She had to free them.
‘That’s right,’ Spencer went on, seeing Nina’s dismay. ‘Our ancestors, the founders of the Midas Legacy, weren’t in Nepal to make any amazing discoveries. They were gun-runners! They were selling rifles — to both sides.’
‘And that’s how they got their gold?’ she asked.
Spencer nodded. ‘The monks at Dragon Mountain were allied with… I don’t even know who, but it doesn’t matter. All that Buddhist peace and love crap didn’t get a look-in when they had a chance to arm up their side. And they were so happy to get the guns that as well as paying their suppliers a fortune in gold, they also showed them their biggest secret — the Midas Cave. And our three families have been living off the back of that ever since. Just with the embarrassing part about how they actually got rich in the first place pushed aside.’
Nina looked at Lonmore for a denial, but could tell that one would not be coming. ‘And I don’t suppose you or Olivia or anyone else would have mentioned this if I had decided to join the Legacy?’ she asked him.
‘It’s not something we’re proud of,’ said Lonmore. ‘But it happened, and since then the three families have tried to do what they can to make up for it.’
‘Yeah, I’m sure you’ve been making regular donations to charities in Nepal,’ Eddie said scathingly.
‘But now you know,’ Lonmore continued. ‘So what are you going to do, Nina?’
Nina drew in a breath, trying to control her anger. ‘I’ll tell you what I’m not going to do,’ she said. ‘And that’s have anything more to do with your pathetic little secret society. And believe me, the next time I see my grandmother — if she’s ever brave enough to show her face to me again — I’m going to tell her exactly what I think of her for using me to do her dirty work! Right now, though? I came here for a reason. Which was,’ she turned back to Trakas, ‘to ask you to turn over the Crucibles to the IHA.’
‘I think you know my answer, Dr Wilde,’ Trakas replied, his earlier good humour evaporating.
‘Yeah, I think I do,’ she said, the unpleasantly familiar feeling that the situation was about to change for the worse rising in her stomach.
Eddie sized up Axelos, whom he realised was doing the same to him. ‘So do I.’
‘Augustine, there’s no need to do this,’ said Lonmore, pleading. ‘We can come to a deal. The Legacy is willing to cut you in on an equal share of the gold we make if you let us have both Crucibles. Everyone can benefit. Even you, Spencer,’ he added. His son’s only response was another scornful sneer.
‘Do you have your own particle accelerator?’ scoffed Trakas. ‘I think not. And why do you keep saying I have both Crucibles? I only have the big one.’
‘No, you took the small one too,’ said Nina.
He looked puzzled. ‘I did not.’
‘Yes you did! You sent your men to take it from us in Iceland.’
Trakas asked Axelos a question in Greek. The younger man shook his head, just as surprised as his boss. ‘I only have one,’ the tycoon reiterated. ‘I wanted both, but I do not need the small one. I do not know where it is; Petros thought you lost it on the mountain.’
‘No, we brought it back…’ Nina trailed off, suspicion rising. She glared at Lonmore, but he was equally bewildered. ‘If you don’t have it, then who—’
A sudden scuffle of running footsteps from behind Axelos made the Greek whirl — to find a silenced handgun aimed at his chest. ‘Nobody move!’ yelled the wetsuited man holding it.
This time, Nina and Eddie knew the face. ‘Rutger?’ cried the surprised Lonmore as De Klerx barged into the room, shoving Axelos backwards. The bodyguard recovered, about to lunge at his attacker — only to topple and crash to the floor as a taser barb fired by a second diver behind the Dutchman stabbed into his torso. At the same moment, two more figures ran along the side deck outside the lounge’s windows and rushed in through the foredeck entrance.
One of them was Anastasia Fenrirsdottir.
‘Hello, Augustine,’ she said, pointing a gun at Trakas. ‘I believe you have something that belongs to us.’
24
Sperou moved cautiously to the galley door and checked the passageway outside. Empty. The group who had just passed had come from aft. She leaned out to look in that direction. One of the doors was open, a shadow warning her that someone was standing just inside it.
The Glock raised, she padded quietly down the passage. The shadow’s source gradually came into view as she neared the hold. A man, wearing a wetsuit; and beyond him she glimpsed the ship’s crew sitting on the floor, heads down.
She could simply sneak up to the guard and shoot him, but the gunshot would alert the other hijackers. Instead, she carefully judged his height. She would only get one chance…
Sperou crept up to the doorway, readied herself — then whipped around it and smashed the base of the Glock’s grip against the guard’s temple. Caught completely unawares, Honnick reeled in blinding pain, crashing against a bank of shelves. She drove home a second brutal blow. This time the guard went down and stayed there.
The prisoners looked up at her, surprised and relieved. ‘Is everyone all right?’ she whispered.
Rouphos tried to stand; she helped him up. ‘Yes. They had guns, but they used tasers on us first.’ He turned to show her the plastic band trapping his wrists. ‘Get this off me!’
‘Hold on,’ Sperou replied. There was nothing in the room that could cut the zip-tie, so she hurried back to the galley, quickly returning with a pair of meat shears. A single snip, and the restraint fell off.
Rouphos took Honnick’s gun, then helped the other crewmen up, the chef cutting each free in turn. ‘There are guns hidden in the other hold,’ said the captain. He nodded at the two nearest men. ‘Come with me to get them. Everyone else go with Sperou to the weapons locker. Once we’re all armed, I’ll go up to the bridge and retake the controls. The rest of you find Mr Trakas and either get him off the ship — or kill those pirate bastards!’
‘What about the people who came to see Mr Trakas?’ a man asked as the group began to exit.
‘If they’re working with the hijackers,’ replied Rouphos grimly, ‘kill them too.’
‘Ana!’ shouted Lonmore, jumping to his feet. ‘What the hell is this?’
‘Has he given up the Crucible?’ Anastasia replied, indicating Trakas.
‘No, but—’
‘Then we’re doing what should have been done from the start.’ The blonde turned her gaze to the younger Lonmore. ‘And you — you’re working with Trakas? I should have known you’d sell out the Legacy to get revenge. You bitter, greedy little boy.’
‘Hey, fuck you, Ana!’ Spencer snapped back, only to flinch away as the scowling De Klerx pointed his gun at him.
Trakas regained his composure. ‘You think the Crucible is here? I will have to disappoint you, Anastasia.’
‘Then where is it?’ she demanded.
‘At one of my facilities.’
‘Which one?’
The Greek shrugged. ‘If you kill me, you will never find it.’
‘But you’ll be dead,’ said De Klerx. ‘Gold is no use to you then.’
‘Oi!’ Eddie said loudly, drawing everyone’s attention. ‘You’re all pretty wound up about this, but you know what? It’s not our problem. We’ll just be on our way and leave you lot to it, if you don’t mind. Come on, love.’
He stood, about to lead Nina to an exit — but Anastasia flicked her gun in their direction. The weapon did not remain aimed directly at the couple, but the threat was clear. ‘Stay here,’ she said. ‘Nina, I’m not going to let Trakas keep the Crucible, but giving it to the IHA is not acceptable either.’