Flight of the Falcon (Byrdes of York #1)

1. Chapter One

Chapter One

Hugh

“ S o?” Imogen Lovell turned away from the window with its view of the Minster and focused her attention on Hugh. “What do you think? Is he the one?”

“I don’t know yet,” Hugh replied. He moved over to take her spot at the window and looked through the scope they had set up there overlooking Stonegate Alley.

“Bit early to tell?” Imogen continued moving around the living room, collecting her scarf and laptop bag as she did so. “Well, I’ll leave you to get on with it. I have a train to catch.”

Hugh looked up again. There was nothing much happening in the alley; tourists were moving from shop to shop looking for books or gifts depending on what took their fancy. There’d been no sight of Falcon Byrde, his quarry who owned the bookshop. He shook his hands out and stretched to the ceiling. He hated surveillance jobs, but if his boss was right and Byrde had been involved in the bombing of the Goodkind family…

“I’ll walk with you to the station,” he told Imogen, his best friend and substitute sister. “I need to stretch my legs and get some groceries, I’m sure there’s a Tesco or Sainsburys around here somewhere.”

Imogen nodded. Her blonde hair was caught up in a tidy chignon and she had dressed with care in a Donna Karan business suit, which suited her slim body. Not that it did anything for Hugh. He enjoyed women as friends, but his interests lay elsewhere.

As they let themselves out of the rented maisonette above several of the shops on Davygate, he was surprised again at the number of tourists out and about. He knew York was a busy tourist spot, but the sheer numbers were more than he’d expected. Sidestepping a group of Japanese sightseers, he was glad the roads were closed to traffic down here, otherwise there could have been an accident.

He steered Imogen around the bulk of the tourists, the early May spring weather had brought them all out. Imogen gave him a look and he grimaced. He knew she was quite capable of looking after herself but the years of being a bodyguard before he joined his current agency wouldn’t allow him to put anyone he was walking with in the way of danger.

Hugh listened to Imogen’s casual conversation as they walked over Lendal Bridge, heading toward the railway station. He took note of the old walls surrounding the city, which he’d have to make time to walk along. Hugh was a big history buff, which had contributed towards him taking this job. He replied to Imogen where necessary, but his attention was elsewhere, watching the crowds, assessing everything. He made a mental note to check how high the River Ouse could flood as it looked high when they passed. Would it reach as far as Stonegate? He didn’t think so, but his mind couldn’t help exploring various possibilities.

“Hmm, sorry?” He realised they’d arrived at the station and that Imogen had addressed him again.

“I said I’d call you when I got back to the office. Really, Hugh, it’s not like you to walk around with your head in the clouds.”

“Sorry, just lots to think on here. Check with Peter when he’s going to get me the final files on the Byrde brothers sent over. Anything he can find could prove useful.”

“I’ll mention it. You have everything you need?” she asked, referring to the equipment he’d requested.

“For now, I’ll text or email you if I need anything else.”

“I’ll be off then, my train is nearly here.” With that, she leaned in and kissed his cheek, and with a casual wave, she merged into the crowd heading for the platform and her train to Manchester.

Hugh watched her until she was out of sight, before turning to leave the station once more. As he walked, he began thinking about his current assignment. Right from the beginning, when his boss Robert Swales had called him into his office, something had seemed off. He headed back the way he’d come, stopping in at a local supermarket on the way. Though he couldn’t pinpoint it any further than that. He had no idea how long he would be in York, so made sure to stock up with basics for at least a week. He’d probably eat out for part of it, but if it became necessary and he needed to stay in place for awhile, he’d need easy meals he could grab quickly.

He let himself into the maisonette and made his way to the main living area. Nothing seemed to have changed from when he had looked through the scope earlier. He could see that most of the shops were doing a brisk trade, and he catalogued them mentally once more.

