The Belial Library (The Belial Series)

by R. D. Brady

  Laney drummed her fingers on the table. How did the son of a Vegas dancer go from Caesar’s Palace to Beverly Hills? Sugar daddy?

  She needed more information. And she knew just who could find it for her. Pulling out her cell, she dialed.

  Yoni's voice bounced through the line. "My favorite redhead. What are you up to?"

  She grinned. "Hey Yoni. I’m good. But I was wondering, how would you like to take an all expenses paid trip to Vegas?”

  CHAPTER 53

  Las Vegas, Nevada

  Sebastian shuffled into his bedroom. Heavy velvet drapes were already drawn across the large windows. The light by his bed was lit, casting a soft glow on the king-size bed in its four-poster cherry wood frame. The navy blue comforter was pulled back, the white sheets crisp and inviting.

  He headed to his walk-in closet, complete with an island of accessories, a wall for shoes, and more suits than he could ever possibly wear. He’d just stepped in when there was a knock at his bedroom door. Annoyed, he turned around. "Who is it?"

  Gerard's voice was apologetic through the door. "Excuse the interruption, sir. But there’s some information you need to see."

  My father’s files. He must have found something. Excitement bloomed in Sebastian’s chest. He walked over to one of the two deep navy wingback chairs positioned next to the fireplace. Once seated, he called out. "Come in."

  "My apologies, sir. But I thought you would want to see this."

  With an impatient gesture, he beckoned Gerard forward, careful to keep the excitement from his face. Gerard placed the folder in his outstretched hand. Pulling his reading glasses from his jacket pocket, he began to read.

  It was a memo from his father to the Council. He believed that he’d found a possible location for one of the Fallen. He flipped to the next page. The Council was dismissive in their response. He glowered at the censure in the correspondence:

  We are unconvinced in the validity of your source. At this time, we recommend no action be taken. Further, you should be aware your role in the Council is currently under investigation due to previous actions not fitting with the Council's agenda.

  "This is why you woke me?"

  Gerard gently took the folder. "If I might, sir?"

  He nodded.

  Gerard flipped through the papers, pulling out two. He handed the first report to Sebastian. "This one is the report on the mission at the Chandler house."

  Sebastian nodded, his eyes scanning the document. "Yes, yes. I know all of this."

  Gerard handed him the second page. "This appears to be a handwritten note by your father about the mission. The passage I think you’ll be most interested in is at the bottom."

  The date made him jolt. It was the day his father died of a heart attack.

  The edge of the paper had been nibbled at. He glared at it. His father’s wife had wasted no time in removing all traces of him from her life. She’d ordered all his papers and possessions into the basement the day of his death. It was the first stop before she had them tossed. They’d been crammed down there, without any concern for their organization or the mice that had made a meal of a man’s lifetime of work.

  He remembered his anger when he’d seen his father’s treasured files crammed into the damp basement corner. No order, just piled on top of one another. He’d had his crew in and out in two hours, removing every last shred of paper. Then he’d waited for his stepmother to return home. He smiled. A shame dear old stepmom couldn’t outrun the flames.

  Sebastian scanned the shortly worded note. It detailed the last mission his father had ordered. But as he read the notes, he realized his father had never informed the Council of his actions.

  He skimmed the rest of the note. His father’s last sentence made Sebastian catch his breath. Now he knew why his father had kept the identity of the target secret and who his father suspected James Chandler actually was.

  Sebastian's eyes sprang back to Gerard, his words urgent. "Test Chandler now. If he passes, take him immediately."

  "If he doesn't?"

  Sebastian glanced back down at his father's note. Could it be? "Take him anyway."

  CHAPTER 54

  Baltimore, Maryland

  Frustration. That is my perpetual state, Laney thought as she walked down the stairs of her cottage. She’d spent the night in her cottage down on Sharecroppers’ Lane.

