Joe Hawke Series Boxsets 4

by Rob Jones

  “Excellent news,” Ryan said. “At least we all know now how and when we’re all going to die.”

  Lexi play slapped his shoulder and smiled. “Idiot.”

  “I aim to please.”

  “You said it’s the entire top floor,” Lea said. “Helipad?”

  Eden nodded. “Not one but two, one at either end of the roof. Both guarded around the clock by former Green Berets.”

  “This joker doesn’t take any chances,” Hawke said. “But do we know where exactly he keeps the ring?”

  “We certainly do,” Eden said. “The same place he’s kept it since the day he bought it – on his ring finger.”

  Hawke exchanged a look with the rest of the team and saw they were all thinking the same thing he was. “I think when I speak for everyone when I say, oh bugger.”

  “Exactly.”

  “Just like Jojima,” Zeke said.

  Hawke watched the faces of the other team members. They looked tired and the usual energy that crackled in any room they filled seemed weaker now. They were closer than ever to their goal of finding the Citadel, but they all knew that a man like Kozlov was hardly going to roll over and hand them the ring.

  And worse than that, they didn’t even know where the other rings were.

  The Rings of Romulus, Remus and King Sudas in India were still out there somewhere.

  Even if they got the ring from Kozlov, the Oracle could be securing them right now. It was a difficult time full of uncertainty for the team but they had no choice but to keep on keeping on. Never give up, never give in. He repeated the words to himself, muttering them under his breath like a mantra.

  Never give up, never give in.

  If he showed weakness now the whole team could crumble.

  Since Eden’s injury they had all started to look up to him more and more as their leader. He had leadership experience in both the Royal Marines as an officer and later as a sergeant in the SBS so he knew what was expected of him, but this was different. ECHO was different – it was more like a family than anything he had ever known.

  Lea was his fiancée now, for one thing and Eden had become a sort of father figure sitting at the top of the family tree. Ryan sometimes felt like a son to him, or at the very least a wayward younger brother. And if Ryan was the younger brother then Reaper was like an older brother, gnarled and cynical but with a heart of pure gold. He’d slept with both Scarlet and Lexi but there was no awkwardness – both women were too strong and confident for anything like that. Maybe one day even Zeke and Nikolai would feel like family – if they chose to stick around after all this craziness.

  And if they survived the terrible bloodshed he knew was racing toward them all.

  “All right,” he said firmly. “We put together a plan and we get the ring from Kozlov.”

  He stretched his neck and looked out the porthole. Bright sunshine glittered on the endless Pacific and to the east, Sin City beckoned them like the most dangerous, sexiest siren in the whole damned and jaded world.

  *

  The Oracle did not know how long he had been staring at the flame. Beneath a tendril of gray smoke, its iridescent curves bent and twisted in the otherwise darkened room. When the door opened and Salazar stepped into the inner sanctum, the flame flickered for a few seconds, fighting for its life against the breeze from the hall.

  A deep breath in, and a longer, slower exhalation. Count to ten. Never let the rage rise.

  “What do you want, my loyal servant?”

  “They got the ring.”

  He felt his eyes close. “Which one?”

  “The one in Hawaii.”

  Never let the rage rise.

  “So now they have four of the rings and we have none?”

  Salazar swallowed hard. “Yes, sir.”

  They both heard the attempt to quell the rage in the Oracle’s long, heavy sigh. “How did this happen?”

  “He climbed on board a moving aircraft as it rolled down the runway, opened the door with the emergency external lever and then shot his way inside the cockpit during its take-off.”

  “And by he,” he growled, “you mean Josiah Hawke?”

  “Of course. Benedict, Stefanus and Boaz are all dead.”

  He opened his eyes and turned his wrinkled face to the nervous acolyte at his side. “Maybe I should induct him into the Order and get rid of the rest of you useless fools?”

  “With all respect, sir…”

  Everyone in the Order knew what the raised hand of the Oracle meant, and it meant immediate silence. To challenge the command would be suicide and both men in the room knew it.

  “I like you Salazar. You are a good acolyte, a good, loyal servant. My loyal apprentice.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “But don’t bring me any more news of failure or I will be forced to reconsider my evaluation of you.”

  “Yes sir. I’m arranging more acolytes to pursue the rings as we speak.”

  “Who?”

  “Ignatius.”

  “And his number two?”

  “Absalom.”

  “A good choice. Yin and yang, black and white. The ruthless, surgical cruelty and depraved genius of Ignatius, and the wild animal madness of Absalom. I am certain this combined force cannot fail me again.”

  “No, sir. I am confident they will secure the location of the Citadel.”

  The flame burned hard, now more than halfway through the thick, black candle on the desk. The old man felt his shoulders tighten a little as the tension in his muscles increased.

  “Your words do not fill me with confidence, considering how poor your men have been at locating and securing the rings for us so far.”

  “I will not fail you again, Oracle.”

  “If you do, it will be your last failure.”

  Salazar felt the temperature in the room drop as his leader delivered the icy reprimand. His skin crawled and his mouth dried up like dead wood as he fought to contain the terrible fear so easily struck into his heart by the monstrous man whose eyes he was avoiding at all costs.

