The Journey of Kyle Gibbs Box Set

by Wayne Marinovich

  The Mungiki gang were shepherded up against the port railing as two armed men took their place near them, AK47s trained on them. Chilemba looked across the wooden deck at Captain Nasri, who was standing by the other railing with the Maasai killer kneeling before him. The tall Arab captain turned and beckoned him over.

  ‘Is this the man that murdered your friend?’ the captain said.

  Chilemba looked down into the man’s eyes, filled with hatred. ‘Yes, it is.’

  The captain slipped a large dagger out from his belt and handed it to Chilemba. ‘I cannot have you men killing each other, and I don’t want any revenge killing to rage on and on. This ends now. You can avenge your friend’s death, away from the eyes of others. Then it is done. Is that clear?’’

  Chilemba looked down to the ornate Arabian dagger with the engraved rhino horn handle and lavish golden hilt, the thick engraved blade curving ornately upward. It felt heavy, yet comfortable in his hands, as he flicked it from his left hand to his right. He looked out through the ocean haze at the distant coast of Corsica.

  Chilemba grabbed the Maasai man under his arm and dragged him up to his feet. He looked into the man’s eyes and saw the panic and fear. ‘I am so tired of the killing between our tribes. Can you swim, Maasai?’

  The man looked at him and nodded.

  ‘Remember the name of September Mwangi. The young man who you murdered, who just like you, only wanted a better life.’

  Chilemba picked up the startled man and pushed him back towards the railings. With a final shove, he heaved the flailing man over the railing and into the cold sea.

  Chapter 19

  Phoenix Council building, Canary Wharf, London, England, UK - 2028

  Christina walked into the cosy, study-like office of Lord Butler for the second time that day. The short round man got up from behind his desk and came over to greet her with his usual warm smile and a big affectionate embrace.

  ‘Please sit down, my girl,’ he said smiling, ushering her towards an oversized couch. As she sat down, he handed her an old file.

  ‘Here is the report you ask for on about Givet and Christophe Magne,’ he said.

  Christina shot him a confused look and opened the file. She read the contents of the single sheet of paper inside.

  I AM CERTAIN MY OFFICE IS BEING BUGGED AND VIDEOTAPED. BE CAREFUL OF WHAT YOU SAY.

  Lord Butler walked over to his desk. ‘I’m sure that you agree the content of that report in front of you is quite sensitive and confidential, so please don’t let it fall into the wrong hands. I will be leading a small enquiry into its contents in the next few days.’

  ‘Of course, Francis,’ she replied, placing it down on her lap. ‘Let me know if I can be of any assistance.’

  He turned and smiled at the sound of his name. ‘It has been a while since we had a chance to catch up and not have to resort to all the grandeur of government.’

  ‘Yes, I have missed our chats.’

  ‘We should have a drink!’ he said, walking over to an old oak cabinet. He took a key out of his pocket and opened the bottom drawer. After rummaging around, he retrieved a dusty old bottle.

  ‘Oban, thirty-two-year-old,’ he said, walking over to the desk. He got two whisky tumblers out of his desk drawer, pulled the cork and poured two very liberal helpings. Christina brought the glass to her nose, inhaling the intoxicating woody smell of the whisky with glee.

  ‘A toast. To the success of the Phoenix Council and the speedy roll-out of the GGC plans,’ he said.

  Christina raised her glass. ‘To success.’

  Lord Butler sat down behind his desk with a loud sigh.

  ‘Tell me about you and Kyle Gibbs,’ he said, an amused look on his face.

  Christina smiled at him. ‘Francis, you needn’t worry about me, I am being careful. Gibbs and I enjoy each other’s company, and that’s it. We’re not rushing anything.’

  ‘I’m just trying to ascertain how serious it is,’ he said. ‘The last GGC captain you were seeing brought you to tears on a few too many occasions.’

  ‘While he still angers me on the odd occasion, we will keep it professional,’ she said. ‘Thanks for your concern though, Francis.’

