“That’s right.”
“Are they Swedes?”
An empty space passed. Finally, Sara answered, “I don’t know.”
“You don’t know the team’s nationality?”
“I do not.”
Raynard sighed. Amateurs! God, he hated working with amateurs. How could she not know who these people were?
“Fine,” he said. “We have no choice but to trust you. Where are we meeting them?”
“They’ll be coming in from Landskrona. Take a boat north, and they’ll meet you. In this weather, there won’t be any other boats out, so they’ll be easy to spot.”
As if to drive home her point, another bolt of lightning lit up the sky. This time Raynard heard the rumble of thunder.
“Okay, sounds good. I’ll contact you when we’re close to Oslo.”
When he’d ended the call, he told his crew, “Looks like help is coming from Sweden—a team of unknown nationality. They’ll meet us out in Oresund in an hour and assist us on our way to Oslo.”
Jules’s eyes lit up. “Great!”
Raynard shrugged. “Great might be too much, seeing as how we’ve lost half the team in half an hour. We’re all that’s left.” He cast his eyes over them all. There was Noah, the driver, Jules, his right-hand man, and Gerard, a mercenary from England. That was it.
But there was still a chance. They still had a shot. The mission was still active. If they could just rally their forces, get to Oslo, and leave their loot, the task would be complete. And that would trigger a bonus of a million each and two for Raynard himself. He gritted his teeth so hard that he tasted metal.
“Here we are,” Noah called out.
Raynard’s stomach fluttered as they turned into the harbor. The rain was a torrent now, and the wind whipped around like an abusive lover. The port was abandoned, not a person in sight.
“Try to get hold of the Swedish boat,” Raynard said, turning to Jules. “Tell the team we’re here, and they can come in and pick us up.”
As Jules went off to call the boat, Raynard glanced at the big red box sitting in the back seat. His thoughts went to the mystery inside it; what could possibly be worth all this trouble? He shook his head. Now wasn’t the time for that. Right now, he and his men needed to get out to the boat as quickly as possible. Out in the open, they were vulnerable. Even now, in the middle of this downpour, there were cameras everywhere filming all they did.
Jules gave him a thumbs-up.
“They’re on their way in, headed toward the quay at the far end.”
Raynard put his hand on Noah’s shoulder and instructed, “Head that way, as far out on the quay as possible.”
Noah nodded and carefully drove the Renault out onto the dock. Out in the sea, lights flickered like so many candles. As the van got closer, the slender contours of a cuddy cabin boat appeared. It was a sweet little Filippetti S75, Raynard noted with interest. But there was no time to admire it.
The team set into motion. While the motorboat pulled closer to the quay, they grabbed their gear and the dark red box and climbed out into the rain. The cuddy drifted to a soft stop, and Raynard waved when a man hopped up on deck and threw them a rope.
“Well done!” Raynard called out.
Once all the equipment was on the boat, Noah closed the van’s doors, jumped in, and drove it back to the main parking lot. Then he ran back and jumped on board the Filippetti. He stepped into the cabin, and Raynard turned to him.
“Everything go okay?”
“Yeah. I parked it in the spot farthest away. They won’t notice it for days.”
“Good. Let’s get out of here.” Raynard signaled to the crew, and the motorboat sped off into the stormy sea.
***
Finally! Mikko raised his fist triumphantly.
“I got it! A traffic camera caught the red Renault on its way to Skovshoved Harbor. Two kilometers.”
Freya glanced over her shoulder at him. “Right or left here at the intersection?” she asked.
“Right.”
Freya turned right and sped up. “We’ll be there in a few minutes.”
Hugo tensed, and his wounded side responded. It was just a dull thump, though. It wouldn’t be a problem.
“Sussie,” he said, “try to access the harbor’s cameras. If we’re lucky, we’ll get a look at them in the picture.”
Sussie nodded. “Okay, I’m checking.”
Freya revved the engine as the seconds passed. There was no time. If the thieves from Magnus’ apartment had managed to escape to sea, their chances of getting away would increase significantly.
