A cold day in hell matt.., p.1
A Cold Day in Hell (Matt Drake Book 31), page 1
A Cold Day in Hell
(Matt Drake #31)
By
David Leadbeater
Other Books by David Leadbeater:
The Matt Drake Series
A constantly evolving, action-packed romp based in the escapist action-adventure genre:
The Bones of Odin (Matt Drake #1)
The Blood King Conspiracy (Matt Drake #2)
The Gates of Hell (Matt Drake 3)
The Tomb of the Gods (Matt Drake #4)
Brothers in Arms (Matt Drake #5)
The Swords of Babylon (Matt Drake #6)
Blood Vengeance (Matt Drake #7)
Last Man Standing (Matt Drake #8)
The Plagues of Pandora (Matt Drake #9)
The Lost Kingdom (Matt Drake #10)
The Ghost Ships of Arizona (Matt Drake #11)
The Last Bazaar (Matt Drake #12)
The Edge of Armageddon (Matt Drake #13)
The Treasures of Saint Germain (Matt Drake #14)
Inca Kings (Matt Drake #15)
The Four Corners of the Earth (Matt Drake #16)
The Seven Seals of Egypt (Matt Drake #17)
Weapons of the Gods (Matt Drake #18)
The Blood King Legacy (Matt Drake #19)
Devil’s Island (Matt Drake #20)
The Fabergé Heist (Matt Drake #21)
Four Sacred Treasures (Matt Drake #22)
The Sea Rats (Matt Drake #23)
Blood King Takedown (Matt Drake #24)
Devil’s Junction (Matt Drake #25)
Voodoo soldiers (Matt Drake #26)
The Carnival of Curiosities (Matt Drake #27)
Theatre of War (Matt Drake #28)
Shattered Spear (Matt Drake #29)
Ghost Squadron (Matt Drake #30)
The Alicia Myles Series
Aztec Gold (Alicia Myles #1)
Crusader’s Gold (Alicia Myles #2)
Caribbean Gold (Alicia Myles #3)
Chasing Gold (Alicia Myles #4)
Galleon’s Gold (Alicia Myles #5)
The Torsten Dahl Thriller Series
Stand Your Ground (Dahl Thriller #1)
The Relic Hunters Series
The Relic Hunters (Relic Hunters #1)
The Atlantis Cipher (Relic Hunters #2)
The Amber Secret (Relic Hunters #3)
The Hostage Diamond (Relic Hunters #4)
The Rocks of Albion (Relic Hunters #5)
The Illuminati Sanctum (Relic Hunters #6)
The Illuminati Endgame (Relic Hunters #7)
The Atlantis Heist (Relic Hunters #8)
The Joe Mason Series
The Vatican Secret (Joe Mason #1)
The Demon Code (Joe Mason #2)
The Rogue Series
Rogue (Book One)
The Disavowed Series:
The Razor’s Edge (Disavowed #1)
In Harm’s Way (Disavowed #2)
Threat Level: Red (Disavowed #3)
The Chosen Few Series
Chosen (The Chosen Trilogy #1)
Guardians (The Chosen Trilogy #2)
Heroes (The Chosen Trilogy #3)
Short Stories
Walking with Ghosts (A short story)
A Whispering of Ghosts (A short story)
All genuine comments are very welcome at:
davidleadbeater2011@hotmail.co.uk
Twitter: @dleadbeater2011
Visit David’s website for the latest news and information:
davidleadbeater.com
Contents
Other Books by David Leadbeater:
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
CHAPTER THIRTY ONE
CHAPTER THIRTY TWO
CHAPTER THIRTY THREE
CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR
CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE
CHAPTER THIRTY SIX
CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN
CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT
CHAPTER THIRTY NINE
Other Books by David Leadbeater:
CHAPTER ONE
‘I need some action, Drakey,’ Alicia said with a large sigh.
Drake blinked at her. ‘Again? I was just about to go get some breakfast.’
‘I don’t mean that kind of action,’ Alicia pulled a grouchy face. ‘I mean real action.’
‘Are you saying that our time together in bed doesn’t involve real action?’ He asked, keeping his voice carefully neutral, but unable to stop himself from grinning at her.
‘Stop trying to piss me off. You know exactly what I mean.’
And Drake did know. Their last mission had been almost a week earlier and had involved escorting the world’s most wanted man from one side of the globe to the other, under almost constant assault from their enemies. They were fully healed, fully physically restored and wondering what was next.
‘I guess we work for Bryant now,’ he said, moving across to the window of their little military bungalow, and staring across the compound where they spent their down time in readiness for the next operation. ‘He calls the shots.’
‘Well, I’m ready to quit this graveyard and find me a nice, vibrant place in DC.’ Alicia said.
‘It’s hardly a graveyard, love,’ Drake said, his Yorkshire accent showing through. ‘There’re soldiers deploying every day.’
‘Maybe, but not these soldiers,’ she indicated herself and Drake. ‘You know me. I can’t sit still for too long.’
They were in the small front room, close to the window. Alicia was seated on the three-seater sofa, her blonde hair hanging across her shoulders. She wore black jeans and a t shirt looking decidedly tame in repose. She looked nothing like the ferocious soldier Drake knew out in the field.