  ‘I’m sure that you are already aware of this, but it looks like we will have to take disciplinary action when the two captains return. Their men had to pull them apart during their hallway brawl the other night. That is not good for discipline or morale.’

  ‘To be honest, Markus provoked Captain Gibbs, forcing him to retaliate. So I’m not sure he should be disciplined,’ Christina said.

  ‘Regardless, we cannot have men in their positions knocking lumps out of each other. They are both military men and based on their histories, I’m sure they’ll accept and deal with any punishment that comes their way,’ he said.

  ‘I suppose you are right,’ she said.

  ‘Regarding Givet, I realise that you were out of the loop while we were in France. Do you think Gibbs and his men will be able to handle the job at hand?’

  ‘Francis, you have read their files, and you know that they are capable of the military task ahead. From a diplomatic perspective, that might be another story,’ she said.

  ‘There might be a need for you to go out there and liaise with the charming mayor,’ Lord Butler said.

  ‘That would be a good idea,’ she said, smiling.

  ‘We’ll have to see. I will speak to the other Grand Founders,’ he said, subtly pointing his thumb to the camera in the ceiling.

  ‘Our main concern with Gibbs out there is that there seems to be a lot of resistance activity in the area around Givet, and we’re worried that someone could get to him and turn him against us,’ Lord Butler said.

  ‘I don’t believe that he could be that easily swayed, he is more of a mercenary than an idealist,’ Christina said.

  ‘True, but two resistance fighters that were captured in Belgium say that their leader is quite persuasive. All we know is, he operates between Belgium and France and goes under the name of Vargen. He is currently proving to be too elusive for our resources to capture,’ Lord Butler said.

  ‘Vargen means wolf in Swedish,’ Christina said.

  ‘Of course, I forgot you were born in Sweden. So you still speak the language?’

  ‘Not much anymore. Not since my parents went to Canada to do their HIV research,’ she said, looking at her hands.

  ‘I’m sorry we got to talking about them again. I know how difficult it is for you.’

  ‘It’s fine, Francis. They are there, and I’m here. It is what it is,’ she said, trying to smile.

  ‘That’s a mature way to look at it.’

  ‘Getting back to Vargen. Why all the concern? Surely he will not simply decide to go up against the GGC because we are well ahead of the game at getting support for protecting all resources. They have no idea about our operations, do they?’ Christina said.

  ‘Let’s step out of the office for a few minutes to continue with this,’ he said, heading towards the door.

  Once they were in the safety of the corridor, he continued.

  ‘If Vargen is indeed so persuasive, we must assume that he might have a contact or two within our organisation. Minister Kirilenko is in charge of all that cloak and dagger stuff and if there is anyone who can smoke out any resistance moles in the GGC, he can,’ Lord Butler said. ‘He started doing sweeps for bugs in all our offices and rooms, a few weeks back, and has removed a few.’

  ‘It all sounds so mysterious.’

  ‘Which is one of the reasons I’m suggesting that you go to Givet. We think that Mayor Magne could be in contact with this Vargen. It might explain his reluctance to join the GGC. One of the Grand Founders believes that Magne and Vargen are one and the same person. Please keep that to yourself, though. We could do with you using your charms on the Frenchman to see if we can get any additional information out of him.’

  ‘I’ll be more than happy to a bit of digging, Francis.’

  �
��That’s my girl. We must gain complete control of all the resources. This man could stand against us, and we need to take care of him,’ Lord Butler said, getting a little agitated.

  ‘When would I go, Francis?’

  ‘I will tell the other Grand Founders that I think it’s best you get over there as soon as you can,’ he said and gave her a big hug. ‘Of course, they will still need to agree to you going, but that should be a formality.’

  Christina watched him go back into his office. She suddenly felt a knot in her stomach.

  That was the second time in a few days that the Grand Founder had used the words, total control. Words that made her wonder what she had gotten herself into.

