A Dubious Artifact (A Colton Banyon Mystery Book 6)

by Gerald J Kubicki

  “Previne,” Banyon began. “We kind of have ourselves in a little mystery here and were hoping you could give us some answers. We think we know what it says, but would like a complete translation.”

  Previne was already looking at the first picture. After a few seconds she said, “It’s definitely an Altaic script, from around a thousand B.C. Can you give me anything more to go on?”

  “It comes from Northwest China and I think it has the formula for an elixir and an alchemy formula as well,” Maya quickly said.

  “Hold on a second,” Previne said as she dropped the phone and headed for some books that were located in her vast credenza. She began tossing books right and left until she found the one she was looking for. The three people on the other end of the line waited impatiently. They could hear her steady breathing and the sound of pages flipping. Suddenly, they heard “Ah, yes.”

  “What did you find?” Banyon asked.

  “I thought I had recognized the style,” she responded as she picked up the phone. “Many Emperors had commissioned alchemists to invent an elixir to extend their lives. The search for the formula to make gold was a byproduct.”

  “We know that,” Loni interjected.

  “Well,” Previne continued. “One Emperor claimed he had, in fact, obtained the formula and drank it. He wrote that he had gotten it from a small village bordering modern day Mongolia, or Northwest China, but he wasn’t specific. He claimed to be well over a hundred years old. It is also rumored that he also decorated his dwellings with huge amounts of gold. But he took it all to his grave. No one has ever found his tomb.”

  “That is not much,” Maya noted.

  “Except one of his personal scrolls contains two formulas that remarkably resemble the photos that you sent me,” Previne added.

  “Are you sure?” Loni asked.

  “Well only parts of the formula are visible in the book. No one has ever been able to fill in the missing parts, but now we can,” she replied brightly.

  “So, you think this is the same formula?”

  “No doubt about it. This is a major artifact find, Maya. It could be worth many millions, congratulations.”

  “But can you translate them?” Banyon urgently asked.

  “Well, it could take some time,” she replied as she took off her reading glasses and rubbed the bridge of her nose.

  “It’s time that we don’t have,” Banyon said.

  “Why do you say that?” Previne asked with concern as she downloaded the pictures to her computer.

  “Let me tell you why,” Banyon then outlined what was happening and also his plan to end it.

  “No, you can’t do that, please. This is a major artifact find. It is too important, have you all lost your minds,” she screamed into the phone.

  “Would you rather let it get into the hands of the Effort or even the Chinese,” Banyon said.

  “What? Do they know about the artifact too?” Previne felt fear and concern grow in her chest. The Chinese never gave up when they were after something.

  “Yes,” Maya said. “Worse, some Effort people are headed here right now to collect it. Colt believes they will stop at nothing to obtain it. Our lives are in imminent danger. But Colt has a plan. It will buy us time and maybe even stop them.”

  “But the plan is too dangerous,” she answered with emphasis.

  “Look you have the formulas, Previne. Guard them with your life,” Banyon told her.

  “Colt, we have many secrets in our vaults here, some that you and I have put there, remember,” Previne reminded him.

  “We have to go,” Loni urged him.

  Suddenly Previne shouted, “I’m coming out there immediately and bringing Pramilla and Eric.”

  “We don’t know where we will be until this is over,” Banyon responded.

  “I have your cellphone number and will call when we arrive,” she pleaded.

  “We may not be able to answer,” Banyon replied and hung up the phone.

  As soon as he hung up the phone, Loni asked him, “How much time do we have before the show?”

  Banyon yelled out, Wolf, how much time?”

  “You have exactly five minutes to get ready.”

  ***

  In India, Previne was immediately on the phone with Pramilla.

  “Use your diplomatic connects to get us to Chicago as soon as possible,” she ordered. Pramilla was a career diplomat with the Indian government. The Patel clan had used her connections and power many times before.

  “What’s happening?” Pramilla asked. “I can’t just grab a jet, you know.”

