The Lucifer Code (2010)

by Charles Brokaw

  Cleena sat on the other side of the table and gazed up at the television behind the bar. ‘It’s you everyone is after.’

  Lourds tried to turn his attention back to his work, but Cleena sat across from him and he was too aware of her gender to ignore her. He looked back at her and watched as she calmly ate a piece of kabak mucveri, Turkish zucchini fritters, and sipped her bottled water.

  ‘All right.’ Turning his attention back to the manuscript, Lourds focused on his transcription once more. Sulking he could deal with. Sulking meant silence. Silence meant—

  ‘I can’t see how you don’t want to talk about this.’ Exasperation tightened Cleena’s voice.

  Lourds glanced at her in bewilderment.

  ‘You said you didn’t want to talk about this,’ he pointed out.

  ‘All right.’

  ‘But we have to. That doesn’t mean I’m going to enjoy it.’

  Sighing, knowing he wasn’t going to be allowed any peace if he didn’t listen to her and take whatever misery she wished to dole out, Lourds leaned back in his chair and took a sip of his beer. He’d opted for Elfes Pilsen, a local lager brewed in Izmir that he’d found particularly pleasing.

  ‘Do you realize the trouble you’re in?’ she asked.

  ‘You mean with the local police?’ Lourds countered. ‘Or the United States State Department, who I suspect is working with the local CIA? Or Qayin and his troops? Or the paramilitary unit that tried to kill us at the university a few minutes ago. I can’t guess at who they might be working for. That trouble?’

  Cleena hesitated. ‘Yes. That trouble.’

  Lourds studied her. ‘You’ve already known about this trouble. There’s something you’re not telling me.’

  Cleena leaned back and broke eye contact. ‘No there’s not.’

  ‘Why were you at the university today?’

  ‘I told you. I was tailing you.’

  ‘For whom?’

  ‘No one.’

  ‘I don’t believe you were there on your own.’

  ‘Why?’ Fire glinted in Cleena’s eyes. ‘Don’t you think I’m smart enough to figure out there’s a pay out

  Lourds placed a hand on the book. ‘You haven’t tried to take it.’

  Cleena looked sullen but didn’t say anything.

  ‘My guess is that you haven’t a clue about whom to take this to in order to sell it. Or even what it’s worth.’

  ‘I could sell it to Qayin.’

  Lourds smiled. ‘And he proved so trustworthy the first time.’

  She said a particularly bad word only loud enough for Lourds to hear her.

  ‘And I don’t think the men back at the university are looking for more partners,’ Lourds said. ‘Not to mention the fact that you’ve pretty much burned that bridge by shooting a few of them.’

  ‘There are other collectors.’

  ‘A collector wouldn’t be interested in this manuscript unless he—’

  ‘Or she.’

  Lourds acknowledged the response with a nod, but he knew she only delivered it to be more annoying. ‘Or she knew the story behind the book. Which you also don’t know.’

  Cleena grimaced at him. ‘Enjoying your little secrets, Professor?’

  ‘I think we all are.’ He took another sip of his beer and leaned across the table. ‘And then there is the

  She drained her water bottle and stood. ‘I’m going to get a refill. Want one?’

  ‘Please. If you think you can refrain from spitting in it.’

  ‘Actually, I hadn’t thought about it. Until now.’ She headed for the bar.

  Lourds watched her go and admired the twitch of her lean hips. The motion was definitely hypnotic and intriguing.

  Olympia slid into the chair next to him and shook her head. ‘My God, Thomas. You haven’t changed a whit. Here we are running for our lives, not to mention that you’ve been keeping me company in bed the last few days, and you’re ogling that young girl as though this was your last day on earth.’

  ‘Sorry.’ Lourds felt his face flush with heat. ‘Ogling is one of those male traits that I’m afraid is hardwired into every cell of my being. I didn’t mean to be disrespectful.’

  She smiled at him. ‘No disrespect taken. I’ve known what you were from the day I met you. That’s been part of the attraction, actually.’

  Lourds lifted an enquiring eyebrow.

