‘Isn’t there a chance we could get shot down?’ Lourds asked nervously.
‘Maybe,’ Eckart replied. ‘But this baby is armoured up pretty good. Anything less than a direct hit isn’t even gonna leave a scratch.’
Lourds wished he had the man’s simple faith, but Eckart knew his tools best. Lourds just gritted his teeth and prayed that he survived.
Several minutes later, the Chinook’s approach altered. It heeled over at an angle and started descending. More anti-aircraft bursts filled the air round them. A couple seemed to bounce off the helicopter.
‘They’re getting better, sir,’ one of the other soldiers said.
Eckart grinned. ‘For all the good it will do them. Wait until they’re face to face with American special ops guys. You ask me, I wouldn’t care for the locals’ chances.’
The men laughed, and the harsh barking noise sounded alien to Lourds’ ears. Not for the first time, he wondered if his decision to accede to Webster’s demands had been his wisest course of action.
Don’t worry, Cleena had told him as he made his preparations to meet Webster. I’ll be there. Lourds hadn’t asked how. He hadn’t wanted to know because he’d been afraid all he would do was pick apart any plan she and Joachim presented. Joachim and the other monks were coming with her in a small strike force.
The Chinook landed with a harsh bounce. More anti-aircraft fire lit up the sky overhead. Lourds squirmed in his seat and tried to free the restraining belt.
‘Hurry up,’ Eckart said. ‘We’re sitting ducks up here.’ He reached across and flicked Lourds’ belt free.
‘Thanks,’ Lourds said automatically, forgetting just for an instant that he was a prisoner and not a guest.
‘Don’t mention it,’ Eckart said. Then he grabbed Lourds by the shoulder and propelled him through the cargo doors. ‘Get him into the building.’
One of the soldiers held Lourds by the handcuffs and hauled him across the rooftop. The man moved so quickly Lourds almost fell. He envisioned himself getting dragged bodily across the roof.
‘Incoming!’ someone yelled.
The soldier pulling at Lourds whirled suddenly and clapped a big hand on top of Lourds’ head. He shoved Lourds face first onto the rooftop. Lourds hit the ground hard and his breath exploded from his lungs. As he tried to recover, he spotted the Chinook rising into the air like a fat goose. A Saudi helicopter gunship settled into the airspace. It opened fire with some kind of weapon. In an instant, the Chinook turned into a whirling mass of fireballs and broken debris. Razor-sharp pieces of metal sliced down around Lourds but thankfully none of it touched him. Sour bile erupted against the back of his throat.
‘I’m hit! I’m hit!’ someone yelled.
‘Get up!’
The soldier accompanying Lourds got to his feet and yanked roughly on the plastic cuffs. The hard material sliced into Lourds’ hands. A slight trickle of blood flowed as he forced himself to his feet and followed the soldier.
Eckart and his men turned their weapons on the offending helicopter. Bullets chopped into its body and Plexiglas nose. The pilot tried to get away, but he reacted too late. Out of control, the helicopter veered away and slammed into a nearby building. For a moment it looked like a bug crushed against a windshield. Only bugs didn’t explode into thousands of fiery pieces.
The soldier guided Lourds to an access door and they went in to the building.
Cleena stared through her binoculars as the Chinook exploded. The flare of the explosion made it look like the whole roof had caught fire. Half a dozen men scattered across the building with fire extinguishers and fought the dozens of fires that spread out from the destroyed helicopter.
‘Lourds?’ Joachim stood at Cleena’s side. His voice was quiet and controlled, but there was no mistaking the anxiety in his words.
‘He’s all right.’ Cleena watched Lourds as he was hustled across the rooftop and shoved into the building’s access hatch. Eckart trailed them and she let out a sigh of relief. ‘Sevki, do you mark the location?’
‘Yes. The building that currently houses the vice-president.’
‘Webster’s still there?’ Cleena and Joachim had been cut off from the news services while they’d made their way across the city. Thankfully they’d managed to arrive at their destination with only a few skirmishes that left them bloody but without losing anyone.
‘Yes. He’s overdue for a response, though. Some of the news show anchors are starting to get fidgety.’
‘He’s building the anticipation like a circus ringmaster.’ Joachim’s disapproval was thick and angry.
Cleena silently agreed. ‘But he’s not counting on us being here.’ However, she would have felt better if Lourds had been able to translate the scroll. Without it, they wouldn’t have a chance against their enemy.
Lourds tried to catch his breath as the soldiers forced him along an immaculate passageway. He couldn’t take notice of the details around him. They passed the elevator by, which he couldn’t believe given how far they evidently had to travel to reach ground level, and hurtled down six flights of stairs. Just when he thought he was going to collapse or throw up for certain, the soldier pulled Lourds through a doorway instead of down another flight of stairs. They negotiated a maze of corridors and ended up at a suite of rooms.
Guards in black suits stood watch over the doors. They acknowledged Eckart and his men, then opened the doors and allowed them entrance.
United States Vice-President Elliott Webster stood on the other side of the door. Other people, some of them with faces Lourds thought he recognized from the news, stood inside the room as well.
Webster smiled disingenuously. ‘Welcome, Professor Lourds. It’s a pleasure to see you.’
Cold dread filled Lourds. He wasn’t sure if the feeling was a normal one on meeting Webster or if it was caused by the knowledge of who he was. For a moment, Lourds stood frozen.
The nearest soldier tripped Lourds and sent him sprawling. Hands bound in front of him, he landed in a heap before Webster, unable to keep his face from thudding into the floor. Groaning in pain, Lourds pushed himself to his knees before his enemy.
‘I trust your trip wasn’t too much of a hardship,’ Webster said, but his casual tone indicated that he didn’t care.
‘Not as bad as the last week or so has been,’ Lourds admitted. He was surprised that he spoke so casually.
‘I would guess not. All those places and all those treasures. It must have been exciting.’
‘Under better circumstances,’ Lourds said, ‘and if we’d had more time, I would have considered the time spent pleasant.’
Webster smiled. ‘You haven’t lost your sense of humour.’
Lourds didn’t respond.
‘That’s one of your traits I really admire,’ Webster said. ‘I enjoyed your books immensely. Especially Bedroom Pursuits. Although it was a little tame for my taste.’
‘Glad I was able to provide a little diversion.’
‘You know, since your capture, I’ve even toyed with the idea of having you as my chronicler.’
‘Chronicler?’
‘Of course. Once I begin my ascent into power, I’m going to be famous. People would love to read about me, and you’ve already got quite a legion of literary admirers.’ Webster paused and shrugged. ‘Admittedly, I’m already famous, but what happens here – and in the rest of the world shortly thereafter – will make me even more famous.’ He locked eyes with Lourds. ‘And you’re going to be part of it.’
‘Anything I can do to help.’ Lourds looked at the men round him, wondering why they didn’t react to what Webster was saying.
‘They don’t hear exactly what I’m saying to you,’ Webster said. ‘That’s just one of my abilities. When I speak, I can make the listener hear whatever I want them to.’
‘Must have been a great trick back in junior high school.’