  “Colt is in trouble and Maya is with him. We have to help. I’ll fill you in on the details on the way over. We’ll need guns too and Eric of course.”

  “How soon do you want to leave,” Pramilla said as she suddenly understood her need.

  “Five minutes ago.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Colton Banyon was now in the family room of his home. He stood looking into the room from the hallway that led from the front door. He was arranging the people with him. It was part of his plan.

  “Greg, you sit on the left end, we need you to be silent until Dr. Behl goes into her overly dramatic speech”

  “You sure she will accommodate us, little buddy?” Agent Gamble drawled.

  “Don’t worry; she is an emotional open book. She will attempt to gloat and pontificate. It is her nature.”

  “I’ll be ready,” he announced.

  “Loni, you sit next to him,” he said.

  “Right in front of the good doctor,” she added cheerfully.

  “Maya, I want you next for the diversion effect and I’ll be on the end.”

  “I can’t help but be a diversion in this outfit,” she turned in a circle for everyone to see. Agent Monson suddenly walked into a wall.

  Banyon was arranging their places on the long couch that covered the back of the house. Behind the couch were large picture windows with the drapes open. The late afternoon sun shined brilliantly into the room. Dr. Behl and her people would have to squint as the sun would be directly in their eyes. The large coffee table that usually sat in front of the couch had been moved to the bedroom and out of the way. Gamble’s three men would be hidden with clean firing line sights in case they were needed to shoot. Agent Kriss was in the bedroom, Agent Monson in the kitchen pantry and the smaller Agent Pellegrino was in the half-bathroom off of the kitchen. All the doors were slightly open.

  Banyon sat down on the couch crossed his legs and announced, “Well, we are as ready as we will ever be.”

  “Agent Kriss are the cameras rolling?” Agent Gamble suddenly asked.

  “We are recording here and also sending a live feed to the shop,” he replied.

  Banyon turned to Loni, “Do you have the ashtray?”

  She held out her hands wrapped around the fake artifact, but didn’t say anything. She like everyone else was nervous. “Keep it hidden until we get the evidence,” he added. She nodded her pretty head.

  From the corner of his eye, Banyon noticed Maya attempting to squirm and pull her short dress down. Without her legs crossed, he realized that she was completely exposed. Her breasts were barely contained in the dress top; the thin straps were working perfectly. He was sure she would divert the attention of the men and also Dr. Behl. She quickly turned her head and smiled gamely at him.

  “Don’t worry,” she said. “It’s just going to be a little indignity and worth it to bring these bastards down.”

  Agent Gamble took out his FBI badge and inserted it into the lapel pocket in his jacket. Banyon wondered if he had forgotten anything. They then waited for the invasion.

  ***

  Suddenly, they heard a loud crash and saw the framework from the front door spilt into pieces and spread across the floor of the foyer. The door flung open and the four Homeland Security agents rushed in with their guns extended. Dr. Behl followed a few steps behind as she was not armed.

  They flooded int
o the family room with guns aimed at the people spread out on the couch. Dr. Behl waddled into the room and took up a position about three steps in front of Loni. The other agents flanked her on both sides with two men on each side. They continued to aim their guns at the people on the couch. Agent Gamble spoke first.

  “I don’t suppose you have a warrant,” Agent Gamble opened as he studied his nails with a disinterested look. It unnerved several of the agents as break-ins always scared people and never bored them.

  “Shut up you idiot,” Dr. Behl split out. Agent Gamble continued to look at his nails.

  “Why are you here?” Banyon politely asked.

  “I’ve come for the artifact. Deliver it to me or you all die,” she said with venom in her voice.

  “Wow, that is pretty harsh,” Loni said and batted her eyes at the doctor.

  It didn’t go unnoticed, “I’ll deal with you separately,” she pointed at Loni. Her hormones were already in rage.

  “Put the guns down,” Banyon said. “There is no need for guns here.”

  “And you, Banyon,” Dr. Behl sputtered loudly. She placed her meaty arms on her waist and assumed an arrogant pose. “You son-of-bitch, you have caused me problems for the last time. I’m going to kill you just for the fun of it. This time you are toast.”

