His companion was already placing the call. As he waited for a connection, he turned worriedly to the driver. “If even one of our teams fails to intercept Metcalf’s delivery boys, the world is in for a really bad day.”
***
The helicopter rose from the ground, hovered, and then headed southeast. Leroy Hunt settled in for the short flight to the final showdown in yet another mountain cave. The cowboy checked his watch. At that very moment, the preacher’s death squads were releasing poison gas on various points east. They’d started in the land of the rising sun and were following daybreak as it traveled westward. As a matter of idle curiosity, Leroy wondered how fast the plague might spread. He wasn’t worried about catching it himself though. He’d been vaccinated along with everybody else making the trip.
Metcalf and his posse had flown from Chicago to northeastern Norway the day before. The old man had decided to come through the backdoor instead of following the same route as the thieves. It would make for a cleaner getaway once everything was over. Leroy had used his connections to get them a chopper which would take them across the border to their mountain rendezvous. He’d also hired a pilot who wasn’t inclined to ask any questions about his passengers’ business.
The cowboy glanced around the cabin at his fellow travelers. They sat in two groups of four, facing each other across the aisle. He felt in the mood to strike up a conversation but the three men flanking him didn’t appear particularly chatty. Two of them were tin soldiers whose names Leroy hadn’t bothered to learn. They sat staring straight ahead, their faces all puckered up. The third was named Commander Matthew and he looked the sourest of all. No doubt he was having a little trouble adjusting to his new job as the preacher’s chief of security. Or maybe he was just having trouble wrapping his head around the way he’d gotten promoted. The night before they left, the preacher’s son Josh had finally made a move on his own daddy. Luckily, the old man had heeded Hunt’s advice and plugged the kid first. It was a good thing too. Otherwise, Josh might have royally screwed up Hunt’s trip to Easy Street.
Leroy transferred his attention to the four passengers sitting opposite. The preacher was in the middle of the group with eyes shut and lips moving. He was probably praying for some spare thunderbolts from on high to help him take out his enemies. Even while lost in prayer, the old man kept a paw clamped over the hand of his missus.
Little Hannah let her eyes wander in Hunt’s direction. He smiled at her. She froze like a scared rabbit. He’d seen that same look in her eyes from her wedding photo. The one the preacher had given him to track her down with. She immediately turned her head away and pretended to stare out the window. Maybe the old man was wise to hold a tight rein on the gal. She looked likely to bolt the first chance she got.
Hunt next focused on the runt sitting by the window. Brother Daniel seemed even more twitchy than usual today. He kept wriggling around in his seat like a swarm of fire ants had found themselves a new home in his britches.
On the other side of the preacher sat Blondie. As Hunt cast a glance in his direction, he realized the hostage had been watching him. The thief gave a cocky sneer at having caught the cowboy off guard. Leroy took great comfort in the notion that this was the last day he would ever be plagued by that particular thorn in his side. Still of all, he made a mental note to keep close tabs on the thief until the deal was done.
The cowboy found himself pondering whether any of his fellow travelers had a notion of the old man’s end game. The preacher never meant to keep his word to the thieves. The hostages were just brought along for show to get some cooperation in digging up the last doodad. Metcalf’s plan was to keep little Hannah as his lawfully-wedded wife. The minute the transaction was finished, Hunt had been ordered to kill the three thieves and anybody else they’d brought to the party. Leroy’s hand strayed briefly to his holster. He’d been careful to choose the right tool for the job—a Glock 18 fully-automatic pistol. Accuracy of aim wasn’t important in a massacre. The Glock could empty its thirty-three round magazine in a matter of seconds and shoot 1,200 bullets in a single minute. There was no question the thieves and their friends would drop before they ever knew what hit them.
What the preacher didn’t know was that Hunt had a follow-up job of his own planned. He’d keep shooting til everybody else in that cave was dead too. Then he’d go outside and gun down any armed guards they might have brought with them. The only person left alive would be the pilot. For a cut, he’d already agreed to help Leroy make a clean getaway.