Falcon Books was owned and run by Falcon Byrde, the eldest of the Byrde brothers and the focus of the current investigation. Next there was Phoenix Antiques , run by the middle brother known to all as Nix. Across from them was the Wool Emporium , run by youngest brother Robin. Piper’s Coffee Shop was next door to that. The owner was known as Pip, who was next in age to Falcon. Everything Crystal was owned and run by Ollie, and last was Raven who owned Cameo a high-quality jewellers.

Six brothers and six shops, all set in a courtyard which had once been part of a larger shopping complex. It had been in use until the early 2010s when most of it had been sold off and converted to apartments. Apart from the six units below, which had originally been twelve but had since been converted to larger shops with accommodation. Hugh had read the initial reports on the brothers and their businesses when he’d been assigned to this job. Now he could look down and see how the conversions had been carried out.

As there was still no sign of his quarry, he decided it would be okay to go down and take a stroll amongst the shops. He could do with a coffee and though he could make one here, he could do some reconnaissance downstairs.

Hugh wandered around the courtyard ostensibly window shopping, but he was on high alert. Though he hadn’t seen Falcon Byrde through the scope, that didn’t mean he wasn’t there. He could be in his flat above the shop or in a back room.

The bookshop window had a display on local history and he read the titles with interest, noting one book he’d like to purchase if he could get them to take it from the window. Entering, he smiled at the young woman who was behind the till in the main part of the shop.

“Welcome to Falcon Books!” she chirped, almost bouncing on her feet. She looked very young and Hugh put her age at 17, 18 at most.

“Feel free to wander around,” she continued. “Each section has a card telling you what’s there so you can find what you’re looking for. Fiction is at the front and non-fiction is at the back of the shop. There’s a good mixture of old and new. Call out if you can’t find anything.”

“Thanks, I’ll let you know.” He decided to leave the book in the window for the moment and investigate further.

He bypassed the fiction and headed straight for the non-fiction and the history section, all the while looking and assessing. At some point, maybe today, he would need to plant some small cameras and listening devices in the shop. This visit would give him the opportunity to scope out good places to conceal them.

After about fifteen minutes of perusing the shelves, he’d already managed to get one small camera hidden. He’d tucked it away in an upright part of the wooden shelving. It was pretty well disguised and pointed right towards the door. He’d have to come back a couple of times to get a full complement in. Often in situations like this, he would break in overnight and plant his devices, but with the owner living above the shop, he didn’t think that would be possible.

Picking up a copy of the same book he’d seen in the window, he took it to the teenager on the till.

“Great choice!” She grinned at him.

“Thanks. Is the café here any good?”

“Definitely!” Her enthusiasm for everything could grate after a while, but he smiled back. “Just tell them Abbie sent you and they’ll look after you.”

Hugh thanked her again and picking up his book, headed out to the café.

Falcon

“Watch your step.” Falcon Byrde turned to his younger brother Robin and shone his torch on the slippery steps they were currently navigating.

Robin just grunted and negotiated them with no problem. Falcon watched for a few moments to make sure he was back on stable-ish ground before moving off again. Robin got around on a pair of prosthesis, having lost both his legs in a childhood medical experiment gone wrong. Falcon, the oldest of the siblings, had always felt responsible for his younger brothers, but especially Robin.

“I’m okay, Fal.” Robin interrupted his thoughts then. “This is child’s play compared to some of the exercises Francis put us through.”

Falcon smiled as he thought of their protector and saviour. When Francis Byrde, an eccentric philanthropist, had heard about the children being used for drug experiments, he’d mounted a rescue and saved them all. He hadn’t stopped there, though. No, Francis had adopted them all, giving them his last name and the prestige that came with it. Fal, Robin and their siblings had been very lucky.

His attention brought back to the present, Falcon looked around the rough passage, they’d entered through an old drainage system and were now well below York Minster. The walls had been roughly hewn out of the bedrock and it was barely high enough for Robin to

walk through. Falcon, who was a good five inches taller than his brother, was having to stoop. “It certainly feels old,” Robin said as he shone his torch around, brightening the gloom.

