Truthseekers (21 page)

“Driver,” said Rocko indignantly “I’ll give you driver.” It was all about to go west when Rocko recognised another voice behind him.

“I wouldn’t do that Rizotto. Phillip here is a tad quicker than you, and I’m not sure this lady would want you sticking up for her against him.”

Rocko spun around and there was his old buddy Leon, looking at least a little calmer than the last time in Malaysia.

“Leon… great to see you old pal. You saved this guy’s ass.” Turning to the man Rocko said: “You’ll keep.”

The man corrected him. “No no, a sandwich keeps if you wrap it immediately. I go off daily as this gorgeous lady may find out.” He then held his hand out. “Phillip Glenville, dad.” Still addressing Rocko. “I’m going to whisk your daughter off for a bit, if it’s all right with you.”

“No it’s not all right. I mean she’s not my daughter. Leon, who is this idiot?”

Leon smiled and patted Rocko on the back. “Calm down, big guy. You joke around with lots of people. Phil here is a good buddy of mine. He’s an actor, and one of the finest martial artists on the planet. He will tie you in knots.”

Rocko was sizing him up considering giving it a try when Stacey blurted out: “I knew I had seen you somewhere. You were in that action film with Megan Fox. I loved you in that.”

“I think we should make a film about you. Because I would be good in that,” said Phillip

That comment nearly flipped Rocko out but before he knew it Phillip had slapped him on the back, and told him Leon had said to razz him up a bit. Rocko still confused decided to go along and calm down for now. Stacey couldn’t remember anyone else at the event. She just stared and stared at Phillip.

“Have you seen the collection Phillip?” said Stacey eagerly.

“No I haven’t but since we have Champagne let’s go.”

Leon nodded and Rocko let her go. Rocko turned his attention to Leon. “What’s going on old pal? You seem really hung up. That stuff in
Malaysia really freaked you out and the other day when you called…. Is everything ok?”

“There was a photo in the Malaysian paper a couple of days after. I’m sure it was that kid Rocko. The one who took the photo? He was dead.”

“Really… ok I guess that’s freaky. What’s the deal with this ancient stuff anyway? You hate that stuff… and why so nervous?” Rocko probed.

“Oh I guess I am wanting to make a good start… and you know how some jobs aren’t what you think they are. Let me just say this is one of them and I’m in over my head. I shouldn’t even be talking to you. How the hell did you get into this party anyway? I swear I never know when you will pop up.” Leon replied.

“Ahh, don’t worry Leon. I’ll sort these toads out. I knew you were nervous in the big job, so I thought I’d secure a couple of incognito tickets and come along.”

“I’m not sure you can help, my old friend. Let’s just say, all that old economic hit man stuff we did in the nineties. It’s got nothing on this. I need to go make my hello speech. I don’t want to be seen with you and draw attention to you if you get what I mean.” And with that Leon turned and walked off leaving Rocko definitely worried about his old mate.

Stacey was inside with the actor Phillip. She had been inspecting a curious pile of rocks and some scrolls that not much was written about. She tried to decipher what she could see but it was a while since she had done any form of translations from what seemed to be an early first-century scroll. Phillip walked with his hand in the small of her back and she felt very comfortable. His looks were disturbingly good and his charisma (now he wasn’t chiding Rocko) was exceptional. She kept looking into his deep brown eyes and losing herself.

“Oh that’s my manager over there. I just have to have a quick word with him. Are you all right here? Oh… I don’t have your name.”

“Stacey,” she said. “Just Stacey.”

“Well Stacey… just give me two minutes.” Phillip disappeared into the crowd. Stacey walked on round a corner and got engaged with a curious insignia also from the first century when she felt a presence next to her.

“Always researching aren’t you.”

Stacey looked up and couldn’t believe her eyes. John was standing just millimetres behind her. His blue Aryan features staring through his facial scars like cold steel in a frost.

“But you’re dead… I saw you die.”

“You saw my friend and comrade meet a very nasty end and now it’s your turn.”

Before Stacey could say a word his hand was over her mouth and the strength of the chloroform on his handkerchief overcame her. He whisked her away to the darkness and opened a door to a series of corridors. He shoved her limp body into a room and locked the door after shoving a handkerchief in her mouth and binding her hands and feet.