But whether Alicia was relaxed and calm, or hip-deep in action, the one constant was that Drake knew he loved her. He nodded in the general direction of the bungalows that sat next to them.
‘The others are starting to feel the same,’ he acknowledged. ‘I can see it in them.’
Hayden and Kinimaka, their friends, and fellow members of the Ghost Squadron that now worked for Connor Bryant, shared the bungalow next door, Dahl and Kenzie had the one beyond that. Mai was in her own place a few more buildings down.
Cam and Shaw, meanwhile, had headed off for Japan a few days ago in response to an offer from the Ninja clans who had helped them defeat the shadow royals during the last mission. The Ninja admired Cam’s form of bare-knuckle boxing and wanted to incorporate it in their training. Cam and Shaw had only been too happy to go, to change things up for a few months.
‘And yet it’s only been a week since the last mission,’ he said again, this time with a thread of worry in his voice. ‘Doesn’t that worry you?’
‘You think we’re adrenaline junkies looking for a fast way to die?’ Alicia said.
Drake shrugged. ‘Not at all,’ he said. ‘And I hope that’s not the way you think. The last op was a rough one yet here we are already wondering when the next one’s gonna start. What hellhole will we be thrown into next? Doesn’t that feel a little… warped… to you?’
‘Feels normal enough,’ Alicia said.
‘And that’s what worries me,’ Drake said. ‘It feels normal. What happens when the missions dry up? When the bones and the joints start seizing? When the blood doesn’t run as hot as it once did? What happens then?’
‘I need stimulation one way or another,’ Alicia said. ‘I can’t see that ever ending.’
Drake had always been aware that Alicia was compelled to reach for the horizon. There was no stopping her. Yes, she’d mellowed a little since they’d become a permanent couple a few years ago, but Alicia would never fully change. And Drake wouldn’t want her to, either. If you wanted to be with Alicia Myles, you took her exactly the way she was.
‘How does bacon, sausage and eggs stimulate you?’ he asked lightly.
Through the window, he noticed Hayden and Kinimaka heading out of their bungalow, towards the compound’s single canteen. He threw open the door and gave them a shout, asking them to wait. Alicia pulled on a jacket and then jogged across to join them, leaving Drake to close their door and catch up.
No need to lock it. They were inside a military compound.
He slowed as Dahl and Kenzie now emerged from their own home. This was becoming a regular morning custom. Most of them meeting up to walk across for breakfast. Though, Drake thought, if they ate many more hearty, English breakfasts, they’d be too overweight for their next mission.
By the time Drake and the others reached the canteen, Mai was already there, nursing a mug of black
‘You look bored,’ Dahl told Mai.
‘I was thinking about Cam and Shaw,’ Mai told them. ‘We haven’t heard anything since they left for Japan.’
Drake pulled out a chair and sat down at the eight-seater table. ‘They’re both good soldiers,’ he said lightly. ‘Best place they could be right now.’
‘Yeah, and at least they’re doing something,’ Alicia said.
‘Hey, Bryant has the resources and contacts to drop us anywhere in the world. Anytime,’ Dahl said. ‘He’s just waiting for the right mission.’
‘Enjoy your downtime while you can,’ Mai said.
‘All right, mum,’ Alicia said.
‘I was just saying we don’t know to which hellhole we’ll be dispatched to next,’ Drake told them. ‘There’s always a new dictator wanting his time in the spotlight, someone we have to put in their place.’
Hayden and Kinimaka ordered while Drake scanned the menu, wondering if he should choose something different. But he ended up ordering the same old thing: sausage links, bacon, beans and eggs, sunny side up. His stomach, at least, wasn’t interested in change.
He listened as Dahl ordered something similar for himself. ‘What?’ he said, feigning shock. ‘No greens?’
‘I’ve got all the vegetable I need sitting right next to me,’ Dahl nudged him.
Drake shook his head. ‘That’s shocking, mate. An extra five hundred press ups for you today.’
‘Yeah, I’ll do them on your head.’
Drake narrowed his eyes as Hayden’s cell phone started to ring. It had been some time since they’d heard those tones. Alicia’s head snapped towards the American.
‘Answer it,’ she said eagerly.
It could be anything. It might even be a friend calling or a marketing call or a wrong number. But Alicia’s eyes were already glowing.
‘It’s a job,’ she said.
Drake felt his own heart beat faster. In that moment, he realised how much he’d been missing the cut and thrust of real action, too.
Hayden put the call on speakerphone. ‘Hi, Bryant. What’s up?’
Connor Bryant was the head of Glacier, the private security firm they now worked for as world class assets. Bryant had the capability to send them anywhere, and into any seething cauldron of action.
‘You guys ready for a new job?’ he asked.
‘It’s only been a week,’ Alicia said, prompting Drake to shake his head and send her a long-suffering look. Alicia just grinned back.
‘I have something for you, but it’s not what you’re used to,’ Bryant said, cryptically. ‘Nothing like, actually. In fact, it’s quite unusual.’
