The Einstein Code by Tom West

‘I’m just sorry we were unable to save the item you are carrying.’
    Kate glanced at Lou. ‘Don’t worry about that,’ she replied.
    ‘We didn’t have it on us,’ Lou said. ‘We switched briefcases at the airport. Jerry Derham has it. Hopefully, it’s safe and sound at Norfolk Naval Base.’
    ‘A very sensible precaution.’
    Two men approached, the other members of the SWAT team. They stopped and saluted. ‘Sir,’ one of them said. ‘May I suggest we get the civilians away asap.’
    ‘Yes, of course, Alders.’ Fleming turned to Kate and Lou. ‘My orders are to get you two to Norfolk Naval Base.’ He looked back at Alders. ‘I’ll escort them.
You and Rodriguez clear up the mess.’
    ‘How on earth did you know we were here?’ Kate asked.
    ‘I said it was a long story. I think it can wait.’ He checked his watch. ‘It’s almost 1 a.m. Your friend Captain Derham has just been briefed. He’ll be expecting
you at the base.’ He glanced over towards Kate’s car, then considered Lou. ‘You both OK? Dr Bates?’
    ‘Please, call me Lou. I’ll live.’

18
    The clock on Captain Derham’s office wall read 2.45 a.m. as a cadet brought in a tray of coffees and started handing out the mugs to Kate, Lou and Adam Fleming. En route,
Kate and Lou had grabbed a shower and a change of clothes at their lab at the Institute of Marine Studies, just a few miles from the naval base. Lou had a plaster on his jaw. Fleming had stowed
away his body armour and weapons and was now dressed in combat trousers, T-shirt and black boots.
    ‘I’ve been briefed by Admiral Schnell at the Pentagon,’ Derham said, rearranging some papers on his desk. ‘But I guess you guys need an update.’ He turned to Kate
and Lou.
    ‘Might be helpful.’
    Derham put a hand out towards Fleming indicating that he should speak. As he leaned back in his chair, the Englishman looked calm and relaxed.
    ‘I’m MI6. I’m over here liaising with a CIA task force. Have you heard of a woman called Glena Buckingham?’
    ‘I’ve read about her,’ Lou replied. ‘I think it was in
Time
or something.’
    ‘She’s the head of Eurenergy, one of the big fuel conglomerates. Very powerful woman,’ Kate said.
    ‘She certainly is. On the surface she’s a highly regarded, respected businesswoman heading up one of the biggest companies in the world. A scientist by background, very clever,
ruthless, basically everything you would expect of somebody who has reached her position, especially a woman in a man’s world. However, all is not what it seems. We know that she has been
involved in a number of clandestine efforts over the last few years, which definitely are not above board. She was behind the attempt to sabotage the mission to rescue the Fortescue document on
Titanic
eighteen months ago.’
    ‘You are joking!’ Kate responded.
    Fleming shook his head. ‘We have a fat dossier on her and her cohorts. Trouble is she is very powerful, very clever, as I said, and she has an expert team to protect her. In spite of our
best efforts, we still cannot find anything to pin on her. But we will.’ His expression had hardened.
    ‘So, OK,’ Lou said. ‘Can we backtrack a moment? I feel I’ve missed something. What has this woman got to do with us?’
    ‘I take it you’ve been following the news about the Chinese? Or did you miss it on your honeymoon?’
    ‘You mean the atoll? Dalton?’
    ‘We heard about it,’ Kate said. ‘In fact we were right near there on the boat. Even heard some explosions. Drilling, we assumed.’
    ‘I understand from your transmissions that it was a plane you found, what you think is Amelia Earhart’s plane.’
    ‘How on earth did you know that? We’ve told no one apart from our team back there.’
    ‘That’s precisely how we knew about you and what you found,’ Fleming said. ‘We’ve been watching Dalton Island carefully, tracking all communications from the
Chinese. We picked up your call to the