She held her breath as a male Latino voice spoke into a walkie-talkie. “Chaz, Gino, come in. Where the hell are you guys?”
When there was only a static reply, the man cursed and they heard him stomping down the hall to find his guards. They heard the first click of the inner door and then it slamming shut.
Desmond released Kelsey and opened the door. “After you.”
Did he look amused? Smart ass. She pursed her lips and put on her backpack. With a huff she moved back down the hallway, quickly up the stairs and down to the last door on the left.
Putting her ear to the door, she heard nothing, and opened it, gun drawn. No one was there, but the scene startled her. Whoa. Given the evident sparseness and state of disrepair of the outer offices, she was expecting more of the same, but it wasn’t. A collection of treasures from ancient lands adorned the room. Baubles and trinkets shone brightly on ornate tables and filled lighted, glass display cabinets. Persian rugs hung on the walls and covered the floor. Every corner of the room held Ming Dynasty vases in various sizes. Antique maps competed for space on the wall with what looked like original masterpiece paintings. The man was a treasure hunter. A collector. A drug lord.
A murderer.
“The safe is behind that painting.” Kelsey stepped up to the work of art. She was about to remove it, but paused for a moment, studying it. This isn’t possible. Could it be? It was a stunning, gloomy painting with a depiction of a homeless man begging on a Parisian street.
Desmond whistled. “I think this is an original Picasso. Look at the signature. Pablo Ruiz y Picasso. It must have been one of his early works.”
Kelsey nodded. “I think it is, too. This is probably one of the paintings he made when he first went to live in Paris. It’s probably worth millions.” She picked it off the wall and gently laid it on the desk. Behind it was a basic wall safe. Kelsey snorted. “You’d think he’d splurge on a decent safe.”
Desmond moved back over to the office door and peered out. The other guard hadn’t returned. “All clear.”
She nodded, placed her backpack on the floor and took out a small drill and hammer. Leaning over to the locking bars on the safe, she punched a small hole in the side of them. She struck the locking bar with the hammer and less than sixty seconds later, the safe popped open.
Desmond came over, clicking his tongue. “Impressive and quick. Where the hell did you learn to do all this?”
“Law & Order.” She reached inside, ignoring the wad of hundred dollar bills, the three bricks of cocaine, a multi-carat diamond necklace, and sighed in relief when she saw the disc holder. She removed her booted laptop from her backpack, opened the disc holder and shoved the disc into the drive. Seconds later ancient text in code popped up and flashed across her screen.
“Why don’t we just take the disc and get out of here?” Desmond asked.
She shook her head. “I don’t want him to know we have it. He already knows someone took Ricardo’s disc. Let him think this was a regular robbery and we have no idea what the real prize in the safe is. We’re buying us time.”
She dialed her cell phone. “This it, Seung?” she asked, noticing Desmond’s questioning glance. At the same time, the cursor jumped across the screen as Seung took control of the computer.
She listened intently, before nodding. “Give me control back.” She downloaded the information to her laptop and then sent it back to Seung. Seconds later she got a confirmation it had been received and shut the phone.
Quickly and efficiently, Kelsey uploaded a virus onto the disc, corrupted the document and then placed it back in the holder and into the safe. Once Raul removed the painting, he would know it had been compromised. She took out the cash, the coke and the necklace and placed them in her knapsack. Then she quickly replaced the priceless painting, opened his closets and placed various tracking devices in the soles of his extra pairs of shoes and jackets stored there. As they turned to the window to leave, Kelsey noticed a jewelry box on the table and opened it. Inside housed a collection of charm trinkets. She pushed them around with her fingers and then snatched up a small golden elephant charm and pocketed it. “For good luck.”
Then they quickly made their way down the fire escape to the unmarked sedan below.
Now it was time to get the key.
Chapter 11
TEDANALEE
It was three a.m. and Kelsey had been asleep for nearly three hours when the dream came. It was quiet outside her apartment with just the traffic from the city streets humming from fifteen floors below.
