“It has to be him. It all makes sense now.” She looked up at Venom and smiled, her teeth stained with blood from the inside of her mouth. “He’s got you chasing your tails. So focused on us that you don’t know what’s really going on.”
Fiona raised her fist to deliver another punch, but Venom held up his hand. “That’s quite enough.”
“But—”
“Fiona, I said that’s enough,” said Venom.
Fiona grunted, but complied. She lowered her arm and stepped back, leaning against the mirror. Venom stood in front of Tauna and stared down at her.
“Who are you talking about? Where is my drive?”
“You know who,” said Tauna. “Ask yourself, Johnny—who hates both Dante and the Cabal?”
Venom shook his head. “No, impossible. He’s dead.”
“That’s what we all thought,” said Tauna. “Because he wanted us to think that. He’s had years to work in the shadows without anyone on his tail. He’s the only person who could have possibly acquired the information on that drive.”
“So you know what’s on it?”
“I haven’t seen the files. But given how desperate the Agency is to get their hands on it, it doesn’t seem like too much of a leap to figure out what it contains,” said Tauna. “It incriminates them, doesn’t it? The Cabal.”
“What’s she talking about, boss?” asked Fiona.
“Quiet,” Venom told his bodyguard. Then to Tauna, “You’re sure it’s him?”
“Have I gotten visual confirmation? No. But the methods used, he’s the only one who makes sense. He’s got the Agency and Infernum chasing after each other while advancing his own plot. This has Virgil’s handwriting all over it.”
“Virgil?” asked Fiona.
“Nevermind that,” said Venom. “Just keep an eye on her. I have to make a call."
***
Johnny Venom stepped out of the room and took his cell phone out of his jacket pocket. He dialed one of the saved numbers and waited until he heard Chandler’s voice on the other end.
“Where did you get your intel from?” asked Venom.
“You mean about that drive?” asked Chandler.
“Of course I mean that, what else would I be talking about?”
“I don’t know.”
Venom scoffed. “You don’t know?”
“No, it was received through back-channels. Old, Cold War-style spy stuff. It was enough to spook not only myself, but the Cabal as well. And with the suspicion surrounding Marco, it seemed like a great way to get Infernum out in the open.”
Venom grunted. “You stupid bastard. Now you’ve gotten me mixed up in this as well.”
“Excuse me?”
“We’ve been chasing the wrong man,” said Venom. “The drive belongs to Virgil. And he’s using it to screw us all over.”
CHAPTER 16
The dark-haired man leaned against the hood of his convertible, sunglasses shielding his eyes from the Florida sun. He wore a cream-colored suit, but the heat caused him to leave the tie behind and to keep the collar unbuttoned. The airfield’s tarmac was almost completely empty—Dante chose this place for a reason.
He squinted as he stared into the distance, trying to make out the dark spot he saw against the blue sky. The small plane quickly came into view, descending towards the black tarmac. The landing gear emerged and the plane effortlessly reached the ground, decreasing its speed as it continued on its path down the runway.
It came to a stop not far from his car and he stood upright, stuffing his hands into his pockets. He approached the plane just as the hatch opened and the stairs were extended. The man who emerged wore a short-sleeved, button-down shirt and also had on a pair of sunglasses. His only luggage was a simple duffle bag suspended by a strap around his shoulder.
“Jack Marco,” said the man in the suit as Marco stepped off the final step and onto the tarmac. He spoke with an English accent and there was a charming quality to his smile as he offered his hand.
“You’re the man Dante sent?” asked Marco, accepting the handshake.
He nodded. “The name’s Dalton Moore. Come on, we have work to do.”
Dalton gestured to the car and Marco followed him. A push of a button on Dalton’s keypad caused the trunk to open and Marco slid his bag inside, then closed down the lid. Dalton took the driver’s seat and Marco sat by his side.
“So you’re Infernum?” asked Marco.