The cowboy glanced down at a black leather bag resting next to the preacher’s feet. All the doodads were inside. Leroy hadn’t been able to believe his ears when the old man announced he would be bringing the whole set because they were needed to pry the last one loose. Hunt had been scratching his head for months wondering how he was going to raid the preacher’s vault and make off with its contents. As matters stood, he wouldn’t have to. The loot was being handed to him on a silver platter—a silver platter in the shape of a black leather bag sitting four feet away. The only reason Leroy hadn’t plugged the preacher and taken the bag was because he wanted to capture the biggest prize of all. Metcalf set more store by whatever was buried in that mountain than all the rest of his trinkets combined. Leroy reasoned that the final doodad must be worth ten times as much. It wouldn’t kill him to wait another day for a score that big. He leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. All he had to do was bide his time for another hour or so. Like his momma always told him, “Leroy, good things come to those who wait.”
Chapter 50—A Verbis Ad Verbera
Cassie struggled to untangle the laces of her hiking boots. The Arkana team was due to leave any minute for their rendezvous with the Nephilim on Ahkka Mountain. Maddie had rented a handful of isolated cottages several miles beyond Ritsem where not a soul would notice a group of tourists traveling by private helicopter. In addition to Zach, Maddie, and Griffin, the team included two armed agents from the security division as well as the pilot. Lars was still camped on the mountain awaiting their arrival.
A knock on the cottage door interrupted Cassie’s battle with her footwear. “I’m almost ready. Just give me a second.” She hobbled over to answer the summons. The Scrivener was standing on the porch.
“Don’t rush on my account,” Griffin said. “Maddie is still discussing strategy with our armed escort. I thought I might...” He hesitated a moment. “I wanted to speak to you privately before we go.”
“Oh sure, no problem.” She hopped back to the bed and sat down to tie her other lace.
The cottage was tiny, consisting of little more than sleeping quarters and a bath. Cassie was sharing the space with Maddie while the men doubled up in two other units.
After the Pythia put the finishing touches on her boots, she rose and turned around in a circle. “What do you think of my new jacket?” She modeled a thin quilted parka which she’d donned over a wool sweater.
“Very smart.” The Scrivener walked over and zipped the collar up to her neck. “As I’ve mentioned before, it’s cold at the top of that mountain.”
“You don’t need to remind me.” She mimicked a shiver. “So what did you want to talk about?”
Griffin blanched at her question. “Um, let’s sit down, shall we?”
Since there were no chairs, they took seats on the bed.
“You do realize this plan is utter madness,” he began in a low voice.
“We’ve done crazier things,” she countered.
“Yes, by accident, but never by design. And far too much of it rests on your shoulders.” Griffin regarded her with concern. “You’ll be the one to thwart Metcalf’s destiny by laying hands on the Sage Stone first.”
The Pythia tilted her head quizzically. “Are you saying you don’t think I’m up to the job?”
“Of course not!” the Scrivener objected. “I’ve seen you stand your ground against armed ruffians without batting an eyelash. That’s not it. I just wish...” He stared
at the ceiling, searching for the right words. “I just wish you didn’t have to carry this burden alone.”
“I won’t be alone, silly.” She turned his face toward hers. “You’ll be there. So will the rest of the crew.”
“You know that isn’t what I meant,” he rebuked gently. “I wish I could do something more useful than stand by and watch you bait a lunatic.”
“Don’t sell yourself short.” She gave a soft smile. “It’s not nothing—knowing that you’ve got my back.”
“Never doubt it.” His tone was solemn. “But there is a very real chance that none of us will survive this confrontation. What if Maddie is wrong about the Diviner’s reaction? What if he responds, not with confusion, but with rage? He’ll most likely vent his initial fury on you as the bearer of bad tidings. Then the bloodbath which our Chatelaine hoped to avoid will ensue.”
“Worst pep talk ever,” Cassie said archly.
“I didn’t come here to offer a pep talk.” Griffin reached out to take her hands. “There’s something else I need to say to you.”
