by R. D. Brady
“When was it created?”
“Again, no one is sure, but going by the canals, which are at different heights, they believe it was around the beginning of the last ice age and has been built on since then.”
Laney had been expecting that answer. Honestly, if anyone had told her that one of the sites related to some horrific threat was built within the last two hundred years, she’d be shocked.
But an artificial island created in antiquity? She didn’t think that was possible. Artificial islands had been created in the modern day, but they were huge undertakings. China had created some artificial islands in the China Sea to extend its borders. They weren’t yet recognized by the United States as being Chinese territory, and they had led to some tense international incidents in recent years.
But islands had also been created for less ominous reasons, like the ones created by Dubai to replicate the world map. These private islands were intended as a getaway for the rich and famous. Unfortunately, they had already begun to sink back into the sea.
Yet this ancient man-made island was only just now beginning to be reclaimed by the jungle.
“So how was it created?” Laney asked.
“According to legend, two brothers named Olishipa and Olsohpa created the site by levitating the logs in the air. They then placed them with the aid of a flying dragon. The brothers came from an advanced Pacific kingdom called Kanamwayso, which dropped into the ocean as a result of falling stars and earthquakes. Olsohpa was the origin of the Saudelers’ dynasty, which ruled the island until the arrival of modern Pohnpeians. Apparently, the Saudelers were easy to defeat, as they had no military, nor any interest in military affairs.”
Like the Lemurian pacifists, Laney thought.
“And Japanese archaeologists even found some ancient bones at Nan Madol which indicate that this former civilization was much taller and more robust than the current Pohnpeians.”
“Why create an artificial island though?” Laney asked. “Especially there.”
Jen shrugged. “No one knows. It’s in the middle of nowhere. It’s not even close to sea lanes or trading routes. It’s way off the beaten track.”
Laney pictured a lonely island in the middle of the Pacific. There must have been a reason to build the structure there, but what?
“So,” Jen said, “is that it? Did Cain tell you anything we can use?”
“I think he knows more, but he’s worried that as soon as he tells us everything we know, he’ll be tossed back in a windowless cell. And Matt… well, Matt hasn’t exactly been treating him well.”
Jen studied her. “Are you feeling bad for him?”
“I’m feeling…” Laney frowned, not sure what to say, “confused. I thought I knew what I thought about Cain, but I don’t. Like everything else since Victoria, it’s changed.”
“I don’t get it. Why is Cain helping us? I thought he only did things that benefited him.”
“He does. And I think us finding them does benefit him. I think he wants us to know what’s going on; he wants us to stop it. There was something I saw in his eyes…”
“What?”
Laney paused, picturing the ancient man. “Fear.”
CHAPTER 51
Aaliyah slipped into the communications room. Outside she could hear Kai regaling the technician with tales of his last fishing trip. She hurried over to the computer and scanned the screen. She was relieved to find that the technician hadn’t initiated any security protocols when he’d stepped out of the room. Thank goodness we’re all so honest, she thought wryly.
She quickly found the log for the video call and inserted her flash drive. As the file began to copy, she opened a screen for the exiles.
“Where are you?” she muttered. The files had no identifiable names, so she sorted them by date and opened the most recent. Yes. Maia Terranova and her daughter, Kaylee, had been dropped ashore in Okinawa.
She shut down the data box and watched the progress bar as the file copied over, willing it to move faster. Her eyes constantly strayed to the door; if anyone found her, she would have no defense for being here. She would be exiled immediately, probably by the guards who found her. She wouldn’t even be offered a chance to say goodbye.
The progress bar finally reached 100 percent. She ejected the drive and slipped it into her pocket. Then she peeked out the door.
For only a second, Kai caught her eye. The technician’s back was still to her. She slipped out the door, dashed over the porch railing, and disappeared around the side of the building before he could turn. Stepping onto the path, she struggled to put a serene expression on her face despite her pounding heart. She nodded to a man and woman who walked toward her.
Once they had passed, she quickened her steps. She made it back to her home without seeing anyone else.
“Noriko?” she called as she stepped inside. But only silence greeted her.
She made her way into her bedroom, where she closed the door behind her and pulled the shutters closed. Counting the floorboards, she pulled up the eighth one from the wall and pulled out a laptop wrapped in plastic.
Computers were used on Malama, but their use was strictly controlled. No inhabitants were allowed a personal computer in their home. But Kai and Aaliyah had realized how important it would be to have one—especially with the priestess’s increasingly rigid rules—so a year ago, Kai had smuggled in laptops for them both.
As she booted it up, Aaliyah said a small thanks that it still had power. She inserted the flash drive and brought up the video call.
The screen showed a man with dark hair and violet eyes. Next to him sat a beautiful auburn-haired woman. She could tell the pair were close, but she did not think they were husband and wife.
She listened to the conversation, and her heart almost stopped at the description of the murders. Not because they sounded brutal, but because they sounded familiar.
No. It couldn’t be. She put a hand over her mouth. They couldn’t be bringing back the old ritual, could they?
And this was happening outside their land. Was it connected? But how? The exiles? Who else would know the details?
