The Last Enemy(45)

Guy’s eyes watched Jake. They’re like a snake’s, thought Jake: he’s waiting to strike, but holding off for the moment.

‘Go on,’ said Guy.

‘So my guess is The Index was buried here, but found. We know that it’s not Pierce Randall who found it, otherwise they wouldn’t still be looking for it. So that leaves the British security services, MI5.’

‘But your friend, Mr Findlay-Weston, didn’t offer that information when I first asked him,’ said Guy suspiciously.

‘Maybe he doesn’t know it’s there,’ said Jake desperately. ‘It could have been found before his time.’

Guy still looked suspicious.

‘Let’s say that MI5 had found it,’ he said. ‘What makes you think it’s at this Laker Heath place?’

‘Because that’s where they keep the stuff they count as weird. Oddball.’

‘Flying saucers?’ came Des’s jeering voice behind Jake’s back.

‘Yes,’ said Jake, keeping his eyes on Guy. ‘There’s an aircraft hangar on the site where they keep all those sorts of things.’

Guy wasn’t laughing, he was thinking.

‘If this is a scam to play for time, Jake, I will be very unhappy,’ he said. And he brandished the machete. ‘I will kill your girlfriend first, right in front of your eyes, very slowly and bit by bit. And then I’ll kill you.’

‘It’s no scam,’ said Jake desperately. ‘I’m sure that’s where The Index is. It’s the only place it can be.’

Guy fell silent and began to pace around the room, in deep thought, watched the whole time by Jake and Lauren, and by his crew. Finally, he turned to Patch and Des.

‘Bring up Mr Findlay-Weston,’ he said. ‘I think he and I need to have another conversation.’





Chapter 22




This time, Gareth was the centre of attention. He’d been forced down to the floor by Patch and Des and sat, looking warily at Guy, who paced around him, the machete swinging casually in his hand. Now, in daylight, Jake could see how badly Gareth had been treated: his face was puffed up and bruised.

Lauren was still tied to the chair, her mouth taped up. Jake was sitting on a rickety wooden chair.

‘So, Gareth . . .’ said Guy. Then he smiled. ‘You don’t mind if I call you Gareth, do you? Mr Findlay-Weston seems so formal, and we have known one another intimately for a few days now.’

Gareth shrugged.

‘Laker Heath,’ said Guy. ‘Jake tells me the hangar there is where top-secret things are held.’

Gareth shot a frown of disapproval at Jake.

‘So?’ he said.

‘Is it?’ asked Guy.

Gareth didn’t reply.

‘Slash him!’ called Duke.

‘Patience, Duke,’ said Guy soothingly. To Gareth, he said, ‘I will be doing an internet check on the place, see what gossip there is about it. So, ask yourself, in view of that, is it worth dying for?’

‘Yes, it does contain top-secret and classified artefacts.’

‘Flying saucers?’ asked Gadge, and Jake could hear her genuine interest.

‘Perhaps,’ said Gareth. ‘I have never been inside it myself.’

‘Oh, come on, Gareth!’ scoffed Guy. ‘A head of section of MI5!’

‘That’s why,’ said Gareth. ‘I have no need to go inside it. If I need anything, I send one of my staff.’ He shrugged. ‘You can check, if you like. You have my ID pass. See if you can run it through one of your software checks. You’ll find it’s never been used to gain access to the hangar.’

‘But you know the sort of things that are in there?’

‘I know some of the things,’ said Gareth carefully.

‘The Malichea Index?’ asked Guy.

‘I don’t know,’ replied Gareth.

‘But it could be?’ pressed Guy.

Gareth hesitated, then he admitted reluctantly, ‘Yes, it could be.’

Guy smiled.

‘That’s good enough for me.’ He turned to Patch and Midge and ordered, ‘Untie the girl and take them all back down to the dungeons.’

As they untied Lauren, Guy told Jake warningly, ‘I’m going to do some further checking on this Laker Heath place, Jake. If I think you’re lying, or trying to set me up, you will all suffer more than you can ever imagine.’



After they had been pushed back into the cell, Jake gently removed the tape from Lauren’s mouth and hugged her tightly.

‘I really thought he was going to cut my fingers off,’ she shuddered. ‘I thought I was going to end up just like Jasper Brigstocke.’

‘I wouldn’t let that happen to you,’ Jake reassured her.