“Of course not. Although not for lack of trying.” Dalton turned over the engine and shifted the car into gear. He stepped on the gas and sped along the tarmac, driving for the exit. “Dante tried to get me to come on permanently but I wasn’t having it. Did one job for him and that was plenty.”
“So why are you doing this one?” asked Marco.
Dalton pulled out of the airfield and onto the main country road. This area was quite secluded, which made it perfect for an Infernum operative to fly in and out of.
“Tauna’s the reason,” said Dalton.
Marco raised his head up and opened his mouth wide in realization. “Ahh yeah, I remember you now. The thief who hit Venom in Istanbul, right?”
Dalton gave a nod. “And was chased to Budapest, yes. Lost my best friend on that job.”
“Baxter Sutton, right?” asked Marco.
Dalton’s face darkened as he gave a nod. Baxter Sutton was a computer hacker, used to work with Dalton on a number of jobs. Until he betrayed Dalton to the Agency and was offered a position with them.
“If it makes you feel any better, he’s dead,” said Marco.
“It doesn’t.” Dalton said nothing for about another minute. Then he asked, “How did he die?”
“He was part of an Agency unit that was in Russia. Got killed by our people.”
“Do you know what he was doing in Russia?”
“That chemical weapon you destroyed? He and his team were after its creator,” said Marco. “The Agency wanted to replicate it.”
“Hmph.” Dalton stepped on the gas, increasing the car’s speed. “Serves the bastard right.”
“You and Tauna then?” asked Marco. “She worked with you on that one, didn’t she?”
Dalton gave a nod. “I was pretty pissed when I got a message from Dante. But as soon as he mentioned Tauna’s name, I had to see what he needed. No way was I going to let that woman rot in an Agency prison, even if it meant slumming for Infernum one last time.”
Dalton glanced at Marco out of the corner of his eye. “So how’s this work anyway? I assume you’ve some sort of a plan?”
“I do, kind of.”
Dalton scoffed. “Kind of?”
“Relax, it’s fine.” Marco took out his phone and checked his messages. “Jackal’s our tech back-up. He can handle a lot of the automated security. So we only really have to worry about the guards.”
“Ahh yes, just dealing with security personnel armed with enough firepower to overthrow a small country,” said Dalton. “What’s there to worry about?”
“I’ve got enough guns for both of us in the bag, we can handle it,” said Marco. “Once we’re able to tap into their CCTV system, Jackal can guide us.”
“Did you say guns?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Dante didn’t tell you?”
Marco gave his new partner a curious look. “Tell me what?”
Dalton let out a chuckle. “Oh, that’s just like him.”
“What is it?”
“I don’t kill,” said Dalton.
“Dalton Moore you said, right? That’s not what I remember of your record.”
“Your records are out of date,” said Dalton. “I left that behind long ago when I stopped working for British intelligence. Now it’s strictly non-lethal means.”
Marco sighed. “That figures. You’re not going to stop me from killing anyone I hope?”
“So long as you don’t expect me to pull the trigger, do as you like, friend.”
Marco draped his arm along the top of th
e door. He watched the scenery go by in silence. Julie was still out there somewhere and Marco wondered just what her role in all this was. Dante seemed to know something about whoever was behind this, but he kept quiet. And that disturbed the double-agent.
Maybe this was going to be the end of the Agency. Marco certainly hoped so. Once they finished off the Agency, he could leave Infernum and this entire life behind him. He agreed to act as Dante’s mole inside the Agency because he’d discovered the truth of what they were up to. Was he really doing the right thing, or simply trading one devil for another?
He longed for the day when he no longer had to answer those questions.
CHAPTER 17
Dante sat on the terrace, the ice cubes clinking in his glass as he raised the tumbler to sip his scotch. Through the sunglasses, he stared out over the ocean. This was certainly a peaceful place. He was tempted to offer to buy it off his friend. But of course, he still had his own private island and a nice view to himself. Something about this felt different, though.
