The Gates of Hell (Matt Drake 3) (7 page)

“Understood. Try us.”

But Boudreau had been a mercenary too long, a killer too long. And his hate for authority figures had blinded his judgment. “Go to hell, bitch.”

Hayden’s heart sank, but she tapped the monitor on her wrist mic. “Shoot her.”

Drake raised the gun and put it to her temple. His finger squeezed the trigger.

Boudreau bellowed in horror. “No! The Blood King’s in—”

Drake let the horrible sound of gunfire mask all other sounds. He watched as blood exploded from the side of Maria Fedak’s head.

“North Oahu!” Boudreau finished. “His biggest ranch is there. . .” His words tailed off as he sank to the floor, watching his dead sister slump in the chair and looking at the blood-spattered wall behind her. He stared in shock as the balaclava-clad figure came up to the screen until he filled it. Then he removed the mask.

Matt Drake’s face was cold, detached, the face of an executioner who loved his job.

Hayden shuddered.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Matt Drake stepped out of a taxi and shielded his eyes to study the tall building that rose before him. Grey and nondescript, it was the perfect frontage for a secret CIA operation. The local agents would enter via an underground parking garage after running the gamut of multiple security levels. Anyone else, be it agents or civilians, entered through the front door, purposely presented as sitting ducks.

He took a deep breath, almost sober for the first time in as long as he could remember, and pushed through the one-man revolving door. At least this setup seemed serious about its security. A plain desk faced him, manned by half a dozen stern-looking men. No doubt many more were watching.

He walked across the polished tile floor. “Hayden Jaye is waiting to see me.”

“The name?”

“Drake.”

“Matt Drake?” The guard’s stoic exterior slipped a little.

“Sure.”

The man gave him the kind of look a person might use upon seeing a celebrity or a convict. Then he made a call. Seconds later, he was showing Drake to a discreet elevator. He inserted a key and pressed a button.

Drake felt the lift shoot up as if on a cushion of air. He chose not to think too hard about what was about to happen, he would let events take care of themselves. When the door slid open, he was facing a hallway.

At the end of the hallway stood his welcoming committee.

Ben Blake and his sister, Karin. Hayden. Kinimaka. Somewhere at the back stood Alicia Myles. He didn’t see Mai, but then he didn’t really expect too.

The scene was wrong though. It should have included Kennedy. The whole thing looked odd without her. He exited the elevator and tried to remember they were probably feeling the same way. But did they lie in bed every night, seeing through her eyes, wondering why Drake hadn’t been there to save her?

Then Ben was in front of him and Drake said nothing and enfolded the young lad in his arms. Karin was smiling uneasily over her brother’s shoulder, and Hayden came forward to lay a hand on his arm.

“We missed you.”

Desperately, he held on. “Thanks.”

“You don’t have to be alone,” Ben said.

Drake took step back. “Look,” he said, “it’s important to get one thing straight. I’m a changed man. You can’t rely on me anymore, especially you, Ben. If you understand that, all of you, then there’s a chance we can work together.”

“It wasn’t your—” Ben started in on the problem straight away, as Drake had known he would. Karin, surprisingly, was the hand of reason. She grabbed him and pulled him aside, leaving Drake a clear route through to the office behind them.

He strode through, giving Kinimaka a nod on the way. Alicia Myles regarded him with solemn eyes. She had also suffered the loss of someone dear to her.

Drake stopped. “It’s not over, Alicia, not by a long shot. This bastard needs to be eliminated. If not, he might burn down the world.”

“Kovalenko will die screaming.”

“Hallelujah.”

Drake continued past her into the room. Two big computers stood to his right, hard-drives whirring and clicking as they searched and fed off data. A pair of floor-length, bulletproof windows faced him, looking out over Miami Beach. He was suddenly struck by an image of Wells, pretending to be a pervert and asking for a sniper scope to pick out the tanned bodies down there.

The thought gave him pause. It was the first time he’d thought of Wells coherently since Kennedy had been murdered. Wells had died badly at the hands of Alicia or Mai. He didn’t know which one and he didn’t know why.

