A Dubious Race: The Phoenician Stones (A Colton Banyon Mystery Book 14)

by Gerald J Kubicki

  “Perhaps, if you tell us what you have uncovered we might be able to find the answer to that question,” he replied.

  Lisa seemed fully recovered from crying now. She appeared a little more confident. The professor reached into her bag and pulled out a notebook. Banyon marveled at her flexibility as she rummaged around her bag on the floor without even uncrossing her long legs. Banyon could tell the notebook she pulled out was heavy as she strained to bring it up to the coffee table. He could see that it contained computer printouts and notes.

  “There’s so much to tell you, I don’t even know where to start,” she exclaimed when she was ready.

  “You mentioned that you thought the stone was written by Phoenicians,” Heather said as she read from the few notes she had taken.

  “Yeah, why’d you say that?” Banyon asked as his hand went to his chin.

  “Well, let me make a correction first,” the professor replied and pointed her long finger in the air. She produced two additional pictures and laid them on the coffee table between the couches. “There’re actually three stones in the set. Only the first one was stolen. Joey has moved the others to a new hiding place on the ranch.”

  Banyon suddenly erupted. “What? Why didn’t you mention this before, Lisa,” Banyon chided her in a loud voice.

  “I didn’t think it mattered,” she replied truthfully. “These are not lost.”

  “Lisa,” Banyon said with frustration in his voice. “There are only two reasons why the other two stones have not been stolen. Either the first stone is the valuable one, and that seems unlikely, or whoever stole the stone didn’t have time to take the other two. That means they will be back and that is probably why Joey Brownwater is scared.”

  “Oh, dear,” she exclaimed and put her knuckle in her mouth. “He lives all the way out on the ranch alone. It is in the middle of nowhere.”

  “We need to get him some protection right now, Colt,” Heather said with concern. “The bandits might come back at any time for the other two stones. I’m guessing they wanted all three stones, but for some reason only got one.”

  A look of realization quickly crossed Banyon’s face. “You’re right,” he said and pointed his finger at Heather.

  “Should we call the police?” Lisa already had her phone in her hand.

  “Hold off on that,” Banyon said and put out his hands in the stop sign. “The police will only obstruct our own investigation. We don’t know what we will uncover.”

  “I can call Joey, but I’m sure he won’t leave the ranch,” Lisa told them. “He wants to protect the stones.”

  “Tell you what,” Banyon turned to Heather. “Call the Dewey & Beatem office in Las Vegas,” Banyon ordered. “Have them send as many bodyguards as they can spare, but I want people at the ranch within one hour. Tell them I’ve authorized the expense in Bart’s absence.”

  “Hey Colt, isn’t Loni in Las Vegas right now?” Heather noted as she grabbed the piece of paper with the address and moved to Banyon’s desk. She picked up the phone and began dialing.

  “I’ll call her too,” Banyon agreed. He then stood up and pressed his Bluetooth. “Mandy, get up here,” he yelled into the phone. Within seconds, Lisa noticed the young woman who had escorted her to Banyon’s office hurtle the railing on the balcony, throw open the sliding glass door and sprint into the office. My, she is fast, Lisa thought.

  “You sounded urgent,” she said as she stood at attention in front of Banyon. He was dialing his phone, but stopped.

  “Mandy, have Timmy do a web research on the names and addresses of the persons written on the piece of paper which Heather has in her hand. I want to know everything about them and the land where the ranch is located and I need it ASAP.”

  Mandy turned to look at Heather who waved the paper in the air as she urgently talked into the phone. “Gotya,” she replied.

  “Here, I have another copy,” Lisa said and shoved the sheet under Mandy’s nose. She started for the door. But Banyon wasn’t done.

  “Then gas up the corporate jet. Let Steve know that we are leaving in less than two hours. Tell Steve to hit the armory and get us some firepower too. The bad guys have already killed once.”

  “So, we’ll be going with you?” Mandy replied hopefully.

  “Yeah … of course,” he answered. “You’re part of the team.”

  “Thanks for saying that Colt,” Mandy said joyfully. She looked at Heather who just nodded her head.

  “Oh, one more thing,” Banyon yelled as Mandy disappeared down the hallway.

  “What?” She yelled back.

  “Call Previne and tell her to gather up the Patel clan and have them meet us at the airport,” he said.

  Lisa sat with her mouth open. She was stunned at the rate that Banyon and his people were moving. All she had said was that there were three stones.

  “Lisa,” Heather called out as she walked towards Banyon. “Please get Joey on the phone. Tell him that help is on the way.”

  “What should I tell him?” Lisa asked in confusion. “Who’s heading his way?”

  “I’ll let you know in a minute,” Banyon replied.

  Banyon then dialed Loni.

  Chapter Nine

  Loni Chen was currently standing in the middle of the large marble foyer in their new home in Las Vegas, Nevada. There was a broad smile plastered on her classic oriental face. Suddenly, she threw out her small arms and twirled like a ballerina. Her long, dark, hair fanned out, her high heels tapped on the marble floor, and the loose dress she was wearing bellowed out. The hem rose well above a respectable level, but she didn’t care. She was very happy. “You’re not in Kansas anymore,” she squealed with delight.

