Ark Found, page 12
part #2 of Omega Files Adventures Series
Jayden let the jab slide. “Yeah, but you’ve got the money to hire one.” That point was true enough. The fortune Carter had inherited from his grandfather that had enabled him to start Omega Team would enable him to do that.
“In theory,” Carter said, “that could work. I give you that. But it’s got issues. One: it would take time to vet someone and hire them, then wait for their results. Time during which we could be doing some real boots-on-the-ground treasure hunting. Two: it creates an additional security risk. The more people we have over here poking around, the more noticeable we are, and the more likely it is that someone will hear about our activities sooner or later. Our computer expert would always know what we did; they would probably always have a copy of the map. I don’t like it.”
Jayden threw his hands up in a gesture of surrender. “I’ll be honest with you, Carter. I was hoping we could speed-dial some Russian babe with serious technical skills who would drop through the ceiling in a catsuit and… well, you get the idea.”
“Yeah, I get it.” Carter swilled some more of his beer while his eyes took on a faraway look.
“What is it? You’re warming to the idea, aren’t you? I knew it!” Jayden sounded excited.
“Well no, the hacker thing is too crazy for the reasons I mentioned. But there is someone we can call who might be able to help us.”
“Oh, and who’s that?”
“Maddy.”
Jayden brightened. “Good idea! But, she’s your woman, so I still want my Russian hacker.”
“Tell you what. We find Noah’s Ark, and I’ll see to it that we add a hacker to Omega’s payroll, okay?”
Jayden raised his glass in a toast. “Deal. So does Maddy know where Noah’s Ark is or what?”
“If anyone knows where to look, it’s her. She’ll know all the history behind the searches for it that have already been done, so that should save us some time.”
Dr. Madison Chambers, a professor of archaeology at a major American university, was an on-again, off-again girlfriend for Carter. She had also helped them in the search for Atlantis.
“I’ll send her an email,” Carter said. “But in the meantime, we should check out of our hotel and get to the airport.”
“What for? I thought you said we need to consult Maddy?”
“We do, but that’s more for the micro-details once we’re there. Besides, like you said, it might not be all that hard to hack into our emails here—not than many servers in this little town, right? And I’d have to use an Internet café since I don’t have my laptop or phone with me. We don’t want to be tracked like that.”
“Okay, I get it. So what’s up?”
“I know a little bit about Noah’s Ark myself. I’ve always been interested in the stories of expeditions that went looking for it in real life. I did a little research of my own before we left for the Titanic, just to brush up on it…”
“And?”
“And one of the most well-known hunting grounds for the ark is Mt. Ararat, Turkey.”
Jayden stared at him over his now ignored plate of seafood. “So we’re going to Turkey just based on that?”
“Yeah. Leaving today, hopefully. Let’s get to the airport.”
Jayden still didn’t look convinced. “Seriously?”
“Yeah. First of all, almost all of the places reputed to possibly be the final resting place of Noah’s Ark are on that continent, so we might as well get over there. And second, hanging around here for much longer is probably not advisable since I think one of those dudes who walked in with that group not too long ago has been scoping us out. Don’t turn around. Act normal.”
Jayden’s eyes widened as he remained facing toward Carter. “Are you sure?”
“Pretty sure. I think we need to make a little bit of a show here of you walking up to the bar. Complain that the server is taking too long for our next round. Order a shot and ask for the check and a cab ride to our hotel. Give them the name of some other hotel, and say the name loudly. Then when we get in the cab, we’ll have the driver take us to the airport.”
“Did I mention I love this job? Good thing we visited the embassy this morning for temporary passports.”
“Good and bad. Good, obviously, in that it allows to travel, but bad in that it’s an easy place to keep tabs on.”
“Here we go.” Jayden nodded, took a deep breath while looking at Carter, and then he slammed a fist on the table loud enough to make the plates and silverware clatter.
“Damn, how long does it take to get a beer around this hellhole!”