Drake frowned, not liking where the conversation was going. ‘Maybe you could explain?’ he said.
Alicia winked. ‘I like unusual.’
‘Good to know,’ Bryant said. ‘Are you all there, and sitting down?’
Drake didn’t like the sound of that either. Hayden told Bryant that they were as ready as they were ever going to be.
‘Let rip, mate,’ Dahl said.
Bryant cleared his throat. ‘The reason for this appeal is partly down to you, Alicia. Your presence was requested. Do you recall saving the life of a Hollywood movie actress?’
Alicia narrowed her eyes, at first surprised that she was the one whose presence had been requested, but then taking a few moments to try and remember the incident Bryant was referring to.
‘Yes, I do,’ she said. ‘Me and Dahl, in a shootout in a gym. Bitch never kept in touch though,’ Alicia herself allowed a small smile to show that she was joking.
‘Well, it seems she never forgot you. Her name is Haley Rose. I’ve got a few Hollywood A-listers on my books alongside my military and government contacts.’
‘But when would they ever need people like us?’ Dahl asked, genuinely confused.
‘Oh, please. Don’t you see them out and about with their entourages? Haven’t you ever seen them arriving at Disneyland in their armoured cars?’
Dahl coughed. ‘Disneyland?’
‘Don’t worry, I’m not asking you to accompany anyone them to Orlando,’ Bryant laughed. ‘These people get what they pay for. Now, as for Haley Rose, she’s taking a break between movies right now. A hiatus. I’m told she’s still pretty traumatised from the shootout in which she was involved when Alicia saved her life, but sees Alicia as a bit of a good luck charm…’ Bryant paused.
Alicia snapped her eyes from face to face, daring anyone to make a comment. Truth be told, Drake thought, Alicia had probably never seen herself that way.
‘Okay,’ Hayden said judiciously.
‘Right,’ Bryant sounded disappointed that nobody had made a remark and then went on. ‘Haley’s hitting Hawaii for two weeks. She wants a proficient and skilful unit to guard her while she’s there.’
Bryant stopped talking. Drake waited. This was far from their usual remit.
‘That’s you, by the way,’ Bryant finished.
Hayden’s brow furrowed. ‘I can’t tell if you’re serious right now,’ she said. ‘But if you are… Bryant, that’s not what we do.’
‘Oh, he’s serious,’ Mai said, reminding Drake that she and Bryant had something going on. Something that they were currently keeping on the down low.
‘It’s a job,’ Bryant said. ‘And it’s two weeks away in Hawaii. What could possibly go wrong in paradise?’
Drake winced at that but still said: ‘Don’t you think it’s a little overkill, mate?’
‘Truthfully? Yes. But Miss Rose has offered to pay my price. She’s clearly agitated. Maybe she’ll start to find some peace with you all there, and I owe her manager a few favours. Don’t forget – my business runs around mutual favours. This is just one of them and, like I said, it’s just a fortnight.’
‘In Hawaii,’ Mano Kinimaka said.
The big Hawaiian was smiling. He liked the idea. Of course, he did. Mano didn’t go home much – there wasn’t much left of his family on Oahu these days – but it looked like he was giving his blessing to this job.
‘Surfing,’ Kinimaka said. ‘Sand. Beaches. Sunsets. Lava Flows. Oh, take me back already.’
‘I need to remind you that you’ll be working,’ Bryant said. ‘It could turn out to be hell, not paradise.’
Kinimaka just nodded. Hayden glanced around the team, taking their faces in. ‘You don’t have a very happy bunch here, Bryant.’
‘Well, suck it up,’ their boss said. ‘You aren’t gonna enjoy every assignment I give you. But you work for me now. This is what I need you to do. Get ready to roll out in ninety minutes.’
Drake had to admit, Bryant was right. He’d come through for them time and time again. He’d fought hard for them during their recent action-packed trip around the world. The fact was… as a soldier you took the good with the bad.
‘Better saddle up, then,’ he said. ‘Pack some things.’
‘Yeah, I’ll go grab my thong,’ Alicia said grumpily. ‘Shit. I like the woman, but babysitting an actress isn’t my kind of gig. Where the hell did we go wrong?’
Drake shrugged. ‘At least we’re no longer standing still, love. At least we’re active. That’s what you wanted.’
Alicia placed a finger on her temple. ‘Not like this,’ she said. ‘Child minding isn’t what I was expecting.’
‘I remember Haley,’ Dahl said. ‘She seemed down to earth, almost normal. For a celebrity, I mean. I don’t think she’ll give us any problems.’
Alicia nodded. ‘I know that. But, hey, like Bryant said – we suck it up. Get on with the job. We’re professionals, right?’
Drake rose from the table with her. As a unit, the Ghost Squadron left the café and headed back to their bungalows. For once, they were relatively quiet, each of them lost in thought about the unusual nature of their latest mission.
‘I don’t like it,’ Alicia said again.
‘It’s two weeks,’ Mai said. ‘Who knows? Maybe you’ll finally get a tan. Cover up those white chicken legs of yours.’
‘And maybe these chicken legs will kick your ass up and down the beach,’ Alicia said. ‘Like they did once before.’
