The Dragon's Wing Enigma (The Arkana Archaeology Mystery Series Book 3)

by N. S. Wikarski

  “I...I just got back,” he stammered, taken by surprise. “One of the sentries said Hannah is missing.”

  “She’s gone, completely gone.” Annabeth giggled and then clapped her hands over her mouth.

  Daniel couldn’t help but notice her feverish jubilation.

  “Did she say anything to you while you were teaching her?” she asked.

  “No, not a word.” He tried to look innocent.

  Annabeth was too swept up in her own exultation to notice. “I wonder if that’s why she wanted you to teach her. So she could escape.”

  Daniel smiled thinly. “I don’t think she’d get very far in the Fallen Lands with nothing more than a fluent knowledge of Hebrew.” He paused as another thought struck him. “Has my father sent out a search party yet?”

  His wife nodded. “Oh yes. About an hour ago, as soon as he realized she was missing. He summoned everyone to the Worship Hall and told us all to search high and low. Then he sent the sentries to check the grounds outside the compound. But nobody can find her.” She ended her narrative with a smile of wonder. “It’s like she vanished into thin air.”

  Daniel made a move to depart. “I have to go, Annabeth. I must speak to my father.”

  She bobbed her head in agreement. “Oh yes, of course you must.” Then she laid a restraining hand on his arm. “But you will come to visit me again tonight, won’t you?”

  He kissed her on the cheek, feigning enthusiasm. “I promised, didn’t I?”

  ***

  Daniel found his father in his office, shouting orders at a half dozen men in sentry uniform.

  “I want you to comb the perimeter of the compound. Take every available vehicle. She must be on foot so she can’t have traveled far. Search the roads for ten miles around and then report back to me!”

  “Yes, Diviner.” They filed out smartly at his command, leaving Daniel behind.

  Once they were gone, the old man slumped forward in his chair and ran his fingers through his hair. He apparently hadn’t noticed the arrival of his son. “What can this mean? What can this mean?” he murmured to himself.

  “Father?” Daniel called out tentatively.

  “What?” Abraham jerked up his head and glared. Then his gaze softened when he recognized the speaker. “Oh, it’s you Daniel. Have you heard the news?”

  “I just returned from the library in the city but I was told of your wife’s disappearance by the guards.” Daniel felt like a man balancing himself on a tightrope. He dreaded his father’s penetrating stare because it was so good at stripping away pretense. For Hannah’s sake, the Scion hoped his newfound talent for deception wouldn’t desert him.

  “This is Satan’s doing,” the old man murmured, burying his head in his hands without a second glance at his son.

  “What?” Daniel hadn’t expected his father to draw that conclusion.

  “She couldn’t have thought of this on her own. She’s little more than a child.” Abraham sat up straighter. “No, this is the handiwork of the Evil One. Just as the devil persuaded her to lie about the state of your marriage, he beguiled her to wander away. Women are such weak creatures!”

  Daniel was startled, and secretly pleased, that his father had so grossly underestimated Hannah’s capacity for independent thought. Let him continue to think she was putty in the devil’s hands. It meant that Abraham wasn’t holding her responsible for her own actions. If she were ever caught, that might be to her advantage.

  His father continued. “This is one more proof that Satan knows of my plan to advance God’s kingdom on earth. Knows of it and is attempting to undermine me at every turn. First he sowed discontent among your wives and intended that their foul rumors should spread throughout the community. I defeated him by removing Hannah from their sinful company. Behold what tricks he tries now. He attempts to strike at me through my most favored possession—luring her to her own destruction. Not merely her but my unborn son as well.”

  “You know it’s a boy?” Daniel asked in surprise.

  “What else could it be?” The old man dismissed his comment with impatience. “I do not sire daughters.”

  Daniel offered no reply to his father’s ridiculous assertion.

  “I spoiled her and told her she was the jewel in my crown,” the old man mused. “One day she would have risen to be my principal wife. She had no reason to run away.”

  “No reason,” Daniel echoed, thinking to himself that Hannah hardly saw it that way.

