Wanted: A Leopold Blake Thriller by Nick Stephenson Read Free Book Online

registered on his telephone’s memory. I need to speak with you urgently. Can you come down to my office?”
    “I’m in the middle of an interview right now.”
    “I’m afraid I must insist.”
    “What’s this all about, Capitaine ?” asked Leopold, sensing he was missing something.
    “I’m sorry to tell you this, Monsieur Blake, but Jean Dubois was murdered this afternoon. As you appear to be the last person to speak with him, I need to see you immediately.”

Chapter 10
   

       
    THE GUTTURAL HUM of engine noise resonated throughout the decks of The Thanatos , a constant reminder to the crew that they were always on the move. Despite the thick insulation and maze of interior walls, Senior Operative James Cullen could tell the captain had just increased their speed.
    “Wherever we’re going, someone’s in a hurry,” said Rose, leaning in over his shoulder to get a better look at the monitors. “I’ve not had any alerts come through. Any idea where we’re headed?”
    “Not a clue,” replied Cullen, scrolling through a text document. “Though it’s hardly the Director’s habit to keep people like us informed.” He highlighted a block of text.
    “Anything good?”
    “Another Blake reference. Like the others, it’s encrypted. But whatever it is, it’s important enough for the Director to have everything sent to his personal feed.”
    “He’s the one getting the updates?”
    “Yeah. Though I can’t see what’s so important about this Blake guy.” Cullen rested his chin in his hands.
    “Who is he?”
    “A nobody, really – just some guy with a trust fund. According to this,” he opened up another document, “he inherited his parents’ group of companies after they were killed in a hiking accident several years ago. Hardly surprising, given the weather conditions.” He brought up a high-resolution image of the Khumbu Icefall, a treacherous stretch of terrain along the hiking trails leading up to Mount Everest.
    “Robert and Giselle Blake owned the majority shareholding in Blake Investments Inc.,” he continued, “which is an umbrella corporation for about a dozen other companies ranging from pharmaceutical and banking operations to military contractors and biological research. And pretty much everything else in between.”
    “So the guy’s loaded?” asked Rose. “Maybe he’s a possible source of funds.”
    Cullen shook his head. “Not likely. The Organization doesn’t take money direct. They’ve got a whole division set up to handle that sort of thing. This must be about something else, otherwise the Director wouldn’t be so interested. I guess they’ve got their eye on Blake for some other reason.”
    Rose chuckled. “We could always ask the Director what’s going on. I hear he’s great when it comes to sharing.” She punched him playfully in the arm.
    “Sure, why not,” said James, grinning. “He loves it when his staff asks questions.” He flipped back to the original encrypted document and sighed, scrolling through the reams of indecipherable text.
    “Seriously though,” Rose rested a hand on his shoulder. “What happens if we get caught looking at this stuff? I’ve heard things… probably just rumors, but –”
    “I’ve covered our tracks, don’t worry.” He glanced up into her eyes and registered a flash of concern. “They’re only rumors. Try to relax a little.”
    “You gotta admit, the guy’s a little freaky,” she added, a wry smile returning to her lips. “I don’t think I’ve seen the Director outside of the bridge since I started my rotation here, and that was six months ago. Does he ever go outside?”
    “Not that I know of. I guess he’s got everything he needs in there, and he’s not exactly the sociable type.”
    “There’s something about him that gives me the creeps. Did you notice the scars?”
    “Yeah, of course.”
    “Plastic surgery?”
    Cullen shrugged. “Who knows. It doesn’t pay to ask questions. Which reminds