  She had flown out from Chicago the evening before to start decorating the 6,000 foot mini-mansion that she and Colt had bought two months ago. She was thrilled to move up from the small condominium they had owned in Summerlin, Nevada. It was about twenty minutes west of the strip and up the mountain. This new home was in the same neighborhood, she considered that good. It would also solve some problems which had plagued her over the years.

  “This time I’m decorating it my way,” she yelled out to the empty space. The only furniture currently residing in the house was an eighty-inch color TV that the store had just delivered and set up a few minutes ago.

  Loni and Colt had decided to buy a new home in Las Vegas because they seemed to be spending more and more time there and they wanted more room. They also seemed to constantly have company, but there were only two real bedrooms in the condo. This often led to some interesting sleeping arrangements. Other women had actually wound up sleeping in the bedroom with Colt and Loni. She was never comfortable with that.

  This was also the first home she could decorate just the way she wanted. Colt had told her to spend whatever she needed, after all they were rich. She had already put in a circular, paved, driveway and a cabana like bathhouse by the pool. Other items included a bar, an outdoor barbeque area, and a putting green for Colt. She had a landscaper line the one acre property with privacy trees. She also had a security company upgrade all the cameras and detection devices so she could run everything from apps on her cell phone. The last thing that she had upgraded was the three car garage. She had actually hired a Swiss company to make the enclosure a five car garage while also installing a secret room below it, just like the one they had in their Chicago home. She was pleased with her new additions to the never lived in home, but most of all she loved having six bedrooms.

  Her thoughts now centered on how she felt blessed since she had met Colt. She skipped around from the foyer and moved into the ultra-modern kitchen. She wasn’t interested in the top of the line appliances, the large pantry or marble counter tops. Loni didn’t cook, clean, grocery shop or even pick up after herself. She just wanted to look at the back yard.

  As she took in the view, she wondered why Colt was so much in love with her. She was not very domestic, was terrible at organization, was insanely jealous, an
d most of all very impulsive. She had often created huge problems which he had to unravel. She just didn’t understand what he saw in her, but she was determined to hang on to him no matter what.

  Loni was born to Chinese parents in Hawaii. They had fled China after World War II. They had raised their only child in the traditions of the old world. She was just over fifty years old, but could easily pass for someone in their late-twenties. She stood five feet and one inch tall and weighed about a hundred pounds. She had smooth skin, long black hair, a superbly-toned athletic body, pleading slightly-oval eyes, and a singsong voice that sounded like music when she spoke. She also believed that no man wanted her as an equal.

  She didn’t consider herself pretty, but knew that most men told her she was beautiful. Her lack of self-confidence came from her parents. They had expected to have a boy and were disappointed to have a female child. They dressed her like a boy and made her act like a male in her younger years. As a result, Loni spent most of her early life acting like a tom-boy and trying to make them proud of her by doing male like things. She craved adventure and joined the FBI where she became an expert marksman. She took up martial arts training and excelled in both defensive and offensive tactics. She could run very fast and honed her reflexes to be the best in her class. Despite her advanced skills, the FBI pigeonholed her as a career desk clerk. This never sat well with her.

  After she met Colton Banyon, she left law enforcement and became a partner in a detective agency funded by Banyon. They started out as friends, but soon they were lovers, companions and confidants for each other. During several mysteries, Loni showed she was a fierce fighter using all the skills she had learned to protect Colton Banyon in tight situations — she secretly loved every minute of the action — almost as much as she enjoyed making love to Colton Banyon.

  In the beginning, she knew almost nothing about sex and being sexy, but had quickly learned how to use her sexuality as a weapon and to keep Colton Banyon happy. She constantly searched for new ways to entice him.

  As she gazed out the kitchen window she started to think about how she would use the cabana to keep him interested. She wondered if she should install a Thai swing or maybe a dance pole like the one she had put in their bedroom in Chicago. Suddenly, her cell phone rang. She ran to the counter where she had left it and saw that the call was coming from Colton Banyon. I wonder if he is thinking what I’m thinking, she giggled.

  Chapter Ten

  “Colt,” Loni said sweetly into the cell phone. “I was just thinking about you. Wait until you see….” But Banyon interrupted her.

  “Loni we have a bad situation and you’re the only person in line to help,” he muttered.

  “What’s going on?” She quickly replied. She knew that Banyon never interrupted her unless it was an emergency.

  “Lisa Lange is here in my office,” he stated flatly.

  “You mean the same…”

  “Yes,” he cut in.

  “Oh, that can’t be good,” Loni remarked as she transitioned from being Dorothy to his business partner.

  “She’s brought us a mystery to solve,” Banyon continued. “The team and I are heading out there and should be in Vegas in about four hours.”

  “What is it you need me to do?” Loni questioned as energy began to flow throughout her small body.

  “We need to protect a young man on a ranch near you in Pahrump while we figure this out. We are sending two bodyguards from Dewey & Beatem, but Heather just told me that they can’t get there for three hours. You’re only about forty minutes away,” Banyon explained.

