Relics

by K. T. Tomb

  The thought of the smooth curves of the body of Thalia Phoenix had stayed with him ever since he saw her strip in front of him. He had memorized every delicious detail and had fantasized what it would be like to caress her body, kiss it, lick it, suck on it and penetrate her roughly from behind. Making her scream in pain and abusing her for what she had done to him in the cave, brought a particularly vile expression to his face as he considered his sweet revenge.

  Since Thalia Phoenix had made herself expendable, he had asked to have her and Charlotte as sort of a bonus. Nicholai had reluctantly agreed, but told him that he would have to wait until they had a chance to examine the Ark.

  “It could be that we’ll need Miss Phoenix again if this doesn’t prove to be real. I want her unharmed. That Charlotte, however, she’s not important.”

  Had Sergei not been obsessed with Thalia, he might have taken out at least a portion of his frustrations upon Charlotte, but his need for vengeance actually hatched an even more sinister plan. He would have them both together and enjoy watching the reaction of each as they watched the other being violated. He licked his lips while he visualized the images and heard the sounds of their screams in his ears.

  Sergei’s fantasizing was interrupted by Nicholai’s announcement. “Gentlemen, gather around and enjoy the historic occasion that is about to unfold.” There was a video camera set up to record the event and Nicholai turned toward the camera.

  “It is my distinct privilege to be a part of unveiling the authentic Ark of the Covenant before you today. To assist me in this venture, may I present Dr. Josef Markovic, renowned archeologist and leading expert in Ark of the Covenant lore.”

  “Thank you.” Dr. Markovic bowed slightly toward the camera.

  “Doctor, do we have an authentic relic before us?” Nicholai asked. Sergei moved closer and stepped a little bit to the left in order to get a better view of what was taking place.

  “It is my opinion, based on what I can see on the outside, that we do, indeed. However, as we are all well aware, the true proof of authenticity will be found on the inside. Inside, are the original Ten Commandments, allegedly written by the very finger of God; a jar, or more likely a clay pot, with manna (or the bread of heaven); and the staff of Aaron that miraculously grew a bud. If these items are indeed inside the Ark, then we will be able to examine them more closely, perhaps use some of our modern technology to date them and be able to authenticate them and consequently the Ark as well.”

  Sergei couldn’t help but think that the doctor sounded a bit condescending as he spoke and he took a disliking to the man, though it made little difference. Thalia Phoenix would have been a great deal more pleasurable to watch, had she agreed to perform this particular service. With the thought of the two women performing another type of service for him privately, another idea suddenly came to mind: perhaps he should videotape that production as well.

  “Doctor,” Nicholai continued, wanting every opportunity to share the spotlight of the occasion. “How will the proof of authenticity of this relic affect the claim that the Ark, which Thalia Phoenix declared to be authentic not much more than a week ago in Aksum, Ethiopia, is authentic?”

  “Well, it will, of course, stand that claim on its head and, I might add, call into question much of the work of Thalia Phoenix, whom we have recently learned is a fraud.”

  Sergei was a little bit shocked that Nicholai had made the decision to destroy the reputation of Thalia Phoenix. He wondered, for a moment, if defaming her in the video was going to be another means of blackmailing her into providing the services that he wanted. If that was the case, then Nicholai’s promise of letting him have Thalia and Charlotte was likely a ruse.

  Suddenly, he realized that he and all of the others had been used by Nicholai and that they would be lucky to leave the warehouse where they were now standing alive. It was then that he suddenly became aware of a group of men who had slipped into the warehouse and were standing along the walls with AK-47s. They had absolutely no interest in the proceedings around the Ark, but kept their eyes focused on Sergei and the others who had been a part of Nicholai’s team.

  Sergei shifted nervously, especially when he saw the glint in Nicholai’s eyes. His employer looked directly at him, challenging him, knowing that he had the advantage. Then, Nicholai turned back toward the camera.

  “So, Dr. Markovic, are you ready to proceed?”

  “Yes, I am,” the archeologist replied. He moved into position behind the Ark and the camera moved with him and then focused in on his hands. The entire group held their breath as Dr. Markovic gave a tug on the lid to open it, but the lid did not budge. “It appears to be stuck. This is something that we expected, further evidence to its authenticity. The true Ark has been sealed for several thousand years.”

  The doctor nodded toward four men with pry bars, who stepped forward at each corner and inserted the wedged end of the bars into the crack between the lid and the rest of the chest. “Very carefully now, gentlemen,” Nicholai interjected. “You could be damaging an item worth a hundred million dollars. I doubt any of you could come up with that sort of money to replace it.”

  There was a soft twitter of laughter breaking the tension of the moment.

  “Alright,” Markovic directed. “I’ll give you a three count and you will all lift together, understood?”

  The men nodded their consent and positioned themselves to apply their tools to the task.

  “Ready? Three, two, one, lift.”

  The lid hung for a moment and then began to slide upward slightly.

  “Okay. Stop. Now reposition. On the count of three again. Ready? Three, two, one, lift.”

  The mercy seat rose bit by bit as the process was completed several times. Finally, the archeologist ordered the men to stop.

