a day or two.’ He kept on walking towards him. For every step he advanced, Daniel was backing a step away.
‘Wait,’ Daniel said. ‘I can explain everything.’
‘Didn’t you just do that?’ Roberta said.
‘Please! Listen, I told you, I’m just an assessor. I had no choice but to let Claudine go. If I’d told her who I really was—’
‘Then you’d have put yourself in danger too,’ Ben said. ‘Maybe the handyman would’ve paid you a little social ca
ll. And we couldn’t have that, could we?’
As though suddenly repulsed by its touch, Daniel flung the gun away. ‘All right. Look! I’m not armed, okay? I surrender.’
Ben shook his head. ‘I’m sorry, Daniel. We’re past that stage. You’re in too deep.’
‘W-what are you going to do to me?’ Daniel quavered.
‘What I said,’ Ben replied quietly. ‘I never really liked you anyway, right from the start. Now I like you a lot less. So I’m going to break your neck.’
Daniel had retreated all the way to the far wall and couldn’t back away any further. Ben was almost on him.
Daniel fell to his knees. ‘I’m begging you!’ he wailed, his cheeks suddenly wet. ‘Listen, I have over four hundred thousand dollars in a checking account. It’s supposed to be my expenses money. Let me go and it’s yours, every cent of it, I promise. We’ll get out of here together before the others arrive. I know where we can hide. We’ll get the cash transferred to you within a day – hell, within the hour. Just let me … aggh!’
Ben had grabbed hold of him and hauled him roughly to his feet. ‘It’s just like you said,’ Ben told him. ‘The more you struggle, the more this will hurt.’
Daniel fought and thrashed and kicked and tried to bite as Ben held him in a clinch. He grasped Daniel by the jaw. Pushed, twisted, pulled, pushed again. There was a muted crunch and Daniel’s scream was cut short. Ben held him a moment longer, then let the lifeless body slip to the floor.
Roberta stared wide-eyed at the corpse.
‘I’m sorry you had to witness that,’ Ben said to her, mistaking her look for one of shock.
‘He had it coming,’ she replied. ‘Actually, I thought you went too easy on the rat.’
‘He won’t get any deader than this, Roberta.’
‘I can see that. But it was over a little quicker than what I had in mind for him.’
‘You can tell me all about it later,’ Ben said. ‘For now, I think we should get out of here before his friends arrive.’