The Twelfth Keeper Boxed Set: Books 1-3

by Belle Malory

  The moment she spotted Gowan and the others, she voiced her fears. “Someone was in my room last night.”

  “Mine too.”

  “And mine,” Gabby added, wearing her own giant pair of bug-eyed sunnies. “At first I thought it was a robbery, but nothing was missing.”

  Hoshu crinkled his brow. “Now that you mention it, my suitcase was left unzipped, and my clothes were a mess. They were tidy and folded before I went to bed.”

  Lexie let out the breath she’d been holding.

  Okay, so she hadn’t been imagining things. Not insane. She could check that off the list of possibilities. But then that left her with the more frightening conclusion: Someone had most definitely been in all of their rooms while they slept.

  Gowan cleared his throat. “Do you guys, uh, feel as groggy as I do?”

  They all nodded.

  “The wine last night…I think it was drugged,” he said.

  She shuddered. All of them were feeling like crap, and all of them shared the same suspicions. Too big of a coincidence.

  Someone wanted something. But what? Information? Extortion?

  The not knowing was the worst.

  “One thing’s for sure,” she said, keeping her voice low. “I’ll be glad to get away from this hotel.”

  “Maybe we should call for reinforcements,” Gabby suggested.

  Lexie shook her head at that idea. “Why? To prove we’re even more incapable than DOE already believes we are? No, we can handle this. Besides, we have nothing to hide. Whoever was in our rooms last night couldn’t have discovered much about us, except for what brand of deodorant we prefer. Let’s just get out of here as soon as possible.”

  She glanced around the patio, looking over her shoulder. Someone could be watching them at that very moment. It was an eerie feeling that chilled her to the bone, even in this hot, humid climate.

  ~ ~

  The ATV rental shop was dusty, old, and looked as if no one had been there in a long while. Dante was waiting there alongside his father, wearing a black shirt and cargo shorts with steel-toed boots; his hair was pulled back into a ponytail. He sat idly on the desk, a black backpack next to him and a water bottle strapped inside.

  Lexie shook her head. This guy’s arrogance was starting to annoy her.

  His father gave them a few papers to fill out and then left to round up the ATVs. Dante wasted no time making them feel like inexperienced buffoons.

  “You have to drive down a one lane, potholed road covered in fallen branches and debris for forty kilometers until you get to the entrance of the forest. Then you have to make your way through a maze of trees, wildlife—many that are not too friendly—steep hills, cliffs, rugged terrain. If you’re driving too fast, you’ll wreck your ATV. If you’re taking precautions, you won’t get to the village by sundown. Like I said last night, you need me.”

  Lexie took a long hard look at Dante, still distrustful, and then turned to Gowan. He shrugged, keeping his voice low. “He makes a good argument.”

  “Are you guys crazy?” Hoshu hissed under his breath. “We just established that some shady things have been going down in this place. Why would we bring the creepster along?”

  “Yeah,” Gabby chimed in. “What if he leads us to some backwoods farmhouse and slaughters us into tiny pieces?”

  Lexie sighed. They were all acting paranoid. Last night’s intrusion had clearly done a number on them. The best thing they could do was to let it go and focus on the task at hand.

  Gowan seemed to be on the same page as her. He patted Gabby on the arm, and said, “If that happens, Gabs, you can always freeze him to death.”

  “Not before he starts chopping me up,” she huffed.

  “We need to get to that village,” Gowan said. “I don’t like it either, but he knows the area. And really, how much damage can one kid do against four keepers?”

  Lexie glanced over at Dante again. He was leaning against the counter, waiting for them to make up their minds. “How much do you charge?”

  “Seventy-five globs an hour.”

  “That’s highway robbery,” she scoffed. “Fifty globs an hour and you better get us to the bloody village well before noon.”

  He smiled. “Then we better get going.”

