The Revelation Code (Wilde/Chase 11) by Andy McDermott Read Free Book Online Page A

and fetching a glass of water before returning to the study to find the cursor still blinking mockingly from its parking spot. She slumped huffily back in her chair, feeling trapped by her guilt and fear and uncertainty. She had to do something to break free, but what?
    Elaine had been right, she decided. Clearing the air with her husband would be a good way to start. She reached for her phone, but then withdrew her hand. Eddie would be on the subway by now, and she knew him well enough to guess that he would still be pissed at her behaviour. Wait until he gets home, she decided. Until I’ve had my soup.
    Eddie emerged from the 77th Street subway station and headed north up Lexington Avenue, holding a cardboard cup of hot soup and a bag of crusty bread. He had considered getting a cab back to the apartment, the subway journey from the soup store being a pain requiring two changes of train, but in the end he decided the longer trip might give Nina a chance to calm down about whatever had pissed her off this time.
    Still, the fact that he had gone out of his way would hopefully show her that he wasn’t mad about how she’d treated him. Well, not any more. His initial irritation had faded, replaced by a resigned amusement. She had endured so much in the past months, and surviving everything the world had thrown at them only to face an unexpected – though far from unwelcome – pregnancy would stress anybody out.
    He still wanted the old Nina back, though. And it would take more than fancy soup to do that. He’d done everything he could to be supportive and helpful and loving, but what if that still wasn’t enough?
    He tried to put the depressing thought aside as he turned on to East 78th Street and headed for their building. Maybe the combination of time and food would calm her down . . .
    Something triggered an alert in his mind.
    It took a moment to work out what; all he initially had was a feeling of wrongness. But why? He was only a few hundred yards from home. Then he realised the cause.
    A young man with dusty blond hair stood not far ahead, talking on a phone. Nothing unusual about that – except that when he had glanced in Eddie’s direction, his eyes had met the Englishman’s and displayed recognition , an involuntary split-second confirmation that somebody he was expecting had arrived. Then he looked away, but too quickly.
    The mystery man wasn’t a mugger. He was waiting specifically for Eddie. And he had an oddly clean-cut air that felt out of place for a street criminal, a neat, conservative haircut and casual clothes that looked brand-new.
    Eddie didn’t know him, but the face was somehow familiar. He had seen him before, though couldn’t place when or where. He kept walking, but tensed, ready to respond to anything that might happen.
    The man seemed to pick up on his wariness. He pocketed his phone and stepped to the centre of the sidewalk. There was a parked van to one side, a wall to the other. If Eddie got closer, he would be caught in a channel, the only escape routes being either to retreat the way he had come – or go through his adversary.
    He chose the latter. The man was younger than him – late twenties – and taller, but the former SAS soldier was confident he could handle him.
    The other man’s eyes locked on to him as he reached the van – then flicked to something behind him.
    Eddie spun as he heard the sudden scuff of someone breaking into a run, seeing another young man charging at him. The first ambusher rushed to catch him in a pincer—
    The Englishman dropped the bag and swiped the top off the cup – then flung its contents into the running man’s face. ‘No soup for you!’
    The jambalaya was still hot enough to hurt. The second man let out a yelp as he wiped his eyes – only for the sound to become a choked screech as Eddie’s foot slammed firmly into his groin. He collapsed on the pavement.
    Eddie whirled to face the blond, but a lunging fist caught the side of his