She registered puzzlement. “Sure. You can tell me anything. What is it?”
“Honestly, I never thought it would come to this.” He took a deep breath. “I speciously assumed that matters would resolve themselves in due course. Advancing at that glacial pace, in all probability my secret misery would have killed me first, much like the Spartan boy with the fox hidden beneath his cloak.”
“Huh?”
“I’m babbling.” The Scrivener laughed self-consciously. “I can hear myself spouting drivel and yet I can’t help it. The great Doctor Samuel Johnson once said that when a man knows he’s about to be hanged, it concentrates his mind wonderfully. Sadly, that remark doesn’t seem to apply in this instance because I’m still rambling and—”
“Griffin, snap out of it.” The Pythia shook him lightly by the shoulders. “You need to calm down. I haven’t seen you this jumpy since the Vault cafeteria installed that free espresso machine.”
He took another deep breath in an effort to quiet his nerves and tried again. “During our various field missions, we’ve become close, haven’t we?”
“Of course.”
“I flatter myself in believing that you and I have forged a special bond.”
“I’d be lost without you,” she confessed simply.
“And I, without you. “ He cleared his throat uncomfortably. “Yes, well, that being the case, I thought I should... um... that is...” He exhaled in exasperation.
“Why don’t I stop you right there.” Cassie placed a cautionary finger on his lips. “Are you trying to tell me you love me?”
“Yes, thank you!” He beamed with obvious relief. “You’ve hit upon the very conversational precipice I was inching towards.”
Cassie laughed. “That’s not news. I care about you too.”
“You do?” He searched her face eagerly.
“Absolutely.” She gave his hands a reassuring squeeze. “Everybody at the Arkana matters to me—Faye and Maddie and Zach and Hannah and maybe even Erik, a little. But you most of all.”
Griffin sighed. “No, love. You don’t understand.”
She blinked at his choice of words.
“What I’m trying to say is that I’m in—”
“Hey, stop dragging your feet!” Maddie’s voice bellowed from the porch. “We’re all waiting for you!” She gave the door several thumps with her fist for emphasis.
“On our way,” the Pythia called out. Turning to Griffin, she said, “Hold onto that thought, whatever it is. We’ll have plenty of time to talk when we get back home.”
She clutched her abdomen in alarm. “Oh, wow. My stomach is doing flip-flops. Who knew I’d get butterflies just because death is staring me in the face.” She leaned over and pecked him on the cheek. “For luck,” she whispered before jumping up and running to the door.
“Right! Brilliant! All the time in the world to get our relationship sorted out,” the Scrivener remarked bleakly as he followed her to the waiting helicopter. “Assuming this isn’t our last day on earth.”
Chapter 51—Lives In The Balance
The Arkana helicopter touched down on the heath plateau below the cave entrance. Cassie saw Lars emerge from his tent and shield his eyes as he observed their approach. He’d been camped on the mountainside for two weeks now, keeping constant vigil over the Sage Stone’s hiding place.
Once they’d all disembarked, the guide headed straight for Maddie with outstretched arms. “Greetings, Madame Chatelaine!”
Cassie and Griffin exchanged a knowing glance, expecting Maddie to quash his enthusiastic welcome. Much to their surprise, she allowed the hug and gave him a hearty back slap in return.
Lars settled for an all-inclusive wave to acknowledge the rest of the party.
“Any trouble during your watch?” the Chatelaine inquired.
“No trouble. Not even a lost hiker. Everything has been very quiet.”
The group gathered beside the diamond-shaped seide to wait for their adversaries. They were all armed with pistols just in case matters took a bad turn. Cassie mentally assessed their odds of survival in a firefight. Maddie and Griffin were poor shots. She and Zach were better than average. Lars was the wild card in the deck.
She walked up to the guide and asked, “Can we talk for a minute?”
He nodded, his curiosity piqued.
