Truthseekers

by Mike Handcock

  Upon landing at Crete, the Learjet taxied to a private hangar. Of course there was the usual immigration clearance that was required. Phillip Glenville’s presence made it smooth and simple. The girl sent to do the checks was a fan of his. He told her they were there to scout locations for the making of a new film about Alexander the Great. She never bothered to ask why the star was on the scouting trip.

  A car was hired and soon the five were heading toward their rendezvous point, a small family-owned hotel on the grounds of the Palace of Knossos. The hotel was owned by a Greek family who had held it for forty years and whilst only eighteen rooms, it was normally highly sought after due to its location with regards to the palace. Lone Bear had booked two rooms for them. David took the first watch while they waited and let Abbey get some sleep. It was only a matter of a few hours before Lone Bear was due, and he couldn’t sleep anyway. Rocko could always sleep and David enjoyed his dulcet snoring tones. At least one of them was comfortable. Outside the hotel it was busy. There was a festival of sorts going on into the night. Where David lived festivals finished just after midnight. This one seemed to be just beginning at that stage. He could smell the homemade souvlaki cooking on the open fires and hear the sound of the bouzouki haunting his mind from some past event. He remembered his trip to Santorini to find the lost continent of Atlantis and the fun times he had on that island many years ago. Everyone seemed so happy at Greek festivals and they could go all night. He looked across at Stacey and Phillip, who had his arm around her. They too were looking out a window, taking it all in.

  Across town in a warehouse next to the airport John was connecting his laptop to a screen. Around him there were nearly thirty soldiers, including two women. They were Greek, Cypriot, German, Dutch and English with two Romanians and one Czech whom John had served with many times. Surrounding them was an array of ordnance, rocket launchers, AK47s, grenades and even a portable surface-to-air missile. Chant sat in the shadows and chewed his lip. He had never wanted to be this close to the action. He was once, nearly fifty years ago, but his life was much more elegant now – his private club, wonderful Cuban cigars, ancient whiskies and his art. This group looked like they had never seen anything of beauty. It was a bunch of hardened war criminals and renegades. He was glad they were on his side, even though he had dealt with them before. Even the women cursed and were covered in tattoos with shaven heads. John fired up the projector and a series of images came onto the screen.

  “This is who we are after. Take a good look. They have evaded us and some very good agents so far. We have lost a few good men to them. Do not underestimate them.”

  “That’s the daughter of Peter Beckingsale,” said the Czech.

  “Yes it is, Lovski,” John almost shuddered. “She is the most dangerous of all.”

  John looked at Abbey’s face for an instant and then said, “The actor Glenville is a martial arts expert. You cannot go hand-to-hand with him. But there are more on their way.”

  John flicked up pictures of Lone Bear and several of his security detail.

  “This is Chief Lone Bear. He must also be erased. His detail is small but they are loyal fighters and have trained well. You must erase all of them.”

  “Where are they?” said one of the women

  “The Indians are arriving shortly and will be heading to meet the others. We know that they are staying in a hotel about ten kilometres from the city centre. We have no reason to believe there are any others here. We will wait until they all arrive and take them as one. The hotel is right next to the site of the Temple of the Minotaur at Knossos.”

  In Greek mythology King Minos occupied the palace at Knossos. He had a labyrinth built to house his son, the minotaur – a half man, half bull. The palace in its day would have been an impressive building, with some of it standing over five stories tall. A labyrinth, as per the myth, had never been found in the palace, yet there were many corridors and numerous blind exits, similar to a labyrinth. It had flushing toilets in the queen’s chambers, among the first recorded in history, and it was said that during its splendour it was part of a town of over 100,000 people. After thousands of years trading with the Egyptians and Phoenicians and their search for bronze, the Minoans all but disappeared from the face of the Earth following the eruption around 1561 BC at Santorini some 80 kilometres away, with a subsequent tsunami and the sky turning black from ash raining for weeks.

  The hotel that the team was staying at was right at the gate of the temple, which was joined by an ancient Minoan road that connected to the port some five kilometres away.

  In the warehouse the mercenaries had formed a plan. They knew the location of the hotel where David and the others were staying, and had intel in Athens saying that Lone Bear and a small team had just boarded the chartered flight for Crete. They would be landing in a little over fifty minutes. The air held crisp in the pre-dawn atmosphere. It was decided that one platoon would plant charges beneath the old hotel and as soon as Lone Bear was inside with the others they would detonate the explosives, bringing the hotel down on top of them. People at the festival would either panic, thinking an earthquake was happening, or go into the rubble to find survivors. The second platoon of mercenaries would be part of that group, looking for survivors, ending their lives and accounting for them to John. The third platoon would be on watch for anything out of the ordinary and on standby when required. They would also help with extraction of any member of the team who required it. The plan was simple, penetrating and proficient. It would bring some newsworthiness, but overall that could be controlled.

  “Just one more thing,” said John before they moved out to the site. “This is Mr C.,” he said indicating to Chant who was still watching from the shadows. “Let’s just say he is an interested party and will be along for the ride. You need to make sure he is protected at all times, Leader Three. He is your cash out. There is a bonus for a successful mission – one million Euros each.”

