Page 140 of The Last Kingdom

Neither man was moving. But he noticed something. “They’re Chinese.”

Toni checked a pulse on one. “Not a problem anymore. Dead.”

“What the hell are they doing here?”

The phone in his pocket vibrated. He found the unit and answered, though he did not recognize the number.

“Luke.”

Koger.

“Where are you?”

He told him.

“That’s good. We need to get to a place called Linderhof. It’s about an hour away. Malone is captive and being taken there by helicopter.” Derrick gave Luke his location. “Come get me. And fast.”

Chapter 78

COTTON SETTLED INTO HIS SEAT ABOARD THE HELICOPTER, WHICHcame with a luxurious cabin large enough to accommodate not only him, but the duke, Ming, and Fenn. The two black hoods with guns had stayed behind, Fenn taking over armed guard duty during the flight. But the threat to Dianne McCarter still loomed with Ming having to check in every hour. Regardless, he planned on being a good boy, since he had to see if the thirty-two-letter cipher led to pay dirt.

THRO UGHT HEVE NUSM OUNT TOTH ERED OUBT

The first thing he’d noticed was the message had been conceived in English. So he’d fashioned his joke of a message in English too. Before he confronted Fenn earlier he’d mentally sorted the eight sets of four letters into words.

THROUGH THE VENUS MOUNT TO THE REDOUBT

Which he’d finally told to Fenn, who seemed to instantly understand its significance. Once Fenn conferred with the Neuschwanstein’s curator, he’d become convinced where they needed to go.

Linderhof.

Which sat about an hour’s drive away.

By helicopter? Twenty minutes tops.

He sat back in the leather. Fatigue underlay his tension, but that was nothing new. He’d learned long ago how to deal with fear and apprehension. Ming was the only pro here. Fenn thought himself comfortable with the gun, but he doubted he knew what to do with it when the chips were down. Surely the guy felt emboldened after getting the jump on him back in the study. But he’d intentionally not resisted and allowed that to happen.

Which had got him here.

“Let me guess,” he said over the rotors. “This ride is courtesy of the People’s Republic?”

Ming smiled. “Of course.”

The Chinese had taken control. Koger? That was the remaining mystery. He’d heard several shots while they were leaving and wondered if that was good or bad. Unfortunately, there was nothing to be done about it.

Koger was on his own.

* * *

DERRICK SAT IN THE BACKSEAT WITH HIS NEW BEST FRIEND,TONISims, formerly of the Australian Secret Intelligence Service, now attached to the National Security Council, on special assignment for the White House.

Will wonders never cease?

Luke had found him at Neuschwanstein below the castle where Fenn had parked earlier. They’d descended from the craggy mount and found the highway south into Austria, which offered the fastest route east back into Germany and to Linderhof. They’d left the injured driver at one of the hotels. Trinity had called in the injury and people were dispatched from Munich to come and get him. Now, with Luke driving, and Trinity in the front passenger’s seat, the four of them were headed straight for trouble. Trinity had insisted on coming, pulling rank, which he’d thought a bad idea. But, as usual, TOO did what she wanted. Luke reported what happened on the road and the two dead Chinese. He had to assume more assets were nearby.

“How far?” he asked.

“The blue dot on the phone says thirty minutes,” Trinity said.

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