  Ten

  An hour and a half into their journey, Lexie released the throttle and pulled off to the side of the road with the others to stop for a water break. After her ATV’s motor quieted, she tore off her helmet and looked over at Dante. “What’s the name of this village again?”

  “Otzna,” he replied, then took a giant swig from his water bottle.

  “Otz-na,” she repeated, letting it roll off her tongue. “Why do these people live in a place that’s so hard to get to? Do they even get power?”

  He shook his head. “Tradition means a lot to them. They value their customs and their privacy. Modern technology isn’t important to them.”

  Great black hole. There was no way she could live like that. She valued her creature comforts way too much. Even on the farm where she was raised, they had expansive solar panels that provided green energy. And honestly, a working microwave never hurt anyone.

  “We’ve been lucky, by the way,” Dante said, turning around to face the other keepers. “The weather has been oddly nice. My brace says it’s almost a hundred degrees, but we keep getting cool breezes. I’m usually dripping with sweat at this point.”

  Lexie glanced behind her at Gabby, who winked in return. Hoshu was right; it was nice having that girl around.

  And surprisingly, Dante had been a decent guide so far. He knew the roads pretty well, and as an added bonus, he pointed out local wildlife in a very tourist guide type of way, which Lexie secretly loved. So far they’d seen a coatimundi, several flocks of ocellated turkeys, colorful exotic birds, and even a few monkeys hiding up in the trees.

  “Ready?” Dante asked the group. “We’re going to veer off the road and head into the jungle soon. Watch out for branches and snakes.”

  Hoshu nearly snapped his neck at the mention of snakes. “You said that way too casually, hoss. What kind of snakes are we talking about?”

  “The big, dangerous, venomous kind. So like I said, keep a lookout.” Dante’s eyes crinkled at the corners right before he turned away.

  Hoshu scowled. “I’m starting to think Gabby’s idea of bringing in reinforcements wasn’t such a bad one,” he muttered under his breath.

  Lexie couldn’t help but laugh at that. “Stop being a pansy, Hoshu. We’ve sparred together enough for me to know that your reflexes are quicker than a snake’s.”

  “Not if it sneaks up on me.” He shoved his helmet on, still pouting, and it was hilarious. Back on Olympus, Hoshu wasn’t afraid of anything. Then again, that was because he was used to training day in and day out. There weren’t many surprises.

  The more Lexie thought about it, the more her smile faded. It actually wasn’t so funny after all. They were Earth keepers; this was where they should thrive, here in Mother Nature amongst plants and animals…and yet they weren’t used to it. They’d been tucked away in the cold, sterile environment of Olympus for so long it seemed they had forgotten where their source of power came from.

  As Dante and the others drove off, Lexie held back for a moment, staring at the shrubbery lining the road on her right. She concentrated on it for a few seconds until the blossoms opened one by one, sprouting bright pink Dahlia pinnatas.

  Beautiful.

  She’d read about it in a text book. She’d never actually seen one in real life. There was something painfully sad about that. Growing plants wasn’t new to her, but these kind, the more exotic kind, were fascinating. If she had more time, she wouldn’t stop until she had her very own rainforest.

  These particular flowers had grown faster and larger than the ones she normally worked with on Olympus. She hadn’t even tried all that hard.

  Hmm.

  ~ ~

  The ride along the bumpy dirt path into the
jungle was filled with more scenery and wildlife than Lexie ever imagined, keeping her and the others spellbound the entire time. When they passed by Mayan ruins in the form of ancient pyramids, her fingers were itching to steer her ATV toward them. She had to remind herself she had a job to do and didn’t have time to waste sightseeing. But oh, if she could, she would probably spend all day there checking out the ruins and taking pictures. Maybe she would come back someday…

  “Otzna is just up ahead!” Dante shouted over the noisy motors.

  Lexie looked up to see the village looming in front of them, the quaint houses with adobe walls and shuttered windows, the animals and livestock fenced along the edges, the people moving through the buildings along the dirt pathways.

