The Cylon Curse

by J. Robert Kennedy

Mai pointed at the screen. “I can see something. Shadows maybe? Perhaps it’s closed curtains?”

  Acton thought it was as good a suggestion as any. “Could be. Any other feeds?”

  “One more.” The screen flickered again and Antoniou leaped to his feet. “Juno!”

  Acton cringed as the woman sat with her back to them, her head turned to the side giving them an angle that revealed a bloody nose and swollen lip, along with a black eye that Acton feared had a match on the other side of her face.

  She’s been punched in the nose.

  Acton chose to look at the positive, grabbing Antoniou’s shoulder and giving him a shake. “She’s alive. This is good news.”

  Antoniou wiped the tears from his cheeks, nodding. “Yes, I suppose it is. It’s just…”

  “I know, my friend, I know.” And he did. He had seen the aftermath of his wife being beaten, and it was heartbreaking, and rage inducing. And right now, he knew Antoniou was feeling helpless and useless.

  Tommy pointed to the left side of the frame. “Someone’s coming.”

  A man with a thick beard entered the room, standing in front of her, and Juno struggled against her bonds, the man saying something to her, anger on his face.

  “Is there audio?” asked Laura.

  “Just a sec.” Tommy hit a few keys and suddenly they heard voices behind a heavy hiss of white noise. “I’ll try to clean it up.” A few more keystrokes and the hiss dropped dramatically as the man removed what appeared to be a gag from Juno’s mouth.

  “I need to use the bathroom.”

  “Not my problem.”

  “You want me to pee right here?”

  “I don’t care.”

  “It will stink. Do you really want that?”

  The man stared at her for a moment then growled, reaching forward and cutting the ties binding her arms to the chair. He yanked her to her feet then marched her toward the door.

  “Try anything, and you die.”

  They both disappeared from the frame and Antoniou sighed, reaching for the image of his wife. “She’s alive,” he whispered.

  Acton nodded. “Yes. And we know where she is. I think we have to tell the police.”

  “We can’t. She could die.”

  Acton shook his head. “I’m sorry, Basil, but we don’t have the urn, and we have no idea where it is. Eventually, these guys will get tired of our delays and kill her anyway.”

  Antoniou sighed. “You’re right. We don’t have a choice.”

  Acton grabbed his phone. “I’ll bring Hugh up to date and let him deal with the major.”

  53 |

  Outside the Suqut Brigade Safe House

  Athens, Greece

  Tankov stared with interest at the three monitors showing the inside of the house their targets occupied, this the first time the woman had been moved since they had activated the surveillance equipment. He focused on the camera showing Damos, as the other two had nothing of interest.

  “Look.” He pointed at the screen showing Damos staring at the door, his jaw dropping and his eyes widening. He struggled against his bonds for a moment, but quickly gave up, the beating he had evidently received sapping him of his strength. Tankov leaned back in the too small chair, one of four in the large van that housed their security operation. “Which way is the bathroom?”

  Utkin pointed at the rear door. “Out there, pick a bush.”

  “That’s not what I meant.”

  Utkin tapped the screen in front of him. “I’ve finished the search. Do you want to hear about our grad student?”

  Tankov spun in his chair. “Give it to me.”

  “She doesn’t have any other property, rented or otherwise, under her name.”

  Tankov frowned. “Parents?”

  “They live in Katerini. Northern Greece. She wouldn’t have had time to get there and back.”

  “Sure she would.”

  Utkin shook his head. “No, remember, they were all at the police station for over five hours last night. If she stole it when these guys attacked, she couldn’t have taken it with her, and they’ve got that entire area cordoned off, with police everywhere.” He jabbed a finger at her file. “I think she stole it, hid it somewhere on-site, and is waiting for an opportunity to go back once things cool down.”

