by R. D. Brady
“How come we didn’t find this when we were researching them before?” Jake asked.
“The Lotus Corp was hidden under a string of other businesses. It’s a huge knot to unravel. And it took our people a while.”
Unsaid was that Danny hadn’t been the one doing the search. If he had been, they probably would have discovered it sooner. But he, too, was being kept out of any dangerous undertakings. He was still working for the Chandler Group, but Henry made sure none of his projects touched on any Fallen-related activities—and right now, they weren’t sure whether or not that included Honu Keiki.
Laney took the tablet and expanded the picture. “It looks like they’ve built one building here.” She pointed to the screen.
“Zoom in on it,” Henry said.
Laney did. It was a brick building, only one story, with one door and no windows. And it looked to be only about twenty feet square.
“That’s awfully small for so much land,” Jake said.
“Unless…” Henry cocked an eyebrow at Laney.
Laney realized when Henry was suggesting. It can’t be. She looked up, knowing an expression of surprise was splashed across her face.
Henry’s voice was grave. “They’re building a bomb shelter.”
CHAPTER 15
Noriko sat on the couch with her head on Aaliyah’s shoulder. Aaliyah held her close. They had been sitting together for an hour, neither quite ready to let the other go—and neither truly able to believe that Kai was gone.
Finally, Noriko straightened and wiped away the tears on her cheeks. “What do we do now?”
Aaliyah pushed a stray hair back from Noriko’s forehead. “We continue doing what is best for our people. It is what Kai would want us to do.”
Tears sprang back into Noriko’s eyes. “What will he do? He’ll be all alone.”
Aaliyah took a shuddering breath, trying to hold back her own tears. The idea of Kai on his own broke her heart.
“Maybe he’ll seek out the ring bearer,” Noriko said.
Aaliyah’s head jerked up. “The ring bearer? What makes you say that?”
“I—I was coming to tell you. I was with the priestess when she received a note that the ring bearer had been trying to reach you.”
Alarm flashed through Aaliyah. “Does the priestess know you saw the note?”
Noriko shook her head. “No. I’m sure she doesn’t.”
Aaliyah put her hand to her chest, her heart racing. “Good, good.”
“I got the impression this wasn’t the first time she had tried to reach you.”
Aaliyah felt a spring of hope bloom inside her. The ring bearer hadn’t abandoned her. She took Noriko’s hand. “Do not tell anyone about this. It must remain between us.”
Noriko nodded. “What are you going to do?”
Aaliyah had a phone; Kai had picked it up for her on his last trip to the mainland. But she wasn’t ready to speak with Laney yet. Right now, she didn’t have any solid information to give her—just her own fears and speculations. She needed more. And when she had it, then she would lay it all out for the ring bearer—and pray there was something she could do to help them.
CHAPTER 16
Laney stared at the screen in disbelief. “It looks almost identical to Dom’s bomb shelter.”
Henry nodded. “We don’t know for sure that’s what it is, and of course no one from Honu Keiki will confirm or deny it. But their activity supports the idea. We’ve found purchases for the Lotus Corporation that range from basic bedding to seeds to building material to canned goods and water filtration systems. They also have entrances at other locations on their land.”
“I don’t understand. You think, what—they’re survivalists? Waiting for the end of days?” Laney asked. She hadn’t gotten that impression from Aaliyah at all, and the few reports generated on the group didn’t suggest anything along those lines either. Of course, they did have a ritual in their past called “the ritual of end and the beginning,” so it wasn’t out of the question.
“I don’t know,” Henry said. “But I’m concerned. Australia is in the Pacific, though—there has to be a Mu connection, right?”
A few months back, they had learned that Atlantis hadn’t been the world’s first civilization, but rather Lemuria was—the mother of all subsequent civilizations. The ancient archipelago had stretched across the Pacific from the cost of Chile to Easter Island, and remnants of the civilization could still be found all along the ring of fire. But precious little was known about it. Even Edgar Cayce had spoken very little about the ancient group. When pressed about their absence in his life readings, he’d explained that unlike the Atlanteans, the Lemurians had very little karmic debt to work off and therefore were not reincarnated as often. But what they did know was that the group’s philosophy was the same as that of the Children of the Law of One: anti-materialism, anti-war, and anti-cruelty.
Jake shook his head. “I’ve never heard of a link between Australia and Lemuria though."
“Well, there's nothing in the official history of course. And even with the unofficial history, there’s not a clear link.” Laney paused. “But the Australian aborigines—there might be something there. The Aborigines actually have one of the longest consistent histories of any group in existence today. They showed up on the shores of Australia a minimum of forty thousand years ago. There was at one point eight hundred thousand of them, and they settled in the coastal areas.”
“Until Captain James Cook and the Royal Navy showed up,” Jake said.
Laney nodded.
At Henry’s confused look, Jake explained. “Cook claimed the eastern coast of Australia in the name of King George III. And he claimed the land was terra nullis. It was recommended as a great location for a penal colony.”
Henry frowned. “Wait, terra nullis? Empty land? I thought there were Aborigines.”