  Like other estates from the nineteenth century, Henry’s estate had at one point had a row of two dozen sharecropper homes. During Henry’s renovation, he’d turned them into cottages for guests and extra offices. It was like a little country village tucked into Henry’s big rolling estate. Henry had even installed old-fashioned streetlights.

  Laney’s cottage sat at the end of Sharecroppers’ Lane. Inside, the walls were covered in a buttery yellow with blue and white accents, overstuffed furniture, and a constant supply of fresh flowers. Since she’d been spending so much time down there, she’d brought down a bunch of her pictures which now covered the walls, along with her throws. The cottage was small, but beautiful. She absolutely loved it.

  But her love for the little cottage hadn’t helped her sleep last night. She’d tossed and turned, trying in vain to come up with another avenue of investigation and to keep the horror of the last few days from her mind. At 4:30, she’d finally given up and gone for a run, followed by a heavy bag workout.

  How had the group covered their tracks so well? She felt the weight of Nana’s decree on her shoulders. She couldn’t let her down.

  "Assholes," she muttered as the group from Ecuador slipped into her brain, yet again. Tightening her laces, she thought about all the damage they'd done. She still couldn't get over how ruthless they’d been.

  The lack of progress in finding them was maddening. If she was being honest, though, finding those responsible wasn't her only source of frustration. She also wasn’t sure how to deal with Jake. They were working together and pretty well, but there was so much unsaid between the two of them.

  She couldn’t deny the joy, though, that had shot through her when she’d seen him in Ecuador and felt his arms around her. She’d known she was safe then.

  But then again, feelings had never been their problem. Reality was. He had a job that took him all over the world. She had one that required periods of intense focus. And when she needed to focus, he was free. When she was free, he was overseas. And after everything that happened last year, she’d just needed some time to think things through. And, of course, he’d taken up with the first warm body he’d found.

  She leaned her back against the wall. Relationships really sucked sometimes. She blew out a breath, pushing herself off the wall. All right, enough with the pity party.

  She stretched her arms above her head, trying to work out the kinks in her shoulders. Even with the workout this morning and the boiling shower, she hadn’t gotten rid of all the aches. Well, it was going to have to wait. There was work to be done, information to find.

  Of course, she didn’t have any ideas of where to start searching. Let’s hope inspiration strikes on the walk over. She crossed to the front door and pulled it open.

  “Morning.” Jake stood on her doorstep with a smile.

  Laney jumped back. “Um, morning. What are you doing here?” Butterflies danced through her stomach.

  Jake held up a cooler with a blanket thrown over it and a thermos tucked under his arm. “I thought maybe you’d be up for a picnic breakfast.”

  Laney’s heart melted a little bit. But then she thought of all that she needed to do, all they needed to find out. “I’d love to, but we don’t have any leads yet. Maybe after-”

  “Laney, no one’s currently in mortal danger. The Shuar’s legacy is already gone, and people are working on the problem around the clock. They’ve all taken time off to sleep and eat. You can, too.”

  She knew he was right. She’d barely spent any time away from the investigation. Running herself ragged was getting her nowhere. Maybe taking her mind off the is
sue for a little while would let her look at it fresh.

  And the idea of spending time alone with Jake and maybe getting rid of this uncomfortable wall between them was too tempting to resist.

  She took the thermos from him. “All right. I’m in.”

  Together, they walked around the side of the cottage. Jake held out his hand and Laney clasped it as they walked up the small hill. Up ahead, a path cut through the trees.

  They walked for a few minutes in silence. Laney looked around. “I’ve never been to this part of the estate. What’s over here?”

  Jake glanced down at her. “A surprise. Close your eyes.”

  She looked at him, her eyebrow raised.

  He nudged her. “Come on. Trust me.”

  With a sigh, she closed her eyes, letting Jake lead her. She could tell they were heading up a hill. After a few minutes, he stopped. “Okay. Open them.”

  She did and gasped. A giant field of mammoth sunflowers stood at attention at the bottom of the hill. Each of the stalks was over ten feet tall. He grinned, tugging her down the hill towards them.