So easy, he thought. He can deal with her later once people had left. Now all he had to do was to get the Middle Eastern looking Italian fellow alone.

Phillip was indeed back in a minute, but Stacey had gone. Streetwise Phillip smelt something strange in the air and made a beeline for Rocko.

“Mate – we have a problem.”

“You bet your ass we do,” said Rocko about to launch into a tirade.

“It’s Stacey. She’s disappeared. I’m pretty sure I smelt chloroform”

Rocko put down his glass and followed Phillip. In the background Leon had started his speech. Above him on a balcony Chant heard in his earpiece how the woman researcher had been captured. He wondered how Brian Altin had gotten on north on Isle Royale. That phone call was overdue.

26

David turned to see a man with an axe posing as the captain of the ferry. He now recognised that the two-man ferry crew was not even on the boat. They were heading into the open water well away from the coast. Soon the waves breaking over the boat at this speed could make it rock and roll. He hoped that might knock the man off his feet. Abbey and he started to move back on the aft deck just outside the main cabin. He considered going over the side, yet the temperature of the lake couldn’t have been more than 12 degrees and in the water they would be easy targets.

To his right at the bottom of the stairway from the top deck appeared another man with a large wrench, the sort that would be used on some of the big gear on the ferry’s
diesel. It was then Brian Altin appeared from below the main deck. He carried a machete style knife from the galley. Abbey had appeared to become much more calm and was standing next to David on his right side between him and the man with the wrench, looking strangely relaxed.

“Why could you not simply be made to look like fools like we offered you on national television?” Altin spoke, clicking his neck from side to side. “That stupid old Indian spoke up for you and ruined everything. I dislike violence as a rule – probably my time in Afghanistan. But you are an annoyance to us and as such you have to be stopped one way or the other.”

“What is it you are so scared of Altin?” David straightened and shot him a sizeable glance to show Altin he would not be tampered with.

“You people need to know that nothing will change. We own it. We own the lot. You are our puppets and always have been, David Clark. This is the way it works.” Altin became steely and resolved.

“What about these two? Are they on your payroll too?” David shot a glance left and ahead to the two masquerading crewmen.

“Family, Clark. My crew is all family. That’s why you will never win. In the 1800s when we rose to power we did it through family. We controlled the stock exchange then, we do so now and we controlled the media and we still do. You can never win, that’s if you even know what you are trying to win anyway. You wouldn’t know the world without us. It works because of us. You have what you have because of us.” Altin realised he was starting a tirade of hate and checked himself. “Enough talk anyway. We do what we have to, to protect what we have and you and this meddlesome bitch have given us enough irritation. It’s time for you to die.”

It was as he got the last word out that Abbey spoke.

“Meddlesome… really… David do you think I am meddlesome?”

Looking sideways for an instant he and Abbey were now backed up to the aft of the boat. If they jumped the props may have torn them apart, but David knew Abbey well enough to play along.

“Oh you do have an opinion, my dear, one of the reasons I adore you. You’re strong minded.”

“Oh … wouldn’t you say I was a lot smarter even than these three guys?”

“I would, I would,” replied David.

“You bitch,” stated Altin, no longer the friendly energetic lapdog they had met that morning. He raised his arm with the cleaver.

“Ahhh, Mr Altin you forgot one thing,” smiled Abbey calmly.

“What?” jerked an inflamed Altin, ready to strike.

“Never bring a knife to a gunfight.”

And with that Abbey raised her right hand from behind her back and shot Altin in the wrist holding the cleaver. His eyes wide open, he screamed and dropped to his knees. Abbey did not wait for him – she had raised her right leg and side-kicked the man with the wrench so hard he flew over the side and into the cold water before he knew what had hit him. She then turned the barrel of her small pistol on the man with the axe.

“I seriously would reconsider my options Mr Make Believe Ferry Captain.”

He did and put the axe down, backing away.

In the haste of trying to discredit David none of the media had checked Abbey or him for weapons. They were so used to security that they forgot it hadn’t occurred. Abbey was still packing a small Ruger SR9—at only five inches long it had a ten-round magazine and packed a wallop. The whole time she had it firmly under the back of her jacket. No one ever checked the pretty blonde girl.

