Sheba's Gambit

by Kristine Frost

  Braden patted her back. “He really can handle himself. He’s almost as brave as Marshall and he’s really smart.”

  Slater smiled, “See, even an eight-year-old knows that I can handle myself. Marshall is a Marine recon captain so that’s a compliment.”

  Helen took a shuddering breath. “Sorry. Too much has happened that I have no control over.”

  Braden looked at Slater. “Maybe, if you took her over to see Russell—I mean, if you walked slow she might be able to stop crying, then she could just touch Russell’s head—I mean she would be happy if she could feel him.”

  Slater looked at the vet who nodded. “I think it would be good for both of them. You might have to take her for a brief walk to make sure that she is calm.” He handed her several tissues.

  “Russell is going to be fine. Mick did his best to help him, but the cut went too deep.” The vet said. “I sewed up the muscle in layers before I sewed up the skin. The knife missed his vital organs.”

  Helen clutched Michael’s hand. “Will you take me to see him? Everyone says he’s going to be fine, but I need to feel him.”

  “I will take you as soon as you’ve taken some deep breaths. You know the doctor told you that you shouldn’t get upset, that it was bad for you.”

  She looked outraged. “How can I not get upset? That awful man hurt Russell. Then you running off, leaving me with Sheba and Braden who don’t know how to deal with men like that-”

  Braden said indignantly, “I might only be eight, but I do so know how to deal with men like that.”

  His comment caused Helen to laugh. “Sorry, Braden. I didn’t mean to insult you.”

  The door from the hall opened and the two assistants began wheeling the guard through the room. They were followed by the doctor who looked at the vet. “We can go now, if you are ready.”

  “I’ll get my bag. My patient is resting comfortably.”

  The doctor looked at Breckenridge who had just entered the room. “I am taking this man to the hospital. I sewed up the artery so he won’t bleed to death. I will take out the bullet when I can get him into the operating room. “Thanks to this young lady, he won’t lose his leg.” He motioned to Sheba. “Young lady, if you ever want to be a nurse, I will endorse your application. Very few people would act as quickly as you did.”

  Sheba blushed. “Thank you, doctor.”

  The doctor looked at Helen who still had tears running down her cheeks, then he frowned. He took her wrist. “Dear Helen,” he said. “Your pulse is very irregular. Your breathing is erratic. You are close to a breakdown—not goot.”

  He set his bag on the table, pulling out a syringe and a small bottle. “Are you allergic to anything?”

  “Sulfa drugs,” Slater said.

  “This has no sulfa in it. It is a mild tranquillizer.” He said as he pushed the syringe in the rubber top of the bottle.

  “I don’t want anything,” Helen protested.

  “If you do not calm down, you will end up in the hospital again,” the doctor said. “Without this, your headaches will come back.”

  “I don’t like shots,” she said again.

  Slater looked at the doctor. “Go ahead. Give it to her. She won’t calm down until she has seen Russell and she can’t see Russell until she calms down.”

  “No,” she said.

  Braden took her hand. “It won’t hurt. I’ve had shots before. I’ll kiss it better, like my Mom does to me.”

  As the doctor slid the needle into her arm, her hand closed convulsively on Braden’s smaller one.

  When the needle had been withdrawn, Braden kissed Helen’s cheek. “That always makes me feel better when my Mom or Aunt Sheba does it.”

  Helen hugged him hard. “Thank you, Braden. You’re right. It does help.”

  Smiling the doctor said, “I can see that I am leaving you in good hands.” He rubbed Braden’s hair. “This young man’s medicine is more potent than mine.”

  Braden smiled back at the doctor. “Don’t you think she should lie down for a few minutes? Then she can go see Russell.”

  The doctor nodded, saying “Yes, that would be goot. I need to get my other patient back to the hospital. He isn’t in any pain, but I want to get the bullet out.” The doctor followed by the vet walked toward the door leading to the stable yard.

  As Braden helped Helen lie down on the sofa, Michael motioned for Breckenridge to join him at the far end of the room.

  Sheba followed the two men to the corner of the room. Slater said coldly, “I didn’t invite you.”