  Chapter 20

  Somewhere over the English Channel - 2028

  The plane suddenly dropped and then pitched back up a few feet as it flew through more turbulence. The old dual propeller planes had been flying since the late 1930s, and a few had been brought back and restored to service by the GGC. It was deemed that they were cheaper to run on the precious fuel than other types of planes. The old girl was in great shape and had actual passenger seats for Gibbs and his men. All their kit had been loaded into the hold area at the back of the plane while they sat up front in their uniforms and webbing.

  Gibbs looked around at his team. The new additions seemed okay, and he hoped they’d integrate quickly into a proper team. Luckily, not all of the men were ex-prisoners, some had just been drummed back into service after a few years of forced retirement and were very glad to be earning a wage again.

  After a few hours in the air, the plane started its descent, and soon they were bumping along an uneven grassy airstrip cut into a forest. They came to an abrupt stop after a few minutes of taxiing, and the fuselage shuddered as both propellers gradually snapped to a halt. Disembarking through the back door down three metal steps they collected their gear and equipment and got ready to leave. The sound of men’s voices made them turn around and raise their weapons, ready for action.

  A balding man walked towards them with both hands raised up in front of him. He was smartly dressed in a brown suit that hugged his thin muscular body and was followed by three roughly dressed men, all carrying submachine guns of various origins.

  All his men stood and faced the newcomers, the sound of all the safety buttons being clicked over, just audible in the breeze.

  ‘Bonjour, Captain Gibbs,’ the man said and stuck out his hand. ‘I am René Chabal, the second in command to Mayor Magne.’

  ‘Hello, René,’ Gibbs said. ‘Good to meet you.’

  ‘Are these all of your men?’ René asked, looking at the khaki-clad men of the Phoenix Guard.

  ‘This is my team, yes.’

  ‘Good. Let’s get going then, we have a walk down to the River Meuse and will then head downstream by boat to Givet,’ he said.

  They walked through the long green grass in a northerly direction alongside the runway, towards the two white cooling towers of the Chooz nuclear plant on the distant horizon. The large airstrip was surrounded on three sides by rows of planted juniper bushes that acted as a windbreak, but which could also hide any number of snipers.

  ‘How far to the boats, René?’ Gibbs asked.

  ‘Two miles, Captain.’

  ‘Look alive, men. Two miles to the boats,’ he shouted over his shoulder.

  • • •

  The plant towered in front of them with its two concrete tower stacks dwarfing the surroundings. Long thick white plumes of steam streaming skywards drifted on a southerly breeze. Between the two stacks were the twin buildings of the east and west reactors, with the usual range of office buildings and workshops positioned around the site. Two black river barges were moored up against an overhanging old tree, and there were two smaller rowing boats up against the nearside bank. They began the tedious process of loading all the equipment and then rowed back and forth from the riverbank to the barges.

  Once everything was loaded, they motored downstream on the swollen river, the thud of the engine blocking out any sound. As they meandered around the plant, Gibbs noticed that the perimeter fence looked tattered and worse for wear. He counted three two-man patrols, walking around behind it, the guards looking shabby and uninterested in them as they passed.

  They moved further downstream away from the nuclear plant, towards the old town of Givet. The river was a hive of activity, with little rowing boats and small sailboats, passing each other on the slow tide. A few locals stopped and stared at the men with machine guns before going about their daily fishing. Above them loomed an old, moss and ivy-covered fortress on the steep hill, high up on the left side of the Meuse River. It overlooked the surrounds of the town of Givet and was a lot older than the neighbouring buildings.

  ‘René, what old fort was back there?’ Gibbs asked.

  ‘That, Captain, is our famous Fort of Charlemont. A legendary fort whose walls were never breached by attacking armies for more than five hundred years, but I can tell you more about that later.’

  ‘Sure thing. Is it manned?’

  ‘No, Captain. It is vacant.’

  A few minutes later, the barges moored against a six foot, stone and concrete river wall in the town centre. There was a paved pathway that ran along the riverfront that was used by fishermen as a place to trade their morning catch. Across from that was the open town square, with oak trees dotted around. Old broken benches were scattered around the square and now served as beds for bickering drunks.

