John Hawks - The Dark River

TWENTY MINUTES LATER, Hollis was sitting in a delivery van with Winston Abosa, a plump young man from Nigeria who had a soothing voice and a pleasant manner. Hollis gazed out the window as they drove into London. Although he had traveled through Mexico and Latin America, Hollis had never visited Europe. British roads had lots of roundabouts and zebra-striped pedestrian walkways. Most of the two-story redbrick houses had little gardens in back. Surveillance cameras were everywhere, focusing on the license plates of each passing vehicle.

The new landscape reminded Hollis of a passage from Sparrow’s book, The Way of the Sword . According to the Japanese Harlequin, a warrior had a big advantage if he was familiar with the city that would be his battleground. When the warrior suddenly had to fight in a new area, it was like waking up in the morning and finding yourself in a different room.

“Did you ever meet Vicki Fraser?” Hollis asked.

“Of course.” Winston drove carefully, with both hands on the steering wheel. “I have met all your friends.”

“Are they in England? I could never get an answer from my e-mails.”

“Miss Fraser, Miss Maya, and the little girl are in Ireland. Mr. Gabriel is…” Winston hesitated. “Mr. Gabriel is in London.”

“What happened? Why aren’t they together?”

“I am just an employee, sir. Mr. Linden and Madam pay me well, and I try not to question their decisions.”

“What are you talking about? Who is Madam ?”

Winston looked tense. “I know nothing, sir. Mr. Linden will answer all your questions.”

Winston parked the van near Regent’s Canal and led Hollis down back streets to the crowded arcades and courtyards of Camden Market. Following a zigzag route to avoid the cameras, they reached the entrance to the catacombs beneath the elevated railway tracks. An elderly British woman who had dyed her hair a pinkish-white color sat beside a sign that offered her services as a tarot reader. Winston dropped a ten-pound note on the woman’s folding table. As she reached for the money, Hollis saw a small radio device concealed in her right hand. The old woman was the first line of defense against unwelcome visitors.

Winston walked down a tunnel and they entered a shop filled with drums and African statues. There was a banner at one end of the room that concealed a steel door to a hidden apartment. “Tell Mr. Linden I’ll be here in the shop,” Winston said. “If you want anything, let me know.”

Hollis found himself in a hallway that led to four rooms. No one was in the first room, but Linden sat in the kitchen drinking coffee and reading a newspaper. Hollis made a quick evaluation of the French Harlequin. Some of the big men Hollis had fought in Brazil were bullies, eager to use their size against a smaller opponent. Linden weighed at least 250 pounds, but there was nothing swaggering in his appearance or behavior. He was a calm, quiet man whose eyes seemed to notice everything.

“Good morning, Monsieur Wilson. I assume everything was satisfactory at the airport?”

Hollis shrugged. “It took me a while to find the employee exit. After that, it was easy. Winston was parked down the street in the van.”

“Would you like some coffee or a cup of tea?”

“I want to see Vicki. Winston said she was in Ireland.”

“Please sit down.” Linden gestured to the opposite chair. “A great deal has happened in the last ten days.”

Hollis put down the manila envelope that had contained his disguise and sat on the chair. Linden got up, plugged in an electric kettle, and measured coffee grounds into a French press. He kept glancing at Hollis as if he were a boxer evaluating a new opponent on the other side of the ring.

“Are you tired from the flight, Monsieur Wilson?”

“I’m okay. This country is just a ‘different room.’ That’s all. I’ve got to adjust to the changes.”

Linden looked surprised. “You’ve read Sparrow’s book?”

“Sure. Is that against the Harlequin rules?”

“Not at all. I had the book translated into French and published by a small press in Paris. Maya’s father met Sparrow in Tokyo. And I met his son before he was killed by the Tabula.”

“Yeah, I know. Let’s talk about that later. When am I going to see Vicki, Maya, and Gabriel? Your e-mail said you’d answer all my questions when I got here.”

“Vicki and Maya are on an island off the west coast of Ireland. Maya is guarding Matthew Corrigan.”

Hollis laughed and shook his head. “Well, that’s a surprise. So where has Gabriel’s father been hiding all these years?”

“It’s just his shell-his empty body. Matthew crossed over to the First Realm and something went wrong. He hasn’t come back.”

“What’s the First Realm? I don’t know all this stuff.”

“ L’enfer ,” Linden said, and then realized that Hollis didn’t know French. “The underworld. Hell.”

“But Vicki’s all right?”

“I’m assuming she is. Mother Blessing, an Irish Harlequin, left a satellite phone with Maya. During the last few days, we’ve called and called, but no one has answered. Madam was quite annoyed about this. Right now, she’s traveling back to the island.”

“Maya told me about Mother Blessing. I thought she was dead.”

Linden poured boiling water into the French press. “I can assure you that Madam is very much alive.”

“And what about Gabriel? Can I see him? Winston said he was in London.”

“Mother Blessing brought Gabriel down to London, and then he was lost.”

Hollis twisted around in his seat to look at Linden. “What are you talking about?”

“Our Traveler went searching for his father in the First Realm. He’s still alive, but he also hasn’t returned.”

“So where’s the body?”

“Why don’t you have some coffee first.”

“I don’t want any goddamn coffee. Where’s Gabriel? He’s my friend.”

Linden shrugged his massive shoulders. “Go down the hallway…”

Hollis left the kitchen and walked down the hallway to a shabby little room where Gabriel lay on a bed. The Traveler’s body was limp and unresponsive-as if he was trapped within the deepest level of sleep. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Hollis touched the Traveler’s hand. Although he knew that Gabriel probably couldn’t hear anything, he felt like speaking to him.

“Hey, Gabe. This is your friend Hollis. Don’t worry. I’m going to protect you.”

“Good. That’s exactly what we want.” Hollis turned around and saw Linden standing in the doorway. “We’ll pay you five hundred pounds a week.”

“I’m not a mercenary and don’t want to be treated like one. I’ll guard Gabriel because he’s my friend. But first I need to make sure that Vicki’s all right. You got that?”

Hollis had always favored the aggressive approach when someone was trying to order him around, but now he wasn’t so sure. Linden bent down and drew a 9mm semiautomatic pistol from an ankle holster. Seeing the gun and the cold expression on the Harlequin’s face, Hollis thought he was dead. This bastard is going to kill me .

Linden reversed the handgun and offered Hollis the grip. “Do you know how to use this, Monsieur Wilson?”

“Sure.” Hollis took the automatic from Linden and hid it beneath his shirt.

“Mother Blessing will reach the island tomorrow. She’ll talk to Mademoiselle Fraser and see if she wants to travel to London. I’m sure that you’ll see the young lady in a few days.”

“Thank you.”

“Never thank a Harlequin. I’m not doing this because I like you. We need another fighter and you’ve arrived at the right time.”