Chapter 28

"You're back," Caradoc said.

Pellinore frowned as she emerged from the confessional lift. "I'm sorry, were you waiting for me?"

"Yes, I am. Where were you this morning?"

"I was at my favourite cafe, having breakfast. But I'm sure you saw that through my glasses, didn't you? What's going on here, really?"

"You go to the cafe every day?"

"You know the answer to that."

"Just say it for the record, please." Caradoc's hand tapped the leg of his glasses. "Do you go to that cafe every day?"

"Yes, I do. What's this about?"

"We have a mole. And you might be that mole." Caradoc held out the flat palm of his hand. "Glasses, please."

Hesitantly, Pellinore slipped her spectacles off, folded the legs and put them in Caradoc's hand. "Are the others being quarantined as well?"

"Everyone agent except Esclados and me."

"How do I know you're not the mole?"

"Because I just got here, and I didn't know Charlemagne was at CERN until Roland told me. Marcel had this planned way before."

"What about the other branches that we send reports to? Is New York getting this as well?"

"They are. Everyone is. I'm sorry, but you just have to go with the flow. You'll be in your room." He pulled opened a door into the living quarters. "I'm hoping you're not the mole either, Maddy, but I can't take any chances."

"You've locked Doctor Estok away as well, haven't you? He arrived with you."

"That's because he doesn't appear on any database. He's a ghost, and I don't trust him one bit."

"Jonas?"

"A precaution. We're not sure what he did after I left him at the border."

"Psh, I understand." She started marching down the corridor, to the third door, which had her codename on it. Gingerly, she tapped in the four-digit code in the numpad and pulled the door open.

Caradoc stared intently at her as she disappeared in the room, then shut the door, the electronic bolt clicking into place with a soft clank.

"That's all of us," Esclados said over the intercom.

"Is anyone acting strangely?"

"No, not yet. Kay's reading a book, Urien's looking dead in his bunk, David's just staring at a wall, Maddy's on her phone and Jonas is...what the heck is he doing?"

"Describe it," Caradoc said, heading down the corridor for the last door.

"He's using a piece of the bed frame to tap morse code on the door. One second...he's saying your name over and over."

Caradoc reached the door to Jonas' room and tapped in the code, unlocking the door and swinging it open.

Jonas tumbled out, the metal pipe in one hand and his phone in the other. "You have to let me out."

"I can't do that," Caradoc said, pulling the metal rod out of his hand and tossing it down the corridor. With one hand, he pushed Jonas back through the doorway. "You can go after we find the mole."

"No, right now."

"I'm sorry." He swung the door shut.

Jonas' foot rammed into his abdomen, knocking the wind out of him. He reached inside his coat, fingers wrapping around the grip of his TT-30.

Before he could pull it out, Jonas had uppercutted him in the jaw, sending him flying against the wall.

Jonas stomped down the hallway just in the seconds preceding a single shot, and he collapsed, blood oozing from a bullet hole in his leg. Caradoc turned down the other side of the hallway, where Esclados was holding an assault rifle.

"Please, just let me go!" Jonas shouted from where he was sprawled on the ground.

"Why?" Caradoc asked, picking himself up and holding his jaw, which throbbed in pain. "Just tell us!"

"I can't!"

Esclados pulled the phone from his hand. He read something for a moment before handing the device to Caradoc.

On the screen, a short text email read:

Palace of Versailles, noon today. Come alone, or she dies.

Attached to the message was a picture of a dark-skinned girl bound and gagged in the back of a truck, a pleading look in her eyes. Even with the duct tape over her mouth, he could see the resemblance to Sagramore.

"You have to let me go."

"We'll go together," Caradoc said.

"They'll kill her," Jonas said through gritted teeth. "I'm not going to fucking let that happen!"

"Obviously not," Esclados said. "And how did you plan to get to Versailles in two hours, Jonas? We would have called the cops on you."

Jonas said nothing.

"Look," Caradoc said. "We'll go together, and we're going to get her back." He gave Esclados the phone. "Comb over that picture, see if you can get anything."

Esclados took the device from him and went back down the corridor.

"I can't go like this," Jonas said, looking at his bleeding leg.

"You can. You're just not meeting them."

"They'll kill her!"

Caradoc removed the pocket square from his coat, and unfolded it. "Oh, trust me, they won't."


Tahal felt the buzz of his phone through his suit, and answered it through his bluetooth earpiece. "Yes?"

"I need Garth and Antoine back," Diana said. "I'm about to launch the last part of the plan."

"I don't think that's possible."

"Where'd you put them?"

"Calm down, Diana. They're doing one last job for me. You, on the other hand, should stay put. I'm sure the other Council members agree."

"What's that supposed to mean, you son of a bitch?"

"What I mean is, your little venture with Marcel and Jade failed. He's in jail and she's six feet under."

"So?"

"So I'm taking over. Just a few hours ago the Council voted you out as head of operations, and I was appointed."

