"He is talking to someone," Nina whispered. Sam finished his cigarette and dropped it to the ground where he snuffed it with his boot sole. He leaned over Nina's shoulder, not too close to make her uncomfortable but close enough that she could pick up his scent on her hair. She wanted to close her eyes from the sensation, but Purdue had her interest locked.
There were two other men with him—large men who reminded Sam and Nina much of Ziv Blomstein. He seemed to be giving them orders and they nodded in the shadows as his elevator closed.
"I bet you the bastard has a cushy patch of luxury on the sub level," Sam whispered.
"I would have to concur," said Nina, "no way is he sharing it with his . . . employees, either. Asshole."
"Pardon, Dr. Gould and Mr. Cleave," a deep thunderous voice spoke from the rail of the balcony above them, "but Mr. Purdue asked us to lock up the quarters for the evening, if you don't mind." They started at the sudden appearance of the tall blond man who spoke with a heavy German accent.
"How did you know we were here?" Nina asked.
"We saw the orange burning of Mr. Cleave's cigarette from over there," he smiled coldly. "Those things will be the death of you . . ." he added and cast a special look of warning to Sam, ". . . especially if you smoke while you are hiding in the dark."
"Noted," Sam replied, and placed his hand lightly on Nina's back to usher her back inside. She and Sam exchanged glances of similar distrust for the undertone of their confinement and both of them felt the same menacing feeling they had when they were about to be killed in Antarctica.
"I don't like the smell of this," she whispered, as they paced down the corridor with the external door slamming hard behind them. The lock was fastened with a cold steely noise that voiced more of an imprisonment than closing quarters for the night.
"Me neither, Nina, but you have to keep in mind what magnitude of legend we are dealing with here. If anything in that book is accurate and Purdue chooses to entertain the potential of such a find, we are involved in one of the biggest discoveries of modern world history," Sam said.
"That fails to bring me any consolation, old boy," she answered, with a tone shivering with concern. As they got to Nina's door she opened it and turned in the doorway to look at Sam. He looked tired, but focused.
Sam took her by her upper arms and spoke softly, "Remember one thing—they need us. Nothing can happen to us while Purdue needs us, so don't think of updating your last will and testament just yet." He winked, but she found it annoying that the journalist had read her mind so effortlessly.
"I know, I know, but somehow I feel that the fuse is much shorter than we realize and I fear that since translating that book it seems to be burning down to the stick at an alarming rate, Sam," she caught her breath with her words.
"We are going to Nepal with him to see this thing through and soon we'll be laughing over a single malt about our unfounded paranoia while we wipe our asses with paper money," Sam feigned humor and lied to himself to cheer Nina up.
"I can see through your bullshit, Cleave," she said, and smiled, "but the ruse is appreciated nonetheless. Just . . ." He eagerly awaited her words. ". . . just refrain from fucking smoking around me." Sam chuckled and left her with a curtsy to try to get his night's rest.
They would soon depart for Nepal, as Purdue had suggested to them earlier. Both Nina and Sam could not help but infuse their brew of excitement with a tot of fear and uncertainty, but whatever happened, it would be a most interesting hunt that would shape both their futures or rob them of any.
☼
Chapter 14
"If I may, Mr. Purdue, what are we waiting for?" Sam asked suddenly, seeing as he and Nina had been eyeing each other with equal curiosity as to the delay in their flight to south central Asia and its waiting wonders.
"My bodyguard is on the way. I hope you don't mind waiting just a few more minutes. The weather is rather temperamental this morning," Purdue answered.
"No, of course we don't mind waiting a bit longer," Nina smiled, and nursed a hot mug of tea between her palms.
"We had no idea the weather would be this bad today," Purdue replied, looking up at the dark weeping skies through the panoramic window of the second-story buildings that overlooked the bare platform.
Nina frowned. Deep Sea One had the best weather prediction technology on earth—radar, sonar and satellite systems to boot—yet they had no idea that such a storm would break? She looked down on the workmen outside. They were fewer than the previous day's shift. Perhaps she was being too suspicious of everything Purdue ran, but the oil workers were decidedly inactive.
