Phantom Prospect

by Alex Archer

  Annja brought her leg up to block the thrust and just barely managed to do so. Sheila spun away, bringing the knife back up in front of her.

  “Enough of this,” Annja said. She had the sword manifest itself back in her hands.

  This time, Sheila gasped. “How did you do that?”

  But Annja was already attacking, cutting in and slashing upward at an angle to Sheila’s hip. To Sheila’s credit, she managed to use the Bowie blade to block the initial cut and parried it, but that just led Annja into her next attack and, this time, the blade bit deeply into Sheila’s hip.

  Annja watched as her sword cut in and then streamed through Sheila’s upper torso, cleaving as it went.

  The air exploded with the stench of blood and gore. Sheila started to scream but that was choked off by the upsurge of blood rushing from her mouth.

  She died as she fell, staining the floor in front of Annja and her sword.

  Annja spun as another volley of bullets exploded in front and behind her.

  The other guards!

  Annja was pinned down and had no options. Her own gun had been shattered and Sheila’s gun was damaged. Annja’s only option was the sword.

  She could see the shadows of the advancing guards as they came at her from two opposing points—one from the upper level and one from the lower.

  Annja stepped out into the center of the corridor.

  They reacted as she’d hoped they would. Both of them brought their guns up and opened fire while Annja tucked and dived for the side of the wall.

  She heard two shallow grunts that told her both guards had hit what they had aimed at.

  Each other.

  Annja crawled out and saw they were both down.

  She collapsed and took a moment to get her breathing back to normal. Sweat poured down her face and she was still bleeding steadily. She checked herself over and decided she would live.

  But she needed some help. And soon.

  Annja got to her feet. Henderson was the only one left to deal with.

  She emerged on the lower level and kept her sword up in front of her. There was no telling what Henderson might try if he knew he was the only one left alive.

  In the distance, Annja thought she heard some thing.

  A motor? Was Cole finally on his way back in?

  Annja hoped that he had brought the cavalry with him.

  “That’s far enough, Annja.”

  She turned and saw Henderson standing behind her. The gun he held was aimed right at her heart. He shook his head. “Don’t think about it. I’m quite the marksman and I assure you that I will shoot you if you even so much as blink.”

  Annja heard the motor clearly now.

  So did Henderson. He gestured with the gun. “Now, then, I’d imagine those are your friends come to rescue you. So let’s not be rude, shall we? Let’s go have ourselves a nice visit.”

  37

  Annja walked carefully back down to the dock area, aware as she did so that Henderson stayed just far enough behind her to be out of reach if she chose that moment to attack. And the fact that the hammer was cocked on his pistol meant that he was fully serious about shooting her if he needed to. But right at that moment, he wanted Annja alive.

  “Just keep moving. I don’t want this to take any longer than is absolutely necessary,” he said as they started down the slope to the mooring.

  Annja saw the mechanical shark idle up next to the dock and then Cole emerged followed by Jax, Holly and Tom. Annja frowned. Where were Hunter and Dave?

  Cole’s face initially lit up when he saw Annja, but then he caught a glimpse of Henderson. “I see you weren’t entirely successful,” he said.

  Annja frowned. “I got all the rest of them, for crying out loud. Give me some credit, why don’t you?”

  Henderson cleared his throat. “If you two would stop the idle chatter, I’d very much appreciate it.” He gestured with his gun. “Just so you all know, I’ve got a dead bead on Annja’s heart from back here so please don’t do anything that would precipitate me pulling the trigger. I assure you that I am quite capable of doing so. Even if you manage to get to me, she will die before that happens.”

  No one moved. Finally, Jax spoke up. “So, what would you like us to do now? Just stand here?”

  Henderson spoke quietly to Annja. “She’s not very much on decorum, is she?”

  “Depends on what you define that as,” Annja said. “She doesn’t take bullshit too lightly, though. Better just tell them what you want.”

  Henderson grunted. “Very well. What I want is to get out of here intact. Seeing as I am currently outnumbered, that means a strategic retreat.”