  ‘Captain Gibbs, you and I can head into the mayor’s residence while the men wait here. After the meeting we can move the barge to the area where you choose to be based,’ René said.

  Gibbs went over to his men. ‘Gents, I am heading in with the wee little man and will return once all the formalities are done. Shredder’s in command, so I want you to contact GGC operations in London and let them know that we’ve arrived.’

  Gibbs and René Chabal disembarked and strode across the old main street towards the stairs of an old government chateau. René led the way as they wound through a maze of musty old corridors then stopped at large double wooden doors. René knocked twice, and they entered what looked like an old library. A tall, wide-shouldered man with grey hair got up from behind the desk and walked over to greet them.

  ‘Captain Gibbs, welcome. Please take a seat,’ the man said.

  ‘Good day, Mayor,’ Gibbs said and sat down in the large leather chair in front of the desk.

  ‘London has emailed me a summary of your military CV. It’s a welcome honour to have a seasoned soldier and his team here to help us secure this valuable resource. I’m not sure of your knowledge of how this all came about, but we were forced to accept this compromise by Lord Butler and Minister Kohler after they attacked and took control of the plant, then used it as leverage in their negotiations with me,’ the mayor said.

  Gibbs smiled. ‘Mayor, I’ve been told that our role is to help train your men to make sure that the nuclear plant is secure and continues operating as it does currently. That is all I care about.’

  ‘Okay, Captain, I’ll be frank with you then. I do not believe that the plant is in need of a specialist force to help protect it. We learnt our lesson from Minister Koehler’s little public relations stunt and have made a lot of changes since his visit,’ the mayor said.

  ‘With all due respect, sir, but as we sailed past the plant, I noticed a few alarming security lapses that any well-trained group could exploit.’

  ‘René Chabal has personally visited the plant to make sure all is in order and that the site is secure.’

  ‘Sir, I’ve made a career of reconnaissance of specific targets with the goal of gaining intelligence or planning an attack. I have no idea what your security arrangements were before, but as they stand, I could easily infiltrate the plant and take control with a small group of men,’ Gibbs said.

  Mayor Magne sat back and stared at Gibbs. ‘I’m sure you’ll understand that I am not happy to have you walking around t
his tranquil town carrying modern weapons resembling an invading force. Although I have no proof, I consider this as an attempt by the GGC to get a foot in the door and take control of the plant.’

  ‘If you believed we were invading you, you would surely not have allowed the plane to land.’

  ‘That is true, Captain,’ he said. ‘For the record, I’ve no interest in being a warlord of this province for the GGC. Not now, not ever.’

  ‘And Mayor, for the record, I have no interest in walking around the village as a show of force. I am following the orders given to me by the GGC, which I believe you’ve sanctioned. I have no interest in politics and don’t care much for politicians. However, the GGC are my and my team’s paymasters, and I must follow their orders,’ Gibbs said.

  ‘I understand. Let’s do our best to work amicably together and get the job done that you have come to do. The sooner you do that, the sooner you will head back to London to continue with other more pressing GGC business.’

  Gibbs nodded. ‘Is the old fort being used by anyone? If not, we could station ourselves there. We would be out of your hair and not have to be in the town too often.’

  ‘The majority of it is sealed up, but there are a few squatters who live in the open areas. I will have René go with you and open up the old barracks. There is an old water pump that might still work.’

  Gibbs stood up. ‘I will take my men and get settled in, Mayor. Thanks for your time. I take it that I shall be liaising with René from now on?’

  ‘That is correct, Captain.’

  Gibbs turned and left the library.

  • • •

  Gibbs walked out into the cool evening air and across the square to the barges, where his men sat talking. The sun had just gone behind the hill that ran parallel to the River Meuse, and he looked up to the silhouetted shape of the fort. It was going to be an interesting assignment. His men all stood up as he climbed on board.

  ‘Orders, Captain?’ Shredder asked.