  “So you want me to head out there and protect him until reinforcements arrive, right?” She said with excitement in her voice.

  “The bad guys have already murdered the owner of the ranch and stole an artifact. The young man there is protecting two more pieces,” Banyon said.

  “Give me the name and address.” Loni gushed. “I’ll have to head to the condo and change, but I’ll get there within the hour.”

  “And Loni, be careful, bring your guns,” Banyon said.

  “Now we’re talking!”

  Chapter Eleven

  Joey Brownwater pressed the call button. Lisa Lange had just called him and said that an Asian woman in a red jeep would be at his ranch within the hour. Then two more guards would show up and later in the afternoon, more people would arrive to protect him and his secrets. He was somewhat relieved, but wondered if they would be in time — it was running out.

  He got up from the table and peered out the window. He was shocked to see the four sentinels only about a hundred yards from the front door. They were dressed in traditional Indian garb, complete with head dresses and weapons. They stood straight and tall but never seemed to move. They just watched.

  Joey knew they were not there to harm him. But he also knew they could not help him either. They just watched. The fact that they had moved closer meant visitors were on their way. He was sure the visitors would be the men who had murdered his grandfather and stolen the artifact. This would be the fourth time that he would do battle with them. They had almost won the last time.

  Joey understood that he could not let them take the other stones, but also he could not be captured. He knew the men were really after him. Otherwise they would have already murdered him. They had the firepower and came with more men each time. He was sure they intended to capture him. And he knew why.

  All his life, he had felt a sixth sense. He had premonitions. Sometimes they were about danger ahead. Sometimes they were about relationships and sometimes they were about things that were about to happen in the world.

  His grandfather had chosen wisely for him to be the elder and keeper of the artifacts. When they performed the ceremony to make Joey an elder, the old man had unlocked Joey’s potential. He could now see things in the future before they happened. He just hadn’t learned how to control the gift yet.

  Chapter Twelve

  As soon as Lisa hung up the phone, she began to pack up her things in a hurry. She leaped from the couch and headed for the door.

  “Where are you going?” a confused Banyon asked as soon as he noticed her.

  “Colt, I have other appointments today,” she said reasonably. “Besides you don’t need me anymore. Joey has all the answers, I’m just the messenger.” Lisa flipped her long hair and stepped forward revealing her thigh through the slit in her dress. Alarms suddenly went off in Banyon’s head. He was sure that she was trying to manipulate him. Why? He needed to talk to Wolf.

  Banyon studied the professor for a few seconds and then said, “Heather, watch her. Don’t let her leave the building.” He then headed for the door.

  “Okay, but where are you going?” The confused Heather asked.

  “I have to go to the bathroom. I’ll be right back,” Banyon explained.

  He entered the bathroom and locked the door. He checked the stalls to make sure that no one else was there. He had done this before.

  “Wolf, are you there?” he said with his usual opening.

  “As always,” Wolf replied.

  “Did you find out if Lisa remembers?”

  “It happened exactly as she described,” the spirit replied. “But you should be aware that she also knows how to use the Freud procedure and she remembers that you can get information from a spirit.”

  “I suspected that already,” Banyon said with concern. “I’m going to find a way to neutralize her thoughts. Have you found out anything about the artifacts?”

  “Only that they are very old. It may take me several months to research back long enough to find their origins.” Banyon knew that Wolf could research a day in history in one second, but going back thousands of years would take a long time — even with Wolf’s abilities.

  “We don’t have that much time,” Banyon muttered to himself. “We’ll have to take Lisa’s word on everything for now.” Wolf did not respond because there was no question.

  “Could the Phoenicians have been the first
Europeans to discover America?” Banyon asked.

  “I can’t answer that until I research the past, but I will work on finding out,” the spirit promised.

  “What about Joey Brownwater? What can you tell me about him?”

  “So far, I have not uncovered anything of interest in his history, Colt. He is in danger though. Several men have attacked his ranch house. They have attacked three times in the last few days. He does need your help.”

  “Okay, but I need you to watch over him.”

  “I’m watching him right now. He is very nervous,” Banyon knew that Wolf could watch over several people at one time. But there was a limit on that too.

  “I’ve sent Loni to help protect him. I don’t want Loni hurt. Can you keep me informed?” Banyon pleaded.

  “I always do.”

  “By the way,” Banyon started. “What is it that you wanted to tell me earlier?”

  “It can wait and you will find out soon enough anyway. But you’d better get back to your office right now. Something has happened.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Banyon ran to his office. When he entered it he found Heather wandering around like she had forgotten something. Lisa was not there.

  “Where is Lisa?” Banyon yelled out.

  Heather looked at him with a strange expression. “Who?” But Wolf provided the answer in his ear.

  “She is headed to the front door. She will be there in a few seconds.”

  Banyon immediately pressed his Bluetooth. “Steve, I need the building to be locked down right now,” he screamed into the ear piece.

  “It’s done,” Steve, the head of security responded within seconds. “What’s going on, Colt?”

  “Our client is attempting to leave the building by using the front door,” was all he replied thoughtfully. “I don’t know why.”

  “I’m heading there now,” Steve replied.