Carter played along, raising his arms in an exaggerated gesture of rhetorical uncertainty, while Jayden stood up and shoved his chair backwards, tipping it over onto the concrete floor. “If you want something done right, man…” He swiped his not-quite-empty beer mug from the table and staggered over toward the bar, chugging down the remaining beer dregs as he went. The group of men who had drawn their attention all turned to look at him, as did their server from four tables over.
“Hey, hey what’s the problem, Sir?” the bartender, a man pushing sixty with a bald dome and gray hair on the sides, asked from behind his drink station. “Rachel?” He called over to the server and she apologized to the young couple at her current table before hurrying toward the bar. The bartender finished pouring a mixed drink for another customer already seated at the bar and then waked over to Jayden, who pulled a barstool out of the way to stand there. He plunked his empty mug on the bar.
“Ridiculous! Just get me a shot, would you, and cash us the hell out! We’ll head somewhere that knows how to sling drinks.” Inwardly, Jayden intensely disliked playing the part of a boisterous, drunken lout, since he was aware of the reputation American tourists had in many foreign countries, but he placed mission success ahead of all else.
The bartender frowned at him in disgust. “Sir, I don’t understand the problem. First of all, you’re seated at a table, not the bar, and you were served drinks.” The server arrived and bounced her concerned gaze between Jayden and the bartender. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you wanted another round already,” she offered.
“Never mind, it’s too late now. This place killed my buzz,” Jayden growled, tossing some bills on the bar top. “Where’s that shot? Maybe you have some whiskey worth a damn in this country? And call me a freakin’ cab, can you do that or is it too much to ask of a drinking establishment?” The stunned employees could only gawk at the wild-eyed Jayden in disbelief, and he took advantage of the silence to step up his act a notch. He raised his voice to a full-on yell.
“Are you deaf or something? I said, CALL US A CAB! WATERSTONE HOTEL—RIGHT NOW! And where’s my stupid shot?”
The bartender’s eyes narrowed and he turned to the server. “Give me their ticket and I’ll handle this, dear. See to your tables.” She nodded and handed him a piece of paper. He promptly picked up a phone and placed a call.
“Yeah, Robby, listen, we need a cab over here as soon as you can. Heads up: guy is pretty drunk, kind of an asshole, but he only wants to go to the Waterstone. Yeah, let me know.” He hung up and turned to Jayden. “Your cab’s on the way pal. But here’s the deal: you want that shot? You drink it right here and then you and your buddy get out of my bar right now. Wait for your cab on the street, and never come back. Do we have a deal?”
Jayden felt terrible inside but kept up the act. He made a mental note to make it up to them somehow whenever he could. He met the man’s steely gaze with one of his own. “You got it, pal. Serve it up.”
The bartender poured Jayden a shot of what he recognized as the cheap, house whiskey and plopped it down in front of him. “Better hold your liquor, buddy. Around here it doesn’t take much to draw the attention of the Mounties. You might not like our bar, but I guarantee you it beats spending the rest of your vacation in the clink.”
Meanwhile, Carter was making a show of wolfing down the rest of his meal and drink while surreptitiously keeping an eye on the party of men seated a few tables away. He noted that they followed Jayden’s confrontation with interest, and watched two of them confer in hushed tones after the name of the hotel was announced.
At the bar, Jayden threw his head back and poured the entire shot of whiskey into his mouth by dumping the glass held at arm’s length over his head. He tossed the shot glass to the bartender, who stepped back and caught it before promptly pointing to the door. “Out of here now before I call the police! Your cab is on the way.” Then he looked over to Carter. “I’d get your buddy out of here right now, pal, if I were you.”
Carter nodded and rose slowly, as if he was used to it. “Come on, Eric, let’s hit our hotel bar. You know, that place where everybody knows our name.”
The bartender gave a sarcastic laugh. “Yeah, please do that. And don’t let the door hit you on the ass on your way out.”
