The Spear of Atlantis by Andy McDermott

The Spear of Atlantis by Andy McDermott

Author:Andy McDermott
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Headline
Published: 2018-09-19T23:00:00+00:00


28

Several people had called the police, including the hostel’s manager. Nina waited on a nearby street while Agreste went to investigate the pension. She almost took the opportunity to run, but she had nowhere to go – and even if she did, without passport or money she would not get far.

He returned after several minutes. ‘What’s happening?’ she asked.

‘I spoke to the police,’ he replied. ‘They are looking for you.’

‘Well, yeah. They have been ever since I arrived in the country.’

‘That is not what I meant. The manager did not know who you really are, so nor do the local police. All they know is that a group of Arab men broke in looking for you, so they are treating you as a possible victim until they know otherwise.’

‘They’ll realise who I am when they find my passport, though.’

‘That will not happen.’ He reached into a pocket and produced that very item.

She took it. ‘How the hell did you get hold of this? My room must be full of cops!’

‘I still have my old identity cards from Interpol and the Sûreté. I assured the young officer guarding your room that it would be returned. When it is not, I doubt he will admit to letting a stranger take it.’

‘What about the marker? And my notes?’

‘The marker is still there, but I am afraid your notes are gone. Just before I reached you on the roof, I heard al-Asim tell his man they had all your work, and a map.’

‘You know him?’ she said, suspicion rising again.

A nod. ‘Hashim al-Asim. He is Dhajani, one of the country’s senior intelligence operatives.’

‘So you were working with him.’

‘Not directly. He and his team were also part of the plan, but we were acting independently. Once they took the marker from the ship, that was supposed to be the end of their involvement. Either they have exceeded their orders . . . or they have been given new ones.’

‘What orders?’ she demanded. ‘What plan?’

‘I can only tell you my part of it,’ Agreste said. ‘I was employed to provide security for the exhibition aboard the Atlantia, yes – but I also arranged that you were alone in the room when the raiders broke in.’

‘You set me up?’

‘I am afraid so. My apologies.’ There was not much contrition in his words, but nor were they completely devoid of sincerity. ‘After you were arrested, Ana and I worked together to free you, and then frighten you into going on the run to prove your innocence. She was not hurt.’

Nina struggled to take in the revelation. ‘And all this was so . . . so I’d try to stop the bad guys from finding the spearhead by beating them to the marker in Seville?’

‘The expectation was that you would examine it and obtain the information you needed. That you would actually steal it came as a surprise.’ A small smile. ‘I then had to keep the police away from you – a task you made much harder when you discovered the tracking device in your passport.



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