"I wasn't informed. You can't do this."

"You failed, Diana. That's all that matters. Me? I'm not going to fail. Have a nice day." He cut the connection just as Diana was going to speak.

Instead, he called Garth. "How's it going?"

"We're loaded and ready to go," Garth said. "And did you just wire a million dollars into my bank account?"

"Call it a little gift for your cooperation," Tahal said. "Antoine's got the same thing. You can proceed with the operation now if you like."

"I'll call it in. What about Diana?"

"The Council voted her out while you were working hard. I'm in charge now. Maybe one day you can achieve the same thing."

"I'll keep that in mind. Harker's guys are getting restless here, you know."

"Then put take them with you. Just in case."

"Just in case," Garth repeated. "I'll call you after it's done."

"Thank you. Say hello to Antoine for me, will you?"

"Alright." He hung up.

Tahal pocketed his phone, and stared out the window of his penthouse. Below, Dubai gleamed and twinkled in the afternoon light. A cloud of dust was on the horizon, approaching the city.

He smiled. It was a perfect day.


Caradoc felt completely exposed in the grey hoodie sweater they had bought just ten minutes ago at the corner store. He touched his cheek again. All good, he thought, and made his way to the burly man who had been eyeing him for a minute now.

The man wasn't carrying anything visibly, but he could see a small bulge just under his left armpit - a shoulder holster.

"Where is she?" Caradoc asked.

"Not here." His right hand reached into his jacket and pulled a shiny silver gun, pointing it at Caradoc. A Wildey.

Caradoc grabbed the man's wrist and spun to the side just as he fired, the pistol's massive recoil jarring his hand against the slide. He rammed his knee into the man's groin, and landed a right hook across his face.

He collapsed in a heap among the panicking tourists.

Caradoc sprinted back across the stone square, leaping over the a barricade and ducking as a policeman's bullet flew over his head.

Jonas opened the backseat door of their stolen car, and he dove in, half-crashing into Jonas and pulling the door shut behind him. A bullet ricocheted off the car's chassis, and Esclados took off, the vehicle making a one-hundred-eighty degree turn before shooting out onto a street.

Caradoc took a few deep breaths, and exhaled. "Shit, that was fast."

"She's got to be around here," Jonas said, peering out the window."

"Actually," Esclados cut in, "she's probably not. They've no reason to keep her around here. We'll find her."

"We've no more leads," Caradoc said, rubbing his left wrist where the Wildey's slide had smacked it. "Maybe we should go and help Val."

"She specifically told me not to let you."

"I know that. At least just tell me where she is."

"I can't do that. Jonas, at least we know you're not the mole. I guess we both owe you a massive apology."

"Doesn't matter; who was that guy?" Jonas' brow was furrowed. "Another Legionnaire?"

"No," Caradoc said. "One of Harker's. He tried to kill me back in Amsterdam."

"You can take that off now, you know?"

"Oh, sorry." Caradoc reached up to his face and to his right temple, where his fingers found a slight corner. He slipped his fingers under it, and tore off the thin cloth that was his pocket square off his face. Jonas' features, which were projected on the cloth, vanished.

"Suddenly, you look a lot less handsome."

"Oh, shut up."

"Seriously though, we need to find Karlien."

"Saving the world is number one priority," Esclados said. "And we can't do that as long as the mole is loose somewhere."

"It's not mine."

"It should be. Would you really risk the fate of the world for one girl?"

Jonas crossed his arms. "I would, actually. I'm not an insensitive bastard like you, and neither is Dirk."

"What?" Caradoc raised his eyebrows.

"Tell him, Dirk. You would let the world burn, wouldn't you?"

"As a Kingsman, I'm afraid I can't let that happen. Saving the world is number one priority," he repeated.

"Oh, quit lying. I've seen you look at Valerie."

"In the long run, I'd choose saving the world over her."

"Really, would you? Esclados, you think he would?"

After a long pause, Esclados shook his head. "No, he wouldn't."

"Now you're just ganging up on me," Caradoc said. "It's a my first and foremost duty to operate to ensure that the world is safe. Feelings have nothing to do with that."

"You bought her flowers."

"One, that's none of your business, and two, how the fuck would you know that?"

"I have access to every agent's phone, remember? There was a receipt for a bouquet you didn't get to pick up."

"Thanks a fucking lot. Can we talk about something else?"

"See?" Jonas gestured at Caradoc. "He has feelings for her. That might jeopardise any missions in the future you guys have. So why is he still operating but you won't let me find Karlien?"

"Fucking unbelievable," Caradoc muttered.

"Dirk is essential," Esclados said. "With whatever the hell it is that they're planning, his experience is an asset."

"Finally, thank you."

"But I'm going to file a report to Arthur. After this blows over, you're going to be under review by Uther."

Caradoc said nothing.

"If he finds you fit for duty, Dirk, then good for you. But if he doesn't...there's a very good reason there aren't a lot of retired agents."

He nodded, and simply stared out the window.