"I see you are running with a skeleton crew today," she mentioned, as she stood closer to Purdue.
"Oh, yes, we cannot run at full capacity in this weather. I would rather consider my men's safety before production. After all, it's not as if I need the money enough to put their lives in danger," the billionaire boasted with a smirk.
You certainly are a smooth asshole, Mr. Purdue, she thought to herself, while her mock-innocent smile deceived him. Sam was quiet and caught in his own world, but his dark eyes met hers for but a moment in agreement and she knew he was nurturing the same reservations.
"Ah! Here they are now," Purdue cheered and put down his cup.
A red and black Jet Ranger circled the platform, fading in and out of view as the gusts brought sheets of rain over Deep Sea One, obscuring the helicopter from view at intervals.
"Your bodyguard?" Sam asked, lamenting the prescience of another static shell of steroids and attitude keeping them all in line. Another lapdog following the mad explorer to the gates of folly and beyond was just what they needed to drain what little exhilaration welled in them for this expedition.
"That's correct, Mr. Cleave!" he heard Purdue's voice dwindling in the rush of the noise. "As soon as Gary refuels, we will be on our way to the airstrip and then off to India. Have your gear and luggage ready in thirty minutes!"
Nina raised her eyebrow, "Well, at least we won't be stuck on this godforsaken pile of rubble in the middle of the ocean anymore."
"Always the optimist, aren't you?" Sam teased.
"I just hope to God we don't have to deal with another misogynistic asshole swinging his dick every time he feels intimidated," Nina sighed.
"Rest assured, darling," a woman's voice chimed from the doorway behind them, "nothing intimidates me . . ."
Sam and Nina turned to find Calisto leaning against the doorway, her duffle bag slung over one shoulder and a protein bar in the other. Their jaws dropped at the sight of the beautiful dark-eyed woman with prominent cheekbones and broad shoulders. She took another bite of her protein bar and continued, ". . . and I keep my dick nicely tucked, Dr. Gould." Calisto winked at the petite lady and dropped her bag at her feet.
"So, when are we leaving?" she asked, with her cheeks stuffed.
Sam was deeply entertained, but Nina could not decide on an opinion of the powerful woman in the jeans and hoodie. Apparently she did not care to dress like Purdue's bodyguard either and her casual clothing forced Nina to feel a bit more at ease with her.
"I . . . I don't really . . ." Nina stuttered, still taken aback by the nonchalant bodyguard with the refreshing wit. Then again, compared to the late Ziv Blomstein the marble statues of Michelangelo had prolific personalities.
"Mr. Purdue said we leave in thirty," Sam chipped in to save Nina any more embarrassment. It was blatantly obvious that she was astonished by the presence of the robust security expert.
Calisto nodded in acknowledgment. An awkward silence between the three provoked Sam to introduce himself purely out of obligation, although he was certain that Calisto already knew who he was. Her handshake was firm and quick, not at all like the limp attempts of most ladies.
"Calisto Fernandez," she smiled, as she shook Nina's hand.
Over the vastness of the restless ocean the waves calmed and the gales tired somewhat, softening their rage to a mere moan. It was uncanny how the wea
ther stilled perceptibly around the oil rig.
"Welcome to Deep Sea One, Sergeant Fernandez," Purdue chimed, as he entered the room in haste. "Now does everyone have everything? We have already wasted enough time waiting out this bloody . . ." he looked out from the window and noticed for the first time that the fury had subsided, ". . . storm?"
"Yah, no, that ended rather abruptly," Nina noted.
"Strange. It showed up out of nowhere. Our weather computers showed no sign of any atmospheric turbulence whatsoever, and suddenly we were in the throes of it. Now it seems to have disappeared of its own accord," Purdue said.
"Almost as if it had a mind of its own," Sam gave his two cents.
"Spooky," Calisto mumbled through her last bit of protein bar.
Nina flashed her eyes at the strangely laid-back bodyguard.