  Eyebrows were raised and murmuring rose between individual mercenaries. Some of them now took an interest in who Chant was; before they had not, their training being that such people should be ignored.

  Chant could not resist a smile. Even though this money was coming from his own personal wealth, it was a mere drop in the ocean that was his. He now knew he had a motivated professional team.

  “OK. Move out,” John said “We have to be locked in and ready in forty minutes.”

  John looked at the individuals moving out. Each checked their gear like a thorough professional. They were a hardened lot. He had chosen well. He had not worked with many of them before but they were misfits. They had stolen, run riot, killed for pleasure on and off the battlefield, and they were hungry. Lifestyles like these afforded no luxury. Money came and went, and the bonus had them motivated. It was more money that any of them had ever seen. He smiled and felt the dull ache of his healing cheek. His chest was black and blue from Phillip Glenville’s kick and his fingers were somewhat useless. He had been broken before. He would survive. He would fight and he would kill. John checked his weapons and took a last look around the warehouse. He joined the waiting vans and they moved out.

  Tomorrow he would be a hero with the families.

  35

  Lone Bear’s plane landed uninterrupted at Heraklion air field. There was a car to meet the group, a large van. The driver said nothing and handed him a brand new cell phone. He checked the number he had for David and texted him.

  David was drowsy, but decided to let Abbey sleep even though he was an hour past his watch time. She looked so peaceful, although he noticed a slight glow from her phone on the window in front of her. Then it went black. Suddenly his own phone beeped. No one except Lone Bear and the others had this number. He pulled the phone from the charger it was on:

  We have arrived. Take the others and immediately wake the hotel owner. Demand he show you the tunnel below the front desk. Take any guests that are there with you. Wait for me at the other end. Do not delay or you m
ay be attacked. LB

  Abbey had already stirred to the beep. Outside the festival was still going and a number of drunk people were staggering and dancing to ‘Zorba the Greek’. On viewing the message, she grabbed her own phone, checked it briefly and went to wake the others immediately.

  “We must go. David, wake the owner, then let’s see if we can find others in this hotel quietly. It seems very quiet.” Abbey was on her game in less than twenty seconds.

  David woke the owner in the private residence behind the office. He did not seem very happy, but complied as soon as David mentioned the tunnel. He seemed very surprised that this foreigner knew such a thing. The hotel itself was only about thirty to forty years old. Located at the west entrance to the ruins, it had nothing else around it. This was probably because of some deal done by local families that was simply not complied with years ago. David knew Greeks operated like that. The biggest problem could be overlooked in an instant and the smallest mishap could go on for years.

  “What other rooms are occupied? We must get them up and out also,” David asked hastily.

  “Just one. My parents are here. I normally close the hotel for the festival so I can enjoy the time with my family,” said the hotelier. In a split second David remembered again why he loved the Greeks so much. Only a Greek would close his business on the busiest day of the year because he had other priorities.

  “Where are they?” David prompted.

  “I got ‘em.” The voice behind him was Rocko. Standing next to him was an elderly couple in their mid-seventies, both in their night dresses. The father was still waking up and the mother was wagging her finger at Rocko. They certainly looked like what the cat dragged in, but then again who didn’t at this time of day?

  “Mamma, Pappa, you must listen to this man. Come with me… quickly, I will show the way.”

  Both the parents went with their son, but there was a lot of conversation and David did pick up the only word he knew in Greek as the old woman looked at Rocko and simply said, “Malaka.” Rocko just smiled and bowed (not knowing the word meant ‘wanker’).

  It was right then that Abbey, Stacey and Phillip arrived. Abbey looked at David and said, “The hotel’s closed, it’s just us and the guy and his parents. Let’s go.”

  With that they disappeared behind the reception desk and to a cupboard that had seemed innocuous before. This time it was open with the lock swinging freely on the latch. A simple set of steps led down below the hotel and along a tiny corridor that was actually part of the original temple but had been discovered by the owner’s father when he had the hotel foundations dug. Ahead of them the team could hear voices and a few more “malakas.” They simply followed behind, David using the flashlight on his phone to guide the way. It was a damp, dank corridor that looked like it hadn’t been used in years. After about seventy metres they came to an iron gate. The gate was open and sitting on the wall, up some steps above them, were two grumpy old Greeks in their nightgowns and the owner.

  “What is that tunnel for?” David whispered to the owner.

  “The hotel is built over part of the temple. My dad had already owned the land. It had been in our family for centuries. It was covered up but as he started on the hotel he found it. He used to run private tours into the palace temple after hours for some extra cash, but then he got too old. I played in there as a child.”

  “Why did you agree to renting rooms to us if you are closed?” David asked somewhat suspiciously.

  “A man called from the USA. He spoke to me in Greek. I told him the hotel was not open but he authorised me a payment of many thousands of Euros for several rooms for tonight. I could not say no. I always knew there would be some problem. No one pays that amount for hotel rooms here on Crete. My normal rate is just 55 Euro. My dad told me to take the money,” said the hotelier.

  “I see… hmmn that would be my friend Lone Bear, I am sure,” said David. “Ok, we need to wait here until he and the others have joined us. It is unsafe to go back in, and we need to get out of sight.”