  Tankov’s head slowly bobbed. “That makes sense. The Brigade attacks, she takes advantage of the situation, probably knowing all along when it was going to happen, so she’s prepared. She hides it somewhere nobody is going to think to look, the police arrive, take them all in for questioning, and seal off the place. If they find it, they still don’t know she’s the one behind it, and if they don’t, she just waits for the right time to retrieve it.” He smiled. “Clever girl.”

  Utkin. “Dibs.”

  “Careful. This one sounds cold.”

  Utkin grinned. “My kind of woman.”

  “Every woman is your kind of woman.”

  Utkin’s head bobbed. “This is true. I am a man of undiscriminating taste.”

  “I think you’re a man who is determined to try every item at the buffet at least once.”

  Utkin eyed him. “And what’s wrong with that?”

  Tankov laughed. “I can’t think of a single thing at the moment.” His eyes narrowed and he pointed at the screen. “She has a car registered under her name.” His heart skipped a beat. “If she drives to work, maybe she stashed the urn inside.”

  Utkin pursed his lips, staring at the screen. “Definitely possible.”

  A smile spread on Tankov’s face. “And with the police sealing it off, it’s probably still there.” He jabbed a finger at the display. “We have to get inside that car.”

  54 |

  Hellenic Police Headquarters

  Athens, Greece

  “We know you stole the urn. Why deny it?”

  Reading stood in the corner, looking intimidating, as Major Nicolo continued the interrogation of the young grad student, Cy Pulos. For his benefit, Nicolo was conducting it in English, which he felt might trip the woman up, since she’d have to think harder than if she were speaking in her native tongue. He had to admit it was a good idea, and had the added benefit of letting him understand the proceedings, rather than listening to incoherent babble.

  Though nothing had been revealed as of yet. The woman had so far stuck to her story, and had also unwisely refused a lawyer, indicating she feared it might make her appear guilty.

  Always demand a lawyer.

  “I swear to you, I never took it. I have no idea where it is!”

  Nicolo tossed several photos onto the table showing the artifacts found in her apartment. “You expect me to believe that, when you stole these?”

  Tears flowed down her face once again. “Like I’ve told you so many times before, I take my work home with me. I always return it the next day. You’ve searched my apartment. You know I don’t have it.”

  “You could have hidden it somewhere else.”

  “When would I have had the time? They attacked the site, then you guys showed up, and we were all taken here. I swear to you I wasn’t stealing those artifacts. I was just processing them and cataloging them to save time and money. Each day, I bring them back and give them to one of the professors.”

  Nicolo paused, picking up on something she said. “If this is true, you giving them to the professor, then why was he so surprised that you had them?”

  “Because I never told him I did the work at home! He just assumed I was efficient, I guess.”

  “Why not just tell him what you were doing?”

  “Because it was against protocol. He wouldn’t have approved.”

  “Yet you still did it.”

  She sighed, her voice dropping to a near whisper. “Only to help him. He’s such a sweet man, and I knew money was desperately tight. They are always threatening to shut us down, and if it weren’t for our anonymous donors, we would have been shut down months ago.”

  Nicolo’s eyes narrowed. “Anonymous
donors? Who?”

  She eyeballed him. “Umm, anonymous donors. What part of that don’t you understand?”

  Nicolo leaned in, knuckles on the table. “Don’t get smart with me, young lady.”

  She recoiled in her seat, her head dropping, eyes on her hands folded in her lap. “Sorry. I-I don’t know who they are. Donations would come in through a website one of the guys set up for Professor Galanos. I don’t know any more than that.”

  “Who set it up?”

  “Ezio. Ask him about it, maybe he can tell you more.”

  Nicolo checked his notepad. “Ezio Remes. We had him in here last night.”

  “Yes, he was at the dig site when those men attacked.”

  Nicolo paced the room for a moment, saying nothing, then whirled on Pulos. “You want to know what I think?”

  She trembled. “No?”

  Reading suppressed a smile.

  “I think you are the anonymous donor. You steal small items, you clean them up, you sell them, then you donate the money back.”