"So you are a sergeant?" Sam asked.
"No, I was a sergeant, but Mr. Purdue insists on addressing me as such, so I'll pretend I don't mind," Calisto replied. It was her first serious remark since they had met her. Purdue stared at her for a moment, amazed that she voiced her dislike for the title in his company.
"You are quite fearless, Calisto. I thought your rank would give you a sense of authority and respect, does it not?" he said, as he packed the artifacts in an airtight box and placed it in his carryon bag.
"It reminds me of my mistakes, Mr. Purdue. That is all. You may address me as you please while I am in your employ," she reassured him with a nod and what might be construed as a half-assed smile.
"Very well, Sergeant Fernandez," Purdue reiterated his preference, "I am sure no matter what your rank, that you will do an equally splendid job at protecting our interests."
"And our asses," Sam added by himself. As Purdue and Nina left the room, Sam stepped back chivalrously for Calisto to pass. She looked behind him, examining his rear end and smiled, "Now that is an ass worth protecting."
Sam was left surprised—and smiling.
The trip to Nepal was well-planned by Mr. Eickhart and his associates. Purdue's Jet Ranger carried himself, Nina, Sam and Calisto to his private jet, which was awaiting them at Benningvale Airstrip just off Haddington in the remote countryside. Gary would travel with them to the Nepalese airfield secured by Eickhart from where they would travel to Nepalgunj by train. From there the party would continue on according to the clues Nina would interpret to find the supposed shrine in the mountain.
Nina had been harboring some deep concerns about any misinterpretation of the book's texts. Deep inside her she felt inept, even to a meager degree, afraid that she could fail at translating the scripts correctly. It placed a lot of stress on her performance, but she dared not voice her worry to anyone, not now, not even to Sam. What if she could not direct them to the correct area? Now, for the first time in her life Nina felt a bit out of her depth. She had great knowledge of dialects, basic linguistics and history, both contemporary and ancient. Her skill at recognizing symbols from old empires never failed her, yet she knew that she had now become the compass of the entire group and should she misinterpret even one equation or translate a single word erroneously, she would be in trouble. All she had to comfort her in her abilities was her strong common sense, her powers of deduction, which would support her near-perfect aptitude for figuring out the abstruse. Her eyes found the dark bodyguard who sat opposite her.
Calisto was quiet and absent. She stared from the helicopter window as if she was pushing distance between her past and her present with every mile that removed her from Scotland. It was surreal to her, that within mere days from being shot at and detained by Purdue's people, she was now employed, fed, comfortable and on her way to a sacred place deep in the Himalayas to find the location of one of the biggest legends in the world and be immersed in its glory. She found it wonderful and weird how one petty pursuit of burglary could bring her to this, and in so quick a stretch of time. Not a week ago she was in dire straits, in a position she could never tell anyone of, least of all the people on this helicopter.
Sam watched the two women while Purdue and Gary talked. It was odd for him to imagine Purdue having a leisurely couch-bound afternoon in the lounge, but, as the conversation went, apparently that was exactly how he liked spending the few days of the World Cup. It was positively unbelievable to see the billionaire as a sports fan. Sam would not be surprised if Purdue owned a few teams to get his fix. He would not put anything above him. Sam thought himself extremely fortunate. He thought of his friend, Paddy, and his intended move to MI6. He missed Bruich and wondered what havoc the cat had been wreaking in his house while Paddy was at work.
Nina looked disheartened, but he could not tell for sure. Now and then she would pretend to look out the opposite window to look at him, but he pretended he did not notice. Sam was just relieved that the feisty and emotional Dr. Gould spoke to him again. She was beautiful and smart with a lovely substance of character he really admired. In the bright light of the window her hair looked like velvet and her skin soft. Sam almost forgot that he was on the biggest expedition of his career. What amount of coverage Purdue would give him, he was unsure of, but it was worth the trip in every way.