  “I want to hear what is going on,” she protested. “I’m involved in this, too.”

  “Let her stay,” Breckenridge said adding, “What happened?”

  “We didn’t get Assid. I’m not sure he was even involved with the attack. I suspect that he left his men with instructions to fire on anyone who came within range. I think Sheba killed one of the men when she fired the guard’s pistol. She was the only one who could have hit him from that angle. Two other men were killed. The rest escaped.”

  “How did your men miss finding them?”

  Slater frowned. “Again, I can’t know for sure since we didn’t take any alive, but I think they simply climbed the trees.” He added, “They climbed the cliff the first time. I didn’t think it was possible,”

  Sheba looked up at Breckenridge. “Will Helen be safe going back and forth to the stables?”

  Slater frowned irritably. “Do you think I’d risk my sister’s life again?”

  “Not if you could help it, but can you help it? These men seem to be able to by-pass your security with no problems.” Sheba said.

  Slater’s hand clinched into a fist, but as he raised it, Breckenridge pushed it down. “Don’t be a fool. Hitting her won’t change the facts she is stating. What are our resources? Can we have men patrolling the fences 24-7?”

  “It would stretch us. We have four men out with fairly severe injuries. Two of them were shot in the arm or shoulder so they can’t use a gun. One was shot in the hand and of course, Gabriel is in the hospital.”

  “But the rest could patrol the fences?” Breckenridge asked.

  “Yes. Those that are left could patrol, but they would only pass a spot once an hour. It puts them at greater risk.”

  “Call Antoine. Tell him to send me everyone he has.” When Slater opened his mouth, he added, “I don’t care about the cost. I am too close to finding Sheba to let a trumped up little man stop me now.”

  Sheba said, “I’m going to check on Helen. If she is calm enough, can I take her to see Russell?”

  Slater nodded impatiently, but Breckenridge said, “Mick should go with you. He is in the kitchen. When you are ready press the bell on the desk. That will bring Atkins. He can find Mick for you.”

  “None of you are to go any place outside the house by yourselves. I will be placing guards at every door. Understand?”

  Sheba caught an undertone of impatience in his voice. “I understand. Believe me that is one order none of us want to disobey. I’m allergic to being shot at.”

  Breckenridge barely smiled at her joke before he turned back to Slater who had just turned off the satellite phone.

  Sheba walked over to the sofa where Helen was laying. “Are you feeling any better?”

  “Some. I hate taking drugs even if a doctor does prescribe them. I hate the way they make me feel.”

  “I know,” Sheba said sympathetically. “Sometimes our bodies just can’t manage on their own. It has been a traumatic day.”

  “What does traumatic mean?” Braden asked. He was still sitting by Helen holding her hand.

  “It means scary, like the things that have happened today.”

  Helen sat up. “Can I go see Russell now? I’m not upset anymore, but I’d feel better if I could just touch him.”

  “I’m supposed to have Mick go with us.” Sheba pushed the button on the desk. When Atkins entered the room, he looked at Sheba who was standing by the desk.

>   “I rang,” she said. “Would you please send Mick to us? Helen would like to go see Russell. Mr. Breckenridge insists that we shouldn’t go alone.”

  Atkins looked at his watch. “Dinner will be served in forty minutes. Can you be finished by then or should I have the cook set it back?”

  Helen said, “If Mick can go with us right now, we’ll be back in plenty of time.”

  “I will get him immediately.”

  Chapter 22

  Sheba was sitting at the library table, playing Fox and Geese with Braden when a big man in a black T-shirt that was tight over his bulging muscles escorted a very tall, thin man into the library. “Where’s Breckenridge?”

  “He’s in the morning room,” Sheba answered, turning back to her game.

  Braden let out a whoop. “I got you. I won. I won.”

  Helen looked up from the book she was reading in Braille. “Good job, Braden.” She cheered.

  Mick came in from the garden. “Miss Slater, I just came to tell you that Russell came out of the anesthesia about half an hour ago. I gave him the food the vet prescribed and a pain pill, although he didn’t seem to be in any pain.”