“There were,” Jake said. “Like Laney said, eight hundred thousand of them. In fact, when the first ships approached the shores in 1788 with their immigrants, they were shocked at the line of natives watching them from the shoreline and angrily gesturing at them.
“Over time, one hundred sixty thousand prisoners from Great Britain were transported to the east coast of Australia. That migration ended in 1852, but by then other people had heard of Australia’s vast land. And gold was found in Australia in the 1850s, which attracted even more people. In fact, at one point one third of the world’s gold came from Australia.”
“I never knew that,” Laney said.
“But I’ve never heard of a Mu link,” Jake said. “Of course, when I learned about Australia’s early history, I wasn’t exactly looking for one.”
Laney shook her head. “Like I said, there’s not a clear-cut link. But the description of how the Aborigines lived aligns closely with what we’ve heard about Lemurians. They lived in communion with nature. They took no more from the land than what they needed. In fact, they didn’t even have homes. They wandered. They could work for only a few hours a day and survive very well. It was paradise. And they considered it their duty to protect both the land and the animals.”
“I’m guessing that all changed when the British arrived,” Henry said.
Jake nodded. “The British overfished, reduced the kangaroo population dramatically, cleared land, polluted water, and brought disease.”
Henry sat back. “Prior to that, the Aborigines must have been geographically protected from the diseases that affected the rest of the world.”
“They were,” Jake said. “They had no immunity to European diseases. Within a year of the British people’s arrival, half the natives in the Sydney basin were dead. And the British view of the Aborigines was akin to the early Americans’ view of African slaves: they saw them as an inferior race, little more than animals, and they could be killed without repercussion.”
“That’s horrible, although not really surprising for that time in history,” Henry said.
Laney knew Henry was right. Hi
story was full of man’s inhumanity to man. And modern day wasn’t always much better. ISIL took slaves in the Middle East in their march to the creation of a caliphate. The situation in Syria was a humanitarian nightmare. Even at home in the United States there were heartbreaking cases of child abuse that made you question how people could be so cruel. Back in upstate New York, Laney recalled one particularly cruel case where a young man had actually placed a newborn in a microwave and turned it on. What is wrong with us?
“But why is Honu Keiki building there?” Jake asked.
Henry shrugged. “With an operation of this size, they’re obviously preparing for something. They think something’s coming.”
“Is anybody living at their Australia compound now?” Laney asked.
“No. But they just finished construction a few days ago. The question is, are they just being paranoid? Or…”
Laney finished the thought for him. “Or do they know something we don’t?”
CHAPTER 17
As Laney headed down to her cottage, Henry’s discovery twisted and turned through her mind. The idea of the Honu Keiki creating an underground structure on a separate continent had her more than a little worried. She knew that most of the Honu Keiki had lived on the island of Malama for their entire lives, without once setting foot on any other land. So why would they create a separate structure almost six thousand miles away? What was their plan?
As soon as she was inside her cottage, she pulled open her laptop and placed a call to Honu Keiki. Her call was picked up by the same technician who had responded to all her other attempts to reach Aaliyah.
“Hi, Keon,” she said. “How are you?”
The man on the other side of the screen gave her a smile. “Hello, Dr. McPhearson. I’m well. How are you?”
“Good. Can I speak with Aaliyah?”
“I’m afraid she’s not available. But there is someone who would like to speak with you. If you’ll hold for a moment?”
Laney wondered who would be interested in speaking with her. “Of course.”
Keon disappeared, leaving Laney a view of his empty chair.
While she waited, Laney pulled out the map of Honu Keiki’s holdings in Perth. It really was extensive. Henry had had a structural engineer plot out how big an installation he thought it was. From the location of the three blast doors, they knew it was at least a half-acre in size. They didn’t know if that was tunnels or living space or what, but either way it was big. What are you up to?
On screen, a woman sat down in Keon’s chair. Her dark hair was pulled back severely and her eyes were penetrating. She inclined her head. “Dr. McPhearson.”
“Vanessa. Hi.” Vanessa was the head of security for Honu Keiki and not exactly a fan of Laney’s. In fact, Laney was pretty sure the woman was physically incapable of smiling—or even being polite. “I was looking for Aaliyah.”
“So we have heard. Dr. McPhearson, while the priestess appreciates your interest in our community, she would prefer if you waited until you were contacted. These constant phone calls are disruptive.”
“Constant? I’ve called three times in the last month. That’s hardly—”
“Good day, Dr. McPhearson.”
Vanessa disconnected the call. The screen froze on a shot of her reaching forward.
Laney stared at the screen in frustration. Goddamn it. She still couldn’t reach Aaliyah, and she was worried. Why couldn’t she speak with her?
The door opened behind her, and Jen walked in.
“Hey,” Laney said. “I didn’t know you were coming by today.”
“Well, I was taking Lou to see Dom, and thought I’d stop over.”
“Lou? Really?”
Jen grinned. “Yup. I swear, those cats are now my favorite living beings on the planet.”
“Well, I’d say that calls for a celebration.”
Jen raised an eyebrow. “What do you have in mind?”
