The Prophecy

eliminating the chateau’s guards, one by one.

Either way, Dubois realized Payne was a worthy adversary.

‘Welcome to my home,’ he said in a friendly tone. ‘One of many, I must admit, but certainly my favourite. Any trouble finding it?’

‘No trouble at all. The satellite knew exactly where to look.’

‘Come now, Mr Payne. There’s no need to threaten me with snipers and satellites. By now, I am fully aware of your military background. I am also aware of your personal wealth. A man who can’t be fought or bought is a rare man indeed.’

‘Apparently, we have that in common.’

Dubois placed his hand on his heart and bowed slightly. ‘Finally, a kind word. Perhaps we won’t be enemies after all.’

‘Perhaps.’

‘So,’ he said, ‘what have you brought for me today? May I take a look?’

Dubois opened the cargo doors and stared at a slatted wooden crate in the back of the van. Made out of pine, it was 24 inches long, 10 inches wide, and 10 inches deep. A box, wrapped in several layers of bubble wrap, sat inside the crate.

Smiling at the possibilities, Dubois noticed a plastic pouch had been attached to one of the front slats. He peeled it open and pulled out the shipping manifest that had been stamped at the airport. Holding it up to the light, his eyes scanned the document. The puzzle box was listed first, followed by two carrying cases that contained ‘miscellaneous parchments’.

Payne said, ‘I won’t even pretend to be an expert like you, but I was warned we shouldn’t open this stuff in the cold. Something about permanent damage.’

Dubois nodded, never taking his eyes off of the crate. ‘That is correct. The elements have ruined their fair share of antiquities over the centuries, which is why I keep mine in an optimal environment. If I may be so bold, may I offer a temporary solution to our problem?’

‘I’m listening.’

‘Instead of leaving the artefacts in the cold while we conduct our business in the warmth

‘I don’t know about that.’

‘Obviously we won’t carry it ourselves. A member of my staff will do that for us.’

Payne paused, pretending to give it some thought. ‘Fine, I’m willing to allow it under two conditions. Number one, the crate never leaves my sight. I go wherever it goes.’

‘Of course,’ he said, ‘I wouldn’t have it any other way. And number two?’

‘We conduct our business in your library.’

Dubois raised an eyebrow. ‘That can be arranged, but why there?’

Payne smiled. ‘As you know, that’s one room I’ve already scouted.’

Despite his aversion to the cold, Jones lay on a blanket in the snow, staring through the scope of an M24 sniper rifle. Dead brush and leaves concealed his position on the outer edge of Dubois’s property where he was just beyond the reach of the chateau’s outdoor lights. An earpiece, similar to the one that Payne was wearing, allowed him to listen to Payne’s conversation with Dubois. And if the situation required it, he could also speak to Payne.

Jones, who had trained at the US Army Sniper School at Fort Benning, slowly inched his rifle to the right, waiting to reacquire his target through the library’s window. Less than a minute later, Dubois’s head was once again in his crosshairs, where it would remain at all times.

Although Jones had been an ‘average’ sniper in the military — mostly because his appointment to the MANIACs had limited his advanced training — he was still one of the best in the world. That’s how deadly American snipers are. According to figures released by the US Department of Defense, the average number of rounds fired in the Vietnam War to kill one enemy soldier with an M-16 was 50,000. The average number of rounds fired by US snipers to kill one enemy soldier was a staggering 1.3 rounds. That’s a cost-difference

Nowadays, American weaponry is much more advanced than it had been in Vietnam, but the current figures are still shocking. According to the US army, the average soldier will hit a man-sized target 10 per cent of the time at 300 metres using the M16A2 rifle. Graduates of the US Army Sniper School are expected to achieve 90 per cent first-round hits at 600 metres, using the M24 sniper rifle — the weapon that Ulster had acquired in Geneva for a small fortune.

To Payne and Jones, the rifle was worth every penny.

From where Jones was currently positioned, less than 200 metres away with virtually no wind to speak of, the odds of him missing were about the same as hitting the lottery.

It could happen, but Payne was willing to bet his life that it wouldn’t.

67

Dubois’s butler placed the crate on a table in the middle of the library, and then waited for further instructions.

‘You may leave us,’ Dubois said dismissively.

‘And close the door on your way out,’ Payne added.

Unsure of what to do, he looked to Dubois for permission.

‘Hey,’ Payne said, goading his host, ‘I had the balls to come to Bruges. The least you can do is talk to me in private.’

Dubois smirked at his guest, and then nodded his consent. A few seconds later, the door was pulled shut with a soft click. The two men were finally alone, just like Payne had wanted. Knowing full well Jones would watch his back, Payne turned away from Dubois and admired the leather-bound books that lined the shelves. Most of them were in French, but there were a few foreign titles. A German book named Arcanum caught Payne’s eye. He picked it up and thumbed through the pages.

Payne laughed. ‘Trust me, Frankie. If I wanted you dead, you’d be dead.’

‘Perhaps. Of course, you realize the same applies to you.’

Payne smiled and returned the book to the shelf. ‘Are you sure about that? It seems the first fifteen guys you sent weren’t very effective.’

Dubois waved off the comment. ‘Merely pawns in the grand scheme of things. Although not lethal, they were quite effective in some ways.’

‘Really? How do you figure?’

‘Well, you are here with the artefacts. Ultimately, that is all I cared about.’

Payne turned and looked Dubois in the eyes. He needed to size him up. ‘I kind of figured as much. Meanwhile, my agenda is a lot less materialistic than yours. I’m here to talk about our personal safety. Are you familiar with the concept of MAD?’

Dubois furrowed his brow. ‘I’m afraid I am not.’

‘It stands for Mutual Assured Destruction. It’s a military doctrine that was developed during the Cold War. Simply put, it means when two adversaries have reached a certain level of strength –

Dubois nodded in understanding. ‘This is a term I did not know, but one I shall remember. You are America, and I am France. We should not fight.’

‘Exactly.’

‘In my country, we would call this detente. Do you know this word?’