  “Thanks for coming to tell me.” Helen smiled at him. “Thanks for taking such good care of Russell.”

  “You’re welcome, miss.” Mick said, looking embarrassed.

  Braden said, “Can I come see Russell, now?”

  Mick smiled. “He’s asleep which is where you should be. You can see him in the morning. Okay?”

  Braden frowned. “I’m not tired.”

  Mick threw them a salute then left the library.

  Sheba rubbed her arms nervously. “Braden, you need to do some reading now so you don’t get behind in school.”

  He frowned. “There’s nothing to read.”

  Helen laughed. “There’s a lot to read. This is a library. Mr. Breckenridge has thousands of books.”

  “But they’re all for grown-ups.” He protested.

  “There are children’s books over by the morning room door. I used to read them before I lost my vision.” Helen closed her eyes as she said this.

  When Braden opened his mouth to ask a question, Sheba shook her head. “Let’s go see what Mr. Breckenridge has for you to read.”

  “Okay,” he said sadly. “I wish he had some Star Wars books like I get from the school library.”

  Helen opened her eyes. “I don’t think he has anything that modern but I seem to remember the Hardy Boys and the Three Detectives or Investigators or something like that. There are other boy’s adventure books, too. I tended to read the Dana Girls and Judy Bolton. Unless he’s moved them, they are down close to the floor.”

  Braden scampered over to the morning room door. He bent over, “Here they are.”

  “Why don’t you see if you can find one you want to read?”

  Crossing the room, she knelt down by Braden who was trying to decide between ‘The Secret of Terror Castle’ and ‘Secret of Skeleton Island.’

  She sat down beside him. He sighed. “They both look good.”

  Sheba said, “Well, since they are a series, I’d start with the first one, then go on through the series.”

  “We aren’t going to be here that long, are we?” He whispered.

  “No. But I’m sure if you like them, we can find copies on-line.”

  He put ‘The Secret of Skeleton Island’ back on the shelves and was getting to his feet when Sheba grabbed him, whispering, “Wait a second hon. I want to hear this.”

  He opened the book. Sheba scooted closer to the slightly open door. She could hear Breckenridge pounding his fist into his hand. “Caldwell,” he said, “I gave you a week to finish up what you were working on for another employer and a week to do the research I needed. You told me that it took a little longer to finish up your work so I gave you more time. Then you told me you needed another day. Now I find out that you haven’t done anything on my project despite the advance I gave you.”

  “Braden, you can go sit on the couch by Helen. I want check out some of these Dana Girls books. I haven’t looked at them in years. They were my favorites.” She whispered.

  He nodded absently as he walked to a large chair still reading the book.

  She turned her attention back to the other room. “Slater, show him what happens to people who renege on their agreement with me.” She heard a fist striking flesh and a low groan.

  Hastily, she grabbed “The Secret of the Rusty Key” from the shelves and opened it to the first page.

  “You have set me back several weeks. Weeks that I don’t have.”

  Sheba could picture him looking at Slater when he added, “Sober him up. He’ll work with Sheba tomorrow. He will have the initial starting place by evening, or you’ll get a chance to do some boxing.”

  “I’ll have it done by tomorrow if this girl knows what she’s doing.” Caldwell said defiantly. “You can’t blame me if that girl doesn’t have the information I need.”

  Sheba leaned back so that she could look through the crack in the door. She saw Breckenridge move closer to Caldwell who took a step backward. William moved up behind him so that when he took the next step away from Breckenridge, he couldn’t go any further. Breckenridge stepped forward until his face was just inches from Caldwell’s. “That girl, as you call her, has already started on the map. She has given me more information than you have. So I suggest you treat her with a little more respect.”

  “It’s probably wrong,” he blustered. “She isn’t a geologist.”

  Breckenridge stepped back out of her line of sight. “Get him sobered up. If anyone gives him a drop of liquor, I’ll have their life.”

  “You can’t do that to me,” Caldwell protested. “You can’t expect me to think without a pick-me-up.”

