Empire of Gold

‘What?’ Eddie sat up. ‘You’re fucking kidding me! How are we going to call the militia?’

‘More to the point,’ added Macy, ‘how are we going to land if we can’t talk to air traffic control?’

‘I can fly a distress pattern to tell the airport we have no radio,’ Valero assured her. ‘They will give us priority.’

‘How long will it take us to get there?’

‘About two and a half hours. Although it will be hard to know exactly.’ The Venezuelan shot an irate look at Eddie. ‘I can’t get a proper airspeed reading because you wouldn’t let me take the cover off the pitot tube.’

Eddie laughed a little. ‘So long as we get there, that’s the main thing.’ He stood. ‘First, can someone shut that hatch? It’s a bit draughty in here.’

17

The building nicknamed the Clubhouse was a mansion in the Caracan hilltop district of Valle Arriba, overlooking the perfectly kept greenery of a private golf course, and beyond it the great sprawl of the city itself. Even with the Venezuelan government’s increasingly militant push towards the redistribution of wealth, the enclave was reserved for money and privilege. No barrios here; even the smallest house was worth several million US dollars.

Nina very much doubted that she or Kit would enjoy the luxury, though.

Callas’s helicopter had flown north to the airbase at Puerto Ayacucho, where the group transferred to a military transport plane to travel on to Caracas. A convoy, two SUVs escorted by police outriders, completed the journey to the Clubhouse. Callas and Stikes were in the lead vehicle, Kit and Nina under heavy guard in the second. Nina looked out through the darkened glass as the vehicles turned on to the driveway. Two soldiers stood guard at the main gate, and she saw several others inside the grounds. Off to one side of the mansion she glimpsed a swimming pool and a private helipad. Not exactly a typical military facility.

The SUVs stopped at the front door. Nina and Kit were hustled out and taken down to the building’s cellars. One underground room had been converted into a makeshift prison, metal bars dividing it into three small cells. Nina was pushed into one, Kit another, an empty chamber separating them. A soldier locked the cell doors, then took up position on a chair to watch his prisoners.

After half an hour, footsteps echoed down the passage outside. The jailer looked round as the door opened, standing and saluting when Callas entered, accompanied by two more soldiers. Stikes followed them in, carrying the case containing the statuettes. ‘Dr Wilde,’ said Callas. ‘Mr Jindal. I hope you are both comfortable?’

‘I’m guessing this is as comfortable as we’re going to get,’ Nina replied.

‘That is up to you. And also to Mr Stikes. If you tell him what we want to know, your discomfort may be kept to a low level.’

‘And if I don’t?’

‘You can work it out,’ said Stikes. ‘You’re an intelligent woman. Although your marrying Chase does make me question that. And speaking of questioning. . . ’ He opened the case to reveal the three figurines within, two whole and one bisected, and the bag containing the khipu. ‘El Dorado. You’re going to lead us there.’

‘I don’t know how.’

‘Yes you do. You found . . . what did Chase call it? Paititi.’

‘That was the result of years of archaeological research by Dr Osterhagen and an aerial survey,’ she lied.

‘Then why did you bring these?’ He tapped the two complete statuettes. ‘How did you know the third one would be there?’

‘Because . . . ’ Her hesitation, her inability to fabricate a convincing excuse in the split second available, told Stikes all too clearly that she was concealing something.

The mercenary gave her an unpleasant smile, then addressed Callas. ‘Is the room ready?’

Callas nodded. ‘My men will show you.’

‘And the item I asked for?’

‘Waiting for you. It was not easy to find at short notice, but my people have their resources.’

‘Good.’ Stikes nodded to the jailer. ‘Bring her out.’

‘What are you going to do with her?’ Kit demanded, rattling his cell’s bars.

‘The same thing I’m going to do to you later,’ Stikes replied, chillingly matter-of-fact.

‘Then take me first. I’m an Interpol officer, and Dr Wilde is my responsibility.’

A sound of sarcastic amusement from the general. ‘He is quite a hero.’

‘Is he, though?’ Stikes eyed Kit curiously. ‘But that’s what I intend to find out. In the meantime . . . ’ He stepped back as the jailer unlocked Nina’s cell and the soldiers moved to bring her out. ‘A little chat with Dr Wilde.’

‘Get your goddamn hands off me,’ Nina snarled, jerking out of one soldier’s grip. The other man backed her into a corner, and they both grabbed her. She kicked at them. ‘Fuck you!’

‘Rather unladylike language,’ said Stikes. ‘Chase really is a bad influence.’ He closed the case. ‘General, if you’ll excuse me?’

Callas smirked. ‘Enjoy yourself.’

‘Oh, I will.’ He signalled for the soldiers to take Nina, and followed them from the cells.

‘Nina!’ shouted Kit, but he was cut off as the heavy door slammed shut.