Altin was screaming on the deck like a child. In fact he was crying like a baby. His wrist was broken and there was a decent chunk out of it as well. He was lucky she hadn’t hit an artery. Abbey walked over and kicked him firmly in the head. He passed out.

“I guess his Afghanistan tour was as a journalist eh!” she smiled to David.

Then she bent down and threw the axe overboard and addressed the man who was holding it.

“Do I need to shoot you too, or are you going to be good?”

“No, Miss, I’ll be good,” he replied and looked down at his feet.

“Excellent, then please spin this boat around and pick up your friend,” Abbey replied.

The captain did what he was asked. The boat turned and Abbey took a space on the aft rail alongside David. She smiled and said: “Now where were we. Oh that’s right. You were about to kiss me.”

He grabbed her and kissed her deeply. Why not? It seemed the right thing to do. He was starting to lose count of how many times she had saved his life.

Within minutes a very cold and shivering third assailant was picked out of the water. Then Abbey made them pull over closer to the shore.

“Ok gentlemen. It’s time to go. Over the side with you both and take your cousin or whoever he is as well,” Abbey indicated to them.

They were in about six feet of water and ten metres or so off the shore. The one who had already been for a swim started complaining.

“Miss, please don’t throw us back in. That water is freezing.”

Abbey smiled at him.

“Look… it’s ten metres and then you are on dry land. Personally I would rather have shot you so I am only doing this because he’s a pacifist.” She smiled in David’s direction and he winked back. “Besides, here is a lighter so you can light a fire and keep warm. It will be dark soon, and you may need a fire to keep the bears away. It’s not too cold in this season, so you should survive the night… and don’t worry, when we get back we will tell the authorities exactly where you are. I am sure the real crew of this boat may wish them to prosecute you, even though you will walk free. But if I see you again anywhere, I won’t be so friendly. Now… over you both go.”

The two men looked at each other and jumped over the side. They started for the shore swimming fast, as the lake was very cold. Abbey waited till they were nearly at the shore.

“Oh boys… boys!” she yelled.

They turned and looked back.

“Aren’t you forgetting someone?”

And with that statement she heaved the dead weight of Brian Altin over the side. The minute he hit the water he woke and began screaming again. The two men turned and started swimming back toward the thrashing, screaming figure.

Abbey looked at David and he said, “Yes I know… you can drive a ferry as well.”

Later that evening with the ferry parked up at the dock and Abbey and David back on the Learjet, she handed the official at the field a sealed envelope. Whilst watching the Learjet take off into the night sky bound for New York City the official curiously opened the letter and read a weird tale about three men stranded on the side of the great lake, naming the ferry and its crew and acknowledging the work of Lone Bear and Ghost Wolf.

27

Rocko had begun to search for Stacey with Phillip. The two had no sooner left the main area of the museum where Leon had begun his welcome speech than Rocko’s phone rang. In sixty seconds he heard from David about their ordeal and had informed him of Stacey’s disappearance. David had reassured him that everything was all right with him and Abbey and that they would be in New York in just under four hours. He didn’t advise Rocko to keep a cool head.

Above Phillip and Rocko on the next floor, a mezzanine, John had enlisted the assistance of two other expert henchmen to assist him in the disposal of Rocko.

“Be aware, both of you. I believe this guy is a good fighter. See if you can take him from a distance. If
possible make it quick, don’t raise any awareness. We cannot have questions from the public. Mr Chant must remain anonymous in these instances.”

He sent the two men off in both directions. He himself stayed concealed. Better to lead the fly to the spider, than the other way around. His plan was to simply annihilate Rocko and then get information from Stacey and then dispose of her as well.

Down on the ground floor Rocko sent Phillip off in one direction to search for Stacey, while he himself went in a totally different direction. He could hear Leon saying how wonderful it was to for the bank to be associated with the ancient civilizations displays. He couldn’t help but wonder how deep Leon really was into this, but for now his mind was firmly fixated on Stacey. He should have realised these people are far more connected and sharp than most, and of course they saw him and Stacey coming. He cursed himself for not being more aware and swore that if he got a hand on these people they would regret it.