  ‘A red-blooded male who doesn’t feel the need to take over or change your life is the dream of many professional women,’ Olympia explained. ‘The fact that you’re a tender and caring lover is a bonus.’

  ‘Well, I’m glad you feel that way.’

  don’t understand is how you can let some lovely little girl twist your head round when you should be concentrating on keeping it firmly on your shoulders. After all, there seems to be no shortage of people willing to remove it for you.’

  ‘Not all of my interest is in ogling,’ Lourds said. ‘I’m concentrating fully – well, almost fully – on the task of surviving this debacle. That young lady presents mysteries – and perhaps dangers – of her own.’

  Olympia sipped her wine and gazed at Cleena. ‘Like for whom she works?’

  ‘Exactly.’

  ‘She was working for Qayin. But that’s obviously over, isn’t it?’

  ‘Qayin didn’t want to see her survive their first joint venture,’ Lourds replied. ‘I don’t see a future version of that partnership in the offing.’

  ‘Then do you suspect she’s here on her own at this juncture?’

  Lourds shook his head. ‘She’s working with someone, but I don’t think it’s who she’s working for. She’s a professional. A professional wouldn’t have an investment in this. There’s too much she doesn’t know.’

  ‘She’d be better off getting clear of the city. And us.’

  ‘I agree.’

  ‘Then why isn’t she?’

  ‘Because,’ Lourds said, ‘for whatever reason, she doesn’t have a choice. An investment is there and she’s not happy about it.’ He smiled at Olympia. ‘I really think that’s one of the reasons she doesn’t like me.’

  ‘No. She’s already made it quite clear that she isn’t interested.’

  Tsking with feigned sympathy, Olympia trailed her fingers through his hair. ‘Oh, you poor dear. That must have hurt deeply.’

  ‘I’ll live. But the question remains, what do we do with her?’

  Olympia drew her hand back and raised her eyebrows in surprise. ‘You’re actually thinking of letting her accompany us?’

  ‘Unless I can figure out everything involved with this book, us isn’t going to be going anywhere.’

  ‘Nonsense. You’ll figure this out. I have faith in you. That’s why I asked you to come.’

  Lourds gestured at the television hanging over the bar. Scenes from the university played again, followed by still photographs of Olympia and Lourds.

  ‘We’re running out of clock,’ he said.

  ‘Personally, I think we need to ditch her. I know the kind of woman she is. She’ll only bring you – us – trouble.’

  Lourds pierced her with his gaze and he spoke in a low, friendly tone. ‘I suppose it doesn’t strike you that the same could be said about you? You brought me here and immersed me in this whole fiasco, and very nearly got me killed without giving me a choice in the matter.’

  Olympia’s features softened and she looked guilty. She smoothed a stray lock of hair from Lourds’

  Lourds captured her hand and tenderly kissed her palm. ‘I don’t doubt that for a moment, Olympia. And I have to admit, I find this quite exhilarating. This is the kind of work I’m meant to do.’

  ‘Like with the Atlantis search?’

  Lourds smiled. ‘I rather hope this doesn’t turn out to be that dangerous.’

  ‘The fate of the world,’ she reminded him.

  ‘I cling to the belief the case is rather overstated. After all, nearly two thousand years have passed. Surely the stakes have been exag
gerated by the passage of time.’

  Olympia glanced back at the bar. ‘Either way, that young woman’s going to complicate matters if she stays around.’

  At the bar, Lourds saw Cleena watching their reflections in the mirror. She was talking, but he knew she wasn’t talking to herself.

  ‘She stays,’ he declared.

  ‘That may not be your decision to make,’ Olympia replied.

  Lourds waited a beat. ‘If you want me working with you, Olympia, this is how we’ll do it.’

  His sudden resoluteness about the subject caused her to cock her head in surprise. ‘And if I say no?’

  ‘Then I’ll take what I already know and continue working on my own. I’m quite hooked on this project – as you doubtless counted on.’

  ‘Then,’ Lourds said, ‘I’ll find out if news agencies are interested in this book and the story behind it. The fate of the world, and all that.’

  ‘You wouldn’t.’ Olympia looked shocked and pulled her hand free of his.

