“One day?” Crouch repeated, amazed.
“Yes. It’s an odd government with an odd motive that would grant such a thing, don’t you think? So we’re left with thousands of years of speculation. People say that a cistern exists underneath her so large that a galley might sail through it.”
“So the tunnels are flooded,” Caitlyn reiterated.
“The ones we know about are,” Naz said cryptically.
“So where does that leave us?” Crouch asked.
“Actually in a very interesting place…” Naz winked. “I would not bring you here without just and major cause. You see, the mystery deepens dramatically in this treasure hunt when you take into account the role of Enri—”
“Whoa!” Alicia suddenly exclaimed, eyes still surveying all perimeters. “Heads up, guys. There’s some crazy-looking uber-bitch headed our way who I do not like the look of.”
“Funny,” Russo said, turning. “Those were my exact thoughts when you turned up.”
The woman, Alicia saw, wore a bulky figure-concealing, knee-length coat even in such hot weather and was backed by a small force of gritty looking men, similarly attired. With dark hair and a dark complexion she might have been of local origin, or from anywhere east of Austria for that matter.
Alicia made ready, ignoring the ache of bruises that hadn’t yet healed from her last battle, the pull of tendons overused. She had to be ready. It was her experience that violent conflict might strike at any time, from any angle and any person.
“Maybe she’s lost and looking for directions,” Naz ventured.
“She’ll be heading straight down,” Alicia murmured. “If she comes any closer.”
The woman halted before them, a playful smile on her lips, eyes as cold as a natural predator locked onto those of its prey’s.
Alicia recognized confidence, danger and death among other things. Her entire system instantly flooded with adrenalin.
“Hand over your archeologist,” she said quietly. “If you want to live.”
FIVE
Alicia was suddenly conscious of the many buses lining both sides of the road, the overhanging trees and small dome at her back, the swarms of people hailing from every culture all around. The new arrival patted her bulky coat at the hip and then motioned toward a nearby bus, the first in a never-ending line parked nose to tail.
“I’ll gladly open fire,” she said. “Makes no difference to me.”
Alicia believed her. It wasn’t the set of the face, the language of the body. It was those psycho eyes, void of all human emotion.
“We’re unarmed,” Healey said without thinking, probably trying to play the tourist card.
“Thanks for the confirmation, kid. Get behind the coach.”
Alicia had already evaluated their position. Even counting Caitlyn and the archaeologist they were six versus nine. By no means insurmountable odds but highly risky without firearms.
Of course there were more ways to commandeer a gun than there were elitists staying at The Ritz. Alicia’s calculating gaze swiveled between the woman’s cohorts, determining the weakest of them.
Naz was the first to back away. “I do not know why you want me.”
“Because he does.” The woman shrugged in Crouch’s direction. “I’ve had my hooks into you people since the Aztec affair. You liberated an awful lot of gold that day. An appetizing slice of money and wealth. I’m here for the main course.”
“Clearly, you’re deranged.” Alicia moved to the woman’s left ever so slowly. “Don’t you have any idea who we are? What we could do to you?”
“Clearly, I don’t care.” The woman swept aside her coat to reveal a terrifying weapon — an Uzi Pro SMG; Israel Weapon Industries’ latest design. Alicia knew it fired 9mm ammunition from the closed bolt and used the same blow-back operating system as the original Uzi design. Twenty-one inches long with stock fully extended and less than twelve inches in its most compact form, the Pro used a 25-round magazine and could be switched between semi- and fully-automatic fire. Here, among the tourists and the history, it was as deadly a weapon as the woman could ever have brought to bear.
Alicia hesitated. Were her goons sporting the same hardware? If so, the Gold Team’s odds were falling by the second. Perhaps it was time for Plan B.
“So you’re what? Another bloody stalker?” Alicia played for time. “Believe me, I’ve had more than my fair share of those recently.”
“I bet. But you can call me Kenzie, and we’ll have plenty of time to get to know each other during our treasure hunt, I’m sure. Though you might hate the chains.”
“Oh, I don’t know…”
“Now hurry up. I’ve already had to kill one of my men today and, despite his infinite ineptness, the death of a paid employee always festers in my gut.” Kenzie spread her hands. “I mean, what happens to all that dead money in his bank account? Dead merc equals dead money and a waste of resources.”
Alicia couldn’t stop fleeting shadows of surprises sweeping her features.
“Yes, yes.” Kenzie waved it away. “He failed me twice. I beat him, shot him in the gut, watched him bleed out. No fun in that. The coach is that way, blondie.”
Alicia studied her adversary, not quite able to recall the last female criminal she or any of her teams had come up against. Was there one? To keep the woman happy she backed up a few steps, still with Russo and Healey at her side. Soldier’s intuition told her they would be waiting for her move; an intuition not only born of expectation but also of mutual respect and experience gained from fighting together during the Aztec escapade. Naz already stood by the coach, Caitlyn and Crouch a meter to his left. Every second they stalled gave rise to the possibility that a distraction would present itself.
The driver of the lead coach leaned out of his half-open window, sleepily asking if he could help them out, and Alicia sensed the whole dynamic change. Kenzie’s concentration shattered, leaving her irresolute for a short moment. Her men grew cautious, all of a sudden aware of how public they were.
Alicia had lived her life seizing the moment, and this one was no different. Striking hard, she bruised Kenzie’s cheek, then sent her stumbling away with a jerk of her big coat.
Spinning past, she engaged her first crony, a man wearing a long leather jacket. His gun, secreted beneath, was instantly clasped between her hands and wrenched away. Above his shocked visage the extensive dome of Hagia Sophia loomed large, reminding her of their setting. Alicia doubled him over with a well-placed knee and threw his gun under the bus.
To her right and left Russo and Healey were backing her to the hilt. Russo smashed an elbow with the force of a boulder into one man’s face, sending him into instant oblivion. Healey wrestled with a more competent foe, both men struggling for control of a weapon.
Alicia took another usurped Uzi and tucked in close to Kenzie. No one would dare fire on her now, even if they were mad enough to try out here. And these were not fanatical terrorists bent on destroying a larger world they had been brainwashed to hate; these were paid mercs intent on securing a larger pay day. Kenzie had said as much, betraying her hand. And though eyes now swiveled murderously in her direction all noted the presence of Kenzie mere inches away… and paused.
Russo threw a man against the side of the nearest coach, the impact itself turning a few heads. Healey slipped and scrambled away, pursued by his adversary. Crouch disappeared around the vehicle’s blind side, drawing a contingent of mercenaries after him.