Eddie shot him a wry grin. ‘Maybe you should help me.’
‘The by-product of a classical education, nothing more. My speciality has always been international law. Unfortunately, I doubt that will be much help to you.’ Seretse read on – then leaned forward with sudden intrigue. ‘Ah . . .’
‘You’ve found someone?’
‘Perhaps. She is no longer connected with the IHA – she resigned a few years ago – but amongst her many areas of expertise is New Testament archaeology, and she even still lives here in New York.’
‘Sounds good to me,’ Eddie proclaimed. ‘Give her a call.’
Seretse seemed faintly pained. ‘There is one small issue.’
‘What is it?’
‘She . . . dislikes you. And she especially dislikes Nina.’
‘Why would anyone from the IHA dislike me? Don’t you bloody even . . .’ he added, catching Seretse’s expression. ‘And who hates Nina that much?’
The diplomat turned the laptop to face him, revealing a personnel file, complete with photograph. Eddie recognised the pinched-faced elderly woman immediately. ‘Oh for fuck’s sake. Why’d it have to be her?’
‘Ah, Oswald,’ said Professor Maureen Rothschild, welcoming the United Nations official into her apartment. ‘A pleasure to see you again. It’s been, what, three years?’
‘The reception at the Egyptian consulate, I believe,’ Seretse replied, kissing her cheek.
‘Yes, I think it was.’ She moved to close the door, but her visitor remained in front of it. With a quizzical look, she continued: ‘So what brings you here this late?’
He hesitated before answering. ‘It is a . . . delicate matter. We need your help.’
‘We? Do you mean the United Nations, or the IHA?’
‘Actually, this is more a personal request. From myself, as a friend, but also from . . . someone you know.’ He moved aside – to reveal Eddie as he stepped through the door.
‘Ay up, Maureen,’ said the Englishman, faking a smile. ‘Remember me?’
The elderly academic had long been a thorn in Nina’s side, their mutual dislike dating back even before his wife’s discovery of Atlantis. Rothschild had a few years earlier been appointed as director of the IHA – whereupon her first act had been to shut down Nina’s work. Her disdain for Eddie was simply through association, although from the way she regarded him, he couldn’t help wondering if he had just tracked something unpleasant on to her carpet. ‘Yes, I remember Mr Chase,’ said Rothschild dismissively. ‘What does he want?’
‘Your help,’ Seretse told her.
‘My help?’ she scoffed. ‘Why should I help him? He and his wife were the main reason why I had to resign from the IHA after that fiasco in Egypt. You know, being forced to leave a high-profile organisation under a cloud does not do wonders for your résumé. If I hadn’t already had tenure, I’m sure the university would have loved to shuffle me into early retirement—’
‘Nina’s been kidnapped,’ Eddie cut in.
That silenced her, if only for a moment. ‘That’s . . . terrible,’ she said, with a marked lack of conviction. ‘I hope she’s recovered safe and well.’
‘So do I. That’s why I’m here. The people who’ve got her are religious nuts who think she can take them to something mentioned in the Book of Revelations. Ozzy’ – a glance at Seretse, who held in a weary sigh at the diminutive – ‘reckons you’re the best person to work out how to beat ’em to it. At short notice,’ he added. ‘Who lives right here in New York.’
‘How wonderful to get such a glowing recommendation,’ Rothschild said acidly.
‘But you are the best,’ said Seretse, smoothly moving to soothe her ego. ‘There are surely few people who could match your knowledge of the Bible from both an archaeological and a mythological perspective.’
Rothschild regarded him through narrowed eyes, but his appeal to her professional vanity had worked. ‘I can at least hear you out, I suppose,’ she said. ‘Come in.’
She led the way into a lounge. It wasn’t what Eddie had pictured; his past dealings with her had led him to expect the domain of a mean-spirited Victorian schoolmistress, but the furnishings had more of a bohemian feel, with lots of plump cushions. A large black and grey dog of indeterminate breed was sprawled on the floral carpet like a shaggy rug, its tail giving the new arrivals a single lazy wag before it settled back into sleep.
‘Nice dog,’ said Eddie.
‘Horrible, smelly old thing,’ Rothschild replied, with evident affection. ‘Now, what’s this Biblical mystery I can apparently help you solve?’ She sat in an armchair, directing the two men to a sofa.