“Ice cream.” Laney stood up. “Let’s go see what’s in the fridge.”
Jen laughed. “It’s not alcohol, but I’ll take it. What have you got?”
Laney opened the freezer. “Let’s see… Rocky Road or mint chocolate chip.”
“I’ll take both.” Jen pulled two bowls from the cabinet. She placed them on the island and then went still.
Laney frowned. “Jen?”
Jen didn’t move and didn’t say a word. Laney put the ice cream on the counter and went to Jen’s side. Jen was staring at Laney’s computer screen, where Vanessa was frozen in place.
Laney placed her hand on Jen’s arm. “Jen?”
Jen nudged her chin toward the computer screen. “Who is that?”
Laney looked between Jen and the screen. “Her name’s Vanessa. She’s the head of security for Honu Keiki. Why? Do you know her?”
Jen nodded her head slowly.
“Jen?”
Jen tore her gaze from the screen. “I think she’s my mom.”
CHAPTER 18
Aaliyah was on the other side of the island, looking for some peace. People had already been moved off the island, the worry was palpable, and Aaliyah had simply not been able to be around it. Her own emotions were too raw. She still couldn’t believe Kai was gone, and she was having trouble figuring out why she was still here. She had needed some time to get her head together.
But when Noriko tracked her down to let her know that the priestess had called a meeting of the High Council, she shoved those thoughts aside and hurried back to the temple.
Now she was late. Of course, I would have been on time if the priestess hadn’t waited to announce the meeting at the last minute.
She hastened up the steps. The two guards on duty opened the doors for her, and she nodded her thanks as she passed. She started to head toward the Council room, then made a quick detour to the bathroom, where she splashed water on her face and looked at herself in the mirror.
Stay calm and without emotion. You can’t help anyone if they see your anger.
She took a few calming breaths, then nodded at her reflection.
Now I’m ready.
She headed to the bathroom door and started to pull it open when she heard voices coming down the hall. She wasn’t sure why, but she pushed the door closed, leaving just a crack to allow her to hear.
The voices belonged to two of the Guard.
“—begin in two days.”
“It’s going to be a monster. I don’t know how we’ll get it all done.”
“We’ll get it done because the priestess has instructed us to get it done.”
“And once Project Jerusalem is complete, the world will be a changed place.”
“Do you think it will succeed?”
“I have no doubt.”
They reached the end of the hall and turned, and their voices became inaudible.
Aaliyah leaned against the door. Project Jerusalem? What is that? She’d never heard the name associated with the move, but it had to be that, though, didn’t it?
She had no time to think about it now. She was already late. She pulled open the door, hustled down the hall, turned the corner—and ran smack into a guard.
Two arms reached out to steady her. “Aaliyah?”
Aaliyah looked up into Oasu’s concerned face. “Oasu. Sorry. I’m late for the Council meeting.”
“It just started.” He released her and stepped out of her way.
“Thank you.” She walked past him, then stopped and looked back. “Have you ever heard of something called Project Jerusalem?”
He frowned. “No. But I could ask—”
“No, no. It’s nothing. In fact, I’m sure I misheard. It’s been a difficult few days.”
Oasu nodded, his eyes reflecting her own sadness. “I know. I miss him too.”
She nodded and squeezed his arm, then turned away without another word. After all, what was there to say?
CHAPTER 19
Baltimore, Maryland
Jen’s mom had disappeared when Jen was seve
n. Jen had come home from school one day, and her mom had simply been gone. No note, no disturbance, just an empty apartment. Jen had spent the next few days getting herself to school and not telling anyone.
But finally a neighbor had noticed and the authorities were contacted. Jen landed in foster care before running away at age ten and spending some time on the streets. When she was caught again, she lucked out and got placed with the Witts, who had gone on to adopt her. Jen had never looked back.
But Laney knew her mother’s disappearance still nagged at her. And although Jen had never said it explicitly, Laney knew her friend had believed her mother was dead.
Now Laney looked at Vanessa’s frozen image. There were similarities. Both had dark hair, dark eyes, and a yellow tint to their skin. “But I thought you were part Korean,” Laney said.
“I thought so too. That’s what my mom always said.”
“Then it can’t be her.”
“I don’t know, it’s just—she looks just like her.”
“It’s been over twenty years. Are you sure?”
“No.” Jen studied the image. “But they look so much alike.”
Laney led Jen over to the island. “What do you remember about your mom?”
“Not much. I mean, she was, I don’t know, serious, I guess. Hugs were in short supply. In fact, I can’t say I remember ever being hugged. But she took care of me—food, shelter, clothes.”
Laney didn’t think Jen realized just how telling that statement was. When it came to kids, it wasn’t just food, shelter, and clothing that mattered. Love played a big role too.
“What was her name?”
“Vanessa. Vanessa Rutledge.”
The first name was the same, but that could mean—Oh, hell, who was she kidding? Jen didn’t wander down imaginary roads of what if. If Jen thought Vanessa was her mother, then she was probably right.
“But isn’t this too much of a coincidence?” Jen said. “I mean, we come across a secretive cult which just happens to have my biological mother as a member?”