  “I didn’t think that word was in your vocabulary,” Annja said.

  “It’s not normally,” Henderson said, “but I am a prudent fellow. And since you have the strength of numbers right now, I can see the writing on the wall and it is definitely time for me to leave.”

  “Great. Feel free to get going,” Cole said. “No one here will stop you, you have my word.”

  Henderson chuckled. “If only it was that easy. You see, I need something that I left here.”

  “And what’s that?”

  “My nuclear bomb.”

  Cole glanced at Annja. Annja grimaced and hoped he read that as “Do not say a thing about the fake bomb.”

  Luckily, Cole seemed to get the message and just nodded. “So, go ahead and get it. We won’t stop you.”

  “Yes, well, I am a bit long in years and no longer possess the strength needed to move it. That said, I’d appreciate it if you and that fellow there could help move it onto the submarine. Then I’ll be on my way.”

  Cole glanced at Tom and shook his head. “My friend isn’t feeling too well. Choose someone else.”

  “I choose him,” Henderson said. “Now he either helps you or else I’ll put a bullet in your friend’s heart. Your decision.”

  “Well, when you put it like that.” Cole looked at Tom. “You up for it?”

  Tom shrugged. “What choice do I have?”

  “That’s the spirit,” Henderson said. He nudged Annja. “If we could just move closer to the dock while the rest of your party comes up the slope and away from me, then I’ll know there’s no monkey business about to take place.”

  Jax, Tom, Holly and Cole moved past them while Henderson kept Annja between them. Then Henderson backed down the slope and stood on the dock with Annja still in front of him.

  “There, that wasn’t so difficult, was it?” He turned to Cole. “Now, you and the young man there go and fetch my bomb. Stow it aboard and I’ll be off.”

  Cole and Tom headed to the lower level. Annja shifted a little bit.

  Henderson poked her in the back. “Stand still, Annja. I don’t want to shoot you just yet.”

  It took Cole and Tom just over twenty minutes to bring the yellow case back down the slope, grunting and heaving as they did so. Henderson chuckled as they struggled with it. “Be careful. I assure you that cost me a great sum of money to have built.”

  “I hope you got your money’s worth,” Annja said.

  “Actually,” Henderson said. “I didn’t. As you could obviously tell, it didn’t detonate. So now I’ll have to take it with me and have someone examine it to find out what went wrong. I’m assuming you didn’t tamper with it?”

  Annja sniffed. “I’m a dirt digger, not an atomic-weapons specialist.”

  “Indeed.” Henderson called out to Cole. “Can you and the young fellow get that on board?”

  “We’ll have to come down there,” Cole replied.

  “Do so, then.”

  Cole looked at Tom and nodded. They hefted the bomb and carried it farther down the slope. At the dock they stepped onto the gangway and then eased the bomb up and through the conning tower hatch.

  Annja watched them while Henderson kept her in front of his body as a shield. Cole and Tom emerged a few seconds later.

  Cole looked at Henderson. “We left it on
the bridge.”

  “That’s fine. All the easier to get off when I reach my people again.”

  Cole flexed his hands. “All right, we did as you asked. Now let Annja go and get the hell out of here.”

  Henderson shook his head. “It’s not that easy.”

  “Seems like it would be to me,” Cole said. He took a step and Henderson shot him in the thigh.

  Cole screamed and went down to one knee. Annja started forward to help him but Henderson’s voice was sharp in her ear. “Not so fast, Annja. Stay where you are.”

  Blood poured out of Cole’s leg. Annja wondered if the bullet had struck the femoral artery. If it had, then Cole needed immediate medical attention. Tom hadn’t moved.

  Henderson turned to Jax. “You and the other girl can see to your friend. I expect he’ll need a great deal of pressure to stop that wound.”

  Jax and Holly moved to Cole and got him off the deck of the submarine. He grunted as they laid him down on the dock. Jax examined the wound and her face looked pale. “You nicked his artery by the look of this.”

  “Shame, isn’t it. You see what happens when you don’t do as I tell you? People get wounded.”