He heard the others filing in behind him. “So…” He concentrated on the view. “When do we go to Hawaii?”

“In the morning,” Hayden said. “Many of our assets are now focused on Oahu. We are also checking the other islands because it’s known Kovalenko has more than one ranch. Of course, it’s now also known that he is a master of deception, so we are continuing to follow up other leads in different areas of the world.”

“Good. I remember a reference to Captain Cook, Diamond Head, and the Gates of Hell. Have you pursued that?”

Ben took that one. “Extensively, yes. But Cook landed at Kauai, not Oahu. His—” The monologue abruptly broke off. “Umm, in a nutshell. We’ve found nothing unusual. Yet.”

“No direct links between Cook and Diamond Head?”

“We’re working on it.” Karin spoke up a bit defensively.

“But he
was
born in Yorkshire,” Ben added, testing Drake’s new barrier. “You know, God’s Land.”

It seemed as though Drake hadn’t even heard his friend speak. “How long did he spend in Hawaii?”

“Months,” Karin said. “He returned there at least twice.”

“He may have visited every island then. What you should do is check out his logs, not his history or his achievements. It’s the things he
isn’t
famous for that we need to know about.”

“That…” Karin paused. “That actually makes sense.”

Ben said nothing. Karin hadn’t finished. “What we do know is this: the Hawaiian god of fire, lightning and volcanoes is a woman called Pele
.
She is a popular figure in many ancient tales of Hawaii. Her home is said to be at the summit of one of the world’s most active volcanoes, but that’s on the Big Island, not Oahu.”

“Is that it?” Drake asked shortly.

“No. Although most of the tales are about her sisters and siblings, some of the legends tell of the Gates of Pele
.
The gates lead into fire and the heart of a volcano—does that sound like Hell to you?”

“Could be a metaphor,” Kinimaka said without thinking, then blushed. “Well, it could be. You know. . .”

Alicia was the first to laugh. “Thank God someone’s still got a sense of humor.” She chortled, then added “No offence” in a voice that showed she didn’t really care which way people took her.

“Gates of Pele might be useful,” Drake said. “Keep at it. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Aren’t you staying?” Ben blurted, obviously hoping he’d get a chance to talk to his friend.

“No.” Drake stared out the window as the sun began to set over the ocean. “Tonight, I have somewhere to be.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Drake walked out of the room without looking back. As expected, Hayden caught him up just as he was about to step on the elevator.

“Drake, slow down. Is she alright?”

“You know she’s alright. You saw her on the video feed.”

Hayden grabbed his arm. “You know what I mean.”

“She’ll recover. It had to look good, you know that. Boudreau had to think it was for real.”

“Yes.”

“I wish I could have seen him snap.”

“Well, I was the one he stabbed, so I got that pleasure, thanks to you.”

Drake pressed the button for the ground floor. “Your agents should have his sister by now. They’ll take her to the hospital, and get her cleaned up. Fake blood’s a devil to get outta the hair, you know.”

“Boudreau’s turned even crazier if that’s possible. When his sister stood up, alive—” Hayden shook her head. “Ultimate meltdown.”

“The plan worked. The idea was sound,” Drake told her. “We got the information. It was worth it.”

Hayden nodded. “I know. I’m just glad the maniac’s behind bars.”

Drake stepped into the elevator and waited for the doors to close. “If it were up to me,” he said as Hayden vanished from sight. “I’d shoot the bastard in his cell.”

*****

Drake took a cab to Biscayne Boulevard and headed for the Bayside Marketplace. The person who had called him, sounding subdued and shaky and completely out of character, had wanted to meet outside the Bubba Gump. Drake had experienced a moment of humour and suggested Hooters
,
a place probably more fitting for them, but Mai had acted as though she hadn’t even heard him.

Drake joined the throng, listened to the rowdy merriment all around him, and felt completely out of place. How could these people be so happy when he had lost something so dear? How could they not care?

His throat was dry, his lips cracked. The bar at Bubba Gump beckoned. Maybe he could sink a few before she arrived. He was under no illusions, though; this had to stop. If he was going to Hawaii to hunt the murderer of the woman he loved, if he was going to extract vengeance and not become a victim— this had to be the last time.