The party of locals watched Carter and Jayden stagger out of the bar, with Jayden kicking the front door open and stumbling out. “Thanks for everything!” he yelled back before it swung shut. He and Carter stood directly in front of the door so that everyone inside could see they were indeed waiting for the called taxi. “How was I?” Jayden asked under his breath.
“Oscar consideration is in your future. Here’s our ride.” A classic yellow and black taxi rolled up to the curb. The driver spoke to them through the open window. “Waterstone?”
They got in and the cab pulled out into the light traffic.
Chapter 14
“Have a few too many in there, did ya?” the cabbie asked over his shoulder as he drove along.
“Yeah well, that’s what bars are for, right?” Jayden deliberately over-slurred from the back seat next to Carter, who was scanning their surroundings out the windows.
The cabbie took his hands off the wheel for a moment in order to momentarily throw his hands up. “Hey, I don’t judge. A big part of my business is making sure drunk people get to where they’re going safely, and without hurting anyone else. Your decision to call a cab is commendable. Waterstone Hotel is only fifteen minutes away, but if you’re three sheets to the wind…”
Carter and Jayden exchanged glances and then Carter spoke. “Actually, can you just take us to the airport instead?”
The cabbie glanced at him via his rearview mirror. “St. John’s International?”
“Yes. I know it’s further, but here…” Carter dug some cash out of his pocket and handed it over the seat to the driver. Apparently it was more than enough, because he saw the man’s eyes widen just slightly for a moment and then he picked up his radio and told his dispatcher, “Change of plans, cancel Waterstone, heading to SJI, fare pre-paid.” Carter heard the dispatcher acknowledge the call and then the cabbie hung up the radio transmitter.
That was it, Carter thought. Their escape plan was in action. Daedalus ’ hired local goons, if in fact that’s who they were, would be going to the Waterstone Hotel, while he and Jayden would be heading in the completely opposite direction to the airport. But something nagged at his mind, something not quite right. Daedalus and his outfit ran a tight ship, Carter knew. He didn’t leave a lot of things to chance. And what was the safest thing to do here, if they really wanted to stay with their quarry? To head to the Waterstone in a few minutes after the cab left? Or to simply follow the cab, just in case plans changed or were never honest in the first place? Carter had heard rumors that Daedalus employed a couple of ex-Mossad agents in his organization, to keep all of his field agents on their toes, and this was exactly the kind of scenario where that kind of preparation might play out in Treasure, Inc.’s favor.
Carter did his best to turn around and glance out the back window without it appearing unusual. Only a half dozen cars plied the lanes behind them, and one of them was a silver sedan with local plates that he thought he’d seen parked at the curb in front of them when they’d gotten into the cab. But he couldn’t be positive. He mentally kicked himself for not paying more attention. He turned back around and faced forward. Traffic was becoming slightly more congested up ahead, but still not serious like anyone from a big city would be used to.
“Just relax, we’ll be there in under twenty minutes,” the driver said as he changed into the left lane. Carter found he was able to get a glimpse of the vehicles behind them by looking at the mirror on the driver’s side. He was dismayed to see the silver sedan ease into the left lane also.
“Any chance we could hear a local radio station?” he said to the driver. “I like to hear radio in different countries.”
“Sure thing.” The driver put on some classic rock that could be heard basically anywhere in the western world, but Carter only wanted it for the noise cover. He leaned a little closer to Jayden and told him he thought they were being followed by the silver sedan. “Don’t look back. I’ve already looked once, and you can see them in the left mirror now.”
Jayden eyed the mirror and then said, “Yeah, they were at the bar. That grill is kind of distinctive.”
Carter shook his head. “Not good at all. If they see us even take the airport exit, they’ll know we’re leaving the country even if they don’t manage to tail us on foot all the way to our gate.”
“You have any more cash on you?” Jayden pulled a rumpled bill from his pocket. This is all I have on me. Might not be enough to convince this guy to lose ‘em.”
Carter considered the implications of Jayden’s question. If they did convince the cabbie to pull evasive maneuvers in order to leave their tail behind, it would also tip them off that they were right about who they were following and what they were doing. If they were unsure as it was.
