Siminsky threw his hands in the air. “But where’s the research? Where are her publications?”
“I’ll have a talk with her—”
Siminsky shook his head. “I don’t think that’s going to cut it, Max. I hate to pull rank, but given your personal relationship with the woman, it doesn’t seem like you’re willing to make the hard choices.”
“So you’re going to make it for me?”
“No, at least not yet. Look, like I said, I trust you. I fully believe that you had the best interests of this institution and its students in mind when you hired her. That’s why I’m willing to give her an opportunity. I’m planning to schedule a faculty board review, where Elisa can feel free to present her case for remaining at Burroughs. If it goes well, we’ll renew her contract and, provided she meets her obligations, we can have a discussion about moving her from adjunct into a more permanent position.”
Max smiled at this. “Thank you, Art. I promise that she won’t disappoint you.”
“I really hope she doesn’t, because this isn’t a discussion I want to have again.” Siminsky shook his head and looked at the computer. “It’s completely beyond me why a woman who is this impressive would drop the ball in such a spectacular manner. I mean really, Max, this is somewhat beyond the pale. I mean, what the hell does she do on these research trips of hers?”
CHAPTER THREE
Elisa and Asami climbed inside the chopper where three men sat inside. One of them rolled up the ladder while another held an assault rifle aimed at the ship. The two women sat beside each other, across from the third man, who wore a black suit, shirt and silver tie. Even seated across from them, it was obvious that he was a tall man, and strong. His short, blond hair was cropped close to his head.
“Which one of you is Elisa Hill?” he asked.
“Who’s asking?” was Elisa’s response.
“Roland Palmer,” he said. “So, was it worth it?”
Elisa reached into the pocket of her jacket and pulled out the Hand of Glory. Asami grinned. “Nice pull.”
“Not my first rodeo.” Elisa saw the gunner moving inside beside Roland, setting the rifle between his legs. The one who held the ladder for them was about to close the door. “Hold it for a second.”
“What are you doing?” asked Roland.
Elisa threw the Hand of Glory from the chopper and watched as it fell into the water below. She sat back down and nodded to Roland’s man, who closed the door.
“All that just to throw it away?” asked Roland.
“Trust me, it’s better off at the bottom of the sea.” Elisa turned her full attention to Roland. “Don’t get me wrong, Mr. Palmer. I’m—we’re—grateful for your assistance, but the question is what’s in it for you?”
“My employer requests an audience.”
***
The helicopter landed at a small airfield in the Philippines. Roland was the first to disembark and he offered his hand to help Elisa out. She accepted the gesture but when he offered the same gesture to Asami, she laughed in his face and hopped out of her own accord. Elisa folded her arms across her chest and stared at Roland.
“So your employer. He wants to speak with me? About what?”
“That’s information he would like to relay to you in private.”
“Great, so where is he?”
“At his home in Nassau.”
Elisa scoffed. “We’re a bit far from the Caribbean.”
“I know, I’m aware.” Roland turned and gestured to a small aircraft not far off on the tarmac. “That’s why he’s provided us the use of his private jet.”
“How do we know this isn’t a trap?” asked Asami.
Roland snickered. “If we wanted you dead, we would have left you on that ship.”
“How’d you find us any way?” asked Elisa.
“The plan was actually to meet with you in the States. But before I could reach you, we heard that you’d departed for Malaysia. One of our operatives got word of the Triads purchasing a Hand of Glory and it didn’t take much to figure out where you would be. We would have waited for you to return to America, but my employer said time was a factor and we were also concerned your life might be in danger.”
“You were right about that, Skippy,” said Asami.
“Now, if you don’t mind…?” Roland gestured to the plane once again.
Elisa shook her head. “I’m not setting foot on that plane until you tell me who your employer is and why he wants to meet with me.”
“I can tell you what I do know,” said Roland. “I represent Sebastian Clarke.”
Elisa shrugged. “I have absolutely no idea who that is.”