Her bedroom was dark, save for the blinking green fire alarm light in the corner of her room.
Nights when she dreamed of Tedanalee were fitful. The Goldmans always knew when she was deep in her imaginary land because they would hear her cries and the strange language she would speak.
She lay on her back with her eyes closed and her hands on top of the soft covers. Her fingers moved ceaselessly in their repetitive motions, picking up one finger, then the other, repeating with the rest, up and down, up and down like a wave as she went deeper and deeper into her dream. She started talking rapidly, kicking her feet. At times she even opened her eyes, though they stared vapidly into nothingness. Only her fingers never ceased their strange dance…
* * * * *
The bright yellow sun streaked across the sky, cutting through the Aurora Borealis, which were constant dancing ribbons of color that never completely left the sky. They reminded her of Chinese Dragon kites and streamers the way they weaved and flowed into each other. During the daytime, they were streaks of pinks and yellows and greens, while at night, the colors deepened to oranges, blues, purples and deep reds. In the distance, the peaks of the Himalayas loomed, surrounding the valley and hiding it from view behind the sheer cliff walls which protected it.
Kelsey moved through the tall grass, soft tufts of greenery enveloping her feet. Nearby her a small stream rippled over moss covered rocks. Clusters of fish, flat versions of miniature flounder collected in the deeper pools, then righted themselves and propelled their lithe bodies along with the current down the stream’s path.
A tickle at her ankle made her glance down. A creature sniffed her foot, making little wet chortling noises. Its ferret-like body spun around in its excitement, as it wound its way up her leg and then suddenly, whipped itself away to scuttle into the trees on its eight little legs.
Kelsey glanced up as the call of a dungchen, a Tibetan long horn, sounded in the distance. The sentry from the castle was announcing a meeting of arms. The instrument was otherworldly and haunting, creating a long, deep wail that always gave her goose bumps.
A soft fluttering brushed her cheek and caused her to turn. She smiled brightly. The butterflies were back, but they were unlike any others of their kind that roamed the Earth. They were much bigger, more beautiful, intricate, and tame. She held out her hand and the creature floated down to her open palm. It was six inches high, with purple and black patterns adorning wings that curled at the ends with spiral threads. Even the antennae ended in a helix of feathery wisps. It gently opened and closed its wings and then softly lifted off, flying towards a group of the tiniest pink and white flowers of such devastating beauty it brought tears to her eyes.
She loved this place she had created and visited it often in her dreams. It made her feel safe and whole, like no one could ever hurt her there.
The long horn sounded again and she rose. A darkness filled the sky as an animal of immense size flew down towards her, but she wasn’t afraid. She glanced up in exhilaration, her arms open wide.
It was her Fedelia. The massive creature alighted next to her and bent low, allowing her to climb onto its creamy white back, a streak the color of buttercream running from its mane straight down to its long, bushy tail.
A cross between a horse and a winged dragon, it was a creature of myth--loyal and fierce, intelligent and beautiful. Kelsey leaned forward and kissed her side. “Klikila Ishu.” (Hello, my Caring Friend)<
br />
Ishu whinnied and turned her enormous snout to gently nuzzle Kelsey’s face. With practiced ease, Kelsey gripped the sides of its back with her knees, grabbed the thick mane and they took off, soaring through the sky towards the golden city of Tedanalee where she would find the Emperor and Empress waiting for her.
As they soared, the long horn sounded again, but this time another joined in, the pair’s call filled with urgency. The bass whirring of the instruments echoed across the land. Black bands bled through the ribbons of color streaking across the sky, cutting and spreading, like ink falling onto a master’s painting and smearing the beauty that was underneath.
The Fedelia whinnied in fear.
“Ne fledili, tamas fishala,” (Don’t worry, we will be safe) she said, though a familiar sharp pain began in her chest.
They soared faster, desperately trying to beat the impending blackness. They were joined by other fedelia riders as they too raced past the streaks towards the city.