  ‘You know me. You know I would. If I talk loudly enough long enough, especially about an artefact written by John of Patmos, the Turkish government may see fit to invite me back in and give me whatever resources I need to see this project through to completion.’

  ‘You’ve never been a blackmailer.’

  ‘With you, no. And I do hope it doesn’t come to that. But there is the matter of me getting shot at and taken captive. And all the curiosity you’ve built up without quite ever telling me everything you know.’ Lourds paused. ‘At this point, I’ll do what I have to.’

  ‘You can’t.’

  ‘Because the fate of the world depends on finding the Joy Scroll?’

  Olympia didn’t answer.

  ‘You can’t have it both ways, love. Either this document needs to be found quickly, and I’m the right man to do the job, or neither of those things is true. Which is it?’

  Obviously angry, Olympia folded her arms. ‘Bringing her along is going to be dangerous.’

  ‘Having her dogging our trail would be dangerous as well. For her and for us. If she’s with us, we can at

  At the bar, Cleena paid for the drinks, then turned and came back to the table. As she sat down, she looked at Lourds and Olympia. The tension between them was palpable and showed in the woman’s tense posture. Evidently things hadn’t gone as the lady professor had planned. That pleased Cleena no end.

  ‘Lover’s quarrel while I was gone?’ Cleena asked.

  ‘Not hardly.’ Lourds accepted his new beer and surreptitiously examined the surface for any signs of foreign materials.

  ‘Please.’ Cleena rolled her eyes. ‘I’m not that juvenile.’

  ‘You have acknowledged that you’re incredibly young,’ Lourds pointed out.

  ‘We were discussing the possibility of you coming with us,’ Olympia stated bluntly.

  ‘That isn’t a possibility,’ Cleena replied. ‘That’s a fact.’

  Olympia smiled sweetly, as if butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth. ‘We weren’t sure if you still wanted to go after everything that’s happened.’

  Calmly, Cleena met the older woman’s gaze full measure. ‘Are you thinking about dropping out of this little treasure hunt?’

  treasure hunt.’

  ‘Whatever.’ Cleena flicked her gaze to the book in front of Lourds. ‘But I’m betting you didn’t invite the professor over for a little slap and tickle and a wild goose chase.’

  Crimson briefly coloured Olympia’s cheeks before she regained her composure. ‘What Thomas and I have between us isn’t so cavalier as you propose.’

  ‘Please,’ Cleena protested. ‘I’m trying to keep my drink down. What you and the professor do in the sanctity of your borrowed hotel room isn’t any business of mine.’

  ‘Yet you were a peeping Tom.’

  She has you there, Sevki said into Cleena’s ear. Cleena’s face burned for just a moment.

  ‘Learn anything?’ Olympia taunted.

  ‘Only that wine and cheese are probably the only things that get better with age.’

  Oh, that’s cold, Sevki said.

  Looking both irritated and discomforted, Lourds cleared his throat. ‘Ladies, perhaps we should stick to the agenda.’

  Olympia crossed her arms and glared at Cleena. ‘If you’re looking for some sort of profit, you’re going to be sadly mistaken.’

  Cleena sipped her water. ‘I know you and I don’t hang out in the same social circles, but I can tell you one thing I’ve learnt, and that is that people don’t kill each other for nothing. Whatever this thing is you’re

  That, she knew, was inarguable.

  Lourds followed Olympia through the narrow streets. Many of the older buildings were in their original unaltered state and dated back several centuries despite the times the city had been conquered. Street vendors occupied corners and hawked their wares.

  Galata had been colonized by the Republic of Genoa in 1273. According to legend, the name had been taken from Calata, which roughly translated as ‘downward slope’. The city had also been called Pera, taken from an old Greek name that meant ‘the fig field on the other side’, referring to the Bosphorus between the two halves of the city. Most of the walls of the medieval city had been torn down first during the Fourth Crusade, when Christians fought Christians and the line had been drawn between the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church. The remaining walls had nearly all been destroyed under Muslim rule in the nineteenth century to allow further urban expansion.

  Glancing over his shoulder, he checked on Cleena. The young woman trailed him by a couple of strides and looked alert. She’d pulled her hair back into a ponytail.