  Her eyes widened with horror. “Why would I do that?”

  “You said it yourself. You think the professor is a sweet man. You empathize with his situation. If you run out of money, then the dig is shut down, affecting your livelihood. By helping fund it through stolen goods, you get to keep your job. Keep paying your bills.”

  She stared at him, wide-eyed. “But I’d be stealing history! Nobody has that right!”

  She sounds like Jim and Laura.

  “Somebody there thought they did, and you’re all archaeologists, aren’t you? There have been thefts from your site for months.”

  She frowned, her shoulders slumping. “I know. It’s terrible.”

  “Do you know who’s behind it?”

  She shook her head. “No idea, except that it’s not me.”

  “You, an intelligent young woman doesn’t even have a theory? I find that hard to believe.”

  She regarded him for a moment, then looked away. “I had always assumed it was one of the guards. They’re the only ones with access to the site after everyone goes home.” She looked up at him. “Can I go now? I have to feed my cat.”

  Nicolo chuckled, shaking his head. “You’re not going anywhere. You’re being charged with theft.”

  Her face paled. “But I’m innocent!”

  “That will be for a court to decide.”

  She leaned forward. “Please, you can’t do this to me. I’ll lose my job, and I’ll be kicked out of the program. I have bills to pay. I just bought a new car! Please, let me talk to Professor Antoniou. Let me explain everything to him. I’m sure once he calms down he’ll realize I was only trying to help.”

  Reading stepped forward. “New car?”

  Nicolo stared at him for a moment, not happy that their agreement for him to stand there quietly had been broken. “That’s right, a new car. How could you afford that on a graduate student’s salary?”

  She scoffed at him. “It’s not some fancy British sports car!”

  Reading grunted. “You couldn’t afford the repair bills on one of those.”

  Nicolo grinned. “Or the second car you’d need while it’s in the shop.”

  Reading stared at her, wiping the smile from his face. “Just where is this car now?”

  55 |

  Outside the Suqut Brigade Safe House

  Athens, Greece

  Tankov watched the video streamed to them by his men now at the dig site. And cursed. There was still a police presence, though not heavy. Enough, however, to prevent them from casually strolling in.

  “What do you want us to do?”

  Tankov stared at the camera feeds of the house they had been sitting on. There appeared to be nothing going on here for the moment, but if they were to leave, they’d lose the signal.

  “Sir?”

  A decision had to be made. “Okay, I’m on the way. Pull the detail off the hotel and have them join me.” He rose, slapping Utkin on the back. “And put trackers on their vehicles, just in case they all leave and split up.”

  Utkin nodded. “Consider it done.” He eyeballed him. “Are you going to kill cops?”

  Tankov frowned, thinking of his new philosophy, then sighed. “Let’s hope it doesn’t become necessary.”

  “And if it does?”

  Tankov shrugged. “Nobody’s perfect.”

  56 |

  King George Hotel

  Athens, Greece

  “We’re almost at the dig. We think it might be in her car that she left there.”

  Acton glanced at Antoniou, hope on all their faces at the news from Reading. Then Antoniou appeared worried, and Acton knew why. He leaned toward the phone sitting on the table, its speaker active “But, Hugh, if the police find it, we’ll never be able to use it to exchange for Juno.”

  “I know, but things are out of my control at this point. This is a Greek police matter, and Interpol is only observing and providing advice. At least if we know where it is, that’s one piece of the puzzle solved.”

  Acton nodded. “And I guess it will confirm that Cy was behind the thefts, so two pieces solved.”

  “Right. Unfortunately, neither of those help us find Professor Antoniou’s wife.”

  Acton glanced at the others, and Laura shrugged. “You have to tell him.”

  “Tell me what?”

  Acton rolled his eyes at his wife. “Sure, throw me under the bus.” He leaned toward the phone. “We, well, we sort of found her.”

  “What? Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “We didn’t want you to have to lie to the Greeks.”

