The Prophecy

67

Dubois’s butler placed the crate on a table in the middle of the library, and then waited for further instructions.

‘You may leave us,’ Dubois said dismissively.

‘And close the door on your way out,’ Payne added.

Unsure of what to do, he looked to Dubois for permission.

‘Hey,’ Payne said, goading his host, ‘I had the balls to come to Bruges. The least you can do is talk to me in private.’

Dubois smirked at his guest, and then nodded his consent. A few seconds later, the door was pulled shut with a soft click. The two men were finally alone, just like Payne had wanted. Knowing full well Jones would watch his back, Payne turned away from Dubois and admired the leather-bound books that lined the shelves. Most of them were in French, but there were a few foreign titles. A German book named Arcanum caught Payne’s eye. He picked it up and thumbed through the pages.

‘So,’ Dubois asked, ‘is this when you try to kill me?’

Payne laughed. ‘Trust me, Frankie. If I wanted you dead, you’d be dead.’

‘Perhaps. Of course, you realize the same applies to you.’

Payne smiled and returned the book to the shelf. ‘Are you sure about that? It seems the first fifteen guys you sent weren’t very effective.’

Dubois waved off the comment. ‘Merely pawns in the grand scheme of things. Although not lethal, they were quite effective in some ways.’

‘Really? How do you figure?’

‘Well, you are here with the artefacts. Ultimately, that is all I cared about.’

Payne turned and looked Dubois in the eyes. He needed to size him up. ‘I kind of figured as much. Meanwhile, my agenda is a lot less materialistic than yours. I’m here to talk about our personal safety. Are you familiar with the concept of MAD?’

Dubois furrowed his brow. ‘I’m afraid I am not.’

‘It stands for Mutual Assured Destruction. It’s a military doctrine that was developed during the Cold War. Simply put, it means when two adversaries have reached a certain level of strength — for instance, they each possess nuclear weapons — there can be no winner if they go to war. Damage would be so severe that both sides would lose, no matter what.’

Dubois nodded in understanding. ‘This is a term I did not know, but one I shall remember. You are America, and I am France. We should not fight.’

‘Exactly.’

‘In my country, we would call this détente. Do you know this word?’

‘Actually, I do.’

Dubois smiled. ‘We were at war. Now we’re at peace. This is reason to celebrate.’

‘I don’t know about that.’

Dubois ignored the comment. ‘Are you a connoisseur, Mr Payne? My cellar is filled with some of the finest wines money can buy — and a few money can’t. Shall I send for a bottle?’

‘I appreciate the offer, but there’s still business to be discussed.’

‘Ah, yes, the quaint American tradition of not mixing business with pleasure. I don’t know whether to applaud or complain. Perhaps some other time then.’

Payne walked along the shelves, looking at relics. ‘Perhaps.’

Dubois watched him as he moved about the room searching for weaknesses that could be exploited. ‘Tell me, do you have an interest in antiquities?’

‘I didn’t until recently, but the last few years have opened my eyes to ancient cultures. Slowly but surely, my interest is starting to grow.’

‘I read about your discovery in Greece. Well done.’

Payne smiled. ‘And I heard about your obsession with Nostradamus.’

‘Obsession is too strong a word. I think curiosity would be sufficient.’

Payne stopped and turned. ‘Come on, Frankie, don’t downplay your fixation on my account. A man who merely has curiosity wouldn’t go to such lengths to add to his collection.’

‘Perhaps not.’

‘Speaking of which, I have to admit I’m kind of disappointed. I was fully expecting to see your collection on display. That was one of the reasons I was willing to fly to Bruges. I’ve heard amazing things about the items you’ve assembled.’

Dubois stared at him, trying to determine if Payne was being sarcastic. ‘If your interest is sincere, I will happily appease your curiosity. If not, I’d rather not waste our time.’

Payne raised his right hand. ‘Honest, François, I’d love to see it.’

A smile crossed Dubois’s face. ‘In that case, it would be an honour.’

Jones prided himself on many things, and multitasking was one of them. Whether it was shaving while driving or downloading music while answering e-mail, he had the ability to do two things at once without a drop in performance. Therefore, when his phone started to vibrate in his pocket, he didn’t hesitate to answer it even though he was staring through his scope at his target. He simply hit the mute button on his earpiece, which prevented Payne from hearing what he was about to say — but still allowed Jones to listen to Payne and Dubois.

‘Hello,’ he whispered, not bothering to look at the caller ID.

‘Mr Jones, this is Butch Reed calling. Did I catch you at a bad time?’

Reed was head of security at Payne Industries. An ex-Marine who had lost a foot in the Gulf War, he had been hired by Payne’s grandfather as a security guard and quickly moved up the ranks, impressing everyone with his intelligence and work ethic. Now he was in charge of all security matters, including personal protection for Payne and Jones. Whenever they were away on business or were working with the military on a classified project, Reed kept an eye on things.

‘Kind of,’ Jones whispered. ‘Can I call you later?’

‘Actually, sir, this can’t wait. It involves your safety, and potentially Mr Payne’s.’

‘Go on.’

‘I’m afraid I’ve got bad news, sir. Someone tried to burn down your house.’

Jones blinked, suddenly distracted. ‘My house?’

‘The blaze has been contained, but I’d estimate the damage at 60 per cent. It would have been worse if not for the snow. As it melted, it helped put out the flames.’

Jones took a deep breath, trying to keep his emotions in check. ‘Arson?’

‘Yes, sir. Someone threw a Molotov cocktail through your front window, according to a neighbour. By the time the authorities arrived, the man was long gone.’

Jones connected the dots in his head. To him, there was no doubt who was responsible. Just as Dial had warned, Dubois wouldn’t stop. No matter what.

‘Sir,’ Reed continued, ‘please tell Mr Payne that I’ve tripled the guards at his home. I tried his cell phone, but it goes straight to voicemail. Have him call me if he has any questions.’

‘His phone is broken, but I’ll tell him. You better believe I’ll tell him.’

Reed heard the anger in his voice. It was a tone he had never heard from Jones before and one he never hoped to hear again. ‘Be careful, sir.’

‘Fuck careful,’ he snapped as he hung up the phone.

Walking towards his fireplace, Dubois pointed to the elaborate mantel that surrounded the roaring fire. Made out of grey stone, it was intricately carved and featured knights on horseback and battling dragons of all shapes and sizes. ‘Are you familiar with medieval architecture? Many artisans, particularly those from the lower class, had a fascination with mythical creatures. Some of their pieces I find primitive and rather distasteful, but this one I enjoy. Notice the repetition of triangles on the rim of the fireplace. It represents the teeth of the dragon.’

‘I like it,’ Payne admitted. ‘I’ve always liked dragons.’

Dubois smiled. ‘And I’ve always liked fire.’

‘As fascinating as that might be, what does it have to do with Nostradamus?’

‘Like the prophet himself, I am someone who values secrecy, which is one of the reasons I fell in love with this château. Hidden behind its walls are dozens of corridors and chambers that protect my most precious possessions. Including my collection.’

Dubois placed his hand on the side of the mantel and pulled a latch concealed by the stonework. As if by magic, the bookcase to the left of the fireplace swung away from the wall, revealing a secret passageway that wasn’t on the blueprints.

‘I call this room the Dragon’s Lair.’