Helix Nexus by Chris Lofts (read e books online free .TXT) 📕

what would become Gaia, he would expose him by exposing me. He would claim that Justin had assisted me to enter the country illegally, with a sizeable amount of gold and currency, and to steal an identity. Not exactly the crimes of the century, but he could have conjured up more. For Valerian, the only thing better than having one politician in your pocket was to have two.’ She turned away. ‘But he wasn’t done.’

‘Hang on a second,’ Helix said. ‘If that’s what Wheeler has on you, he’d be shooting himself in the foot. Or did I miss something?’

Lytkin returned to the stool next to Sofi. ‘Valerian is dead.’ She turned to the trolley. ‘Many of his former enterprises have numerous Government contracts. There’s not only the scandal of my identity but also a huge conflict of interest. I think you’ll agree.’ Her fingers came to rest on the smooth handle of a scalpel. ‘But you’re right again, Major. Justin knows my true identity but has, or should I say had, as much to lose as I do. It was all a ruse to get you to London.’ She picked up the instrument. ‘And to get you to deliver Gabrielle.’

‘And thereafter the pathogen,’ Helix added. Something didn’t fit. Wheeler was part of this and the third cell wasn’t for him after all? It was time to up the ante. ‘So, you have no idea where Justin Wheeler is, you’ve disabled his dog collar and you don’t have his stash of information, if such a stash exists at all.’

‘Disabled yes, but I could re-enable it.’

‘Nice try. The charges dissolved the moment you pulled the plug on the system. Or didn’t they tell you that? It wasn’t the most elegant solution, but the fastest way to keep him alive if he entered one of the cardinal cities.’

Lytkin tossed the scalpel back onto the trolley. ‘Why should you care about Justin Wheeler?’

‘I’m just trying to work out where he fits in to all of this,’ Helix said, folding his arms. ‘Frankly, as much as it almost chokes me to say it, you had my attention as soon as you took Ethan hostage.’

‘What does it matter?’ Lytkin spat, marching to the front of his cell. ‘Look around. I have everything I need. Wheeler is an insignificant detail.’ She emphasised just how small with her finger and thumb.

‘He may not agree.’ Helix shrugged. ‘Why don’t we ask him?’

Lytkin turned away, snatching up the scalpel again. ‘Where is he?’ she said, holding it to Sofi’s throat. ‘Where is Wheeler?’

Sofi’s eyes widened. Her fists clenched. Blood seeped from below the blade.

‘Wait!’ Helix shouted. ‘No, Ulyana, wait.’

She wasn’t listening. Lytkin fixed her eyes on Sofi. The fingers of her free hand danced across Sofi’s face, brushing her lips. ‘We usually start with the eyes. Sometimes one, sometimes both,’ Lytkin said, her voice almost a whisper. ‘It amplifies the terror. A child’s terror. You’re in bed, in the dark, trying to convince yourself that the monster below won’t grab your ankle if you dare to put your foot on the floor. The terror of what lurks in the dark, when will it strike, how will it strike? You can’t see it, can’t prepare for it and then…’ She moved the scalpel to below Sofi’s right eye. ‘Boom! It hits you.’

‘OK. I’ll tell you.’ Helix held his hands up. ‘He’s babysitting.’

Lytkin’s brow creased. ‘What?’ she said, incredulous.

‘Wheeler’s babysitting.’

‘Babysitting whom?’

‘Your daughter.’

‘Christina?’

‘We didn’t have time for proper introductions,’ Helix said, pointing to his cheek. ‘She was too busy clawing my face.’ He raised himself to his full height as she staggered to his cell. ‘Why don’t we call them?’

‘What have you done?’ she said. ‘She was at home. At her apartment in the school grounds. I checked.’

‘Her tracker was at home. I cut it from her arm and left it there.’ It was partly true. The tracker was in her dead bodyguard’s mouth inside the limo, parked outside her apartment, but it was close enough. He folded his arms. ‘Did you actually speak to her? Oh no, I forgot. She was never going to speak to you again. That’s what she said, or something like that, the other evening in your office at the MoHD. Remember? When you insisted she had to be home from that club on The Strand by midnight. She wasn’t, by the way, because it was me who picked her up. Your security needs reviewing. Her minder was too busy getting a blowjob instead of doing his job.’

Lytkin pressed her hand to her pearls. ‘You’re lying.’

‘Predictable.’ Helix shrugged. ‘Check your messages.’

Lytkin took two steps back, her eyes fixed on him. ‘Archer?’

The big man’s hands darted across a touch screen and virtual keyboard inside the control room.

Turning to the holographic screen projected from the side wall, Lytkin’s hands moved across icons, establishing a secure connection to her messages.

‘Search for a message with the subject line: Oh what a tangled web we weave,’ Helix instructed. ‘When first we practise to deceive,’ he mumbled, completing the quote.

‘Shakespeare? Am I supposed to be impressed, Major? I never had you—’

‘Walter A. Scott. Marmion. There’s a link in the message.’ It was Sofi’s idea; poetry wasn’t his bag.

Lytkin clicked the link, opening a pair of HD video streams: one with Wheeler the other with Lytkin’s teenage daughter, Christina. Lytkin took a step back, her hand clutched to her mouth.

‘Let me explain,’ Helix said. ‘Those are demolition charges. Looking at the current time, you have around 45 minutes. The end of the plank your daughter is sitting on is over the lift shaft. They’re on the fifteenth floor.’ He paused and rubbed his chin. ‘Ex-Chancellor Wheeler is on the other end. It’s a kind of cross between a seesaw and walk-the-plank. All the time they remain still, they keep each other alive. If the plank drops at Wheeler’s end the charges detonate. If he steps off, the charges detonate. If Christina falls down the lift shaft, the charges—’

‘Enough!’ Lytkin screamed. ‘I get