  “At this point, we will lift it together, but carefully. Again, on the count of three.”

  The men positioned themselves with their fingers in the wider crack that they had created with the pry bars.

  “Ready? One, two, three, lift.”

  As the lid came off there was a soft glow emanating from inside the chest of the Ark. The men were directed to place the lid on the table in front of the Ark.

  “This is rather fascinating, Doctor,” Nicholai commented. “What could account for that glowing?”

  Sergei shifted uncomfortably. He had never believed in the legends and lore that told of the power of God being present within the Ark. He was much more like Nicholai; no gods truly existed, especially the one Hebrew god that Jews and Christians worshiped. They were all fools who had found a crutch in religion. When he saw the glow coming from the open chest, however, he began to wonder if he had been wrong.

  “It is rather fascinating, indeed.” The doctor leaned forward to look into the chest. “I see nothing within the chest that would be giving off such light; however, I do see what looks to be a staff, a clay pot and some stone tablets. I will reach in and draw each of them out.”

  When Dr. Markovic’s hands passed the unseen barrier that seemed to create a thin film over the top of the chest, the intensity of the light increased dramatically, and the doctor’s face froze in terror. In the next instant, an intense stream of light exploded from inside the box and the head of Dr. Josef Markovic exploded before their eyes.

  Startled with fear, everyone drew back from the Ark and stood at what seemed to be a safer distance. When things had calmed down for a moment, Nicholai began issuing commands.

  “Get that camera back up and continue filming.” Once the camera was back in place, it focused on him once more and he began to speak in a somber tone. “We have seen a very unfortunate thing take place with Dr. Markovic; however, this turn of events certainly speaks to the authenticity of this item.”

  As Nicholai addressed the camera and whatever audience might be beyond it, Sergei watched the intensity of the light from within begin to spread, and become brighter; in moments, the entire chest appeared to be transparent. He wondered ho
w such a thing could be possible. He had learned from Asam that the chest was made of wood and overlaid with gold. Could light penetrate through wood and gold? If it could, it had to be so extremely intense that it would quickly melt the gold.

  That was Sergei’s very last thought. In the next instant, rays of light appeared, the intensity of which were ten times that of the most powerful laser that had ever been designed. With deadly accuracy, the streams of light exploded the heads and bodies of everyone present in the room, including those bearing AK-47s.

  The intensity of the light inside the Ark did not diminish, but increased even further following the explosions of the rays of light. As the power inside built to a point of extreme energy, the entire room began to quake and the walls started to crumble.

  Outside, in the streets of Hamadan, people braced themselves for what they believed was an earthquake; however, within the next instant, there was an explosion of such great intensity that all of the buildings within a dozen blocks were immediately reduced to rubble and foundations and walls of homes were damaged beyond repair for hundreds of blocks beyond.

  Those who arrived on the scene afterward described a crater that was equivalent to a nuclear explosion. With that bit of evidence, the Iranian government immediately began to make accusations against Russia, revealing that they had been tricked by Semion Usmanov and he had placed a nuclear weapon in the center of their city as some plot by the Russian government.

  The upheaval that was caused by the explosion brought the world to the brink of war. It took some very adept maneuvering and a great deal of money changing hands in order to calm the ire of the Iranians and avoid what might have become a worldwide nuclear disaster. However, cooler heads eventually prevailed and the political explosion that followed the explosion of the Ark finally subsided.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Though Thalia Phoenix had lived through it and witnessed it all, she still had a hard time believing what had happened to them in Hamadan. As she rode in the car that Simon Kessler had provided for her in order to make another visit to Reginald Whitherby, she ran through the events in her mind.

  She, Peter and Kadan had been taken to a basement somewhere on the outskirts of Hamadan where they were locked behind a solid steel door. She had heard at least three very distinct and heavy bolts sliding into place to secure them in their concrete dungeon.

  All of the finer accoutrements that they had enjoyed before were absent and the seven of them remained bound beneath one dim bulb in the center of the room. Conversation between them was very sparse as each was lost in their own self-reflections; knowing that their fate was yet to be decided.

  At one point, Phoenix, feeling overpowered with guilt, attempted an apology. “I want to apologize for getting all of you into this. I know it doesn’t mean much at this moment, but I feel terrible that I have placed all of you in this horrible situation. I don’t know how I’ll be able to make it up or even if I will have the chance to make it—”

  “Phoe. Stop.” Surprisingly, it was Jonathan who spoke up. “None of us are to blame. My father is one of the most powerful and well-connected men in the world, but evidently, this Semion Usamov was more powerful yet. We had every protection and consideration available to avoid this sort of situation and it happened anyway. No one can really be blamed.”

  “He’s right, Phoe,” Charlotte tossed in. “Actually, if anyone is to blame, it should be me. They would have never known what we were up to if I had been more alert and not allowed someone to slip a bug into my bag.”

  “It does nobody any good to assign blame,” Peter jumped in. “We’re here and things look pretty dismal, but we have to trust that Simon will send someone. Kadan got a message out and they will come for us.”

  “How will they know where we are?” Eric asked. “We could rot down here while they search for us.”