Hugo pulled out a handgun, checked it, and then holstered it as his heart pounded in his chest and adrenaline flowed through his limbs. That’s how it was during an assignment. You had to take everything as it came.
A sports car swung in front of them, and Freya blared the horn. “Watch where you’re going!” she yelled, raising a hand incredulously. The other motorist seemed unaware of the van and, once in front, slowed down to a cruising speed. Freya leaned on on the gas, turned into the passing lane, and sped around him.
Hugo winced at Freya’s road rage. He distracted himself by picking up his cell phone and calling Madeleine.
“Hello, this is Madeleine.”
“Hey, it’s me.”
“That was quick.”
“We’re on our way down to Skovshoved Harbor—it’s just north of Copenhagen. Mikko found a traffic camera that saw the Renault down there.”
“Okay.”
“But we’re going to need a boat. Something fast.”
Madeleine was silent as she thought. “Okay,” she said, “let me make a few calls. When do you need it?”
“Now.”
Madeleine moaned. “A little more notice would have been nice.”
Hugo chuckled. “Do what you can. If you aren’t able to secure us a boat, well, the chase will stop here.”
“I’ll call you back in a minute.”
“Fantastic,” Hugo said and ended the call.
“Madeleine’s going to see if she can get us a boat,” he told the others.
Sussie narrowed her eyes. “Can she?”
“We’ll find out.”
“What do we do when we get down to the harbor?” she asked.
Hugo cracked his knuckles absently. “We find their van and secure as many tracks in it as possible until the police arrive.”
Mikko tapped on his window. “It’ll be difficult in this storm.”
“We’ll just have to do the best we can,” Hugo replied.
The team was slightly relieved when they turned into the harbor’s parking lot. There were a few cars parked there, but otherwise, it was abandoned.
“There it is,” Mikko said, pointing out the windshield.
Freya nodded. “Yep, I see it.”
The van was parked alone at the far end of the parking lot, raindrops sparkling on its tinted windows. Hugo grabbed the back of the front passenger seat and pulled himself forward.
“Okay, let’s take a look.”
Freya pulled to a stop ten feet away from the Renault, and Hugo and Mikko jumped out and walked over to it. The rain pelted their faces as the two of them walked around the vehicle.
Mikko looked at Hugo, who nodded. Mikko grabbed the side door, and Hugo drew and aimed his weapon. He nodded again, and Mikko tore the door open. Hugo tensed, ready for an attack, but nothing happened. The darkness inside the car was replaced by dancing shadows when a lamp in the parking lot tore loose in the wind and started swinging back and forth.
Hugo stuck his head inside. Empty. He pointed to the front passenger door, and Mikko pushed it open and peeked inside. Hugo didn’t really want them to have to touch anything, but they needed to see if they could find some kind of clue about who they were after. Mikko pulled his collar up against his neck as the rain continued to lash them.
“See anything?” Hugo asked him.
“No, nothing.”
Hugo sc
anned both the front and back of the van but saw nothing of import. No weapons, no cartridges. They’d left nothing. “They’re professionals, all right,” he murmured.
Mikko nodded, his face dripping. “Apparently so.”
Hugo took a step back and asked, “Can you ask Sussie if we have a fingerprint scanner with us?”
Mikko nodded and ran back to the Sprinter. Soon, he came back holding a small, dark device. He handed it to Hugo, who turned it on. The device was a portable fingerprint scanner and was a marvel of efficiency. It could scan any surface, and if there was a fingerprint there, it would find it. Hugo traced the little machine slowly over the center console, front seat, and dashboards. Nothing showed up. The seconds ticked by as, outside, the storm raged on.
He lifted the scanner up over the steering wheel, and when he’d come all the way around and was about to give up, it flashed. His heart skipped a beat. An infrared image of a fingerprint appeared on the scanner’s small screen.
“We have a hit!”
Mikko chuckled. “Finally!”