Had to be.

He was about to push through the door when Mai shouted at him. She was right there, leaning against a pillar not six feet away. If she had been an enemy, he’d be dead right now.

His resolve for savagery and retribution was worthless without focus and expertise.

Mai headed for the restaurant and Drake followed. They took seats at the bar and ordered Lava Flows in honor of the forthcoming Hawaiian trip.

Drake remained silent. He had never seen Mai Kitano nervous before. He had never seen her scared before. He couldn’t imagine the scenario that would faze her.

And then his world collapsed again.

“Kovalenko abducted my sister, Chika, from Tokyo. Many months ago now. He has been holding her ever since as captive.” Mai took a deep breath.

“I see. I understand what you did,” Drake said in a whisper. It was obvious. Family always came first.

“He has the device.”

“Yes.”

“I came to the US to find her. To find Kovalenko. But I failed until you and your friends contacted me. I owe you.”

“We didn’t save her. You did.”

“You gave me hope, made me part of the team.”

“You’re still part of the team. And don’t forget the government has the other device. They’re not about to give it up.”

“Unless one of them has had a loved one in captivity.”

Drake knew what had happened to Gates’s wife but said nothing. “We will need you in Hawaii, Mai. If we’re to beat this man, we will need the best. The government knows it. That’s why you and Alicia and the others have been cleared to go.”

“And you?”

“And me.”

“What of your loved ones, Drake? Has the Blood King tried to make good on his vendetta?”

Drake shrugged. “He failed.”

“And yet he will keep trying.”

“Is your sister safe? Does she need extra protection? I know some people—”

“It is taken care of, thank you.”

Drake studied the untouched drink. “Then it will all end in Hawaii,” he said. “And now that we have almost found him, it will be soon.”

Mai took a long sip of her drink. “He will be prepared, Drake. He has been planning this for a decade.”

“It’s a land of fire,” he said. “Add Kovalenko and all of us to the equation and the whole place might just explode.”

*****

He watched Mai walk away toward the parking lot and headed over to where he thought a cab might be. The Miami nightlife was in full swing. Alcohol wasn’t the only intoxication available and the mix of endless, balmy nights, the fine men and women, and the up-tempo tunes were working hard to boost even his shattered morale.

He rounded a corner and the marina was laid out before him—yachts bristling to take pride of place, crowds thronging the walkways, an open-air restaurant studded with beautiful people without a care in the world.

Due for most part to people like Matt Drake.

He turned back. His cellphone began to ring that haunting, melodic tune.

A quick jab of the button. “Yes?”

“Matt? Good day. Hello.” The fine Oxford educated tones surprised him.

“Dahl?” he said. “Torsten Dahl?”

“Of course. Who else sounds this good?”

Panic struck Drake. “Is everything okay?”

“Do not worry, mate. All is well at this side of the world. Iceland is great. The kids are fantastic. The wife is. . . the wife. How goes it with Kovalenko?”

“We found him,” Drake said with a smile. “Almost. We know where to look. There’s some mobilization taking place right now and we should be in Hawaii tomorrow.”

“Excellent. Well, the reason I am ringing may or may not be of some use to you. You can decide yourself. As you know the exploration of the Tomb of the Gods continues cautiously. You remember back at Frey’s chateau when I stood on the edge of Odin’s tomb with my tongue hanging out? You remember what we found?”

Drake remembered his immediate awe. “Sure.”

“Believe me when I say we are discovering treasures equal to or surpassing even that almost every day. But something more mundane caught my eye this morning, mainly because it reminded me of you.”

Drake stepped into a narrow alleyway to better hear the Swede. “Reminds you of me? Did you find Hercules?”

“No. But we did find markings on the walls of every niche of the tomb. They were hidden behind the treasures so weren’t apparent at first.”

Drake coughed. “Markings?”

“They matched the picture you sent me.”

It took Drake a moment and then a bolt of lightning struck his heart. “Wait. You mean exactly like the picture I sent? The picture of the whorls we found on the time-displacement devices?”

“Thought that would get you biting, my friend. Yes, those markings- or whorls, as you say.”