Archie Doyle

Archibald "Archie" Doyle is an assassin for the Knights of the Teutonic Order, the villains in the Copernicus Legacy series. An eccentric and deadly killer, he is assigned to take out the Guardians of the 12 Copernicus relics. He epecially hates the Kaplans, since they have escaped his grasp many times. Doyle is a master of disguise and often goes unnoticed until it's too late.

The Serpent's Curse:
Archie Doyle is first introduced when Ebner von Braun requests backup help in catching the Kaplans as they head to Russia to find the Serpens relic. A call is sent to Doyle, who is just waking up. He is very annoyed, however, when von Braun's message says just to follow the Kaplans, and not terminate them. He prepares his assassin gear (disguises, tools, and a Bulgarian umbrella) and sets off. He acts kindly to his wife and baby boy, who do not know about his Order life.

As Wade and the Kaplans talk to Boris Rubashov (a Guardian) about his brother's death, Doyle sneaks into the cafe unnoticed and stabs the Russian with the poison umbrella tip. Boris suddenly falls over and dies, while Doyle watches the scene. Ironically, Becca thinks he is a doctor and asks for his help in saving Boris. Doyle says he is not a doctor.

Later on, Doyle tracks the Kaplans to Boris's apartment. The Kaplans are busy inside investigating and watching the Guardian tape Boris had. He knocks and when let in, Becca sees through his disguise and pulls his fake beard off. Doyle wields his Bulgarian umbrella, while the Kaplans fight back by throwing things. In the end, Darrell manages to grab his umbrella, throw it down the stairwell, and force him out of the room. After this he reports back to von Braun about the Kaplans' progress.

At the very end of the book, Galina Krause sends a message to Doyle saying to immediately terminate the Kaplans. Von Braun says this will make him happy.

Becca and the Prisoner's Cross:
Doyle is sent to find the Kaplans again. The Kaplans learn about him from Terence Akroyd, so they try to be on the lookout for anyone suspicious. Doyle tracks them to a train station near Bletchley Park, but is recognized. To keep him off their tracks, Lily and Wade put their hats on a group of random teenagers that look like them. Doyle follows the teens onto a subway train, which takes off just as he realizes it is too late.

Doyle is able to find the family again due to a bug on Becca's bag. He disguises himself as an elderly man to enter the Bletchley Park library. Wade converses with him. Right as an old librarian/Guardian is going to help them decode a puzzle, Doyle removes his disguise and is instantly recognized by Lily. He knocks down the elderly woman and goes to kill her, but is hit on the head with a phone, tripped, and trapped under a chair. He starts shooting randomly; this attracts security to enter. Doyle escapes the unarmed guards and goes after the Kaplans in the Bombe machine shed. The Kaplans plan an ambush, which lets the boys escape while the girls distract him. As Doyle breaks into the shed, a machine is dropped on him, but he still chases after them. Terence and Dr. Kaplan arrive in a car, letting the kids enter. Terence then rams Doyle with the car, sending him flying and letting the now-armed guards tackle him.

Doyle somehow escapes the police and finds the Kaplans at St. Andrew's Church, where a standoff for the Crux relic is occuring. Doyle chases Will up the stairs of the old bell tower. Becca comes up too, and the 2 fight Doyle. Wade smashes a window during the fight, and he and Becca push Doyle out of the tower, where he falls to his death.

Other Mentions:
In The Golden Vendetta, Ebner von Braun remarks on how after Doyle's death, the order to kill the Kaplans had to be halted due to Galina Krause being stuck in a 2-month coma.