The Few (The Abductions of Langley Garret Book 2) (13 page)

'Right. So what have you got for me?' I asked, before they even had a chance to sit.

'Not a great deal I'm afraid,' Marcus said, still standing as he flicked through a file.

'It'll take some time,' Ellen added, as she sat down.

'Just tell me what you know for sure.'

'Well, we know it was an order from within The Few,' Ellen said.

'I think that was a given. So what else do you have?' I asked, dismissing Ellen's information.

'All we know, is that the device was probably fitted to the car in Milan, the night before. We have the garage attendant who was working that night and I'm hoping to have more information once we've spoken to him,' Marcus said.

'Small fry though.'

'Yes. He'll more than likely tell us who paid him, or which one of his pals fitted the device, but not a lot else.'

'Anything else?'

'On the attack, no not much,' Marcus said sternly.

'And on anything else that I should know?'

'We believe there was a meeting of the executive of The Few last week. But we're still trying to get information about what might have been discussed,' Ellen said.

'Ok, so I gather there's not a lot either of you can tell me that is going to be of much use. So best we move on to matters that we can do something about. Ellen, I want a full briefing on the members of the executive of The Few. Names, what they do, who they are, and I also want a brief historical perspective of their organisation.'

'Um, sure,' she replied.

'Good. Meet me back here at three then.'

'Uh, right.'

'Good. Now I just want a few words with Marcus, if you don't mind,' I said, and waited for her to understand that her part of our meeting was concluded. She looked at me and then at Marcus, hesitantly, before rising from her seat.

'Right,' she said, a little indignantly, as she stood to leave. A small part of me enjoyed the small victory over hazel eyes, but I knew I needed her. That would be something to attend to later in the day.

'Thank you Ellen, I'll see you at three,' I said, with a little more appreciation in my tone. I waited for her to leave, and then focused my attention on Marcus. He waited patiently.

'I gather you have some work for me,' he said, and sniffed, after Ellen had left. Somehow, it reassured me.

'Yes, I do. After I was taken from Decem Filios, I was taken aboard a submarine and questioned at length by a woman. All I know is that she was grey. Then I was taken to somewhere in Turkey I believe, and a man with an Oxford accent interrogated me and was in the end responsible for this,' I said, showing him my almost useless left hand.

'And you'd like to know who they were?'

'Yes, but even more importantly, who precisely ordered it. And I would also like to know exactly where it was in Turkey that I was held.'

'Not easy.'

'But not impossible.'

'No, but it may take some time.'

'I want as much detail as possible. Right from the moment when Ellen and her thug friend took me from my apartment, up until I met some goon back in Neuchâtel ten weeks later.'

'I understand.'

'But you already know a lot of it, don't you?'

Marcus closed the file on his lap, and sniffed. He kept his gaze on the file for some moments, before he looked up at me. 'There are some gaps I'll need to fill in.'

I nodded.

'Is there anything else?'

'Yes, there's just one thing. Apart from you, who can I trust?'

'I've learned never to trust anyone.'

*****

When I returned to my suite, Beth was in the kitchen, standing on a chair, searching for something in a cupboard above the refrigerator.

'Lost something?'

'Oh, hi. No, I just wish I was a bit taller. I thought I might try to cook something for lunch.'

'Do you need a hand?' I asked, and tried to resist the thought of how much she reminded me of Chara.

'No, it's ok. This should do,' she said, holding a cellophane packet of pasta shells in her hand, as she got down from the chair. I smiled, but my mind was absorbing her, and trying to separate her from my memories of Chara. She was a little taller, her blonde hair much shorter, bobbed at her neck and her eyes were blue-grey. 'Let's see what I can find then,' she said, as she opened the refrigerator door. 'Ah, Greek olives. That's a good start. Ok with you?'

'Sure,' I said, as she leant forward and half buried her head in the refrigerator as she looked for more ingredients. The simple cream pinafore dress she was wearing, and the shoulder straps that I could see, crossing her bare back as she rummaged, accentuated her girlish appearance.

'Right, I think I've got everything I need,' she said, as she kicked the refrigerator door closed with her foot, and unloaded her arms of ingredients onto the kitchen worktop. She stood smiling at me across the breakfast bar. 'I like cooking.'

'Do you need a hand?'

'I don't think so. It'll be ready in about a half an hour. Is that ok?'

'Eh, yes, that'll be fine. I might go and read for a little while then.'

'Ok. I'll come and get you when it's ready,' she said, and I could hear in her voice that she was trying as hard as she could to do and say all the right things, and live up to what was expected of her in her new assignment. In that, we were both in the same situation.

'I'll be in the living room. Oh, and I like your dress. It's very pretty.'

'Thank you,' she said, and blushed a little.

*****

I listened as Ellen explained how The Few were historically connected to the Sons of Cleito, and how the two had broken away from each other during the period of the Athenians, when The Few were better known as The Thirty, and had severely reduced the rights of Athenian citizens. All of which I know about, as Chara had explained it to me in detail. I let her continue, listening, but I was far more interested in her body language. She was uncomfortable, with her body angled away from me as she sat on the other side of my desk, with her legs crossed. On occasions, she nervously flicked her head, tossing her hair from her eyes. The difference between her now, and when she had entered my apartment that Sunday morning, when she and her friend had abducted me, was startling. That morning, she had frightened me. It seemed that the roles were reversed now.

She paused at a point she was making about how The Few and the Sons of Cleito maintained infrequent, yet essential contact through a small group of neutral operatives that were mainly working, rather loosely, within elements of the Russian intelligence services. I took advantage of her pause to ask her my question.

