Not quite.
'I don't give a shit about Robert. What about Caroline, for Christ's sake? What the hell about her?'
'Find her if you can but, whatever you do, I need you to get to the Maze. If you can do that, I can give you all the answers you've been looking for. But you need to hurry.'
'The Maze?' Kendrick screamed through a storm of agony. 'Are you fucking insane?'
Another intense flash of pain. Any lingering illusion of reality McCowan had possessed abruptly disappeared as his seated figure twisted into a sudden smear of colour before vanishing entirely.
Kendrick moaned as the full weight of the seizure came upon him. He crumpled to the grass under his feet.
The Maze? Why would McCowan want him there? And where exactly was he-
– Unless, in some way, he was still down there. That revelation hit Kendrick like a ton of bricks.
He looked back up and the city around him was gone.
He pushed himself up onto his knees. That same tiny figure came buzzing towards him on azure wings, its passage through the long-stalked grass sending puffs of pollen floating into the air.
'I know you,' Kendrick said, as the creature hovered quite close to him, only a metre or so away. In response, the tiny lips twisted up in a cruel smile. Laughter fell from its mouth, a tinkling half-crazed sound.
'I know you!' it cried. 'I know you! I know you!'
McCowan had been right. On some deep level, Kendrick had known from the start but now he couldn't avoid the truth any longer. The creature had Robert's face. And it buzzed around him on silken wings, its laughter chiming in his ears.
Then, as suddenly as he had left it, he was back in a damp park in Edinburgh, his fingers digging spasmodically into the hard turf beneath him.
It didn't take long for Draeger to show his hand.
As Kendrick headed for home, turning down a quiet side street leading towards Leith Walk, he caught sight of an expensive-looking limousine driving towards him at speed. It braked hard and a door swung open in front of him even before it had come to a halt. Kendrick stepped back, alarmed.
He'd barely registered the two men heading his way on the opposite side of the street. They stepped quickly towards him, pulling pistols from their jacket pockets and aiming them at his head. He glanced around and realized, to his chagrin, that there was no one else to be seen. They must have deliberately waited until they were sure there'd be no witnesses.
Smeby stepped out from the limousine and studied Kendrick with an expression of mild amusement. Then he gestured to the two gunmen, who dragged Kendrick forward and bundled him into the rear of the vehicle.
Another car slipped by and kept on going. Kendrick found his voice and yelled out, hoping to attract someone's attention. His voice sounded dull and flat inside the limousine.
Then he felt the muzzle of a gun pressed against his neck and he grew still.
'These weapons are extremely quiet.' Smeby leant over from a front seat. 'Nobody would hear it.'
The gunmen sat on either side of Kendrick. 'There's no point in killing me,' he said.
'I wasn't talking about killing you,' Smeby replied. 'I was talking about blowing your kneecaps off.'
Kendrick tried not to show his fear. 'You could have given me a call if you wanted to see me this badly.'
'If we'd asked you to come to the Arlington to meet with us, would you really have come?'
No, thought Kendrick, looking away
The limousine drove into an underground parking area beneath the hotel. Kendrick was dismayed to see that there was no one else around here either, no one to witness what was happening to him. The gunmen marched him to an elevator, keeping a firm grip on each of his shoulders. Their guns were pressed up against his head and neck respectively. Then they rode up in silence, along with Smeby, and a few moments later were back in the same suite as before.
Kendrick wasn't in the least surprised to see Max Draeger waiting there for him. Candice stood by the window, dressed in a dark wool trouser suit.
'Mr Gallmon,' said Draeger. 'I'm not going to waste any time before getting to the point. You're here simply for your own protection.'
Kendrick gaped at him. 'What?'
'Caroline Vincenzo has been snatched in order to persuade you to do as Los Muertos wish. I can't allow that to happen.'
'Fuck you.'
Draeger nodded to Smeby. The two gunmen dragged Kendrick backwards, forcing him awkwardly into a seat, still aiming their pistol at him. Smeby stepped forward and punched Kendrick, hard, in the stomach.
'Hardenbrooke – tell me about him. Everything you haven't said already.'
Kendrick sucked in air, swallowed and shook his head. 'What happened to the friendly style of chat we had out there in the jungle?'
Draeger stepped forward, his expression intense. 'There isn't the time for niceties any more. I could shoot you full of drugs that would have you telling me all I want to know, but I'd rather let you tell me for yourself. It's your choice.'
'For Christ's sake, he hasn't said anything to me.'
Draeger shook his head. 'I don't think you understand the danger you're in, Mr Gallmon. There are agents of Los Muertos already in this city, and I might be the only friend you have.'
'I don't find that likely.' Kendrick's hands were clammy with sweat. A dull nausea throbbed in the pit of his stomach and in the back of his throat.
Draeger stepped a little closer. 'I thought you might have connections with Los Muertos.'
Kendrick laughed, a harsh, nervous bark. 'Are you fucking crazy?'
'They don't have your best interests at heart.'
'And you do?'
'Los Muertos merely want to kill you. They don't offer you something in return for information.'
'All right,' said Kendrick. 'How about getting these two away from me?'
Draeger cocked his head. 'You're telling me that you're prepared to cooperate? Fully?'
'Fully, yes.'
Draeger studied Kendrick coolly for what felt like a long time. 'If you're lying, my employees are going to hurt you very, very badly. You won't be in any condition to walk, let alone enjoy a space flight. I want you to remember that before we continue.'
'I understand that. I just… I don't want what the others want.'
Kendrick knew that he could never bring himself to tell Draeger anything. But buying time was all he could think of. There has to be a way out of here.
It was an effort to meet Draeger's gaze, but after a few moments the other man's attention shifted to the two gunmen. Kendrick heard them step away from him.
'Wait downstairs,' Draeger told them.
'Sir.' Smeby stepped forward, 'I'm not sure-'
'Do what you're told, Marlin. My rules.'
'Sir, I must seriously fucking protest-'
Draeger snapped him a look, and Smeby shut up and stepped back. But Kendrick registered the cold anger in the ex-mercenary's face.
Kendrick was seated facing towards the windows, and the door was behind him. He took careful note of where everyone was positioned in the room. Draeger himself stood near the middle of the room; Candice and Smeby stood at almost opposite ends of it, facing towards him.
He heard the door snick shut as the gunmen departed.