  “Ye of little faith,” Kadan finally commented. He squirmed around for a few moments and was finally able to produce a cell phone from one of his pockets. When everyone stared at it, he grinned softly. “What can I say? They did a lousy job of securing their stuff and of searching me towards the end there. Phoenix’s little throw down with Sergei provided the best diversion; I snatched the phone up as soon as his men went after you guys.”

  “How do you intend to use it?” Phoe asked.

  “I don’t need to. As long as it’s on and the battery has life, it will draw them right to us.”

  “But through these thick walls and that steel door?” Peter asked.

  “No need,” Kadan answered. “Last known location would have been right outside that door. I’m just guessing, but I’m betting that my buddy, Chris, has already directed Simon’s team to a position very near here.”

  When he finished speaking, they felt a slight tremor. It felt something like someone shaking the bed.

  “Oh, great, an earthquake,” Eric said. “That’s all we need.”

  In the same instant that he made the statement, they all heard the very distinct sound of the bolts on the steel door being drawn back and the door slowly swinging inward. Expecting to see one of the men who had been their escorts over the past week, they were surprised to see absolutely no one standing in the doorway.

  “How in the hell?” Peter expressed what all of them were thinking.

  They hesitated a moment, smelling a trick and then one by one, they followed Phoe and Peter cautiously toward the open door. They peered up the stairway to the landing above and discovered the door there was also ajar. But, how? The doors were unlocked and open. Someone had to have opened them.

  Still cautious of a trick, Phoe led them up the stairs and out into the empty hallway of the building. The seven of them had continued down the hall together, expecting someone to leap out at them at any moment. They arrived at the door that led out into the back alley where they had been brought in. Mysteriously, just like the others, it was also unlocked and open.

  They stepped through cautiously and looked in each direction as they tried to decide which direction to take. That was the moment that men in Kevlar and battle helmets showed up with M16s and other forms of heavy firepower. All of the weapons were leveled at them and a long pause ensued as each group stared at the other.

  “Thalia Phoenix?” the leader asked, raising the barrel of his rifle.

  “Yes,” she replied.

  “Stand down, gentlemen,” he ordered. “We’ve got them.” He made a subsequent radio call and then ordered the group behind him to move forward and tend to Phoe and her team. “Simon sent us. I don’t know who it was, but someone left a hell of a trail of breadcrumbs.”

  “That would be Kadan,” Phoe replied, waving her hand toward the computer geek.

  “Your buddy Chris put us right on top of you.” The team leader smiled.

  “Of course he did,” Kadan replied. “We geeks are good that way.”

  “Here you are, ma’am.” The voice of the limousine driver cut into her reverie and she suddenly snapped back to the present. She was sitting in front of the modest home of Reginald Whitherby. The door was opened for her and she extended her hand to be helped from the back seat.

  “I won’t be long,” she whispered. Still recovering from the experience that she had just relived, she was unable to find her usually confident voice.

  “Take your time, ma’am. I will be waiting,” the driver replied.

  Thalia Phoenix took slow, deliberate steps up the cobblestone path toward the profoundly British home with ivy growing up its stone walls and spreading across the distinctly Victorian gables.

  “Miss Phoenix,” the woman answering the door said as she ushered her into the entryway. “What a distinct pleasure. Three visits in less than a month.”

  “Thank you, ma’am. The pleasure is all mine.”

  “Reginald will see you in the library; though I must tell you, he’s a bit under the weather today. Sick with worry, I think, but the old brute won’t admit to it.”

  “Of what would he have ca
use to worry?” Thalia realized that she had begun to take on something of the British manner of speaking since she’d made her visits to London. In fact, the city had begun to grow on her and she was entertaining the idea of giving up the penthouse apartment on the Grand Canal for a stately home in London.

  “Why, you, of course, dear. I’m afraid the old bugger has grown quite fond of you. Like a daughter, mind you; he’s not the perverted type, you understand.”

  “I understand.”

  “Reginald,” she called out. “Miss Phoenix is here to see you.”

  Phoe saw an instant transformation of his demeanor as she was announced, and he raised his head from his chest where he had been napping.

  “Miss Phoenix, indeed?”

  “In the flesh,” she responded, beaming.

  “Please forgive me my pessimism, but I feared that I would never see you again.”

  “God forbid that will ever be the case, sir,” she responded. “I’ve grown quite fond of your rambling.”

  He chuckled softly. “I do go on at times. However, in this instance, I’d prefer to listen to you ramble. I believe you have been on something of an adventure, to say the least.”

  “To say the least,” she smiled.

  Thalia Phoenix related the entire tale from the moment she had left Reginald Whitherby right up until the mysterious unlocking of the doors and the arrival of their rescuers.

  “They opened of their own accord?” His face showed the sort of expression one might have after hearing a ghost story.

  “Yes, sir,” she replied.

  He sat quietly for a few moments. There seemed to be a mist in his eyes. He had seen the news of a nuclear explosion and the turmoil that had been the result and was just then being brought back under control. Thalia had also been briefed on what had taken place and, though she and Simon knew the actual cause of the explosion, they had told no one.