Free The Edge of Armageddon by David Leadbeater

“We’ve forwarded your pictures on.”
    “Oh, excellent. So that’s that bit sorted out then. I hope you grabbed a bite to eat whilst you waited because this next part—well, it could kill you.”
    Drake coughed. “You do know we haven’t verified your bomb yet.”
    “And, hearing that, I see that you want to slow events down whilst you try to catch up. Not happening, my new friend. Not happening at all. Your cops and agents, military people and fire department, may be part of a well-oiled machine, but they are still a machine, and take a little while to get up to speed. Therefore, I take that time to tear you apart. It’s quite fun, believe me.”
    “What do the Pythians get out of all this?”
    Marsh clucked. “Oh, I think you know that conceited group of ragamuffins recently imploded. Was anything ever more certain? They were led by a serial killer, a psycho stalker, a megalomaniac and a jealous domineer. All of whom happened to be the same person.”
    Alicia leaned closer to Drake at that moment. “So tell us—where is that bastard?”
    “Oh, a new girl. Are you the blonde or the Asian? Probably the blonde by the sound of it. Darling, if I knew where he was I’d let you flay him alive. Tyler Webb only ever wanted one thing. He abandoned the Pythians the moment he knew where to find it.”
    “Which was at the bazaar?” Drake asked, now playing both for time and information.
    “A hive of heinousness that place, am I right? Imagine all the deals done there that will impact the world for decades to come.”
    “Ramses sold him something,” Drake said, testing.
    “Yes. And I’m sure the tricky French Pain Au Sausage has already told you what that item was. Or you could always ask him right now.”
    So that confirmed it. Marsh was watching them, though he didn’t have eyes in the restaurant. Drake sent a quick text to Moore. “How about telling us where Webb went?”
    “Well, seriously, what am I, Fox News? You’ll be asking me for cash next.”
    “I’ll settle for that terrorist asshole.”
    “And back to the job at hand.” Marsh spoke the words and then seemed amused at himself, abruptly laughing. “Sorry, private joke. But we’re done now with the verification part of the chase. Now I want to give you my demands.”
    “So just tell us.” Alicia sounded weary.
    “Where’s the fun in that? This bomb will detonate unless I am completely satisfied. Who knows, dear, I may have even chosen to own you.”
    In an instant, Alicia appeared ready to go, eyes and expression so fired up she could ignite a desiccated forest.
    “I’d love to get you alone,” she whispered.
    Marsh paused, then continued quickly. “The Natural History Museum, twenty minutes.”
    Drake set his watch. “And then?”
    “Hmmm, what?”
    “It’s a big ass piece of architecture.”
    “Oh, well if you get that far I’d suggest stripping a male guard called Jose Gonzales. One of our associates sewed my demands into the lining of his jacket last night. Ingenious way to transport documents, eh, and with no comeback to the originator.”
    Drake didn’t reply, more perplexed than anything.
    “I know what you’re thinking,” Marsh said, again showing amazing cerebral qualities. “Why not just mail you the pics and tell you my demands? Well, I am a peculiar man. They told me I have two sides, two minds and two faces, but I prefer to see it as two separate qualities. One part twisted, the other bent. You see what I mean?”
    Drake coughed. “I certainly know what you are.”
    “Excellent, then I know you will understand that when I see your four torn-apart corpses in about seventeen minutes, I will feel both wonderfully happy and terribly annoyed. With you. Now, goodbye.”
    The line went dead. Drake clicked his watch.
    Twenty minutes.

CHAPTER TWELVE
     
     
    Hayden and Kinimaka spent their time with Ramses. The terrorist prince appeared ill at ease in his six-foot square cell: dirty, disheveled and, though clearly