Into The Jaws Of The Lion (The Arkana Archaeology Mystery Series Book 5)

by N. S. Wikarski

  “Now that you’re back stateside, I imagine the old preacher’s got you tailin’ that whistle pig out in the sticks.”

  Bowdeen stared at him. Leroy wasn’t far enough into his cups to be talking crazy quite yet. “Come again?’

  “You know. That little foreign doctor. Lives in a hole in the ground some twenty odd miles from the compound.”

  The mercenary gawked at Leroy blankly.

  “He ain’t told you nothin’?” The cowboy mirrored his surprise.

  “What doctor?”

  Leroy leaned in further. “Well, it ain’t like I’m talkin’ out of turn. The old man said he’d put you on the job soon as you got back. It was like this. He had me stake out this hole in the ground to keep tabs on some Ayyy-rab doctor goes by the name of Aboud. He’s workin’ on somethin’ so hush-hush that it’s underground and hid in the woods miles away from the compound. I tailed him to the city where he met up with a shady lookin’ Russian feller. Probably mob.”

  Bowdeen took another sip of whiskey—a bigger one than he’d intended as he considered this strange information. “That’s the first I heard about any of this.”

  Hunt grinned knowingly. “So that’s how it is. The old man don’t want the right hand knowin’ what the left hand is doin’. Maybe he got enough intel from what I saw so he didn’t need you to dig any deeper.”

  “What did you find out?”

  “Not too much. Looked like the Ayyy-rab and the Russian struck some kind of deal. Then the little doc drove back to the sticks and climbed inside his hole in the ground. And that’s all she wrote.”

  “Can you remember where this place was?’ Bowdeen figured any bit of information he could glean, no matter how irrelevant, might be useful.

  “Ain’t I the best tracker you know?” Hunt sounded insulted at the question.

  Bowdeen soothed his friend’s injured pride until the cowboy was mollified enough to give detailed directions to the mysterious site.

  Keeping a watchful eye on Hunt’s whiskey glass, Chopper beckoned the waiter over to order the cowboy another drink. Fortunately, Leroy was too focused on his personal comforts to notice that Chopper’s glass was still two-thirds full.

  By this time, their salads arrived. Even though Hunt snorted in derision at what he called “rabbit food,” he did a good job of cleaning his plate.

  Bowdeen wasn’t quite ready to push for any specific information. He’d wait awhile. They spent the next half hour talking about old friends in the army and back home in Alabama. The two continued to reminisce all the way through their main courses and, in Hunt’s case, a few more glasses of whiskey.

  By the time the dessert cart arrived, the cowboy was mellow enough that Chopper was on the verge of starting his inquiry. Much to his surprise, Hunt had a few questions of his own.

  The cowboy pulled two wrapped toothpicks out of his jacket pocket. He offered one to Chopper who declined. Leaning back in his chair, he picked his teeth. “Surveillance cameras, huh,” he began conversationally.

  The comment came out of the blue and took Chopper by surprise. “Yeah,” he replied cautiously. “In every damn compound I visited.”

  “I expect the old man set up a string of ‘em in the main compound seein’ as how that’s where his little bride ran away from.”

  “More there than anyplace else,” Chopper agreed. “He had me cover all the hallways, the entrances, the outbuildings. Every place but the bedrooms and bathrooms. He went overboard in his office though. I don’t know what he expected anybody to steal from there. Just a bunch of dusty sermon books.”

  Hunt’s face took on a veiled expression. “Now that is a right puzzle. So he had you set up cams facin’ his bookshelf?”

  Not knowing where the conversation was headed, Bowdeen replied, “No. That was the odd part. He had me set them up facing the paneled wall opposite the bookshelf.”

  “Did he now?” Hunt’s tone was still conversational but there was an edge to it.

  “There’s no accounting for crazy,” Chopper said. He had the sneaking suspicion that he had just revealed something important to Leroy. Unfortunately, he didn’t know what that something was. Another disconnected piece of information that might come in handy later.

