Dasyueshan Mountain Forest, Taiwan
KREUTZER AND ANOTHER MAN drove them back from the temple to their cabin. Jenny Li was next to Luke, bolt upright, her face pale. He reached out and tried to offer her some comfort but she shook him off and now she sat in the back of the 4x4, staring dead ahead.
Luke tried to push the memory of those two severed heads to the back of his mind. He couldn’t. His brain was in overdrive, striving to work up an escape plan. But he was angry too. What the hell was Angela doing, sending them off into such an incredibly dangerous situation? Luke wasn’t afraid of risk. He would never have made it through twelve years in the Royal Marines if he had been. But he liked to know the odds and what resources he had on his side. Meeting up with the triad suspected of holding Hannah Slade had turned out to be a gamble that had now gone horribly wrong. He had one thought now and one thought alone: they had to get out of here alive.
Outside the log cabin, just visible through the forest canopy, a crescent moon had risen. Kreutzer jumped out, unlocked the rear doors and escorted them to the cabin. Luke noted his finger rested lightly on the trigger guard of his machine-pistol. The American opened the door, calling to the other man to wait, and then he did something unexpected. He followed Luke and Jenny inside, went over to the washbasin and ran the tap. The water came out in fitful splutters but it was enough to hide anything about to be said.
‘Take a seat,’ Kreutzer commanded, with a wave of the Heckler & Koch. Luke took a good look at the man now. He was markedly older and greyer than he remembered him from that special-weapons course in the States. But he was still in shape, Luke gave him that. They lowered themselves onto the nearest of the two single beds while Kreutzer remained standing. Luke threw a glance at Jenny. He could see she was in a state of shock. Jenny Li knew more about the grisly effects of chemical and biological weapons than anyone else in the Service, and she’d more than proved herself in the field on numerous operations. But the sight of those putrefying heads, well, that was more than anyone should have to see. He wondered what possible reassurance he could offer her now, given their situation.
‘OK, I’m going to level with you two,’ Kreutzer said. ‘You’re both in deep shit.’
‘You don’t say,’ Luke retorted, but Kreutzer held up a hand.
‘Save it,’ he said. ‘I know you want to give me a heap of grief about working for this guy but right now that’s not going to help you. Listen.’ He paused in mid-sentence and seemed to be weighing up just how much to tell them. ‘Your friend Hannah, she’s got a price on her head. A lot of people want her.’
‘Who does exactly?’ Luke interrupted. ‘And where is she?’
Again Kreutzer held up his hand, tilting his head to one side. Running water gurgled in the background. ‘I’m not done yet, Carlton,’ he said. ‘So, our Mr Bo up there in the temple, well, he just loves a deal and he’s going to sell her to the highest bidder. Now, as for you two—’ He stopped suddenly. There was a loud knocking at the door and Kreutzer moved to answer it.
‘Wait!’ said Jenny, leaping up from the bed. ‘Tell us. What were you about to say?’
But Kreutzer was already at the door and unlocking it. He turned round, shook his head, and said quietly, ‘You’ll find out soon enough.’