  “You’ll earn your liquor,” Breckenridge said coldly. “I don’t care if the withdrawal symptoms get so bad that we have to chain you to a wall in the dungeon so we don’t have to listen to you scream. You shouldn’t have stayed with your mistress instead of getting my work done.”

  She hastily scrambled to her feet as Breckenridge turned toward the door. She was sitting at the desk reading her book, when Breckenridge walked in. He was followed by Slater who was gripping Caldwell by the upper arm.

  “Sheba, I want you to show Caldwell your map.” It was the order of a very angry man.

  She immediately put a sticky flag to keep her place in the book, then lifted the desk blotter and pulled out the map and laid it on the desk so he could see it.

  Breckenridge looked at it for a minute. “You’ve added names.” It came out as an accusation.

  “I’ve been working on it on and off all afternoon. I thought you wanted it done quickly.”

  “I do.” He turned to Caldwell, “See the difference between the two of you. You put her down because she isn’t a geologist, but she has done more work in one day than you have done in three weeks.”

  He looked at the names she had written underneath the modern names. “I don’t know why you should trust her. These aren’t the correct names.” He sneered. “They aren’t even the ancient names.”

  She looked at Breckenridge who pointed to an area that she had outlined in red ink and another that was outlined in green. “What are these?”

  The red line shows where Aschler thought the land of Sheba was. From what he told me, it could have been much bigger, taking in most of Turkey, but he didn’t think that it would have been much smaller. You’ll notice that it takes in Mt. Ararat and part of Armenia. I made that line dotted because he wasn’t sure that it went that far north.”

  “And the green line?”

  Sheba said, “That’s the line that Elmer Seacliff explored. You can see that they overlap a lot even though Elmer’s area is smaller than Aschler’s, but then Elmer was looking for treasure, mines and such.”

  “Did he find it?” Caldwell sneered as he stepped toward her.

  Suddenly, Braden was standing between them. “You don’t t
alk to my Aunt Sheba like that. She’s ten times smarter than you are.”

  Angrily, Caldwell raised his arm to strike Braden. At the same moment that Sheba pulled Braden out of the way, Slater caught his wrist, pivoted so that Sheba and Braden were behind him and said, “Hit or attempt to hit her and I’ll break your arm in at least three places. Touch Braden and you won’t ever use it again.”

  “Easy, Michael,” Breckenridge said. He looked coldly at Caldwell. “I’ll take it a step farther, keep your hands to yourself and a civil tongue in your head or the next time, I won’t stop Michael from doing what he just threatened.”

  Slater shoved Caldwell away from Sheba.

  Breckenridge pressed the bell on the desk. When Atkins entered the room, Breckenridge said, “Get William to lock him in the cellar.”

  “Full treatment, sir?”

  “Yes.”

  “No,” Caldwell yelled.

  Breckenridge looked at Slater who had grabbed Caldwell before he could land a punch on anyone’s face. He matched him out of the room, thrusting him at William. If he acts up you know what to do.

  William nodded as he pushed him into the kitchen.

  When Breckenridge walked into the hall to watch William, Braden whispered, “I don’t think Mr. Breckenridge is a very nice man if he puts people in the cellar.”

  “I agree. I wouldn’t say that to anyone else, though.”

  “I won’t,” Braden said as he walked back to his book.

  Sheba sat back down at the desk pulling the map toward her. It was upside down because she had turned it toward the men who had been facing her. Tipping her head, she moved the map from side to side. “I wonder,” she said to herself.

  “Helen,” she said, “Do you know if Mr. Breckenridge has an encyclopedia?”

  “Yes. They used to be over in that corner,” she said pointing.

  “What is it?” Breckenridge demanded, coming back into the room, followed by Slater.

  “I just had a thought.” Sheba said as she reached up for the A book in the Encyclopedia Britannica. Even by stretching as high as she could she couldn’t quite reach it.

  Slater handed it to her. She flipped it open to a map of the Assyrian Empire. She walked over to the desk, picking up a yellow pencil, she carefully traced the outline of the Assyrian Empire on the map she had been working on. Finally, she stood back and looked at the map, then she closed her eyes, thought for a minute and then looked at the map again. Then she sat down and wrote more names on the map, but they were further west.