“I’m not surprised, Mr. Clarke isn’t one for publicity.” Roland flashed a grin. “As for why he wants to meet with you, he’s a rare book collector. He would like to consult with you on a particularly unique item and he believes your…background makes you an invaluable asset.”
“I’m not a book appraiser, Mr. Palmer.”
“No, but you are a myth hunter, and it’s in this capacity that Mr. Clarke would like to speak with you. He’s on the verge of acquiring a book with a history of fakes and would like your expert opinion. Come with me to Nassau—both you and your partner—and just meet with him. If you don’t like what he has to say, we’ll fly you back to the States and compensate you for your trouble.”
“Well, you did save our lives, so suppose I owe you for that.” Elisa looked at Asami. “What do you think?”
“A free trip to the Bahamas? You’d have to be crazy to turn that down.”
“Excellent, follow me.” Roland led them to the plane where a staircase was already waiting for them. He was the first to board and Asami and Elisa followed his lead.
The plane was certainly big enough for three people. There were leather-backed seats and couches as well as three tablets resting on one of the larger tables with connected earphones. Roland motioned to these.
“Please make yourselves at home. The tablets have access to a pretty diverse selection of movies and TV shows. It’s a long flight, so try to relax as best as possible.”
Elisa and Asami each took a tablet and claimed a seat as their own. Roland took the third tablet and sat towards the back of the plane. A small door at the rear opened and a stewardess stepped inside the cabin.
“We’re going to prepare for departure soon. Would anyone care for a drink before take-off?”
“I’ll have a bourbon on the rocks.” Roland glanced at his guests. “Ladies?”
“The same,” said Asami.
“You don’t happen to have any Demerara rum, do you?” asked Elisa.
The stewardess’ eyes rolled up in her head as she tried to recall. “I…don’t think so. We’ve got Bacardi.”
“That’ll be fine then.”
The stewardess gave a smile and said, “I’ll be right back,” before disappearing into the back room.
Asami cast a curious glance at her partner. “Why would you ask for Demerara?”
“This whole situation seems like the kind of thing that would happen to an acquaintance of mine. Demerara’s his drink of choice,” said Elisa.
“Anyone I know?” asked Asami.
Elisa smirked. “It’s possible. He’s not a myth hunter per se, but his jobs do bring him into similar circumstances as ours.”
The stewardess brought them their drinks before take-off as promised and it wasn’t long before the plane was in the air. Almost immediately after take-off, Roland had dozed off. The tablet had completely captured Asami’s attention for the first few hours, while Elisa barely touched hers, staring out the window. Asami eventually looked up from her handheld entertainment and saw her friend gazing at the stars. She closed the tablet’s cover and got up from her seat, moving into the one beside Elisa.
“Feeling okay?”
Elisa faked a smile. “Yeah.”
Asami fidgeted in her seat. “You’re a terrible liar.”
Elisa chuckled. “Oka
y, so maybe I am.” She looked back at Roland to confirm he was still asleep, then spoke in a whisper. “Maybe I’m just being paranoid, but this whole thing seems a little iffy, doesn’t it?”
“You’re right, you are paranoid.”
Elisa rolled her eyes. “Thanks.”
“Doesn’t mean you’re wrong, though,” said Asami. “Paranoia’s kept me alive this long.”
“Speaking of, how was your trip back home?” asked Elisa. Asami had recently spent some time in Japan before meeting Elisa in Malaysia.
Asami sighed. “That’s a whole other story… Might be something important, though. I’ll fill you in later.”
“Sure, your choice,” said Elisa.
CHAPTER FOUR
Roland arranged for a limousine to meet them at the airfield in Nassau. It took them to a large mansion in New Providence on the waterfront. The estate was opulent in every sense of the word, with armed guards patrolling the grounds. The limousine came to a stop in front of the marble stairs leading up to the front entrance, where the driver let them out at the curb.