A chill fell over her. Vanessa should have recognized the description of the murders. The priestess would have undeniably recognized it. Why had she denied them help? Aaliyah knew the priestess had made them even more isolated than they had been in the past, but the Honu Keiki could investigate it on their own. What was going on?
Her eyes strayed back to the couple on the screen. Why were these two looking into it? They weren’t law enforcement or the government. Even Aaliyah had heard of the Chandler Group. What was their interest?
She reached up to turn off the computer when her hand stilled and she squinted at the screen. There was something familiar about the necklace the woman wore.
Aaliyah zoomed in on the charm on the chain. As she brought it into clearer resolution, a gasp escaped her lips. It was a ring, made from a dark metal. On its square face were two entwined triangles, and a small gem winked at each corner.
She stared in disbelief, then zoomed back out to get a better look at the woman’s face. For a moment, all thoughts left her as she stared at the woman’s deep green eyes. Then reality slammed back into her.
By the Holy Mother, she’s the ring bearer.
CHAPTER 52
Laney and Jake pulled up to the Alexandria bookstore owned by Abe Hanley, former resident of Honu Keiki. The large picture window held an antique chair in red velvet beside a little table. A Tiffany lamp gave off a soft yellow glow, with a wall of bookshelves behind it. The words “Antique and Rare Books Bought and Sold” were printed across the glass in yellow outlined in red.
The whole scene invited you in to read. It exuded a feeling of age, as if the store had been there forever, when in fact it had opened only fifteen years ago. Before that, it had been a cafe.
And it was a great location, right in the middle of King Street, with its red brick sidewalks and cobblestone streets filled wi
th foot traffic.
“I like it,” Laney said.
Jake smiled. “I’m not surprised.”
Laney smiled back, her heart giving a little leap. That smile was the old Jake.
“Shall we?” he said.
“Yes.” She opened the car door and climbed out. Together they crossed the street, dodging through cars. On the opposite sidewalk, a steady line of pedestrians passed, some with briefcases, some shopping bags, some strollers or a combination of all.
Laney paused next to the store.
“Anything?” Jake asked.
“No spider tingles. How about you?”
Jake stepped next to her to whisper in her ear, looking to the world like an attentive partner. “There’s a camera above the door that covers the sidewalk, and two more on the light poles, covering the street.”
“Private cameras?”
“Nope. Those are government-issue police cameras.”
Laney laced her hands on his waist with a smile. “Then I suppose we should smile.”
“Oh, we can do better than that.” He leaned down and kissed her.
Laney’s heart pounded and ached at the same time. She’d missed this. Missed him. But she shoved her feelings aside. Focus on the mission. “Well, let’s go chat with Mr. Hanley.”
Hand in hand, they walked to the store. A bell above the door jingled as Jake pushed it open. Inside, bookshelves lined the walls, and more shelves created narrow aisles. A small couch with two chairs flanked a fireplace on the right. The light was dim, but there was enough light to read the titles, and brighter lights were available near the comfortable chairs strewn through the store. A sign indicated that there were more books both downstairs and upstairs.
Laney itched to wander the aisles and see what she could find. But the job came first.
They made their way toward the back. A woman with salt and pepper hair sat at an ancient scarred wooden desk, her hand resting on her chin. A pair of glasses was perched on the end of her pointed nose, and her blue-gray eyes were firmly fixed on the book in front of her. She didn’t look up as they approached.
“Excuse me?” Jake said.
The woman didn’t move.
He tried again. “Ma’am?”
Still nothing. He stepped to the side and put a hand on the desk.
The woman gasped and leaned back in her chair, her hand on her heart. That’s when Laney noticed the earbuds and the wire connected to an iPod.
The woman quickly pulled out the buds. “Oh, I’m so sorry. We were quiet, so I thought I’d get some reading in.” Laney could hear the strains of Beethoven coming from the earbuds. “I’m re-reading Pride and Prejudice. Listening to music makes it seem like it has a soundtrack.” The woman hastily pushed the book aside. “How can I help you?”
Laney smiled in spite of herself. She completely understood getting lost in a book. “We called earlier. I’m Dr. Delaney McPhearson. This is Jake Rogan. We’re with the Chandler Group.”
“Oh, of course. Abe said you’d be coming by. He just got back about an hour ago. I’ll take you to him.” She pushed away from the desk and grabbed a cane. She waved them toward the back.
Laney fell in step behind her. Jake followed. They had to proceed between the shelves in single file.
“Have you worked here long?” Laney asked.
“Fifteen years.”
“Oh, since it opened.”
The woman nodded. “I actually sold the place to Mr. Hanley five years ago. The day-to-day grind of it had gotten to me. I was gone for a month. But I missed it. I asked him if I could come back to work. Now I’m still surrounded by books, but I don’t have the headache of billings and acquisitions to deal with.”
“That sounds like heaven,” Laney said.
The woman stopped at the bottom of a set of stairs, a smile on her face. “I agree. Just follow these stairs to the top. There’s only one door.”
“Thank you,” Jake said.