He looked at the solemn expression of the new bodyguard and wondered what she was made of. Purdue did not simply grab anyone off the street to be his watchdog and he did not buy the whole sergeant thing either. There was more to her, Sam thought, than some rank she had abandoned for reasons unknown. With her hair tied tightly in a long braid she looked stern and merciless, every bone of her skull etching shadows in her face and temples. Sam found her crudely attractive and for a moment he wondered how many scars her body boasted, but then he uttered a deep sigh to make it go away and prevent him from an awkward position in the company of two ladies.
The Jet Ranger dipped from the influence of the air pocket and suddenly Nina, Sam and Calisto were alert and looking about.
"Sorry about that!" Purdue cried out from the copilot seat while Gary only sniggered with the throttle between his knees. He looked out from his side window and pointed downward for Purdue and his passengers to find the airstrip drawing a uniform line on the earth beneath them. Soon they would cross the borders of continents and countries to peek into the ancient past that cradled the mysteries of legend—of the knife that shanked a Nazarene and with that, took into it the brute power of gods.
☼
Chapter 15
After two days of continuous flying and occasional breaks to refuel and enjoy proper meals, the party arrived in Nepal, specifically Lumbini. It was an alien and beautiful world of temples, lying in the embrace of the Himalayan paradise sought out by explorers and tourists from all over the world. Exhausted, the five travelers stumbled from the jet before it was taxied back to the hidden hangar in the canopy of woodlands outside the town.
"I think a few hours of rest would be in order," Nina suggested, hoping that Purdue had the same idea.
"From your lips, darling," Calisto sighed, wincing at the discomfort of her bag's strap eating into her shoulder.
"What do you have in there, sergeant?" Sam chuckled. "An RPG?"
She laughed with him. But she laughed in such a manner as to suggest that Mr. Cleave was not far off in his assumption. Calisto looked at Nina and winked, leaving the historian to giggle in amusement at Sam's sudden realization, which subsequently removed his smile.
"Come on, everyone! Time is money. A night's rest here in the birthplace of the Buddha should do us all wonders, I think," Purdue called out, as he walked to their waiting car. It was a 4×4 with a canopy of tarp and iron bars, but the bed of the truck was lavishly laid out with ample cushioning and straps to secure the passengers comfortably.
"Fucking Purdue, thinks of everything, doesn't he?" Nina nudged Sam as they examined the back of the vehicle.
"Aye," Sam replied, with an impressed nod and reached for his dwindling pack of cigarettes to mark the occasion. Nina gasped. Her big eyes reminded him of the request not to smoke around her and he promptly re
placed the pack before it even came out of his pocket. He hung his head in disappointment and gestured with his arm for her to step onto the back of the truck. Gary joined them while Purdue sat in front with his guide, Jodh, who was driving. Calisto kept an eye on her employer from the back, sitting against the small window that divided the cab from the back. Her hand remained firmly in her bag, grasping something inside as they drove to their accommodations on the edge of town. Sam found himself spellbound by her hidden hand, but she ignored him in lieu of staying vigilant.
Calisto watched Jodh intently. She had received no intel on him subsequent to their arrival a few minutes ago. That made him a marked man in her eyes, until she was told differently. One positive trait of her paranoia was that she never got caught off-guard by betrayal, because she normally found every single person she encountered threatening in some degree.
Jodh did not look like a typical guide from Nepal. He was young and attractive, in his thirties. From what she could hear he spoke perfect English and wielded an impressive vocabulary. Even his choice of clothing was modern in the milieu of this country—jeans and Caterpillars, Ray Bans and a sports watch.
"What are you holding in there, sergeant?" Sam suddenly asked, drawing both Nina and Gary's attention to Calisto.
"How curious are you about that, Mr. journalist?" she asked in her teasing husky voice.
Nina scoffed at her flirting. Sam withdrew a little. He did not want Nina to think he was interested in the new female any more than he should be, but Gary did not hide his wide smile. The pilot peeked at her hand, "Is that a gun you are handling there?"
Calisto slowly pulled her hand free, revealing a palm full of jelly beans, which she shoved into her mouth.
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