  Jax put direct pressure on Cole’s inner thigh and glared at Henderson. “What do you want us to do now?”

  “I’m leaving,” Henderson said.

  “So go.”

  “While I’m sure I’ve given you something to occupy yourselves in my absence, I can’t risk leaving anyone behind who might feel inclined to come after me. So I’m taking some insurance.”

  Annja’s stomach ached. Great, she thought. I know where this is going.

  Henderson spoke again. “Annja will come with me, as will that fellow there.” He pointed at Tom.

  Jax shook her head. “We need Tom’s help to take care of Cole.”

  “It wasn’t a request,” Henderson said. “He either comes with me or he dies here right now.”

  Tom looked at Jax. “Forget about me, just take care of Cole.” He stepped forward and looked at Annja with a blank expression.

  Annja frowned. “He’s not necessary. You’ve got me, Henderson. Leave him behind.”

  “I need someone to drive the submarine while I keep you under guard,” Henderson said. “Besides, two is better than just one for insurance, anyway, don’t you think?”

  “Depends,” Annja said. “But it’s your boat, so tell me what you want us to do.”

  “You’re going on board first, followed by Tom. When I come down, I want you both back against the far side of the bridge. Any trouble and I’ll shoot you.”

  “You’re going to kill us, anyway,” Annja said.

  “If I get to my destination intact with the bomb, then you might just live. No guarantees, of course.”

  Annja frowned. “Fine.” She climbed up the conning tower and down onto the bridge of the submarine. Tom followed a few seconds later and stood with her while Henderson clambered down.

  He kept the gun on them the entire time. As he entered the bridge, he shifted position and then pointed at Tom. “Lock the hatch.”

  Tom went up the conning tower and secured the hatch. Then he dropped back down and Henderson nodded. “Get us out of here.”

  Annja frowned. Something was wrong. What was going on?

  Tom took his seat at the controls and started punching buttons. Instantly, the motors kicked in. After a second, he looked at Henderson. “Ready.”

  Henderson smiled. “Excellent. Get us under way.”

  Annja felt the submarine shift and pull away from the dock. Tom guided it.

  Henderson noticed the look on Annja’s face. “I think Annja is a bit confused.”

  Tom glanced up. “She hasn’t figured it out.”

  Henderson laughed. “May as well tell her.”

  Tom shrugged. “I work for Henderson.”

  Annja shook her head. “That’s impossible. How would you even have known that we’d end up in Nova Scotia?”

  Henderson laughed. “Haven’t you learned that I’m a man who likes to cover my bets? We’ve had our spies looking after Hunter for a while now. And that meant we needed someone positioned with Cole, as well. Tom here was the perfect candidate for keeping an eye on him, in case Hunter fulfilled his potential.”

  Annja shook her head. “I’m still not getting this.”

  Henderson sighed. “Perhaps I gave you too much credit for being an intelligent woman.”

  “Go to hell.”

  Tom steered the submarine around and throttled up the motors. “Two minutes until we clear the tunnel and the cavern.”

  Henderson nodded. “Excellent.” He looked back at Annja. “Hunter’s treasure quest for the Fantome has been well known by us for several years.”

  “I didn’t think he even knew about it until recently.”

  “Not true,” Henderson said. “He’s actually been quite vocal about his belief that the Fantome held a good supply of booty from the War of 1812.”

  “I thought you didn’t care about the treasure,” Annja said.

  “Well, I don’t really. The material goods mean little to me. However, when we discovered the vein of oil located here, we needed a convenient patsy to use as cover while we moved our teams of workers in.”

  “But I thought you wanted Hunter scared off the wreck—hence, the mechanical shark.”

  Henderson nodded. “We wanted him scared enough to stay out of the water but not so terrified that he left. That would mean someone else might wander into our area and we’d have to deal with them.”

  Annja frowned. “It’s too sloppy. You’re not telling me something.”

  Henderson smiled. “Well, there’s one little thing we’re leaving out.”

  “What?”

