Gladiatrix (44 page)

Of course!

And the other link was the photograph!

It all clicked together into one big picture of The Network.

I stared down at Armstrong. ‘Constan told me you and Mertling had both been federal marshals. You'd both worked for the Department of Justice before you joined the NTA.'

‘Yes.' Armstrong gave me a defensive look, unsure where I was headed.

‘Where did you work in Justice?'

He was confused, but answered anyway. ‘For Investigative Services.' He was either a very fine liar, or didn't know about Mertling's past.

‘Where did Mertling work?'

‘In the Witness Protection Program.'

I nodded. ‘I thought so.' That was the connection Victoria had made.

The Network, a protection racket for wealthy criminals on the run, was based on the real one set up by the US Department of Justice. And operated by a marshal who'd had years of experience in the legal version.

Mertling was Strega's partner, the anonymous American in Cruz's photo.

I had to get home! I had to help Victoria …

Armstrong said, ‘You promised you'd let me go if I talked.'

‘No,' I said, softly. ‘I promised I wouldn't kill you.'

Visions of Argos and Caractacus floated in front of me. Their necks butchered. There was no way I could let him transpond back. He'd turn on me as soon as he could.

Keeping my injured fingers safe, I pressed my forearm down on his hand. He struggled and cursed me as I eased the NTA ring off his finger.

‘I won't kill you, Armstrong, but you're never going to come near me, or mine, again.'

 

I shoved open the apartment door, afraid of what I'd find there. Or what I wouldn't.

Alex was pacing the front room with long strides, dodging Livia's gifts as he did. A veritable forest of gold statues of Isis stood in the middle of the floor. He stopped, his fierce, worried eyes taking in all the dried blood and the black, swollen fingers.

Then he smiled. He knew what it must've taken for me to just walk out of that arena on two feet.

Alex breathed my name, ‘Kannon.'

I wanted to grab him, hold him to me, but couldn't. There was too much to be done, and no time left.

‘Alex. I have to go back through the portal.' I gulped. ‘Now.'

But I was torn. Between a driving desire to get back to Union Square and find Victoria, and an equally strong need to know that Alex would be all right.

How could I just leave him like this? There was more than enough gold aurei left to give him, but he was still a runaway slave. And what would happen to him anyway, when I left? Once through that portal Alex would've been dead for two thousand years!

Alex's smile vanished.

‘Yes, Kannon, you must go back immediately. You need medical help.' He gently took my hand and frowned down at the broken fingers. ‘You need to get this strapped up straight away.' He searched my face.
‘Tell me what happened with Livia, and I'll take over dealing with Fabius and Victoria.'

‘No. No.' I rubbed my forehead with my other hand, willing my mind to clear. ‘Everything has changed.'

‘Sit down for a moment. You're wounded. You need to rest.' He was so tender, it broke my heart. ‘I'll get you some water while you tell me what happened.'

He helped me through into the next room, and drew some blankets across the bed frame. I sat, then carefully lay back. I was so tired, so sore.

Alex came back with a damp cloth and a cup of water from the kitchen. He helped me sit up again, then carefully wiped my face in between sips.

He waited for me to finish the water, then said quietly, ‘Tell me. What's changed?'

I sighed. How could I leave him behind at all?

He sat there waiting, concern and another, stronger, emotion shaping his beautiful face. A feeling he was trying so hard to hide.

I knew, because my face must look that way too. Bereft.

What could we say? I had to leave.

‘Livia had Fabius waiting for me,' I said. ‘Trussed up like an altar offering.'

I told him about Fabius being a marshal, and his connection to Mertling. And then I told him about Mertling's connection to Strega.

He sat there, turning Armstrong's infinity ring over and over in his hand. ‘So Victoria's gone after Mertling, and you have to follow to make sure she's safe.'

‘Yes.'

He carefully wiped the blood off my left hand with the towel, then looked straight into my eyes. ‘Then we'd better get you ready to fight again.' He
strode into the front room, and came back with the Glock. He pulled out the magazine, checked it and pushed it back into place. It was such a modern action it was shocking.

He put the Glock on the bed next to me, then knelt. ‘We have to find a way to protect those fingers. What else needs attention?' He started checking me over, like the professional he was. ‘That wound on your thigh should be …'

‘I don't want to leave you, Alex,' I said. ‘But I don't know what else to do.'

We looked at each other, hopelessly.

He cupped my face. Blue eyes to black ones. ‘I know you have to go, Kannon.'

It was too much to bear. I couldn't leave him.

Alex gently slid his palm under my jaw, and rubbed my lips with his thumb. The tenderness of the gesture melted me.

There was a stomping sound outside. Heavy boots running up the stairs.