Eddie stepped over the dog to reach it. ‘It’s in the Book of Revelations—’
‘Revelation,’ she interrupted, with heavy emphasis on the last letter. ‘It’s a singular revelation, not plural. Not that I would expect the uneducated or ignorant to care about the importance of a single s.’
‘You’re right, I don’t give a hit. But whatever it’s called, these nutters really believe in it. They’re making Nina find the angels of Revelationnnnuhhh,’ he said with mocking exaggeration.
Rothschild ignored his sarcasm, deep thought already evident on her brow. ‘Revelation is full of angels. “Thousands upon thousands”, to quote it, and then specifically the four standing at the corners of the earth, the seven who blow the trumpets, another four bound at the Euphrates who are sent to wipe out a third of mankind . . .’
‘Those last four sound like something people might want to get hold of. The kind of people me and Nina have dealt with before, anyway.’
Her scathing tone returned. ‘Yes, you two do seem to be an almost magnetic draw for megalomaniacs, murderers and terrorists.’
‘But if there is potentially some kind of threat to the world,’ Seretse pointed out, ‘then it does become the responsibility of the IHA’s experts. Even those who no longer work for the agency.’
‘I suppose you’re right,’ she said begrudgingly. ‘But what are they?’
‘Some sort of statues,’ Eddie told her. ‘They’re making Nina look for places mentioned in Revelation. The Throne and Synagogue of Satan, she said.’
Rothschild sat up. ‘The Throne of Satan?’
‘You have heard of it?’ Seretse asked. ‘You know where it is?’
‘Of course I do!’ She sounded almost affronted. ‘It’s an early Christian name for the Altar of Zeus, from Pergamon in modern-day Turkey. Every archaeologist worth their salt would figure that out in five minutes or less. I don’t know what it says about Nina if she couldn’t.’
‘She did work it out,’ Eddie realised. ‘Of course she bloody did. She just didn’t tell them – she started looking for the other ones first!’
‘Why would she do that?’ said the diplomat.
‘To buy time. The longer she can keep these arseholes from finding the angels, the longer she’ll stay alive. I didn’t believe for a minute that the guys who tortured me were going to let me go home afterwards, and I bet Nina thinks the same.’
‘You were tortured?’ Rothschild asked, shocked.
Eddie pointed at the cuts on his face. ‘I didn’t get these shaving. But this altar – is there anything on it about angels?’
She shook her head. ‘No, not that I know of. It’s a pre-Christian relic; all the gods on it are Greek.’
‘It’s definitely the same thing from Revelation, though?’
‘Absolutely. Pergamon, or Pergamum, is mentioned several times in the text, and the altar itself is a major archaeological treasure. I’m actually a good friend of the man overseeing its restoration, Dr Markus Derrick.’
Eddie turned to Seretse. ‘Looks like I need to get to Turkey, then.’
‘Turkey?’ Rothschild laughed. ‘The altar isn’t in Turkey any more, Mr Chase. It was taken to Berlin in the late nineteenth century. It’s the centrepiece of a whole museum.’
‘Berlin? Even better, it’s nearer. Ozzy, can you sort me out a flight?’
‘I think,’ Seretse said carefully, ‘it may be a good idea for you to accompany Mr Chase, Maureen.’
‘Me?’ she exclaimed, startled.
‘After all, you know Dr Derrick, I believe you speak German . . . and as an archaeologist, you should be able to help locate this mysterious angel.’
‘What, you’re suggesting that I drop everything and fly to Europe first thing tomorrow morning with’ – a disapproving stab of her finger at Eddie – ‘him?’
‘I wasn’t thinking first thing tomorrow,’ said Eddie. ‘I was thinking, pull strings to get on the next flight out tonight. Or a private flight, even. I know the IHA can set them up at short notice – Nina did all the time when she was running it.’
Rothschild seemed about to make a biting comment, but Seretse headed her off with slightly more diplomacy. ‘Yes, the UN’s accountants and I remember very well.’
The Yorkshireman glared at him. ‘This is important, Ozzy. Nina’s life depends on it. And the baby’s.’
‘Baby’s?’ the old woman echoed. ‘You have a baby?’
‘Nina’s pregnant,’ Eddie told her. ‘Four months. You didn’t know?’
