David Leadbeater
The Atlantis Cipher
OTHER TITLES BY DAVID LEADBEATER
The Relic Hunters (The Relic Hunters, #1)
The Bones of Odin (Matt Drake #1)
The Blood King Conspiracy (Matt Drake #2)
The Gates of Hell (Matt Drake #3)
The Tomb of the Gods (Matt Drake #4)
Brothers in Arms (Matt Drake #5)
The Swords of Babylon (Matt Drake #6)
Blood Vengeance (Matt Drake #7)
Last Man Standing (Matt Drake #8)
The Plagues of Pandora (Matt Drake #9)
The Lost Kingdom (Matt Drake #10)
The Ghost Ships of Arizona (Matt Drake #11)
The Last Bazaar (Matt Drake #12)
The Edge of Armageddon (Matt Drake #13)
The Treasures of Saint Germain (Matt Drake #14)
Inca Kings (Matt Drake #15)
The Four Corners of the Earth (Matt Drake #16)
The Seven Seals of Egypt (Matt Drake #17)
Weapons of the Gods (Matt Drake #18)
Aztec Gold (Alicia Myles #1)
Crusader’s Gold (Alicia Myles #2)
Caribbean Gold (Alicia Myles #3)
Stand Your Ground (Dahl Thriller #1)
The Razor’s Edge (Disavowed #1)
In Harm’s Way (Disavowed #2)
Threat Leveclass="underline" Red (Disavowed #3)
Chosen (The Chosen Trilogy #1)
Guardians (The Chosen Trilogy #2)
Walking with Ghosts (A short story)
A Whispering of Ghosts (A short story)
DEDICATION
For Keira and Meggy,
there’s a message here for you… in the memories.
CHAPTER ONE
Guy Bodie paced the hotel room’s threadbare carpets, hands clenched into fists at his sides and a resolute frown set like concrete. His familiar team of expert thieves was seated around the room, waiting for him to say something.
“We go after Pantera now,” he growled. “Before Heidi bloody Moneymaker calls upon our services again.”
“Hey, man,” Cassidy Coleman drawled. She lounged on the windowsill, looking as beautiful as ever. But, as her enemies would attest, beneath the beauty was a deadly killer. “It’s only been a week. We helped out the CIA once already. Almost got ourselves killed searching for the Statue of Zeus, and all for Agent Moneymaker. How often can ancient relics get themselves lost anyway?”
“Oh, I dunno,” Sam Gunn cracked at her. “If only we knew some relic hunters we could ask.”
Cassidy shut him down with a stone-cold glance. Bodie finally stopped pacing and faced them.
“Jack Pantera was our boss, my mentor for five years. He brought me into this game, showed me the ropes. A man like that does not simply…” He paused to find the right words. “Decide to end you by throwing you into a Mexican prison and sending in a bunch of killers.”
Eli Cross, an experienced career thief, took a sip of water and crossed his legs, comfy in the room’s only armchair. “You’ve been apart for, what? Four years? People change, Guy.”
“Maybe,” Bodie conceded. “Either way, we should pay him a visit.”
“And risk all that we have now?” Gunn said. “I quite like our new status. Working for the CIA, with access to their resources. Doing what we like to do but with government backing.”
Jemma Blunt, their planner and organizer, sighed. “Working for the CIA is harder than working for yourself, Gunn, believe me. Instead of developing and initiating the ideas, we now have a new layer of scrutiny to pass them through. Nowhere near as easy. I guess geeks don’t see that side of it, though.”
Gunn was seated beside Jemma on the sofa. He ran a hand through his carefully gelled hair. “I meant that we’re on the right side of the law now.” He looked around. “Aren’t we?”
Bodie blinked twice. The hotel room was tight, crowded. He felt just a little too close to everyone. “I’m not sure Heidi and the CIA are familiar with that concept, Sam, but I understand what you’re saying. Let’s see how it plays out. The fact remains that Jack Pantera screwed us once and he could do so again.” He shook his head. “I never thought I’d hear myself say that, considering all we’ve been through.”
“If I remember correctly,” Cross said, scratching his head, “you mentioned that the guy who put you in prison — Pantera — wasn’t responsible for the weird dudes who then came after you.”
Bodie nodded. “If by ‘weird dudes’ you mean those eastern Europeans who really knew their business, then yeah, you’re right.”
Cross shrugged. “Seems to be a mess, that’s all.”
“Bloody right it’s a mess, my redneck friend. Another reason to head south.”
Over the past week the team had taken leave of Heidi Moneymaker, their new boss by default, agreeing reluctantly to stay on high alert and await her call, and had flown to Atlanta via Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, the busiest in the world. Bodie was pretty sure Heidi’s influence would have taken them off a dozen watch lists, and his team reasoned it was better to conduct their business in plain sight while knowing that they could rely on the CIA’s help, rather than at a later date when relations might have soured. They wouldn’t be happy being at the CIA’s beck and call, but they would try to find a way out from under the heavy governmental thumb. And for now, they were content to search out the few relics that their new paymasters would send them after. They expected lots of downtime, since ancient relics didn’t exactly pop up every day. For now, it worked for them, not in conflict with their needs. Heidi had offered immunity so long as they performed. The CIA gained deniability, a team they could disavow if caught. They also gained expert help and unparalleled experience in matters of relic hunting. The team knew they were being blackmailed by the government agency. The question was, Was there anything they could do about it?
Just the thought of blackmail made Bodie’s top lip curl. There was no way they would work for the CIA forever, but first they needed time to devise the perfect plan.
They had found a nondescript place in the center of Atlanta, checked for tails and bugs, and then settled down to make arrangements. Bodie had triple-checked Pantera’s whereabouts — Florida, specifically a gated community close to Kissimmee. When the subject of their supporting the CIA and its worldwide hunt for ancient relics grew monotonous and unsolvable, they turned right to the thorny matter of Jack Pantera.
“Have you thought about the approach?” Jemma asked. “I will need to see the place first but already have a few ideas.”
“Damn,” Cassidy moaned. “You have too much time on your hands, girl. Let’s go out tonight and get you a boyfriend.”
Jemma looked hopeful for a moment but then clouded over. “The way we have to move at a moment’s notice? That’s not gonna happen, Cass.”