Too many to be the apartment guards. Had Livia changed her bloody mind again?

Alex was up in a flash. I staggered upright as well.

The front door crashed open. Kicked in.

Alex saw them first. ‘It's Lurco. With his men.'

‘Back room,' I said, grabbing the gun.

We barricaded the door, but it was too flimsy to last, and the one external window was too small for escape. We were trapped.

Thump. Thump. Lurco's men began battering the door with something heavy.

Alex leant his whole body into the door, and shouted, ‘Kannon, you've to go! Now!' He was making himself a human barrier for me.

Lurco would kill Alex. And worse.

Armstrong's ring gleamed on his finger. ‘You're coming with me,' I said. There was no question in my mind.

Without a pause, he responded. ‘Would it endanger you in any way?'

‘If you don't come, I'm staying!'

‘Then we do it.' There was no doubt in his voice.

‘This may not work. It could kill you!' I had no idea if this was even possible.

The door and the cupboard we'd shoved against it were splintering. We could see Lurco's thugs on the other side, ramming a wooden bench into what was left of both.

‘Just do it,' Alex insisted.

I entered the return sequence on his ring. ‘Alex, get out of the portal as soon as you arrive. And be ready for trouble, Mertling could be waiting.'

Who knew what we were going back to.

Alex shimmered out of sight, just as the door broke completely open. The toughs at the front stopped, mouths slack in shock. They'd seen him melt into nothing.

They backed up, making signs against the evil eye.

I activated my return sequence.

Lurco pushed through to the front. ‘What's going on here!' he snarled. ‘Why are you all just standing there? Grab her!'

Then he saw Alex was gone. He spluttered in his fury. ‘Where's the male slave gone?'

His men didn't answer. Just watched me with horror-filled eyes.

Lurco swung back to me, sizzling with frustration and loathing. I'd humiliated him twice. Once in private, and today in front of all Rome.

He raised the sword in his hand, ready to slice me to pieces.

I lifted the Glock. ‘Say hello to your dead sister for me, Lurco.' I shot him twice in the head.

I could feel the wave coming for me. Everything dissolved, and I was lifted up, and forward.

I materialised, the gun still outstretched in my left hand with my right clasped protectively across my chest. I sucked in a deep breath, and pushed it out again. Back home, or at least back in Union Square.

When the transponder hadn't worked in the Circus, I'd stopped hoping. But here I was. Frying pan to fire.

Except for Alex, the place was empty. What a relief.

The adrenalin was still pumping, keeping me upright. But for how much longer? Alex was just outside the portal, staring around. The door on the portal was shut, so he must've stopped to close it. That was good. He was thinking, being cautious about the technology. I pushed it open and stepped out.

‘Should it look like this?' he asked softly.

Chairs had been kicked over near the computers, some were broken. And the external security door was wide open, so I could see into the empty hall beyond.

The Isiac graffiti was gone and the room repainted — so this had to be new. Victoria must've given them a fight when she arrived.

‘No,' I whispered back. ‘They must have been waiting here for Armstrong to send Victoria through.'

‘So, if this mess is still here — we may be in time to do something?' Alex knew it was all about a successful cover-up.

‘Yeah. That's what I'm hoping.'

There was an overturned phone on the floor in front of one of the computers. I picked up the receiver, it still worked.

I stared at it.

Who should I ring for help? Who could I ring? Mertling may still have contacts in the local police. Should I try Constan or Rous? After Armstrong's betrayal, I didn't know who to trust here.

Better not make that mistake, I put the receiver down. All we had on our side was surprise.

Alex was scrutinising the ceiling lights, trying to work out what they were made of.

God! He didn't even know about electricity. He had a superficial knowledge of only one of the many technologies that could kill him. I had to find Victoria, but I had to protect him at the same time.

‘What should I do with you?' I spoke in English, half to myself.

He glared back at me. ‘Don't get any ideas, Kannon.' He used perfect English. ‘You can't use one hand. You can barely walk … You're not going anywhere without me until I'm sure you're safe.'

‘The ring works for you too?'

‘Yes. In my head I know I've switched to another language, but I can still understand you.'

Now he was bilingual too. Good. ‘Okay. Stick with me then.' There was nowhere to hide him anyway, and I did need his help. ‘But, Alex, you have to stay right behind me until I find Victoria. And, if I tell you to do something — just do it! Don't argue with me. Don't give me any of that bodyguard shit.'

He shot me another glare, but didn't bother to argue.

‘I mean it, Alex! Anyone in this building could be our enemy. Do what I say, and whatever you have to do to protect yourself. Just don't hurt anyone who might be Victoria.'

As I spoke, I vaguely recognised that this was not ancient Rome any more. And here and now, there were different limits on violence.