“How did Father McKenzie say he’d found it again?”

“When he was a younger man, he was tasked with tracing some of the tunnels they found when they excavated the Minster in the 60s.”

“I thought all that was on display in the undercroft?” Robin asked.

“What they want the public to see is, yes. It seems there were tunnels running close to where the Roman basilica had been. This is what he had been tasked with investigating.”

“So why come to you now?”

Falcon paused, thinking about his meeting withe Father McKenzie the day before…

“Fal?” Abbie had shouted for him from the till.

“What?” he asked as he came into the main room of the bookshop, carrying books to be shelved.

“This gentleman says he’d like a word with you.” She grinned at him as she gestured to the older man standing at her side. He was dressed in a black cassock with a white clerical collar around his neck. He smiled slightly.

Falcon held his hand out. “Falcon Byrde, how may I help you?”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr Byrde. Francis sings your praises all the time.” “You know my father?”

“Oh, yes, we’ve known each other since we were at school together.”

Falcon smiled. His father knew many people. If this man had been at school with him, he was either older than he appeared or Francis had been on one of his investigations.

“Pleased to meet you. What can I help you with?” he repeated.

“It might be best if we went somewhere a bit more private,” the older man replied, indicating Abbie with his eyes. She was watching both men avidly as though they were there purely for her entertainment.

“Yes, forgive me. Let’s go to my study.” Hugh turned to his assistant. “We’ll be in my study, Abbie, and not to be disturbed. Unless it’s one of my brothers, or Francis.”

Abbie nodded and turned away to serve a customer. That girl is as curious as she is hyper , Falcon thought as he led the older man to his study.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t introduce myself. I’m Father John Mckenzie, a member of the Chapter of York.”

Falcon nodded and closed the study door behind him. He was aware that his father’s acquaintances were wide and varied.

He indicated for Father McKenzie to take a seat on one of the small sofas surrounding a coffee table. “Can I get you a drink?”

“No, I’m fine, thank you.” The craggy face of the older man creased into a wide smile as he saw the photo of Francis Byrde and his varied group of adopted children which took pride of place on Falcon’s sideboard.

“Your father is well?”

“He is.” Fal smiled. “He’s in Jamaica with my youngest sister Chyna at the moment.

They are following up leads on who her birth parents might have been.”

Father McKenzie smiled again, then his face became serious as he turned to face Falcon. “What do you know of the Ninth Legion?”

Falcon was surprised by the strange segue. This was why he wanted to talk to him? “Only what everyone knows: they were stationed here in York in the early days of the Roman fortress, then they disappeared from the records and were wiped out.” He thought for a moment then added, “I read Rosemary Sutcliffe’s Eagle of the Ninth when I was young, as many others did.”

“Originally, it was assumed that they were defeated in battle in North Britain, or Scotland as we know it, but more recently there have been other theories,” said Father McKenzie.

Falcon moved to the front of his seat, intrigued by what the older man was saying. “Why did you come to me?”

“Francis suggested it.” he reached into his cassock and withdrew a small coin-like object and passed it to him. It was imprinted with a relief of a peregrine falcon and around the edge were the words Ordo Avium – Order of the Birds.

Falcon looked up at the other man. “From Francis?”

Father McKenzie nodded and put the token back in his cassock. “He gave me this years ago when we met up again after school. He moved in some of the more interesting circles that I did.”

The younger man nodded. Not too many people outside his family knew about the order. It had been set up by his adopted father when he began his paranormal investigation business. It was a way of guaranteeing the owner a hearing with a member of the team. In this case, that was Falcon.

Falcon was pulled back to the present when Robin jiggled his shoulder and pointed to a particularly low hanging part of the tunnel. He smiled his thanks at his brother as he lowered his head.

“So,” Robin began, “we’re on a search for the missing Ninth?”