He could sense the presence behind him. And he knew exactly who it was. Dante took another sip of his drink and then set the glass on the table beside him. He took the gold cigarette case and Zippo from the table. Dante drew a cigarette from the case and placed it between his lips.
“Once you went after Tauna, I knew it had to be you. At first, I thought you’d made a mistake by tipping your hand.”
Dante lit the cigarette, then returned the case and lighter to the table. He rose to his feet and slowly turned around to face a man he’d thought dead long ago, A tall man with short, dark hair and blue eyes.
“But then I realized—you wanted me to know it was you at that moment. That was your announcement to me, wasn’t it, Virgil?” asked Dante.
“It was,” said Virgil, leaning against the open door. He glanced back inside the house. “I see Carlton’s still working for you.”
“Loyalty is a hard thing to come by.”
Virgil narrowed his eyes. “Oh trust me, I know all about that, old friend.”
“See you changed your face,” said Dante. “Pity medical science still can’t do anything about the eyes. Best we can hope for is colored contacts.”
“Didn’t have much choice, you see. After that little prank when you blew up my plane, I suffered some injuries.” Virgil shook his head. “You’ve had this coming for quite a long time, Dante.”
Dante picked up the cigarette case. “Care for a smoke?”
“Don’t mind if I do.” Virgil stepped closer and accepted the case from Dante’s outstretched hand. He took a cigarette from the case and held it in his mouth. Before he could ask about a lighter, Dante already had the Zippo open and snapped his thumb along the flint wheel. Virgil held the cigarette over the tiny flame and pulled away once he could taste the smoke.
“Sorry about your face.” Dante placed the cigarette case and the lighter in his pants pocket. “I didn’t want to kill you, you know.”
“Right, of course you didn’t,” said Virgil.
“I’m being serious. You were too willing to compromise the values we’d agreed to run Infernum with,” said Dante. “And I couldn’t allow that. I couldn’t stand by while assholes like Morimoto continued exploiting the Taunas of the world.”
“You’ve definitely a point there,” said Virgil. “But I think it goes far beyond that. You were never much good at sharing, Dante. Sharing credit, sharing resources, you were always a selfish bastard.”
“Is that what you think?”
“You’ve always been that way. You were a shit partner when we worked for the Agency and you were a shit partner when we went rogue.”
“If I was such shit, why the fuck did you want to join me?”
“I thought I could keep a handle on you, that you could change.”
“Happy to disappoint you.”
Virgil scoffed. “Cheeky bastard, aren’t you?”
Dante took a drag on the cigarette, pulling the smoke deep into his lungs. He exhaled slowly and then said, “I’ve figured most of it out. You kidnapped Draconi to get my attention. The drive you sent to Julie Kim was further meant to pique my interest. But I don’t see the endgame. So would you be a doll and explain your evil plan already?”
Virgil chuckled before sucking on the end of the filter. “Oh, I won’t be explaining that just yet. Far more exciting for you to wait and see how it all plays out. I so hate spoilers, don’t you?”
“I’m not too keen on surprises.”
“Unless you’re the one behind them.”
“True.” Dante picked up his glass and sipped his scotch. “Care for a drink?”
“No thanks, I’m driving,” said Virgil. “You and I have a stop to make.”
“And what makes you think I’ll go with you? Why do you believe you’ll leave this house alive?”
“I know I will, because I know your curiosity has gotten the better of you. You want to see how this ends just as much as I do.”
“What’s on the drive?”
“Information. About the Cabal.”
“And Kim?”
Virgil shrugged. “You needn’t concern yourself with her anymore. She has a part to play but she’s beyond anywhere you can reach in time to stop her.”
Dante chuckled. “I still can’t believe how petty you’ve become. Yes, I tried to kill you. So what? That’s the game we play, old boy. We’re shadow brokers, we manipulate events from behind the scenes. And sometimes, that requires doing things that guarantee restless nights. But there are still lines that we don’t cross. It’s our refusal to cross those lines that sets us apart from the Cabal.”