“It might be better to have him drop us off early, in a crowded place, and try and lose them on foot. Then make our way to the airport after that.”
Jayden called over to the driver. “Excuse me, but are there any more areas with shops, maybe liquor stores, that we could stop at on the way to the airport?”
The driver turned down the music and asked him to repeat the question, which Jayden did.
“No sir, I’d have to loop all the way back. I’ll do it, if you want, but you’d really be going out of your way. If I were you I’d just hit the airport bars and duty-free shops once you get into St. Johns International.”
Carter eyed Jayden and shook his head. Casually changing their destination was not going to be an option. Time for Plan B. He figured they didn’t have much to lose by trying, so he took Jayden’s cash, added what he had to it, and held it out to the cabbie.
“You see that silver car back there?”
The driver appeared confused, then concerned, as he consulted his rear view mirror. “Yes? Something wrong?”
“Not really, but those are friends of ours who have been getting on our nerves. They came here on vacation with us, but we’re leaving early. I think they’re trying to talk us out of it, and I’d rather just avoid them, so if you can do us a favor and lose them, this cash is all yours.”
He glanced at the bills and then into his rearview mirror. “That silver sedan four cars back, same lane as us?” he clarified.
“That’s the one,” Carter answered.
The driver looked back at them with a wide grin. “Put on your lap belts, please.” Carter and Jayden did so and then the driver accelerated smoothly, passing three cars in the next lane before changing into that lane. He continued the same process, changing into the next lane over after passing a few more cars. He was speeding in order to do it, but not recklessly so. One car even passed him. But their tail was out of sight, at least for now. The driver pointed out the sign for the airport.
“Sure you don’t want me to take it? I don’t see your friends.”
Carter saw a public bus pulled over at a stop on the right. “Does one of those go to the airport?”
“Yes, that one does, in fact. Takes the long way around.”
“Sounds perfect,” Carter said. “Can you gain a little more distance from our friends and then drop us off at the next bus stop?”
“Yes, sir.” The cabbie sped up again, passing the bus and several cars in the right-most lane. Looking back, Carter still couldn’t see their tail. He knew that didn’t necessarily mean they weren’t back there, but it did make him feel better that they hadn’t gained on them. He watched the scenery of a country he’d never visited prior to this day whiz by, and he couldn’t help but feel how he wished they could slow down and enjoy their stay. But this was a business trip of sorts, and he knew that he had to stay focused. One day, he would return here on vacation, he told himself. After Noah’s Ark had been found.
For now, he stared nervously behind them and felt his guts clench up when the silver car came into view two lanes over. It was still far back, but accelerating. Clearly, they knew they had been evaded. Up ahead two big rig trucks blocked the two righthand lanes, and Carter could see the next bus stop not far ahead of them. “If you can pass these trucks, you could drop us off at the next stop,” he told the driver, who immediately stepped on the gas and switched into the leftmost lane in order to pass the eighteen wheelers.
But this lane change did no go smoothly, for just as he switched into the new lane, the driver of the car in that lane ahead of them braked suddenly, and the car rammed into the back of it. Carter and Jayden braced for the impact, now thankful to be wearing seatbelts, as the small SUV ahead of them was pushed left until it spun out and tipped on two wheels. For one horrifying second, Carter thought it was going to tip over, but it plopped back onto all four wheels amidst a screech of rubber that left deep black skid marks. But the incident started a chain reaction. The cab was rear-ended by the car behind them, not terribly hard, but just hard enough for Carter to wonder if they were going to have whiplash. Another car careened into their front right quarter panel, sending a column of steam up from the hood.
The cabbie uttered a curse as he lifted his hands from the wheel in a gesture of futility. He turned around to address his passengers as all traffic slowed to a stop behind them, in all lanes. “If you want to catch that bus, go now. This is not your fault, it was mine. But my company will pay for it. You do not need to stay, you have done your part,” he said, patting his shirt breast pocket which was full of their cash.