Roland led the pair inside the home, moving about its labyrinthine structure with a practiced knowledge that demonstrated his familiarity with the place. He brought them to a large library with a fireplace, leather chairs and sofas, and a massive collection of books.
“If you could just wait here, I’ll inform Mr. Clarke of your arrival,” said Roland before departing.
Once he’d gone, Asami plopped down in one of the chairs and allowed herself to sink into it. “A girl could get used to this.”
Elisa examined the books lining the floor-to-ceiling cases. “Speak for yourself. If I had a house this big, don’t think I would ever find a purpose for half the rooms here.”
“That’s because you’re practical. Most of these rich folks, it’s more about status than function.”
“More money than sense as my dad would say.” Elisa removed one of the books and examined it. Leather-backed with fragile pages that she had to handle with care as she turned them. “Roland wasn’t kidding about the collection, though. Most of these are extremely rare, some of them first editions. And they all seem to be devoted to one subject in particular.”
Asami tipped her hat back with a finger. “Which is?”
Elisa set the book back in its place. “The occult. No wonder he wanted a myth hunter.”
“You are quite correct.”
Elisa turned to the sound of the voice that echoed through the library and Asami stood from her chair. Roland stood at the double doors leading into the room and in front of him was a man in a motorized wheelchair. Plastic tubes inserted into his nostrils were connected to an oxygen tank affixed to the back of his chair and his gray hair had thinned considerably. The skin on his face was loose and wrinkled, lined with liver spots. He was extremely frail and looked like all it would take was a strong wind to knock him over. But still, he was dressed immaculately in a fine, dark suit. His right hand gripped a control stick on the armrest of his chair and with a push, the chair moved closer to them.
“Thank you for accepting my invitation, Ms. Hill. I am Sebastian Clarke.”
Elisa met him halfway at which point the old man struggled slightly to extend his right arm. She took his hand carefully in her own and gave it a slight shake. “Call me Elisa.” She gestured to Roland with a nod. “I’ve been told you’d like me to consult with you on a book?”
“Yes, well…about that.” Sebastian clasped his hands together and rested them in his lap. “Roland was not quite upfront with you about the nature of my request.”
“Why not?” asked Elisa.
“Because that was my instruction,” said Sebastian. “There is a book and I will need to verify its authenticity. But I do not yet possess it. That is why I’ve asked you here.”
“So what’s with the cloak and dagger routine?” asked Asami. “You want something, just come out with it.”
“I feared had Roland informed Elisa of the book I seek, she would have simply laughed in his face and refused outright,” said Sebastian. “You see, the book I am searching for has its very existence in dispute.”
“And what book is it?” asked Elisa.
“The Necronomicon.”
When Sebastian said Elisa would have laughed at the mention of the book, she had promised herself that she would maintain her composure, no matter how ridiculous it seemed. Still, she couldn’t help the chortle that escaped her mouth once she heard the name Necronomicon. She covered her mouth almost instantly to quiet herself.
“That’s precisely the reaction I expected,” said Sebastian.
“I apologize, Mr. Clarke,” said Elisa.
“No need.” Sebastian held up a hand and smiled. “I’ve spent the latter half of my life searching for it and I’ve been on the receiving end of that particular reaction more times than I’d care to count.”
“With good reason,” said Elisa. “I’m not sure what you’ve heard, but the Necronomicon was an invention of HP Lovecraft. He admitted as much on more than one occasion.”
“I’m aware of Lovecraft’s public position on this matter. But yet controversy still exists.”
“Probably the same people who say America never put a man on the moon,” said Asami.
“I can’t help you, Mr. Clarke. I’m afraid you’ve wasted your time,” said Elisa. “You’ll have to hire someone else to find it.”
“As a matter of fact, I already did,” said Sebastian. “Does the name Lucas Davalos sound familiar?”
Elisa’s body stiffened at the name. Asami’s ears also perked up. Elisa stepped closer to the old man. “Davalos is working for you?”
“Was.” Sebastian indicated to his right-hand man. “Roland here found him hiding out in Koh Tao. I promised Mr. Davalos one million dollars if he could obtain the book for me. He said he could and I paid him half in advance.”