  ‘Have you been to Istanbul before?’ he asked.

  She glanced at him. ‘Making conversation?’

  Lourds shrugged.

  ‘I love the older parts. This city has a lot of history written into it.’

  ‘Is that what this hunt is all about? History?’

  ‘Yes.’

  Cleena smiled at him. ‘But you’re not saying which history. The Greeks, the Romans or the Ottoman Empire.’

  ‘Many other cultures have lived here,’ Lourds replied.

  ‘But those are the big three.’

  ‘So they are.’

  They paused at the ruins of the Palace of the Genoese, which was called the Palazzo del Commune, the Palace of the Municipality behind Bankalar Caddesi on Banks Street, which featured several Ottoman-era finance structures.

  ‘What have you learned from the book?’

  Lourds stepped round a small group of children playing at the curb. ‘Maybe this isn’t the time to talk about it.’

  ‘Really? I was thinking this was the perfect time. You know, before we get to wherever we’re going?’

  Lourds resettled his hat on his head and shifted his backpack over his shoulders. He didn’t say anything.

  ‘You do know where we’re going, don’t you?’ Cleena asked. ‘Your girlfriend did tell you, didn’t she?’

  ‘Somewhere safe,’ Lourds replied. ‘I’m also quite sure that Professor Adnan wouldn’t appreciate being referred to as my girlfriend.’

  Lourds chose not to respond.

  ‘This place we’re heading, is it somewhere you think is safe? Or somewhere she thinks is safe?’ Cleena asked.

  Lourds was certain that no matter what he answered, it was going to lead to an argument.

  At that moment, six men gathered round a cart of melons turned towards the trio. Lourds caught sight of them from the corner of his eye. Cleena spotted the men as well and reached under the lightweight shirt she had hanging outside her jeans.

  ‘Don’t!’ Olympia ordered. She walked back towards Lourds and Cleena.

  Adrenaline cascaded through Lourds’ bloodstream at the men’s approach. He sought the quickest avenue of escape, but the street was packed.

  Cleena had her pistol in hand out of sight beside her thigh.

  ‘They’re friends.’ Olympia steppe
d between the men and Cleena.

  Personally, Lourds thought that an extremely foolish move. Cleena probably wouldn’t hesitate to shoot Olympia first. Before he could stop himself, Lourds stepped between Olympia and Cleena. Now this – this is stupid.

  ‘Perhaps,’ he suggested while mentally chastising himself, ‘you could introduce us to your friends …’ His voice trailed off as he recognized one of the young

  ‘Thomas,’ Olympia said almost brightly, ‘I suppose you’ve already met Joachim.’

  ‘Not formally, no.’ Lourds didn’t know whether to extend a hand in greeting or take a step back. Only that would have made him an even bigger target for Cleena.

  Joachim kept his face sombre and nodded. ‘Good afternoon, Professor Lourds. You have been highly spoken of.’

  ‘Thank you. I wish I could say the same of you.’

  Olympia took the young man by the arm and smiled. For a brief instant, something close to jealousy flared through Lourds.

  ‘I know you’ve never met,’ Olympia said. ‘But I’m glad the two of you do have this chance. I just wish it had been under better circumstances.’

  ‘What does he have to do with this?’ Lourds asked.

  ‘Joachim is going to help us,’ Olympia explained.

  ‘How do you know that you can trust him?’ Cleena asked.

  ‘Because Joachim is my brother.’

  Now that he was given more time and wasn’t as stressed out, Lourds could see the family resemblance between Olympia and Joachim. Her brother was younger than

  After meeting them in the street, Joachim had guided them to an apartment building. He had rooms set up on the third floor. In addition to sleeping quarters for Lourds, Olympia, Cleena and the men, there was a sizeable kitchen and dining room, as well as a large room equipped with a conference table and computer hardware, including a satellite uplink.

  ‘Have you eaten, Professor Lourds?’ Joachim asked politely.

  ‘Not since breakfast with your sister,’ Lourds answered. ‘I had planned to take her to dinner before we were interrupted at the university.’ He put his backpack on the floor next to one of the chairs at the conference table.