But I really didn't care. This whole thing had gone way beyond any commonsense notion of restraint.

Whatever I had to do, I was going to do. And wear the consequences.

‘This must be her.' Alex was pointing to a bloodstained footprint next to one of the broken chairs. There was a drag mark near the door.

I nodded. ‘She must have come through in bare feet, and cut one open in the fight.'

I stood next to the open external door, and listened for any movement in the hall beyond. Alex moved into position, on the opposite side. There was nothing to hear.

I edged my head out. There was no-one else in the hall, but the drag marks continued into Victoria's office across the way. Her door was partially open.

Abruptly a woman's voice sounded from inside the office. I recognised it but couldn't make out what she was saying. It was Victoria.

Mertling answered. Again I couldn't hear his words.

Alex looked to me for confirmation.

‘Yep. They're both in there,' I whispered. ‘Mertling must still be waiting for Armstrong to arrive with the dagger so they can finish the frame-up. He probably wants to make sure the evidence is exactly right.'

The two Isiac leaders I'd seen on the news segment wouldn't stand for less than a complete investigation. Not if it meant the end of their religion.

‘We need to know who else's in there,' said Alex.

‘He's sure to have back-up,' I agreed. ‘But how many?'

We crept silently across the hall. Mertling's voice was slightly muffled, Victoria's was clearer, as though she was facing the door.

‘I'm going to look. If Mertling sees me, we just go straight in and take our chances. You know what Victoria looks like.'

Alex nodded.

I edged just one eye slowly around the door. A dark-haired woman was tied to a desk chair, facing me.

Ahh, Victoria. At last …

She didn't look anything like the cool professional marshal I'd seen on TV. There was no veneer of civilisation left — just desperation and fury. She was wearing a ragged green tunic and her feet were bare and bloodstained.

She didn't see me, too intent on snarling into Mertling's face. He was sitting in one of the comfy chairs, right in front of her.

There were two others in there, one standing on either side of Mertling. His back-up. The blonde woman, holding the gun on Victoria, was Marshal Scolette. No surprise there. The man looked familiar as well. He turned slightly and I could see his profile. It was Rous!

That scummy bastard. So Rous was part of the set-up too?

Just as well I hadn't tried ringing for help. Did that mean Constan was part of it? I couldn't trust anyone here!

All three were intently focused on Victoria's
belligerent face. Mertling spoke again, in a tone that indicated he'd been asking the same question over and over. ‘So where is Armstrong and the dagger? You know you'll stay here until he arrives, so why not just tell us. You've already put your DNA all over the hall, so I'm not going to get squeamish about spreading a little more. And this time from a more tender part of your body.'

He'd better not touch her!

I pulled my head back. How to play this? I just couldn't guarantee I could disable Scolette fast enough to stop her from shooting.

I whispered in Alex's ear, ‘Victoria's tied to a chair, facing this door. Three people, one with a gun aimed at her, have their backs to us. The other two probably have guns hidden in their clothes. The woman holding the gun is standing to the left of the door. You flatten her and take the gun.' I lifted up the Glock. ‘I'll deal with the other two.'

He nodded, face full of hard edges. I might be almost out of action, but Alex was counting on a fight.

Before we could move, Victoria spoke, ‘If you tell me.' Her voice was slow and considered. ‘I will tell you.'

What was she after? I signalled Alex to wait.

‘Just talk, you stupid bitch,' whined Scolette impatiently.

‘No! You're going to kill me when Armstrong arrives, anyway. So why not just fucking tell me what happened!' Victoria's voice rose to a shout on the last two words.

Mertling replied, sarcasm dripping from every word, ‘Why? Whatever do you mean?' He was playing with Victoria.

‘Stop the bullshit, Mertling! Armstrong told me. I know you were involved with kidnapping Celeste.'

‘Really?' He was not pleased. ‘Did he indeed? That's strange, since he doesn't know anything. I'll have to have a little talk with him when he gets back.'

‘Just tell me, you bastard!'

‘Oh, Dupree,' he said, full of false pity. ‘You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. That's all.' His voice hardened, ‘I had to cover up the Cruz murders and you got in the way. You'd looked so promising too, just another stupid rookie. And Koeller, well he was a drunk, ready to retire, so he didn't care. Back then, I ran a business that provided wealthy clients with new identities and safe transportation into the country of their choice. Damned good business too.' He sounded almost nostalgic.

‘And you used your position as a marshal in the Witness Protection Program to do it,' she spat out.

‘Oh. So you worked that out, did you?' He chuckled, completely at ease. ‘Of course I did. I'd made some money selling out the squealers to the right buyers; then it struck me that the Program could be useful in other ways.' He paused. ‘The equivalent of witness protection, but servicing the needs of war criminals, deposed despots, and out-of-favour drug dealers.'