“Then why me?” asked Elisa.
“Davalos has gone missing,” said Roland. “Hasn’t answered his phone and our attempts to locate him have proven fruitless.”
“I wish I could help you, but the last time I saw Lucas, he was about to go on the run from some pretty powerful people,” said Elisa.
“Yes, I am aware of his conflict with the Order,” said Sebastian. “This is why I’ve sought you out, Elisa. You know Davalos better than anyone else, and you yourself are a myth hunter of great regard. I want you to find him for me and, if it is not in his possession, the Necronomicon as well. In return, I’m prepared to offer you the same deal I offered him.”
Elisa sighed. “I appreciate your confidence, but I’m no miracle worker. I haven’t spoken to Lucas since he went on the run.”
“Surely you are aware of some contacts he might have utilized,” said Roland.
“That’s not the point. It’s not so much locating Lucas but the other part of the job,” said Elisa. “No matter what you may have heard, the Necronomicon is not real. I can’t find something that doesn’t exist.”
Sebastian rested his elbows on the armrests of his wheelchair and steepled his fingers. “They said the same of Lemuria, did they not?”
“Touché…” muttered Asami, a remark that drew an angry glare from Elisa.
“Say it’s true,” said Elisa, looking back at Sebastian. “Say the Necronomicon does exist. We’re talking about a book that is purported to be extremely dangerous. What exactly do you want it for?”
Sebastian swept his arm across his chest, his hand gesturing to the books that lined the library. “I’m a collector, Elisa. Books are my passion. But look at me—I’m not long for this world. I have a fortune but no family to speak of—never married, no children. If I were to acquire the Necronomicon, that would be my legacy.”
Asami sidled up beside Elisa and whispered in her ear. “Tell me you’re not buying into this crap.”
Elisa weighed her options. She couldn’t discount the facts, but Sebastian did have a point. Her parents were mocked for their belief in Lemuria, and ye
t she’d set foot on its shores. Who’s to say that the same wasn’t true of the Necronomicon? More than that, Lucas’ disappearance raised some red flags in her head. He’d gone rogue from the Order for her benefit, and if they’d tracked him down, she felt responsible.
“I’ll need a few days to think about it, if that’s okay,” she said.
Sebastian nodded in approval. “Of course. Roland will take you back to the airfield where my plane will take you wherever you wish to go. Please contact me once you’ve made your decision.” He held out his hand once more. “It was a pleasure meeting you.”
“Likewise.” Elisa shook his weak hand, although wasn’t too sure if either Sebastian’s words or hers were genuine.
CHAPTER FIVE
Max sat in a loveseat in Elisa’s living room, sipping a cup of hot coffee and thinking on the story Elisa and Asami just relayed to him of their meeting with Sebastian Clarke. He set the cup on the glass-surface coffee table in front of him. Asami laid with her legs across the length of the sofa that rested perpendicular to Max’s chair and Elisa sat forward in a loveseat directly across from him.
“Thoughts?” she asked.
Max clasped his hands, holding up his index fingers in front of his mouth. He kept his gaze steady on his protégé. “I think you already know what I’m going to say.”
Elisa sighed. “The Necronomicon is a fool’s errand. More than that, Lucas has betrayed me before. He’s a straight-up mercenary, only out for himself and if he is in danger, it’s well-deserved.”
Max nodded. “Very good.”
Elisa leaned forward. “But that’s not my position.”
“Which part?” asked Max.
“Clarke made a pretty convincing argument. For the longest time, everyone thought Lemuria was invented by James Churchward. But all three of us know different. Hell, I saw it with my own eyes.”
“True, but that doesn’t mean every fiction is worthy of investigation.”
“Why don’t you call up your boyfriend?” asked Asami. “If it’s real, the Freemasons will probably know about it.”
Curse of the Necronomicon (The Myth Hunter Book 3) Page 2