  Banyon remained calm as he looked down the row on the couch. Agent Gamble gave him a slight nod of the head. He now knew they had enough evidence and nudged Maya with his hidden finger.

  “What about me?” Maya quickly whined and tossed her long hair. She had her legs crossed and more than three quarters of her smooth thigh was revealed. She now pumped her long crossed leg like a pendulum and attracted the gaze of the men of Homeland Security. At the sight of the sexy Maya, Dr. Behl was beginning to shake with lust. She had temped Maya before — with no success — but this time she would force her.

  “I may have to interview you personally, Maya,” Dr. Behl said with a sex starved grin.

  “How interesting,” Maya quipped. She now unfolded herself from the couch. All eyes were on her. As she stood she shook her body so that the small dress could provide maximum coverage. It was not much.

  While the Homeland Security people watched Maya, Loni slowly raised from the couch with her hand behind her back. She stood next to Maya and only two feet away from Dr. Behl. The Homeland Security men began to react, but just saw another pretty girl and relaxed slightly.

  Banyon now spoke. “We are going to give you the artifact. There is no need for violence, put your guns down.”

  “Where is it?” Dr. Behl bellowed.

  “Loni, show her.”

  Loni brought her hand around and showed Dr. Behl the ashtray. Her eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. It was all the diversion he needed as Banyon slowly stood up next to Maya on the other side.

  “Oh, my God, this is really it,” Dr. Behl exclaimed. She snatched it from Loni and clutched it to her large breast. “I’ve done it,” she exclaimed. “The Effort will be so proud of me.”

  “What about the Effort?” Agent Gamble roared as he got off the couch. The Homeland Security men correctly perceived him as a viable threat and all turned their guns on to him. But something happened to divert their attention.

  “Oops,” Maya suddenly yelped. “My strap just broke.” All eyes turned to her as her top fell open to her waist. That was when all hell broke loose.

  Chapter Twenty

  As the man across from Agent Gamble turned to gawk, Gamble spoke under his breath, “That’s my girlfriend that you are gawking at.”

  He then proceeded to hit the side of the man’s face with a right hook that put him down immediately. Maya kicked out with her leg and caught the man across from her squarely in the crotch as he turned back. He went to his knees with his eyes bugging out of his head and Maya chopped him on the back of the neck. Loni suddenly whirled flew in the air and smashed her foot into the face of the man next to Dr. Behl. He was out before he hit the floor. Finally, Banyon delivered a roundhouse into the mid-section of the man across from him. A stunned look appeared on his face as Maya stepped forward and using just two fingers, applied pressure to his neck. His eyes rolled back in his head and he went down. Within a matter of a few seconds, Banyon and his people had rendered the Agents from Homeland Security completely harmless. They all lay in a heap around Dr. Barbara Behl.

  It had all happened so fast the Dr. Behl had not moved. She did however, wet her pants. She stood shivering with fright and clutching the ashtray. Agent Gamble’s three agents poured out of their hiding places and began to disarm and cuff the downed men. They were dragged over and put up against the couch. Maya made a beeline for the bedroom and less revealing clothes. Agent Gamble was helping his men. Banyon went to the phone to call a repairman to fix the front door. This left Loni alone in the middle of the room with Dr. Behl. It had all been planned.

  Dr. Behl watched in horror as Loni slowly picked up a gun from the pile on the floor. She hefted in her hand, getting a feel for it, and then she stepped up to the quivering, larger woman and pressed the gun in the center of her forehead. She glared at the woman while cocking the gun.

  “No, please, I’ll do anything that you want. Don’t shoot me,” she said as spittle flew from her mouth.

  “Give me reason not to?” Loni demanded.

  “I’ll tell you about the Chinese,” she pleaded.

  “Not enough,” Loni said as she applied more pressure on the Doctors forehead.

  “I’ll tell you about the Effort.”

  Loni quickly pulled back the gun. She looked around to see if anyone was watching. “You and I are going to take a little walk out on to the deck. I don’t want anyone to see what is about to happen.”