Hugo finished scanning the front of the van and then repeated the procedure in the back seat. The scanner found two more prints. “Super. At least now we have something to look for,” he said. Hugo motioned for Mikko to close the doors, and then they both jogged back to their vehicle. Inside, Sussie was ready.
“Did you find anything?”
Hugo grinned. “Three prints,” he replied giddily. “Two of them are just okay, but the last one is perfect.”
Sussie’s face spread open in a smile. “Well done! Here, give me the scanner, and I’ll upload the prints and send them to headquarters for analysis.”
Hugo did, and Sussie started working. A gust of wind nudged the van, and Hugo looked out over the dark water. Even inside the harbor, the waves were high; he could only imagine what it was like out on the open sea.
His phone vibrated in his pocket, and he checked the message.
Boat will be there in five minutes. The captain’s name is Frank. He’s a good friend of mine. He’ll take you wherever you want to go. M.
Hugo clenched his fists. Finally. “Time to go out to sea, ladies and gentlemen.”
9
There was no way out. Madeleine raked her hand over her face and forced three slow, deep breaths. The whole situation was cutting it too close. It was sheer luck that she’d gotten hold of Frank. An old comrade of hers, he’d agreed to pick up Hugo and his team in Copenhagen. But she’d had to use all her persuasive powers to make it happen—and even had to sweeten the offer with payment. She frowned and hoped Hugo knew what he was doing. If this went wrong, the consequences for Novus would be devastating.
Madeleine sat for a few minutes, weighing the pros and cons. Then she picked up her phone and scrolled down her contact list.
A moment later, Magnus was in her ear.
“Any updates?” he asked.
“Yes. Our team followed the thugs to a port north of Copenhagen. We’re arranging to follow them.”
“In this weather?” Magnus sounded surprised.
Madeleine looked out the window. Thick drifts of rain darted down the glass. “No choice,” she replied. “Those creeps are already fifteen minutes ahead.”
“Okay, all right. Any more leads?”
“We’ve secured fingerprints from their van—three of them. We’re analyzing them now. When we have more information about who these people are, we can start identifying the accomplices.”
“Excellent. When do you expect results?”
Madeleine held her breath. No time for fear—it was do or die now.
“Hold on, Magnus,” she said. “We’re doing everything we can to catch the bad guys here, but we need more information about what they took.”
Several seconds of silence passed before Magnus replied, “I can’t give you that.”
“Magnus. If we’re going to be able to handle this for you, we must have more information.”
“No,” he said simply.
Madeleine’s pulse pounded in her ears. “Enough!” she shouted. “I’m not asking; we need to know! Is it something illegal?”
Magnus’ voice was quiet the next time he spoke. “Madeleine, I can’t tell you exactly what it is, but I can say that it’s not illegal. It’s not outside the law.”
Madeleine tried to keep her tone steady. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. Absolutely sure.”
“Okay,” Madeleine said after a moment. “That should be enough for the moment. I’ll be in touch when we know more.”
She ended the call and sat alone with her thoughts. Her brain was a swirling tornado. There was a lot at stake—the very future of Novus itself. She watched her breath as it entered her nostrils, filled her lungs, and ran back out over the back of her throat. One moment at a time, she thought.
Madeleine went to a side table, picked up a remote control, and turned on the TV that hung on the far wall. A reporter faded in on the screen. He was outside in the storm, wearing a rain jacket and holding an umbrella. Flashing his dazzling white smile despite the downpour, the reporter looked earnestly into the camera and lifted a microphone to his mouth.
“This is Tony Stiles from Channel Four, live from Copenhagen. I’m in an upscale neighborhood of the city, standing outside Magnus von Silverstråle’s apartment, where quite a scene unfolded last night.” Tony paused, and his eyes sparkled. This was clearly his first big piece for Channel Four.
He continued, “As we reported earlier, sometime last night, Magnus von Silverstråle’s apartment was broken into. Exactly what the thieves were after is unclear at this time, but more tragic is that at least two, and maybe three, people lost their lives here last night. They were von Silverstråle’s hired guards and were inside the apartment when the burglary took place. At present, we don’t know exactly how the guards lost their lives, but there is word that they were shot.”