‘I haven’t exactly been following her on Twitter. But no, I didn’t. My God.’ She appeared genuinely shaken. ‘Kidnapping a pregnant woman? That’s . . . that’s evil, is the only way to describe it. I’m sorry.’
Despite the expression of sympathy, Eddie still couldn’t let her abrupt change of heart pass without comment. ‘If she hadn’t been pregnant, though, you wouldn’t have been bothered?’
Rothschild straightened, regarding him down her thin nose. ‘Let me be clear, Mr Chase. I don’t like you, and I especially don’t like your wife. In my opinion, you’ve cost the field of archaeology far more than you’ve brought to it, with all the death and destruction you’ve caused.’
‘Oh, is that right?’ Eddie replied, bristling.
‘But,’ she went on, ‘I don’t believe that a child should suffer for the sins of the parents. Especially not an . . . an unborn child.’ Her voice quavered for a moment, but then she recovered. ‘I want to ask you a question, and I expect – no, I demand – an honest answer. If I help you find this angel, do you really believe you’ll be able to use it to bring Nina and her child home safely?’
‘Yeah, I do,’ he said without hesitation. ‘I’m not an archaeologist, but this kind of thing? It’s what I do best.’
‘Everyone has one talent, I suppose . . . Very well. I’ll help you.’ She turned to Seretse. ‘Although I would like something in return.’
The diplomat tensed at being put on the spot. ‘And what would that be?’
‘Nothing major. Just some consultancy work for the IHA. With a stipend, of course. I’m getting on in life, and extra income is always welcome.’
Seretse looked at Eddie, who gave him a do it! nod. ‘I will see what I can arrange,’ he said wearily.
‘And what about a plane?’ Eddie asked.
‘It will take a few hours, but I can get a private jet to take you to Germany. Exactly how I will explain it to the accountants, I am not yet sure.’
‘You’re a diplomat, you can justify anything.’ Eddie stood. ‘We’d better get going.’
‘What about my dog?’ said Rothschild, waving at the animal, which sleepily got to its feet and padded to her. ‘Someone needs to look after him.’
‘I will take care of that too,’ Seretse assured her, with an air of resignation. ‘Now, you will both need your passports.’
‘I’ll have to go home for mine,’ said Eddie. ‘Where’ll this jet fly out of?’
‘LaGuardia.’
‘Okay, I’ll meet you there. Both of you.’
Rothschild finished petting the dog, then stood. ‘Going on a mission with you, Mr Chase. I would never have imagined it.’
‘Yeah, over eight hours on a plane together?’ Eddie said sarcastically. ‘Can’t wait.’
Even with Seretse’s best efforts to expedite the process of chartering a private flight, it was still well after two o’clock in the morning by the time all the arrangements had been made. But finally he led Eddie and Rothschild across the damp concrete of LaGuardia airport towards a Gulfstream G550 business jet. ‘You will be landing at Berlin Tegel,’ the official told the two travellers over the whine of its idling engines. ‘With the flight duration and the time difference, it will be late afternoon by the time you arrive.’
‘Hope the seats recline, then,’ said Eddie. ‘We’ll need some kip on the way. What about when we get there?’
‘I’ve already spoken to Markus,’ Rothschild said. ‘We can go from the airport directly to the museum, and he’s arranged for us to stay after hours to examine the altar. I should warn you, though,’ she added, ‘I mentioned that we were looking for some sort of angel or Christian symbol, and he’s absolutely certain there isn’t any such thing on the altar itself, or on any of the pieces awaiting restoration. He’s been overseeing the work for almost a decade, so if there were anything, he would already have seen it.’
‘Yeah, I was afraid of that,’ replied Eddie. ‘Can’t imagine there’d be many places to hide something in an altar.’
‘Have you learned anything more about the men who kidnapped you?’ asked Seretse. ‘You told me your friend in the NYPD was investigating.’
Eddie shook his head. ‘She ran his fingerprint, and it came up blocked. Not unknown; restricted. So did the other dead guys. That means they were all US intelligence or special forces. Past or present, it doesn’t matter – spooks always cover their people’s arses.’
Rothschild gave him a nervous look. ‘And these are the people who’ve kidnapped Nina?’
A sardonic grin. ‘Welcome to our world.’