  Laney felt she’d arrived in a different world as she walked between the towering stalks. In the middle of the field was a square clearing, ringed by the sunflowers. It was incredible.

  Jake laid out the checkered blanket while Laney inspected the flowers more closely. They were amazing. There must have been hundreds of them. She felt like a Lilliputian.

  “Breakfast is served.”

  Laney turned. Jake had spread the blanket, laying out pastries, eggs, and fruit.

  She sank to the ground across from him, the unease she felt around him slipping away. “This is perfect.”

  Jake leaned forward placing a kiss lightly on her lips. “Now it’s perfect.”

  They ate breakfast and talked, really talked, for over two hours. They shared everything that had happened in the time they’d been apart. The connection they’d had almost since the moment they met began to strengthen.

  Laney felt content in a way she hadn’t for months. She lay on her back staring at the clouds drifting by above them.

  Jake lay next to her. Slowly, he began to talk about Hugo when he’d been Derek Collins. “It’s hard to explain. One day he was this incredible guy, practically a brother, and then he was a stranger. One I wouldn’t turn my back to. In Iraq, I should have reported him, but I kept thinking he would snap out of it. That he’d be Derek again.” Jake shook his head. “So stupid.”

  Laney rolled on her stomach to look him in the eye. “Not stupid. Hopeful.”

  Jake reached up and pushed a stray hair behind her ear. “One day, we got a report that a family had been attacked. The mother and daughter had been raped. The whole family shot point blank. Neighbors said it was a U.S. soldier. I knew in my gut it was Derek. The next day, he died in a roadside bomb. Or so we thought.”

  Laney lay her head on his chest. “I’m sorry, Jake.”

  “I spoke with some Navy doctors and they mentioned frontal lobe trauma sometimes results in massive personality transformation.”

  Laney nodded. “He was a pseudo-psychopath.”

  “A what?”

  “Think of it as adult onset psychopathy.”

  “I thought psychopaths were born psychopaths.”

  It was a common assumption. True psychopaths were born that way, a fact that had always bothered Laney. It meant there were two-year old psychopaths running around right now, who had no chance of becoming good people. They would grow up to prey on others.

  “Generally, that’s true. But it’s not the only way. In 1975, the term was coined for individuals who first demonstrated psychopathic traits later in life, generally after frontal lobe trauma.”

  Jake looked up. “Like Derek.”

  “No. Derek’s gone. He’s Hugo now.”

  Jake stroked her hair. She rolled over, facing the sky again. “Any idea about how to find him?”

  “I’ve been thinking about that. I have one lead I’m going to run down but it’ll have to be in person. It’s not an over-the-phone kind of conversation.”

  “When will you go?”

  “Probably tomorrow.” Jake went quiet and Laney just lay listening to his heartbeat. She knew how hard it had to be knowing a former friend was responsible for of all this violence.

  After a few minutes, Jake seemed to shake himself from the past. “So tell me about the cave. What was it like?”

  She smiled, picturing the Shuar’s secret. "It was unbelievable. It still seems like a dream. When I first got in there, there was this world map on the ceiling of the lagoon, including Atlantis."

  "Accurate?"

  "As far as I could tell. There were a million discoveries, each one more amazing than the next. But it was the library that kept pulling me back. Have you seen the sheets of symbols in the Crespi collection?"

  "Yeah. Your uncle showed me some pictures. He said no one could make out what the symbols were. He said most people believe they’re an unknown Incan language."

  "That’s the common belief. In the cave, there were hundreds of folios on shelves in an alcove. Each folio was filled with similar sheets in different metals - silver, gold, some I couldn't identify. And the alcove itself was covered in sheets of metal imprinted with symbols."

  "The same writing?"

  "Not all of it, no. But I did recognize some of it."

  "What language was it?"

  "Enochian. I couldn't read much though. But I did make out some words."

  “From your face, I can tell those words weren't joy or something equally uplifting.”