  There was a pause. “Wait, are you saying she isn’t with you?”

  “No, she isn’t. We found where they’re holding her.”

  “How?”

  Acton glanced at Tommy. “Do you really want to know?”

  There was a grunt. “No, but give Tommy a smack to the back of the head for me.”

  Tommy grinned and Mai beamed with pride.

  Acton regarded Antoniou for a moment, the man’s breathing becoming more rapid as reality set in. “Well, once you have the urn, we’ll have nothing to leverage for Juno anymore. I don’t think we have any choice but to come clean so the police can deal with the situation.” He put a hand on Antoniou’s shoulder. “Basil, do you agree?”

  He sighed, then nodded. “Reluctantly.”

  A burst of static and a grunt from the phone suggested Reading was on the move. “We just arrived. Let’s see what’s in this car. This entire conversation could be moot if it’s not there. I’ll call you back in a few minutes.”

  57 |

  Phaleron Delta Necropolis

  Athens, Greece

  Tankov watched through binoculars as a car pulled through the gate of the dig site, two men exiting. A slight smile crept up his face as he recognized one of them.

  “Does this change anything?”

  He glanced at the driver, Vasiliev, and shook his head. “I know one of them. He’ll be unarmed. Let’s proceed.”

  Vasiliev started the SUV’s engine and pulled out onto the road, merging into the light evening traffic, then put his signal light on, casually turning onto the unpaved road leading to the gate.

  “Quick and clean, people,” whispered Tankov, a smile on his face as all four windows rolled down to greet the private security and police that approached.

  Vasiliev leaned out the window. “We were hoping for a tour. Any chance?”

  One of the officers appeared annoyed and jabbed a finger at the road behind them. “No tours. Back it up and move along.”

  Vasiliev nodded. “Sorry to hear that.”

  “Now.” Tankov raised his Remington 870 Tac-14 shotgun and fired a single Taser eXtended Range Electro-Muscular Projectile into each of the two guards in his arc, the others taking out their targets equally as efficiently with the XREP rounds. Somebody shouted from the other side of the gate and Vasiliev hammered on the gas, blasting through it as they raced toward the gra
d student’s car, its location identified by the advance team.

  And where the two new arrivals had parked.

  Tankov fired another round at what appeared to be private security and frowned as the non-lethal shell they had been using embedded itself uselessly in the man’s vest.

  He cursed. “Okay, switch to lethal.”

  Reading dove for cover as gunfire tore across the parking lot. At least half a dozen were down at the main gate, and whoever was in the SUV appeared extremely well trained, their shots far too efficiently taking out what security remained.

  Heavy gunfire erupted from one of Leather’s Greek team, taking out the engine block, a burst of steam hissing from under the hood, bringing the attackers to a halt, though not halting the attack. Four doors opened and an equal number of hostiles emerged as Reading repositioned near one of the Greek team.

  “Weapon!”

  The man tossed him a Glock without looking, then two magazines. “Make’em count.”

  Reading sprinted as fast as his old bones could carry him to try and set up a crossfire when someone cried out behind him. He dropped to the ground, rolling behind a vehicle, then cursed as he spotted the man who had armed him, lying on the ground, out of commission and perhaps dead.

  Nicolo slammed into the car beside him, his weapon at the ready. “What are we going to do?”

  Reading shook his head, scanning the area before popping up and firing several rounds ineffectually. “I suspect we’re going to die.”

  “Not today, Agent Reading.”

  They both spun to find one of the attackers standing behind them, a gun in each hand, trained on them both. Reading cursed, tossing his onto the ground, Nicolo doing the same.

  Reading stared up at the man. “Do I know you?”

  The man shook his head as the gunfire dwindled to nothing, the battle lost. “No, but I know you.” He flicked his weapon. “Get up.”

  They both rose, Reading with a little more of a struggle than he cared to have had witnessed by others. He brushed off his clothes, then stared at the man. “How do you know me?”