They reached the plane, a uniformed attendant waving them to the cabin steps. ‘This is where I leave you,’ said Seretse. ‘I hope you find what you are looking for. And that you recover Nina safely,’ he added to Eddie.
‘Thanks, Oswald,’ the Yorkshireman said, offering his hand. The diplomat shook it. ‘See you when we get back.’
‘If I still have my job,’ he answered with a sigh, followed by a faint smile. ‘Good luck, Eddie. And to you, Maureen.’
Eddie hopped up the steps. ‘Okay, then. Let’s go.’ He ducked through the entrance, Rothschild exchanging a polite kiss on the cheek with Seretse before following. The attendant pulled in the steps, then sealed the hatch.
Ten minutes later, the Gulfstream left the runway. It climbed into the sky, leaving the lights of New York behind as it headed east into the night.
10
The Mission
Nina slowly emerged from a troubled sleep. The room was already uncomfortably warm, even early in the morning. She pushed the sheet down her body, shifting to find a cooler patch on the mattress—
Someone was standing over her.
‘Jesus!’ Nina shrieked, sitting bolt upright. Her unexpected guest was Miriam. The young woman squealed and jumped backwards. ‘What the hell, Miriam? Why didn’t you knock?’
‘I did, I did!’ she replied, hands flapping. ‘You didn’t answer, and I was worried, so the Prophet unlocked the door.’
‘I was fine, until you scared the crap out of me! God damn it!’ Nina pulled the sheet back up to her shoulders as she got out of bed. ‘Never frighten a pregnant woman, it’s not good for the baby.’
‘I’m sorry, really I am.’ Miriam turned her back.
‘Dunno why I’m bothering covering myself; your creepy voyeur boss is watching me from six different angles,’ Nina muttered with a glare at the nearest camera as she found her clothes. ‘What are you doing here?’
‘The Prophet sent me to get you. The angel’s here.’
That caught Nina’s attention. She paused, half dressed. ‘Already?’
‘Yes. The Witnesses arrived by helicopter about thirty minutes ago.’
The archaeologist’s expression hardened. ‘You know that Simeon and Anna killed people to get it, don’t you? They mu
rdered two security guards in Rome.’ Seeing Miriam’s shock, she pushed on: ‘And those two men are dead because your Prophet forced me to find this angel by torturing my husband.’
She shook her head. ‘No, no, I . . . I don’t believe . . .’
‘This place has got nothing to do with God, or Jesus,’ Nina insisted. ‘The people in charge are murderers. You’re complicit in that just by being here. But if you help me get away, or just tell the authorities where I am, I can—’
‘Good morning, Dr Wilde,’ came a new voice, seemingly from all around her. Cross. There were loudspeakers as well as cameras inside the house. ‘Miriam, I think you should return home. Norvin is on his way to bring Dr Wilde to me.’
Miriam bobbed her head obediently and went to the door. ‘Yes, Prophet.’
‘How many of them know?’ Nina demanded loudly as she exited. ‘Huh? How many of the people here know what you’re doing in their name? You murdering bastard!’
‘Everyone here believes in my cause,’ said Cross as the door closed. ‘They believe that the prophecies in Revelation will soon be fulfilled. I am God’s instrument on earth; any actions I take in His name are justified.’
‘So said every despot, whack-job and psycho for the past ten thousand years. I’ve met people who believed they had a hotline to God before, but they were all just lunatics. What makes you so different?’
‘The difference, Dr Wilde, is that I really do.’
There was unshakeable conviction behind his words. ‘Jesus,’ whispered Nina, shaking her head. ‘You’re worse than I thought.’
‘You’ll soon see the truth. You won’t be able to deny it once you’ve seen the angel. Now get dressed. Norvin is here.’ A sharp rap came from the door.
‘He’d better not come in while I’m naked.’ Cross did not reply, but neither did the door open, though Nina still finished dressing as quickly as she could.
Once she was ready, Norvin escorted her through the Mission. The helicopter pad was empty, she noticed, so the pilot had not stuck around after delivering the Fishers and their cargo. At the church, he took her to the control room. The vault-like door was open, Cross inside. As well as his usual pristine white robes, he also wore a pair of fine cotton gloves of the kind she had sometimes used herself to handle delicate artefacts. ‘Dr Wilde,’ he called. ‘Good to see you.’