the face of God Himself.’
‘How?’
Jay opened his mouth to answer, but then he blinked and hesitated as he realized how close he’d come to letting on more than he should. He gave Luke a knowing smile, as though to congratulate him for almost tricking him. ‘You’ll find out soon enough,’ he said.
‘Tell me, Jay.’
But he only shook his head again, his fervour dissipating by the moment, shrinking him as it went, leaving him a smaller and a lesser man. ‘Soon enough.’
II
Croke fell silent in the front of the van as they neared City Airport. He was all too aware how critical the next few minutes were. Without the direct protection of the NCT, their little convoy was now far more vulnerable to misadventure, even betrayal. But Morgenstern had done him proud. Two airport security officers were waiting in a marked car as promised. They led them down a supply road to a security fence topped by triple strands of barbed wire, where another guard opened the gate for them as they approached, then closed it again behind them.
They drove across tarmac to the private jet concourse. The security car flashed its lights at a partially open hangar door. Manfredo flashed acknowledgement and drove inside. Croke’s jet was waiting there, his pilot Craig Bray by the open cargo bay, checking pallets of supplies. They pulled up beside him, jumped down. ‘All good?’ asked Croke.
‘Better than good,’ nodded Bray. ‘They signed off our paperwork blind. And they’ve given us priority clearance. They must think you’re God Himself.’
Croke laughed. ‘Closer than you’d think.’
Bray kicked one of the pallets. ‘We’re to load these, yeah? They were sent for my attention by some guy called Jakob Kohen. Only there’s enough acid in here to bathe all the brides you could ever ask for.’
‘Give me a moment,’ said Croke. He went around the back of the van, found Kohen chatting with Luke and Rachel. ‘What the fuck?’ he asked Walters.
‘He threatened to scupper the mission.’
Croke scowled. The little prick was getting on his nerves. ‘Okay,’ he said. ‘Put his friends on board. And stay with them. I don’t want them trying anything.’
‘You got it, boss.’
Croke beckoned to Kohen. ‘Your supplies are here,’ he said. ‘Do you want to double-check them or shall we just load?’
‘I want to double-check them.’
‘Fine,’ said Croke. ‘But first we need to talk to your uncle.’
FORTY
I
It was past midnight in Jerusalem when Avram finally received his nephew’s call. ‘It’s real?’ he asked.
‘It’s real, Uncle,’ Jakob assured him, his excitement audible despite the distance. ‘I saw it. I
‘You touched it?’
‘Only to pack it. We’re loading it on to the plane now. We’ll be in the air soon.’
‘Good. And well done.’
‘Thank you, Uncle.’
‘Is the man Croke with you? I need to speak with him.’
‘He’s here. I’ll put him on now.’
‘I trust you’re satisfied,’ said Croke when Jay handed him the phone.
‘I’m satisfied,’ said Avram.
‘Then you’re going in?’
‘When people are asleep. But please remember that I’ll wait until the Ark is here before I bring down the Dome.’
‘I know the plan,’ said Croke.
‘I know you know the plan,’ said Avram. ‘I want to make sure you bear the plan in mind as you’re flying across the Mediterranean with the Ark in your hold. I want you to remember that I’ll be monitoring your course all they way on a flight-tracking website, and that I’ll call my nephew should I see any deviation.’
‘I said I know the plan, Avram. I’ll see you in Jerusalem.’
‘In Jerusalem,’ agreed Avram.
II
Luke watched warily as Walters crouched his way inside the van. ‘I’m not to hurt you,’ he told him and Rachel, showing them the taser. ‘Not unless you try something. So please try something. Pretty please.’ He unlocked Rachel’s right cuff, released her from the chest handle, cuffed her to Luke instead. Then he removed and pocketed Luke’s cuffs. ‘On your feet,’ he said.
Getting down from the back was awkward, attached together as they were. They found themselves in an aircraft hangar so vast that it made the sleek white jet inside it look small. Walters herded them to and up the forward steps. They turned away from the cockpit, passed between toilets and some kind of hi-tech comms’ suite into a passenger cabin opulently fitted in white leather and polished walnut. There were two banks of seats on either side. They currently all faced forwards but Walters swivelled the front left bank one hundred and eighty degrees, locked it in place. ‘Sit,’ he said. They sat. He took out the second pair of cuffs, closed one around the central seat-belt fitting, the other around the chain of the handcuffs shackling Luke to Rachel, thus securing them neatly to their seats. ‘Comfy?’ he asked.
‘A glass of champagne wouldn’t hurt,’ said Luke.
Walters snorted. ‘I’m going to enjoy how this flight ends,’ he said.
‘Why’s that?’ asked Luke, striving to sound casual, not quite succeeding.
Walters sat sideways on the facing bank, put his right foot up on the white leather to flaunt his freedom. ‘All in good time.’
Luke nodded. ‘I have to tell you something,’ he said. ‘I think your loyalty does you credit.’
‘My loyalty?’
‘Sure. Your boss is bound to need a scapegoat when all this is over. And it’s got to be you, right? I mean you’re already up to your neck in shit for murdering Rachel’s aunt, so you’re-’
‘I didn’t murder her.’
‘… the obvious candidate and I-’
‘I never even touched her.’
‘… just think it’s commendable that you’d sacrifice yourself so that he can-’
Walters leaned forwards, jabbed his taser into Luke’s chest and gave him a vengeful two-second burst that made him arch and yell in pain. ‘Do you honestly think you can drive a wedge between me and the boss?’ Walters asked rhetorically, tucking the weapon back into his waistband. ‘Think a-fucking-gain.’ But there was a more reflective look in his eyes, for all the bravado of his words. Not much. But something, perhaps, for Luke and Rachel to work with.