  “That is why I know it was the devil’s doing but he will not succeed.” His father pounded a fist on the desk for emphasis. “No! I will grapple with my foe and defeat him. God’s plan for the Blessed Nephilim shall not be forestalled.”

  “No sir,” the Scion agreed.

  Abraham rose from his seat. “This event has revealed to me what is needed. I will take steps.”

  Daniel had no idea where his father’s thoughts were tending. “Sir?”

  Abraham glanced at him briefly before marching toward the door. “Satan is ever vigilant. I will show him that I can be more so. My eyes will never know sleep again!”

  Daniel relaxed visibly once Abraham left the room. The Scion realized he had no reason to fear his father’s suspicions after all. The Diviner had set his sights on a bigger target—one which would prove far more difficult to intimidate much less defeat. Without the relentless glare of his father’s attention, Daniel could stand on the sidelines and enjoy the show. The thought actually made him smile.

  Chapter 10 – Shopping For Information

  Hannah waited until nobody was looking to slip out the front entrance. She had spent two days at the place that was called a “maternity home” just to catch her breath and get her bearings but she knew she had to find another hiding place. Despite Daniel’s assurances, she was certain Abraham would find her if she stayed here. There was nobody in this maternity home who would care enough to come to her rescue. Even Daniel couldn’t help her for fear of being caught himself. As Hannah saw it, there was only one place where she might find an ally in the Fallen Lands. She intended to travel there to see if she was right.

  It was about two in the afternoon when the girl scurried to the next street corner and waited for one of the yellow cars called taxis. She had made good use of the computers at the maternity home to figure out a way to get where she needed to go. A canvas bag was slung over her shoulder which contained a map of the city and a slip of paper with an address. After about five minutes a car pulled over to the cab sign where she stood.

  The driver swiveled around in his seat to look at her. “Are you gonna get in or what?” He wore a stained grey tee-shirt. His chin was covered with razor stubble.

  Hannah made a move to open the front passenger door.

  “Not up front. It’s against regulations. In the back.”

  “I’m very sorry.” She blushed. There were so many things to learn.

  “Where to?” he asked.

  She slid across the back seat and handed the driver her little slip of paper. “Can you take me here?” she asked.

  He scanned the address and handed the slip back to her without speaking. Then he pulled the vehicle away from the curb.

  The girl bit her lip nervously. She didn’t know what awaited her at the end of this journey—perhaps something terrible if things didn’t go exactly right. She could wind up in worse peril than she had ever known from the Nephilim but she had to risk it anyway.

  The journey took a long time. Hannah guessed it might have been half an hour. The buildings were much taller in this part of town, except for the one where the driver stopped the car. It was a single story. He pulled over to the curb. She guessed this must be her destination.

  “How much?” she asked tentatively, reaching into her jeans pocket for the roll of bills Daniel had given her.

  “$22.50,” the driver said.

  She counted out the money as Daniel had taught her to do. “I’m sorry I don’t have any coins.” She handed the bills to the
driver and he gave her back two coins.

  “Well, thank you,” she said as she prepared to climb out.

  “What, no tip?” he demanded.

  Hannah grew flustered. It must be some odd Fallen Land custom she had violated. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what that means.”

  “Oh, you’re a riot,” the cabbie grumbled.

  She scuttled out of the vehicle, afraid that he might complain to the authorities and get her into trouble. The driver pulled his car away from the curb so fast that he made the tires squeal. Apparently, her behavior had offended him. She would have to look up what a tip was.

  Hannah turned her attention to the building in front of her. It was some sort of merchant shop with fine furniture displayed in the windows. She took a deep breath and pushed the door open. A little bell tinkled overhead. She advanced timidly past some display cases toward the back counter.

  A middle-aged woman with short dark hair emerged from an inner room. “Hello.” She smiled. “May I help you?” She had a kind face.

  “My name is Hannah,” the girl blurted out, not sure of proper etiquette among the Fallen. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  The woman smiled again and stepped around the counter toward her. “My name is Rhonda. It’s very nice to meet you too, Hannah. What can I do for you?”