  "No. It was a name. Azazyel."

  Jake started. "Are you sure?"

  She nodded. "After Montana, I looked into Enochian. I'm not great with languages, but I learned some. Azazyel was actually one of the first words I learned."

  Jake raised an eyebrow.

  She shrugged. "A fallen angel tries to kill you, you tend to want to figure out as much of his backstory as you can manage. Anyway, his name was on one of the books, but I didn't have time to translate the rest of it.”

  “Were any of the men at the site Fallen?"

  An image of Jen flashed through her mind. "No. Just regular scumbag humans. But those books. Can you imagine what they could hold? I think, if anything, it's a history of the world, of the Fallen, of things we can’t even begin to comprehend."

  Jake’s voice was thoughtful. "It might even be more than that."

  Laney looked up at him. "What do you mean?"

  "It may be an explanation about how to defeat them. A description of some form of angelic kryptonite."

  "Do you think there is such a thing?"

  It was Jake's turn to shrug. "I don’t know. But I’m guessing we think the authors are the Children of the Law of One, right?"

  They knew the Montana find was one of the locations for one of the Atlantis libraries hidden away by the Children of the Law of One. A second library was rumored to be in a secret cavern underneath the left paw of the Sphinx in Egypt. And it looked as if Ecuador was the third.

  Laney nodded. "Yes. They’re the most likely authors."

  "Well, they knew their world was coming to an end. And they were trying to protect the knowledge they’d gathered for future generations. I'm betting part of that knowledge included the weaknesses of the Fallen."

  "Now that would be great." The smile dropped from her face. "Of course, we have to get the artifacts back first to see if that is in fact true."

  "Don't worry. We will."

  She found herself staring at him, unable to look away. God, she’d missed him. His deep brown eyes, the sexy timbre to his voice, the feel of his hands on her skin. Why had she ever let him go?

  She sighed. "I supposed we should get back and help with the search.”

  “I suppose we should.” She caught the flash of disappointment on his face. Jake’s hand cupped her face. “I’ve missed you, Laney.”

  The butterflies in her stomach began their mad dance agai
n. She hesitated, feeling the pull of work. But all that had happened between her and Jake last year and everything that had happened down in Ecuador a few days ago flashed through her mind. Life was too short to push aside these moments and hope they happened again later. She leaned up, her lips touching his.

  That was all the invitation he needed. He rolled her over, pinning her to the ground, his kiss urgent.

  She wrapped her arms around him. Work could wait.

  CHAPTER 55

  Laney rushed up the stairs of the Chandler headquarters. She and Jake had stayed in the field most of the morning. At one point, she’d even fallen asleep. She’d woken up when Jake had kissed her. A thrill shot through her when she thought of his lips on hers. She didn’t know exactly what their status was, but right now she didn’t care. She was happy.

  Pulling out her phone, she quickly scanned her emails. No message from Yoni. She was hoping he’d have found something on Warren by now. She shoved the phone back in her pocket. She’d call him later.

  Opening the door to Henry’s office, she gave Henry a smile as she made her way to her desk. She flipped on her screen. Henry walked over behind her, placing his hand on her shoulder he leaned down and whispered, “About time you two made up.”

  Laney struggled not to blush. She turned but Henry was already heading back to his desk. Shaking her head, she dove back into work. The rest of the day was a never ending stream of dead ends. Every time she thought maybe, just maybe, she’d found a lead on Warren or Hugo, she ended up disappointed.

  By that evening, all she had to show for her efforts was a screaming headache. Just after ten, Jake fetched her.

  “Time to get some sleep, Lanes.”

  She shook her head. “I just need to do a few more-“

  He pulled her out of her chair. “It’ll keep until tomorrow. You need to get some sleep. You can barely keep your eyes open.”

  He did have a point. She’d read and re-read the article on her monitor four times and she still wouldn’t be able to tell anyone what it said. A little rest was probably a good idea.