Suddenly, there was a terrific tearing sound, as if the very fabric of the universe had ruptured and the sky was being ripped apart. The air shook with fury, throwing Kelsey and her steed off course, but the fedelia pushed through the torrent. The air in front of them split and opened to reveal a nothingness so great that Kelsey’s soul froze. It pulled at her, beckoned to her as if it were searching to destroy her very essence.
The fedelia reared back, trying to avoid it, but it was like a vacuum and began pulling her in, faster and faster. Riders fell off their mares, flying through the air and were sucked into the black void. Just before Kelsey was to be eternally lost, her mare tried one last time to free herself, but they plummeted into the abyss.
The nightmare changed, switching immediately to the never-ending horror that greeted her each time. A young girl’s scream ripped the night… the scene appeared and Kelsey watched from afar, as this time, a young Mayan girl in a white ceremonial robe was dragged to the edge of a cenote, a limestone sinkhole filled with water. The teenager struggled desperately to be free of her captors, but they held onto her tight, gripping her shoulders and pulling her by her long hair.
The girl begged and pleaded, but her cries fell on deaf ears. Kelsey realized she knew this girl. How she knew her, she didn’t know, but her name was Itzel.
Kelsey could do nothing except watch in horror as the girl was thrown over the edge, her nightmarish screams filling the darkness until Kelsey couldn’t handle the pain of it anymore.
* * * * *
Kelsey awoke with a start, her own scream stuck in her throat. She clutched her chest as the cramp gripping her slowly subsided. Leaning over, she grabbed her cell phone on the night table and dialed Ari.
He picked up by the second ring. “You have a bad dream again?”
“Yes,” she said, trying to catch her breath. She told him about it. “What does it mean, Ari? And don’t give me psychobabble, I can’t bear it tonight.”
She heard him sigh. “Kelsey, it means what it means. Maybe internally you feel like you’re coming full circle with Raul and it’s all finally coming to an end. Maybe the blackness is him and you’re trying to rationalize your fears in fighting him.”
“And the girl?”
“Who was it this time?”
“Her name was Itzel. She was a young Mayan sacrifice. And like the others I’ve dreamed about, she seemed so familiar to me. And her pain. It felt real to me, too.”
“The pain is as real as you believe it is, Kelsey. No more than that.”
He’s mocking me? Anger lathered her words. “I know what a dream is, Ari. I know the creatures in my dream of Tedanalee aren’t part of this reality. But every time I have this delusional fantasy, it’s like I’m back in that land just as I was when our parents brought me home. Real dreams are disjointed. They change and they have a different feel than in real life. In this place, I can smell the flowers, I can feel the cool water of the stream and it makes my hands wet. The grass on my bare feet is soft. I hear music and can see things in the distance like cities, temples and mountains. And the colors of the sky are constantly changing. The entire experience is linear and doesn’t move around or fluctuate in a disjointed fashion like real dreams do. People don’t just suddenly disappear or turn into animals. Nothing shifts or changes and I’m familiar with everything there. I know the rules, what’s around the corner, what’s in the glen and down in the valleys. I know every part of the city from the basement keeps, to the storage sheds in back of the huts, to the inner rooms of the sanctuary. It’s like I’m from there, Ari. Even that horrible blackness has a familiarity to it.
“And, then at the end, when the dream shifts and brings me the vision of another dead girl? I somehow know these girls and feel each of their deaths personally. Each time when they die, it’s like a lance to my heart.”
Ari was quiet. “I don’t know what to tell you. You want me to say the fantasy place is real? I’ve seen your drawings. Flowers no one has ever seen before. Fish that swim sideways. Cities of gold. What about the flying animals? Or the language only you seem to know and no one else on the planet, save what you’ve taught me? You want me tell you it’s all real and this place truly exists? You’re brilliant, Kelsey. Who’s to say there’s any limit to your imagination?”
“And the girls? What about them?”