  The mercenary spent the rest of the coffee and dessert course trying to steer the conversation in a direction that might be more useful. Every time he nudged the topic toward what Leroy was working on, the cowboy somehow managed to bring the subject back to surveillance. How many cameras were set up at the main compound? Where was the control panel? How big was the security staff? How many cameras were in the old man’s study? Where were they positioned?

  Chopper wasn’t entirely sure how it happened but he knew he was giving more information than he was getting in spite of the cowboy’s intoxication. By the time the check arrived, Leroy was three sheets to the wind and humming a medley of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s greatest hits. Chopper figured that he’d better hustle him out of the restaurant before he jumped on a table and belted out a chorus of “Free Bird.”

  The mercenary hailed a cab and steadied his old buddy until it pulled up to the curb. As he poured Leroy into the back seat, the cowboy began to chuckle. He seemed to have forgotten Chopper’s presence as he murmured to himself, “Yep, no doubt about it. Payday’s comin’ soon. Once Dan’l snags that last doodad for his daddy, ole Leroy is gonna cash in his chips.”

  Hunt slid down sideways in the seat while Chopper gave the cabbie directions and paid him off. As the mercenary slammed the car door, he caught a few final snatches of song.

  Leroy was softly crooning himself to sleep. “Go on, take the money and run. Go on, take the money and run.”

  Chapter 24—Fireworks

  “That was... um... different.” Hannah climbed out of the roller coaster seat. She listed to one side as Zachary rushed to prop her up.

  “I guess the first time you ride one of these things it can make you a little dizzy,” he admitted.

  “I think it made me a little sick to my stomach,” the girl said, heading for a bench across the street from the ride.

  Zach held her arm for support until they were both seated. “I’m sorry. It was a stupid idea to bring you here.” They were spending Saturday night at a local amusement park. Zach insisted that Hannah needed to experience “thrills” as an important part of her education in all things Fallen. They’d sampled most of the rides the park had to offer though Zach had intentionally steered them away from anything too intense until the end of the evening. The park was due to close in half an hour and he thought he’d push the envelope by getting Hannah to ride “The Screaming Terror.” In retrospect, he realized it might have been a bad move.

  “Can I get you anything? A soda? A valium?” he joked.

  She smiled weakly, her complexion ashen. “No, thank you. I’ll be alright in a few minutes if I just sit here.” Eyeing the next batch of riders climbing into the roller coaster’s cars, she added, “They certainly got the name right. On both counts.”

  “I’m really sorry, Hannah. Most kids our age like to be scared.”

  “They do? I find walking out of Granny Faye’s house every day terrifying enough.”

  “Yeah, I forgot how new everything still is to you. All of it must be scary.” Now he felt really stupid. He’d wanted to put her in a good mood because there was something important he needed to ask her. So much for that idea. As it was, he’d have to spend the rest of the evening trying to calm her down. Just as his own mood began to spiral, a new thought struck him. “I’ve got it!”

  “What?”

  “A ride I know you’ll really like.” He checked his watch. “Especially now.”

  “No more rides, Zach. Please,” she implored.

  He sprang to his feet and held out his hand. “Just one more. I guarantee you’ll love it.”

  “Alright.” She sighed and stood up. “But remember that we have to be leaving soon. I promised Granny Faye we’d be home by eleven.”

 
“We will be,” he assured her. “C’mon.” He led her away from the roller coaster and down a short avenue. Looking toward their destination, he added, “Great, there’s no line.” He tugged at her hand to quicken her pace.

  Hannah’s eyes traveled upward, studying the wooden structure looming ahead. “What is this?”

  “It’s called a Ferris Wheel and it moves really slow. Just goes around in a big circle but when you’re near the top of the wheel, you get a fantastic view of the whole park.”

  “That doesn’t sound too bad,” she observed cautiously.

  “It’s great. Get in.”

  They sat down in one of the cars and Zach pulled the safety bar across them both. “See, you can’t fall out.”

  She tested the bar’s sturdiness before nodding uncertainly.