  The girl launched into her prearranged story. “I came to pay my respects.”

  Rhonda frowned a second, trying to understand the comment. “Your respects? Respects for—” She caught herself. “Oh, you must have known Sybil.”

  “N...No,” the girl stammered. “I knew her sister. Cassie?” She uttered the name as if it were a question.

  “Oh, I see.” Rhonda seemed to want to reassure her. “I’m sure she would like to hear from you. It’s too bad you missed her. She was just here yesterday.”

  Hannah was flummoxed for a second. “You mean she isn’t dead?”

  “Dead!” Rhonda’s hand flew to her heart. “Wherever did you get the idea that she was dead?”

  “Somebody told me so,” Hannah offered simply.

  “Well, thank God they got it wrong! You must have been out of touch with her for quite a while.”

  “I went to school with her a long time ago.” Hannah lied. In comparison to all the other Nephilim rules which she had broken in the past few days, a lie seemed like a very small thing now.

  Rhonda didn’t appear to find the explanation strange. “Cassie certainly bounced around to a lot of schools.” The shopkeeper paused to study the girl. “You look quite a bit younger than she is though. Cassie’s almost twenty now.”

  Hannah thought quickly. “I was in school behind her class but she was nice to me and I remembered her.”

  “Then I’m sure she’d like to see you again.” Rhonda picked up a slip of paper and wrote something on it. “Here’s her address and a phone number.” She handed the note to Hannah.

  “I...I don’t have a phone.”

  Rhonda laughed. “Then you must be the only teenage girl in America who doesn’t.”

  “Really?” Hannah tried not to sound too surprised. She thought Rhonda might be interested to know that none of the other teenage girls in the Blessed Nephilim had phones either.

  “Why don’t you go over to Cassie’s place,” the shopkeeper suggested. “If she isn’t home you can probably wait by her door. I’m sure she’ll be back there soon.”

  Hannah thanked her and left the shop. As she waited for another cab it occurred to her that now she knew something that even Father Abraham didn’t know and he was supposed to know everything. This Cassie, whoever she might be, was still alive and probably still hunting those relics too. She wondered if Daniel would feel better, or worse, if he knew that.

  Chapter 11 – Head ‘Em Up, Move ‘Em Out

  It was well past dark before Leroy Hunt arrived at the compound. Something was different. He could feel it in the air—a buzz and a crackle that this sorry old cinderblock pile had never known before. There was no Miss Violet to greet him at the door. Instead he was shepherded along by a sentry from the main gate. People dressed in black and grey stood around whispering in corners. Much to his surprise, the sentry didn’t take him to Abe’s office nor to the dining hall. They stopped in a back corridor in front of a tiny little room. The door was open and inside stood Abe in a brown study.

  “Come in, Mr. Hunt, come in.”

  Hunt took the toothpick out of his mouth and put it in his jacket pocket. “What’s up, boss? Must be somethin’ important to roust a fella out after dark.”

  Metcalf regarded him with a haunted expression. “It is important, Mr. Hunt. One of my wives went missing today.”

  Leroy took his Stetson off and twirled the brim idly. “It’s a marvel to me how y’all could tell. Considerin’ how many better-halfs you got, a body would need to take roll call every night to figure out whos’s here and who ain’t.”

  The Diviner shot him a pained look. “It was my youngest wife, Hannah. This is her chamber.”

  “Her digs, huh?” Hunt’s eyes swept the room, taking in every detail. The neatly made bed. Folded clothing. Nothing appeared to be out of place. His eyes focused on a brown and white teddy bear resting on the quilt. He walked over, picked it up, and studied it for a few moments. Hazarding a guess, he asked, “She kinda on the young side?”

  “I believe she’s fourteen.”

  Leroy let out a low whistle. He chose not to comment on his employer’s taste in women. Instead he asked, “How long y’all been hitched?”

  “I beg your pardon?” Metcalf asked, bristling.

  “I mean how long you two been joined in wedded bliss?”

  “About four months, if memory serves.”

