Part 40 (1/2)
”Says here,” Richard went on, ”that the architecture style is something called Brutalist honestly, that's what it says and it stands on the old ward of Cripplegate.”
He sn.i.g.g.e.red, not a pretty sound.
”Good name for a knife-fight venue,” said Josh.
”Yeah. Cripplegate was destroyed by German bombs during World War II, so they had a whole district to rebuild.”
Complex systems change fast.
Josh glanced at Suzanne, then winked.
Including fourteen year-old boys.
Richard continued to give them commentary, saying more in a few minutes than in the previous twentyfour hours.
Here, the road was clear, allowing Josh to increase speed.
Nearly two hours after he dropped off Suzanne and Richard, Josh pulled up by the Docklands apartments. Then he called Suzanne to tell her he had arrived safely, an odd pattern to have slipped into so fast. Outside, sheet lightning whitened the sky, followed by darkness and floating purple after-images.
Tony opened the front door before he could ring.
”Hey, my friend. Right on time.”
”I didn't give you a time.”
”So you're not late.”
There was a long hallway with bedrooms on either side. At the far end, the lounge looked empty. From one of the bedrooms, as they pa.s.sed the door, soft music floated, something cla.s.sical.
”Vikram?” asked Josh.
”Uh-huh. And Sheena's in that room, prepping for tomorrow.”
”I'm glad someone's doing what you pay them for.”
”Yeah, well, wait till you see who's in here.” Tony tapped on another door. ”Hey, Matt. How're you doing?”
”Good.”
The man who opened up was hugely muscular and square-jawed. It took Josh a second to place him.
”You're Haresh's oppo from Epsilon Force,” said Josh. ”I saw you in the Bunch of Grapes.”
”Right, I remember.”
They shook hands. Matt held back on the tension, careful not to splinter the bones of a lesser mortal.
Tony said: ”A Sabre Squadron is s.h.i.+pping out. Nigeria, strictly covert. Matt was supposed to go with them.”
”Depending how you regard supposed. I'm here for training and observation.”
”I know how that goes,” said Josh.It was practically a spec ops tradition, visiting soldiers joining host country operations their own governments could never sanction.
”But if I go missing now,” said Matt, ”then the guys back home will a.s.sume that's where I've gone. Darkest Africa, out of contact, because I'm not officially deploying.”
Josh looked at Tony.
”What's going on, my friend?”
It was Matt who said: ”Things back home... It's getting bad. In a total breakdown kinda way.”
”What does that mean?”
”President Brand,” said Tony, ”has taken the first regulatory steps to dissolve the triumvirate. The enemy for the coming Apocalypse isn't in Africa or Asia, it's the creeping darkness in his own continent.”
”Oh, s.h.i.+t.” Josh normally kept track of things, but this was new.
”Meaning other Americans,” said Matt. ”He's going to secede. Possibly he's going to declare war on CalOrWas.h.i.+ngton. Maybe the eastern seaboard, too.”
”Holy f.u.c.k.”
”There's talk of senior officers being shot inside the Pentagon. But exactly who, and by who, and what for, no one's saying. It's the kind of mess maintaining a unified army was supposed to prevent.”
”You're talking civil war.”
”Yeah, well, we only had the one so far, which makes us even with you Brits. You know us, always like to go one better.”
”Actually, we had two,” said Tony. ”If you count the War of the Roses.”
None of this explained why he wanted Josh here.
”So what are your plans, Matt?” asked Josh.”Well, this is a message for my cousin Carol.” Matt tossed over a memory flake. ”If you could deliver it for me, that'd be great.”
”Your cousin?”
”She's a friend of Dr d.u.c.h.esne,” said Tony. ”Also, she's the reason that Broomhall got in contact with Geordie, which is how you got the job.”
”And you” Josh nodded to Matt ”are the reason that your cousin knew about Geordie Biggs and his amazing operatives for hire. Is that it?”
”That's about the size of it.”
”So why the secret message?”