  “Over here. There is a wall we can hide behind. Mamma, Pappa, we must be quiet.”

  “So powerful, so in control.” Abbey sidled up next to David and kissed his cheek. “If all these people weren’t here I can’t tell you what I would do to you right now.” And with that she winked and jumped the wall into her position.

  Minutes passed and the team could hear the remains of the festival that now finally seemed to be slowing down. The sky was that opaque crystalline azure colour, so commonly seen in the Greek islands at certain times of the year. The light would be with them in around ten minutes. David thought. He looked around their position.

  They were located in a place called the Corridor of the Procession. Knossos Palace was a place that had many winding corridors and blind rooms. If you didn’t know where you were going you could easy get disorientated.

  Outside the hotel a van had pulled up. Out got Lone Bear and a group of five men. He surveyed the area. He knew any adversary would be well hidden yet it did not stop him looking. The van drew away and Lone Bear’s team entered the hotel.

  “Give them twenty seconds inside to get adjusted and head upstairs, then blow the place, Green One.”

  John was strategically located on a small hill to the right of the hotel and festival. He had night vision glasses, yet these weren’t much use as dawn was fast approaching and the sheer number of people now leaving the festival made it hard to pick up other movement or oddities. He looked at the second hand on his watch tick away.

  “Green One Go,” John clearly announced into the comms he had strapped to his head.

  In one instant there was a loud explosion. People screamed and dived for cover. The front of the hotel listed forward. Then came a second explosion and the whole thing fell. Three stories of it, forty years of goodwill and people’s memories, smashed to the ground in literally a few seconds. The dryness of the immediate area meant a huge dust cloud appeared. Bits of debris crashed back down including roofing tiles and parts of the verandah. The hotel sign was last to fall. John’s plan had been to get them all in the hotel. He knew it had been booked out by Lone Bear and he was sure the others would be there too. By simply bringing it down in one hit, all his problems would be taken away in one blast and his team were good at setting charges so it would be months or never before the authorities knew there was foul play and simply not a faulty Greek gas line. John couldn’t help but smile as he looked into the dust.

  36

  In the Palace of Knossos the explosion reverberated off the walls. It was deafening and disorientating. The Greek family screamed and Abbey clamped a hand over the old man’s mouth and put her finger to her lips. The woman understood and silenced the tears pouring down her cheeks. The owner looked in disbelief. He too started to cry. The family hugged each other and cried. Their life, their dreams and their legacy had been destroyed in an instant of mundane violence.

  David strained his eyes forward through the dust cloud that bit into his pupils. At first he thought he was dreaming, but he wasn’t. Six large ghost-like figures emerged quickly from the tunnel to their north in front of them. One of them was looking around earnestly.

  “David, are you here?”

  “Yes, Lone Bear, we are here.” David looked at Abbey for approval and she indicated for him to show himself. He stood up. Lone Bear worked his way over to David and the group with his men. He saw the Greek family and said “Owners.” David nodded and Lone Bear said: “I am truly sorry my friends for your misfortune. I did not know that this would occur, I promise you. I will fund a new hotel for you. That I assure you once this is over, but for now we must go. Take your family and disappear into the crowd. Do not speak to anyone. Try and stay hidden. Go to someone you trust and say you got out of the wreckage. That is all or you may be at further risk.”

  The hotelier nodded in tears and in a couple of seconds he had helped his mother and father over the wall and headed off south away from the palace com
plex. Lone Bear then looked at David’s group.

  “We can’t stay here,” Abbey spoke up. “We must move to the other end of the complex at least. They will be searching for us now.” Lone Bear nodded.

  Swiftly they moved on, putting distance between themselves and the destroyed hotel. David’s group had not stopped to say any niceties to Lone Bear’s group. One of Lone Bear’s group had taken the lead. He did not look like any security person David had seen. He was slight and almost a little nervous. The rest of the team looked like mountains on the move. This man also seemed to know his way around the complex, stopping a couple of times to check himself and then move on. The palace complex was huge and in its time was reputed to be five stories high. It must have been a sight, David thought. Behind them the dust was settling and villagers were beginning to sift frantically through the rubble for survivors.

  “Green Two, move in now. Clean and report.” John spoke coldly into his microphone. Behind him Chant sat on the hill against a tree. He was used to disposing of people, but not being part of it. It was always arm’s length. He never got his hands dirty. To be deafened himself by the explosion and to hear the screams – he couldn’t wait for this to be over and he prayed for their deaths to be swift.

  Abbey and the group including Lone Bear’s team had made several hundred metres into the complex. They were winding through tunnels with scouts going over walls and into rooms checking them. Phillip had an assault rifle with him, Abbey a few grenades and a host of pistols, Rocko had two pistols and David and Stacey each had a pistol. Both hoped they would not have to use them. They had crossed the grand courtyard by skirting its perimeter. When they came to a wall at the far end of the complex they were up against a fence and part of the wall. It was climbable yet they would need to cut the barbed wire at the top. This was the place known as the east wing and Minoan workshops. It was an old forge and courtyard system also called the magazine. The team stopped to catch its breath.