Read Online The Destroyer of Worlds by Jonathan Moeller - Free Book Online
Authors: Jonathan Moeller
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suppose Marugon blew Wycliffe’s cover even before Inauguration Day?
The intercom buzzed, and Wycliffe hit the button. “What?”
“Mr. Vice President,” said a male voice, one of the new security guards he had hired since Marugon’s rampage. “Mr. Kurkov is here to see you.”
Wycliffe blinked. “Kurkov? Send him in at once.”
“Yes, sir.” The intercom clicked off.
Wycliffe sighed and dropped into his chair. With all the trouble, he had almost forgotten about Kurkov’s bomb. At least Marugon had promised to return to his world once the bomb had been delivered. But that damned bomb was yet another scandal in the making.
The door opened, and Vasily Kurkov strolled into the office, his leather jacket creaking. He smelled of cigarette smoke and liquor.
“Vasily,” said Wycliffe. “I dearly hope you have some good news for me.”
Kurkov laughed. “I am the angel of good news.” He sat in the guest chair and put his boots on Wycliffe’s desk.
“Well?” said Wycliffe. “Out with it already.”
Kurkov grinned. “The little bomb Lord Marugon wants so badly? It will arrive in Los Angeles in another three days.”
Tension and relief mixed in Wycliffe’s stomach. “After all these years you’ve spent looking, and all the mess getting it over the Pacific, it’s finally going to arrive?”
Kurkov looked pleased with himself. “Yes. The freighter left Vladivostok on time. It encountered no storm or squalls while the crossing. It may even arrive at Los Angeles a little early.”
“Early?” said Wycliffe. “Has hell frozen over?”
Kurkov snorted. “Hilarious.” He produced a cigarette and lit up. “Yes, yes, let’s make fun of Kurkov, after all my efforts on your behalf.”
Wycliffe gave him a look. “And how many hundreds of millions of dollars have you made from these efforts? I think your ego can withstand some nettling.”
Kurkov snickered. “Perhaps.” He flicked some ash onto the carpet. “But I am leaving for Los Angeles tonight.”
“Again?” said Wycliffe.
Kurkov blew out a cloud of smoke. “I am going make certain this goes right. I shall drive the bomb to Chicago myself.”
“How are you getting it here?” said Wycliffe.
“U-Haul truck,” said Kurkov. “The bomb, I do not think you understand its size. It is not very big. I shall bury it behind other boxes in the truck. That way, even if I am pulled over, all the police shall see is moving boxes.” He grinned. “And I will have some of my associates following me in cars…armed associates, should the police become too inquisitive.”
“This is tremendously dangerous, you know,” said Wycliffe, “driving a nuclear bomb across the county in a goddamn U-Haul truck.”
Kurkov sneered. “Do you think I am stupid? Of course it is dangerous.” He rubbed his fingers together. “But the profit is very great. And I know what I am doing.”
“You’ll be taking Dr. Krastiny and his associates with you, I assume,” said Wycliffe.
“No.”
Wycliffe frowned. “Why not?”
“I do not trust them.”
Wycliffe snorted. “You don’t trust anyone.”
“True.” Kurkov dropped his cigarette butt into the trash. “But…let us say they are no longer reliable.”
“Why?” said Wycliffe. “Because they took that contract with Marugon to find Ally Wester?”
Kurkov nodded. “I require loyalty. They shall have to be liquidated at some future date. When we return to Russia, I think. And don’t bother to protest. When they found that girl, it caused you big problems, didn’t it?”
“Oh, yes,” said Wycliffe. “Frankly, I think Marugon might have brought more difficulty onto our heads by trying to kill the girl and her brother. Had he left them alone, most likely he would have received his bomb and departed for his world without a shot fired. Now he has the changelings scouring the nation in search of her.”
Kurkov coughed. “Well, at least the problem will solve itself soon,
The intercom buzzed, and Wycliffe hit the button. “What?”
“Mr. Vice President,” said a male voice, one of the new security guards he had hired since Marugon’s rampage. “Mr. Kurkov is here to see you.”
Wycliffe blinked. “Kurkov? Send him in at once.”
“Yes, sir.” The intercom clicked off.
Wycliffe sighed and dropped into his chair. With all the trouble, he had almost forgotten about Kurkov’s bomb. At least Marugon had promised to return to his world once the bomb had been delivered. But that damned bomb was yet another scandal in the making.
The door opened, and Vasily Kurkov strolled into the office, his leather jacket creaking. He smelled of cigarette smoke and liquor.
“Vasily,” said Wycliffe. “I dearly hope you have some good news for me.”
Kurkov laughed. “I am the angel of good news.” He sat in the guest chair and put his boots on Wycliffe’s desk.
“Well?” said Wycliffe. “Out with it already.”
Kurkov grinned. “The little bomb Lord Marugon wants so badly? It will arrive in Los Angeles in another three days.”
Tension and relief mixed in Wycliffe’s stomach. “After all these years you’ve spent looking, and all the mess getting it over the Pacific, it’s finally going to arrive?”
Kurkov looked pleased with himself. “Yes. The freighter left Vladivostok on time. It encountered no storm or squalls while the crossing. It may even arrive at Los Angeles a little early.”
“Early?” said Wycliffe. “Has hell frozen over?”
Kurkov snorted. “Hilarious.” He produced a cigarette and lit up. “Yes, yes, let’s make fun of Kurkov, after all my efforts on your behalf.”
Wycliffe gave him a look. “And how many hundreds of millions of dollars have you made from these efforts? I think your ego can withstand some nettling.”
Kurkov snickered. “Perhaps.” He flicked some ash onto the carpet. “But I am leaving for Los Angeles tonight.”
“Again?” said Wycliffe.
Kurkov blew out a cloud of smoke. “I am going make certain this goes right. I shall drive the bomb to Chicago myself.”
“How are you getting it here?” said Wycliffe.
“U-Haul truck,” said Kurkov. “The bomb, I do not think you understand its size. It is not very big. I shall bury it behind other boxes in the truck. That way, even if I am pulled over, all the police shall see is moving boxes.” He grinned. “And I will have some of my associates following me in cars…armed associates, should the police become too inquisitive.”
“This is tremendously dangerous, you know,” said Wycliffe, “driving a nuclear bomb across the county in a goddamn U-Haul truck.”
Kurkov sneered. “Do you think I am stupid? Of course it is dangerous.” He rubbed his fingers together. “But the profit is very great. And I know what I am doing.”
“You’ll be taking Dr. Krastiny and his associates with you, I assume,” said Wycliffe.
“No.”
Wycliffe frowned. “Why not?”
“I do not trust them.”
Wycliffe snorted. “You don’t trust anyone.”
“True.” Kurkov dropped his cigarette butt into the trash. “But…let us say they are no longer reliable.”
“Why?” said Wycliffe. “Because they took that contract with Marugon to find Ally Wester?”
Kurkov nodded. “I require loyalty. They shall have to be liquidated at some future date. When we return to Russia, I think. And don’t bother to protest. When they found that girl, it caused you big problems, didn’t it?”
“Oh, yes,” said Wycliffe. “Frankly, I think Marugon might have brought more difficulty onto our heads by trying to kill the girl and her brother. Had he left them alone, most likely he would have received his bomb and departed for his world without a shot fired. Now he has the changelings scouring the nation in search of her.”
Kurkov coughed. “Well, at least the problem will solve itself soon,
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