  The five of them left their ATVs along the side of the main road and walked the rest of the way, all while Gabby’s knack for regulating the surrounding air kept them cool despite the blazing sun looming overhead.

  “I know the perfect person you can speak to about the gemstone,” Dante said as they entered the village. “His family has been here forever. Kind of an old kook, if you ask me. But if anyone knows anything, it’s him.”

  Lexie stopped in her tracks, and she felt the blood drain from her face. “How did you know we were looking for a gemstone, Dante?”

  The little trust Lexie had for him instantly disappeared. She thought about the previous night’s break-in. Had he been the intruder in her hotel room?

  “Seriously? You guys are looking at me like you’re about to eat me alive.”

  Hoshu stepped forward. “Maybe we are.”

  Dante held his hands up. “Guys, everyone knows about the gemstone. It’s the oldest legend around. Anyone who comes to this part of Campeche is either lost or looking for it.”

  Lexie eyed the others, wondering whether or not to buy Dante’s explanation.

  “If you don’t believe me, ask around,” he said, shrugging. “Treasure hunters have been looking for it for centuries. Most locals will tell you it’s a myth and not to waste your time.”

  “If you thought so, why didn’t you say so from the beginning?” Gowan countered.

  “Because it doesn’t make for good business.” He tipped his head back toward the ATVs. “We gotta make a living, you know.”

  If he were lying, they’d be able to catch him easily. “If the gemstone is a myth, then why bother taking us to see the old man?” she asked him.

  “Because if it does exist, he’s your best shot at finding it. His family has been around the longest, and they know everything there is to know about this land.”

  “Hasn’t anyone else asked him about it before? For that matter, if he knows where the gemstone is, why doesn’t he go out and find it himself?”

  Dante rubbed the back of his neck. “You guys are the most distrustful bunch I’ve ever met. Yes, people have asked him, but never a keeper. And I didn’t say he knows where the gemstone is, but he might have information that leads you there. The man is almost a hundred years old, practically ancient himself.”

  Lexie considered what he told them. Perhaps they were being a little too distrustful, but there was just something off about Dante…something she couldn’t put her finger on.

  She glanced around at the others. “Look, we don’t have many options here. Let’s go check out what the old man has to say.”

  Hoshi held his helmet toward Dante. “I don’t trust you, kid.”

  Dante rolled his eyes. “Just go see the guy. I know what I’m talking about.”

  Lexie held her arm out in front of her. “Well then, lead the way.”

  Eleven

  Phoenix stretched his neck and leaned into the cold metal chair he’d been sitting in for the last hour. Bored out of his mind, he rocked the chair until it tilted onto its back legs, and counted the ceiling tiles for the third time. Thirty-two in total. Same as last count.

  Davaris groaned, mumbling something again. He’d been doing that since they first got there, and it was getting pretty damned annoying. They were in this together. As far as Phoenix was concerned, that meant they needed to tough it out together. And really, what had Davaris expected? Getting out of Olympus was never going to be an easy job, not while the entirety of their department still thought the two of them were a global threat.

  As soon as they arrived at the airport, there were security guards ready to deposit them in a US Customs holding cell. Phoenix was almost positive the agents had no idea what was going on; they likely received orders from DOE to hold them until further notice. He’d bet anything the department heads were scrambling to come up with a plan. In their eyes, they’d been left with one of two options: either ship them back to Olympus, or find somewhere here in DC to hold them until they were deemed safe enough to return.

  Neither option was okay with Phoenix. He’d figure out a way to get out of this.

  Davaris mumbled incoherently once again.

  “If you have something to say, speak up.” Phoenix eyed him now, noticing the way Davaris’s face was pinched.

  “I said, I told you this was a bad idea.”

  “Have some faith, Var. We’ll be out soon.”

  “We could easily sneak out ourselves. Melt the locks, the cameras, and find an exit.”