“Would you listen to yourself?” Virgil flicked the cigarette in Dante’s direction. It landed right at the Infernum leader’s feet where it continued to smolder.
Dante stepped on the cigarette, grinding it beneath his heel. “I did what I had to do. Morimoto was one of those lines. That night in Tokyo, I knew you had to go. But I had to bide my time, consolidate power within our organization before I made my move.”
“You think you’re so much better than them, don’t you? Even now, your arrogance astounds me.”
“And you’re different?”
“I am now,” said Virgil. “That plane crash was an awakening. It helped me realize just how much I’d wasted my time. I knew that the world had to change and that would never happen so long as either you or the Cabal were sitting at the top of the food chain.”
“Sounds like you should be thanking me.”
“Hah! Don’t go that far,” said Virgil. “I won’t be thanking you. But what I’m doing now is so far beyond vengeance. I’m over that explosion. What I want now is quite simple—to tear it all down.”
“So where do we go from here?” asked Dante.
“Draconi is still my prisoner. You still have a chance to save him.” Virgil reached into his pocket and took out a keychain, dangling the keys from his fingers. “Shall we go for a ride?”
CHAPTER 18
Marco and Dalton stood on the outskirts of a building surrounded by a wire fence. The only entrance was a check-in gate manned by two security guards. Past the fence they could see the building itself. Looked like nothing more than a simple two-story building. But Marco knew that there were more floors below, where the Agency was likely holding Tauna.
Dalton looked through his binoculars at the security guards, studying their movements. “Other than the two at the gate, looks like another two at the building’s entrance. No clear line of sight between them and the gate. Also seeing a lot of cameras. Might be difficult for us to sneak in undetected.”
“Difficult or impossible?” asked Marco.
Dalton lowered the binoculars. “Difficult. Nothing’s impossible, my friend.”
Marco touched a finger to the comm-link plugged into his ear. “Jackal, you read me?”
“Yeah, loud and clear,” said Jackal over the earbud.
“You in the system?” asked Dalton.
“Ju
st about. Marco’s access codes still work, which could mean that either the Agency’s getting lazy or they’re setting a trap.”
“Comforting,” said Marco.
“It’s a risk we have to take for Tauna’s sake,” said Dalton. “You’re the expert on this area. What’s the play?”
“Direct route.” Marco drew his gun and stuck it against Dalton’s back. Dalton lowered his binoculars slowly and looked over his shoulder.
“I’ll assume you’re not happy to see me.”
“Play along,” said Marco.
He nudged the gun in deeper and Dalton started to walk with Marco behind him. As they approached the main gate, the guards readied their weapons. Marco gripped Dalton by the shoulder and held up his pistol.
“It’s okay, I’m an operative.”
“ID?” asked the guard.
“My back-pocket. Take a look.”
One guard kept his weapon trained on the pair. He nodded to the second guard, who holstered his gun and approached slowly. Marco kept his hand raised as the guard stepped behind him and stuck a hand into his pocket. He pulled out a very light wallet and opened it. There were several credit cards inside and one clear plastic card with nothing other than a magnetic stripe.
The guard took this card alone and returned the wallet to Marco’s pocket. He held it up for Marco to see. “I’ll scan this right now.”
Marco nodded. The other guard still had his weapon trained on Marco’s face and he took a few steps closer. The guard studied Dalton’s face as he approached. “Who’s he?”
“Dalton Moore. Infernum asset. Thought he could be of some use to us.”
Marco looked at the guard who approached the booth. If they scanned his card, there would likely be a burn notice on his file by now. And if not, the Agency would know exactly where he was. Neither arrangement was agreeable with him. He had to act fast.
“Now!” he whispered into his partner’s ear.
Marco released Dalton and the thief drew his own weapon, firing before the guard had a chance to react. He fell right to the ground, a small tranquilizer dart stuck in his neck. The guard in the booth saw what happened and stepped back out. Dalton fired a dart into his neck as well and he collapsed.
Shadow Brokers (Infernum Book 5) Page 7