“Enjoy your book,” Laney said.
“Oh, I intend to,” the woman replied before taking off back down the narrow aisle.
Laney followed Jake up the stairs wondering what her own retirement would look like. Can I retire? she wondered. Was there some sort of cutoff point for the ring bearer, or was it a lifetime appointment? She had the sinking feeling it was the latter.
But she had no time to dwell on that as Jake stepped onto the landing at the top of the stairs. “Ready?”
Laney nodded.
Jake knocked on the door.
“Come in,” a deep male voice called.
Jake opened the door. Abe Hanley stood up from his desk. “Are you the people from Chandler?”
Jake nodded and made the introductions. Abe walked around the desk with his hand extended. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Abe Hanley.”
Laney had to admit, he was not what she’d been expecting. In his DMV photo and the bookstore’s website, he’d been slim, muscular, with dark hair. That hair was now liberally sprayed with gray, and his face was almost puffy with the extra weight he’d put on. His glasses were pressed tightly into the sides of his head as if he needed a larger size. He looked harmless. Laney began to have doubts about how much help he could possibly be.
Abe ushered them over to the couch. “Can I get either of you anything? Coffee? Tea?”
“No, we’re fine,” Laney said, sitting next to Jake on the couch. Abe took a seat across from them, a small coffee table between them.
“Now, I’m familiar with the Chandler Group, but I must admit I’m confused as to what help I could offer. Unless, of course, you’re looking for a book?” Abe asked hopefully.
“No, not a book,” Laney said. “We actually wanted to speak with you about your time with the Honu Keiki.”
“Oh.” Abe sat back, a slight shake in his hand. “I—It’s been so long.”
“Maybe we could just start with some background,” Jake began.
Abe shook his head. “I really don’t want to turn you away, but I don’t like talking about that particular topic.”
“We understand, but it’s very important. Life and death important.”
Abe studied them for a minute before sighing. “All right. What do you want to know?”
“Why don’t we start with how you became affiliated with the group?” Laney asked.
“Well, that’s easy. I was born a member. My parents both were—are—members.”
“How did you come to leave?” Jake asked.
He gave a small, bitter laugh. “Sorry. It’s just, that phrasing makes it sound like it was my decision. As if it wasn’t the Naacal that had me exiled.”
Laney frowned. “The Naacal?”
“They’re a council of priests who advise the priestess,” Abe said.
Laney opened her mouth to ask a question, but Jake gave a shake of his head. She closed her mouth and waited for Abe to wade through his memories.
His voice took on a wistful quality. “It really was paradise. It was beautiful—big palm trees, bright colorful flowers everywhere, a lagoon to swim in. My childhood was pure joy. The goal is to encourage the individual to be who they are and to respect one another. There was no competition, no pressure to be something you weren’t. The only rules as far as I could tell were that you had to be kind to one another. Can you imagine?”
It did sound like paradise. Today, kids in the US seemed to have a ridiculous amount of pressure placed on them from childhood. Kids were supposed to excel in school, sports, extra-curricular. Everyone was supposed to be a stand out in all areas. But how could anyone stand out when everyone excelled? And what happened when you didn’t? Even at the Chandler School, Laney had seen students stressing about their futures, their clothes, their weight, and a dozen other issues. And that was before you added in all the social media influences. It was heartbreaking.
“What changed?” Jake asked.
“Well, as I got older, my rose-colored glasses lost their tint. I saw that it was not as perfect a
s I had imagined, although it was close. The Naacal, the priestess—it all became much stricter, much harsher. I didn’t understand why. And then, suddenly, that harshness was aimed at me.”
“What happened?” Laney asked.
Abe sighed. He pulled off his glasses, cleaned them on his shirt, then placed them back on again. “Some friends of mine were exiled. I thought the punishment was too harsh. I spoke my mind. And the next thing I knew, I was on a boat myself.”
“Did you meet up with your other friends once you were removed?” Laney asked.
Abe shook his head. “I didn’t know where they had gone. Exiles are dropped at different locations. And on the island we only use first names. I was given identification when I left, along with the name Hanley. I don’t know what names they were given, or even what country they were dropped in.”
“That sounds horrible,” Laney said.
“It was. But they gave me enough money to start over, to get set up. I enrolled at UCLA and got a degree in literature. With the money, I bought this place when Karen went to sell. It’s been a good life, but…” He shrugged.
“But not as good,” Laney finished for him.
Abe nodded.
“Have you found any other exiles since you left?” Jake asked.
Abe shook his head. “I looked for the first few years, but it was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Finally, I stopped looking. I realized I needed to look forward, not back. Now I travel the world in search of books and I have a small circle of friends. It’s a good life. I’m content.”
His words sounded good, but Laney didn’t think he was telling the truth. She just wasn’t sure if he was lying to them or to himself.
“We have reason to believe that some exiles may be involved in some rather violent killings. Have you heard anything about that?” Jake asked.
Abe’s eyes grew large. “Killings? That’s not possible. It’s against everything we stand for.”
“We think the killings might be linked to a purification ritual,” Laney said.