  Phoenix was tempted to go along with that plan, but reluctantly shook his head. “Think of the shitstorm we’d create if we got caught. The media frenzy. The politics involved. It’s too risky. Let’s just wait this out and see where it goes.”

  They didn’t have to wait long. A middle-aged man with graying hair entered the room a few seconds later, his forehead creased and his mouth pulled into a deep frown. He sat across from them at the table in the center of the room.

  “Hello, Agent Sampson Reed,” he said by way of introduction. “I have a few questions.”

  “Fire away,” Davaris said with a subtle smirk.

  “Reports were made that the two of you gained entrance and boarded Flight 7300 from Olympus by force of will and threat. Is this true?”

  “Of course not,” Phoenix immediately replied. “Check the security logs. Surely there were cameras covering the Olympian airport?”

  Agent Reed’s frown deepened. “Apparently they all malfunctioned. Someone or something melted the wires. Either of you have anything to do with that?”

  Davaris exchanged a sly glance with Phoenix. “How would that even be possible?”

  “I was wondering the same thing myself. Even if you managed to disconnect a camera without anyone noticing, there’s no way you could’ve disconnected all forty-two of them at the same time.”

  “Exactly,” Davaris agreed. “So there’s your answer.”

  The agent cleared his throat. “Tell me, did you and Mr. Jorgensen threaten to set the pilot on fire if he didn’t allow you to stay on board Flight 7300?”

  “He said that?”

  “Yes,” Agent Reed said, nodding. “He also said you set his sleeve on fire to further your point, and that if he didn’t ship you back to the United States, you told him you would cause him to, and I quote, ‘explode from the inside out.’”

  Phoenix choked on his laughter, catching Davaris doing the same. The pilot had been so arrogant, refusing to even hear what they had to say. Right up until they’d set his sleeve on fire. Then the poor man looked like he might piss himself, ready to accommodate whatever they asked of him.

  “That’s got to be the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard,” Davaris said. He held his hand over his stomach, his whole body shaking with the laughter he was trying hard to suppress.

  “Knock it off,” Phoenix whispered. The last thing they needed was to get on the FBI’s bad side.

  When he settled down, Phoenix met Agent Reed’s skeptical gaze. “Look, our department is angry we left. They tried to stop us and failed. If any of these allegations were true, don’t you think someone would’ve found explosive devices or lighter fluid on us? We’ve been searched multiple times since landing.”

  “The pilot
doesn’t want to take the blame for this,” Davaris added. “He’s going to be in trouble for allowing us to board. Clearly he came up with that ludicrous story to back himself up.”

  The agent leaned back in his chair, scratching his jaw. Phoenix hoped he would buy their story. He would hate to have come this far just to be forced into a jail cell.

  “So what happens now?” he asked Agent Reed.

  “We received orders from DOE to detain you.”

  “But we’re on American soil,” Davaris argued. “And I’m an American citizen.”

  “If the orders came from the World Government, I’d have no choice but to do as they requested. To be honest, those orders will likely be here soon. But as far as I’m concerned, I don’t answer to DOE or any other private sector of Olympus. Until otherwise notified, you’re both free to go.” His voice rang out with finality, and he stood up.

  Un-bloody-believable. Phoenix looked at Davaris and saw the shock in his eyes too. He’d been hoping for a good outcome, but this had been much better than he ever expected.

  Agent Reed paused by the door to glance back at them. “I’d leave now if I were you. There’s no telling when those orders will come through.”

  The two of them scrambled to their feet and left the room without wasting another moment. “I can’t believe this, man,” Davaris whispered on the way out of customs. They both grabbed their duffel bags at the gate.

  “Me neither, but I’m not questioning it. Let’s get the hell out of here before they change their minds.”

  “No more planes,” Davaris said over his shoulder, carefully looking around as they hurried through the airport. “We need to catch a ride with cash. The less they can trace us, the better.”

  “So what’s the plan?” Phoenix asked. “Where do we go from here?”