She drew him aside and smiled tentatively. “Lars, I wanted to make sure you understand just how dangerous this mission is. It’s one thing to ask you to stand guard over a site. It’s something completely different to ask you to risk your life against bad guys with real guns. I mean, you might not be as experienced with firearms as we are. We’ll totally understand if you want to take a pass.”
“Lady Pythia, walk with me,” the giant suggested cryptically.
“Um, sure.” Cassie darted him an uncertain glance.
They moved down the slope about a quarter mile away from the others.
“Do you see that large stone?” Lars pointed to a boulder protruding from the earth fifty feet away from them.
“Yeah, what about it?”
“Wait here.” The guide strode down to the boulder and picked up a small rock lying nearby. He balanced it on top of the boulder and returned to where Cassie stood.
Next, he withdrew a pistol from a belt holster and took aim. Firing without hesitation, he sent the small rock flying off into space.
“I had no idea you could shoot like that!” Cassie exclaimed.
Lars chuckled. “I am often alone in the mountains and sometimes curious bears like to visit.”
“So you kill them?”
“Oh, no. Never!” His face grew owlish with concern. “I fire over their heads to make them go away. I learned to shoot well so I could avoid hitting what I do not want to hit. You understand?”
“I get it.” Cassie chuckled. “Good to have you on the team.”
They ambled back up the hill to join the others.
“What was that all about?” Maddie asked.
“Lars was just demonstrating how not to shoot a bear,” Cassie said.
Before anyone could pose a follow-up question, the sound of an engine cut through the air. They all looked skyward to see a second helicopter nearing the plateau.
Maddie took that moment to light up her fifth cigarette of the hour. “If I don’t make it through today, at least nobody will be able to say that smoking killed me.”
***
Daniel peered out the window as the Nephilim aircraft prepared to land. The Arkana party was assembled near the cave entrance. He recognized Cassie, Griffin and Lars. The tall, dark-skinned woman with burgundy hair was unknown to him. She was accompanied by a teenage boy. The Scion assumed this must be Hannah’s sweetheart Zach. Two armed sentries with automatic rifles stood grimly behind the rest of the group.
As the helicopter touched ground with a slight bump, Hannah recoiled in alarm.
“Everything is go
ing to be fine,” Daniel assured her with more confidence than he felt.
She stared at him bleakly, still pretending to be mute.
His father scowled at them both. During their days of travel, the Diviner had repeatedly exhorted his wife to have courage. He assured her he would never turn her over to the Fallen. This assertion made Daniel uneasy. It implied his father didn’t intend to honor the bargain he’d struck with the Arkana. The Scion impatiently dismissed his paranoid forebodings and reminded himself to focus on matters at hand.
Father Abraham rose tremulously to his feet. The two Argus guards sprang up to help the Diviner disembark.
Before exiting, Abraham turned to Daniel. “You will carry the artifacts for me.”
His son nodded.
Once the initial group had descended, Hannah followed meekly. Daniel glanced out the window in time to notice Zach lunge forward at the sight of the girl. The tall woman grabbed the boy by the collar and pulled him back. She muttered something in his ear, probably a warning. The boy shrugged off the restraint and scowled resentfully but otherwise held his peace. The Scion relaxed slightly. Any overt display of affection between Hannah and Zach might provoke a jealous reaction from his father. The last thing this already combustible situation needed was more fuel added to the fire.
Matthew rose next and removed a gun from his holster. He motioned Erik to precede him but jammed his weapon against the hostage’s back as a deterrent to escape. Leroy Hunt trailed them, keeping a protective hand clamped over the crown of his hat. Last to exit the craft was Daniel. He picked up his father’s Gladstone bag and drew in a deep breath, bracing himself for whatever new disaster this confrontation would inevitably bring.
Once the Scion was out of the aircraft, the Diviner signaled his faction to advance up the hillside. The two guards propped Abraham up on either side, helping him over the rock-strewn incline. They had to lift him entirely off his feet in more than one spot to do so. The Nephilim group came to a halt a few feet from where the Arkana team waited.
The Sage Stone Prophecy (Arkana Archaeology Adventure Series Book 7) Page 29