  Loni grabbed Dr. Behl by the ear and pulled her to the French doors leading to the back deck. Dr. Behl screamed and wailed like a pig going to slaughter. Loni opened the door and ushered the heavier woman outside. Dr. Behl was already trying to develop an escape plan. She knew she was much bigger than Loni and she could always use the ashtray as a weapon. But she was also unaccustomed to hand to hand combat. The difference was that she was desperate; she felt that her life was at stake.

  Once out on the deck Loni told the woman to get down on her knees. Dr. Behl immediately started to cry uncontrollably. This didn’t fool Loni one bit; she knew it was a stall tactic. She needed Dr. Behl to admit to some wrong doings and to incriminate members of the Effort. She once again pressed the gun to her head and silently waited until the woman complied. But the doctor just kneeled there and continued crying.

  “Okay, start talking you weasel,” Loni screamed at her. “I’m only going to give you a couple of seconds to start talking.

  “You know everything that went on inside the house has been recorded and a live feed sent back to Homeland Security,” Dr. Behl suddenly said with hatred in her eyes. “My men are on the way here and it is all recorded and…”

  “Shut up,” Loni cut her off. “Your right, it has all been recorded. But unfortunately for you, it was recorded by the FBI, not Homeland Security. We found all the bugs and replaced them with our own.”

  “But, but…,” Dr. Behl sputtered as she tried to think. Her eyes narrowed and she moved as quickly as a cat, suddenly swinging the arm containing the ashtray at Loni’s knees, attempting to disable her.

  Loni was ready for it and leaped into the air avoiding the swing, she then easily side-stepped another feeble attempt by Dr. Behl to disable her. She was like a matador fighting a tired bull. Dr. Behl fell forward from the momentum and wound up on all fours as Loni pounced. She rapid punched her in both kidneys putting the Doctor in intense pain. Loni then pulled her by her spiked orange hair back into a kneeling position.

  “You do realize that I am just playing with you, don’t you,” she told her as she pulled her head back and looked her straight in the eyes. “It would be so easy to just shoot you in the knee caps. But I’m giving you a chance.”

  Only a moan of pain exited the he
avy woman’s mouth.

  “Now, we could continue to play and cause your body serious damage or you could cooperate and get this over with — your choice,” Loni said.

  Grimacing in pain, Dr. Behl didn’t give up. “I know my rights. This is a gross violation of my human rights I want a lawyer,” Dr. Behl demanded as she tried one more time to stop Loni with intimidation. Loni slapped her hard in the face; she then looked up at the sky as if asking for permission. She placed the gun in the pocket in her dress and slapped the woman again with both hands, repeatedly. Dr. Behl finally got the message and became docile.

  “Alright, alright, stop abusing me. I’ll tell you what I know.”

  “Like you never abused anyone,” Loni snorted.

  ***

  The rest of the team stood at the window in the family room and watched Loni work.

  “Do you think the rest of the plan will work?” Maya asked with her arms folded as she studied the events outside.

  “Well, we will have the tapes to blackmail her if she doesn’t cooperate. She is a loose cannon through,” Banyon remarked.

  “The deck idea was genius,” Agent Gamble said as he clapped Banyon on his back.

  “Thanks,” he responded.

  “We will have a copy of the audio, but it is also still broadcasting live back to Homeland Security and I suspect also to the Effort. There will be a lot of damage control needed for Dr. Behl, I imagine,” Banyon reasoned. The FBI agents had left the live feed for Homeland Security untouched on the outside deck on purpose.

  “Yeah, I think that Doctor Barbara Behl is finished as an agent of the cause,” Maya noted and clapped her hands in joy.

  ***

  Back outside, Loni was getting down to asking questions.

  “Who gives you your Effort assignments?”

  She hesitated, but suddenly spoke as Loni prepared to give her a backhand. “Actually, I work for my grandfather, no one else. He gives me my orders; everyone else is just back up to help me.”

  “His name?”