‘And Callas was worried that it would force the US to intervene,’ Nina added. ‘We have to get it.’
Eddie frowned, but Kit was right. It could destroy Callas – if they lived to show it to anyone. ‘Where’s the disc?’
‘A room upstairs, overlooking the golf course.’
The small staircase he had seen was at the rear of the house - and would also hopefully see less foot traffic than the main stairs. ‘Okay, I know a way up there. Kit, watch our backs.’
Maximov banged a fist angrily against his cell door, rattling the bars. ‘I kill you for this, little man! I thought you were good guy!’
‘I am,’ Eddie told the giant. ‘Nothing personal, Max, but you’re on the wrong side. You should find someone better than Stikes to work for.’ The glowering Russian wasn’t impressed by his career advice. ‘Okay, come on.’
They left the makeshift prison, closing the thick wooden door behind them, and moved quickly to the stairs. Eddie paused at the top. The hall was empty. He went through, the others following.
A deep metallic thump from the cellars. And another. ‘Shit!’ said Eddie, realising what it was. Maximov was trying to use his enormous strength to rip the bars out of the floor.
‘Should I go back and stop him?’ Kit asked, raising the gun.
Eddie closed the door. The sound dropped, becoming barely audible. ‘No time. Let’s just get that disc – and hope those bars were cemented in properly!’ They hurried to the staircase and went up it.
Nina recognised her surroundings from earlier in the day. ‘Through there.’
AK-103 at the ready, Eddie went to the door Nina had pointed out. He shoved it open and darted through. Nobody there.
Nina and the others entered, Eddie remaining on guard at the entrance. ‘Callas threw it over here somewhere,’ she said, starting to search. Suarez, meanwhile, hurried to the windows and looked out in dismay across the city. The lights of Caracas glistened before him . . . as did the ominous red glows of fires, speckling the vista like sores.
‘Nina,’ said Kit, from the other side of the room. ‘I’ve found the statues.’ He picked up the case.
‘Great,’ Eddie said impatiently, ‘but what about that disc?’
Nina dragged a potted plant away from the wall to find the DVD behind it. ‘Here!’ she cried, snatching it up. There was a scuff mark and several greasy fingerprints, but it hadn’t been chipped or cracked by its flight.
Kit opened the case. ‘Put it in here,’ he said. Nina found a place where it would be cushioned by the foam without being scratched by the statues, then closed the lid.
‘We ready?’ Eddie demanded. Nina nodded. ‘Good, let’s go. Oi, Manuel!’ he called to Suarez.
They hurried out, Suarez complaining in Spanish – though whether about the state of the city or the Englishman’s less than respectful attitude the others weren’t sure. Eddie led the way back to the stairs. ‘Okay,’ he said as they made a quick descent, ‘we’ll go out past the pool and climb over the wall to the next house.’ Suarez spoke again; Eddie glanced back at him as he reached the bottom of the stairs – and ran into someone.
‘Hey, watch—’ said Baine – only to freeze in shock.
The collision had knocked Eddie’s gun down across his stomach at an awkward angle; not enough space between the two men for him to bring it round and shoot. Instead he whipped it upwards against Baine’s chin with a crack of teeth. Before Baine could recover, Eddie swung the AK and hit him in the temple with its stock. He fell against the wall. A boot to his stomach knocked him to the floor.
Eddie was about to finish him off, but Nina and Suarez were already rushing for the lounge. ‘Shit, wait!’ he hissed, kicking Baine in the head to make sure he stayed down and starting after them—
A loud bang from deep in the building. Metal falling on concrete. Maximov was free.
A moment later, the strident clamour of a bell filled the hallway. He had reached the alarm.
23
Nina and Suarez stopped at the door to the pool. The TV at the poolside showed a view from a building’s upper floor of soldiers warily facing off against a crowd of civilians. ‘Which way?’ Nina asked.
Eddie took the lead. ‘Over that wall,’ he said, pointing the way as he ran outside – to find three soldiers pounding towards him, less than fifteen feet away.
The Venezuelans were surprised by his sudden appearance. He swept round the AK to cut them down—
The gun fired only once. A soldier tumbled into the pool, trailing blood, but the other two brought up their own Kalashnikovs when they realised his had jammed. The magazine had been jarred loose when he hit Baine, only the already chambered round firing.
Beside him, Nina saw the gunmen – and kicked the catering trolley. Plates flew as it skittered across the poolside and hit the nearer of the soldiers. The impact knocked him back against his partner. Both men toppled into the pool, arms flailing almost comedically.
Eddie wasn’t laughing, though. They still had their guns, and a Kalashnikov could fire even after being submerged. He yanked his own rifle’s charging handle. A round was wedged in the receiver, refusing to come loose. ‘Kit!’ he shouted, but Suarez had frozen in the doorway, blocking the Interpol agent inside.
The men surfaced, spluttering angrily. One shook the water from his AK, swinging it towards the group—
Eddie booted the television into the pool.
There was a bang and a sizzling crackle. The soldiers writhed and spasmed as power surged through their