  Hunt set the teddy bear back in its place. “I don’t guess you called me out here just to shoot the breeze. What y’all want me to do?”

  Metcalf sat down heavily in the bed. “I want you to find her, Mr. Hunt. As soon as possible. She may be lost or injured.”

  Hunt tried to hide his irritation. “Now hold on, boss, I got my hands full with Daniel. I ain’t got time to chase down a filly that slipped her halter.”

  “You will do as I tell you,” Metcalf persisted stonily. “Daniel is not ready to travel yet. Until you are needed to accompany him, your assignment will be to find my Hannah.”

  “So y’all ain’t fixin’ to cut me out of trackin’ down your next doodad?” Leroy asked cautiously. He had his interests to protect and his interests required that he keep an eagle eye on the loot.

  The Diviner seemed distracted. He shrugged off the question. “Of course not! Your skills are necessary to the success of that expedition. You will be contacted when the time comes to travel.” Metcalf stood up and absent-mindedly picked up a Bible that had fallen to the floor next to the nightstand. “For now, I want you to focus on this room and see if you can find any clues as to her whereabouts.”

  Hunt chuckled. “I ain’t no Miss Marple, boss, but I’ll take a crack at it.” He strolled around the perimeter of the room, checking the closet, the bureau drawers, even peeking under the bed just to satisfy his employer.

  “Well,” Metcalf demanded. “What can you deduce?”

  Leroy flicked the carpet dust off his jacket. “For one thing, the gal didn’t leave in a hurry.”

  The Diviner strode over to face him. “You mean this was planned?”

  “Yup.” Hunt put his hat back on. “You had everybody searchin’ high and low inside the compound?”

  “Yes, and in the process someone discovered a hole dug near the back fence. She must have escaped that way so I’ve sent my guards to comb the countryside and the back roads for ten miles around as well.”

  Hunt gave a sardonic grin. “Boss, you ain’t thinkin’ right about this predicament.”

  Metcalf scowled. “What is that supposed to mean?”

  Leroy’s eyes traveled around the room once more. “This here room’s in apple pie order. Bed made and all. She took her time. Must’ve had
a plan worked out beforehand. You think a little gal who’s got a plan is gonna stand around in a field somewhere waitin’ to be picked off like a turkey durin’ bow season?”

  The Diviner backed down. “I see your point.”

  “The way I figure it, gal’s only got once chance. Head for the city and get lost in the crowd.”

  The old man blanched at those words. “The city! You mean she’s gone all the way to the Fallen Lands? Good God, not that!”

  Hunt shrugged. “That’s what I’d do if I wanted to disappear for good. You said your boys searched everywhere hereabouts and no sign of her. She probably legged it as far as the highway, hitched a ride to town and it’s adios Nephilim, hello Chicago.”

  Metcalf sank back down on the bed in shock. Apparently, the thought had never occurred to him that Hannah might have journeyed such a distance. He rubbed his forehead in dismay. “My son born in the Fallen Lands,” he murmured. “It would be an abomination!”

  Leroy considered him in amused silence for a few seconds. “So the little lady was carryin’ a package, huh?” He clapped his employer on the back. “Don’t you go frettin’, boss. You just made my job a trifle easier. There’s only a handful of places gonna take a runaway with a bun in the oven. Maybe I’ll pay ‘em a visit tomorrow. You got a picture of Miss Hannah for me to show around?”

  Metcalf reached mechanically into his jacket pocket and handed Hunt a small photo.

  The mercenary studied it with narrowed eyes. She was pretty for a youngster her age. The picture was kind of off-putting though. She was gripping a wedding bouquet in both hands with a dazed deer-in-the-headlights look on her face. Hunt folded the picture in half to hide the flowers. He forced himself to give a reassuring smile to the old man. “I’ll get right on this, boss. Don’t you worry.”

  “Find her, Mr. Hunt. And may God be with you.”

  Leroy tipped his hat and left. When he was out of earshot, he mumbled, “I surely have come down in the world if the best job a sharpshooter like me can get is roundin’ up livestock. Yippee ki yi yay! My momma’d be so proud.”