  Their car moved up a few feet as the next group of passengers was loaded. Then up a few more feet. Each time they moved, Hannah gasped and clutched the bar. Several minutes later, the wheel began to revolve.

  “Oh my!” the girl exclaimed at the sensation of being lifted in the air.

  When they reached the apex, the wheel paused, giving the couple a panoramic view of the park and surrounding countryside.

  “You’re right. You can see everything from here,” Hannah agreed. Her voice held a note of wonder. “All the lights twinkling. Like stars that fell on the ground. It’s beautiful.”

  “That’s not all. Look over there.” Zach pointed to the left where fireworks were shooting up into the night sky.

  “Amazing!” the girl exclaimed. “I’ve never seen real fireworks before though I read about Fourth Of July at school.”

  “People put on fireworks displays for all sorts of reasons and not just in July. They do this show right before the park closes every night. That’s why I wanted us to ride the Ferris Wheel. So you could see the light show from up here.”

  “That was very considerate of you, Zach.” She reached out and squeezed his hand.

  One moment of encouragement was all he needed. Now was the time to ask her.

  “Um, Hannah, I got you something.” He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small velvet jewelry box.

  She eyed it curiously.

  He opened the lid and held out the box for her to see its contents. “It’s a Promise Ring.”

  Taking the ring out of its container, she tilted her head to study it. The design was simple. A band of silver twisted into a double looped knot at the front. Each loop was studded with diamond chips. She transferred her attention from the ring to Zach. Peering at him in the glow of the fireworks, she asked, “What does it mean?”

  Zach paled at the direct question but forged ahead. “It can mean lots of different things. It’s a kind of pledge. Like for instance when two people promise to be friends forever.” Then he added in a rush, “Or sometimes it means a couple is an item.”

  “An item?” she repeated. “I haven’t heard that term before.”

  “It’s no big deal.” He tried to sound nonchalant. “It just means they agree not to date other people, only each other.”

  “Why would they do that?” she asked, scrutinizing the ring in the darkness but not slipping it on.

  “Because... uh... maybe... I don’t know!” he finally exclaimed in frustration. “Because a guy might think that the girl he likes is getting hit on by too many other guys and this is a way to make all the other guys back off.”

  “So it’s like an engagement ring?”

  “Engagement!” he squeaked. “Who said anything about engagement?”

  “Well, it’s the same idea, isn’t it? A couple plights their troth to one another.”

  “Hey, I’m not plighting anything here, alright. It’s just a silly ring.”

  Her eyes narrowed slightly. “But the meaning behind it is the same. You don’t want me to date other boys.”

  “Well, yeah,” he finally admitted.

  Hannah gave an exasperated sigh. “Zachary, you must know I’m very fond of you but I’ve only just begun to move about in your world. Everything is new, and frightening, and wonderful to me. I’m free to meet all sorts of different people. Some of them are going to be boys. Some of them may want to date me and I may want to say ‘yes’ just so I’ll know what it feels like to date someone besides you. You’ve spent months and months teaching me the ways of your world so I’ll find my place in it. After all that effort, why would you want to keep me from dating like a normal teenage girl?” Her eyes flew open wide with dawning recognition. “You’re afraid I might like somebody better than you!”

  “Afraid? I’m not afraid.” He forced a laugh.

  For the first time since they’d known each other, he saw Hannah glare at him. “Yes, you are! OMG, that is sooooo lame!”

  Zach was about to defend himself when a completely unrelated thought struck him. He felt a surge of triumph that made him laugh out loud.

  “What’s so funny,” Hannah demanded, still angry.

  “Don’t you get it? What did you just call me?”

  “I called you a total lamo, that’s what!”

  “Yeah, you did.” He was fairly beaming by now. “Hannah, you used slang! And you got it right. Exactly right!”

  She paused, taken aback. Then she gave a self-conscious smile. “I guess I did.” Unexpectedly, she reached over and hugged him. “Zach, that proves I can be normal. With a little more practice, I’ll fit in. Totally!”