  Henderson looked at Tom. “Did you get it?”

  Tom nodded and reached around his neck, removing a chain.

  Annja caught her breath. “The crucifix.”

  “Tom here’s been diving each night while the rest of you slept. My mechanical sharks ensured that he was left unmolested while he searched the wreckage for this.”

  Annja shook her head. “Cole trusted you, Tom.”

  He shrugged. “So what?”

  Annja looked at Henderson. “That’s why you didn’t care about the death and destruction. You’ve got the crucifix.”

  “And now I’m immortal,” Henderson said.

  “That’s just a legend,” Annja said.

  “Like your sword?” Henderson asked. “We’ll soon find out, anyway.”

  “How?”

  Henderson pointed at Tom. “Put the crucifix back on.”

  Tom put it on and then looked at Henderson. “We’ll clear the tunnel in one minute.”

  “Excellent. Once we clear that tunnel, Annja, you’ll be glad we’re in this submarine. The pressure would kill you otherwise.”

  Henderson turned and pointed the pistol at Tom’s back. “Time now to see if this crucifix really works.”

  Then he fired the gun.

  38

  Tom’s body spasmed in the chair as the round punched through his back and entered his heart, spraying blood out of the front of his chest and onto the instrument panel in front of him. Tom fell sideways out of his chair and abruptly jerked the steering wheel to the right and down.

  The sub responded instantly and both Annja and Henderson pitched headlong toward the deck. Tom’s body fell and his blood made the deck suddenly very slippery.

  Henderson righted himself and yanked the steering column back and the sub leveled again.

  Annja got up off the floor and saw that Henderson still aimed his pistol at her while he kept the other hand on the steering column. “Easy, Annja. Easy does it, girl.”

  “I don’t like being called ‘girl,’” Annja said.

  He nodded. “I don’t really care at this moment. I’m far more concerned that the crucifix doesn’t seem to have worked.”

  “Well, you can’t put your faith in these little sideshow artifacts, can
you? Better to trust in yourself, I’d think.” Annja cast a sideways glance at Tom’s corpse and noted that he still wore the crucifix around his neck.

  “I wonder if there’s some sort of trick to it.” Henderson frowned. “Take it from around Tom’s neck.”

  Annja shook her head. “I prefer not to desecrate the dead. It’s kind of sacrilegious and all.”

  “I could just shoot you and be done with it. I can steer this sub myself and do quite a good job of it.”

  Annja leaned down and scooped the crucifix from around Tom’s neck. She didn’t feel anything special when she slid it over her head and around her neck, but then again, what else was new?

  “There. Happy now?”

  Henderson frowned. “Feel anything…remarkable?”

  “Not a damned thing.”

  Henderson leveled his pistol at her. “Perhaps I should shoot you and see if I get the same result as poor Tom there.”

  “I see you’re all broken up about killing him. You must have a real problem with employee retention.”

  “Tom served his purpose and that purpose is now at an end. I’m a pragmatic man, Annja. I don’t drag out goodbyes, but I do appreciate his service.”

  “I’ll bet.”

  Henderson took a moment to set the autopilot on the submarine and then backed away from the instrument panel, giving himself a better drop on Annja. “So, what am I to do here? I was told that crucifix would grant the wearer immortality and now it appears I’ve been hoodwinked.”

  “It wouldn’t be the first time,” Annja said.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Annja pointed at the bomb. “Your precious nuke there. Did you wonder why it didn’t explode?”

  “I assumed you’d somehow disarmed it, although I must confess I thought such a thing was well beyond your skill level.”

  “Thanks for the confidence.” Annja shook her head. “I did disarm it. But that’s not the whole story.”

  “What is?”

  “That’s not a nuclear device.”

  Henderson laughed. “You’re lying. Of course it is.”

  “Nope. I think the scientist you murdered after he made this for you actually got the last laugh. He made you a dud. There’s no nuclear material in there, at least none primed to explode. He might have sprinkled some dust around it so you got a nice read from your Geiger counters, but that’s no nuclear bomb.”