He said lightly, ‘I just helped them establish new identities and new businesses, so they could enjoy their wealth. I even placed some of them in the real protection program.' Mertling laughed. ‘I got a real kick out of those ones.

‘But then Cruz got himself killed, and you started digging into his real background …' He stopped. ‘Well, I had no choice, I needed a way to control you while I covered my tracks. My business partner, Strega, had already set up the accountant as the murderer, but you came along and blew that out of
the water. Koeller had been happy with that solution, until you stuck your nose in.'

‘Koeller was in on it?' Victoria was outraged.

‘No. No. He just didn't care. He was ready to retire on his tiny little pension. But you — you were a real problem. You made Strega and me very nervous. Why the hell did you do that? Why did you recheck Cruz's fingerprints?'

Victoria spat out her reply. ‘I'm a woman; I had to work twice as hard to get ahead. I double-checked everything.'

‘That's what I figured. You were too eager. Too gung-ho. So when you started to look into Cruz's identity, I knew anything could happen. That The Network could be …'

Victoria rode over the top of Mertling's self-satisfied rant. ‘You were worried I'd work out what the photograph of you and Strega meant.'

Silence.

‘You know about that, too?' Then he chuckled again. ‘A lot of good it's done you, Marshal Dupree.'

‘So you took my little girl just to slow things down for a while?' she said, with loathing.

‘Well yes.' His tone was idle, matter of fact. ‘It was the logical thing to do. We needed time to get the photo. And clean up all the other connections. Pack up shop. So Strega took her.' Mertling said, with satisfaction, ‘And it worked, too. You dropped the case to look for her.'

‘What did you do with her?' Victoria's voice was sharp as a knife.

Alex clasped my shoulder with concern. I realised I was shaking.

‘Strega sent her overseas. To one of our safe houses. In Australia. But it doesn't really matter now, does it?'

There it was. Confirmation.

I was Celeste. Victoria was my mother.

‘What happened to her?'

‘She was supposed to die then.' He laughed.

Silence.

‘You mean she's alive?' Her voice wobbled.

‘She turned up here a few days ago.'

‘Here? What …?'

‘Yes, that's right. She found a way to track you down. How's that for a joke? After all these years. You've just missed her. She looks like you, too. But bigger and blonde. Almost gave me a heart attack when I saw her.'

Silence.

‘All these years, she's been alive?' she said, pain and hope blending in equal parts.

‘Yes. And just like you, she's been a big problem. She's the reason you're going to die.'

I started involuntarily, I'd caused all this?

‘She saw one of those stupid documentaries on you, put two and two together, and got on the back of the Australian police. Fortunately, one of her cops rang someone here, and they rang me.'

Oh my God! Scott Turay, Des' old friend from the Sacramento PD, had asked his Washington connection to find out about the case. So he'd rung here and spoken to Mertling? Oh my God …

And that one call had set this all in motion? I sagged.

‘I put the guy off, of course,' said Mertling. ‘But I had to finally get rid of you. And quickly, too. Just in case she turned up. That's why I sent Armstrong after you.'

‘What have you done with her?' Victoria insisted.

‘Oh, she's dead.' Mertling enjoyed saying it.

Victoria broke. Excruciating, convulsive sobs.

That was too much. Tears rolled down my face as
well. I squeezed them out. Roughly wiped them away with my forearm.

‘Yes, I got rid of her. Compromising DNA and all.' He ground the words into her. ‘It was all really very convenient. The same plan got rid of you both. She turned up just before you were due back, so I made her part of the little frame-up.' Mertling was so pleased with his own cleverness. ‘Armstrong needed time to get hold of you and find the dagger. So, to stop Washington from interfering with any rescue mission, I got some of my old Network boys to dress up as Isiacs and Rous here, to disable the portal. Before they did that, they sent Celeste through the portal. And off a cliff. Just outside of Rome.'

‘I don't believe you,' Victoria croaked. ‘She'd be missed. Other people must've seen her, known she'd come here. You don't have everyone in your pocket!'

‘Yeah, yeah. Your little friend Constan was so sympathetic.' He mocked her. ‘Well I fixed it, so that now he can look at Celeste's face on a Wanted poster in the foyer. Another nice little frame-up. Seems the police believe she was actually a member of the Isiac terrorist cell that smashed the portal. Seems she posed as Celeste in order to let them into the building, and then escaped. Seems she even contacted the media by phone, and demanded that your mission be stopped because it was sacrilege. And,' he paused for effect, ‘as she's disappeared, never to be seen again, even her Australian friends won't be able to prove who she really was, or why she came here.'