  The Oracle was not concerned by the prosaic concerns of his underling. Rising to his level in the Order came with many rewards, but also with many risks and upsetting the boss was chief among them.

  He blew out the candle and the room plunged into semi-darkness with only a streak of moonlight on the far wall for illumination.

  “This is my destiny, Salazar.”

  “Closer than ever, sir.”

  “Closer than ever, indeed. Those our people worshipped as gods lived in the Citadel for millennia and it is in that place that we will find our destiny. Their knowledge, their technology, their weapons… All so far ahead of us today it would look like black magic to the greatest scientists of our time.”

  “I have waited an entire lifetime to witness it, sir.”

  “As have I, Salazar,” the old man croaked. “Many, many years.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  An hour after landing in Las Vegas, Hawke watched Scarlet win her third hand of blackjack. She slid her chips into the tray, winked at the croupier and strolled over to him with a cold beer in her hand. Lea and Reaper were at the bar and Lexi and Ryan had gone back outside for another walk around the block and then back to the getaway car. After causing much interest at the security checkpoint, the robed Russian monk Nikolai and his Texan tank commander friend Zeke had gone to check out the roulette tables.

  “Not bad for five minutes,” Scarlet said. “Won a thousand bucks.”

  Hawke couldn’t resist a smile. “But can you keep it up?”

  “Yes,” she said, glancing at his crotch with a withering sigh. “And just as well one of us can, too.”

  “Funny.”

  “Tell me, you spend half your life in these places – how long till they come and throw you out?”

  She considered for a moment. “Depends on the casino, but it’s not like you see in the movies. I’ve watched people bet a quarter of a million dollars on a hand of ba
ccarat and win and not get cut off.”

  Hawke’s eyes widened like two full moons. “Bloody hell, I’m in the wrong game!”

  “That’s nothing, darling. I once played a shoe of baccarat where someone won twenty million dollars.”

  “And the casino let him keep playing?”

  She gave him her best aww look. “You don’t keep playing after winning twenty million bucks, Joe.”

  “I guess not.” His eyes were now glazed over and dreamy as he thought about winning that much money in one day.

  Or in one lifetime.

  “Money like that, crazy…”

  Scarlet twirled the unlit cigarette in her fingers. “But that’s just how the whales live.”

  “Whales?”

  “High rollers – people who always make large bets. Jesus – you really are green. I could tell you stories that would blow you away.”

  “I’m all ears.”

  She shook her head and laughed. “My favorite is when the Australian tycoon Kerry Packer was playing at a table right here in Vegas. A Texan walked up to him and asked if he could join him at the table and Packer said no. The Texas got pissed off with him and told him he was worth a hundred million dollars. So Packer, who was a billionaire back when it really meant something, turns, takes a coin out of his pocket and casually says to him, I’ll toss you for it. Texan guy disappeared in a hurry,” She laughed and shook her head. “Oh, I love that one.”

  Hawke laughed. “Yes, it does seem very you.”

  “And what’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Nothing, just don’t tell Zeke. He might not like it, coming from Texas and all.”

  “Time to go back to work,” she said. “If we’re still sure the best way is for me to get caught cheating, right?”

  “It is.”

  “I want it on the record I don’t need to cheat to win.”

  Another smile. “Noted, but you do need to cheat to attract the attention of the security and cause a diversion. I’m guessing a man like Kozlov has a fairly low threshold for tolerating losses, so it won’t be long and then me, Reap, Lea and Kolya are going up to the penthouse.”

  He recalled Nikolai from the roulette tables and told Zeke to get ready for his walk-on part as he watched Scarlet go back to the blackjack table. Walking over to the bar, he met Lea, Reaper and Nikolai and ordered some bottled water and waited again. Even he could see Scarlet was counting cards now, and pretty soon the security started to respond.

  There were only two of them, which Scarlet had already told him was standard for throwing a card counter out. They were big guys who looked like they’d been inflated with bicycle pumps, shoe-horned into tight-fitting suits and all dressed up in shades and ear pieces and crew cuts.

  They spoke into their palm mics for a few seconds as they loitered behind a wall of fruit machines and then they obviously got the order to throw her out and started to saunter over to the blackjack tables.

  “Everyone check their packs?”

  They all had done, and now he, Lea, Reaper and Nikolai slipped the slim packs onto their backs. Hawke stepped away from the bar and casually raised his wrist to his mouth. “They’re on their way over to you, Cairo.”

  She gave the signal that she had understood him by tucking her hair behind her ears, and moments later the security guards were all over her. “Ma’am, we’re going to have to ask you to leave.”

  “What for!?”

  “You know why. You’re counting cards.”

  “Time to heat things up,” Hawke said. “Zeke, you’re on…”

  Zeke set his glass down and walked over to Scarlet and the guards. “What the hell’s going on here?”

  “Who are you?”

  “I’m her husband!” Zeke said.

  As soon as he said the words, Scarlet slapped Zeke’s face as hard as she could.

  Genuinely shocked by the power of the blow, the Texan rubbed his bright red cheek and looked at her with a sly sideways glance. “Son of a bitch!”