  “My work here is done. I’ve taught you everything I know.” He chuckled, pleased with himself. Then taking the ring out of her fingers, he grew serious. “But you weren’t wrong. It was a lame stunt for me to pull. I was so worried about what mattered to me that I wasn’t thinking about what this might mean for you. If I make you wear a ring that says you’re only supposed to date me, then I’m no better than that old jerk you were married to.”

  “The Diviner?” she asked, startled.

  “Yeah. He didn’t let you decide for yourself whether you wanted to marry him or not. He only cared about what he wanted. I never meant to treat you like that.” He put the ring back in the box. “Forget about this. You’ve got a right to date whoever you want no matter how I feel about it.”

  She reached out and stopped him before he slipped the ring box into his jacket pocket. Taking it back, she opened the box and stared at the ring. “You said this could also be a sign of friendship?”

  “Absolutely,” he agreed eagerly. “It could mean that we promise to be best friends, no matter what.”

  “BFFs?

  He laughed again. “You see. You completely get slang now. This ring can be a promise that we’ll be best friends forever.”

  She took the ring out of the box and slipped it on. “In that case, I accept.” She held her right hand out to admire the sparkle of the tiny diamonds against the reflection of the fireworks.

  “Just so we’re clear,” Zach added cautiously. “I’m your BFF, not your gay BFF, OK?”

  Hannah darted him a puzzled look. “Why not? I’ve always thought you had an excellent sense of humor and you’re loads of fun to be around.”

  Zach groaned and rubbed his face with his hands. “Maybe just one more round of slang coaching wouldn’t hurt.”

  The Ferris Wheel began to move again, making its gentle descent.

  “The ring is lovely. Thank you.” With a slight smile, Hannah leaned over and gave him a long, languid kiss.

  After it was over, he pulled his head back and studied her face in surprise. “How’d you learn to kiss like that? Have you been practicing on somebody else?”

  “No, silly.” She giggled. “I’ve been watching old movies on TV. Lots and lots of them.”

  Zach grinned and drew her close. “Then all I can say is ‘Hooray for Hollywood!’”

  Chapter 25—Follow The Sun

  “Well, here we are.” Cassie scanned the salt flats beyond the city walls. “Again.”

  The trio stood together on the citadel mound of Dholavira, contemplating the whi
te desert in the distance. Most of the water had evaporated from the salt marsh now that monsoon season was over.

  “What do you mean again,” Erik challenged. “We’ve never been here before.”

  “In my head, dude,” the Pythia corrected. “This is exactly where I was standing when I had my vision of this place.”

  “I suppose that represents a confirmation of sorts,” the Scrivener observed. “If Cassie is reliving this scene, then we’ve certainly found the right location.”

  As Dee had told them, Dholavira was a large city—the largest IVC site in India. It had been built between two monsoon channels and engineered to take full advantage of the available water supply for irrigation. As was true of Mohenjo-Daro, the city also possessed an elaborate drainage system to serve the sanitation needs of thousands of households. Even more surprising than its flush toilets was evidence in the so-called “royal bathrooms” of showers which were fed through rock-cut channels.

  The most striking feature of the site, however, had nothing to do with its plumbing. The biggest curiosity was a ten-foot-wide signboard that had previously hung over the northern gate of the city in its heyday. The lettering consisted of several characters from the undeciphered IVC script. As Griffin pointed out, the use of written language in this way was an indication of full literacy and it predated the overlord Sumerian claim to that invention by centuries if not millennia.

  Cassie checked her wristwatch. It was already one PM. It had taken more than four hours to drive to the site and they would need to plan their departure well before dark. That meant they had only an hour or two to explore the ancient city. If they hoped to find the original location of the lily rock, they’d have to do it quickly. She glanced at a youth loitering on the other side of the mound. He was a tyro assigned by the IVC trove-keeper to secure the lily rock back in place once the trio pinpointed its original location. The boy seemed abashed in the presence of dignitaries from the Home Office and preferred to keep his distance. He gave a start when he realized Cassie was staring at him. She averted her gaze.