'Tell me, what is the structure of executive of The Few now, and who is their equal to my position?'

'The Few have only eight on their executive body. It is called the Chamber. There is another body of twenty-two, which advises the Chamber. It's called the Directorate.'

'The Chamber? As in the famous Star Chamber?'

'No one can say. But there are many who believe that there may be a connection between the myth of the Camera Stellata, or Star Chamber and The Few.'

'So who heads the Chamber?'

'Sa'ud bin ash-Sheikh.'

'The crown prince?' I said, shocked.

'Yes.'

'Well, that explains a little about what's been happening in recent years. Wars, oil and the US?'

'The Few have their own particular goals, but we have not entered into that area in any way as far as I understand. Our aims are at a more political and socio-economic level.'

'Such as?'

'Our focus in recent years has been more towards Europe and maintaining our limited influence within the domestic US political system.'

'Right. We'll just leave it there for a moment,' I said, and she looked at me questioningly. 'Look, tell me, how long have you been the Protocol Advisor to the Strategos?'

She looked down at her lap, and hesitated before looking back up at me. 'For only a few months.'

'And before that?'

'I worked with Marcus. Well, not directly for him, but through directives from Decem Filios.'

'Leda?'

'Yes, I took my directives from her. Until….'

'Yes, I know about what happened with her. So what happened then? After Leda's defection.'

'Kratos summoned me here.'

'And?'

'It was decided that Clytemnestra would lie with Kratos.'

'I see,' I said, trying to hide my surprise as best I could. 'So how did you feel about that?'

'Look, can I be frank with you?'

'Sure.'

'I've been in this since I was born, so I know how it goes. There's no way out, so you just do what you can to survive and hope you see the sun the next morning. When I was summoned to Kratos, it was a high honour, so of course I accepted. It was always going to be an improvement on what I was doing.'

'Kidnapping people?'

'I won't patronise you. I did what I was told to do, and I did it well. You weren't harmed, and you arrived in one piece on Decem Filios. You know that what happened after that had nothing at all to do with me.'

'I'll give you that. But, although I don't know you well, I'd have to say that I wouldn't have taken you for someone who would've easily agreed to fall into bed with anyone. Even if he was Kratos.'

'And you don't think it's any easier for Thalia? It's just the way it is and it has worked for thousands of years. All the daughters of Cleito know what is expected from them. It ensures the eternity of our spirits and in accord with our history. And don't tell me that you weren't shocked to discover that Thalia was assigned to keep your bed warm, and so soon after the tragedy. It's just the way it is.'

'And how is it now then? Now that Kratos has suddenly gone, and been replaced by someone who has no idea whatsoever of how things work, or what's going on.'

'Dangerous.'

'For you or for me?'

'For all of us. And perhaps even for The Few.'

'About how I'll react to what happened to Chara?'

'Initially yes. That's what will define you I think.'

'In the short or long term?'

'That depends on how you react.'

'Yes, I've gathered that. So, what do you think I'll do? Or perhaps there are protocols I should be following.'

'You don't trust me, do you?'

'I could ask the same question.'

'I'm no fool Soter, and I know I've only been in this position for a short time, but it's easy to see that you trust Marcus, and it seems he has moved his allegiance from Kratos to you without even giving a second thought. But I don't think you, well if I'm honest, I should say we, have achieved the same result. I know I don't have much experience at this, but I…'

'You have more experience than me.'

'I don't blame you for hating me for what happened, and I know it's always going to be a problem for both of us. I wish it could be different, but…'

'Forget all that crap. Let's go back to your experience and what you are going to do from precisely now to help a new Strategos, and the Sons of Cleito, because I know I need people I can rely on. Otherwise, I'm destined for a very short tenure. I may be new at this Ellen, but I'm not stupid. I know I'm a dead man if I don't succeed. And please call me Lang. Being called Soter really pisses me off.'

She smiled. I thought I may have seen her smile before, but wasn't sure. This one though was genuine. 'You and I aren't all that different, are we? Out of our depth and struggling to cope. Yes. I know all the history and shit, and I can help you with procedures at meetings and make sure you know the right people and all that, but if I'm honest with you … well Lang … can I just say that I'm really swimming. I thought if I had a year or two with Kratos, I would have time to learn. But now, well, all I really know what to do, is move breathing bodies from one place to another.'

At least they stayed breathing.'

'Most times. There were a couple of fuck ups,' she said, with a wry smile, and I thought with that, we may have finally connected. Even if in some odd, perverse manner.

'I can be thankful then.'

'Some people get lucky,' she said, and added a hint of a laugh to her smile.

In that split second, her hazel eyes that I had for so long thought could have killed, delivered an entirely different message. It was my turn to look down at my desk, as I recognised what I saw in her eyes. I didn't want to believe it, but when I looked up briefly, I knew I wasn't wrong. I waited a few seconds, lamely checked nothing in the file on my desk, and started to move our discussion in a different, and much safer direction. 'Can you arrange for a message to be sent to The Few. What was his name? 'Sa'ud bin ash something.'

'Sa'ud bin ash-Sheikh.'

'So can you arrange for a message to be delivered to him from me?'

'Of course. Do you want to tell me what you'd like to say?'

'Yes. Dear Sa'ud whatever,' I started, and Ellen began noting. 'It is with the deepest respect that I acknowledge I have recently received your official response, and perhaps recognition, and I also graciously presume, your official welcome to my new position. My gratitude runs so deep that I will surely repay your kindness in the fullness of time, and will endeavour to build on a relationship between our entities, which will continue to be based on balance and the maintenance of the status quo. You can finish it with a polite closing,' I said.