  “And if you think that’s all you’re getting, you cheating bastard then you can think again!”

  He raised his palms. “I’m so sorry, baby!” he said in his Texan drawl. “I never meant to hurt you!”

  “You’re a lying, cheating bastard!”

  Hawke and the others kept their distance, just close enough to help them if needed but far enough away so no one guessed they were together.

  A crowd gathered around the fighting couple.

  The guards sighed. “I don’t care about your personal life. You were cheating the casino and you’re out.”

  “And on our honeymoon, too!” Scarlet yelled.

  Zeke gave her a look, not expecting such good improv from the Englishwoman.

  The crowd booed and started shouting insults at him.

  “He cheated on you on your honeymoon?” one woman asked.

  Scarlet gave a sad nod. “With twins.”

  Jaws dropped and a wave of disgusted gasps and groans rippled around the fruit machine area. “That is just gross,” someone called out.

  Zeke gave her a look. Thanks, he thought, but he knew he had to play along. “Hey, I never meant nothing by it!”

  A man in a black cowboy hat stepped out of the crowd, arms crossed over his bulging chest. “You disgust me, man.”

  The show was working. Several of the security officers from the penthouse elevator now wandered over to see what the fuss was about. There was a lot of talking on palm mics and above their heads CCTV cameras swiveled and zoomed into the fracas.

  “And I’m pregnant, too.”

  “Woah!”

  “You need a lesson on how to treat women, boy,” said the man in the black cowboy hat. He stepped closer and smacked one fist into his palm to demonstrate was he had in store for him.

  “There’s not going to be any of that in here,” one of the security guards said firmly. “You’re both banned for life from the Castillo.”

  Another more senior security guard walked over. “What’s going on? Clear this area!”

  “My wife’s gone fricking insane,” Zeke said.

  “I just found out he cheated on me!”

  “I don’t give a rat’s ass,” the guard said. “You’re taking this shit outside right now or I’m calling the cops.”

  He grabbed Scarlet’s arm, and she pretended to struggle. “I’m pregnant!”

  The man softened his grip and slowed down, but continued to steer her toward the door as the other two security guards took hold of Zeke, an arm each, and drag him out of the fruit machine area. “You’re outta here, boy.”

  Scarlet swiveled as far as she could and was just in time to see Hawke and his team slipping into the penthouse elevator.

  Job done.

  Now they had to pray they could finish the job and get the ring off Kozlov’s chubby finger and bust out of here before he sent an army of Russian Mafia after them.

  Finally they reached the main entrance and the man pushed Scarlet out of the front doors and off of the casino’s property. “Like I said, you’re banned for life.”

  “Suits me.”

  The other two guards hurled Zeke out into the street with less finesse. “You too, man. I see your sorry ass in here again and it’s cop time… if you’re lucky. You hear me?”

  “Yes, sir I do!” Zeke said with a two fingered salute.

  Scarlet looked through the open doors and watched as the penthouse elevator doors slide smoothly shut. They were in.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  Hawke and the rest of the team stepped into the private elevator and ordered it up to the penthouse suite on the top floor. Kozlov’s ring was the fifth part of the puzzle, but the ancient gods weren’t going to give up all their secrets without a fight. Even with all five rings put together in various different combinations, they doubted any of the lines and other markings would make any sense at all until the whole set of eight was together.

  When the elevator reached the top floor and the doors pin
ged opened, Hawke led the small team along a plush, carpeted corridor until they reached the main living area. Guns drawn into the aim, Lea, Reaper and Nikolai were at his side as he swung around into the formal living room.

  Empty.

  He beheld a hideous place of tiger hide rugs complete with head mounts and snarling jaws, pink diamond chandeliers, a Porsche pool table and a full-size roulette wheel. The faint smell of cannabis drifted in the air, and a bottle of flat, warm undrunk champagne was on top of a table near the window.

  Seeing one of the tiger rugs, Nikolai looked at the beast’s dead face with disgust. “These things are an abomination.”

  Lea nodded. “I’m with you on that one.”

  “Moi aussi,” Reaper said, cracking his knuckles. “I don’t think I’m going to like this Kozlov.”

  Hawke gave an absent-minded nod as they progressed deeper in the suite. He was pretty certain he wasn’t going to like him either, but they had to meet him first and there was still no sign of the big boss or any of his goons. Moving into the study and still no luck. He noticed a paneled door behind the desk. It was ajar. Stepping closer, he opened it and they found themselves inside the tycoon’s study. Tastelessly furnished in brightly colored leather and with a long bookcase on one wall, an open sliding door led out to a deep balcony.

  “He’s not hiding out in here either.”

  “I’m not hiding anywhere.”

  They all heard the thick Russian accent, and then they saw the man himself. Kozlov stepped into the study from the balcony. Two men with guns stepped in after him. As calm and casual as if he were ordering from a wine list, the tycoon started speaking. “Who are you and what do you want?”

  “Drop your guns!” Hawke said.

  “I think not.”

  “You’re outnumbered.”

  “Again, I think not.” As he spoke, the bookcase slid open to reveal two more men, both armed with submachine guns. “It is you who is outnumbered. Drop your guns.”