He was silent for a moment. “You really want to know what I think?”
No, I really don’t . “Of course, I do.”
“I think each time you dream about one of them you’re reliving your attack from when you were ten and projecting it onto a random victim so that you can cope. They’re symbols of you, which is why they feel so familiar.”
“So I’m conjuring them to help me cope?”
“Yes, that’s what I think. What else could it be, Kelsey?”
It could be that I’m damaged. That thought hurt to think about, but it plagued her. “Maybe I’m sick. Or mentally ill, because sometimes I feel like I might be.”
“I don’t think that’s it. In fact, you’re the least crazy person I know, and that’s not something I say easily, Sis.”
You do have a soft side to you, Brother. “Ok, I won’t get too used to it. I’m sorry I woke you.”
“Want me to come over?”
“No, I’m okay. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” She was about to hang up when she remembered something. “Oh, new word. Plummet is ‘flitaladat.’ Don’t forget to say it fast and make it sound like raindrops plinking on water.”
He chuckled. “Flitaladat. Ok, I’ll input it in the morning. Get some sleep.” She heard him hang up and then closed her eyes. She thought about how Ishu’s mane felt in her hands and how earthy she smelled. Her thoughts turned to the doomed girl. It was the way all her dreams ended. With the death of one girl after another, each death more horrifying than the last and she was helpless to stop any of them.
Kelsey closed her eyes and tried to sleep, but it didn’t come easily.
Chapter 12
DECODED
Ari’s offices were literally humming. With projects ranging from profit and loss reports for foreign companies to developing code for websites, the constant tap of computer keys sounded like a thousand monkeys tap dancing on parquet floors.
There were other operations being run behind the scenes, operations surrounding assignments for “special projects” he and his team took on occasionally. The biggest one active right now was for the hunt for Xanadu.
The group was assembled in the conference room, waiting for Seung to give the word. He sat hunched over his computer screen, his straight black hair tied in a ponytail that stretched down his back and brushed his waist. A flaming red phoenix tattoo could be seen on his right arm, peeking out from under the rolled up sleeve of his rock t-shirt.
Ari dribbled a basketball on the concrete floor, the sound sharp and loud, echoing hollowly against the walls. He moved to the front of the massive space, took aim and tossed the ball against the hoop on the door frame. “Nothing but ne
t,” he said proudly, as he continued shooting.
Julia sat at her own computer with Dennis, watching various computer screens and cameras presently tracking Raul Salazar. He was currently in his office in the South Bronx, but he’d be on the move soon. He was like clockwork, predictable. They still monitored him though, waiting for their next move in the game -- this one would be the hardest so far.
Kelsey leaned back on a chair, staring at the ceiling in deep thought. The mission two nights before had gone perfectly and she had Desmond to thank for that. They worked together seamlessly and he was capable and dependable. After Ari briefed her today, she realized he was right to have chosen him. Desmond’s agenda was so similar to her own it was mind-boggling, but he didn’t know everything and she had no intention of letting him in on all her secrets.
Still, he had come through. Now they had the contents of the second coded disc and Seung used the information from the first disc to translate the decoding syntax to the second one. He had been working all night and the table was a mess with his empty coffee cups and chocolate candy wrappers.
Kelsey closed her eyes, thinking of Desmond. More specifically, to the moment she had been shoved up against him in the closet. It should have been terrifying, the knowledge they could have been caught, but instead, she had been excited and stimulated. She remembered her surprise when her face pressed against his chest. It was strong and muscular and he smelled great, as if he bathed in some exotic scent. She vaguely wondered how he felt about her.
Frustrated, she opened her eyes. It didn’t matter. She couldn’t lose control like this, especially if she was going to have to continue to work with him, now that Joshua was on assignment. Josh was one of her very best friends and they had a flirty relationship. Still, they both knew where they stood with each other and she knew how far she could push him. She remembered a scene only a few years before…
The Hunt for Xanadu Page 8