A gust of wind grabbed Tony’s umbrella, and he gripped it tightly with both hands. When the wind calmed down, he went on. “This morning, the drama continues in other parts of Copenhagen, as well. We’ve received preliminary reports of shootings in Nordhavn—only a couple kilometers from where I’m standing. Right now, we have no indications that the two events are linked, but it’s easy to speculate that there’s a connection. These events are remarkable and tragic, and the story is developing. The Danish police are conducting an extensive hunt for the culprits. Later, we’ll be talking to a police representative for their take on the matter. When we know more, we’ll report it immediately.”
Tony paused, ensuring that his face conveyed the appropriate level of concern. He cleared his throat. “This is, of course, extremely troublesome for Magnus von Silverstråle, who has called for a press conference today in Oslo. The topic of the press conference has not been released, but there are rumors about the possible merger of Gripen Defense and another large arms group, possibly Stillwater. But, again, that is only speculation at this point. How last night’s events will impact the press conference is unclear.”
Madeleine tapped the table. This meant the media would be covering events like hawks over the next few hours. There would be total surveillance. Sweat trickled down her back, and she crossed her fingers that Hugo and the team had made it on board the boat. Hopefully, they were headed away from Copenhagen. And toward chaos.
***
The darkness was compact, thick enough to swim in. Hugo peered out into the stormy bleakness but saw only a jumble of shadows. Flashes of lightning here and there temporarily dissolved the obscurity, but what he saw in those moments didn’t make him feel more confident. The frothy water rolled back and forth as the southeasterly wind whipped up meter-high waves.
He put his hand on Freya’s tensed-up shoulder.
“You okay?”
Freya nodded, but her face was pale. “I’ll be fine,” she replied stoically.
Hugo gave her shoulder a squeeze and walked over to Frank. The old, white-haired sailor’s furrowed face testif
ied to a life spent out on the open sea. His biceps were thick, and his hands were among the largest Hugo had ever seen. Still, his eyes shone with a self-possessed intelligence, and he looked out into the surrounding blackness with a calm that instilled confidence in Hugo.
“Thank you for doing this,” Hugo said.
Frank considered him for a few seconds, nodded, and turned his gaze back to the stormy sea. He adjusted the course and replied, “Don’t mention it. Madeleine’s an old friend—we’ve known each other since school.” He chuckled. “Plus, she pays well.”
From a sofa behind them, Mikko laughed out loud. “I bet she does!”
Hugo glanced down at the radar screen on the instrument panel. As the green line swept in circles, it continuously drew the contours of the coastline. A lone red dot moved slowly north.
“The speed’s a bit high if we’re going to reach them, but we have no other choice.”
Hugo nodded. “I agree. How far ahead are they?”
“Maybe ten minutes.”
Hugo gritted his teeth. It was going to be tight. It was hard to say how fast their boats were or the top speed they’d be able to maintain. Of course, that may not matter much now that the storm had struck with full force. The yacht heeled, and Hugo grabbed hold of the chair to keep from falling.
Then Sussie shouted, “Freya!”
Freya didn’t respond but clamped her mouth shut, tore open the door, and disappeared onto the deck. Before Hugo could do anything, she was gone.
“Freya!” he called and ran after her. He took the stairs three steps at a time and came out into the whipping storm. The wind roared in his ears, and he felt them pop. Cold rain stuck like needles in his face as the tiny droplets met him horizontally, hard and brutally. A lightning bolt pierced the sky and exposed the foaming sea in its furious power.
He held his hand up to shield his eyes and saw Freya hanging over the railing. He ran up to her and placed his hand on her back as she vomited. When the twitching in her body subsided, she slid back onto the deck and wiped her mouth.
“The sea isn’t my strong suit,” she told him wearily.
The Hugo Xavier Series: Book 1-3 Page 33